Barotseland by William Harrison Anderson; Mrs. W. H. Anderson

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Washington, D.C. · May 10, 1906

Barotseland

By William Harrison Anderson; Mrs. W. H. Anderson

It is nearly one year since we left the home land for this field. We were five months on the journey and transporting our goods by ox wagon two hundred miles. As the oxen were not trained, it was no pleasure trip. Several times we heard lions, and once they followed us four or five miles. We kept them off by setting grass fires. Again one passed within thirty feet of the wagon while we were asleep. I believe the angel of the Lord cared for us. We always kept fires around us. Mrs. Anderson and I slept on the ground that mother might have the bed on the wagon. One night our bed caught fire and burned four of our blankets.

Another night we got stuck in a river, and spent most of the night trying to get out. A lion was roaring near us all night, so we did not get sleepy.

At one place we had seven miles of heavy sand. We had to unload the wagon and carry the load, three thousand pounds, on our backs, then go back and bring up the wagon with the oxen. Not much like riding in a chair car on an American railroad is it? I have heard people complain of that. Don’t send them to interior Africa as missionaries. They are apt to get sick and have to go home.

The railroad is near us now, but it is too expensive for missionaries. The fare is twenty-five cents a mile, and the passenger rides in an open truck. Freight is one cent a mile for each pound when shipped by the car-load.

We arrived at our new station September 5. We soon had our house up, and were quite comfortable. The house is built of poles stood on end, and is plastered inside and out with mud. The walls are eight feet high. It is ceiled with muslin, and has an iron roof. Several times since the rains began, the walls have washed down. Of course this lets in the rain, but as soon as it is dry enough, we plaster up again, and are all right until the next rain. This is not conducive to health, but it is the best we can do.

For the natives, we have one building, twelve by twenty-four feet. This is church, schoolroom, study room, dining-room, and bedroom for thirty students. We expect to build more when the rains are over.

On the farm, we have set out several fruit trees and a few ornamental trees around the house. We have planted thirty acres to corn, sweet potatoes, and peanuts. We hope to raise enough to provide our family with food. As I see our few facilities, I am led to ask how many would like industrial school work with our equipment? Our farm tools consist of a wagon, two plows (one is broken), six shovels, six axes, and twelve hoes.

We harrowed our ground with a thorn bush. Did you ever try harrowing prairie sod that way? If you did, you can imagine how well we were able to pulverize the soil. We planted the corn on the grass roots, and have cultivated it with a hoe.

We opened our school September 18. There were ten present. Since that time our numbers have increased to thirty-two. We have had to turn away several who came from a distance, as we had no food for them. Food is very scarce this year. Natives are starving to death around us, and we are unable to do anything for them, as there is no food in the country. When our corn ripens, we hope to be able to accommodate fifty in the home. This I think is all that we can manage at this place.

All have made good progress in their studies. Next month I shall have a class of ten who have learned to read the Bible since we came here. Others are not far behind them. None of these had ever looked at a book before they entered our school. Our studies are Bible, reading, writing, spelling, arithmetic, and geography. We hope to train some workers to give the message to the thousands of villages in this field.

We organized a Sabbath-school the first Sabbath, and have had regular classes ever since. We are using Bell’s lessons as a guide in class work. The studies are in the native language. The average attendance has been about forty. The donations have been $7.25. Some of the students who have no money are cultivating corn for a donation.

I have a class of seventeen boys who have expressed a desire to serve the Lord. We have special studies on what it is to be a Christian. When they have stood the test of the Word, of time, and of service, we expect to organize a church. We have to move slowly and carefully in this matter.

We are glad to be back again to the work in Africa. We thank the Lord for his care and blessing. Pray for us that we may have wisdom to train workers. O, that we may have power to push the work in this field to the finish!

W. H. Anderson. MRS. W. H. ANDERSON.