A Missionary Party "on Trek"
By R. C. Porter
- (From a personal letter) *
ELDER W. S. Hyatt, Dr. Geo. Thomason, and I, with our wives, Willis and Rosa Hyatt, and Brethren Burton, Moko, and Faba, are making a trip through the Tymnie Valley, in Kafirland [Eastern Cape Colony], where Brethren Burton and Moko have been doing medical missionary evangelistic work with a wagon. At our first camp it rained all the time the two days we spent with the people. We held public meetings, and Dr. Thomason treated forty-six patients. One intelligent native government teacher decided to accept the truth. At our second camp the children came running to meet us as we neared the place. We pitched by a beautiful row of shade-trees, and held three outdoor meetings. There were more than one hundred present at some of the meetings. We found a willingness to hear the truth, and the people took a great interest in lantern lectures on the signs of the times and the second coming of Christ. One child who was nearly dying from dysentery was treated, and began to improve at once. This became known to another mother, who came several miles to the second encampment, bringing a child suffering with a similar complaint. She reached us just as we were breaking camp, and called for the great baby doctor. She was much pleased to learn that our party would wait for her baby to receive treatment before proceeding on our journey. In our last meeting a number requested prayers that they might be prepared for the coming of the Lord, and we closed with a revival service. Dr. Thomason gave forty-three treatments during our second two days' encampment. The people brought hens, mealies, beans, milk, threepences, and sixpences to pay the doctor's bills. As we left, they wished us many blessings, and expressed the hope that if we should not meet again on earth, we might meet in heaven.