p. 523 | NOTES ON THE KONGO by Nora A. Gordon

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · Jun 25, 1894

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 20, No. 33.

NOTES ON THE KONGO.

By Nora A. Gordon

BY NORA A. GORDON.

ABOUT two hundred and twenty miles from the mouth of the Kongo River, beyond Mukimvika, Mataki, Palabala, and Banza Manteka Stations, stands the Lukungu Station, which is situated in a populous district, and is the center from which have sprung twenty-four schools and five churches, scattered around in all directions.

The work is in charge of Mr. Hoste, an English gentleman who has spent ten years in Kongo without going home. There are other gentlemen associated with Mr. Hoste, while the schools, care of boys and girls, and work among the women, are in charge of the lady missionaries.

Miss Howard is in charge of one of the best primary schools in Kongo. She has about one hundred pupils, and has succeeded in grading the school somewhat on the order of our public schools in this country.

Aside from this she has sole care of thirty little boys, whose ages range from three to thirteen. These come from the different towns around. Many of them are orphans; some are despised little waifs, who have come with their hair, eyebrows, hands, and feet filled with vermin, and their bodies plastered with filth, while there are others who have been beaten and driven from their towns for stealing. Every little scrap of humanity at Lukungu feels that he has in Miss Howard a true friend and mother. When the boys come to her, they are first of all taken to the river near by, thoroughly scrubbed, their heads shaved, and then dressed in little short-sleeved shirts and loin cloths, and installed as members of her household. In the morning she looks after their baths and clean suits, gives them food, takes them to the chapel for service, has them in the primary schools, in the afternoon sends them out to do gardening, and at night gathers them about her and tells them the story of Jesus and his love. It is impossible to describe the wonderful transformation which has taken place in these little lives during the past two years, and many of them have believed in Him who said, "Suffer little children to come unto me."

The women and girls are the bread winners, and until recently no special work has been done for them. But, thank God, they are now being reached, and already Miss Bessie Gardner, a graduate from Wayland Seminary, has in charge a number of girls. She is a noble worker, very quiet and gentle, yet firm and unyielding in her discipline, and seems in every way specially adapted to work for the girls. Mrs. Claflin, a lady from Maine, has had several years' experience in Kongo, and is a mighty power among the women and all with whom she has to do.

The question is often asked, "Is it safe to send out single ladies to the Kongo, where in many places the natives are hostile and treacherous?" In every instance the gentlemen have gone before, made friends with the natives, established the stations, while their faithful wives, in addition to other cares, have taught the first school, won the confidence of the women, cared for the sick and dying, and done the hundreds of little genuinely missionary deeds which have had no place in annual reports and missionary statistics. Much of the success of the Kongo work today has sprung from seed sown by these godly women, some of whom have fallen, while others are still plodding away at their posts of duty. Thus the way has been opened, and, whether single or otherwise, each has her place in the evangelization of the millions of Africa.—Spelman Messenger.