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Shangani Mission

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Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park, Washington, D. C. · Aug 22, 1912

FromReview and Herald, Vol. 89, No. 34.

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Shangani Mission

An Out-School of Somabula

Brother and Sister John N. de Beer have made a visit to the Shangani Station since returning to the Somabula Mission, and Brother de Beer speaks of it as follows:—
"In a former report I made mention of the idol tree, around which the poor natives would gather and worship. On this last visit we found that the grass had grown high and thick around the trunk of this tree, proving to us that the natives had kept their promise not to worship it any longer. When we went down to establish the mission, the ground around this tree was clean and bare, and one could see that visits there were frequent.
"The natives were delighted to see us again. Never had we received such a welcome as we did on this occasion. We stayed at the mission a week, and held meetings two Sabbaths. Over one hundred attended, besides the children. God gave me freedom to speak, and all present seemed deeply interested as I repeated to them the dear old story of Jesus and his love.
"While there I learned of a white man six miles away who was suffering from blackwater fever. We at once inspanned and went over to see what we could do for him. On our arrival we found him in a very dangerous condition, seemingly at the point of death. The best thing we could do was to put him on the wagon and take him to our mission. After a week's treatment he was much better, but very weak. As our food supply was running out, we had to come away before he was quite over his trouble, but we left him in the care of our boys, and with enough food to last until his own would arrive. He seemed much interested in what we told him about the truth, and promised to visit us in the near future at Somabula. As an expression of his gratitude, he promised to send or bring us a beautiful skin kaross that he had made, the inside of which is lined with furry spring-hare skins.
"Expecting him to die while on the wagon en route to the mission, I asked him his name,—which he could hardly utter,—so that we could communicate with his people in case of his death. You can imagine how surprised we were when he said, 'My name is John de Beer.'
"We are quite well, and can now feel the benefit of the change at the Cape. Brother Hutchinson, however, is very poorly on account of severe attacks of the fever. Delmar Gibson is also still having attacks of it."