Kijabe, Kenya, E. Africa
Sun. Jan. 24, 1932
Dear Girls & Chas:
You see where we are. Got here about 3 P.M.
yesterday. Had only 28 for breakfast. More will be in
tomorrow. but we wont be the usual crowd as 16 went to U.S.A.
this last year & almost none came out. There are a number
of others ought to go home this year but I hope others come
back soon.
We had the opening service last evening -
just in the sitting room but hereafter meetings will be in the
school room. We were such a crowd last year that we slept on
anything we could find. J & I had a small room & I had
a folding bed - really very comfortable - but this year Mrs.
Farnsworth says there’s more room & she has given us a
lovely room east & south windows. The only thing is it is
above the school room and if I’m ever up here when a meeting
is on - which isn’t likely I’ll have to be quiet & not
drop my shoes, etc. I’ll not have much time to sit around.
This is Sun. A.M. and every one has gone to native meeting or
to S.S. at the R.R. Station. but I’m not up to much so I said
I’d stay home. Guess Miss Slater is lying down too. She got up
with sick headache. I had my bad go yesterday. I most always
get headache when we come in. I had told Mrs. S. I’d take care
of the road lunch as she had so much to do. We had potato
salad & baked beans. We don’t usually have so much but S’s
are camping & I knew they’d use anything that was left. We
always have tea & I had lemon juice for the children’s
lemonade. When we came to make the tea I’d forgotten the tea
leaves - & when we wanted lemonade the bottle of juice had
been left behind!!
Every body was very lenient with me, tho I
knew it was hard for the men to do without tea. But Miss
Slater had tea for us and then I took asperin & Mrs Davis
rubbed my temples & back of neck so by bed time I was very
comfy there. We
were about 45 at the evening meeting.
A few days ago when we
wanted to start our car we found the battery run down. So when
we started from home yesterday morning Mr. S. drove our car
& Mrs. S. drove theirs. She had always wanted to drive to
Kijabe just to see if she could. I rode with her for about 20
miles. Then the country was pretty level & no chance of
stalling our engine so Jno drove, & I rode with him. After
lunch Mr. S. drove their car. She drives very well for the
little practice she gets but has always driven so fast. So
yesterday she showed them she could dive slowly. & so got
way behind us. I think she didn’t realize she was driving so
fast for yesterday she declared she drove as usual.
After
Conference they expect to go to Loitokitok - at the foot of
Kilimanjaro to see how Ndilai & his wife are getting on.
We left them there to carry on evangelistic work.
We don’t quite know if
we will have school or not. I wanted Milaun to teach, he is
about the oldest of those who took the Exam. and too he has
always stood with us against the K.C.A. Last term a
youngster taught who has three brothers & sisters among
the smaller children & he couldn’t do a thing with any
of them - so I told them if I was going to look after the
school I wanted Milaun and Milaun had said he’d teach for
whatever wage they wanted to give. Mulungit came to see
about it & every thing was alright. til the father of
the young fellow came back & told them the only reason I
wanted Milaun was because he stood with us - & he upset
the whole bunch & just the last thing they came &
(pg. 2) said they wanted Elija - no matter if Milaun would
teach for nothing. We saw it was just the old K.C.A. spirit
again - & we had hoped it was dead. so John told them if
they wouldn’t listen to us then they could go on and carry
on as best they could. We had plenty who would be glad if
we’d come to them. No, they didn’t want that, but they
wanted us to help them. Milaun came with us & will
attend
Bible
School for this term. at least. Shaffers had money given
them to help boys in that way - so Kuyoni & Milaun are
here. Just what we will do when we go back, I
don’t know. but the finances of the school will be taken
care of by our people or there will be no school. Mulungit
was so nice those times he came to see me - just
as he used to be - but when he is with the others then he
can be just like they are. But he is not happy nor are the
others for much of the time they do not agree among
themselves.
Sometime
ago a notice came from the Circuit Court something about us
& Kathryn Behrens. What have we had to do with her or
she with us. We each got a notice so I’m
going to send you one - as you have never said a word about
any such thing.
We received your
letter Chas. a bit late for Christmas but very glad for it
any way. Also for Bessie’s part in it. I didn’t bring it
along so will have to look it over another time. But by now
you are starting in hot & heavy with the eggs. I hope
you don’t get the kind I got yesterday - I had boiled 8 for
our lunch & they were all
rotten.
Lora, haven’t had a
letter from you since I last wrote but the Am. came with the
Calendars in it & most have been pasted onto cards &
given to those who have homes and can read. We had received
so few Calendars this year compared with other years. but
in the mail just before we came were 5 - all alike like the
Christian Herald one. I got it this year. but not last. Yes, if
Cora wants to send her copies of C.H. sometimes,
alright. We all read at them tho I don’t read everything as
I try to do with other magazines. Others enjoy them - we
always give them to S’s to read as well as other magazines.
They get the Moody Monthly & that’s about all. but we
always share up all papers. There’s surely lots of
interesting reading in the American. - - I just took 2
calendars down stairs for Mrs Farnsworth for R.V.A. is so
large they can use a good number; & when Miss Slater saw
them she wanted to know where hers were. I had forgotten
that I often gave her one I don’t know how I got such a
number. These last came from the Christian Literature
Distributing house in Phila. Course I write them that I’ve
received their roll tho I think really some
one orders thro them. Well, they (calendars) do come handy
& I do thank whoever sends them.
There
are two families of English people living at the station -
poor as can be - each have 6 or 7 children. ignorant as
natives almost. One mother is a Boer - or Dutch woman from
South Africa. Their children were in S.S. in East London,
S.A. one time & they know a little about the Bible. Mr.
Devitt has been going down on his motor cycle (pg. 3) every Sun. morning for
S.S. with them; & some of the people here have been
sending them clothes. A number went down this morning for
the purpose. others like Jno. went to the native service
here.
Cora, do you remember
some
Normal Instructors you sent me once - I’ve looked them over
several times & I‘ve gotten ideas out of them
and now I brot them for Miss Holman to see if she
could use them in R.V.A. she has such a nice class of little
folks The larger ones have all gone to Am. now.
It’s getting toward
church time 4 P.M. so I’ll finish later. – This is later. exactly a week later -
again just before P.M. meeting. communion service, then
tonight is the song & praise service which
ends the Conference. In the morning we go to Nairobi. Mr.
Skoda, goes along & will drive as John does not like
driving in Nairobi. The battery isn’t all bad. the engine
will start but it ought to be looked over.
We have had a lovely
time this week. Have been around 45 - and yesterday &
today 52 or so. Miss Slater declares its the last time she
will do it. but she may again be persuaded when the time
comes.
Several have spoken of
how helpful the early meetings were. John only read some
scripture - ‘most no remarks at all just prayer. Then Mr.
Pitway has been wonderful all along. The last 2 evenings were
spent in prayer-groups meeting in different places. I’m
enclosing a program.
We
don’t just know what we will find when we get back for one
of the girls has come from over there & said they had
meeting last Sun. but Tameno, who led, didn’t read from the
Bible & said only words praising himself. and that they
were praying we wouldn’t return. This Wambui who has come is
one of the 2 girls who said they would not go thro that bad
custom but something was said or done that frightened them
& they both had it done. Now this girl’s father was
selling her to a young man whom she hates. She has always
wanted Kuyoni who is not going to attend Bible School here.
and this last week when her father told her that “tomorrow
she must go with the young man he has bargained with” - she
ran away & caught a lorry coming over here & is now
at the girls home here. That’s a break for the girls there
and there may be others who will do it. I had urged Mulungit
to send his oldest girl, Lois, but I doubt if he will. I’m
so glad this girl has come. That’s what we wanted them to do
2 yrs. ago. before they carried out the custom but they thot
they were not going to be molested.
I had some pictures to send but this will
be too full for any this time. I’ll write again soon. Got
your Xmas card Al. That was a cute Idea. several here who
saw it thot so too.
We thot we’d get off
early in the morning but it has rained so we are afraid it
will be slippy if we go early so guess we’ll have breakfast
with the rest at 7. Blaikies wanted us to spend the night
with them but since Mr. Skoda is going with us we will have
to get back.
Cora your China circular
letter came & your note enclosed. I’ll answer more
properly at home as this must get off.
Got such a nice picture
of Lucile Downings 2 babies - and a nice letter from Mrs. D.
so I have a number I want to write soon after we get back. but
I’ll get things done again when I get back into more
regularity.
It’s time for meeting.
I’ll write soon again. Alice send me an idea for my new
dress. green
Korean silk. I’ll enclose a tiny sample. I have 4 yds. &
a yard of white. Something plain - for I’ll have to wear it
several years. There’s no hurry for I’ll want it for next
Conf. specially. I wanted to sell it but others are hard hit
too.
Much love
Flo
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