Narok,
Masai Reserve,
Kenya
Colony E. Africa
Nov.
12, 1933
Dear
Ones All:
Merry
Christmas and Happy New Year and I better hurry up about it or
you
wont have any - at any rate you wont have my wishes.
This
is Sun. P.M. the first one I have had at home for over a year.
I
have missed going to Narok only one Sun. during the year - no
I mean
I’ve missed no Sun. when I was here. While at Shaffers
one
of the natives went every Sun. and it was only the Sun. last
Jan.
when we were at Conf. that no one went. Now with the B.C.M.S.
young
people here - and Miss des Forges, I begged off today - tho
Mr.
Scudder thinks I should always go. He has been giving “Little
Jets” talks to the boys at the Gov’t School and it is great to
see how keen they are on the stories and they know at once
what he is
trying to represent on the black board. We have around 60 boys
there
besides a number of grown ups.
Now
I’ve lain down awhile and slept even tho Grace didn’t. and
told
her a story. and now she is happy looking thro the box of
Christmas
cards & stickers.
Its
hot and windy so we are glad for the thick stone walls of our
house
which keep us cool in day time and warm at night. We had one
good
shower about 2 wks. ago and nothing since - except black
clouds which
pile up as tho we’d get it hard & then blow away and we
get a
cold wind - that’s all. Our ram keeps pumping away and so
there’s
a green spot in the garden - little corn - few beans, beets,
radishes
& that is about all - & cabbage. The oleander is
blooming
beautifully. This dry hot weather seems to suit it. It has
buds
much of the time but they don’t open unless it is very dry. So
now
it is beautiful. The roses are blooming a bit but not very
nice -
too much wind & hot sun.
Have
several letters here of Lora’s but nothing recent from the
rest of
you. In the last from the boys, Claudon was almost ready to
come but
we know he is not with this party that is landing on Fri. next
unless
he got a later boat & over took them. but we are really
expecting
he will be out by Christmas. Say, do you get the thrill? When
Claudon & Christmas are mentioned there’s an indescribable
feeling somewhere in the “inner regions” that extends up &
down the spine too. I mean the “feeling” extends - not the
inner
regions.
We’ve
had another big loss among us here in Kenya & in the
mission all
thro - for Mrs. Downing went to glory last week - Nov. 3.
After less
than 3 wks. of suffering. Perhaps you’ve heard thro others.
She
is one of the “elders” in the mission - and is so well known
in
all the fields of our work for their home has always been the
stopping place of our workers whenever in Kijabe. And we have
always
had their home as ours whenever we were there - even tho for
only one
night. And when we were there in Aug. we [pg. 2] spent one day
with
them. and tho there were many callers & duties yet we
managed to
get quite a nice visit in between other things. She has always
called me her sister & we really were in everything except
blood
relation.
It
was all so sudden. I can’t realize it at all. She wrote me
early
in Oct. & sent me a recipe for roasting peanuts in hot oil
&
then said she wasn’t feeling very well. had a lump on right
side
that was painful by spells and that the muscles of the calves
of her
legs were so sore. she had staid in her room for a few days as
it was
too painful to get about much. Then Dr. Shaw from another
mission
was there to see some of the R.V.A. children so she had him
come to
see her. He thot it an abscess on the liver that needed
attention at
once - for if it should open it would cause death at once. She
didn’t get very excited over it but a few days later went to
Miss
Slaters in Nairobi where she could be under the Drs care.
There were
examinations & tests and even Xray but they could not
decide what
it was - then they operated and instead of abscess it was
cancer - by
that time she had suffered so much they had to keep her under
opiates
all the time. She was so eager to go - she never seemed to
feel
there was any relief for her. She didn’t believe it was in
God’s
plan to pray for her recovery - even before they knew it was
cancer -
but she asked us to pray that she might be released soon - as
the
suffering was so severe. Mr. Downing - Kenneth staid right
with her
at the hospital - and Herbert was there at the last. ‘Twas
very
hard for Herbert tho as his wife was in the hospital at Kijabe
with a
bad go of tonsilitis and their little girl about 1 ½ yrs is
not very
easy to look after - she doesn’t take up with strangers at
all. They brot Mrs. D. from Nairobi on Sat. & had a
service at R.V.A.
and also one at the cemetery. The latter was for the natives
and a
big crowd had gathered. It is nice to think she is at rest but
the
loss to the work is great and her place can’t be filled very
easily. We haven’t heard what Mr. Downing will do but perhaps
Herberts will move in with him. They both teach in R.V.A. and
Mrs.
D. always cared for the baby all A.M. They will miss her in so
many
ways for they can’t entertain folks as she did. We wish Lucile
would come out - she wants to so much but her husband is not
so
enthusiastic as she is - tho I don’t think he is really
opposed. Mr. D. has written a general letter and enclosed it
in the monthly
prayer letter so all will have the particulars. I’m writing
this
after receiving yesterday’s mail - when his letter came. He
said
the post mortem examination revealed only cancer of liver that
had
made the liver most as hard as stone - how she lived so long
&
suffered so little til the last was a surprise to the Doctors.
They
said it has no doubt been coming on for at least 2 yrs. Mr. D.
is
full of praise to God for His kindness to them in letting them
all
return [pg. 3] to the field and then too every one in the
hospital
and the many friends in Nairobi were so good to them during
the 17
days they were there.
Well,
one just never knows what the future has for us. and so it’s
just
best to be prepared, as she was. When we left Downings on the
morning of Aug. 24 we were planning how she & Kenneth
would come
out here whenever Kenneth would have his first vacation.
I’ve
imagined her meeting with all the folks over there and what a
happy
time they would be having I was wishing I could have sent a
message
to our dear ones there - but then that may not be necessary
for maybe
they know about us. I wonder.
We
were at the neighbors for lunch today - they have a pretty
well
trained cook. so they ask us over sometimes. They always come
here
Sun. eve for supper. and every A.M. for tea. We don’t often
have
P.M. tea because we like supper early.
I
cut out a dark dress this P.M. Al you’d laugh if you’d know
that
the only dark dress I now have is that brown figured voile
that you
chucked & I gobbled up. That blue with light green dots
has
finally been retired to the rug rag basket. This material is
some I
ordered from Wards. ‘Twas quite cheap - 8 or 9 cents, I think
-
how it washes & wears is to be found out.
Lo,
thanks for the Am. & Digest & needles. All most
acceptable, & gratefully received. And Cora did I ever say
“ashe
oling” [Masai, “thank you very much”.] for the pages from your
daily & the pictures among them? Grace is using some of
the
pictures in the papers to color. I used some as waste paper on
Sat.
when we took lunch out & every body had fished &
fished &
caught nothing - & it happened that the paper I had on my
lap had
a poem - cleverly written about the “lords of creation”
angling &
even tho “lords” they can’t make a fish bite if he doesn’t
want to. I read it aloud & then John asked where that
paper was
published as he’d like to subscribe!
‘Twas
2 wks ago Sat. that we were going on a reg’lar picnic. Our car
battery had a connection broken but Scudders car was supposed
to be
alright. We were going ab’t 15 miles to look about a crossing
on
the river. We were ready to leave by 9 A.M. but when Scudders
ran,
or tried to run their car out they found something wrong. He
worked
til 11:30 & then it seemed to go alright so we went &
when
within a couple of miles from the place, we were dodging
around in
the bush we stopt to do a bit of cutting so we could get thro
it
suddenly refused to start & we pushed & pushed [pg. 4]
and
tried cranking but nothing worked. so we ate our lunch as it
was 2
P.M. & then all started walking back. Mr. Scudder was
supposed
to hurry ahead fast & bring our car back to meet us. but
she went
with him so he didn’t get back very quick. We had Grace with
us &
Miss des Forges had uncomfortable shoes on. We walked 7 miles
&then
as it was getting dark we stopt & made a fire. and staid
there
til the car came for us about 8:30 or so. We were all too
tired to
eat so had some tea & hot baths & went to bed. Jno was
so
lame from pushing the car that he isn’t over it yet. Guess he
strained some muscle or nerve in his thigh for his right leg
is numb
much of the time and the sore place on his skin opened again.
He got
up for breakfast this morning the first time in over a week.
Next
morning early Scudders took our car & went out & towed
theirs
in - ours would go by tying the broken connection on. We got
the
broken part so we are all fixed up but theirs burned out the
coil or
something like that & it is still disabled. but as long as
we
have one on the place, it’s quite enough. O wow! I’ve a jigger
in my toe.
This
is a new tablet & I don’t like it. it’s too thin. hold it
over something dark. then it will do.
Say,
that globe pencil sharpener you sent in the parcel Barnetts
brot is
the best sharpener we’ve had in a long time.
Had
such a nice letter from Mrs Hurlburt in last mail. Next Thurs.
is
another home mail. How we do always watch for them.
What
a nice time you have all been having with Aunt Lorene there.
Parks,
Mts. Beach - say, how “travelled” she will be. Wonder how I
could get her out here - perhaps if I’d pay her ticket she’d
come. I wonder. I could keep her busy for a while - not sight
seeing but rug making! Wouldn’t it be interesting! after
Calif.
Did
I say thanks for avocado recipes? I’ll try the one with ice
cream???!!!
Thanks
too for all your enclosures. Mabel Zeller & Susans. I’ll
try
to answer Mabels collection soon.
So
glad Lois is at J.B. College. I’m sure it will be fine for
her. Chas Probst is still there or at Sulphur Sprgs. & I
don’t know
just what he is doing - but waiting for his girl to finish her
training some place - & then they want to come out
together.
The
idea! Glen Mathis having a son - why it seems only a few days
ago
that he himself was only a baby. Where do the years go?
It’s
getting bed time - & I’m ready for it. Goodnight.
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