[Written on A.I.M. letterhead
stationery.]
Index
Africa Inland Mission
Charles E. Hurlburt Director
via Mombasa and Machakos
Kangundo, British E. Africa
Home Council of the Africa
Inland Mission
J. Davis Adams, Secretary, 5930 Thompson Street, Philadelphia,
Pa.
T. Edward Ross, Treasurer, 516 Stephen Girard Building,
Philadelphia, Pa.
All moneys should be sent to
the Treasurer in Philadelphia. Every cent contributed is
forwarded to the workers.
I must preach the good
tidings of the kingdom of God to the other cities also. - Luke
iv.43 (R.V.)
[Written at top of letter in
Florence’s handwriting: “This is so descriptive I thot I
should send it as is.”]
Aug. 29th, 1903
My Dear friend:
I am finally at home in Africa. Our journey
was a very long one yet a very fine one. We found it quite
warm in the Red Sea and very rough on the Indian ocean. On the
Indian ocean we met the monsoon winds which they say are worse
than a storm on the Atlantic. We thought we were proof against
seasickness, but oh my! For two days we enjoyed it to the
full. After that it began to quiet down and it was quite nice
when we reached Mombasa. We were feeling just fine when we
reached our landing place. We spent three days at the coast
and then took the train for the Inland, Mr. Rhoad to stop at
Machakos and I to go on to Kijabe 100 miles beyond. I stopped
with Rhoad at Machakos and visited with Mr. Johnston our
missionary there. The thing that surprised me most was to find
it is very cool, almost cold. They say it is always so. Here
at Kijabe it is cooler still, we sleep every night under heavy
woolen blankets and comforters. Fevers are unknown here, and
Mr Hurlburt says it is full as healthy as at home. How
everything surprises me here. There are none of the dangers I
dreamt about. When I left Machakos for the station, I
travelled 25 miles with no one but natives. Half of that
distance was through mountains and heavy timber, and that from
two o’clock til daylight, and it was as dark as it could be.
Of course we carried a lantern. The people here are perfectly
safe and have none of those peculiar customs you hear about.
When I came into Kijabe Mr. Hurlburt met me at the station,
which is only two miles from here. After climbing up steep
mountain paths we finally got to the station. There we were
met by Mrs. Hurlburt and their five children, and Miss
Compton, Miss Messenger, and Miss Mc Cleary. They are all very
fine people and I only wish you could meet Mr. Hurlburt. I
believe he is the finest man I ever met, and now to think that
he is to be to me as a father. If I do not feel happy here I
never can be happy. After we stopped awhile at the station Mr.
Hurlburt took me farther up the mountain where the permanent
buildings of the station are being put up. He has about 100
natives working there. We rode up on Hurlburt’s mule and I
only wish you could have seen how those poor fellows did
welcome the new missionary. I no sooner got off the mule than
they were all around me to shake hands with me. Of course I
had to make the entire round. They were all yelling Muhorro
which is their How do you do. They called me “the man way up”
and said I was a very good man. These people, called the
Wakikuyu, are very jolly and seem to be happy. Today we were
working at the buildings and all day long it was nothing but
Muhorro, Muhorro. They were singing and laughing and cutting
up all day long. I must say I have already fallen in love with
these people. Of course they have some things about them that
are not just agreeable but on the whole they are far better
than I expected. Today noon Mr. Hurlburt had a meeting with
them and they sat very quiet and listened well to all he said.
Of course they asked many questions but always in a very quiet
way. Then they sang At the cross and No not One in their own
language and their singing was very fine. They sang with all
their might. I only wish you could take a single look at the
country from our station. We are high up on a mountain. Heavy
woods are all around. Toward the west is a large plain over
which we can look almost a hundred miles. Our station is about
six hundred feet above that plain. On this plain live the
Masai people of whom I think you must have read. They are
quite an intelligent people, but somewhat unknown to
Europeans. There are thousands of them within ten miles of us.
Mr. Hurlburt wants me to make it my special business to get in
among these people and try to get their language and then be
their missionary. this I cannot do however till later on. In
the meantime I will have other work. You have a copy of A
brief History of the Africa Inland Mission. You remember I
wrote to you about those orphan children whose picture is in
the back part of the book. When I wrote about them I hardly
supposed I would ever see them, yet tonight they are in the
very same room I am writing this letter, and are now called my
boys. I will have charge of them until I take up work among
the Masai, and will try to teach them to read English. Won’t
that be fine work. Wouldn’t it be nice if some day you could
come here, and these little fellows would be our family and
while I should go out to visit the Masai, you could teach
these boys at home. I hope God will permit you to come. It is
so very nice here. Of course I shall also try to learn some of
the Kikuyu language, because they are the people among whom we
are living. Africa is not at all what I thought it would be,
at least not in this part of the country. The scenery is very
pretty. Fresh pure air is very plentiful. Food is so abundant
that we need not concern ourselves at all about that. Here we
have some fine cedar woods to build our houses. No dangerous
animals have been seen yet, so there is nothing at all to keep
us from being perfectly happy. Oh don’t I wish I could just
get that whole Volunteer Band to come out here and help to
bring these people to Christ. I believe without a doubt that
the day is coming soon when there shall be a large company of
good Christian people in these mountains. How happy then I
shall be to think that my Master considered me worthy to take
a small part in bringing this about. We are living now in
grass houses and they are very comfortable. The natives do
most of the work at building, and they really do very well. Of
course not being accustomed to work they get quite lazy and
must constantly be pushed along. They are able however to do
good work and when once taught to work I think they will do
first rate. I shall be looking for a letter from you now soon.
I have not received any letters from America yet. I suppose
they will come in slow since my address is changed. It is not
Kangundo as I supposed but Kijabe. So address me Kijabe,
British East Africa via Mombasa in care of Station Master.
Just now I am kept very busy writing letters so you will
excuse me if this letter is not just as long as you expected.
After I get through with the first lot I will not be obliged
to write to so many and will then get time for longer letters.
I suppose this letter will find you at Naperville. How funny
it seems to think that only a short time ago I was with you as
one of the Volunteer Band and now actually in the very central
part of the Dark Continent. I thank God for his wonderful
leading, and his many mercies. As he led me out from that Band
I hope and pray he will lead all the others. There is such a
great need for consecrated workers in all parts of the world
and it seems to me that Africa is especially a field ripe for
the harvest. But now I have written this so hurriedly that I
know it is not as it ought to be so I hope you will make some
allowance. I hope you will not forget to ask God to make me a
strong worker in his service. There is so much here that one
can do. Hoping you are well and happy and enjoying the
blessings of God
I am as ever John.
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