Kijabe E.A.P. July 15^th 1904                                                                                                Index

Miss Florence Minch,
Hoopole, Ill.

My dear Florence:
        I wrote a letter to Alice last Friday hoping to write to you at the same time, but I did not exactly get at it. I have just returned from Naivasha where I spent Sat. and Sunday. While there I learned some news which are not very comforting yet by no means discouraging. For some time there have been continual rumors of an uprising among the Masai. Some of the white settlers were very uneasy about the matter, fearing a general massacre. We kept ourselves well informed however through Mulungit and I knew there was at least no immediate danger. A few months ago the Governor or Sub Commissioner of B. E. Africa resigned his position and the new Governor has just arrived. The Commissioner of our district went to Mombasa at once and arranged with the new Governor for a long and final Conference with the big chief and all his people. This Conference was held last week at Naivasha. The Government now gives the people seven months time to leave this part of the country. A tract of land has been set apart for them about 70 miles north of here. Now just what effect this will have on our work I dont know. For the present at least it will be very unsettled and practically nothing can be done. The settlers all feared that now if ever is the time when the uprising will come. But Mulungit has been out among the people, and he says they realize their helpless condition, and say they will go, although much against their will. I dont care to say much as to what I think about this action on the part of the Government. This much I can say though, that should there be a general uprising, and all the English people killed they would even then get much less than they deserve. The Government officers are intolerably cruel with the natives. They are driving the Masai from their favorite pasture grounds, and grounds which are always theirs, to a little barren strip of country on which their large numbers of sheep and cattle cannot possibly live, simply that a few wealthy snobbish English Lords may buy up the land for their own selfish interests. Oh what a shame! Bright intelligent people caged up like a lot of animals that a few Englishmen may add to their already useless wealth. The injury that the English Government has brought to this country cannot be over balanced in many years to come. Some visitors have come on the same train that I came down on, so I have not talked over the matter fully with Mr. Hurlburt, and cannot say whether I shall leave Kijabe or not. He says that as soon as possible he and I will take a trip up through the country to which the Masai are going and see what can be done. I think in spite of the change my permanent home will still be at Kijabe because it is here where we hope to have our schools and if we can gather a number of boys and girls at Kijabe it will pay much better than to follow the people. Of course in this case I would go for a month or two at a time to the Masai country and then again return to Kijabe. I dont think this need have any effect on your time of coming out. Of course for a year or more everything will be unsettled. You could however live with the Hurlburt family and I could have Mulungit stay with you to teach you the language, and then when things get settled you would be ready for work at once. You need not however urge the Board to send you at once as much as you would otherwise. Of course I cannot tell you as to our definite plans until Mr. Hurlburt and I return from our trip. If we can arrange we may go next week. Well so much for this. I enjoyed very much the last letter that came from Hoopole. Although we are very much engaged with all kinds of serious questions, we do so much enjoy to sit down once in a while and read what we call a good breezy letter. They do us much more good than these long serious sympathizing sort of gloomy spirited letters. We are not to be pitied here. I believe we enjoy much greater blessings than the most of the people at home. God does not fail to comfort those who dare to isolate themselves for his sake, and in spite of disappointments and continual changes we see a bright and glorious hope for our future work.

        You ask a few questions in your letter. Dont bring the pictures you have of me unless you think you may get tired of seeing my homely face and would like to see something pretty to comfort yourself once in a while. This is what I shall keep yours for. I have one of my pictures. Sometimes when I look in the glass I get so disgusted with my looks that I go right to my trunk and get my photo and then I flatter myself so much on my good looks that I go away feeling quite happy. You ask about bedding, cooking and washing materials. For bedding get one or two of the best double woolen blankets. Rather pay a big price than economize. It will pay. If you can get some wool make some good heavy comforters with wool in them. It is much better than cotton. Let your pieces be rather for strength than beauty. My mother made me one before I came out and she made the pieces of different kinds of cloth used in making mens trousers. That comforter is the envy of every traveler that sees it. Dont spend any money on dishes or cooking utensils. We can get them best here. Our washing will not be so very much so if you brig one or two wash boards that is all that will be necessary we can get tubs and soap here. One thing has been a question in my mind however and that is about a stove. We certainly must have a cook stove in time. Mr. Hurlburt had one sent out. Some few things were broken but it did quite well. Do about this to suit your self. It will be expensive but we must have it. Should you get one dont get a cheap one. Get the very best and have it packed very carefully. And just here let me say In everything get the very best even if you must deny yourself of half the things you think you will need. There are so many well-meaning people who want to send things to the missionaries and they think in a new country something cheap will do as well as something better, so by the time we get it, it is almost worthless. Several stoves have been sent out here at an enormous expense and when they got here they were so badly smashed that they had to be thrown away. Rather than have this happen dont bring one. I hope in buying these things you will always expect me to pay for them. Bring all the pictures of friends you can possibly get. I shall be very glad to see them and they will be a great comfort for yourself. Be sure to bring a picture of your father and mother and your brothers Charles and Warren for I have never seen any of them.

        If you can bring a camera it would be very nice but I could not go to the expense of this just now, and unless it is very convenient for you to get one do not bring it. We could get hundreds of very interesting pictures but you know the expense of doing this, so lets not do it unless very convenient. When I see the great needs of some of these people I sometimes think I should rather have no luxuries at all and eat very plain food only twice a day rather than have some one suffer because I spent my money for something that was really not necessary. If however you can get an organ bring it. If we can have music in our home it will do more to keep our spirits up than almost anything I know of. Again I say get the very best. Dont bring a Bilhorn organ unless you can get it more conveniently than another. Get either an Esty or a Towner. I shall expect to pay for this. Dont pay less than $35. Bring along two or three lanterns with plenty of globes. Be sure however that they have either brass or copper bowls or better still glass enclosed in tin. Other lanterns even if they are the best rust in one or two months and are worthless.

        I expect when you get this you will have been up to my home. My but should’nt I have liked to have gone with you. My dear old daddie. I suppose you could’nt help but notice some of his funny ways, but I must say if there is any good in me it is because I saw it in my daddie and tried to be like him. Did Albert tell you that he is coming out here as a missionary? Is’nt Harry a stunner? Did you go to church in Dutch Hollow and did it seem funny? Did you see the old house in which I slept every night until I was seventeen years old, never having been away once? I hope they did’nt tell you too many things about me, when I was a boy, or you will surely think, “My but wont I have a case on my hands!” Now my dear you must stop scolding me because I am awfully scared. When I read your letter I started to run away and then I said Oh she isnt here now. I am awfully sorry I wrote to Alice and I wont do it any more and I want to be a good boy and I want to mind you and I dont want you to scold me. I shall cry very much if you scold me again and maybe go away off and maybe die there and then you will be very sorry when you know I am dead and lots of big animals all around me which might bite me very hard. I guess now you’ll be scared too and wont scold me any more. But I must close. I hope you will join with me in much prayer that in all these changes with the Masai God may make it all to His glory. Our greatest disappointments are sometimes God’s longest strides toward success. Whatever happens we are in His hands and I would a hundred times rather be like a blind man led by Him than to rush on in my own sight and strength only to fall in the end. May he richly bless and keep you is the prayer of             Yours John.

        Tell your mother I will try to write to her soon.