Kijabe
E.A.P. March 1st. ‘05
Miss
Florence Minch
Hooppole
Ill.
My
dear Florence:
You
had better look out now, because I am pretty mad, yes real
mad. I
wont stand people making fun of me. The idea of sending a
missionary
such a picture, and especially when he was just a sitting
working
patiently away with an old rusty needle. Well Florence I did
laugh
when I saw that, but was’nt it funny, that when it was brought
to
me I was just sitting in my room sewing some patches on an old
tent. Well I thought it was too good to keep, so I sent a boy
to call Mr.
Evans who is just as bad off as I, and we did sit and have a
jolly
old time over that picture. I shall hang it on the wall at
once. Your letter with the pictures of Kelhoefer and Geller
came with it,
also. I enjoyed very much reading it. At the close you say “I
hope this will find you encouraged and happy”. Well your hopes
could hardly be better realized. I wrote in my last letter
that I
should’nt be surprised if you thought I was going crazy with
all my
plans. Well I hope now that unrealized plans are a thing of
the
past, and that finally we shall be permanently settled. It may
not
exactly suit you, but if you understood conditions as they
are, I
think you would feel as happy as I do. The Masai affair is I
think
now permanently settled. The people refused to go to a
Reservation,
until they saw that the Government was really in earnest, then
they
decided to go and make the best of it, and now most of them
are on
the Reservation laid out by the Government. But now there are
so
many details as to how it will affect our future work, that I
hardly
know how to begin. But let me first mention Mulungit and his
work. I often wrote about the people desiring to make Mulungit
a chief. Well he left me last week to become this very thing.
On these
conditions however. That all boys under him shall do as he
says. First permitting him to live as he did while here.
Second to permit
him to tell them the words of God. Third to appeal to the
Government
to allow me to locate on the Reservation near them, and teach
them to
read and write. There are about 200 boys of his age, over whom
he
will have control. You can easily see what a grand opportunity
this
would give us. Well so much for the people, and now abut the
Government. After much fighting, and whole nights of prayer
Mr.
Hurlburt finally got permission for an interview with Sir
Donald
Stewart, the first man in British East Africa. Sir Donald is
an anti
mission man, and absolutely refused several times to listen to
Mr.
Hurlburt. So it was really a subject for earnest prayer. Now
see
how the Lord has worked. First Sir Donald granted us the
permission
to buy five square miles of land at Kijabe, for an Industrial
Training School. This is especially remarkable because nearly
every
Gov. officer in the country was nettled at the idea. This of
course
will make it possible for several thousand Kikuyu to locate on
Mission Grounds, and will give the Mission full control over
them. This is sure to be a great work in the near future.
Anther question
that nettled Gov. men was our desire to locate on the Masai
Reservation. Well Sir Donald has not only given us full sway
on the
Reservation but promised to help us all he can, and promised
to hire
for Government service every boy that we teach, asking us to
make a
specialty of Stenography and telegraphy with the Masai.
Moreover he
promised to give Mr. Hurlburt a letter fully endorsing our
plans for
the Masai, to be used for gathering funds while at home. Lord
Delamere who is much interested in the Masai, also will give
Mr.
Hurlburt a letter, and promised to make contributions to the
Masai
work. Several others of the men in the higher offices
congratulated
Mr. Hurlburt on his success in winning his points, and say
they shall
watch with much interest our work especially among the Masai,
this
because the Masai are the most superior tribe. Sir Donald has
also
promised to order Mr. Gilkison the Sub Commissioner on the
Reservation to call in Mulungit, and ask him what the boys
would like
us to do. Well you can easily imagine what his answer will be
after
over a year of thorough training on the importance of
Christian work
among the Masai. Mulungit will no doubt soon be recognized as
a
Government man, and we can appeal for anything we wish through
him,
for the Masai. Well now I can hardly imagine how things could
be
more nicely arranged. Especially since all is in black and
white
with the Gov. stamp, and cannot this time be reversed. So far
all
our unrealized plans were approved by the Government, and that
accounts for so many changes. Singular too that just at this
time I
have succeeded in getting a young Masai man, who was baptized
years
ago in Uganda by the Church Missionary Society, spent some
time in
England, reads, writes, and speaks English. I have engaged him
as a
teacher. His name is Josiah Shanga. I hope you will remember
him in
your prayers. Well Florence this means that after all Kijabe
must be
left behind. While I feel sorry in many ways yet I am more
than
delighted at the glorious prospects for the future. It may
seem
lonesome for us for a time, but cannot we make friends with
the
Masai, as well as with white people. I really enjoy their
friendship
more. Get a good organ so we can teach them music, and I
should’nt
be surprised if before many years we can have a repetition of
old
Laco. You can hardly imagine what a relief it is to me to know
that
now all is settled permanently, and my work need no longer be
temporary, but I can plan for my life work. This I have
proven, that
the Masai are a grand people, and brighter hopes I could not
possibly
have than I have now. Of course I did not go to the
Reservation as I
planned, but will go now in a week or two and begin building
as soon
as possible. By the way I am hunting up those letters again on
your
criticisms of my house plans. Really Florence I could shout
just
now. Think of it, all my old plans for work among the boys and
girls
are beautifully arranged and I can now spend my whole time at
it. Had I stayed at Kijabe where there are so many interests I
would have
been continually annoyed with other work. Now I am free with
none
but Masai work. I can hardly wait until Mr. Hurlburt goes home
now
to bring you out. Really I feel as though I have been an old
man,
and got young again. You can hardly imagine what a strain it
was
upon me with every thing so unsettled. Five times I began only
to be
disappointed. I could never take much interest in anything
when I
did’nt know, but what the next day I would have to give it up.
But
now this is all over. Oh do hurry up now Florence, because
this time
whatever I do will be for all our days and then I am afraid
you will
scold me much if I make things wrong.
(Two
days later) I have just had a long talk with my new boy Josiah
Shanga. Imagine my surprise when I discovered that when
Pilkington
was killed in Uganda, he was near enough to touch him when he
fell,
and held him in his arms til the other white men came up to
care for
him. Although away from Missions for several years, Josiah is
a nice
boy, and will I believe in time make a very good boy. I am
helping
him now to read Pilgrims Progress, and he enjoys it immensely.
He
knows the Bible remarkably well, for a boy of his
opportunities. I
have also five other boys with me since Mulungit has left. I
am very
anxious now to get away from here as soon as possible. I
hardly
think though that I can get away next week. But I see this is
getting too long to answer all your questions, so I will close
this,
and start another and in it finally send those pictures I have
been
talking about so long. Tell that Swister Krazy Kora that
several
times I sat down to write to her, but was always interrupted
but will
try to wtire to both her, and Alice before I leave here. I
want also
to write to Lora. Then I am afraid that for some time you
people
will have to be satisfied with fewer letters. Not that I do
not
enjoy writing them, but I would like to begin teaching at
once, and
this with building will keep me very busy. Many thanks for
that
picture. I am glad you did not misjudge me enough to think
that I
would be a sober old sop, not to enjoy an excellent joke. In
fact
could I not expect that such a lot of girls would pity just
such a
fellow enough to give him a hint? Alright Florence. If you
could
see some of my patches I think you would say “Well I must
hustle or
he will beat me”. With many well wishes for you all
I
am John.
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