MISSIONARY, MATABELELAND.
THE following letter was recently received by the Rev. Neil Cameron, St. Jude’s, Glasgow, Convener of the Foreign Mission Committee:—
C/O NATIVE COMMISSIONER, BEMBESI,
MATABELELAND, SOUTH AFRICA, 16th August, 1915.
MY DEAR MR. CAMERON,—I have received both your letters, also the enclosed postal orders (one for 10/, the other for £1), to assist me in the upkeep of the boys who are staying with me in the Mission. Kindly thank the friend in St. Jude’s and also the lady friend who sent me the £1. I am also grateful to the Synod for the gift of £10 annually for the same purpose.
I have also received the £8 worth of Kaffir Bibles with pleasure. The scholars who are able to read, and who are entitled to a Bible, will now receive them. They were always asking me when the Bibles would come. I believe very much in the distribution of Bibles, hoping that, by the Spirit of God, the word read may be made effectual to salvation, as the Shorter Catechism beautifully puts it: “The Spirit of God maketh the reading, but especially the preaching, of the word an effectual means of convincing and converting sinners, and of building them up in holiness and comfort, through faith, unto salvation.”
I was also very glad to hear that the Synod had £25, sent by
a lady, for sending the boy, Kiwa Mhlahlo, to Lovedale. Kindly thank the lady for us. You are quite right in thinking that Kiwa Mhlahlo would derive as much benefit by remaining for another year or so, as he is still very low in his education. It was not my desire at first at all that he should go so early to Lovedale. It would have been advisable for him to have remained here for another year or two, but his people are heathens, and take no interest in education at all, and he is often called home and kept two or three weeks at a time whenever there is some work to do at home, even when it is school time. And he was afraid that they might call him away from school altogether, and he thought that it would be better for him to go far away, where he will not be disturbed from his studies when the school is on. I was thinking that it would be better for him to commence his studies at Lovedale, if the Lord be willing, next year (in 1916). The first session runs from February to June, and the second session from the end of July to December. The money would be required in January next year.
I was also gratified and thankful to hear that a lady had sent the Synod £26 to assist in Mzamo’s daughter finishing her education, as she has another year to put in at Lovedale. She and her people are quite willing that she should teach in connection with our Church, but the difficulty that Mzamo thought of was this: he says that Harriet might get married before she has finished teaching her three years (if she is to teach for three years), and if that be the case, would you consider her as having broken her contract? He wants to understand that first. Of course, Mzamo is one of our elders. He and all his family belong to our Church. And even now at the present time Harriet Mzamo is teaching at one of our schools at Gravesend Farm (Induba), at Chief Mhlahlo’s kraal. Only last week she was taken seriously ill, and had to go to the doctor at Bulawayo. She is still there under medical treatment, and I do not know when the doctor will allow her to return; but her place at Induba has been taken by her younger sister, who is attending our school here. If she is spared to return she will be going back to teach at Induba. She and her parents are still anxious that she should return (if spared) to Lovedale next year to finish her education.
It is the rule here, too, that students who are educated by the different Churches in their different colleges are required to teach for three years in connection with the Churches which have educated them. They are taught under that understanding in these colleges. And so our Synod is quite right in requiring a promise of that kind. The only difficulty with Mzamo is in the case of his daughter’s marriage. That is the only point he wishes to understand.
The elders wish to be remembered to you. I must now close with kindest regards to you, Mrs. Radasi joining.—Yours sincerely,
J. B. RADASI.