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2746 leprosy patients under treatment and surveillance, 350 of which were living in the neat compound that he and Coralee had planned and built for them. During the last year of his life he discharged 200 of these patients as “arrested cases.” With efficient use o f mod ern drugs he was able to treat and rehabilitate many thousands o f leprosy cases. One such leprous woman came to the chapel for a communion service. She was a pathetic sight, wearing only a bunch of leaves at her waist, and with arms and legs full of open sores. Her toes and fingers were gone. During the Communion service she interrupted the proceedings by lifting her fingerless hands heavenward and saying: Merisi na Nzambe pua na kebukebu oyo (Thanks to God for this leprosy). The missionary lead ing the meeting was a bit puzzled at such a remark, but the woman repeated: “ Yes, thanks to God for this leprosy. Had I not contracted this disease, then I never would have heard about Jesus who is the great Doctor that cleanses the leprosy of my heart. This Munganga (Kleinschmidt) treats me for this leprosy of my limbs, but he also tells me of the Munganga Mokuru (Great Physician) that cures the leprosy of sin. One of these days I’ll be with this Doctor of Heaven, and receive a new body. Thanks for this leprosy that has brought me to this place of God.” Not long after, this leprosy patient went to be with her Lord. Now Dr. Kleinschmidt has joined that throng in heaven, a host of which he treated medically, and also led them to a saving knowledge of the Lord. A carload of missionaries from Rethy went to Aba, a distance of 250 miles, to attend the funeral. Repre sentatives from all the neighboring stations were pres ent. The funeral was perhaps the most triumphal occa sion that Aba station had ever witnessed. There were something over 6000 people there. The nearby Catholic Mission closed their schools and medical work, and came in a body. School children, teachers, medical personnel, nuns, priests, both black and white, all filed into the large Aba chapel, many of them weeping bitter tears. There are about 60 Greek merchants in Aba township. All of these stores were closed, and their proprietors dressed in black, arrived for the services. Congolese government officials in full-dress uniforms were there, as well as two contingents of soldiers with all the mili tary brass to form a guard of honor. Multitudes came by truck, bicycle and on foot. The big old aristocratic Kakwa chief came up and knelt by the casket, over come with grief. Their beloved Munganga had left them. The funeral service was one of triumph. A choir sang: “ There’s a Land that is Fairer Than Day.” One of the missionaries summed up the obituary stating THE KING'S BUSINESS
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“ 9QAI Aba is on the air with an important gen eral message. Are you hearing me Rethy? Over.” “ Yes, Aba, you’re coming in loudly and clearly. Go right ahead with your message.” With such a radio announcement broadcast over the Africa Inland Mission network, missionaries on all their stations alerted themselves to get the import of this message coming from Aba. The speaker was Wil liam Stough, a resident missionary at Aba, but not the one who usually broadcasts. Mrs. Kleinschmidt is always there to give the Aba news. Could it be that this message concerns Dr. Kleinschmidt who so recently had a severe heart attack at Rethy while attending a medi cal committee meeting? He had made good progress in his recovery, and was doing his hospital rounds and dispensary work again. Hadn’t we heard that only two days ago he had examined all of the 350 leprosy pa tients living in the Aba Leprosy Camp? Had he not again performed his first emergency operation since his illness? So mused the various ones as they huddled attentively at their radios. Then Bill Stough’s resonant voice came in again: “ I have this sad message to pass on to the field. Dr. Ralph Kleinschmidt left us this morning (April 24th) to join His Lord at 10:30. He sustained a second heart attack as he was shaving and about 4 hours later he made his last safari. He is now with His Saviour whom he served so well these past forty years at Aba.” So the dear old Munganga (Doctor) was gone. Since coming to Africa in 1923 he was always ready to go on a medical safari. In those early years he went on foot over the hot paths, infested with dangerous snakes. Under his white helmet, calling out the friendly Sene Mingi greeting to the Africans he met on the path, he was always ready to administer medicines along the way, never failing to leave a word of testimony for his Lord, or pointing the sick and afflicted to the Great Physician. No night was too dark or rainy, no day too hot or exhausting. Always this medical doctor of divine devotion was ready to help, sometimes operating under a grass roof with only a kerosene lantern to give light. With the opening of roads in the northeast part of the Congo, Dr. Kleinschmidt was one of the first mis sionaries to own and use a car. An old Model T, and later a Model A, followed by many more cars, wore out on these Congo roads, as he literally wore himself out. His faithful wife and helpmeet, Coralee, for 41 years stood at his side as his efficient nurse. Now the beloved Munganga had made his last safari. No more night calls. No more emergency operations. Dr. Kleinschmidt had taken a real interest in the treatment of leprosy. At the time of his death, he had
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