THE KING’S BUSINESS
1014
went overboard, and the first I saw o f him he was hanging to the side o f the boat. The next I saw myself lifted by two strong black arms and carried, high over a big black man’s head, through the breakers to thé shore. I really enjoyed the whole scene, and I didn’t mind* my wet clothes a bit. W e were all soaked—even the babies. It was Africa and I was perfectly happy. We went ’ to the house and ,had chicken dinner—all'American food. It tasted good after our. Spanish experience. S As we could not let our people know when we would come, no preparation had been made for our going to the “bush.” We have sent a “ fast message” by bicycle to the interior, and we hope in a few days the motor truck will be down to take us all—at least we can go part way. I have been transferred to Metet. That’s our farthest interior station, over 200 miles from the coast. The truck will not go that far. I’ll have to go in a bush chair from Elat. My things I have already repacked into sixty-five-pound loads and they have started interior today.-* I was at Solodorf, only seventy-five miles from the coast before. I shall miss my people at Solo, but I shall enjoy my work at Metet. Every thing is very new there, and the people are a different tribe, but they will under stand my Bulu. W e shall only be four people there, so there, will be work no doubt. I am looking forward to the time when a good number o f Bible Institute stu dents shall come out to this country. As far as'war conditions are concerned here now, we do not feel them. Everything is very quiet, and everybody seems to have settled down. W e are well provided with food and all necessary articles. Our work goes on beautifully. W e have not lost our influence with the natives. I cannot write to all o f the students, but my thoughts and wishes go out to all o f them. Have T he K ing ’ s B usiness and all other letters sent to Kribi, Cameroons, West Africa, care o f the American Mission.
together at the English Primitive Metho dist Mission House, and it was no big house either. Ten o f us there, and five babies. W e received all the hospitality pos sible, but conditions were rather strained. We ate at a Spanish hotel, at least we tried to eat. It was as though we had gotten to Kadesh Barnea and had to stay in the wilderness, on the very border o f the promised land. W e didn’t stay forty years, but we did stay just forty days. Indeed, like the children o f Israel. But no, I like to think o f our Fernando Po’o stay like that o f the children o f Israel at the Red Sea. They were at their “ wit’s end,” no way out, and the Lord so wonderfully revealed Himself to them. He did that for us. I believe all o f us learned to pray and wait on the Lord during those weeks as we had never before, and He answered so beautifully, “ exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think.” He opened the way when we could see no opening. A boat came which was to go to French head quarters at Duala, so one o f our members got permission to go to Duala, and the French officials, after having all informa tion about us, received us most cordially and issued orders to the Spanish Governor to get us out o f his colony. The answer from Paris had come in the meantime. So the Spanish Governor ordered a boat to take us direct to Batanga, quite out of their regular route. On June 17th we left FeVnando Po’o on the “Antonico” and landed at Batanga the next day at noon. Our landing at Batanga was really the most exciting o f the whole voyage. We have no pier, and the little surf boat has to cut through very bad surf and we scramble on to the sand. W e had the “Antonico” crew for our boat and they had never beforb landed at Batanga, They were doing beautifully until we were cross ing the last breaker, and they took that sidewise. A big wave dashed clear over the boat and we were drenched to the skin. The boat got on the rocks and almost went over. A little Spaniard who was steering,
Made with FlippingBook - Online magazine maker