Msengedzi Mission
June 19, 1951
Dear folks,
This week we didn’t get the post although we sent a boy after it. When he got up there, the man who holds our post for us until someone comes for it said that a native had been in and got it, saying that he was coming down our way. Well we haven’t seen anything of it yet and I’m wondering if we shall. By and by it may show up. You can know that I am disgusted.
The weather these days is most delightful. The nights get very cool. It is strange how it cools off here in the valley for a short while and then gets back into the heat again. The wind is beginning it’s gale and before long it will be going fifty-per the whole day long. Dirt and dust everywhere.
Just now I have a cup of your coffee sitting here beside me. It seems to be a little strong so I guess I should get a little water and put in it.
As usual there doesn’t seem to be much news. The leopard, or at any rate a leopard, was killed by the natives last week but it almost killed one of them before they got it. They had a gun trap set and it was shot by the gun but only in the leg. A wounded leopard is nothing to fool with. Anyway the natives heard the gun go off and they went to see what had happened and when they got there this leopard jumped on the one man and the man put his hands up in front of him and the leopard removed three fingers for him and also grabbed his head and neck and just then this man’s brother came on the scene and with his demo, or axe, knocked the leopard off of the other man and then he hit him again and killed him. It is a miracle that he wasn’t killed. Well that is that. He has several deep gashes and holes in him besides his missing fingers, but he is here being treated and so is getting along OK.
I’ve started going out into the villages for meetings again and so my time is quite full again for which I am glad. Today I had a class for the older girls who are believers. It is a young converts class and so on Tuesday I do not go out.
You know that since we have come back to the field, every evening around six o’clock the Jacksons and us go to each other’s house and sit outside and drink a little tea. Just a little relaxation after a full day or otherwise. Now that it is a little coolish in the evenings we have started to have a little fire and is it ever lovely to sit by the fire for a little while in the evenings. These evenings it gets dark around a quarter to six. Last night I had such a nice one out in front of my house that I sat out there alone until after nine. I took my lamp out and studied for my class today. We are having a beautiful moon just now, too. The mosquitoes are not bad now. In fact I don’t notice them at all.
The heathen people in the villages are laughing at those who come here to the meetings, etc. They say to them, “Do you think that you won’t die if you go there?” They know that we preach that if they believe in Christ they will have eternal life. Well the devil is just the same here as anywhere. His tricks are no different. The people under his control react the very same way as they do anywhere to the Gospel. Some believe and many continue on in their sins.
I shall be glad to get some letters. Wyn is still away. I haven’t heard from her either so I don’t know what the news is about Helen nor when Wyn will be home. Say, have you had any outdoor suppers this year? Not even a wiener roast? I just know that you haven’t. So you won’t need to answer. Is the hay ready to be cut? Perhaps it is already. Have you any big building projects on this year?
I suppose the chickens are beginning to lay already. We have been having plenty of eggs, thanks to Russell. He has breeded – – – is that right, mom? – – – native chickens with some leghorn and they seem to do very well for him. Then, too, we have all the milk that we want. I let it stand overnight and skim off the cream that gathers and that keeps me in butter. Believe it or not. I get a pressure cooker full of milk nearly every day. I boil it, too. I never knew that cream collected after that. It does. Fat of any kind is so very expensive that all of the butter that I can get off of that milk I am out for.
The school garden is coming along fairly well. The carrots look very good and soon will be ready to eat. There are beans, too, now. That certainly is something to have vegetables from the garden. This is the only time of the year that we can have one, though.
Those two natives from Swaziland who have been up here for some years now have gone to a village nine miles from here to open an out-station. She is very good and will be a real blessing to those people. He doesn’t have what she has but they will be a testimony there. Russ took them back today. They had previously gone and built the house, etc. So that is our first out-station opened by a native, but sorry to say they are not the natives from this valley. There seems to be no one who is interested in going into the Lord’s work amongst them.
Well, I must quit and try and get a letter written to Radio Chapel. The month has gone by long ago.
Love,
Eunice
[p.s.] Excuse all mistakes. I see that there are plenty.
