Chironga
22 March, 1956
Dear Gladys and all the family,
I was real glad to get your letter written the first part of this month. By the time this reaches you your Clarence won’t have much time left there anymore. Well I certainly congratulate him upon his achievement. It has certainly been lots of hard work, hasn’t it? Yes, the children will be of college age before you know it. It doesn’t seem to take long. Boy, I’ll have lots of teen-age nieces and nephews to meet when I’m home. The babies will all be six or more years when I get there.
We had several hours of downpour yesterday and we got about nine inches of rain which was more than we got the whole month of February and we thought that we had good rainfall that month. We aren’t used to much rain in March, so it is most unusual. The country was flooded all around. I know my garden was washed away. It hadn’t reached the stage of producing anything yet, but it was coming along. We have been having only tinned vegetables, but it has been varied of late by corn, pumpkin, tiny tomatoes, and wild cucumbers brought in by the Africans. I guess lots of their grain was destroyed yesterday, especially that in the lowlands.
We are having the dedication of the “Ott Memorial Church” at Mavuradonha on the second week-end of May. We will go over from here. I sent over money for them to buy chairs and lumber for the pulpit. Mom is sending out a picture of Pa suitable for framing which will be hung inside the church. I hope to get some good pictures. It is shaped like a cross. The floor is cement with brick benches over which there is a cement slab on top. Anyway it is large and I think quite nice. Back of the platform is a little prayer room. It certainly will be nice for that station.
The last week of April will find us at Conference at Kapfundi. That is always a good time of fellowship and blessing. Six of us “girls” plan to meet in town a few days before for a rest and also shopping. The Methodists have a place just outside of town which they call Rest Haven and which they are happy to have missionaries use. There are little cottages there. Very nice indeed. We are hoping to be able to stay there.
We have about nine Baptist students here, I think. They all seem quite nice. If you ever hear of any of the missionaries of Southern Rhodesia of the Southern Baptists you’ll know that they are the ones we know. Kratzs are home now. I’ve met him several times but her only once. I’m sure she wouldn’t know me.
So you think that you should lose. Well, I know I should, too. I don’t know how much I weigh, but I fear the worse. I’m even trying to get on a diet but I’ve had the “awfulest” time. There isn’t enough meat, etc., for a diet. I like plenty of meat when I’m on one of those. If your protein intake is high, you don’t notice it so much.
Well, I must stop for now. I hope that it doesn’t take this too long to reach you.
Lovingly,
Eunice