Letter by Sibyl for a missionary magazine: 8/17/1925
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A letter from Sibyl about her arrival in Africa, from the November 1925 issue of The Missionary Monthly in Canada.
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The Missionary Monthly
Woman's Missionary Society
of the
United Church of Canada
Toronto, November 1925
Vol. I, No. 3
A Letter for the Missions Circles
From Their Own Missionary
West Africa, Aug. 17th, 1925
My dear friends: -
I shall start a letter to you to-day and will attempt to give you an idea of the many things for which a missionary has to be thankful and I will tell you of a few of the happy times I have had since I reached Africa.
I was so happy to have my language study in Portugal completed and be ready to proceed to the Field. But I had made a number of Christian friends there and the parting with them was hard, as we had enjoyed some pleasant times together.
We came down here on a very fine German boat, second class. There were many interesting passengers on board and among them were twelve missionaries. I am not particularly fond of ocean trips, but on the days I felt well, I had a delightful time. There were many lively deck games, the men formed a sports' committee, made out an interesting programme and gave very nice prizes. The missionaries were among the winners. The more one becomes acquainted with missionaries in general, one finds what interesting people they are. They are always ready to enter into work or play or to lend a helping hand in assisting others to have a pleasant time.
The weather man was very kind, while coming through the Tropics it was quite hot, but only for a few days and we had some passing showers. It was interesting to watch the grey clouds gather and to see the rains approaching us. We saw some gorgeous sun-sets and some very beautiful sun-rises. I love to watch the sea in all its moods. Near the Equator the water was a very deep blue and so very calm.
Africa at Last
At last we reached Lobito, our landing place and only after we had waved good-bye to our friends on board and the huge vessel sailed away, were we able to realize that we were really in Africa. It was a very warm day and this port is not a very inviting place. The hotel accommodations are bad, but we found good friends again in Mr. and Mrs. Clark. We also met Jesse, the young man from Bailundo station who is carrying on a splendid missionary work at this sea-coast town. There was absolutely no form of worship of any kind being carried on for the young men from the interior who go down there to work, until this African Church undertook to send their own missionary Jesse.
I wish I could describe adequately his meeting, which we attended one evening. We walked along the sands for about three-quarters of an hour, just as the sun was sinking out across the sea. When we arrived at his humble schoolhouse, we found many boys waiting for their teacher, but who would also offer prayers and sing songs of praise and thanksgiving. The meeting was held outside. Picture a large company of African young men seated on the sand. The sky was like a most beautiful painting with a wonderful variety of changing colours, and the dark waters below. As we sat quietly listening to the speakers, we heard the gentle lapping of the waves against the shore; I was filled with thrills, joy and thankfulness, as I witnessed this scene and saw the earnest expressions on those young faces.
Up Unto the Heights
Our next interesting experience was the railway journey from Lobito to Dondi. There were many remarkable engineering feats on this line. During the trip we climbed between 5,000 and 6,000 feet, but at one point they attached a special engine to the back of the train, which pushed us up 2,000 feet in half an hour. There was a very high bridge over a wide ravine and some true hair-pin curves. I shall just hint at the different scenes along the way. We eight missionaries had a private coach, resembling an observation car, through the kindness of Mr. Clark of Lobito, attached to a freight train. Through the windows we caught glimpses of sugar and cotton plantations, owned by Portuguese, where many Africans were at work. We crossed a wide stretch of barren land and then came to the hills, which stood out majestically in the late afternoon just as the sun was setting behind them. On these hills, in some sheltered spots, we noticed the African huts and the old trails over which our first missionaries had such long journeys. They burn wood in the engine and after it grew dark we had a pleasant time singing the old familiar tunes and watching the long trail of red ashes that fell on the track. The sky was filled with bright stars and by this time we had no difficulty in locating the Southern Cross. After twenty-seven and a half hours we arrived at Dondi. Here we were met by many dear friends; Miss Wightman had come from Chisamba to meet me. This certainly is a most wonderful place. Please do not think of Africa as a dark country, it is a very bright pleasant country. Nature is beautiful and the Africans love their country.
Dondi
At Dondi the Currie Institute is really a place of which to be proud. The missionaries' houses are quite modern and very happy homes. I believe I visited all the departments of work. Miss Rawlings showed me the Boys' Dormitories, Dining-Hall and Boys' Garden, which contains a large variety of fruits and vegetables. There is a carpenter shop, printing shop, blacksmith's, bricklaying department, tailor's shop, the power house, the church and school proper, then last, but not least, the new C. McD. Hay Memorial School of which every one is so proud, and especially is Senhor Figuereido delighted with it, for it supplies such bright, sunny class-rooms for the boys.
Across the river is the Means' School, the Central School for the higher training of girls, with all its various departments and advanced classes. It is under the very capable supervision of Mrs. Webster. Miss Dibble is the Principal and Miss Hurlbut, my dear friend, has now arrived and will be a great help as soon as she has the Umbundu language. They also use assistant teachers (native) who are graduates of Means' School.
Through the kindness of Mrs. Webster we were able to visit Bailundo Station. She was very generous with her sedan and we saw many things, which otherwise we would have missed. When we arrived at the home of Miss Miller and Miss Minto, we were asked to sit on the verandah, as the boys and girls wished to greet us. They sang two selections for us, one was "There is sun-shine in my heart to-day" - I do wish you could have shared the music with us, you would have been thrilled through and through. Some of the young men had splendid voices and carried their own parts so well without an instrument. The melody was very rich.
I enjoyed the service in the Church in the evening. The building was packed and many stood outside. Each visitor spoke a few words. I gave greetings from their Canadian friends in the land of Dr. Currie. It was here that, after the meeting, the two old men, mentioned in my last letter, came up and told me that they were the ones who had gone down to the Coast to bring up the doctor. They were very young then of course, now one is the father of Horacio, the pastor of the Bailundo Church, and the other is the father of Sanders, the organist. This is the Church which sent Jesse to the Coast.
Chisamba's Welcome
After visiting this station, we went to Chisamba, MY HOME, and how glad I was to be there. I was met at the main road by Mr. Lloyd and the boys with a bush car. They asked me to leave the auto and go with them. So I rode in the bush car amidst much cheering by the school children, who carried flowers and green branches with which to shower me and thus we made a triumphal entry to the "Ladies' House", where I was met by Miss Campbell and Mrs. Hall and her three lively little children. Then we stood on the verandah, Barnada at the organ and the side lawn filled with the folks who had come to welcome me and sing their greetings. It is impossible for me to describe my feelings that day, but I was so happy and very thankful to find myself among such kind friends. One notices such a difference between the people of Africa who have come under the influence of the love of Jesus and those who have not as yet learned of him. I feel there is a great opportunity for any who share in this great enterprise.
It was considered wise for me to come over to Camundongo and begin my study of the Umbundu language under Dr. Sanders, an acknowledged expert. I am living with Mrs. Hunter and Miss Reddick at "Grey Lodge". It is a beautiful home and now I am happy here too, all the missionaries make me feel so much at home.
I want to take this opportunity of thanking the many friends who sent me such nice gifts for last Christmas. Miss Wightman had them arranged on a side table for me and it was very interesting to open each one. I was sorry that some parcels did not contain the name of the sender, but I appreciated your kind and loving thoughts very much indeed.
I am always looking forward to the home letters.
Sibyl G. Hosking.
Woman's Missionary Society
of the
United Church of Canada
Toronto, November 1925
Vol. I, No. 3
A Letter for the Missions Circles
From Their Own Missionary
West Africa, Aug. 17th, 1925
My dear friends: -
I shall start a letter to you to-day and will attempt to give you an idea of the many things for which a missionary has to be thankful and I will tell you of a few of the happy times I have had since I reached Africa.
I was so happy to have my language study in Portugal completed and be ready to proceed to the Field. But I had made a number of Christian friends there and the parting with them was hard, as we had enjoyed some pleasant times together.
We came down here on a very fine German boat, second class. There were many interesting passengers on board and among them were twelve missionaries. I am not particularly fond of ocean trips, but on the days I felt well, I had a delightful time. There were many lively deck games, the men formed a sports' committee, made out an interesting programme and gave very nice prizes. The missionaries were among the winners. The more one becomes acquainted with missionaries in general, one finds what interesting people they are. They are always ready to enter into work or play or to lend a helping hand in assisting others to have a pleasant time.
The weather man was very kind, while coming through the Tropics it was quite hot, but only for a few days and we had some passing showers. It was interesting to watch the grey clouds gather and to see the rains approaching us. We saw some gorgeous sun-sets and some very beautiful sun-rises. I love to watch the sea in all its moods. Near the Equator the water was a very deep blue and so very calm.
Africa at Last
At last we reached Lobito, our landing place and only after we had waved good-bye to our friends on board and the huge vessel sailed away, were we able to realize that we were really in Africa. It was a very warm day and this port is not a very inviting place. The hotel accommodations are bad, but we found good friends again in Mr. and Mrs. Clark. We also met Jesse, the young man from Bailundo station who is carrying on a splendid missionary work at this sea-coast town. There was absolutely no form of worship of any kind being carried on for the young men from the interior who go down there to work, until this African Church undertook to send their own missionary Jesse.
I wish I could describe adequately his meeting, which we attended one evening. We walked along the sands for about three-quarters of an hour, just as the sun was sinking out across the sea. When we arrived at his humble schoolhouse, we found many boys waiting for their teacher, but who would also offer prayers and sing songs of praise and thanksgiving. The meeting was held outside. Picture a large company of African young men seated on the sand. The sky was like a most beautiful painting with a wonderful variety of changing colours, and the dark waters below. As we sat quietly listening to the speakers, we heard the gentle lapping of the waves against the shore; I was filled with thrills, joy and thankfulness, as I witnessed this scene and saw the earnest expressions on those young faces.
Up Unto the Heights
Our next interesting experience was the railway journey from Lobito to Dondi. There were many remarkable engineering feats on this line. During the trip we climbed between 5,000 and 6,000 feet, but at one point they attached a special engine to the back of the train, which pushed us up 2,000 feet in half an hour. There was a very high bridge over a wide ravine and some true hair-pin curves. I shall just hint at the different scenes along the way. We eight missionaries had a private coach, resembling an observation car, through the kindness of Mr. Clark of Lobito, attached to a freight train. Through the windows we caught glimpses of sugar and cotton plantations, owned by Portuguese, where many Africans were at work. We crossed a wide stretch of barren land and then came to the hills, which stood out majestically in the late afternoon just as the sun was setting behind them. On these hills, in some sheltered spots, we noticed the African huts and the old trails over which our first missionaries had such long journeys. They burn wood in the engine and after it grew dark we had a pleasant time singing the old familiar tunes and watching the long trail of red ashes that fell on the track. The sky was filled with bright stars and by this time we had no difficulty in locating the Southern Cross. After twenty-seven and a half hours we arrived at Dondi. Here we were met by many dear friends; Miss Wightman had come from Chisamba to meet me. This certainly is a most wonderful place. Please do not think of Africa as a dark country, it is a very bright pleasant country. Nature is beautiful and the Africans love their country.
Dondi
At Dondi the Currie Institute is really a place of which to be proud. The missionaries' houses are quite modern and very happy homes. I believe I visited all the departments of work. Miss Rawlings showed me the Boys' Dormitories, Dining-Hall and Boys' Garden, which contains a large variety of fruits and vegetables. There is a carpenter shop, printing shop, blacksmith's, bricklaying department, tailor's shop, the power house, the church and school proper, then last, but not least, the new C. McD. Hay Memorial School of which every one is so proud, and especially is Senhor Figuereido delighted with it, for it supplies such bright, sunny class-rooms for the boys.
Across the river is the Means' School, the Central School for the higher training of girls, with all its various departments and advanced classes. It is under the very capable supervision of Mrs. Webster. Miss Dibble is the Principal and Miss Hurlbut, my dear friend, has now arrived and will be a great help as soon as she has the Umbundu language. They also use assistant teachers (native) who are graduates of Means' School.
Through the kindness of Mrs. Webster we were able to visit Bailundo Station. She was very generous with her sedan and we saw many things, which otherwise we would have missed. When we arrived at the home of Miss Miller and Miss Minto, we were asked to sit on the verandah, as the boys and girls wished to greet us. They sang two selections for us, one was "There is sun-shine in my heart to-day" - I do wish you could have shared the music with us, you would have been thrilled through and through. Some of the young men had splendid voices and carried their own parts so well without an instrument. The melody was very rich.
I enjoyed the service in the Church in the evening. The building was packed and many stood outside. Each visitor spoke a few words. I gave greetings from their Canadian friends in the land of Dr. Currie. It was here that, after the meeting, the two old men, mentioned in my last letter, came up and told me that they were the ones who had gone down to the Coast to bring up the doctor. They were very young then of course, now one is the father of Horacio, the pastor of the Bailundo Church, and the other is the father of Sanders, the organist. This is the Church which sent Jesse to the Coast.
Chisamba's Welcome
After visiting this station, we went to Chisamba, MY HOME, and how glad I was to be there. I was met at the main road by Mr. Lloyd and the boys with a bush car. They asked me to leave the auto and go with them. So I rode in the bush car amidst much cheering by the school children, who carried flowers and green branches with which to shower me and thus we made a triumphal entry to the "Ladies' House", where I was met by Miss Campbell and Mrs. Hall and her three lively little children. Then we stood on the verandah, Barnada at the organ and the side lawn filled with the folks who had come to welcome me and sing their greetings. It is impossible for me to describe my feelings that day, but I was so happy and very thankful to find myself among such kind friends. One notices such a difference between the people of Africa who have come under the influence of the love of Jesus and those who have not as yet learned of him. I feel there is a great opportunity for any who share in this great enterprise.
It was considered wise for me to come over to Camundongo and begin my study of the Umbundu language under Dr. Sanders, an acknowledged expert. I am living with Mrs. Hunter and Miss Reddick at "Grey Lodge". It is a beautiful home and now I am happy here too, all the missionaries make me feel so much at home.
I want to take this opportunity of thanking the many friends who sent me such nice gifts for last Christmas. Miss Wightman had them arranged on a side table for me and it was very interesting to open each one. I was sorry that some parcels did not contain the name of the sender, but I appreciated your kind and loving thoughts very much indeed.
I am always looking forward to the home letters.
Sibyl G. Hosking.
1925-08-17: tour stops---images---audio---transcript---~NOTES~---links---site navigation
1.
The page for Sibyl Becomes A Missionary Nurse: The Tour has a map showing the distance from Lisbon to Angola, and also from the coast of Angola to the places in Angola - Dondi, Bailundo, Chissamba, and Camundongo - that Sibyl visited.
2.
I am not particularly fond of ocean trips, but on the days I felt well, I had a delightful time.
Sibyl must have been miserably seasick, or she would not have mentioned it in this letter in which her purpose was tell how wonderful everything was. She was seasick on the sea voyage from Canada to England and then down to Lisbon, too - see:
3.
Mrs. Webster, Mary Hurlbut, Mr. Lloyd, and Dr. Sanders are listed in the Non-family page for mission folks.
4.
I gave greetings from their Canadian friends in the land of Dr. Currie.
There's more - a very little more - about Dr. Currie in:
5.
The article after Sibyl's is from Edith Clark, who is also listed on the mission folks page. I haven't included that whole article, and I haven't transcribed it, but it mentions Elizabeth Read, also on the mission folks page, and Dr. Kamba Simango, who is on the Non-family page for the Simangos.
6.
This letter is about Sibyl's arrival in Africa following her stay in Portugal, so, although it's dated after one of her letters home that she wrote from Africa, I'm putting it before that letter in the Tour about Sibyl becoming a missionary nurse. I'm not sure exactly when she was in Camundongo, but maybe sometime I'll figure it out.
The page for Sibyl Becomes A Missionary Nurse: The Tour has a map showing the distance from Lisbon to Angola, and also from the coast of Angola to the places in Angola - Dondi, Bailundo, Chissamba, and Camundongo - that Sibyl visited.
2.
I am not particularly fond of ocean trips, but on the days I felt well, I had a delightful time.
Sibyl must have been miserably seasick, or she would not have mentioned it in this letter in which her purpose was tell how wonderful everything was. She was seasick on the sea voyage from Canada to England and then down to Lisbon, too - see:
3.
Mrs. Webster, Mary Hurlbut, Mr. Lloyd, and Dr. Sanders are listed in the Non-family page for mission folks.
4.
I gave greetings from their Canadian friends in the land of Dr. Currie.
There's more - a very little more - about Dr. Currie in:
5.
The article after Sibyl's is from Edith Clark, who is also listed on the mission folks page. I haven't included that whole article, and I haven't transcribed it, but it mentions Elizabeth Read, also on the mission folks page, and Dr. Kamba Simango, who is on the Non-family page for the Simangos.
6.
This letter is about Sibyl's arrival in Africa following her stay in Portugal, so, although it's dated after one of her letters home that she wrote from Africa, I'm putting it before that letter in the Tour about Sibyl becoming a missionary nurse. I'm not sure exactly when she was in Camundongo, but maybe sometime I'll figure it out.
1925-08-17: tour stops---images---audio---transcript---notes---~LINKS~---site navigation
DOCUMENT LISTS FOR PEOPLE:
- SIBYL: DOCUMENTS ----- Outgoing
- NON-FAMILY: MISSION FOLKS ----- Mrs. Webster, Mary Hurlbut, Mr. Lloyd, Elizabeth Read, Dr. Sanders, Edith Clark
- NON-FAMILY: THE SIMANGOS ----- Kamba
GENERAL DOCUMENT LISTS:
OTHER RELATED DOCUMENTS/PAGES:
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