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1925-08-30: ​tour stops---images---audio---~TRANSCRIPT~---notes---links---site navigation
Chissamba, Bié,
Via Lobito, Angola,
West Africa, Aug. 30/25

My dearest Fred:-

I was delighted to receive your letter which arrived on my birthday.  I enjoyed the snaps from home so much.  It was great to look into your faces, everything seemed so natural, the new driveway looks like a great improvement, and the foxes were very amusing and interesting especially the bright little chap which Willy is holding in his arms.  The boys here were quite interested in the pictures, just as you are in African scenes.

I want to tell you how Dr. + Mrs. Sanders, Dr. Hollenbeck, Mary and I spent last Sunday.  It was a glorious day.  The African Sun was very bright, and the country was dressed in its very best.  Here, the leaves are in many bright shades during the Spring when they first appear instead of in the fall as it is at home.

We were going to an out-station about 25 miles away to hold a Communion service.  We left here early in the morning as we were taking an unknown back-road.  But the car travelled right along in good style with Dr. H. at the wheel.  He had to watch the road very carefully, because often hidden in the long grasses we would come upon a hole, but he skilfully avoided entering any of these.  Whenever I saw a bridge ahead I would hold my breath and squeeze Mary’s hand like everything.  They are very frail looking structures made of logs and covered with mud, and as you cross they all rattle and appear to shake loose but we crossed them all quite safely.  We were a very happy party, Mary and I sang nearly all the way and the doctors joined in whenever the road allowed.  It reminded me of car-rides I have had with Min and Neil.  It is surprising how many hymns we know.

I wish that I could adequately describe the grandeur of the countryside at this season.  In July and August all the country is burnt so that the grasses and shrubs will come up fresh.  If only an artist might paint this picture for you which is formed by the new growth of plant life which springs up covering the hill-sides with every shade varying from bright, bright red to dark brown mixed with all shades of greens and tints of purples, you would think it was an exaggeration.

As you gaze at a piece of this colouring, blended so beautifully, just a short distance ahead you think that you are looking into a most beautiful Oriental rug.  I don’t believe I ever saw such a beautiful sight, unless it was the colouring I saw as the Sun was setting one evening behind Lake Champlain, when I returned from Boston.  At this time also the leaves are also just bursting out on the trees and they are all shades and tints of the brightest colours.  Our Autumn trees at home are not to be compared with these for beauty.  The whole country looked so beautiful on that early morning, when it was fresh and cool, and Nature seemed so grand that I was thrilled through and through and very happy to be alive.  My only regret was that my loved ones were not with me to see it and enjoy these rare treats too.

I do wish that I could tell you in an interesting way of these people of whom I have become very fond indeed.  One thing which I noticed as we drove along the main highway was the scarcity of the African people.  Occasionally we did see a few carriers who were nervous of the approaching car or a group of workers on the road but I saw no one working in near by fields.  The land looked forsaken.  But last Sunday on this back-road things were different.  I saw many women with their babies on their backs, working in the fields.  They were not afraid of them being plundered when the harvest is ripe.  As the people in the fields heard the car approaching they would run diagonally across the field planning to reach a certain point before we could pass or they would run and climb a high ant-hill in order to obtain a better view of the car which is still a great novelty in these out of the way places.  Two little lads, who are care free and happy as they watch the cattle come running across the fields to look at us.  They were almost naked and they carried bows and arrows.  I thought this a very interesting picture.  As we passed we held up our hand and smiled and they responded with such happy smiles.

As we were nearing the village, probably only about four or five miles away, we saw the road ahead dividing into two parts like the letter Yx.  [The x is more towards the upper left of the Y, like an exponent.] On the right-hand side marked x we saw two young boys signalling for us to go to them and then they directed us to the place where they had filled in the ditch with logs so that we could cross.  Then we had to drive over a rough piece of ground to the other road, but it was very soft sand and the car was stalled.  Just before this I had not noticed many folks around, but very suddenly, there were a group of young lads surrounding us, who pushed the car out of the hole very quickly.  Then Mary + I walked a short distance over this sand.  The doctor said the car would travel better relieved of the heavy weights.  Soon we were travelling on again quite happily.  Away over across the fields we saw a large group of people running towards the road as fast as they could.  They carried all kinds of chairs and stools on their heads.  We found them to be some of the folks coming from another little village for the service.  At last we turned off this road to cross a sort of wooded land, and we had to make progress slowly.  The people whom we were visiting had been told we were coming so they had cleared this new road for the auto through this shrubbery and had sent the two lads to the sandy place to meet us.  Here it was easy for these visiting people to run beside the car and keep pace with us.  We all entered the village at the same time.  I only wish that you could have heard the greetings.  The young folks were carrying bonnok leaves or branches and it looked like palms.  They were really quite excited.  I wish you could have seen the women greeting Mrs. Sanders.  All the people think so much of Dr. + Mrs. Sanders.  Mary and I certainly had a very interesting day.

The church was not large enough to hold all the people.  When we entered there were no forms or seats.  But as the audience came right behind us some brought there own stools + chairs and the others sat very close together on the floor.  I was surprised at the large number that crowded inside.  All the little boys having to sit up at the front around our chairs to fill in empty spaces.  I thought how well they all behaved because it was a very long service.  But they looked so keenly into the minister’s face while he was speaking and listened so earnestly to all that he said.  Many of them probably had been walking from early morning to get there by ten o’clock.  Many had to stand outside at the windows which had no glass and around the door, many also holding babies on their backs.  But they are keen to hear the message.

On our return journey Dr. Hollenbeck drove the car to the crest of a hill so that we might view the valley below.  He said that on the far side of the river was a real jungle and if we only had our field glasses, very likely we could have seen animals on the plain.  He pointed out the spot where he sat once upon a time looking for “Hippos.”

I might say that we returned home about five o’clock just in time for a nice tea.  We were tired but very happy.  It had been a very interesting day and one to be long remembered by Mary and I.

Fred probably you will let some of friends read about this day which I enjoyed so much and then probably they will write and tell me about some good times which they have had.

With much love,

Your affectionate sis,

Sibyl.

P.S. The moonlight is so bright here that last night I was able to read by the light of the moon.  It was not quite full moon and my book was only of small print.

​
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1925-08-30​: ​​​tour stops---images---audio---transcript---~NOTES~---links---site navigation
1.
This letter is in the format that the missionaries used when they sent home a letter that they knew would be passed around.  "I want to tell you..." to introduce a story they're telling.  It would not surprise me to learn that this is not the letter that was sent home, but rather a draft that Sibyl had one of the more experienced missionaries look over.  Her letters to Fred Stokey were much more informal - but also less informative for somebody who wasn't familiar with the life of a missionary in Angola.

​2.
About the address from which Sibyl wrote:
Chissamba, Bié,
Via Lobito, Angola,
Chissamba: This was the mission station to which Sibyl was assigned, but in fact, at this time Sibyl was not in Chissamba but in Kamundongo, working on learning the local language of Umbundu.
Via Lobito: Lobito was a coastal city, and Chissamba was inland.  So mail would be routed via the port of Lobito.

3.
I was delighted to receive your letter which arrived on my birthday.
Sibyl turned 28 on August 27, 1925.

4.
I want to tell you how Dr. + Mrs. Sanders, Dr. Hollenbeck, Mary and I spent last Sunday.
These people are very familiar characters in Sibyl's and Fred's letters.  Dr. Sanders was an Umbundu expert among the missionaries.  Mary was Mary Hurlbut from England, a missionary teacher.  She came to Angola on the same ship with Sibyl.  You can find them in the Non-family page for mission folks on this website.
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