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twg_000000046000 | said Chief Edem. "Here are my best rowers and best soldiers. They are ready to take you to Duke Town." Mary once more stepped into the canoe. This time there was no one to call her back. Little black Janie, whom Mary had adopted, was with her. "Good-by, good-by, Ma," shouted the crowd. "God keep you safe and bring you | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000046001 | back to us again." The rowers pulled their oars strongly, and swiftly down the slow moving river went the canoe. Three years Mary had spent in Okoyong. Already she had seen a change in the heathen people. A greater change was still to come. Mary was going to see more of the power the Gospel has to change heathen hearts | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000046002 | and lives. ## _A Disappointment_ Mary wrote to the Mission Board; Charles and I are very much in love. We would like to be married. Charles is a wonderful Christian and a very fine teacher. He would be a very great help in my jungle work. We hope that you will agree to our marriage and let Charles go into | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000046003 | the jungle with me. I am ready to do what you say. I lay the whole matter in God's hands and will take from Him what He sees best for His work in Okoyong. My life was laid on the altar for that people long ago, and I would not take one jot or tittle of it back. If it | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000046004 | be for His glory and the advantage of His cause there to let another join in it, I will be grateful. If not, I will be grateful anyway, for God knows best. The Board was very much surprised to get this letter. If the Board members had thought about it at all, they had thought that Mary would never marry. | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000046005 | She was forty-three years old and Charles Morrison, her sweetheart, was twenty-five. He was a mission teacher at Duke Town. The difference in their ages did not bother the sweethearts. They met and had fallen in love. They wanted to marry. "I will marry you if the Mission Board will agree to letting you work in the jungle with me," | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000046006 | said Mary. "But suppose the Board will not let me go into the jungle, wouldn't you be willing to come back to Duke Town with me?" asked Charles. "No, Charles, I couldn't. I love you very much, more than anyone I have ever known, but my work for God is in the jungles. There no one else has yet planted | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000046007 | the Gospel seed. To leave a field like Okoyong without a worker and go to one like Duke Town with ten or a dozen workers where the people have the Bible and plenty of privileges--that's foolish. If God does not send you into the jungle with me, then you must do your work and I must do mine where we | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000046008 | have been placed." It was not long after Mary had returned to England that the Mission Board gave its answer to her request. The answer was no. "What the Lord decides is right," said Mary. "I believe that the Mission Board is giving me God's answer because they are His servants." What Mary suffered no one knew. She longed to | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000046009 | have a life's partner by her side in the great work of bringing the Gospel to the jungle, but having given her life to God, she felt that He must be her first love. Charles Morrison, however, took the refusal very hard. He became sick and had to go home. Later he went to America where he died. Now that | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000046010 | Mary was home in England, she soon got over the jungle fevers. People wanted to hear about the missionary work in Africa. Mary went from church to church telling about her work. She did not like to do this. She would rather be in the jungle telling the natives about Jesus. "It is hard for me to speak," said Mary, | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000046011 | "but Jesus has asked me to do it, and it is an honor to speak for Him. I wish to do it cheerfully." Everywhere people were thrilled to hear about the work for Jesus in the jungle. They wanted to do something, too. They gave money. They sent boxes of clothes and food and other things out to Africa to | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000046012 | help the heathen. Then Mary got sick with influenza and bronchitis. She could not go around speaking any more. Instead, she wrote some articles for a missionary paper. "The Gospel must be preached to the people of Calabar," she said. "Then the people ought to be taught some trades. They should learn to be carpenters and farmers and the like. | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000046013 | We ought to send out people who can teach them these trades so that they can make a living." This was a new idea to many people. They wrote to other missionaries to find out what they thought about it. Later a school, "The Hope Waddell Training Institute," was started. This school taught the boys and girls of Calabar many | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000046014 | trades. Mary was slow in getting well. She and Janie, the black girl she had brought with her, went to the southern part of England, where the climate was milder. It was hoped that the sea breezes and the mild climate would bring back her health. Days and weeks went by. Little by little Mary got better. The year came | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000046015 | to an end. The bells rang in the New Year. "Soon we can go back to dear Calabar," said Mary. "Oh, how I want to get back and tell more people there about the Lord Jesus." In February, , Mary and Janie sailed for Calabar. What new adventures awaited them in Africa? "Welcome home, Ma, welcome," shouted the people of | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000046016 | Okoyong. "God bless you. Praise the Lord for sending you back to us!" When Mary came back to Okoyong, things were much different from what they had been the first time she came. Now there was a fine mission house. Churches and schoolhouses had been built in many of the villages. The people were slowly but surely turning away from | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000046017 | their heathen customs. Formerly no chief ever died without the sacrifice of many human lives, but this was not done any more. One of the chiefs said, "Ma, you white people are God Almighty. No other power could have done this." There were still many chiefs who liked to go to war and to fight with other tribes. But Mary | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000046018 | had friends who would tell her of the plans of these chiefs. She would have to go to them and persuade them not to fight. One of Mary's dearest friends was Ma Eme. When she would hear of trouble, she would send a messenger to Mary with a medicine bottle. This would mean, "Be ready for trouble." Mary was so | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000046019 | good at settling the arguments between the chiefs that the British government made her a vice-consul. This was something like a governor and judge. The jungle people would not let the white men come and make new laws or settle their arguments, but they did listen to Mary. She was a very fair and honest judge. The people loved and | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000046020 | obeyed her. But life was not easy. Not all the natives were Christians. Even those who were, were not always good Christians but would sometimes slip back into the old heathen ways. Then it was hard for Mary and her helpers to get to the different places. There were no easy roads through the jungles, and wild animals were always | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000046021 | there ready to kill the careless traveler. Mary received many gifts both from the natives and from her friends in England and Scotland. One of the gifts she loved the best was a little steamboat, which the natives called "smoking canoe." The boys and girls in Scotland had given the money to buy this boat. But Mary was not satisfied. | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000046022 | She did not want to take life easy. As soon as she had built a church and the people were beginning to become civilized, she wanted to move on to wilder places. "I want to start new work," said Mary. "Let those who are younger and who have not been in this work as long as I have, take the | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000046023 | places where the work has been begun." Many of Mary's friends among the natives had gone to Akpap, which was a village south of Ekenge. This village was about six miles from the Cross River. It was a large trading center. Many heathen came to this village to trade their goods for other things they wanted. Mary wrote to the | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000046024 | Mission Board and asked them to let her begin work in this new place. "We cannot at this time let you start work at Akpap," wrote the Mission Board. "To start there we would have to build a mission house, and we do not have the money for that. Besides the nearest landing place is Ikunetu. This is six miles | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000046025 | from Akpap. The forests are wild and hard to get through. We believe you should continue the work at Ekenge." Mary wrote again and again, trying to persuade the Board to let her start work at Akpap. At last the Mission Board agreed to let her start work there. They promised to build a mission house and a boathouse for | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000046026 | her steamboat. Mary did not wait for the house to be built. In she built a two-room native shed. Here she began her work. The house was not as good as the first house she built in Ekenge. This did not bother Mary. She was more concerned about bringing the Gospel to the heathen. The work here was like that | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000046027 | in Ekenge. The chiefs came with the troubles they were having in their tribes. They wanted her advice. The people came with their family problems and wanted her to tell them what to do. There were many heathen people who came from the jungle to visit her. Mary taught her classes. She conducted Sunday services. She was busy all the | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000046028 | time. Then one day the smallpox sickness broke out. "You must all be vaccinated," said Mary to the natives. "I will scratch your arm with this medicine and the smallpox will stay away from you." Hour after hour, far into the night, day after day, Mary vaccinated the natives. When her medicine ran out, she took blood from the arms | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000046029 | of those who had been vaccinated to use as vaccination medicine. One day a man came running to the house where Mary was living in Akpap. He had run a long way. He was scratched up and sweating. He had run through the jungle without stopping. "Ma, Ma," he cried, "the smallpox sickness has come to Ekenge. Chief Ekponyong and | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000046030 | Chief Edem are sick and many, many more. Come quick, oh, come to Ekenge or we shall all die." "I will come with you at once," said Mary to the messenger from Ekenge. "I will help your people fight the smallpox sickness." Mary went back to Ekenge. The smallpox sickness was very bad. Nearly the whole village was sick. "We | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000046031 | must have a hospital," said Mary. "I know what we will do. We will make my house here a hospital." Soon the house was filled to overflowing with sick people. She had to be doctor, nurse, and undertaker. Many of her close friends died. Chief Ekponyong, who at first had worked against Mary and then had become her friend, died. | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000046032 | Chief Edem, the chief of Ekenge, was very sick. The tired missionary did everything she could to save the old heathen's life. But one dark night he died. Mary was all alone. Mary made a coffin for the chief. She put his body in it. Then she dug a grave. She dragged the coffin to the grave and buried it. | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000046033 | Completely tired out she dragged herself back to Akpap. Just at this time Mr. Ovens and another missionary came up from Duke Town. They came to Mary's hut at Akpap. All was still and quiet. Mr. Ovens looked at the other missionary. "Something is wrong," he said. He knocked loudly at the door. He knocked and knocked again. Finally Mary | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000046034 | awoke and opened the door. The missionaries saw how tired and sick she looked. "What is wrong?" asked Ovens. Mary told them about the sickness at Ekenge. She told them of what she had done. "I don't see how you could have done that work alone," said Mr. Ovens. "Won't you go and bury the rest of the dead?" asked | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000046035 | Mary. "I was just too tired to do it." "Yes, we will," said Mr. Ovens. The two missionaries went to Ekenge. There they found the mission house filled with dead bodies. They buried these people and preached to those who were still living about the Saviour. Mary was weak and sick, but she kept right on working. In one of | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000046036 | her letters to a friend she tells about some of her work: Four are at my feet listening. Five boys outside are getting a reading lesson from Janie. A man is lying on the ground who has run away from his master, and is staying with me for safety until I get him forgiven. An old chief is here with | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000046037 | a girl who has a bad sore on her arm. A woman is begging me to help her get her husband to treat her better. Three people are here for vaccination. Every evening she would have family worship. Mary sat on the mud floor in one of the shed rooms. In front of her in a half-circle were the many | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000046038 | children she had adopted and was taking care of. Behind them were the baskets holding the twin babies she had recently rescued. The light from a little lamp shone on the bright faces. Mary read slowly from the Bible. Then she explained the Bible reading to the children and prayed. Then she sang a song in the native language. The | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000046039 | tune was a Scottish melody and as she sang she kept time with a tamborine. If any of the children did not pay attention, Mary would lean forward and tap his head with the tamborine. Mary did not get her strength back. She was not well. The mission committee at Calabar decided that even though they had no worker to | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000046040 | take her place, she must go home on a vacation which was long overdue. "But who will take care of the work at Akpap?" asked Mary. "Mr. Ovens, the carpenter, who is building the mission house at Akpap, can do the work until we find someone to take your place," answered the chairman of the committee. "But what shall I | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000046041 | do with my many black children? I don't want them to go back to heathen ways of living while I am gone. I don't like to ask the other mission workers to take care of them for me." "Don't worry, Mary. We will find places for them." Places were found for all the adopted children except the four black children | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000046042 | whom she planned to take along with her. These were Janie, who was now sixteen years old, Mary was five, Alice three, and Maggie was only eighteen months old. Now Mary had to find ways of clothing the children. The rags they wore in the jungle would not do for the trip to Scotland. Mary took her trouble to the | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000046043 | Lord, and He wonderfully answered her prayer. When she reached Duke Town, she found that a missionary box had just come, and it had just the things she needed. Mary took her children on board the big ship. It was the biggest "canoe" that any of the children except Janie had ever seen. "We're on our way to bonny Scotland," | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000046044 | said Mary. ## _Clouds and Sunshine_ "The other missionaries at Calabar," said Mary, "work as hard, if not harder, than I do. We need more workers to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ for your lost black brothers and sisters. They have souls just as you do. Jesus loves them just as He does you. We must tell them of | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000046045 | His love. I would like to go farther inland to people who have never heard the Gospel and make a home among the cannibals." Mary was giving a talk at one of the churches. As soon as she was well enough to make speeches, many of the churches wanted to hear her. The people were very much interested in the | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000046046 | black children she had adopted and brought with her. Many of them had never seen black people before. Mary had some trouble speaking in English. For many years now she had been speaking almost all the time in the African language. It was sometimes hard for her to say the right English words, but the Holy Spirit helped her, and | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000046047 | the people remembered her talks and gave generously for the work in Africa.. Late in the year Mary and the black children got on the big "canoe" and sailed back to Africa. They spent a happy Christmas on the ship. Once more strong and well, Mary went back to work in Akpap. She taught the children and grownups. She healed | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000046048 | the sick. She visited in the bush and in the jungle. During this time Mary had the joy of seeing six young men become Christians. These young men she trained and sent to the neighboring villages as Gospel workers. She had hoped for more helpers, but was grateful that God had given her these. More and more of the jungle | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000046049 | people heard about her. Bushmen traveled hundreds of miles to see the white Ma who told them about Jesus. Mary used every chance she had to tell the Gospel to heathen who had never heard it. The stories the visiting people told about their lands and the inland tribes filled Mary with the desire to explore other parts of the | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000046050 | country. Often in the mission boat or in a canoe she traveled to villages farther away. On one trip the canoe in which Mary was riding was attacked by a hippopotamus. Mary thought her end had come. Nevertheless, she bravely fought off the animal, using metal cooking pots and pans as weapons. In the southern part of Nigeria was a | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000046051 | strong, wild tribe called the Aros. They were a proud but wicked people. They made war on peaceful tribes. They would steal people from peaceful villages and make them slaves. They prayed to the Devil, and they killed people as human sacrifices to please their idols. They were cannibals who ate people. The government decided to make this tribe stop | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000046052 | doing these bad things. A small band of soldiers was sent against this tribe to make them obey. This made Mary sad. She knew that sending soldiers to fight against these people would not change them. She knew that only the Gospel could change the black men's hearts. She wished she could go to this tribe with the Gospel of | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000046053 | Jesus, but the government said no. The government officers feared there might be a tribal war which would even come to Okoyong. They decided that Mary would be safer in Creek Town than Akpap. Sadly Mary left her friends and spent three months in Creek Town. Her Okoyong friends did not forget her. They came often to visit her and | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000046054 | brought her gifts. They also brought their quarrels to her to settle. They called her their queen. Finally, Mary was allowed to go back to Akpap. Three years went by. It was now fifteen years since Mary had first come to Okoyong. On the anniversary of the day that she came a celebration was held. Seven young men whom Mary | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000046055 | had won for Christ were baptized. The Rev. W.T. Weir, a missionary from Creek Town, helped in organizing the first Okoyong Christian Church. The following Sunday the church was filled to overflowing. Mary presented eleven children for baptism. The Lord's Supper was served for the first time to natives and white workers who had accepted Christ as their Saviour. After | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000046056 | songs had been sung and speeches made by others, Mary got up to speak. "You must build a church large enough to take care of all who come to hear God's Word. Okoyong now looks to you who have accepted Christ as your Saviour and who have joined the church for proof of the power of the Gospel, more than | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000046057 | it looks to me. I am very happy over all that has been done these past fifteen years, but it is God who did it. To Him belongs all the glory. Mission houses, schools, and a church have been built. Wicked heathen customs have been stopped. Chiefs have quit fighting, and women are much better off than they were when | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000046058 | I came. Let us praise God for this and let us go on and do greater things. The Lord will help us and will bless our work." Mary was happy the way the work was going, but she was not satisfied. She wanted to go to other places. "This cannibal land of deep darkness with woods of spooky mystery is | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000046059 | like a magnet," said Mary Slessor. "It draws me on and on." "Where is this country where you want to work?" asked Miss Wright, one of the teachers at the Girls' Institute at Calabar. "It lies to the west of the Cross River. It stretches for miles and miles toward the Niger River." "Haven't any missionaries been there?" "None have | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000046060 | gone into the forest. Missionaries and traders have gone along the edge of it when they went up the Cross River." "What tribes live in this dark and mysterious country?" asked Miss Wright. "The Ibo tribe lives in most of the country, but they are ruled by the Aros clan," said Mary. "Who are they? Tell me something about them, | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000046061 | Mary. I know so little about the tribes, except those who come to Calabar or send their girls to our Institute." "The Aros clan are a wise but tricky people. They live in thirty villages near the district of Arochuku, where I would like to begin a mission. They are strong and rule the Ibo tribe because of their trade | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000046062 | and religion. They trade slaves, which their religion furnishes. When they cannot get enough slaves that way, they raid Ibo villages and capture the people who live there and sell them." "You say their religion furnishes them with slaves? How is that possible?" "The Ibo tribe and the Aros pray to the juju god. They believe the juju god lives | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000046063 | in a tree. They think this tree is holy. Each village has its own god and sacred tree, but the main juju used to be about a mile from Arochuku." "But you haven't told me about the slaves," interrupted Miss Wright. "I am just coming to that," said Mary. "This main juju, called the Long Juju, was reached by a | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000046064 | winding road that goes through a dense jungle and leads at last to a lake. In the center of the lake is an island on which was the Long Juju. Here hundreds of people came to ask advice from the priests and to worship. When the people came here, the Aros clan had captured them. Then they were either sold | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000046065 | as slaves, sacrificed to juju, or eaten by the tribe." "How terrible!" "The Aros are tricky. One of their tricks, was to throw some of the people they captured into the water. The water at once turned red. The priests would tell the people that juju had eaten the men. The people believed it, but really the red was only | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000046066 | coloring the priests had thrown into the river." "Is the juju still there?" asked Miss Wright. "No. The British soldiers went over the Cross River. They had a battle with the natives and beat them. They captured Arochuku. Then they chopped down the Long Juju. But of course the natives still have their village jujus. They still do many wicked | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000046067 | things." "And you want to work among those terrible people?" "Yes, don't you think they have a great need for the Gospel?" "Oh, they do! But I would not have the courage to work among them." "I have no courage," said Mary, "except what God gives me." "Tell me, Mary, have you gone into that country at all?" "I have | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000046068 | made some short exploration trips. I told the traders to tell the chiefs that some day I would come to their country to live, but their only answer was, 'It is not safe.' That is what the people told me when I wanted to go to Okoyong. I trust in my heavenly Father and I am not afraid of the | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000046069 | cannibals no matter how fierce and cruel they may be." "But Mary, did you know that when a chief died recently, fifty or more people were eaten at the funeral ceremonies, and twenty-five others had their heads cut off and were buried with the chief?" "Yes, I heard that. But things were almost as bad when I came to Okoyong. | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000046070 | God blessed my work, and He can protect me in this strange new land of the cannibals. I do hope the Mission Board will let me go and work among the Aros and Ibos." The missionaries in Calabar wanted Mary to work at Ikorofiong and at Unwana, which were two towns farther up the Cross River from Akpap. But Mary | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000046071 | did not think these were good places for her work. She wanted to be where she could reach the most people. She wanted to work at Arochuku, the chief city of Aros which was also near the Efik, Ibo and Ibibio tribes. She wanted to open her first station at Itu, which was on the mouth of Enyong creek, her | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000046072 | second station at Arochuku and a third at Bende. The missionaries at Calabar did not agree, but they decided to wait until a worker could be found to take Mary's place at Akpap. Mary would not reave these people until they could be taken care of by Christian workers. "Send a minister to take care of a station. I cannot | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000046073 | build up a church the way a minister can," said Mary. It looked as though Mary would not get to go to the land of Aros. Then Miss Wright, the teacher from the Girls' Institute, asked to be sent to Akpap as an assistant. This request was sent to Scotland for the Board to approve. Mary now decided to start | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000046074 | work at once. In January, , with two boys, Esien and Efiiom, and a girl, Mana, whom she had carefully trained, she loaded her canoe with food and other supplies and set off for the land of the cruel cannibals. They did not know how the people there would treat them, but they trusted in God to take care of | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000046075 | them and help them in their work. Mary found a house for them. "I am leaving you here," said Mary to the three natives, "to begin a school and hold church services for the people of Itu. I must go back to Akpap but I will come again as soon as I can." But Mary had to stay at Akpap | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000046076 | longer than she expected. At last she was able to come again to Itu and to visit the school and the church services. "You have done wonderfully well," she told the three workers. "God has blessed your work. My heart was filled with joy when I saw so many people, young and old, at the services. And your school is | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000046077 | filled with people who want to learn book and learn the will of God. Now we must build a church and a schoolhouse." Mary began mixing the mud and doing the other work that was necessary for building a building in Africa. The native workers and the people of Itu helped her gladly. It did not take long with many | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000046078 | willing hands to build a church and school. Two rooms were added to the church building. "These two rooms are for you, Ma," the people said. "You must have a place to stay when you come to us." After the church and school were built, Mary went back to Akpap. Here she heard good news. "The Board in Scotland has | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000046079 | given me permission to be your assistant at Akpap," said Miss Wright. "Wonderful!" said Mary. "Now I can spend more time at Itu and more time in the jungle." On a beautiful morning in June, , Mary packed her clothes and supplies and marched the six miles down to the landing beach at Ikunetu. Here she waited for the government | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000046080 | boat which would take her to Itu. She waited and waited. At last she found one of the natives and asked, "Where is the government boat? Is it late?" "No, Ma, it long time gone." So Mary had to walk back six miles through the jungle to the mission house at Akpap. "Why, Mary," said Miss Wright, "what are you | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000046081 | doing here? I thought that by this time you would be traveling on the government boat to Itu." "I am in God's hands," said Mary, "and He did not mean for me to travel today. I have been kept back for some good purpose." The next week when she again made the trip to board the boat, Colonel Montanaro who | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000046082 | commanded the government soldiers in that part of the country, was on the boat. "I will be happy to have you travel with me and my soldiers," said the colonel. "You will be safer that way. I am going to Arochuku." "That is just what I would like to do," said Mary. "Now I see why God did not let | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000046083 | me travel last week. I have been wanting for a long time to visit the chief city of the Aros. I want to see more about this juju religion." Some time before, the government had sent soldiers into the country to make the chiefs stop the juju worship. The chiefs had promised to stop it, but it still went on | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000046084 | secretly. After reaching Arochuku, Mary followed the jungle paths over which the slaves had been made to walk for hundreds of years. She came to the place of the Long Juju. There Mary saw the human skulls, the bones and the pots in which the bodies had been cooked. Mary shivered when she thought of the cannibal feasts. Mary thought | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000046085 | the people might be against her, but instead they welcomed her. They had heard about the good things she had done in the jungle. "O God," prayed Mary, "I want to bring the Gospel to these man-eaters for whom Christ died. Please, dear God, make the home church and the Mission Board see the great need here so that they | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000046086 | will let me win this part of the country for Christ." Mary promised the people of Arochuku she would come again and open a school. Then she returned to Akpap and wrote the Mission Board for permission to open a station at Arochuku. Soon the answer came back! We are sorry, but it will be impossible at this time to | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000046087 | open work at Arochuku. We do not have the money or the workers. ## _Among the Cannibals_ "The mission Board says that they cannot open a mission station at Arochuku now," said Mary. "I have asked God to give me a mission station where His Gospel can be preached to the Aros. I trust in Christ who is able to | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000046088 | do more than I am able to ask or think. I know God will give me what I have asked." "What are you going to do now?" asked Miss Wright. "I am going to do what I believe God wants me to do. I am going to take some native Christians and make a beginning in the land of the | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000046089 | Aros." Mary took some native boys whom she had trained. They were able to help with school-work and church services. Mary and the boys went to Amasu, a little village which was nearer the creek than Arochuku. Here she opened a school. It was soon filled with boys and girls thirsty for book and the loving God. She held church | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000046090 | services for the people, and many of them came to hear the white Ma teach about Jesus. At last it was time for Mary to go back to Akpap. She left the native Christians to carry on the work of the school and church. The people of the village gathered around her. They said, "Come again soon, white Ma. If | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000046091 | you do not care for us, who will care for us?" As Mary went down the river in her canoe, she thanked God that He had let her open this new field to the Gospel. Suddenly there was a canoe barring her way. In it was a tall native. "I have been waiting for you. My master at Akani Obio | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000046092 | sent me to stop you and bring you to his house." Mary told her rowers to follow the native to his master's place. Soon they came to a trading place. Here Mary was greeted by a handsome young man. "I am Onoyom Iya Nya, the president of the court and the chief of this district. This is my wife. Won't | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000046093 | you please honor us by coming into our house?" Onoyom and his wife led Mary to a European-type house, which was very nicely furnished. Onoyom's wife invited Mary to have some food with them. While they ate, Onoyom talked. "Many times I have sent my servants to find you," said Onoyom, "but they never found you until today. I am | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000046094 | happy that you have come." "But why did you seek me? Why did you want me to come to you?" asked Mary. "When I was a boy," said Onoyom, "I served as a guide to a missionary. He told me the Gospel story. I wanted Jesus for my Saviour. But my tribe beat me and punished me in other ways | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000046095 | until I gave up the white man's religion and followed the juju religion of the tribe. I took part in Arochuku feasts where we ate 'long pig,' that is, men and women." "But why do you want to talk to me?" asked Mary. "I never forgot what the missionary told me about Christ. Later I had troubles and sickness. I | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000046096 | tried witchcraft to find the person who placed the troubles and sickness on me. Instead, I met a white man. He said to me, 'How do you know it is not the God of the white man who is angry with you? He is all-powerful.' I said, 'How can I find this God?' I hoped he would tell me, but | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000046097 | he said, 'I am not worthy to tell you. Find the white Ma who goes to Itu and she will tell you.' O Ma, please tell us about your God." Tears of joy ran down Mary's cheeks. Onoyom called all the members of his family and the servants together. Mary told them of Jesus and His power to save them. | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000046098 | She read from the Bible, prayed with the people, and promised to come back again on her next trip. "I will build a church for you," said Chief Onoyom. "I have money. I will give $, for a mission house and school." As Mary rode down the Enyong creek she thought of the new missionary work that was opening up. | 60 | gutenberg |
twg_000000046099 | "O God," she prayed, "I thank You for the new places at Itu and Amasu. I thank You for the chance to build a church at Akani Obio. Please let me open a station soon at Arochuku. There with Your blessing I hope to conquer the cannibals for Christ." "I do hope," she said to herself, "that the Board will | 60 | gutenberg |
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