Bomi l i

October 6, i960
Dear Brethren in Christ,

As you probably know I am alone here at Bomili.

Betty and the children went back to

the States the end of August after it became apparent it was not good for them to bo
here in the Congo, We hope they can come back with two new missionary families in

Januaiy.

Howard Crowl left last week for a short furlough in America in order to

seek recruits and to raise needed money.

His family has been gone for six months

ever since his daughter had to be taken to America for a critical operation4

Beovmse

of her health they cannot come back to this part of the Congo where malaria is so
prevalent. They hope to go to another area in the Congo.

Our work goes on in spite of all the trouble there has been in the Congo recently^
There have been several changes made in the central government in LSopoldville, aiid

we are hepeful that everything will now return to normal.

been affected, but we havf) not been.

Some other missions ha.''i

At one protestant mission 27 preachers left tho

mission. At another protost.ant mission the missionaries have not yet come back frcim
when they left during the uprising in July. They may not come back at all, for soso
of the preachers do not want them to. Here at Bomili the local administrator caruo
'with soldiers and men from the M.N.C. political party and tied the two priests wrA
one American brother hand and foot, threw them in the back of a pick-up truck ajr"^
went with them 55 miles over terrible'roads to the territorial headquarters at

sende.

They had said that Lumijjnba (the prime minister) was a dog.

One of the pj-iofsts

had accidentally shot and killed a man about a year ago when he mistook him for a
baboon in the forest. The people thought he did it purposely; they got even. In the

Bomili region there were formerly 23 v/hite adults, now there are only four of us
One of these is soon to leave and another is talking about it.

The Catholic priests

refuse to return here, and the protestant missionary is staying at their central
station and making only monthly trips here to visit their work. However, we arc vory
optimistic and really believe that we will be here doing the Lord's work for years
to come.

The other day I made a trip to our church at Badi to remove the preacher there at his

request.

I left the mission at 8:00 A.M. and arrived at the ferry crossing 45 mi^cs

away at 10:30. Becauso the water was so hi^ and swift, and because one vehicle -^aB
ahead of us wo did not get across until nearly 2:00 P.M. Still we hoped that we

could make it back by dark, for they will not take us across after dusk in high vvater,
because it is too dangerous.

About an hour after we had left the ferry we met a truck

that had run off the side of a little bridge and was blocking the road.

After an

hour's wait we passed there. Then it started pouring rain and we gave up all ho.r.^> of
returning that night, V/e picked up the preacher and started back toward the ferx'y.
On the way we found one of our preachers v/as sick, so we stayed the night there and
took him to Bomili with us in the morning.

I had no food.

I had not expected to stay the night so

The elephants and buffaloes and baboons had ruined all the fieldf^ of

this villa^ and so they were very hungry themselves.

One of the Christians did ra.'/'Q

me some eggs and peanuts. Wo boiled the egg^, roasted the peanuts, curled up in t.ho
truck and went to sleep. We made it back to Boinili the next morning without inoidtini:

This is the rainy season until Deceitiber, It is raining right now for the second time
today. Ten minutes before the rain began the sky was clear and bright as could
The only indication of co.uing rain was the intense heat. It is so humid now thac
salt clogs the shaker, sugar becomes soggy and books grow damp on the shelves. I-iio
weather seems to be bringing/: the driver ants. Our people were complaining of ti:vJ2i
yesterday, and last night they routed me out of bed.

We appreciate your interest in us and the work we are doing here, and we trust that
you are praying for the Lord's v/ork and the workers both African and missionary in
these critical times.

Yours in Christ,

November 8, I96O
Dear Christian Friends,

In the hope that it may help you spiritually as it has me I would like to tell you
of a porsonal experience. Naturally, much of my thought and prayer reoentily has
teen concerning my family in the States. Last week-end while on safari I was taking
stock of things and felt that I needed to pray more concerning specific needs for
the auocess of the work here. There are many, many opportunities for planting new

churches which-go unclaimed simply because of a lack of^workers, .both iirioan. and

missionar;y% One of the most disturbing things about working H^re^ls the inability
to seize all opportunities and answer all the calls for spreading the gospel,
.
any rate, I asked the Lord that v/hen I return to Bomili that someone mi^t be wait

ing there to ent^r the Bible Institute. Yesterday morning I arrived here, and
stayed on3y a feiw^^iininutes. That was just long enough to unload the car, grab some
money and a stud-'eri^ .preacher to read the scales and to leave to buy plant^n for
the f^tiidont preachers. As we wore.returning to the mission afljer hiving boughtIthe

plantain the student preacher who was with me said casually^ ^"6drneille Muzetib ,
is Mi'ci.j.ting for you at BQmiii. h v/^t^s .to enter the Bible Institute an^d bd a.preAoh^

It was the first I had heard of him for,:a. year,

of God of what great things He

daily in praying that there may 'b^^ma^

Institute and the ministry?

i took this as'a 'sigri of thie promise

will let Him. Will'you joih'W^

men led to Snter the Bible

'

This past week-end wound up the" first-^rotm

among the 26 churches in the .

Bomili area. We found good and "b^.

Bafvrajn6^%iD II wo found a good crowd, great
singing and a wonderful .fellowshi;j)*.;, AlbaM^ba't^f
found the church having a prayer

meeting when we arrive^., . They tblk us that thoy^ have these once a weok.

preacher assigns individuals specific-thin^ "'for w

that the new governz^enij aMd the p^o^^^

churches. At severa^.-cl^irches

fpu^f; en

to pray,

The
Among them was

hot in any way hinder the

moiieyr:^ the treasury to pay all the

preacher's salary of'$6,00 per iiionth. -The people are.v.vQiy poor how ^d will.be
1
lantil after the New Year, At thaV time they will ha"\re.;1?heir cotton markets. Several
of the churches paid'most of the preacher'.& salary, Pnily one preacher failed to get
anything from his churches.

He is the o.id"5st and most faithful preacher of them

all, too. There was some money ready in the treasury, .but they refused to give it
to the preacher insisting that the mission pay it, Whei^.^it bacamo apparent after
about fifteen minutes of debate that I would Jiot pay itjLone' man stooid up eaid said,
"Tou mean that if we do not pay it, the preaoher will not get any money?" This is
exactly what v/e have been tryihg tb^'tell them since August.^ *It Just" how began to
dawn on them, I left without the pteacher htving received any'mpiiey, They just

thou^t they would try5 at the next visit they will probably=%^art. to "pay him. One
preacher grieved us for he resigned during one of* our visits-; He g.uit;,;Ms two

churches because he thinks someone put a spell on his wife, She has ^^.ceiitly had
two epileptic attacks. So he will no longer stay in that villagie,..!^ I vtriasd'^o show
him the effect it would have on the faith of the Christians and thfe reputation of
the church if he, a preacher of the gospel, admitted that the devil's power was
greater than that of God's,

It fell on deaf ears - mostly his Vidfe's ears.

One

deacon upbraided me for not coming to visit more often and not staying longer.
This is not in keeping with the spirit of independence from the v/hite man, but we
have found it everywhere toward us. Another deacon asked for more frequent visits,
asserting that the Christians behave better for awhile after a visit.

He then

added on behalf of the deacons, "Our heads are splitting with these people,"
Beginning this month I v/ill visit with the churches in groups of 4 or 5 and stay
2 days.

This morning I watched a big tarantula stalk out of the house within 10 inches of

the nose of one of our sleeping dogs. He never knew it. They stay awake at ni^t,
thou^, for they scared away some prowlers one night last week. Many thanks to you
in our Savior's name for your continual giving for the work of Christ hero.

7]-

'A

'/A

i\ i n m ' ^ H n

.e..A0''
Bomili Station :

Missioaaries:

Bomili par Bafwasende via Stanleyville

Miss Zola L. Brown

Congo Beige, Afrique

Mr. and Mrs. Howard A. Crowi

Mr. and Mrs. Ronald D. Harshe

Mr. and Mrs. Cliflbrd W. Schaub

Olina Station :

.*

jt j""^'s#

Recruits:

tv

B-P. 3, Nia-Nia via Stanleyville

Congo Beige, Afrique

Ml. and Mrs. Ronald Butler

Forwarding Address:
P. O. Box 996,
Cincinnati 1, Ohio, LJ.S.A.

Forwarding Agent:
Mr. Mihon W. Dilis
ES:

?J<^vogih<8ir POy 1^60 19

Bear Friends in Chris?t,

"IThunx.*'

That is the Cong slog&n

/su r-sar it shouted at you Tar^hers you

ga It Is swRhili fT freedem. i'fiple .-s^ftsa grsat ae another nmr sine inaepeadene with thia -mrdo

Yvhile on churoK safari, I vpab hailed in on village as I

wii0 p&uin^i through hy th-ee-y^ar-oid who

dashing
ths rcadsida shouting,
"IThurta, uiiunu" ih ultimatfS oairie "'.'hen I then arrived at Qlina and found Oliff
Sohauh^n talking; pai'i't-t grer^ting; visitors T\'itb., "Tlhuru."'

We had a funeral reoontlyo

Kr^, Baf-.T-aylnffhe Qhurch hnd bon ailing for soae time.

Sh<F had m strength, and she finally t^ave up any desir-s t live any lenger. 3he
was really never aeund fr'sm
birch ibv^ut six. yeart? ago, 3he lived in a village

notorioua i'or it^is

dj.-uxac.^^^.iiess.

Over herf? Tillages have peraojaalitiee

just likfi pe.opl3, Thitt often affeot^.

chupGhes in th villagea. Aoeut a year
and Ahalf igo the -sntire- church w.-tB included ivitii th --ontire village when they

w^ro taken t th5 tsrritorial head'-in^irters and put in jiil for net moking field
About that same time .teo Church left Her appointment \'7ith the l:^>rd ene Lrd*8

Day and t-^tally aoaniUned th"*? rjer/icBS, Inntcid she v/j^nt to a oirci.xBioiBifln dmo

and fsarjt.

The mi.'ssi.ma.ry

^ohc-n -ind preached ^nd tftUji-ht and manaf^ed t.

get a a-^rt of r^^pent.^nc-s iut of Ksoiije cf thein. She. then rallied in respense te
many pia^'orSj s-nd
v-T-ry ba.pp.y lor her healta. IBtit then hwr eld sickness
began to plague her attain, -Vkid sHg O^st vr^sted a-sfay until ehe finally ourled U'j
her tses.

The oriachsr

h^r ur, and t?o

hurisd aer.

Vi' trust

Li'i-d in i'iUy llio povor /ill r^surrcct Vter bsf-^r-? it is too late fer her ohildreno
I'he brether-i-lair of one ef cur uight -^ratoVren y/is havino -vifo treuhle.

She

wuld run off, and he ^vQuld go drag her back hoaie. fin'iily, Bhe tired of i One day ?yhen hor huBhand h.-id cliwbad hU^ beer tree "mio"occupied
gathered
tinder-dry pal^ jranches ^J.nd placed tiiaci i^rcund the? be^se rf the tree, ohe t
lit a fire.
t/v, n-^arlv
al in killing hiir^, but net y^i^e*
tf^r
3lr,te.-

ua

..ur

re.iscn he kicked hr

pre,a^.cr. u.a fcillsd c- her hu.Vnand.

for

in ths rib.-.

.IS h wa trav.liuE thv-.ueb a

Ullage on his U oyoX..

eoins t!i.TauBli the vin.igc. Later his 'oloyola war. louM abanosnea alonfi Tiha .ore
r0ad. Thus ges indepeudenca.

help*

I dj Qa. bleas you I'er the bleaairifj ,/.... are bringln.^ to

//

\ir\i I

C/^D

/^i iniCT o