The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1930, Page 20

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20 THE LUTHERAN PIONEER.

he plainly showed that he was strongly prejudiced
against the Dutch. He expressed the hope that
Moffat would stay with him and his people a long
time. He then ordered a number of women to
report to him. When they came, they bore bundles
of sticks and native mats and built the missionary
a house in Jess than half an hour at a place desig-
nated by Africaner.

Moffat realized that his would be a difficult posi-
tion. He had heard enough of Africaner to know
that he would need help from on high if he was
to succeed. But as he thought of the wide reach of
the great Dark Continent stretching around him in
every direction and of its millions of benighted
people, the missionary spirit burned the warmer
within him, and he determined to carry on bravely
with the help of the Lord.

An Almost Hopeless Task.

Soon after Moffat’s arrival, Missionary Ebner
left Africaner’s village, for he was of the opinion
that no good could be done there. He was even
afraid that the people among whom he had labored
might pursue and kill him. This left young Moffat
alone to cope with a most difficult situation. The
task seemed almost hopeless to the young and in-
experienced missionary. The country was barren;
no crops and scarcely a chance to grow any; the
Tegion was almost a desert; so there seemed to be
no means of subsistence for Africaner and his out-
law band but by robbing the settlements some dis-
tance away.

Despite all discouragements, Moffat went to
work, teaching three and four hours a day and hold-
ing a short religious devotional service every morn-
ing and evening. As time went on, the young mis-
sionary began to see slight indications that he was
not working in vain. One most encouraging sign
was the change that began to show in Africaner
himself. He had already learned to read before
- the coming of Moffat, but now he became a daily
reader of the Bible and a regular attendant at the
hours of instruction. ‘Titus, the brother of Afri-
caner, who had till now been a bitter opponent of
the missionaries and an implacable enemy of all
whites, became a firm friend of Moffat and a regular
hearer of the Word. His life changed greatly, but
he found it hard to follow the teachings of the
Gospel. He told Moffat: “I hear what you say,
and sometimes I think I understand, but my heart
will not feel.” Africaner, however, became an
example of gentleness and meekness.

v

Africaner Becomes a Follower of Jesus.

That Africaner was actually changed at heart
was plainly to be seen in his daily life. “He who
was formerly like a firebrand, spreading discord,
enmity, and war among the neighboring tribes,
would now make any sacrifice to prevent a collision
between contending parties; and when he might
have lifted his arm and dared them to raise a spear
or draw a bow, he would stand in the attitude of
a suppliant and entreat them to be reconciled to
one another. Pointing to his past life, he would
say, ‘What have I now of all the battles I have
fought, and all the cattle I took, but shame and
remorse?” On one occasion a Namaqua chief
said, “Look, there is the man, once a lion, at whose
roar even the inhabitants of distant hamlets fled
from their homes! Yes, and I have, for fear of his
approach, fled with my people, our wives, and our
babes to the mountain glen and wilderness and spent
nights among the beasts of prey rather than gaze on
the eyes of this lion or hear his roar.”

Africaner,never gave Moffat cause for complaint
about his conduct. As Moffat one day was looking
at him, he asked the missionary for the reason.
Moffat answered, “I was trying to picture to myself
you carrying fire and sword through the country,
and I could not think how eyes like yours could
smile at human woe.” The former murderer and
robber made no reply, but burst into tears.

Africaner Goes with Moffat to Cape Town.

After laboring among Africaner’s band for less
than three years, Moffat was compelled to go to
Cape Town to meet his wife-to-be, Miss Mary Smith,
to whom he had been affianced before his departure
for Africa, in the fall of 1816. The young mission-
ary asked Africaner to accompany him on the
journey. When the chief heard of Moffat’s plan
the first time, he was greatly surprised, since years
before the government had put a large price on his
head. However, after some time he consented to
go with him. ~

On the way to the coast they stopped near the
house of a pious Boer with whom Moffat had become
acquainted when he had passed through the country
several years before. The missionary walked, up to
the house, and the farmer came out to meet him.
When the farmer saw Moffat, he started with fright
and exclaimed, “Are you Moffat’s ghost?” Moffat’s
assurance that he was no ghost, but a real live
human being having flesh and blood, elicited the
ery, “Don’t come near me; you have long ago been
murdered by Africaner. Mverybody says you have