The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1930, Page 34

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34

THE LUTHERAN PIONEER.

Wonders of Transforming Grace.

ROBERT MOFFAT AMONG THE BECHUANAS.
(Continued.)

After his marriage, Moffat felt that he must
direct his attention to the Bechuanas, which had
been his real objective from the very first. Now
that Africaner and his people had turned to Christ,
he felt that he could direct his efforts to the work
for which he had really come to South Africa.

Moffat first went to a place called Lattakoo,
where a mission had been opened by two English
missionaries as early as 1817. One of these mis-
sionaries, Read by name, had by his tact and friend-
liness succeeded in gaining the full confidence of
the chief Mothibi, and the outlook for the future
was very bright. However, just then Read was
transferred to Cape Town, and his colleague was
left to carry on alone.

When Moffat arrived at Lattakoo, the people
had lost all interest in the Gospel, and he was told
that neither he nor Christ Himself would ever see
the Bechuanas worship Jesus as their Lord and
King. From indifference the natives advanced to
downright hostility; for certain untoward events
had occurred. which the superstitious people imme-
diately charged to the influence of the missionaries.
A severe drought had resulted in the drying up of
the streams, and cattle had died in great number
for want of water and food.

A famous rain-maker was sent for to remove
the drought. To succeed, the rain-maker claimed
that he must have a young baboon without spot
or blemish. After much labor and many unsuc-
cessful attempts the poor natives finally succeeded
in capturing one. But, lo! in catching the young
animal, some of the hair of his tail had been pulled
out, and the rain-maker attributed his first failure
‘to bring rain to the missing of these hairs. His
next attempt to bring rain was also unsuccessful.
This second failure he attributed to the fact that
there was a bag of salt in Moffat’s tent. And when
the people told him that the supposed salt was not
salé at all, but chalk, he claimed that the white
faces of the missionaries frightened away the dark
clouds. Moffat and his colleague promised that
they would not look up to the sky; but still no
rain descended. The rain-maker’s case was becom-
ing desperate. As a last resort he accused the mis-
sionaries of being the cause of the drought and
advised the people to drive them away.

Moffat’s Indomitable Pluck.

The chief came to the little chapel where the
missionaries were praying and ordered them away.
But though twelve armed warriors were with the
chief, Moffat calmly stepped forth among the
savages, while his young wife with her baby in her
arms and the other missionary stood in the door
to see what would happen. Moffat very quietly told
the chief that they had no intention of leaving.
Among other things the young missionary said:
“My heart is with you. You may shed my blood
and burn my house; but I am sure you will not
harm my wife and baby, nor will you touch the
gray head of my brother worker. I will not leave
you; so, then, do your worst. Drive your spears
into my heart; and when you have killed me, my
wife and brother missionary will know that the time
has come for them to leave.” In astonishment the
chief turned to his warriors and cried: “These mis-
sionaries must have ten lives. When they are so
fearless of death, there must be something to what
they say of immortality.” Once more the “Galilean
had conquered,” and the missionaries remained.

Great Discouragements.

The patience of the missionaries was taxed in
many ways. For one thing, the Bechuanas were
confirmed thieves. Sometimes the dirty natives
would spend hours in the missionaries’ home, pry-
ing into everything and ready to carry away any-
thing that was loose. If Mrs. Moffat ventured to
make remonstrance, she was liable to have a spear
or any other object that might be at hand thrown
at her head. Mrs. Moffat for a long time remained
an object of curiosity, “to be laughed at or robbed,
as it pleased them.” For months Mrs. Moffat’s
washing of the family laundry was a real circus
for the native men, women, and children, for never
had they heard of such an absurd thing as washing
clothes. When she went to church, she was com-
pelled to take pots and pans and dishes with her
to prevent their being stolen. It was a long time
before the natives were willing to wear clothes, and
when at last they were persuaded to do so, the men
had to learn how to sew, since the women were too
busy building huts and tilling the soil to find time
to learn how to wield the needle. Mrs. Moffat at
times accompanied her husband on his trips, but
more often she remained behind, spending weeks
among the thieving and plundering natives.

When the first child was born, it was found
a hard matter to induce native women to help the
young mother. Somebody related that sometimes