August - the Free Presbyterian church of Scotland

Letter from Rev. John B. Radasi.
155
'1Letter from 1Re". 30bn :fB.
1Ra~aai,
. MATABELELAND.
HE following is the letter, embodying a report, received by
T Rev. Neil Cameron, Convener of Foreign Mission Committee,
and read by him at meeting of Synod on 1st July:-
. "Cia N ATIVE COMMI~SIONER, BE.~1BESI,
MATABELELAND, SOUTH AFRICA, 4t1, May, 1913.
My DEAR MR. CAMERON,-I wrote to you about a fortnight
ago, informing you that the church was finished. The building
is thirty-eight feet long and twenty-three feet wide, instead of forty
feet long and eighteen feet wide, as Mr. M'Keurtan thought that
a church building looked better when made a little broader. And
you will notice that he has allowed us a foot extra, for which we
are thankful. He followed more the original plan, as you had
directed him. The bricks were suitable for lining inside of the
corrugated iron. If you require the plan and specifications they
can be returned to you again, if Mr. M 'Keurtan has not already
sent them. The building was made just accordin to the plan
and specifications which were sent to you. It is a brick-lined
building, with a stone foundation, ceiled and floored, with an
ant-hill course on the foundation, to protect the building from the
white ants, which destroy the wood-work. We wish you to thank
the Synod and all the kind friends who have so liberally contributed
to the Bembesi Building Fund. We greatly appreciate
their kindness and interest in our work here.
I have not heard anything more about the Psalms, and therefore
do not know how far they have translated. The last letter I
got from Mr. Bokwe was dated 2nd September, 1912. In that
letter he said that they had translated as far as the eightieth
Psalm, and that he was giving Mr. Henderson fair copies, in
instalments, for his compositors, when he feels inclined to begin
setting into ,type. I think, if I am not mistaken, that the Synod
in November last instructed the Lovedale authorities to begin the
printing at once. Since then I have heard nothing further.
Perhaps Mr. J. R. Mackay will have knowledge of what progress
they have made.
Services are still carried on in all our out-stations by our men
every Sabbath, and I occasionally visit these out-stations and
preach to our people there. Several heathen families in these
different places are joining our Church as adherents, and are
attending regularly the means of grace. The practice of giving
Bibles to the scholars who can read is still carried on, but most
of the scholars do not remain long enough at school to be able
. to read English. Those who have remained until they have
reached Nos. IV. and V. of the English Reader have been given
English Bibles. I have found it also a good· practice going round