“It is now nearly seventeen years since my acceptance by the Society for work at the Cameroons, and thirteen since my transfer to the Congo Mission, and during this period I have been stationed with my wife at San Salvador. We have seen the formation of a native Church, which has grown slowly but steadily year by year, and our Church roll numbers at present 142, and there are many more inquiring after the truth. We have experienced much blessing in the work here, and in many ways it will be hard to tear ourselves away from the people and the work. Yet I must confess that never before have I felt so eager for work in fresh fields where the gospel has hitherto never been heard of.
“In spite of the fact that I have seen many years of service in Africa, my feeling to-day is much as I felt when I was first permitted to come to this land—a feeling of a young man just entering upon his life’s work. We look eagerly forward to this Zombo opportunity, and pray God to give us all the strength and wisdom needed, and to guide us in all our ways.
“In entering upon this new and forward work I trust that what we may have lost of the enthusiasm and buoyancy of youth will be more than compensated by the experience which we have had of the work and of the people. May God go with us and prosper us. We are delighted that Mr. Pinnock is associated with us in this new and deeply interesting movement. The way is, indeed, being wonderfully opened up, and the Master Himself seems to be calling to us to go in and possess the land.”
In the foregoing paragraphs Mr. Lewis speaks mainly for himself. But his feelings were perfectly in accord with those of his wife. It was their singular happiness not only to share domestic life in confiding love, but to stand side by side in life’s practical labours and conflicts, and to be of one mind, without the need of laborious reconciliation, in those critical junctures which call for new decisions. They were made for each other. It was restful to be with them.
The negotiations were successful, and a little later Mr. Lewis writes with natural exultation, recalling the facts of his first visit to Kibokolo, and rejoicing in the fulfilment of his own prophecy.
“I am now in a position to report the satisfactory ending of the negotiations with the chiefs and people of the Kibokolo district, in reference to the establishment of our new Zombo station in that neighbourhood.
“You will remember that on our visit to Zombo last year I was very much impressed with the large population of the Kibokolo towns, and the fine sphere presented for missionary work. There was no doubt in my mind but that this was the place which we had been looking for. Unfortunately, however, when they suspected that we were contemplating to build a station and settle in Zombo, they were very anxious to get rid of us, and on the second day gathered around us with their guns, cutlasses and sticks, demanding our immediate departure. You will also remember that on the way back to San Salvador the caravan route had been closed against Zombos and other tribes. About five hundred Zombos—and among them many from the Kibokolo towns—came with me (after they had been sent back by the disaffected people who had closed the road), and I was able to pass them through without any molestation. When these people returned from the coast they related all that had occurred, and the Kibokolo people began to think they had been foolish in sending us away as they did. Since then it seems that the natives in the neighbourhood of Kibokolo are troubled with the capitas from the Makela traders, who are finding carriers. These men, coming as they do from the white men, take many unauthorised liberties, and do much mischief in these towns. It is chiefly for this reason that they are anxious for me to come and build in their district, thinking that our presence there will be a protection to them. Some months ago the chiefs of the district called all the people together to discuss the situation and see what they could do. They all agreed that the best thing was to try and get ‘Lewizi’ to come and build there, or send one of his teachers to them. But then the difficulty was that they had driven me away from their town, and they were afraid to send a messenger to me in case I would punish him. They then decided to send their messenger to the chief of Mbanza Mputu, and enlist his sympathy and help. He is a member of our San Salvador Church, and next in power to the King of Kongo. As a preliminary to open negotiations with me, they asked the chief of Mbanza Mputu to send a messenger to receive schoolboys to give me. This messenger went, and the boys were given him to bring to San Salvador. The messenger (also one of our Christians), was able to tell them that Mr. Lewis himself would be coming in a short time, and that they had better keep the boys until then, and that he would very likely build and settle at Kibokolo. There was a little jealousy between the different parties as to the town where the new white man should settle, but they are all satisfied to let me have my own choice of site and location. This intimation was received with great delight, and the messenger says that they kept on firing guns in all the towns, and there was general rejoicing. One of the Zombo lads came with the messenger, and he will return with us when we go. When we were returning from Zombo last year, and had passed the Zombos safely through the country, our headman said, ‘Oh, master, I have seen a wonderful work of God to-day. The Kibokolo people drove you away, but when these carriers return home your name will be lifted up to the sky through Zombo. Truly God has wrought a marvellous work.’ This prophecy has already become true, and we thank God for it. The people at present have only their material good in view; and we trust that, having won their confidence in this, we shall be able soon to make them realise and understand our great message of God’s love to sinners, and then His Name will be lifted and praised by the thousands of Zombos who are now in utter darkness.
“God has opened the way for us in a marvellous way, and we are now anxious to enter in by this open door. If all is well we hope to go and start the work of building at Kibokolo in three or four weeks from now, but owing to the shorthandedness of the San Salvador staff we may have to return and await the arrival of Mr. and Mrs. Graham, leaving Mr. Pinnock alone in Zombo for a month or two.”
In June, 1899, Mr. and Mrs. Lewis, with Mr. Pinnock, left San Salvador for Kibokolo, to found the Comber Memorial station, as already recorded, and, in the following letter addressed to Mr. Baynes, Mrs. Lewis gives an interesting account of their experiences. The date is July 17th.
“My husband is writing to tell you of our return from Zombo and the founding of the Comber Memorial station. It is a peculiar pleasure to me to have a share in the work, as I have such happy memories of work at Camden Road with Mr. Comber, and of my first introduction to mission work in company with Carrie Comber at the Cameroons, beside later associations with others who bore that name. We thought you would like to know something of the journey we have just taken, so I am writing down a few incidents.