An article presumed to be from the Women’s Missionary Magazine of November 1906

From a letter written by Miss Slessor acknowledging a parcel of work from St. Luke’s, Montrose.

Our Administrator has just come back from Britain after furlough, and has brought with him a phonograph, a magnificent instrument, and a number of grand old hymns – e.g., “Holy, holy, holy!” “Abide with me, ” etc., and on Sunday night he gave the village a great treat by having this at the service. We also hung a sheet up, and filled the lamp, and gave an exhibition of several Scriptural slides on the screen. It was all done without any forethought, but it proved a great success; the Court House was crowded. The hymns and bits of addresses were interspersed, and I spoke into the “trumpet” the parable of the Prodigal (Luke xv.)[Note]; and it was reproduced twice over in a trumpet tone. The audience was simply electrified. That parable has gone on to be reproduced all over the Ibibio towns where our Administrator will be going on his civilising and governing tours. Is it not grand? It seems like a dream! It has opened up new ideas of means and possibilities for service. A person with means could get the Gospel carried round like that, when he or she could not speak a word of the language. It is so marvellous: every sound reproduced! Even the little halt I made to remember a word came; the people could not keep down their delight and wonder. The Administrator himself marvelled at the stride from the unbroken heathenism of this place twenty months ago to a service in which young and old took part with intelligent interest and reverence; and he added some words of instruction and advice, and recommended the Gospel to their acceptance. Oh, it was a red-letter day! I am so cheered by it all, for I had not noticed myself, being always there, the difference a stranger sees. Pray that the power of the Spirit may come to carry saving knowledge to their hearts.

Now about the new hospital at Itu. I was there three weeks ago at the Communion, and saw the hospital for the first time. It is truly a noble gift. God bless the giver! May his reward be even now in his own soul, granted according to the royal measure of God! What comfort to a weary, suffering body speaks out from each of those appliances, and from that cool, clean, quiet building! I think the doctor will keep one of the sections for white people, and I would like very well to be a patient myself for a week under such circumstances. Oh, the infinite difference and distance between Christianity and heathenism! Thank God for what the Gospel has done for the bodies as well as for souls!