Ever since we came to Africa we thought definitely of finding a cooler place where missionaries could spend the hot season – from the end of March until the end of May. And by spending those months in a cooler and better place, the missionaries’ health would be better. Also, perhaps, the missionaries’ terms on the field could be lengthened. The Sudan Interior Mission had such a place on the Nigerian Plateau and it was a very comfortable place to be. But the difficulty was that all the missionaries preferred to have their vacation during those hot months and the vacation place was always crowded and there was difficulty securing room at the right time. Our missionaries found it necessary to find a vacation place of their own on their own field.
This, of course, wasn’t so easy because almost our entire field is located on the low land where it is hot and humid during that season. However, attempts were made to find a location for such a place, already as early as the 1920’s. We had heard about a cool place up in the Mokolo Mountains in the northwestern part of our field. When the hot season began, in about 1924, my wife and I made a visit to the other pioneer missionary’s station, and talked the matter over with them, and we decided to make the trip from Lere, cross-country to Mokolo to find out if that would be a suitable place for a vacation spot.
My wife and I started on our cross country trip, which would last at least ten days. We passed by Guider, and about 20 miles west of there we camped for the night. We have never before, or since, been in a place like that with its wild animals. The wild animals were running all over and howling so that we couldn’t sleep. The people told us that the hyenas were so bad that a couple of nights before, while two nationals were sleeping on a goat skin, a hyena came and took the goat skin right out from under them and devoured it.
From there we traveled to Hina and then on to Zamai. We spent a day in Zamai, and not having much of a rest during the previous night we were very tired. It was one of the hottest days we had spent in Africa. Consequently, we got discouraged, although we had only about 16 miles left to get to Mokolo. Therefore, that ended our trip to Mokolo and the investigation for a vacation place. We took a short cut back to Yagoua, thus completing our travels for that time.
Grandpa and Grandma, you camped under the open African sky with a bunch of howling hyenas, yet turned back 16 miles from your destination?! Now I know that 16 miles – whatever your mode of transportation was in 1924 – is not like 16 miles down the freeway in 2010. You may have been on horseback… Nevertheless, it really bothers me that you went through all of that, and then had to turn back.
There is no judgment in this – whatsoever – as any who know me know that I would have turned back at the first hyena howl. (Yes, I grew up in a camping family. And yes, we camped in a hard-sided Winnebago.) But you survived that scary night, went a few more days in record heat, and then turned back – so, relatively, close to your destination.
But that’s reality, isn’t it? Grandpa and Grandma were human beings, with human needs, including rest. When that particular journey became too difficult, they smartly considered their options and decided to turn back. And I’m fairly certain they were praying a lot, and were guided by the Holy Spirit. (Okay, so I have to ask, is anyone but me dying to know if this was a time when Grandma said, “Berge, I’ve willingly and lovingly followed you to many places, but if you choose to continue this trip even one more mile you will be going on alone!”? Sorry Grandma, if that thought never even entered your head. But after that night in the wild, and in that extreme heat, well, I can't help but wonder...)
Like Grandpa and Grandma, I'm human, with human needs, including rest. Sometimes my results aren’t stellar like I’d like them to be. Sometimes I let myself down. But I need to pray and follow the Spirit’s leading and when I do, I find I’m encouraged, and not condemned. The peace-stealing enemy may not be the howling hyena in the wild, it may be me. Positive results may still come, but at a later time, in another way...
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