Report of Brother Cheeseman
Brother Cheeseman, under date Edina, 3rd July, 1850, thus
encouragingly reports : —
I have held two protracted meetings, preached twenty-five
times, attended ten prayer meetings, delivered one temperance
lecture, organized an evening school for adults, visited and
preached to all the churches in Messurado county, except one,
constituted a church at Caldwell, examined the schools, preached
in two native villages, and the ordinary duties of my station, such
as exercising a supervision over the day school and teaching the
senior class, teaching a Bible class and conducting the Sunday
school, &c, &c., as far as practicable. To the above allow me to
add, baptized four native Africans.
I am happy to report that the churches and schools are in a
healthy condition; laborers are however wanting, and I do not
know at present how we shall be able to get them, unless the Board
will arrange to have two or three young men instructed here for the
purpose. We cannot expect educated men, but we want men who
are elevated a little above the ordinary class of people. The school
at Virginia now numbers above one hundred scholars. Can the
Board afford to employ an assistant teacher for that place? One
teacher is not sufficient to do justice to the children.
Brother Murray, of Sinoe, in his last quarterly report, says:
“That they have had quite an accession to their numbers by
emigration, and have eight or ten candidates for baptism. The
school has increased to ninety-nine scholars, all of whom are doing
well, and the natives,” he adds, “are taking more interest in
religious exercises daily.” He complains (and the complaint is
general) that owing to the rainy season he can visit only such
villages as are adjacent to Greenville. This you are aware of from
previous information. 1 am happy to say, however, that every
missionary can find abundant work in the rains, if he will look for
it.
Our missionaries and teachers, as far as I have been able to
learn, are discharging their duties faithfully. Our prospects are
brightening, and though we may not for some time yet realize all
that we expect, still we will continue to labor and patiently wait for
the salvation of God. God’s purposes will all be accomplished in
their proper time.
