Chapter 10 · 2 min read · 2 min listen
To the Heart of Africa
“By faith Abraham, when he was called… obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went.” — from Hebrews 11
At the end of 1912, Charlie and a few friends started a new mission. They called it the Heart of Africa Mission. Its missionaries would get no pay. They would live simply and trust God for what they needed.
Priscilla had not wanted Charlie to go, and it was very hard for her. But soon she did something amazing. Even though she had a weak heart, she ran the whole mission from their home in London. She wrote the letters, looked after the money, found new missionaries and spoke at meetings all over the country. Without her, the mission could not have kept going.
Early in 1913 Charlie sailed for Africa. He was fifty-two, and his doctors had advised him not to go. With him went Alfred Buxton, a young man of about twenty-one who gave up training to be a doctor so that he could come. They travelled by ship, train, steamer and on foot, through the lands now called Kenya and Uganda and into the Congo. The journey took about nine months.
On 16 October 1913 they reached Niangara, a town on the Uele River. Many peoples lived there, speaking many languages. They had already suffered a great deal. For years the rulers of the Congo had forced people to gather rubber and ivory and had treated them cruelly. The people had good reason to be careful with strangers.
Alfred learned the local language quickly and preached in it. Charlie was slower, but he travelled everywhere. Soon they had started four mission stations. At the end of 1914 Priscilla became very ill, and Charlie hurried home. In 1916 he went back to the Congo with his daughter Edith and some new missionaries. As far as anyone knows, he never saw England again.
Abraham obeyed God even when he did not know where he was going. Charlie did too. You do not need to know everything that will happen. You can trust God one step at a time.
Dear God, I do not know everything that will happen to me, but you do. Help me to trust you one step at a time. Amen.
Talk about it together
Ask the questions first — then tap one for a note for grown-ups.
Who went with Charlie to Africa in 1913?
Alfred Buxton, a young man of about twenty-one who gave up training to be a doctor so that he could go.
What did Priscilla do while Charlie was in Africa?
She ran the whole mission from their home in London. She wrote letters, looked after the money, found new missionaries and spoke at meetings, even though she had a weak heart.
What is something you can trust God with, even if you do not know how it will turn out?
Any honest answer is good here. The chapter’s point is that, like Abraham and Charlie, we can trust God one step at a time.
Chapter 10 complete
To the Heart of Africa