* WWII.' 
 
 Kikwakwa 
 
 By 
 
 P. A. McDIARMID 
 
 Mission House and Students' Homes, Kimpesi 
 
 American Baptist Foreign 
 Mission Society 
 
 Ford Building, Boston, Mass. 
 
 s 
 
KIKWAKWA 
 
 ■ga ■£« «|« 
 
 ORSE than heat in the 
 tropics is the mos- 
 quito. We have sev- 
 eral varieties, which 
 might be divided gen- 
 erally into those that 
 stand on their heads 
 when they dig for your blood and those 
 that are not guilty of this undignified 
 position. The former carry malaria. 
 One of our students, Kikwakwa, was 
 praying one day in chapel. He asked 
 that the white people, they, their wives 
 and children, might be kept in health 
 in the midst of mosquitoes and other 
 troubles, " Even as Daniel was kept in 
 the lions' den may we be kept." 
 
 Kikwakwa is not only a man of faith 
 but works as well. His father was one 
 of five who were crucified and shot to 
 death in the early days of Leopold's rule 
 in this country. A white officer was shot 
 in their neighborhood. Whether the 
 natives whose lives were forfeited were 
 
the guilty ones or not I do not know, but I 
 suppose it was felt that harsh measures 
 must be resorted to, in order that the 
 people be kept in subjection. It would 
 be little wonder if Kikwakwa had never 
 had much love for those who rule this 
 country. 
 
 From the time of his conversion he has 
 faced persecution, but this has only kept 
 his faith in Christ's power to help strong 
 and abiding. At the Christmas gather- 
 ing at Sona Bata this year he told us how 
 when he was baptized his friends tried to 
 dissuade him, saying that the white mis- 
 sionaries are devouring the spirits of the 
 blacks. They said these evil spirits were 
 in the water at the time of baptism. 
 Kikwakwa was not very sure, but he and 
 two others decided they would put it to 
 a test and would not turn back into their 
 old life. As they went into the water 
 they nodded to each other to show that 
 they would keep to their agreement, and 
 then as each went under the water he 
 opened his eyes wide to see if there were 
 spirits. As they came up they shook 
 their heads to indicate to each other that 
 they had seen nothing. Then a witch 
 
doctor predicted they would all be dead 
 in six months, but when this proved to be 
 false otliers began to come to worship at 
 the old mission station at Kifwa. 
 
 Kikwakwa is not by any means the 
 brightest man we have in our Kimpesi 
 school, but there are few that can show a 
 record of such effective service. He say's 
 that when he completes his studies here 
 in June he wants to go to a part of the 
 country where they have not yet heard 
 the Gospel. Everywhere he has taught 
 he has won men and women for Christ, 
 and we look to him to do much in the 
 years to come. Between Sona Bata and 
 the Kwango River there is plenty of room 
 for such a man. May God raise up more 
 like him is the desire of our hearts. 
 
 1007-lEd-15M-Fel).1913.