ONE DREADFUL day, many years ago, a large group of armed Arabs came riding on horseback up along the Congo River. They were fleet and fierce. They plundered and destroyed, leaving a trail of suffering and sorrow behind them. They were raiders, and took the best and healthiest from each tribe. Among these captives was a little girl by the name of Salamu.
Along the way she was seen by a Dutch trader and his wife. The sorrowful look in Salamu’s big dark eyes went straight to their hearts. Risking danger of discovery, the Dutch couple rescued the helpless little girl from her heartless captors.
Later the Dutch traders placed Salamu in the care of two missionaries, Mr. and Mrs. Singleton, who were visiting in their neighborhood.
The Singletons could not stay in the village with the traders. They wanted to continue up the Congo River, to carry the good news of salvation to the isolated tribes along the great waterway. They took Salamu with them. It was a dangerous journey. In many places they were not permitted to land. The natives gathered along the bank and shot poisoned arrows at their boat, so they passed by in mid-stream.
The Singletons and Salamu had many narrow escapes. How the missionaries yearned to reach the varus tribes with the gospel. But the going was very difficult. One day their boat came to a narrow part of the river. They were so close to the shore that the people were easily seen. Salamu could even make out their tribal markings.
The tribal markings on the faces and bodies of these natives were the same as her own! Salamu was very young when the Arabs stole her away from her people. She did not know that the tribe they were passing were her own relatives, but the fact that they had the same marks thrilled her. How she longed to see them still closer!
The Singletons decided to try and land. As they drew nearer they heard the natives shouting in their own tribal tongue. “If you come on shore we will kill you!” they said. The Singletons could not understand them, but they knew by their actions that they were very angry.
As the natives shouted towards the approaching boat, Salamu was surprised to discover she could understand them. The language of her early years returned, and she was able to make herself understood by them. “These are kind people,” she shouted back. “You must not kill them!”
The natives were surprised to hear the little girl’s words. What was she doing with the white people? Her markings were the same as theirs. Did she belong to their tribe? In their curiosity they decided to let the missionaries land.
The Singletons stayed with this tribe for several weeks. While there, Salamu discovered that one of the men was her father. He had been out hunting when the Arabs raided their village. He returned later, only to learn the sad news that his wife and child had been stolen away. How glad he was to see Salamu! He would never leave her again!
Leaving Salamu’s tribe, the Singletons sailed farther up the river to visit the village of Yakusu. Salamu’s father went along, for he refused to leave his little daughter. To Salamu’s delight she found that she could understand the language of this village as well as her own. The dialect varied only a little. She became the interpreter and helped the missionaries learn the difficult language of both these villages.
Salamu, who had come to know the Lord Jesus as her Saviour, led many of her own people to trust in Him also. Because of her, the Singletons were able to build a mission stion for the preaching of the gospel.
Although this happened many years ago, some of Salamu’s relatives still live on the mission station.
Boys and girls and older people too who have never been saved, though they may not realize it, are under the power of two terrible masters — sin and Satan. Only the Lord Jesus can deliver them. Yet He came to set us free by dying on the cross. There He bore the judgment of God against sin. There He vanquished Satan’s power. And now God can say, Whosoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have everlasting life. (John 3:1616For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. (John 3:16)). “If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.” John 8:3636If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed. (John 8:36).
ML-01/19/1964