[Manuscript/Ephemera] Letter of Woman Missionary in Micronesia.[Manuscript/Ephemera] Letter of Woman Missionary in Micronesia. Letter detailed the missionary activities of Venie Walkup. Walkup arrived in the Gilbert Islands with her husband Alfred in 1880. She is the author of Journal of a Voyage to the Gilbert Island and Kusaie.Full transciption of letter is as follows:Kusaie [Kosrae], Micronesia/ March 10, 1887/ My Dear Cousin/ I have so often, during the last two years though of you and your children that now I am going to write hoping to get an answer by return mail which will probably be in August.I suppose you know more about me than I do of you since we last me in 1879. It does not seem possible that it is so long ago as thats! [sic] Time goes quickly here tho' we are so nearly alone. We have been blessed with health and happiness in our life here and God has truly cast our bones in pleasant places. The children, three of them, are great comforts and company.John Milton was 5 years old the 6th of last Oct. Eleanor Eva will be two on Monday, the 14th and Alfred Wm. is only just beginning to smile at us for he was our Christmas present (Dec. 22nd). Your children are grown up by this time if the Lord has spared them all to you. I hope we shall see you in two or three years more. Physicians think seven years is as long as we ought to stay in this isolated place and climate, but my husband has been here seven years now, but there is no one to take charfe of the Training School and we are in good health so we will wait a year or two longer hoping that some one will offer themselves for this work.The Morning Star left us the 19th of Jan. to do some work in the islands, west of us and will probably be in Honolulu by the last of this month and prepare to return to us in June or July. We have an opportunity now to send mail by a trading vessel to San Fransico, and we are hoping that some can be sent to us from Honolulu before the Star comes. We are living here on this high island where one language is spoken but are working for the Gilbert Island people who speak another language.Mr. Walkup is teaching - a training school for teachers and catechists. This year we have twelve boys, five men, and their wives with two children. The teaching is very visionary work and they do not get very far in theology. Dr. Pease has a singular school for the Marshall People and last September the Star brought two young __ and material for a house, for a Girls school, where girls of three languages are collected Kensaie, Marshall and Gilbert Is.The house is completed and twenty-six girls are gathered there. It is up the hill from us only a little distance. The G.I. girls come to our service and prayer meetings and the others attend the Doctors.Miss Crosby from Boston came with the Doctors' family as they returned last Sept. to assist teaching while he translate some parts of the Old Testament.We hope a family will come to take our place in school that we may go home in '88 or '89 for one year.Once a year, Mr. Walkup spends six or eight weeks on the Morning Star visiting some of the islands where we have teachers. The Star __ the 19th of Jan. and after visiting some of the islands west of us will probably reach Honolulu the later part of this month. We send a few letters now by a trading vessel from San Francisco, but I doubt whether we shall hear from home before the Star comes for our mail is sent to Honolulu. How many things we look for "when the Star comes!"Besides everything pertaining to our selves and those dear to us, everything about the general plan of the work for the year is considered. Who will be the Capt.? One who will make it pleasent for us on board? Will there be any new missionaires? We __ are certain till they all come upon us at once all the joyful and sad at once.Our portion has been more of joy than sorrow. Only one of all our friends and relatives have been called away. My mother and it will come __ __ foricibly when I go home than it has in these two years for I did not hear of it till June '85. My first thought was "Oh she never knew of Eleanor!" for I think she would have been pleased to have her called for Grandma even more so than Heatties' little girl called after herself.I shall be so glad if you can write to us this time. I want to hear of all your brothers and Mary and of your children. I have forgotten their names every one but Maggie - is it because it is the same as mine? I think if I were to see them now I should not be so indifferent as to forget them. My children have so many picture books sent by friends in Honolulu that I often think that some of them would interest my little(?) cousins, but I will not send any in this mail for we are not certain when it will reach you.22nd/ You see how my letters are __ little at a time. I took this one up for the third time and this time I have read it and you see one important idea is in my mind - "The Star!"We do not often see any one but our own school. The Keusaiens have their own minister, native there are only about 300 people. We buy their tar, bread fruit and bananas when they bring them and raise considerable on our own land. We have a cow and goats. We use goats milk now and Eleanor was brought up on it.I shall be so glad if you receive this letter. I do not know how long this will be going home in how what month the Star will leave Honolulu, but we hope not later than the first week in July but perhaps repairing will not be done till __ __. The Spanish have just landed a governor, troops and priests at Porape. We do not know whether we will have any priests on Kusaie or not.With very much love to you all/Your far-off cousin/Venie M. Walkup/P.S. My husbands says "We will have our say in heaven if she prepared to go there" of which I assure him you have not forgotten.Our address/Rev. A. G. Walkup Keusaie/C/O Rev. A. G. Forbes/Honolulu/Haw. Is.

Condition: Very fragile. Paper is brittle with tears and holes. Some tape repair.