“And you want to work among those terrible people?”

“Yes, don’t you think they have a great need for the Gospel?”

“Oh, they do!  But I would not have the courage to work among them.”

“I have no courage,” said Mary, “except what God gives me.”

“Tell me, Mary, have you gone into that country at all?”

“I have made some short exploration trips.  I told the traders to tell the chiefs that some day I would come to their country to live, but their only answer was, ‘It is not safe.’  That is what the people told me when I wanted to go to Okoyong.  I trust in my heavenly Father and I am not afraid of the cannibals no matter how fierce and cruel they may be.”

“But Mary, did you know that when a chief died recently, fifty or more people were eaten at the funeral ceremonies, and twenty-five others had their heads cut off and were buried with the chief?”

“Yes, I heard that.  But things were almost as bad when I came to Okoyong.  God blessed my work, and He can protect me in this strange new land of the cannibals.  I do hope the Mission Board will let me go and work among the Aros and Ibos.”

The missionaries in Calabar wanted Mary to work at Ikorofiong and at Unwana, which were two towns farther up the Cross River from Akpap.  But Mary did not think these were good places for her work.  She wanted to be where she could reach the most people.  She wanted to work at Arochuku, the chief city of Aros which was also near the Efik, Ibo and Ibibio tribes.  She wanted to open her first station at Itu, which was on the mouth of Enyong creek, her second station at Arochuku and a third at Bende.  The missionaries at Calabar did not agree, but they decided to wait until a worker could be found to take Mary’s place at Akpap.  Mary would not reave these people until they could be taken care of by Christian workers.

“Send a minister to take care of a station.  I cannot build up a church the way a minister can,” said Mary.

It looked as though Mary would not get to go to the land of Aros.  Then Miss Wright, the teacher from the Girls’ Institute, asked to be sent to Akpap as an assistant.  This request was sent to Scotland for the Board to approve.  Mary now decided to start work at once.  In January, 1903, with two boys, Esien and Efiiom, and a girl, Mana, whom she had carefully trained, she loaded her canoe with food and other supplies and set off for the land of the cruel cannibals.

They did not know how the people there would treat them, but they trusted in God to take care of them and help them in their work.  Mary found a house for them.

“I am leaving you here,” said Mary to the three natives, “to begin a school and hold church services for the people of Itu.  I must go back to Akpap but I will come again as soon as I can.”

But Mary had to stay at Akpap longer than she expected.  At last she was able to come again to Itu and to visit the school and the church services.