# LCMS Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1857_S365
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

— 365 —

...Crow Wing. Under difficult circumstances, in a region still far
removed from civilization, he has — assisted for the time being with
the language by the interpreting service [Dolmetſcher-Amt] of the
young man Heinrich Crämer — made the first preparations for a mission
post. Since missionary Mießler had promised the Rabbit Lake Indians
that the missionary would move in among them, but several other bands
of Indians also asked the missionary to live among them, missionary
Clöter considers it most advisable to found a mission station on
government land [Governments-Land], maintained solely by the love of
our congregations and independent of all government support. He has
also picked out a site that is easily accessible from St. Paul and
lies at the center of all the Chippewa Indians of Minnesota, who are
to be counted not in the hundreds but still in the thousands. This
site lies on the Mississippi and has good farmland, and it would be
necessary for the Synod to acquire a piece of land there on which a
mission farm could be established. On the other hand, it seems
altogether necessary that missionary Clöter be given one or two
helpers who could take the external business off his hands and lend a
helping hand in erecting the buildings and the farm. Who should these
men be? Missionary Clöter and the undersigned think of Mr. Th.
Eißfeldt, if he could be had, since this man showed in earlier years
that he possesses love for the Indians and a readiness to sacrifice
for them. May God bring him to us, and also raise up other young
people willing to serve the mission gladly with their strength. After
the first buildings are erected, particular attention should be paid
to increasing the teaching staff, since a capable school seems to
promise the most; for over the grown generation, brandy has gained
such power that the reports about it make us shudder. As for the
young man Heinrich Crämer, we would gladly consider returning him to
his studies at Fort Wayne, but at present he remains indispensable to
us as missionary Clöter's interpreter.

The venerable Synod can see from the above how great the demands are
that are, at this moment, being placed on the mission treasury. Not
only must the Bethany station be maintained and lovingly cared for —
indeed expanded through the calling of its own schoolteacher — but a
new one, so far only in preparation, must be founded. As for
increasing the teaching staff for the latter, the mission college at
Leipzig has promised us assistance, and one of the missionaries
trained there, Rohrlack, is probably already on his way to Bethany to
learn the Chippewa nation and its language before entering mission
service. We have ventured to ask our Leipzig friends to continue
covering his personal support a while longer.

For the further future the Lord gives us hope that we will obtain
young men for mission service who are fluent in the Indian language.
Besides Heinrich Crämer, an Indian boy, Philipp Mushuk, has now been
studying at Fort Wayne for a year, and another, named Paulus, has now
followed him there. May the Lord bless these and other young men in
their studies, so that they may become fit for the service of the
Church.

And now once more, honored brethren, consider the splendid opportunity
which the Lord offers us, in the heart of the Indian country