# LCMS Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1899_S93
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

Ninth Delegate Synod of Missouri, Ohio, and Other States, 1899. 93

This confirmation took place last year in Milwaukee and Chicago. It is very
gratifying to hear how regularly these poor deaf-mutes, neglected until
then, now come to worship and to instruction, to learn the way to
salvation. Despite very great distances, despite unfavorable weather, they
still come in the evening hour to be prepared for confirmation. Even those
who were previously instructed and confirmed in spoken language often
still take a lively part in the instruction. The deaf-mutes who have come
to love God's Word always turn up very regularly for worship. One very
often sees them receive the sermon, in the sign language they understand,
with great joy. Their regular church attendance and their attentiveness in
worship put many a hearing congregation to shame. Wherever our
missionaries have a worship service for the deaf-mutes announced in a
town, a greater or lesser number of deaf-mutes always turns up for the
service, depending on the deaf-mute population there. They are always
joyfully welcomed and asked, please, and soon, to come again. But since
our dear missionaries must not spread their time and strength too thin,
and since travel costs must also be kept low for the mission treasury,
they have only been able to seek out and serve a few places outside their
actual field of work. Since catechism instruction must be given regularly,
the missionary must always hurry to be back on the spot again soon. The
Commission for the Deaf-Mute Mission holds the firm conviction, which the
dear missionaries share with it, that a mission — the Deaf-Mute Mission
included — can only be rightly tended through thorough catechism
instruction. This work is therefore given special attention. It is always
somewhat difficult, at first, to move a deaf-mute person who has no
Lutheran parents to have himself prepared for confirmation. One must
patiently wait until, through regular attendance at worship, he gradually
develops a desire to be thoroughly instructed in the catechism as well.

"Of most mission stations it can be reported that the number of deaf-mute
visitors at worship has steadily increased, which is always a particular
encouragement for our missionaries in their difficult work, so often
misunderstood or not recognized at all. And when, in a large city like
Chicago, one sees Germans, English, Norwegians, Swedes, Bohemians, Poles,
Frenchmen, Protestants, Catholics, and Jews together among the deaf-mutes
at a single service, one soon recognizes what a great mission net our
missionaries are quietly drawing.

"Let us now look briefly at the individual mission districts within this
work. We see the southernmost mission post at Louisville, Ky. There Pastor
H. A. Bentrup has so far labored with keen zeal. From Louis-