# LCMS Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1902_S104
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

104 Proceedings of the 25th General, or

pupils, 13 confirmands and 27 communicants, 6 marriages, and 30 burials.
What rich fruit our work among these Indians has borne in so short a
time! To God alone on high be honor and thanks for it. May he continue
to help as he has helped until now. — Let it also be noted here that in
the Stockbridge congregation there is a women's society and a choral
society, to whom the missionary also gives instruction at their weekly
meetings and with whom he holds a brief devotion; further, that the
Indians have, for a year now, begun to bring offerings for their
church's affairs, and that, besides Sunday collections — for example for
church furnishings, a Christmas giving, etc. — they have, despite their
poverty, contributed quite gratifying sums.

"We now take the liberty of laying one more urgent request upon the
heart of the Reverend Synod, namely this: to place a teacher at
our missionary's side for the school. It is impossible for the
missionary to make the frequent house calls so especially necessary in
this mission among Indians living scattered far and wide, and to give so
much private instruction to adults in their homes, if he is tied to the
school three or four days a week. And it is very difficult to persuade
the Indians to send their children to our school, where they receive
only such meager instruction, while at the state school standing in
closest proximity they are not only taught every day, but also receive
free lunch and other things, and are granted — not only in the schools
and high schools of various states, but also in the boarding schools at
Keshena, by the government and by the Catholics — free instruction as
well as free transportation there, books, food, clothing, and shelter.

"The commission has already found itself obliged to hire a somewhat
better-trained Indian girl to help in the school, lest either our
missionary or the school go entirely bankrupt. This makeshift, however,
is so meager that we dare not go on working this way. And if it should
turn out — as is to be foreseen — that, even though we had a teacher and
thus daily instruction, some parents would still prefer the state school
for the sake of the free lunch, we would like to ask the Reverend Synod's
permission to practice such hospitality in our own school as well, if we
can make it possible.

"This mission's commission meets quarterly to hear its missionary's
written report and to discuss and deliberate on what is necessary with
him.

"When Mr. Pastor Nickel left us, the commission filled out its ranks
by asking his successor, Mr. Pastor Hanow, to join as a third member and
to hold the office of treasurer. We ask that this be approved.