# Synodical Conference Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1906_S45
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

of the Ev. Luth. Synodical Conference of North America. 1906. 45

namely that I am daily assailed and bear concern for all the congregations."

From this we can form some idea of the great difficulties and sad experiences under which the holy apostles and the first Christian congregations carried on mission work. Who will, who can name all these difficulties?

Great difficulties in mission work often lie in the nature of the land and of the people. Let us think of Germany, when, according to God's purpose, the light of the Gospel was to be kindled there! Rough and uncultivated was the land, rough and uncultivated were its inhabitants. Forest covered the mountains and plains, impenetrable forest, where wild beasts made their lairs, and in the valleys and lowlands swamps and marshes spread out. And what were the inhabitants like? Hunting and war were their chief occupations. When there was no war, they gave themselves up to idleness, and the result was drink and gaming. It was not seldom that they gambled away themselves, together with wife and child, that is, they would rather become slaves with their families than leave off drinking and gaming in good time. And how did it stand with their religion? They believed in a heaven; they called it Valhalla; there, they believed, roast boar was eaten every day and beer drunk out of the skulls of slain enemies. Our heathen forefathers had a great number of gods and goddesses. What a difficult mission field! But in spite of all difficulties the missionaries, sent by God, came to the German heathen, and behold, God blessed their mission work.

In our Negro Mission [*Negermiſſion*, the period's term for the mission among African Americans] too we have to contend with many difficulties and disappointments, with all kinds of sad experiences. All our mission workers can sing a little song about it, difficulties often simply because of the nature of the land (the missionaries often complain about the climate), and still more difficulties with the black inhabitants of the land, the Negroes. But in spite of all difficulties the Lutherans of this country let nothing keep them from bringing the light of the Gospel to the Negroes of our country. They act according to the word of the Apostle: "Be ye steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord," 1 Cor. 15:58. They are like those brave warriors of whom history tells us the following: A Scottish regiment had once been taken prisoner in Spain. Napoleon then took pleasure in having this regiment, which had fought with a lion's courage to the last, brought before him. He said to the trumpeters: "Blow me all your signals!" This was done. Now they were also to blow "the signal for retreat." They looked at one another in astonishment and said: "We do not have that!" Is it so with us in the Negro Mission? Thank God, yes! For even if here and there individual voices are raised,