# LCMS Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1944_S183
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

Missions ~ 188

The doctor title, Ph.D., was conferred upon one of our mis-
s, Pastor G. Gaertner, by Gallaudet College, Washington,

«y for issuing a Compend of Signs or Sign Manual. We mention
‘this because it is indeed a tribute to the work being done among
the deaf. by our Church. '

In Kansas City, Mo., we have a beautiful chapel and parsonage
at a-very fine location made possible by a loan from the General
Church Extension Fund and gifts from many friends,

The work among the blind has held its own in these times,
In spite of the disruptions and obstacles created by war conditions
our periodicals for the blind are enjoying a wide circulation. The
Lutheran Messenger, in Braille, is still being mailed monthly to
‘ ‘about 1,200 addresses, reaching approximately 2,000 readers through
. Iibraries and other agencies, The Lutheran Herald, in Moon type,
is sent to 770 addresses quarterly, reaching about 1,200 blind.
Spanish Braille tracts are mailed quarterly to 50 addresses, reach-
ing several hundred blind. Due to the war the Braille Bote, which
had been serving 2,000 blind, was discontinued for the duration.

The work among the blind is carried on chiefly through the
means of the above-named monthly and quarterly periodicals and
“correspondence. In 1943 a home was purchased in Chicago which
serves as a dwelling for a missionary and also as a library for the
_ literature for the blind. The library contains more than 600 vol-
umes of religious books in Braille, Moon Type, and New York ©
‘Point, About 60 volumes are added each year by volunteer tran-
scribers. These books are sent as a free loan to sightless' in .
America and many foreign countries. No postage is required for
this in our country.
Our missionaries have been active in serving many blind and
' deaf not only in the sign language but also by means of speech
and lip reading. We have at present active in these missions
twenty full-time workers, one part-time worker, and three in-
ternes. Their services are welcome at many institutions, especially
schools for the deaf and blind and hospitals. At three stations also
colored deaf receive the message of Christ Crucified, The St. Louis
missionary also instructs students in the sign language at. the
seminaries in St.Louis and Springfield. When the participation
of the student bodies becomes more general, decided benefits will
atcrue to the Church. . °

From the following general survey of the work done in the
past three years you can see that our missionaries come into _
contact with many children-and adults: ;