The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1888, Page 18

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18

The Lutheran Pioneer.

A Red-Letter Day in the History of our
Colored Mission.

Such was the 2. Sunday after Easter, ap-
pointed for the consecration of our new mission-
chapel in the city of New Orleans.

From Carrollton and the barracks, from the
river-side and the wood-side, Lutherans and
others poured into the newly constructed sanct-
uary to offer up praises and thanksgivings to
the Lord, Most High, for having permitted us
to erect another house, where he will set up
his tabernacle with men. The worshippers
seated side by side, irrespective of color, race,
or nationality, the assembly presented a lovely
picture of the eternal temple in heaven, where
the chosen ones of God from among all nations
and kindred and tongues and people form one
undivided countless congregation, making
heaven eternally ring with their hosannas and
hallelujahs. And when this mixed assembly
united in singing that soul-stirring prayer:

‘Come, Holy Spirit, God and Lord!

Be all thy graces now outpoured”’ (No. 38.),

it was as though all hearts, uplifted to God,

would per force rend the clouds, press into the

immediate presence of Jehovah, and plead with
him to let his glory dwell in our new house.

Rt. Rev. T. Stiemke who had kindly con-
sented to perform the consecration, having fin-
ished the solemn exercises, Rev. N. J. Bakke
delivered the consecration-sermon, based on
Exod. 20, 24. An elaborate sermon it was,
presenting the soul-saving truth in plain and
forcible language, which could not be misunder-
stood. And judging from the death-like silence
and the attentive gaze of the vast assembly, in
spite of its being most uncomfortably packed
together, there were none. that failed to appre
ciate the address. Besides Mr. Vix’s promis-
ing gnd able young choir, which agreeably sur-
prised all who had not before heard it, the
well-trained and ever obliging choir of the
German Zion Church, conducted by Mr. Huett-
mann, rendered two beautiful and appropriate
selections.

The new building, to be known’as the Evan-
gelical Lutheran Bethlehem Chapel, though
not extravagant, is in every particular a neat
one. It is provided with a vestibule and a
little steeple, which with uplifted finger, as it
were, points to heaven and invites all passers-
by to step in and hear the glad tidings pro-
claimed within its walls.

' We doubt not but that our colored fellow-
men will appreciate the blessings so richly be-
stowed upon them by the Lord. And the
friends of our mission, we are confident, will
not only continue their generous donations to-
wards this excellent cause, but will double
their contributions. If they have not gold
they will send us their silver, if they have not

‘banknotes they will mail us their greenbacks,
if they have not dollars they will contribute
their halves and their quarters, if they have
not these they will give us their dimes and

their nickels, if they have not even that they
will at any rate help us with their prayers
(which are certainly not to be excluded by the
others), and with God’s gracious assistance
there shall be an enlistment and uprising of
such an overwhelming army of soldiers of the
cross, that it will strike terror to the ranks of
old Satan, completely rout his hell-governed
host, and defeat it beyond all possible recovery.
The Lord of hosts be with us! The God of our
strength contend for us! In His name we will
set up our banners! And let all the world say
Amen! A. B.

o<=>e- oC

Our Colored Mission at Springfield, Ills.

We rejoice being able to'report that under
the Divine blessing the Colored Mission at the
above mentioned place is continually making
satisfactory progress. The fourth Sunday in
Lent was another day of great rejoicing for the
mission. On that day the confirmation of six
adults took place, the requisite instructions
therefor having previously been imparted to
them. The candidates for confirmation were
Mr. and Mrs. Dulf, Mr. and Mrs. Williams,
Miss Adelaide White and Miss M. Beverly.
All made it apparent that they were completely
in earnest and that the vow to be made was a
matter of great seriousness to them. The ques-
tions put to them were answered cheerfully
with the greatest accuracy and readiness, which
shows that the candidates were well grounded
in the Biblical doctrines. So it can truly be
said that they made a good public confession
of their faith. Many of the Jarge audience
present were extraordinarily surprised at the
ready and cheerful answers given. Many ex-
pressed their great astonishment and approba-
tion. Rev. Prof. Wyneken of Concordia Sem-
inary performed the rite of confirmation with
the assistance of Rev. C.'W. Sapper of Bloom-
ington, Ills., who had been specially invited to
attend. Rev. G. Link of our German Lutheran
congregation, at Springfield, also caused much
joy by appearing. The auditory of the Sem-
inary, in which the services are invariably
held, was beautifully decorated and filled to
overflowing. This was the first celebration of
its kind in our midst, but God willing ere long
another will take place there being still a greater
number of candidates under tuition. In the
evening the newly confirmed assembled at the
residence of Rev. Prof. Wyneken, adopted a
constitution and organized as the ‘‘ Holy Trinity
congregation,” Springfield, Il]. From this brief
report it will be seen that the mission in that
part of the Lord’s vineyard is making good prog-
ress and that the words of prophecy ‘My
word shall not return unto me void”? is also
there receiving its fulfilment. —r.

———~<—~+ oo +

Lonaine desire prayeth always, though the
tongue be silent. If thou art ever longing,
thou art ever praying. When sleepeth prayer?
When desire grows cold.— Augustine.

A Swedish Noblewoman Missionary to
Abyssinia.

Gustafva von Platen, a pious young lady of
the higher nobility in Sweden, married Missio-
nary B. P. Lundahl, son of a village black-
smith, who had been prepared for the work and
sent out as a missionary to East Africa by the
Fatherland Association. Missionary Lundahl
first went to the Mission, and from there sent
back to Sweden for his bride, who reached
Abyssinia in 1869, eighteen months after her in-
tended husband, and in company with eighteen
other missionaries.

By the time the new workers reached the
mission station, Kunama, it was broken up
and deserted. The friends then went back to
the coast, and down to Massowa and Ambadaho,
in Northern Abyssinia. There they found a
summer resort, and there they celebrated the
nuptials of Missionary Lundahl and Lady von
Platen, in a low, dark grass-hut.

The young wife entered the work with great
zeal and discretion, and soon greatly endeared
herself to the natives who frequented the mis-
sion. She undertook a trip to Alexandria, at
the close of 1872, to secure help; but on the
way her first child was born, and she died on
the Red Sea. Her remains were laid to rest in
the desert at Ayun Musa, below the Palms of
Elim.

She was so greatly beloved by the natives
that when Missionary Lundahl, who married
again in 1875, took his wife among the sick
Abyssinians of the Mission, one exlaimed,
‘‘Gustafva! Now we have our Gustafva back
again!’’ Another said, ‘‘ We can never forget
her!’’ A third, ‘“‘She will be in my memory
forever!”’

She had not worked and died in vain. The
wars between Egypt and Abyssinia made it im-
possible to do anything among the heathen by
preaching the Gospel. Missionary Lundahl,
finding two missionaries murdered and their
stations destroyed, started a school for heathen
children—A byssinians especially—at Massowa,
and his success has been so great that he has
sent five young men from his school to Sweden

for further instruction. Five of these East
African youths have been trained at Stockholm,
three of whom have returned to Abyssinia as
evangelists among their own people.

+ om

An unbeliever was lying on his deathbed.
His unbelief was beginning to forsake him.
His unbelieving associates, who crowded around

his bed and were engaged in frivolous and triv- —

ial talk, tried to cheer their companion up by
calling to him: ‘‘ Hold on to the end; hold on,
old friend !’’

‘Alas,’’ cried the dying man, ‘‘how gladly
would I hold on, if there was anything to which
I could hold. But what have I?”

Such is infidelity.

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