The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1920, Sheet 39

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The Lutheran Pioneer.

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87

vides them with most of their needs, supplying
them with milk, meat, and garments, and serving
as a beast of burden. The Lapps are a quiet, in-
offensive people, and crimes of violence are prac-
tically unknown. ‘They all profess Christianity to-
day. ‘The total number of Lapps is estimated at
no more than 30,000, of whom 27,000 live in Nor-
way and Sweden, by whose governments they are
treated with kindness and consideration.

Lutheran missionaries from Norway, Sweden,
and Denmark have worked diligently among them
for the spread of the Gospel. Among these there
was none more faithful than Stockfleth, who spent
almost thirty years of his life among them. Born
in Denmark in 1787, he lost his father when quite
young. Ife passed his childhood in great poverty ;
but for all that he succeeded in getting a thorough
education with the help of some kind friends, and
graduated in 1824, at the age of thirty-seven years.
IIe at once sought his field of labor among the Lap-
landers, whose neglected state troubled him. He
was ordained in 1825 as pastor of Vadsoe in Fast
Finmark. He now married Sarah Cornelia Koren,
who in every way proved a true helpmeect to him.
‘Truly religious and untiring, she was his constant
companion on his travels and his faithful assistant
in his hard labors for the welfare of his flock.
Tlis parish was very large, also including’ a number
of Norwegians and Swedes. He therefore was com-
pelled to travel constantly, now in open boats on
the fjords and rivers, now in sleighs drawn by
reindeer. Often he had to walk long distances,
and his journeys at times would extend into Russia,
where his Lapps would frequently roam in search’
of pasture.

This labor soon proved to be too much for his
strength, and therefore he determined to devote
himself exclusively to the Laplanders. So we find
that he exchanged the well-paid pastorate.of Vadsoe
for the humble one of Lebesby. His income now
was very small, but he never suffered want. “God,”
says he in his diary, “helped me; I got money when
I needed it; it was not necessary to have it at any
other time.”

He and his wife now constantly labored among
the Lapps.
with them in their tents in summer and in their
huts in winter; they ate with them, and spared
no pains to master their language, so that they
might tell them of God’s great love in their own
language. His simple manners, his earnest preach-
ing, and his kindness to all’ soon gained him the

‘

They traveled with them; they dwelt.

confidence and love of the people whom he served.
When~he was so far advanced in the use of their
tongue that he could preach to them in their own
language, their joy knew no bounds. Soon after
this he also had books printed in their speech.
In many ways, however, the Lapps were like chil-
dren, and had to be treated as such. But Stock-
fleth thoroughly understood them, and knew how
to speak to them and how to treat them. During
his short stay in one of the districts he wanted to
have three services on Sunday —in the morning,
in the afternoon, and in the evening. The people
were not in favor of the afternoon service; they
told him that it was an innovation, and repeatedly
told him that nobody would attend. Then Stock-
fleth very quietly said, “There is one who. has
promised to be present.” “One?” said they; “and
will you preach to one? * Who is he?” He solemnly
answered, “God.” ‘The deepest silence followed, and
one after another left; but a full congregation gath-
ered in the afternoon.

The imagination of the Lapps is very easily ex-
cited, and they are extremely susceptible to relig-
ious impressions of a sensational character. Divina-
tion and magie were very common among them
when they were heathen, and Stockfleth had great
trouble to show them that such practises are sinful.
He also had to contend with fanatical men who
arose in one of the congregations and spread all
kinds of dangerous errors. However, with the help
of God he led many to see the error of their way,
and calmed the troubled waters.

Hard labor, constant exposure, and tiresome
travels exhausted the faithful laborer prematurely
and had completely exhausted him at the age of
sixty-six years. In 1853 he obtained his discharge.
But though scarcely able to move and wholly con-
fined to his room, Stockfleth still continued his
labors for the Lapps whom he so dearly loved, -de-
voting the remnant of his failing strength to the
preparation of books.in their language. He was
permitted to work at this labor of love for thirteen
years after he had left the active ministry, the final -
summons coming to him on April 26, 1866. He
fell asleep while leaning on the breast of his faith-
ful companion in all his labors in the service of
the Lord.

“Well aoe thou good and faithful servant.”

F. J. L.

Evrry man, woman, and child without the Gos-
pel is a challenge to the Church.