The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1929, Page 171

Transcription machine transcription, uncorrected

⤓ Download .txt · copy text

THE LUTHERAN PIONEER.

LS |

171

found friends. He slept with them in their wig-
wams and shared their meals at the camp-fire. In-
dustriously he studied to learn their language in
order that he might dispense with the services of an
interpreter — a poor makeshift for a missionary. On
one of his trips to an Indian village he almost lost
his life in Saginaw Bay. The Indians gratefully
acknowledged his love and became his friends; but
when he, hating any halting between two opinions,
urged them to take the deciding step for Christ and
His Gospel, he would often hear the answer: “What
you say is the truth, but now it is winter; when
the sun again stands high [next summer], I shall
be ready.”

A Letter with a Missionary Spirit.

How the Frankenmuth congregation regarded
this work can be seen from a letter which was written
by Mrs. Margaret Loesel, a member of the congre-
gation, to her mother in the old country in 1847.
An extract from this letter follows: —

“We rejoice over the progress which God’s king-
dom is making in this country. We are getting better
acquainted with our neighbors, the Indians, every
day. They are very friendly to one if one is first
friendly to them. This virtue of friendliness is very
desirable, as the Indian is by nature shy and back-
ward over against the white race. We feel at home
in their midst and are glad to serve them with the
gift that God has bestowed upon us. So far a goodly
number of Indian children have been baptized, and
God willing, some more will be baptized during the
Christmas season. Our dear pastor is working
diligently and faithfully among these poor heathen,
spreading the light of the Gospel. The Lord is with
him and has given him such a large measure of wis-
dom, strength, and endurance that we cannot but
marvel at the abundance of gifts which He has be-
stowed upon him. Mrs. Craemer, the dear wife of
the pastor, also deserves much credit. She is a real
mother to these poor children and does all in her
power to cleanse their bodies and make them appear
respectable. When they first come to us, they are
usually very filthy. You may imagine that it is no
small task for Mrs. Craemer to keep neat and clean
ten to fifteen children who by nature are not inclined
to be so. May God strengthen us in this our sacred
calling, for we are, and wish to remain, first of all,
a mission-congregation. Praise be unto Him for all
the benefits and favors, which He has so richly
showered upon us.”

Missionary Fruit.

During the Christmas season of 1846 the new
church was dedicated. The festivities reached their
climax when on Third Christmas Day three Indian
children were baptized; a youth named Abiquam,
who was renamed Abraham (he, too, wished to be-
come “the father of many nations”), and his two
sisters, Magdalen, thirteen years old, and Anna,
seven years of age. Magdalen died two weeks after
her baptism, joyfully confessing her faith in Him in
whose name she had been baptized. At the baptism

Missionary E. R. -Baierlein.

of these three Indians the schoolchildren of the
parish sang a hymn in the Indian language. The
first stanza of the hymn “Blessed Jesus, Here We
Stand” reads in Chippewa: —

Oma sa nindaiamin,

O Tebeningeion Jesus,

Chidodamang eshiang

Ima kitikitowining,

Mab’ abinoji k’dodisig,

Iu chiwiawangomod.

In 1847, 12 Indian children were baptized. The

whole number of baptized Indians, according to the
Frankenmuth church register, is 33.