The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1930, Page 40

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40 THE LUTHERAN PIONEER.

Washington, up into Canada, then down again
through New York State, possibly as far south as
Florida. Such news is constantly making its way
to the ears of your Finnish-American missionary.
And at larger conferences he repeatedly hears:
“Finnish, eh? We have any number of unchurched
Finns in our neighborhood. Say, let’s talk this
thing over;—no, when I get home, I’ll write to
you.” As missionary proper among the Finns in
the past the Rev. Conrad Klemmer, of Bogota, N. J.,
in his day also gathered groups of Finns in Arizona,
New York City, Bogota and Englewood, N. J., and
in other towns, where they have since joined English-
speaking Missouri congregations.

Present.

At present the undersigned, a recent entrant of
Synod, finds himself just over the threshold of an
open door, with the outlook promising.

In Jersey City our work is indeed advancing
but slowly. Not being able to meet for worship at
a convenient hour, and being obliged to do so in
rented quarters, is a great handicap. Afternoon
services are being held regularly each Sunday and
evening services every Tuesday. The attendance,
at present from six ‘persons to about thirty, will
undoubtedly increase when plans that are now under
way will mature. These are expected to bring better
hours plus an added hour each Sunday for an
English young people’s service. Our Sunday-school
enrolment is twenty-five. The hour is2 p.m. All
instruction is in English.

Rifton, N. Y., is a mission-post visited thus far
once a month. Attendance here varies from eight
to twenty adults plus children. Sunday-school
children will be taken care of in the English ser-
vices, possibly with Kingston’s assistance.

Philadelphia, with its surrounding towns, and
Camden, across the Delaware, regions of earliest
Finnish immigration, are opening their doors to our
Finnish Mission. “Divided we fall” has proved true
of Finnish socialistic and communistic work in
Philadelphia. Children’s voices have done much to
Overcome this division of power. Parents seem
compelled to permit their children to attend
Sunday-schools and to turn themselves from paths
of deception to the old paths. Services are being
held in both Camden and Philadelphia twice a
month. Only few of the many hundreds, possibly
thousands, have thus far been approached. Inyes-

_ tigations in these cities, while revealing much that

makes one’s heart sad, also bring to light much that

-quickens the spark of hope in a missionary’s heart.

——

He seems to hear his Master whispering to him:
“Be not afraid, but speak and hold not thy peace;
for I am with thee.... For I have much people
in this city.” May the Lord grant it!

Future.

Near Philadelphia is Baltimore with vast num-
bers of Finns, all unchurched. It has been visited
once, and further efforts will be made. Canada is
calling. In the absence of Finnish-speaking men,
visits to important points may become imperative
until these fields have been well canvassed. And
then there are the pastors who promised to write
to your missionary! Their fields would need
workers. Once again it is evident we should heed
our Lord’s exhortation: “Pray ye therefore the
Lord of the harvest that He would send forth
laborers into His harvest,” Luke 10, 2. Of America’s
half million Finns only one-fifth has church con-
nections! What an opportunity for the Church
that proclaims God’s unadulterated truth!

Jersey City, N. J. A. E. Koxxonen:

Our Early Lutheran Indian Mission
in Michigan.
(Continued. )

As we have related in a previous issue of the
Michigan Lutheran, Missionary Baierlein had since
1848 lived with the Chippewas in the Indian village
of Shinwakonsking, renamed by him Bethany. The
missionary was a very busy man — preaching reg-
ularly, teaching school, making pastoral calls, and

building up the mission-property with the help of |

a man-servant supplied by the mission board, so
that the Indians might be given a good example
of the white man’s progress and stability. But
Indian Mission work was not to be limited to only
one place, one village. All who could be reached
should hear the Gospel of the Savior. So Pastor
Baierlein began to make long journeys to other
Indian villages, and since the frozen streams of-
fered the best roads, he began in the very first win-
ter to make such trips. He was accompanied by
a native, who served as interpreter and guide. Such
a companion was absolutely necessary. To pick a
trail through the wilderness without losing the way,
to track game for food, is necessary, to find a suit-
able place to camp for the night, and to construct
bed and shelter from the material at hand, all this
required the skill of one who by instinct and train-
ing had learned the secrets of the woods. And what