# Der Lutheraner_St. Louis Missouri_1852 10 26_S38
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

38

(Communicated.)

Bethany, 15 Septbr. 1852.

To the Honorable Mission Commission of the Ev. Luth. Synod of Missouri.

Esteemed brethren, beloved in the Lord,

With joy I give you the notice that it has at last come about that we have received our Indian school book printed. Since the cholera attacked several persons of the printing office and others were not to be had, I was, to the vexation of us all, detained there for 5 weeks. And since they had so few types, and their whole equipment for book printing is very deficient, the little book has not turned out as correct as I could wish. This, however, since it remains in our hands, can well be remedied; and I make this remark really only on account of the catechism to be printed in the future. This will in any case be better taken care of in New York. In Detroit there is not a single printing office that could accomplish anything in the book line; all are directed only to newspapers.

Here now the joy over the little book is great. Not only do the children learn with delight, but older, married persons also come to learn to read the little book with its biblical histories and the hymns. May God grant their good will the right perseverance, and strengthen their slight power of comprehension, that their aim and ours may be attained, and the Lord ever more known and praised!

Our hereditary enemies, the Methodists, during the time of my absence again spread all their sails, brought their people from afar, and held a meeting here. But the LORD has also set them a bound which they cannot pass. Our Indian Christians gathered immediately, still on Saturday evening, around our dear Brother Mießler, and thus made a good confession against the wild raging of the enemies. Just as faithfully they assembled on Sunday twice for divine service, and in the evening once more for the singing hour. The heathen also withstood the importunity of the Methodists to be baptized by them, and declared plainly that they wish to be baptized by us. Two young married people have since been coming to the catechumen instruction. — So the dear God has again faithfully helped and by deed testified that He still has thoughts of peace over Bethany, and will also, through our Brother Mießler's service, preserve what has been gathered and gather what still goes astray.

How welcome is it to me, and must it also be to you, dear brethren, such a finger-pointing of God just at the time in which it pleases God to call away the poor frail instrument through which He has shown so much grace to the heathen here! Verily, His thoughts and ways are not ours, but are infinitely higher than ours, and ever holy, wise, and good. In this faith I have accepted the call to the East Indies, the land of my proper destination, whither I was solemnly commissioned, which came to me wholly unforeseen and consequently of course also unsought. And together with the Reverend Mission College in Leipzig I beg you for my dismissal; yet so that you dismiss me only from your territory, not from your heart. In heart I intend to remain still united with you, and this union shall also be kept alive by brotherly correspondence. Do not dismiss me from your heart; for I too shall never forget the school which America has become to me in many respects, and the brethren with whom God has brought me together here, nor ever cease to bear the welfare of our Lutheran Synod and its mission among the Indians upon my heart. — And so we part, dear brethren, as on earth indeed one often parts, only in sight, not in heart. And this parting too only for a short time! For this life, indeed, farewell; but how soon is the span of time over, how soon the course ended, how soon the battle fought out! May God help us only to fight aright, then the crown of life is ours, and also an eternal meeting again, without the pain of separation, is sure to us.

With my dear Brother Mießler I have naturally discussed the matter beforehand. The College in Leipzig also has not forgotten him, but has required of him a "written approving declaration." Brother Mießler has given this approving declaration; it is in my hands, and will have been sent to the College before you read this. For my own reassurance, however, as also according to the will of the College, I must beg you to see to it that the mission pupil of whom last year's Synodal Report, long after Röder's departure, made mention, be sent very soon to Brother Mießler's help. But in case this one should no longer be at hand, or not yet be capable, I beg you to appoint Mr. Strieter, or some other suitable and willing brother, for assistance. A last way to the goal would be, in the end, to transfer Mr. Roeder to Bethany, and Eisfeldt to Shiboyang. Thus Brother Mießler would at the same time enjoy the blessing of an orderly household, and Eisfeldt's powers would surely also be better exercised in a new field.

Perhaps you will feel moved to send the letter of the College with these lines to the Presidium of our Synod. In that case I beg only that you not let me wait too long for an answer. For as I did not bring about the call to India, so I should not like to put any hindrance in the way of its execution either, but to be ever ready to go as God leads me.

And now, dear brethren! I commend you to God and to the word of His grace! May He lead us ever and everywhere by His hand, until we, blessedly brought through, behold Him face to face, and also see one another again in blessed rapture and eternal light. —

In hearty love and esteem
and with the greeting of peace
Your
least fellow-servant
Baierlein.

Remark. — The little school book costs:
1. The setting of 144,000 types $49,35.
2. Printing of 500 copies 15,75.
3. Paper 22,50.
4. The binding, one dozen better bound, for churchly use of the hymns and for gifts for certain persons interested in them 20,25.
$107,85.

(Communicated.)

Concerning the Indian Mission.*)

*) The correspondence which follows requires no explanation. As far as we have heard, the dismissal requested in the letters has been granted by the board members concerned.
D. R.

To the Reverend Mission Committee of the Ev. Luth. Synod of Ohio, Michigan, and other States.

Honored Gentlemen,

Dear brethren in Christ Jesus,

Our East Indian mission field has begun, for about the last half year, especially in the west of Tranquebar, to extend so considerably that our missionaries there complain month by month more strongly of being overburdened with work, and the most gratifying hopes must remain unfulfilled if we should not be able to send new helpers. Now there is indeed prospect that our mission pupil Speer, who fell most severely ill only a few days after his commissioning at the last anniversary festival, may still depart for India in the course of this summer; but we had already previously designated him, at the urgent request of our Kremmer, for Madras, where our congregation has increased more than any other. Since, then, for the present no further forces are at our disposal, we see ourselves driven to the request that you permit us to send our Baierlein to the East Indies. We need not first say how hard this request is for us. The connection into which we have entered with you through him is holy and dear to us, as we have also testified by sending you our Mießler. Also the mission among the Indians has truly not remained unblessed. But the urgent need in India, whither our Church is directed historically first with