18th January:
I visited Brother and Sister Neisser in their school and looked at their children. The number is quite high at 48. You can see that the school had quite come down, but through the untiring faithfulness and industry of Brother and Sister Neisser it has been fairly lifted from the ditch and set in order. Since they asked that I tell them my wishes, I did so. I wished that they could get a couple of the members of the Congregation [23] who had the Grace, Wisdom and the Gifts to take over the school work there because Brother and Sister Neisser are too burdened with other work. The school soon could be completely set in order if it were only Brethren and Sisters who had the necessary requirements, otherwise it would be too difficult for them because without them they have besides this already come further than others in their studies.
19th January:
In the forenoon visited their school once again and in the afternoon journeyed in the company of Brother and Sister Neisser to Warwick.
20th January:
At midday Brother Neisser went back and I spent the day happily in stillness with my dear Brethren and Sisters in Warwick.
21st January:
About 11 o’clock I preached with a warm heart on Genesis 47:3,4. After the sermon Br. Rauch held the Quarter Hour Devotion for those received [into the Congregation]. At this time a child was sprinkled [24] with the Blood and Water from Jesus’ Side. Then I held a Quarter Hour Devotion for the single men. Towards evening altogether unexpectedly the dear Brethren Horsefield [25] and Joseph Mueller arrived to our amazement and joy on their return journey from North Carolina. They spent the night with us. We passed the evening happily together.
24. i.e. baptized
25. Timothy; they had been in the party led by Bishop Spangenberg to western NC to select the land for the new Brethren’s colony there, leaving on 25 August 1752; Br. Horsefield was taken ill in Orange County NC and returned home to Bethlehem in the company of Br. Joseph Mueller
Brother Bader's Diary
of his Journey and Visit to the Schools in the Country from
16th November 1752 to
28th February 1753
Translated by Pastor Roy Ledbetter
<< Return to Digitatized Diary
Translated Bader Diary entries have
been wholly grouped by entry date.
Date entries spanning two original document pages repeat in gray text.
View Entire Translation >>