Gnadenhütten/Bethlehem Journal - Comprehensive Report
After that Brother Joseph took the String of Wampum in his hand and said: "This is very important to us and it makes us very happy. We want to talk about it with each other and will give you an answer, as soon as we are ready." In the evening all the Indians came to the singing service, which Brother Owen Rice held in English. He spoke to the Indians, who understood most of the English, so sincerely, thoroughly and affectionately and they received his words with such attention, that it was a joy for all of us. On Saturday July 22nd we held a rest-day. We did not undertake any affairs with the Indians, still they were visited often and were admitted to those occasions that befitted them. On Sunday July 23, Brother Joseph preached in English and all the Indians were present. (There were 136 persons young and elderly, with those who followed from the Susquehanna and with the Brethren and the Sisters from Gnadenhütten and Meniolagomekah). He described the heart of Jesus Christ, our Lord and God out of love, and as proof, he would God and Master and Creator of things, who came down as a man to deliver humanity, he even let himself be cruelly tortured to death in order for us to have life and peace for time and eternity. They were very attentive. In the afternoon there was a baptism, and all the Indians were present. The baptism candidate was Brother Andreas wife from Meniolagomekah. A circle was formed in which she sat with her godparents, Sisters Kraus, Huberin, Bischoff, and Boehler, in the middle with a white dress. The Indians were seated in a way to hear and see everything. Brother Joseph spoke in English the words: "You are all children of God through your belief in Jesus Christ, for however many of you are baptized they have all been drawn by Christ." He could clearly explain the belief in Jesus Christ and baptism. In the congregation there was such feeling of Jesus Christs presence and the peace of God reigned so strongly among us, that one could not express it with words. After the baptism the godparents (Mother Anna Maria and our present disciple sister Wagner also joined in) put their hands on her and blessed her. She fell to the floor at her godparents side and prayed. One could see many Indian tears in the congregation. Then there was a childrens gathering, where a little Indian child was baptized, whose mothers name is now Anna. The children sat in the front, behind them the Indians and behind the Indians other congregants. Sister Böhler [Boehler] brought the child and gave it to her husband, who held it for baptism and then carried it around to receive the congregants benediction. Indian Brother Nathanael (certainly a Gods man) laid hands and blessed the child. Brother Nathan Seidel performed the baptism. The child was named Balthasar and it received everything good in sleep. It neither inherited it nor acquired it. The Indians were very attentive. The rest of the day they [Indians] were visited by the congregants. On Monday July 24th we let them know that we were ready with our answer. In the middle of the small hall a roundtable was set, which was covered with a salmon-red cloth. On the table stood two burning candles. On one side of the table sat the Chiefs of the Nanticokes and Shawnee and behind them all of their people. On the other side of the table sat our Brethren and missionaries [Heiden-Boten] and around them as many congregants as the hall could hold. Three men from Philadelphia came also to attend. Brother Joseph bid them welcome, then asked whether they now wanted to hear their answer. They said they would like to. He said then: Brothers! You have come from Gnadenhütten to us, in great heat, and with your arrival you have cleared our eyes, wiped away our sweat, cleaned our ears, made our throats smooth, and our innards cleared. With this String of Wampum (he showed the String, that they gave, and that Father Nitschmann had laid on his lap.) You have also let us know that the Chiefs of the Nanticokes and Shawnees and their young men, their wives, their children and even the children in their mothers wombs are happy to come to Bethlehem and visit the Brethren. We thank you for coming to visit us. We had wanted to clear your eyes, wipe away your sweat, make your ears clean, your throat smooth, and your innards clean. But we have found what we did in Gnadenhütten
Translation by Rachel Wheeler & Irakly Chkhenkely
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