"Eisenschmid's Report for the Year 1868"

Statistics for the year: The mission land at Kibi is given as 20 acres. The numbers in the Kibi community had increased from 35 to 42, there were now 20 communicants and 2 catechumens. 20 pupils in the boarding school, plus 2 day-boys. 9 girls are educated by Mrs Eisenschmid. The size of the missions land in Kukurantumi is given as 18 acres. The numbers in the community had increased from 16 to 20, with 8 communicants and 3 catechumens. 4 boys and 2 girls attend the school. In the description of the mission property it appears that apart from the coffee plantation there is hardly any extensive farming on the mission land. Personnel - Eisenschmid married Johanna, the widow of the Bremen missionary Ruckaber on March 17th, and the Kromers arrived back in Kibi at the beginning of November. Both Lodholz and Eisenschmid suffered severe fevers, the latter had such a bad attack that he has applied for leave to return to Europe. Lodholz gave his first Twi sermon in October. Preaching etc. is recorded as having taken place in Kukurantumi (visited 6 times in the year by missionaries), Tette, Apapam, Akoko, Apedua, Asiakwa, Osiem, Fankyeneko, Osine. One journey was projected to Begoro by Kromer, but he was hindered by a fever. Both Kwabi and Asante get good reports for their work - Asante especially. They are both described in this reports as Akropong people. The two teachers are both from Lateh. The communities - in Kukurantumi an older man has been baptised, and 6 girls in Kibi - the first Akim women to be baptised. Despite disappointments over individuals at particular times the relations between members of the community and the missionaries is good, banishing unsatisfactory events from the memory. Eisenschmid cites especially the Christians' reaction to a theft on the station - a united response, in which Wilhelm Dazu played a leading and creditable role, leading the missionaries to the village of the thief, although he was the head of Dazu's family - as evidence of these satisfactory relations. The only 'fall' in Kibi during the year was an occasion when one member of the community attended a heathen festival. The bulk of the Kibi community are in some way economically dependent on the mission. One younger man has in the course of the year become somewhat independent of the mission by beginning to act independently as a carpenter, after tuition from Eisenschmid. The elder members at Kukurantumi are more economically independent, but most of them are either excluded from Communion, or excluded entirely from the community through irregular sexual relations or adotping aspects of the heathen way of life. The Basel Committee had directed them after reading the 1867 Annual Report to hold a catechising session on a Sunday for the community they tried as a result to have their normal street preaching on a Tuesday. The change of time was unpopular with the heathen, however, and now both the catechising and the street preaching is held on a Sunday. An attempt was made to run a Sunday School - the project was found to have no appeal to the people in Kibi town, but it is a good idea to have the older members of the community literate. Another list of towns visited by preaching during the year is given at the end of the report, in which details is given of the activities in this respect of the catechists and teachers. These did not travel extraordinarily Kwabi did 35 days, but did visit some places which are not listed in the account of the missionaries' travelling at the head of the report: Adadentem, Begoro and the towns on the route to Begoro, Mase, Enyinasing.

12.01.1869

12.01.1869

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