"Report from Dilger for the First Quarter 1881"

Report of a preaching tour. In Obo on one visit the king embraced both him and the catechist. They have taken to preaching in several different quarters in Obo so as to come into contact with more people. People are not so keen on house to house visits, and face to face conversations. In Mpraeso one of the 2 lapsed catechumens visited him in his lodging and proceeded to beat wildly on a drum which he held under his arm. The chief in Mpraeso he judges to be somewhat unfriendly judging by his relations to their attempt to purchase land in Mpreaso. In Nkwatia (which he reckons is a bigger town than either Abetifi or Mpreaso) he has had some conversation with the chief fetish priest. Dilger tried to persuade him that although his long-standing religion could not be thrown away simply, he ought to find out what Dilger’s religious teachings were. As they left the house a drum began to beat, and Catechist Kwabi interpreting said that it was saying 'The Allmighty God came to do business with the earth, but be earth slew him'. Dilger also reports a street conversation with a young man who said he wasn't giving up his fetish. The king in Nkwatia seems to be somewhat ambivalent in his attitudes, friendly, but he has never responded to Dilger’s invitation to hear the preaching. Sakaraka he reckons is a town of 2000 inhabitants. When staying overnight there they are usually put up by a smith who is very friendly and hospitable, and has said he wants his family to become Christians. Tafo is a village, but they usually have a good number of hearers there. Burakuwa, a little village, but one where the people are usually glad to hear the preaching. On one occasion he preached there about the occasion when Paul preached to several woman in a town and afterwards one stayed with him and became a Christian. Pepeaso is near to Abetifi, and a big town. There has been a case there of a Christian publicly and privately breaking the King’s oath.

21.03.1881

21.03.1881

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