"Eisenschmid's Report for the Year 1867"

The mission staff includes now Brother Lodholz, and teacher Jonas Ako. The community in Kibi has incrased from 23 to 35, but the number of communicants only from 13 to 15. There are no catechumens. In the school are 19 boarders, 4 day boys and 4 girls. The community in Kukurantumi now has teacher Sam. Gibson on its staff in addition to Kwabi. The number of members of the community has dropped from 15 to 12, with 4 communicants, but 11 catechumens. There are 7 boys in the school. In Kibi they took a harvest of 180-190 pounds from the coffee plantation, which should show a profit of some pounds sterling when the costs of employing labour at about the time of harvest are offset against earnings. The work of the station was crippled by illness during the course of the year - Eisenschmid's wife died in May, after which he spent some weeks in Akwapim. Some weeks later again Eisenschmid was dangerously ill - Asante sent for a European brother to come to Kibi because at times he was speaking only German. This involved another long stay in Akwapim before he was better, and though Lodholz arrived in the latter part of the year his main activity was learning to speak Twi. Nevertheless Asante had made many preaching journeys in Akim, and Kwabi worked in Tafo and Osiem as well as Kukurantumi. Asante gets another glowing report from Eisenschmid, and Kwabi is praised as someone who works hard to bring people into the Mission, and who is tireless at revealing situations which need to be brought out to be punished by the light. Teacher Ako is described as someone who does little to extend his meagre knowledge – he is a Larte man, and during the year married Adelheid Dako from Abiriu, an ex-pupil of the Girls Boarding School Aburi. Sam. Gibson is also marrying an ex-pupil of the Aburi school Lydia Gyamebi of Late. The baptisms in the Kibi community were of an old man, now Abraham Boamma, and 6 schoolboys, Selomo Ata, Joseph Samson Koi, Mose Foa, Josua Adai, Jonas Aware, Thomas Anokwa, and one child of Wilhelm Daku. Stephano Soa and David Kese went to the Akropong Middle School. In Kukurantumi there were no baptisms, one exclusion for theft, Kramer's ex-cook left for employment in Akropong, and a baptised six-fingered child was taken by Mrs. Zimmermann. Although Eisenschmid writes that the Kibi community are like children who cannot yet be fed on strong meat, he is clearly very pleased with them, citing as evidence of the reality of their stand their reactions to Eisenschmid's trials - including their own midnight prayer meetings. They have also stood firm during the absence of their missionary, and welcomed him back after his absences. The most serious problem in Kukurantumi was Kwabi's finding that all the christians had been guilty of petty pilfering at the time of Kromer’s leaving. Overall there is only one Christian marriage apart from those of the teachers and catechists. This is Wilhelm Dagu’s marriage to a maidservant of Mrs Eisenschmid - a marriage which it seems the missionaries insisted on when she was found with child by him. The ethical situation in the congregation in Kibi is satisfactory however - Eisenschmid writes that the great difference between Christian and heathen is that the former try to gain their daily bread by honourable means. The school increased by 7 boarding-boys at the end of the year under the influence of the new Okyenhene and the elders (Ata died in the middle of the year). The new king once attended the Kibi school, and has some knowledge of biblical history - the story of Joseph has especially impressed him. One Christian is learning carpentry, another is learning to split shingles. The preaching concerns mainly the crucified Christ, though there is also much stress on the nothingness of the fetishes, especially on the part of the catechists.

07.01.1868

07.01.1868

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