Published in Glaubensbote 5 (1882): p. 5‒7
(1) English translation
In Memory of the Faithful Servant Called Home:
Dr. Ludwig Krapf of Korntal
(born January 11, 1810; died November 27, 1881)
With the dawn of the First Sunday of Advent, our Lord Jesus—the great King of Peace—came to this servant of His. Although the latter had longed with deep yearning for His return, His coming was nonetheless entirely unexpected. On Saturday afternoon, with a joyful spirit, this dear brother spoke with Missionary Flad about the great Advent of Christ that draws near. Yet by Advent morning, he had already been translated into the congregation above. Krapf was found dead, kneeling beside his bed. He had passed away during his evening prayer.
Many friends, upon reading this news in the papers, likely thought: How glorious—to be called home while kneeling in prayer! — Indeed, for the dear departed one, we can only rejoice. But for his wife—lying gravely ill—and his devoted, caring daughter, it was a heavy blow and a truly immense loss—one that many friends, and particularly the members of the Pilgrim Mission, feel most deeply. We intend to provide a full account of this dear brother’s life story at a later date. Today, however, we shall limit ourselves to sharing what he meant to the Pilgrim Mission.
After Dr. Krapf—serving as a missionary in Abyssinia on behalf of the Church Missionary Society from 1837 onward—had proclaimed the Gospel of Jesus Christ in both word and deed, and, having been expelled from that land, had sought to pave the way for it among other tribes of East Africa, he returned to his homeland in the early 1850s as a sick man, following a period of severe suffering and tribulation. Yet he always retained a warm heart for these peoples and lands, and never ceased to harbor the desire to return there.
[p. 6] Thus, when the Pilgrim Mission—in collaboration with the esteemed Bishop Gobat in Jerusalem—resumed its mission in Abyssinia, Krapf felt himself drawn to it even more strongly. His first step, therefore, was to travel to Abyssinia at the end of 1854, accompanied by Brother Flad, to secure a favorable reception with the King for the four brethren—who were, in the meantime, continuing their preparations in Jerusalem—and to initiate the establishment of mission stations. This was indeed accomplished.
Upon his return, he entered into an even closer association with the Pilgrim Mission. He soon became a member of the committee [i.e. Board] and proved himself a worthy colleague to our Chaplain Schlienz—who, after all, had also once served in the East—and to our beloved Papa Spittler, whose gaze was fixed upon the East with great hope.
When, subsequently, letters from the brethren in Abyssinia gave rise to the brightest hopes—even as the obstacles to travel became ever more acutely felt—the plan for the “Apostles’ Road” matured, amidst much prayer, within the hearts of these three servants of Christ, overflowing with love. And once several stations had been established across Egypt, the dear, sanguine Dr. Krapf was already envisioning a “Prophets’ Road” leading via Fasogli into the interior of Africa.
Although the tragic turn of events in Abyssinia—marked by the brethren’s imprisonment and their forceful liberation by the British—brought this work first to a standstill and later to a complete cessation, despite the immense sacrifices that had been made, several souls won for Jesus were nonetheless gathered into the eternal barns as firstfruits. The hope for the future remained that the grain of wheat had not fallen into the earth in vain.
Because the income of the Pilgrim Mission was still meager at that time, the dear brother succeeded in winning over his friends in England to support the work in East Africa. Consequently, the funds for this endeavor came largely from that quarter.
However, the institution at Chrischona—and the broader work conducted from there—was equally dear to his heart; and, to help promote it, he resided for an extended period at the Klösterli in Riehen. Later, when he settled permanently in Korntal and sought to awaken interest in the Pilgrim Mission among the Christian communities of Württemberg, he conceived the idea of establishing a “Half-Kreuzer Collection” to channel even the humble mites of poor Christians into this work of the Lord. In early 1861, he issued an appeal to clergy and community leaders, requesting the introduction of this collection. This request was enthusiastically seconded by his esteemed brethren: Schoolmaster Mayer and Community Leader Daur in Korntal, and Friedrich Schäufelin in Besigheim. The Lord bestowed a rich blessing upon this initiative, and for twenty years thereafter, this collection provided the Pilgrim Mission with a substantial portion of the funds it needed. Every month, from his home in Korntal, the dear brother was able to dispatch the accumulated “little drops”—as he affectionately termed them—to Basel. The joy and gratitude with which he performed this task were known not only to the treasurer but also to the many friends with whom he thereby maintained a connection. Indeed, on the very Saturday night on which the Lord called him home to his eternal rest, he dispatched his final remittance—totaling 270 marks—to Basel, accompanied by these words: “You once again receive the ‘little drops’ that have flowed into the ‘oil cruse’ since November 11th. The flow is modest, to be sure, yet it flows precisely as the Lord wills. At the same time, a parcel containing socks and stockings is being sent to Mrs. Inspector [Dora] Rappard at Chrischona.” Preparing this parcel proved to be his very last earthly labor.
However, we cannot conclude this retrospective here, for we must still make mention of the written works that occupied him for many years—often to the point of physical exhaustion—and which, with the exception of the very last one, were all printed on our Chrischona Press and, for the most part, bound in our own bindery.
First, the Amharic New Testament, then the complete Bible, followed by the Psalms and the New Testament in Ge’ez/Amharic, as well as several Gospels in Oromo. Furthermore, the Württemberg Confirmation Book, Zeller’s Divine Answers [p. 7] to Human Questions, the Calw Bible Stories, the Heart Booklet, and other small tracts in Amharic. The Calw Bible Stories was also produced in the “Kinika language” [i.e., Mijikenda]. Additionally, there were several dictionaries in Amharic, Oromo, Gurage, and Agaw. Some of these small tracts were authored or translated by the missionaries Flad, Mayer, and Waldmeier. However, the veteran linguist had to undertake revisions and handle proofreading during printing.
Finally, we remember his love—a love that frequently drew him to Chrischona for extended visits. It was a joy whenever he came, for he was a blessing not only through his simple, heartfelt testimonies but also through his humble, loving nature. One could sense in him that he was a man who not only labored diligently but also prayed fervently—indeed, a priest of God who bore both the individual and the whole upon his heart.
May these memories suffice to show our large, widely scattered Pilgrim Mission family and our friends the magnitude of the loss that has befallen us. As they look back with gratitude upon our departed brother, may they also join us in entreating the Lord to fill the void that has been left behind—as only He can fill it. May His name be highly praised for all that He has done in and through this dear brother until his blessed end, and for all that He has given us and others—especially His own—through him.
J[ohann] L[udwig] J[aeger]
(2) German text
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