(1898) Margaret Born

The year of 1898 started out well. On Friday the 14th of January a 'mission box' arrived from siblings in Sweden packed full of delights for everyone old and young. We do not know what the box was filled with, but undoubtedly it contained very Swedish things long remembered and long missed. It may have contained licorice rolls with the hard candy in the middle, chocolate-covered maripan logs, gränna (pepperment), milk chocolate, and other treats to remind the Rinell family of home. Other useful items difficult to find in China may also have been in the box such medicines, toothpaste, wool yarn with which to knit clothing, traditional Christmas and Easter table runners, and Veckoposten a popular Swedish-baptist newspaper. Whatever the contents, the Rinells were overjoyed and grateful to their family in Sweden who were showing them such love and support. - Suggested list of items that would have been appreciated from a telephone conversation between Lennart Holmquist and Dollan Rinell on April 22, 2011. -

Chinese New Year Eve arrived on January 22, 1898. Bookselling during the new year's market was better than they had hoped for. Two hundred of the "Christ-like Calendar' for 1898 had been sold "like snow in hot water." With little doubt the calendars contained Bible verses because Johan Alfred wrote in his diary, "God bless his own word." Most of the Rinell family-specific information in this chapter taken from Johan Alfred's diary 'Jag är född i Krokebo', page 151 - 164.

The Chinese New Year celebration was long, noisy and tenacious. Perhaps the citizens of the city, Johan Alfred mused, wanted to scare the Germans into leaving their city. Little unclear here whether it was the Chinese or the Germans who wanted to scare the other. Check original. A rumor had indeed spread through the city that the Germans were going to massacre everyone during New Year's night. However, the Germans broke camp New Year's day and marched to Chi-meh.

The departure of the Germans would seem like a good thing, but now the Chinese were afraid as to why they left. Were they up to something? Or perhaps the Germans were forced to go to Chi-meh because the Chinese had fought back and were gaining the advantage. The rumors of war for or against the Germans were unfounded. The reason for their departure was a celebration of the emperor's birthday to be held in that city.

The march to Chi-meh was unlucky for one German soldier and one Chinese. On January 22 a lone Chinese, perhaps either out of bravery or dementia, killed a German soldier. The Chinese was taken prisoner and promptly shot.

Daily Meetings

The day after the Chinese New Year Johan Alfred and Lindberg began daily meetings in their meeting place in the city. Johan Alfred and Lindberg took turns preaching. On the day it was Johan Alfred's turn to preach he would remain in the meeting hall, wait for his ad hoc congregation to arrive. Lindberg was out in the streets, preaching to the passerbys When a large enough group assembled he invited them all into the meeting place. Johan Alfred stood before the congregation of unbelievers, welcome them and then preached the gospel illustrating religious ideas with examples from the Chinese own lives. The next day Johan Alfred and Lindberg changed places with Johan Alfred on the streets. These meetings were so well attended that they continued every day for an entire month. Several hundred, even thousands heard the gospel. Especially heartwarming were to see some people returning again and again to hear more.

These meetings were at 3:00 in the afternoon. In the mornings for the first half of the month Johan Alfred was out on the streets selling books, handing out tracks and preaching short sermons. He sold 116 books, both small and large. More books were sold after the 3:00 meeting than at any other time.

Germans Back in Kiaochow

Another rumor spread that peace was to come between the Germans and the Chinese. The Germans were not expected back in Kiaochow. However, on the sixth of February 300 Germans marched back into the town. Some of the German officers said that peace indeed had been close. A telegram, however, had arrived from Peking stating that two more German missionaries had been murdered near Kiaochow. Newspapers in the days following did not mention anyone being murdered or even hurt except for a Chinese servant who had been beaten. Again the rumors proved to be false.

On the 20th of February a drunk German soldier entered a Chinese cafe for a drink of tea. After he had finished his tea he demanded and got a smoking pipe from an old 70 year old Chinese man. When he had finished the German soldier left the cafe without returning the pipe. The old man followed him complaining as he walked. The German of course could understand nothing. When the soldier reached his quarters, the old man threw himself at the German soldier and knocked the soldier's cap. Angry, the soldier pulled out his bayonet and stabbed the old man in the chest. He died shortly afterward.

The German army wanted to pay the old man's family for his death. They offered $800. The old man's relatives refused the money which moved the whole incident into a higher court. The question really was, "What price is a Chinese life." We do not know what the final price was.

An occupying army does not always act subtlety and politely. One day a group of German solider's took a Chinese god from a temple. In the beginning they carried the god as if it were a child. One soldier though drew his sword and cut off the god's head. A Chinese woman saw the whole incident. Terribly frightened she fell down in front of the god murderers and attempted to stop the murder of the god. She cried out to the soldiers, "I beg the most high man, send the god back again. If you ruin the god we will starve to death." The soldiers apparently got the gist of what she was saying and relented. The god was saved.

Trip to Tsingtao

In April Johan Alfred and Lindberg journeyed to Tsingtao to see their neighbors the Germans who were still in control of the city. The city was quite changed from when they had seen it before. Merchants, the post office and the banks were bustling. Some of the buildings had been modified to reflect European taste. Houses had been built according to European styles as was a hospital. [Among other things reformed were sabatt celebration, opium [use?] discontinued and hunting of rabbits forbidden.] Johan Alfred and Lindberg met with a few Presbyterian Christians, met a Pastor Müller who took them aboard the 'Trent' and met Dr. Faber from Shanghai.[Check Johan Alfred's diary to see if 'Trent' could read 'Irene'. There was indeed at that time (until April 1898) in Tsingtao the German light cruiser SMS "Irene".] They also continued selling books. About seventy-five were sold in all during their stay in Tsingtao.

Preaching in the Villages

After returning from Tsingtao Johan Alfred started visiting the villages around Kiaochow. His goal was to visit each village within a 5 li (1/4 of a Swedish mile or 2.5 kilometers), and he traveled out almost every day to meet his goal.

The Bible text he used was usually Belshazzar's Feast, the story of the Babylonian king Belshazzar who profanes the sacred vessels of the enslaved Israelites and as a result is killed and is replaed by Darius the Mede. He had this Bible passage illustrated on a large poster. This he hung on a wall or whatever surface was handy and gave his illustrated sermon. This always drew attention and interest which encouraged Johan Alfred to continue with his Belshazar's sermon to other villages.

During Johan Alfred's wanderings he met a Chinese military officer who seemed very interested in what he had to say. The following Sunday the officer came to the chapel. He returned the following Sunday. Soon afterward he sent Johan Alfred a present, followed by a small handwritten book inscribed with the officer's name. Johan Alfred could not understand why he sent it. Perhaps the officer was loaning it to him. Johan Alfred returned the book with his calling card. Later the officer explained himself. He wanted to join this assembly. The book inscribed with his name was his registration. But the officer apparently did not understand what was meant to join the assembly. He wanted to become a Christian, including changing all the things in his life that becoming a Christian meant.. Johan Alfred explained to him God's word, and asked him to come again often, which he did.

On May 23rd Lindberg and Johan Alfred went to visit teacher Wang and his school 7 li from the city. He had visited the meetings many time before and showed interest in God's word. They hoped to "show him to our Lord who we love and serve" or in other words see if he wanted to become a Christian. Teacher Wang seemed glad that they had come. During their conversation he would drop sentences like, "Oh, that I had begun to believe in God 20 years ago. Now I am too old. I am now 50." They explained to him that God's big love wished to save him right now. "He is not a dumb man," Johan Alfred writes, "he understands quite a bit of the Word's meaning and truth." However, it was apparent that he was not interested - at least for the present. He did tell his students to listen to what the missionaries had to say, however. Johan Alfred and Lindberg left without teacher Wang converting to the Christian faith, but at least they were able to expose his students to the new teaching.

Chao Yu-an, a Christian, had been ill for nine months. His body's strength seemed to have totally left and and it seemed he was going to die. Johan Alfred and Lindberg went to visit him. Though in serious condition Chao Yu-an appeared to be in good spirits. He seemed now more than when he was well to be looking up to God and trusting him. Chao Yu-an told Johan Alfred and Lindberg, "I have over given myself and all that I have totally to God's grace. If I die I expect to be taken up by the Lord. If I get well again I want to live for his purpose and give testimony, Be it His will with me." Chao Yu-an died some days afterward.

Preaching Helper

In the second month of the Chinese New Year a 60 year old pharmacist by the name of Svuen moved to the city. A Christian, he wanted to assist with the work and soon proved himself to be an excellent help. He had for many years . . .

Birth of Margaret

Margaret Ingeborg Rinell was born to Hedvig and Johan Alfred on June 5 in Kiaochow, later to be named Kioahsien).

Post Office

About this time Johan Alfred was asked by the Chinese government to start or be involved in starting Kioahchow's first post office with the post office sign in Chinese and English, Chinese Imperial Post Office.Exact year not known at this time. The Chinese govenment asked several foreigners to be involved in various enterprises. A Swede by the name Erik Nordström, for instance, was asked to start the post office in the city of Jinan. [On the memorial stone put up after his death byß the city authorities, they mention his involvement with the PO among other things.].

Treaty

On March 6 China and Germany signed a treaty in Peking in which the area in and around the village of Tsingtao up to the river Bai Sha He was leased to Germany for 99 years, an area of roughly 550 square kilometers. Previously this area had been th southern part of Tsmio county.

This lease was to have important consequences for the Swedes and other missionaries. [To be place in later chapter(s): Kioahsien was to receive a railway connection etc. and in summer 1900 Kiaochow town was protected by German military presence there, so that the boxers had no chance to occupy the town, in contrast to Kaomi or Weihsien.]Treaty section information provided by Wilhelm Matzat.

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Footnotes