Page 121 - The Diary of A. H. W. Behrens

55
1879 – 1880
After the ordination on 10 May 1880 there was much excitement in Hermannsburg because the ordained pastors got engaged and the old ladies felt very important. I got engaged with Miss Elisabeth Martins who I had secretly loved for five years already. Aunt Marie was not completely happy about this, but what could she do? Stielau was turned down, but then still found the right one.
We had only about three weeks before being sent out and the entire burden of this lay on my shoulders. In Hermannsburg nothing had been prepared and I had to do the entire correspondence with England and the old merchant Nagel about the ships and the luggage. There were not only the young missionaries and the brides for the missionaries of the previous course in Africa, but emigrants also joined us, 36 souls in numbers, and all their money and luggage passed through my hands and I was 26 years old. In addition, my own things, and the very brief time together with my bride for whom I only had time in the evenings with her parents. There was a tremendous amount of work to done by me because Major Ruschenbush had prepared nothing. The luggage had to be ready and had to get to Hamburg before us.