Of the Cape, Willem * ?, ? † . In 1911 "[...] ein eingeborener Evangelist aus der Kapkolonie, ein Kaffer [...]." visited RMS missionary Becker in Keetmanshoop and requested to work amongst the railway constructionworkers. (Becker himself worked amongst Railway constructionworkers from Keetmanshoop when this was under construction up to Zes. The contractworkers (recruted for 9 month) were mostly "kaffirs" and Bastards from the Cape, amongst them 80 Bastards from the RMS missionsstation Steinkopf, others were form the "Brüdergemeinde" congregations in Elim or Genadental. Amongst the Bastards were Muslims, the "kaffirs" were mostly non-Christian, with only a few Christians amongst them. The Christians amongst the "kaffirs" had started holding two Sunday services amongst themselves and during the week they held bible- and prayermeetings before Becker contacted them. Most of them belonged to the "Wesleyan Methodists". Some Boers and even a German Catholic - who accompanied the hymns with his violin - attended the Sunday service.) Willem was not allowed to work amongst the workers at the railway line itself "[...] da sie [die Bauleitung] auf der Strecke Lüderitzbucht-Keetmanshoop keine guten Erfahrungen mit solchen Leuten gemacht habe." Willem therefor worked in Keetmanshoop. "[...] Miss. Becker schreibt, recht eifrig. Sonntags versammelt er sie auf der Werft zum Gottesdienst. Wenn sie sich erst an den regelmäßigen Besuch der Gottesdienste gewöhnt haben, will er auch Schule mit ihnen halten. Miss. Becker erstattet er von Zeit zu Zeit über seine Erfahrungen Bericht."1 Willem "[...] verdient seinen Lebensunterhalt wie alle anderen im Tageslohn; des Abends aber und des Sonntags geht er seinen Landsleuten nach und bedient sie mit Gottes Wort."2 Married: Children: Education: Other family members connected to RMS: Mission Stations: History with the RMS: 1 BRMG 1911:66. 2 JBRMG 1910:24. --------------- ------------------------------------------------------------ --------------- ------------------------------------------------------------