When the geese come

the journals of a Moravian missionary Ella Mae …

Ella Mae Ervin Romig

254 pages  |  ~7 hrs

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When the geese come

the journals of a Moravian missionary Ella Mae Ervin Romig, 1898-1905, Southwest Alaska

By Ella Mae Ervin Romig

In the closing years of the 19th century, a young nursing graduate named Ella Mae Ervin made a life-altering decision that would test her faith, resilience, and capacity for love. After marrying Joseph Herman Romig, a medical student who shared her calling to serve others, she embarked on a journey to the remote wilderness of southwest Alaska to work alongside him at a Moravian mission in Bethel.

Through intimate letters written to her family back East, Ella chronicles her transformation from a sheltered young woman into a pioneer who discovered profound strength within herself. Her correspondence reveals the daily realities of mission life in an unforgiving landscape, where harsh weather, isolation, and constant challenges threatened to overwhelm even the most determined spirits.

Yet within these honest accounts of hardship and loneliness emerges a remarkable story of spiritual growth and unexpected joy. Despite facing disease, brutal conditions, and the grinding demands of frontier life, Ella's natural optimism and deepening love for her adopted homeland shine through her words. Her journey illustrates how adversity can become a pathway to discovering inner resources we never knew we possessed.

This collection of transcribed letters offers readers a window into one woman's authentic spiritual journey, revealing how faith, purpose, and human connection can flourish even in the most challenging circumstances. Ella's story speaks to anyone seeking to understand how ordinary people find extraordinary courage when called to serve something greater than themselves.

What You'll Discover

  • Explore Religious Missions
  • Explore Eskimos, alaska
  • Explore Inuits
  • Explore Medical Missionaries
  • Explore Eskimos, missions
  • Explore Social life and customs
  • Explore Missionaries, Medical
  • Explore Alaska, social life and customs

Topics

Religious Missions Eskimos, alaska Inuits Medical Missionaries Eskimos, missions Social life and customs Missionaries, Medical Alaska, social life and customs Correspondence Alaska Moravian Church Nurses Missions Moravians Yupik Eskimos Biography

Details

Published
1997
Publisher
University of Alaska Press
ISBN-10
0912006897
Pages
254
Language
EN
LC Classification
E99.E7 R647 1997