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"I have a duty in East Africa that will not allow me to visit my dear town where I was born, not now and, as far as I can see, also not in the next years."

Gerlingen village has at that time about 1.500 inhabitants. In village life people discuss daily topics but also politics and faith. Also the awakening movement is opinion-forming in Gerlingen: The Pietism gets new strength because of the public resistance against enlightenment, trust in progress and ossify church hierarchy. Mission as task of the Christian world gets an important role and must have impressed little Johannes Rebmann also.

It points out his religious convince already in childhood times that he was called in Gerlingen's elementary school "reverend". He wants to become a missionary, go to unknown foreign countries as a "preacher and canvasser of the gospel".

1839 the 19 years old farmer and winegrower Johannes Rebmann is admitted into the Basler Mission.

Five years later he moves to the Church Missionary Society in Islington, England.

After finnishing his occupational training the bishop of London ordains him on the 26th of October 1845. And in February 1846 he goes on board of the sailingship "Arrow", to reach after months of travelling his new operational area, as a missionary in East Africa.