Funded by the Hawaiian Evangelical Society, the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions and by the Hawaiian Mission Children’s Society, the mission commenced when B.G. Snow, A.A. Sturges and Luther H. Gulick and their wives sailed out of Boston in November 1851. In Honolulu Rev. Ephraim Clark, Secretary of the Hawaiian Missionary Society, Rev James Kekela and two other Hawaiian missionaries, Daniela Opunui and Berita Kaaikaula and their wives joined the party which sailed for the Carolines, Marshalls and the Gilbert Islands on 15 July 1852. Mission stations were established in Kosrae and Ponape in August and September 1852. In 1857 George Pierson opened the first Protestant mission station on Ebon in the Marshalls. In the same year Hiram Bingham Jr. with his wife set up a mission station on Apaiang in Kiribati (then the Gilbert Islands), but poor health forced Bingham to return in 1864. He was replaced by two other American missionaries, Horace Taylor and Alfred Walkup, and several native Hawaiian pastors. In all nineteen Hawaiian families went to Kiribati – more than twice the combined number who travelled to the Marquesas, Marshalls and Carolines. The missionary work was gradually given up owing to changes in sovereignty in the Micronesian islands. The last missionary to work in Kiribati was Daniel P. Mahihila who went to Maiana in 1892 and returned to Hawai’i in 1904. (From notes by Kanani Reppun, Librarian, Hawaiian Mission Children’s Society Library, Honolulu.)

These English language translations of Hawaiian language documents in the Micronesian Collection consist of: correspondence of Hezekiah Aea, 1861-1871; J.D. Ahia, 1871-1872; S. Alika, Sep 1857; Daniel P. Aumai, 1862-1867; Samuela P. Kaaia, 1871-1875; Berita Kaaikaula, 1853-1858; Samuela Kamakahiki, 1855-1857; Simeon Kanakaolr, 1858; J.W. Kanoa, 1858-1879; W.B. Kapu, 1863-1879; George Leleo, 1868-1879; Joel H. and Olivia Mahoe, 1858-1868; Robert Maka, 1865-1877; Henry B. Nalimu, 1877-1881; Samuela Nawaa, 1877-1881; Z.S.K. Paaluhi, 1887-1898 ; together with Mary Kaaialii Kahelemauna, A reminiscence of her life as a missionary at Mille Island, 1877; a descriptive report of Kusaie (Kosrae) or Strong’s Island, 1867; Church reports for Apaiang, Kuma and Makin, Maiana and Noto, Makin and Butatitari, Marakei, Nonuti, Tapiteuea and Tarawa, 1866-1892; reports and minutes of Church general meetings, 1867-1895, and committee meetings, 1870-1881; reports of missionaries, 1880-1890; reports from the Marshall islands, 1864-1875. See PMB 1120 for complete set of original Micronesian Collection documents on microfilm. See Finding aids for details.