Carl Wilhelm Ottow was born in 1826 to a godly mother. Every morning and evening with his children he knelt and prayed. He always emphasizes the children and educates them to be good people. The role of the mother in the Ottow family turned out to be a determinant in spiritual life. Because fathers and other families do not believe. The position of the mother who is very dominant is especially evident in her strict supervision in educating her children. “His children will not recognize this charming and attractive world. The mother prevents her children to recognize the temptations of this world.
Children are required to go to church every Sunday, but only at the age of 18, by the preaching of a pastor, Ottow began to be interested in his heart, until since then his desire to spread Christian teachings among unbelievers. That made Ottow start to be intrigued, but he still faced a challenge in his family of non-believers.
His mother also did not want to allow Ottow to go far because Ottow always helped in many chores at home. For years Carl Ottow persisted with his prayers. He soon got in touch with Gossner and during the meeting he told Gossner his difficulties. However, he did not get the support and advice expected from Gossner. Instead, Gossner wrote emphatically to him: “If your parents object, neither do I, nor will I accept you again.”
This firm repulsion cannot make Carl let go of his desires and enthusiasm. With full fortitude he does “zending work” in his own environment. Every night and Sunday he went around. He visited the sick and those who needed help. He succeeded in among others returning a sick prostitute to God’s way, and at home on Sunday he began to form a Bible study group, which immediately got a number of participants.
Through these spiritual activities, he was able to convince his father and his siblings, and impress them, because his father’s attitude finally changed in such a way that the father led himself to prayer before eating, which he did while standing (Kamma 1981: 40).
At one of his meetings at his home, Carl Ottow fainted, “fell as if someone were dead”. This incident made his parents think, that if their children were forbidden from doing zending work, God could take his life. “Therefore, even with a heavy heart, they let him go”. Now Ottow was taken as a student by Gossner, but regarding the length of his education we don’t know. The only thing recorded is: “After a while Ottow was educated by the Reverend Gossner, then on April 18, 1852, with careful consideration and diligent inquiry, he was taken his promise by Gossner to work diligently among the infidels”.
Ottow wrote later, that he “made this promise with faith in God’s help and was happy”. On May 14, 1852 he excused himself from his parents and family. “A love affair was decided for the sake of God, sadly and at the same time like heart”. Ottow then went to Zetten, near Hemmen, where he met Geissler.
Considering what is written above, several conclusions can now be drawn (Kamma 1981: 42): Ottow did not get a positive impression from the influence of Christian culture in the West, nor from Western superiority. It was clear to him that this particular cultural environment in “Christian” Europe did not provide a guarantee of a “Christian life of faith”; on the contrary. Everyone can search for his own way of life, even if the road is contrary to public opinion. By knowing and believing this, he finally did the zending work in Papua.
