Morning Star III lands Pohnpeian teacher couples on Satawan and Lukunor, beginning the Mortlocks mission.

What happened

The missionary ship landed three Pohnpeian teacher couples, and the only foreigner then living in the Mortlocks, a trader’s agent on Satawan, greeted them; people on Satawan were at first silent, remembering the labor ship Carl. Within three years the teachers had churches on eight Mortlock islands with more than 800 members.

Why it matters

Pohnpeian teachers, not American missionaries, carried Christianity to the Chuuk area; the first resident American missionary reached Chuuk only in 1884.