Trobisch, Walter (1923-1979) and Ingrid [Hult] (1926-2007)

Missionaries to Cameroon and family life counselors

Born in Leipzig, Germany, Walter Trobisch was drafted into the army at age 18. Wounded on the Russian front, he was evacuated to Vienna, where he began studies for the ministry. After the war he continued his study at Leipzig and Heidelberg and spent a year at Augustana College in Illinois. There he met Ingrid Hult, who was born of missionary parents in Tanganyika (Tanzania) and planned to serve in Africa with the Augustana Lutheran church’s Sudan Mission. While in language school in Paris, she renewed her acquaintance with Walter, who now was a pastor in Germany. In 1950 she went to Cameroon, but their love grew and two years later they were married. He joined her in the mision and in 1953 they began a pioneer work at Tchollire, in northern Cameroon. In 1957 they were reassigned to Cameroun Christian College in Libamba, where Walter Trobish taught German and Bible and served as the campus pastor. He also offered classes on sex and marriage for older students, which led to the publication in 1962 of I Loved a Girl, the correspondence between him and two young African Christians who were deeply in love. This became a bestseller, and further books followed. The requests for advice on family life grew so heavy that the Trobishes left Cameroon in 1963, relocated to Austria, and formed the Family Life Mission, which conducted seminars all over the world and carried on a large counseling ministry by mail. After Walter’s untimely death, Ingrid Trobisch returned to the family home in Springfield, Missouri, and engaged in writing and speaking.

Richard V. Pierard, “Trobisch, Walter and Ingrid (Hult),” in Biographical Dictionary of Christian Missions, ed. Gerald H. Anderson (New York: Macmillan Reference USA, 1998), 115.

This article is reprinted from Biographical Dictionary of Christian Missions, Macmillan Reference USA, copyright © 1998 Gerald H. Anderson, by permission of Macmillan Reference USA, New York, NY. All rights reserved.

Bibliography

Primary

Trobisch, Ingrid Hult. The Confident Woman: Finding Quiet Strength in a Turbulent World. San Francisco: Harper San Francisco, 1993.

_____. “Family Life Education: Role of the Parents.” In Family Life Education Selected Papers, edited by Mrs. Ingrid Trobisch and Dr. Ramón C. Ruiz. Hong Kong: The Hong Kong Catholic Marriage Advisory Council, 1984.

_____. The Hidden Strength: Rooted in the Security of God’s Love. San Bernardino, CA: Here’s Life Publishers, Inc., 1988.

_____. The Joy of Being a Woman . . . And What a Man Can Do. San Francisco: Harper & Row, 1975.

_____.  Keeper of the Springs: Making Home the Place for Which You’re Longing. Sisters, OR: Multnomah Publishers, 1997.

_____. Learning to Walk Alone: Personal Reflections on a Time of Grief. Ann Arbor: Servant Books, 1985.

_____. On Our Way Rejoicing! New York: Harper & Roe, 1964.

Trobisch, Walter. All a Man Can Be. Downers, Grove, Ill: InterVarsity Press, 1983.

_____. “Attitudes of Some African Youth toward Sex and Marriage.” Practical Anthropology 9, no. 1 (1962).

_____. A Baby Just Now. Kehl/Rhein, West Germany: Editions Trobisch, 1969.

_____. “Church Discipline in Africa.” Practical Anthropology 8, no. 5 (1961): 200-06.

_____. The Complete Works of Walter Trobisch. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1987.

_____. “Congregational Responsibility for the Christian Individual.” In Third All-Africa Lutheran Conference in Addis Ababa, October 12-21, 1965, edited by Lutheran World Federation Dept. of World Mission. Geneva: Lutheran World Federation, 1966.

_____. I Loved a Girl. London United Society for Christian Literature; Lutterworth Press, 1963.

_____. I Married You. New York: Harper & Roe, Publishers, Inc., 1971.

_____. Living with Unfulfilled Desires. Downers Grove, Ill.: InterVarsity Press, 1979.

_____. Love Is a Feeling to Be Learned. Kehl/Rhein, West Germany: Editions Trobisch, 1971.

_____. Love Yourself. Kehl/Rhein, West Germany: Editions Trobisch, 1976.

_____. Martin Luther’s Quiet Time. Downers Grove, Ill.: InterVarsity Press, 1975.

_____. The Meaning of Intercourse. Bolivar, Missouri: Quiet Waters Publications, 2006.

_____. My Beautiful Feeling. Kehl/Rhein, West Germany: Editions Trobisch, 1976.

_____. My Journey Homeward. Ann Arbor, MI: Servant Books, 1986.

_____. My Parents Are Impossible. Baden-Baden, Germany: Editions Trobisch, 1968.

_____. My Wife Made Me a Polygamist. Kehl/Rhein, Germany: Editions Trobisch, 1971.

_____. “Pre-Marital Relations and Christian Marriage in Africa.” Practical Anthropology 8, no. 6 (1961).

_____. Spiritual Dryness. Don Mills, Ont.: InterVarsity Press, 1970.

_____. “This Was Not Done in a Corner.” Evangelize Magazine (1957).

Trobisch, Ingrid, and Elisabeth Roetzer. An Experience of Love: Understanding Natural Family Planning. Old Tappan, New Jersey: Fleming H. Revell, 1981.

Trobisch, Walter, and David Trobisch. The Adventures of Pumpelhoober in Africa, America and Germany. St. Louis: Concordia, 1971.

Youngdale, Ingrid Trobisch. On My Way Home. Bolivar, Missouri: Quiet Waters Publications, 2002.

Link

The Trobisch family has developed their own website.