This series comprises bound notebooks containing handwritten notes of Dr. Earl S. Erb, Executive Secretary of the United Lutheran Church in America (ULCA) Board of Foreign Missions and its successor, the Lutheran Church in America (LCA) Board of World Missions. These notebooks contain notes records by Dr. Erb when he was traveling overseas visiting the mission fields in which the ULCA and LCA administered or partnered in mission endeavors. The notebooks are from 1951-1967 and include Dr. Erb's first overseas trip when he was appointed Commissioner of the BFM to the Andra Evangelical Lutheran Church (AELC) and was sent to address problems the AELC was having with the ULCA India Mission Council. Dr. Erb reported in an oral history interview cited above, that in these notebooks he would record observations, meeting notes, decisions, plans for the board, and facts pertaining to his travel. Also included were items about the local culture, comments, and stories. From these notebooks Dr. Erb would write his field report on the plane ride home. He also used these notebooks for reference in later trips he would take back to those particular areas. The notes are handwritten and fairly legible. Also in this series is an undated photo album of black and white pictures taken of India. It appears that Dr. Erb was presented this album by local people on one of his trips to India. One item of note, the first diary in inscribed, "Travel Diary of Alma Dunkelberger Erb." It does not contain notes written by Mrs. Erb, but Dr. Erb. Notesbooks are arranged in chronological order.
