[2] On Thursday, November 9, 1893, Johan Alfred and Hedvig set sail on the ship Torsten from Göteborg, Sweden, bound for London, England.

[4] The ship lifted anchor at 3:30 pm on a beautiful sunny day and sailed toward the Strait of Dover and the English Channel.

[5] Over the course of several weeks they sailed by way of Gibraltar, Malta, Brindisi, Egypt, Aden, Columbo,[6] Singapore, Hong Kong, Shanghai and ended their journey on Friday, April 22 at the port town of Chefoo (Yantai).

From Chefoo the Rinells and Anna together with another Swedish missionary, Johan E. Lindberg,[8] hired donkeys, mules and a driver for the 88 kilometers (55 miles), two day, journey southeast to Jiaozhou (Kiaochow).

The women each rode in a luózi 骡子, consisting of a large basket suspended by two poles with a mule in front and one behind.

The party retreated and found accommodation “together with barrels, chickens, donkeys, and dirty children” Hedvig wrote, in another village.

[12] After arriving at the coast they boarded the American gunboat USS Charleston which brought to the port town of Chefoo and safety.