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MORRIS LUKENS

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Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Aug 15, 1912

FromReview and Herald, Vol. 89, No. 33.

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MORRIS LUKENS

By Morris Lukens

Australia—No. 2

MORRIS LUKENS

WE arrived in Adelaide, South Australia, Oct. 20, 1911. This is a charming city of 200,000 inhabitants, laid out in a perfect square, and surrounded by parks, with blue hills in the distance.
After visiting the churches in the South Australian Conference, I attended the Victorian camp-meeting, held at St. Kilda, a suburb of Melbourne, Feb. 12-25, 1912. The weather during the whole of this meeting was ideal. About 100 tents were pitched on the ground. There were about 500 in constant attendance at the meetings, in addition to a large number from the city who attended nights and on Sabbath and Sunday. The first Sabbath there were 602 at the Sabbath-school, the second Sabbath 638. The total Sabbath-school offerings amounted to about $100.
The conference business occupied the first three days of the session. This is the plan tried in most of the conferences this year: The meetings begin two days earlier in the week than usual, Tuesday instead of Thursday. Then, with the exception of the early morning service and the night meeting, the entire day is spent in considering conference business, which is all out of the way before the first Sabbath. This plan has worked admirably.
From the beginning, the meetings in Victoria were excellent. The people seemed hungry for spiritual food. Both Sabbath meetings were signally marked by the presence of the Holy Spirit. A large number went forward to consecrate themselves more fully to God’s service. On the last day thirty-three were buried in baptism. On the same day more than $1,500 was pledged for the tent fund and for mission work.
In company with Pastor George Teasdale, I then started for West Australia, to attend the camp-meeting there. As there is no transcontinental railway in this country, we were obliged to make this journey by boat, which requires a week’s time. This camp was pitched in the beautiful suburb of Cottesloe, about seven miles from Perth, the largest city in West Australia. In front of the grounds, a few yards away, was the Swan River, spread out in silvery loveliness, and at the back the hillsides were studded with fine residences, hidden among stately trees and luxuriant foliage.
The camp-ground itself was a peppermint grove, among the trees of which most of the dwelling tents were pitched. The ground was sandy, covered with a fair grass sod, and the weather could scarcely have been better.
There was a good representation of our people present, and at night especially the preaching pavilion was well filled, although but few from the neighborhood came to the meetings. The outside attendance was not large at any time.
In harmony with the beautiful surroundings, a spiritual calm rested upon the encampment, and affected every one who came within its reach. Heart-felt praise, without one discordant note, ascended to God for present blessings.
Among the young people—and West Australia certainly has more than its share of fine young men and women who will soon be a power in the work if they will consecrate themselves to the Lord—there was a general revival, many yielding for the first time to the gracious invitations from the Lord. Of the eighteen candidates for baptism, the majority were youth, children of parents already in the truth. This is as it ought to be. Every year our young people should be gathered into the fold, and not one allowed to slip by unheeded. No surer nor more satisfactory evidence than this could be obtained of the presence of the Holy Spirit, and the outpouring of the latter rain. During this camp-meeting an aggregate of more than $2,500 was pledged for the furtherance of the work.
We returned from this meeting just in time for the conference and camp-meeting in South Australia, April 2-14. All the blessings that were experienced in the other meetings were ours at this meeting. The camp was located in a paddock surrounded by houses, and as a result, the meetings were well attended by the public. Some began the observance of God’s holy Sabbath, and many others gave in their names for reading-matter and further studies.
The meetings during both Sabbaths were signally blessed by the presence of the Holy Spirit, and a large number went forward to consecrate themselves more fully to God’s service. Several young persons, as well as some older ones, for whom special prayer had been offered by loved ones, took their stand definitely for the first time.
About $1,375 was given in pledges and offerings during the camp-meeting, $106 of which was received during the two sessions of the Sabbath-school.
At the closing meeting, held early Monday morning, April 15, the general testimony was that it had been the best camp-meeting ever held in South Australia. This is as it should be; for as we near the end of our work, our meetings should be better.