CAMP-MEETING AT PARKER, DAKOTA.
By George I. Butler
THIS camp-meeting held from June 30 to July 5, was by far the largest one ever held by Seventh-day Adventists in this Territory. The grounds were in a grove of cotton-woods on the farm of Bro. Burgess, some two miles east of the station. There are very few natural groves in this whole region of country—all one vast prairie, most of it never touched by the plow. Here and there groves have been set out like this one. The trees had grown to a height of about fifteen feet, and afforded considerable protection from the heat. Unlike the four preceding camp-meetings of this season, this was very dry and warm, scarce a cloud from the beginning to the close. Twenty-seven tents were up, and over two hundred encamped on the ground. Probably there were more than twice as many of our people in attendance as ever before in Dakota. It is only two years since the Conference was organized, and the growth from immigration has been quite rapid. Full one-half of those present were Scandinavians. Eld. O. A. Olsen held two or three services a day in their tongue, while I did most of the speaking in the English tongue. Elder Whitney, president of the Conference, spoke a few times. The interest to hear was excellent from the beginning to close, and the social meetings good. On the Sabbath we had a great blessing from the Lord. I had felt very weary and languid under the labor of the past and the heat of the present. It seemed a great burden to undertake to speak in the afternoon. The Lord gave special freedom. When we called for those to come forward who wished to specially seek for God's blessing and to more fully consecrate themselves to him, and wanted prayers, about four-fifths of those present came forward; deep feeling was manifested by many, and the Lord came very near us. Tears flowed freely, and precious showers of divine grace fell upon us, melting our hearts in unwonted tenderness. Ministers and people were deeply affected. It was a very precious season. The feeling of languor and weariness entirely left me and did not return, though the weather continued very warm. God's blessing comforts and strengthens those who receive it. In it is spiritual life and physical strength. Our meeting Sunday was not attended by many from the surrounding country. But there were some interested hearers. Monday the Lord greatly blessed our meetings; when a call was made for those who had never started before, or had greatly backslidden till their hopes were gone, forty or fifty came forward and good testimonies were given. Sixteen were baptized in Vermillion River by Eld. Whitney. Quite a number of these started for the first time. I left that night before the closing morning meeting. Many were deeply affected while speaking of the good meeting we had had, and the tears would start as we parted. Dakota seems to be an excellent field of labor. It is fast filling up with a sober, industrious, virtuous class of people. The Scandinavians are pouring into the country, and it is an excellent time to make exertions to reach them with the present truth. Eld. Olsen, who is specially looking after this branch of the work, found good openings apparently all around. There are also two or three small companies of Russians in the Territory keeping the Sabbath, who have embraced it within about two years. They speak the German, and our brethren speak of them as a pious, honest class of people. We have had no laborer who speaks German who could do much for them and they need further instruction on some points of faith; we hope to send them help in their own tongue soon. They are already sending the light back to Russia, and souls are becoming interested in it there. Surely God is opening channels of light in all directions. May his precious truth still go to nations, kindreds, tongues, and kings, till all the earth has the light of the last message of warning.