p. 17 | Southern California by F. I. Richardson

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Washington, D.C. · Jan 19, 1905

Southern California

By F. I. Richardson

SAN DIEGO.—At the beginning of 1904 we took up the church work in San Diego, and have remained here during the year, with the exception of about two months spent at San Pasqual and Escondido. Thirty-one have signed the covenant, thirty-seven have been baptized, and twenty-four added to the church. This does not include those who have united by letter from other churches.

At the close of the year the San Diego church treasurer’s books showed that three thousand dollars had passed through her hands. This was tithe and offerings for the various branches of the work, and is four hundred and fifty dollars more than was received in any previous year. It was given by about one hundred members. Most of these are women, and nearly all are poor in this world’s goods. This does not include the five hundred and fifty dollars pledged to aid in completing the new sanitarium at Paradise Valley. About half of that has already been paid. A church-school building has been erected, and school is being held in it, but there is quite a debt on that yet.

One thousand sets of the special number of The Signs of the Times, Southern Watchman, and Life and Health have been taken, and at this writing all have been disposed of but twenty sets. Quite a proportion of these have been sold, others given away, and the rest are being loaned. Some of the members have employed their spare time in holding Bible readings, with much benefit to themselves as well as to those with whom they read. We have just received five hundred sets of The Family Bible Teacher, with which to begin the new year in continuing the work of warning the world of that most solemn of all events, the soon coming of Christ.

F. I. RICHARDSON.