Another “Home” for Children
By Mrs. A. C. Ames
Believing it will be of general interest to our brethren and sisters in the Lord, I will tell them about a work we have recently begun. For a number of years I had a great burden for the friendless orphans of other denominations, a greater burden for them than for the orphans among our own people. Why?—Because the Haskell Home was open to our own little orphans. We all know that a great work is soon to be done by the children,—a work which we older ones shall not be able to do. Can we have too many of these young workers?—No, indeed! Again; it is much easier to train a child in the way the Lord wants it to live, than it is to convert a man or a woman whose heart is hardened, and whose whole life has been spent in the service of Satan. I had prayed for years that the Lord would open the way for me to do more for the world’s little outcasts. I felt20that, as the work was for the world’s little ones, the money to sustain it should also come from the world. But how? That was always the question. A little over a year ago I was feeling unusually burdened over it, when, almost unconsciously, I said aloud, “Lord, what can I do?” and it seemed as if the Lord answered audibly, “Make an appeal for help through the St. Louis Globe-Democrat.” That was an entirely new idea, so, with fear and trembling, I wrote the appeal, knowing but very little about the paper, as I had never seen a dozen copies of it. After I had finished writing the article, I said, “Now, Lord, if this is the work you want me to do, make it plain to me by giving it favor with the editor; if not, then let me hear never so much as a word from it.” In a few days a letter came from the editor, saying that if I would give him satisfactory evidence that I was a responsible person, he would gladly help me in any way he could. I gave him several references, and since that he has been untiring in his efforts for the work so dear to my heart. The result has been that last July a forty-acre farm was donated to us at Mountain Grove, Mo., by an aged gentleman and his wife, Mr. and Mrs. M. S. Depue, the only conditions being that we pay five per cent of the valuation of the land during the remainder of their natural lives. Their ages are seventy-one and seventy respectively. This farm is well located, about a mile and a half from the pretty little town of Mountain Grove, adjoining the State Fruit Experiment Station, and is valued at one hundred dollars an acre. This we consider an ideal place for our children’s home, as it is entirely away from the large cities and towns, is in a most healthful location, being on the crest of the Ozark Mountains, which, in reality, are only large hills. The climate is fine, the water first class, and the land is especially adapted to the production of fruit and vegetables. This will furnish employment for our older boys and girls, and will also be a great help toward maintaining the living expenses of the Home. We will also have our own school, in which will be taught all the common branches, as well as the Bible truths that we hold so dear. In short, it will be the aim of the Emmanuel Children’s Home to give the world’s most needy ones, the little, helpless, friendless children, a chance to be what God meant them to be, and to prepare them for the work that will fall on the children when our work is done. Over two thousand dollars has been sent in small donations, from all parts of the United States and from foreign lands, for building purposes, as a result of letters and reports published in the Globe-Democrat. We are building now, and shall soon be able to care for a much larger number of children; in our present cramped quarters we can care for but few. We have seven small children, and a crippled young lady, who is an orphan, and unable to walk a step; and by the time these lines are in print, there will probably be several other children, as arrangements have been made for them. We intend to begin the publication of a monthly eight-page paper about the last of March or first of April, the title of which will be the Emmanuel Children’s Home Advocate. This is a good field for missionary work, as the truth is almost unknown here. We have met but two persons of our faith since coming here the last of September, and while we often feel homesick for an hour with them, and long for a word of encouragement, yet we know God wants us to be as “a light in dark places;” so we try to be content and do faithfully the work the Lord has given us to do. Pray for us, brethren. MRS. A. C. AMES.