Labors in West Michigan
By D. T. Bourdeau
ALTHOUGH the past winter has been unusually severe, and the present spring has been for the most part cold and backward, and has, like the past winter, been unfavorable for holding meetings to the best advantage, having even opened in Grand Rapids with a destructive cyclone and with a flood breaking the record of all previous ones in this part of Michigan; yet I have utilized my time in furnishing articles for three of our denominational papers and in doing other necessary writing; in attending the West Michigan Conference held at Charlotte, January 8-13; in taking part with Elder W. D. Parkhurst, Brother H. W. Heckman, and Dr. P. S. Bourdeau, in a public effort at Grand Rapids, which lasted about six weeks; and in visiting and laboring for churches near this city. The public effort at Grand Rapids having already been partly reported in the REVIEW, I will limit myself to saying with regard to it:— First, that notwithstanding the fact that during most of this effort the weather was anything but favorable to securing uniformly a large attendance, and that a fearful flood shut away from us some of our best hearers, we had at our meetings some interested and intelligent listeners, and that in some cases this interest is being followed up through private, personal effort. Second, that we are convinced that Grand Rapids is a good missionary field, and that if proper and thorough efforts are put forth by the rank and file of the church in this city, by Bible workers, by evangelists, and by one representing the medical missionary work, the result will be a large harvest of souls. Third, that to the glory of God and for the information and encouragement of my numerous friends, I am most thankful to be able to chronicle the fact that although I have, during the recent effort at Grand Rapids, spoken as often as my fellow laborers, besides walking considerable and doing house-to-house work, yet my strength has held out till the last. Indeed, I felt in better condition to labor at the close of this course than I did at its beginning. By this I am encouraged to hope that with the blessing of God, and a due regard for the laws of life and health, on my part, I shall yet be able to labor in new fields, in connection with younger laborers, besides having from time to time the privilege of varying my labors by strengthening and encouraging those of like precious faith. I have lately been greatly refreshed in presenting the words of life and encouragement to the churches of Wright and Sand Lake. At Wright Mrs. Bourdeau was with me, and aided in the work. Here we were made at home with several tried and esteemed pilgrims, including Elder and Sister E. H. Root, under whose hospitable roof the saints have for many years found rest and spiritual refreshment, and under which Elder James White and his companion were so often welcomed in days of trial and affliction. Here, too, we visited and had profitable reflections on the very ground upon which was held the first Seventh-day Adventist camp-meeting thirty-six years ago, when Elder J. N. Loughborough and the writer were opening up the work in California. At this very meeting Elder James White wrote us, expressing great joy upon the successful opening of a new era to Seventh-day Adventists by the good meeting that was being held, and gave us sound counsel about the work on the Pacific Coast. Sister White also wrote us encouragingly. May God continue to bless the work and the believers on the Pacific Coast, making them a blessing to thousands in foreign fields as well as in their home field. My visit at Sand Lake was also profitable able both to the writer and, I trust, to those to whom he ministered. The church there had not celebrated the ordinances for nearly three years, because of the serious illness of its elder during that period. It also suffered from a want of the application of church discipline to unworthy persons who had apostatized. Several of these were disfellowshipped; Christian measures were taken to help some who were on the background; a new elder was ordained, other officers were elected, the ordinances were celebrated, one person was added to the church; the Spirit of God gave efficacy to the messages of truth borne to the church, giving its apparent sanction to the efforts put forth in pruning and purging this branch of God's moral vineyard. Thus the way is opened for a public effort in due time, since there is a cleaner and more inviting nucleus to which new converts may be safely added, with the expectation that true nursing fathers and mothers in Israel will look after them, binding them more securely to Jesus' great heart of love and to the truth as it is in Jesus.