From Connecticut and Illinois
By Stephen N. Haskell
ACCORDING to previous appointment we met with the brethren and sisters in New Haven, Conn., from Dec. 14 to 22, 1912, conducting a Bible institute. This was a profitable season and much of the blessing of the Lord was manifested during the institute. My wife and I held three Bible studies each day, and Elder C. H. Edwards preached in the evenings. The same Spirit that inspired the woman in Samaria to tell others of the Messiah when she found him herself, still works in the hearts of men. We have never studied the Bible carefully and prayerfully for a few days with a company of our brethren and sisters without seeing manifested a burden to work for souls. In view of this we had advised Elder Edwards to have on hand a quantity of literature. The second day of the institute the brethren bought a large quantity of “His Glorious Appearing,” and began to sell them and give them away. Other literature was offered from day to day during the institute until about $350 worth was taken by the little company. A portion of this literature was sold in New Haven during the institute and the remainder carried to the homes of those in attendance to be disposed of afterward. Some that had thought they never could sell books made a success of it, and we hope they will continue in the way and become successful canvassers. From New Haven we came to the Hinsdale Sanitarium, Hinsdale, Ill., to be present at their midwinter convention. This was one of the most profitable meetings we have attended for some time. We had the privilege of meeting with Elders O. A. Olsen, Geo. E. Langdon, and K. C. Russell, Drs. D. Paulson and L. H. Wolfsen, and others with whom we have had pleasant acquaintances in years past. These associations with friends from whom we had been separated was so very pleasant that we were made to wonder what it will be when the saints of God meet in his kingdom around his throne after all the battles of life are fought. The Lord set his seal to the midwinter convention by the conversion of souls, the healing of the sick, and the reclaiming of the backslider. Truly God was present. Elders Russell and Langdon have rented a large church building in the central part of the city, in which the former is holding a series of meetings, assisted by Dr. D. H. Kress and others. The attendance and interest are good and the result is encouraging. There are at present from ten to fifteen little centers established in the city where the light of truth shines forth. The Northern Illinois Conference convened January 10-19, in the large church where Elder Russell and others were holding their evening meetings. Elders W. T. Knox and G. B. Thompson spent several days at the conference and Elder A. G. Daniells was there one day. The presence and counsel of these brethren added much strength to the meetings. The sessions of the conference were good throughout and the different lines of work were well represented. The church-school report was worthy of being heard by every Seventh-day Adventist conference in the country. The hearts of all were touched when they heard of the sacrifices made by some of our brethren in order to give their children a Christian education. The Sabbath-school donations on the second Sabbath of the conference amounted to about $127. We were pleased to see the large bookstand and the fine display of books. The entire amount of literature sold at the conference was about $675. The conference that encourages the lay members as well as the workers to distribute large quantities of literature is sowing seed that will surely bear fruit. Elder Langdon was again elected president of the conference, and we sincerely hope that the coming year may be a prosperous one for this conference. Having the great city of Chicago in its midst, the Northern Illinois Conference becomes one of the most important fields in this country. After the close of the conference we spent a few days at the Broadview Swedish Seminary four miles from LaGrange, a suburb of Chicago. We were pleased to see the earnest company of Swedish young people in this school fitting themselves to labor for their own countrymen. Their intelligent questions as we studied with them showed that they were Bible students and were anxious to become workmen that need “not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”