Sanitarium Relief Campaign
By L. A. HANSEN
Items of Progress and Encouragement
From conference papers and from correspondence we gather many items of interest regarding the “Ministry of Healing” campaign. We note that in all instances where this work has been entered upon, good results have followed. Excellent missionary experiences have been realized, and individuals and churches have received a blessing. This result is not confined to any particular territory, but seems dependent only on how the work is taken up. North Pacific Union Conference
In this union conference a general effort has been made this fall. Institutes have been held in the various local conferences. Workers have received instruction in canvassing methods, drills, etc. Leaders have gone to churches and taught the people how to work. The reports from the field have been most encouraging. The spirit of courage and confidence that possessed the workers as they went out has been partaken of by the people, and many books have been sold. The field missionary agent, W. R. Beatty, has demonstrated by personal experience that “Ministry of Healing” is one of the easiest-selling books we have. He reports selling nine copies in a little over three hours. In one hour and fifteen minutes he sold six copies—all to strangers. Brother Beatty has given valuable instruction to the workers, and has encouraged them to believe that the entire three years’ quota of books could be sold this fall. A sister at Puyallup, Wash., sold twenty copies of the book in one week, in the little spare time she took for visiting her neighbors. One morning she went down town to attend to some business, and was gone from her home only one hour, but sold four copies while she was away. Another sister, at Gold Bar, Wash., sold twenty-two copies in the little village. She had never had any previous experience in canvassing. Another aged sister went out among her neighbors, and sold three books, and said she could have sold several more. By a misunderstanding of the price, she charged $2.50 a copy; this shows that the book sells readily, even at this advanced figure. Brother F. M. Oliver reports favorable success, and expresses in the following words a sentiment held by many: “I believe the Lord is opening the way for this campaign right now, and we ought not to miss the opportunity while it is ours.” Brother G. W. Pettit, of Western Oregon, writes that he finds a disposition on the part of the people to join heartily in the work, and that orders have been placed for good supplies of the books. He says: “If our people continue this good work, there will be so many calls for help from our churches that each church will be a working missionary agency to win souls.” The Upper Columbia Conference reports that orders for hundreds of books have been received, and that the work is well on; 271 copies were taken at one meeting. Brother J. K. Luther left for one field trip with one hundred copies. He met with excellent success. At College Place, 270 books were taken by some of the conference workers in one day. At Malaga, 123 books were taken by a few brethren. Southern California Conference
Brother G. A. Wheeler is leading out in the campaign work in the Southern California Conference. In one report he says: “I have visited eleven of our churches, and so far a few more than two thousand eight hundred books have been ordered. This we consider only a beginning. We are expecting the Lord to do great things in Israel, as we advance in harmony with his leading. We do not talk of selling our quota in this conference, but rather that each one is to do all he can. We feel that this is an especially important field, and that God desires to do a special work here. Some blessed experiences have been related by those who have started in the work. The more I study the question, the larger it seems, until I now consider it one of the great works that God desires to accomplish for the world through his people. If, after presenting the matter to the whole church, there are some who do not come into line, I make it a point to call upon them in their homes, and study the question more thoroughly with them.” The Glendale Sanitarium arranged for the nurses of the institution to spend some time through the week in selling “Ministry of Healing,” and this has proved a great help to all concerned. One of the nurses took eight orders in one day. At one home she found a lady who needed medical attention. She laid aside her books for a time, and gave her treatment, then went on her way to the next house. Another nurse, who had never had any experience in canvassing, took three orders, and found a sick woman. She reported the case to the visiting nurse, who, when she called, found at the next house a sick child who needed the care of a nurse all the time, and the case was given to the nurse who took the three orders. Some of the young men nurses reported special opportunities of doing missionary work, and helping persons to secure a better spiritual experience. Openings were presented for continued work and for the sale of other of our books. Thus does the missionary feature of this movement become more and more apparent. It should appeal to us as a grand opportunity for doing real, practical house-to-house work.