MATTIE HAMILTON WELCH by Mattie Hamilton Welch

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Sep 5, 1907

MATTIE HAMILTON WELCH

By Mattie Hamilton Welch

From the Southland

JACKSONVILLE.—The message is just as precious down here as in the Northland. Jacksonville, “the Gateway to Florida,” is one of the most important cities of the South. Situated on the picturesque St. Johns River, it is a charming place, with its colonial homes, paved streets, and tropical vegetation. Thousands of tourists pass through here going to southern Florida and the West Indies, in the early winter, then again on their return to their homes in the North, in late spring. This, therefore, is a very important missionary center.

We have a pretty little church building here, and a small, but faithful congregation. We have an organized Home and Foreign Missionary Society, which does effective work in distributing our literature, especially among the sailors, this being quite an important marine port.

The young members of the church here are also organized into a Missionary Band, and have been active in giving the message to the world. They held their picnic in Riverside Park, a few weeks ago, but the only leisure hour they had was when eating their lunch. Not one moment was wasted in sport, but the time was spent in assorting, wrapping, and stamping copies of the REVIEW, Signs of the Times, Youth’s Instructor, and Bible Training School. These were then addressed to missionaries of the different denominations who were in foreign fields, or at their homes on furlough. The money in the children’s treasury was used to buy the paste, wrapping-paper, and postage-stamps, instead of ice-cream, watermelon, or some other picnic treat. Surely after this self-denial, and the dedicating of all the prepared literature with prayer, God will bless his message as it speeds on its way to earth’s remotest bounds. Truly those children had a picnic that could be an auxiliary to a camp-meeting. We would be very glad if literature would continue to come, for the supply which was so liberally sent in reply to Brother Parmele’s request through the REVIEW, two months ago, has been exhausted. If any of the readers have extra Bibles, we would be glad to receive them, to distribute among the sailors who are not supplied.

We have been trying to find a building here suitable for a school for the colored young people. There are many things that have hindered an advance move, for work must be done very quietly in the South, as there is considerable prejudice against educating the negro; but Jesus died for them, and I do not forget how ardently my dear husband desired to come South and preach the message after he accepted it. Now he has fallen asleep, we feel that even under great obstacles we must carry out his wishes for these people. We desire the prayers of our people for the success of this work, and would be glad to receive donations toward its support.