Opening of Fernando Academy by H. G. Lucas

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Nov 1, 1906

Opening of Fernando Academy

By H. G. Lucas

The summer's work of the teachers in visiting prospective students indicated that our attendance this year would be large. Considerable interest in the educational work was shown at the camp-meeting held in Los Angeles in August. We made a careful record of those intending to come, and from our list it was evident that we should need to secure rooms in outside cottages in order to accommodate all who intended to come. The first student came four or five days before it was time for her to come, and by the night of the eighteenth of September, the evening before school was to begin, every room had been taken. We have rented nine rooms outside, and have been able to add four rooms to our present quarters.

The Home family consists of about eighty persons, as compared with fifty for last year. The daily attendance in the school has increased from ninety-three, the first day, to one hundred and thirty. This is about fifty more than we had last year at this time. We feel that the Lord is working upon the hearts of the young people of this conference to prepare themselves for his work, and I am sure that we are near the time when the Lord's Spirit will be poured out upon his people, and they will go forth to give the message with great power.

I am convinced, also, that the different lines of missionary work that we undertook last year have had their effect upon the young men and women who were hesitating whether they should come to school or not. The canvassing work was given its proper place in our curriculum, and the young people sold several thousand dollars' worth of books during the summer months. The first Sabbath after school began the Young People's Society asked those who had been out in the canvassing field to give some of their experiences. They had a good meeting together, and at the close fourteen persons signified their intention to go out next year. I am sure that there will be a large class to go into training when the time comes.

All our classes are large, and more than forty have joined the class in Bible doctrines. A new class for ministers and Bible workers has just been started. In this class our Bible teacher gives his pupils topics to develop as they would in regular field work, and then he criticizes their efforts, and helps them in every way possible to become efficient workers.

Our church-school system has been partially responsible for the large increase in our attendance.

The young people here have raised the money to send a student-missionary to Peru, and only a few days ago they pledged more than one hundred dollars toward the support of the school that the young people of this conference are starting in the city of Rome.

The Lord has already blessed us in our spiritual meetings, and given us souls as the price of our labors. We realize that our success in intellectual lines can be accomplished only as we place before those under our care the choice between eternal life and eternal death, and then implore them to choose life.

H. G. Lucas.