JOSEPH C. BROOKS by Joseph C. Brooks

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Feb 17, 1903

JOSEPH C. BROOKS

By Joseph C. Brooks

Colombia

BOCAS DEL TORO.—I am glad to report that our company are all of good courage, and are finding God a very present help in time of trouble. The removal of Elder Hutchins from us by death, just as we were planning for church organization, was a heavy blow, and it seemed as if it would prove fatal to all our past labors. But what has been our experience?

As a company, we realized that we drew near unto the gates of death. Unitedly we cried unto the Lord in our trouble, asking him to send us quickly a minister to take up the work. He has not done this yet, but has, nevertheless, sent his Word and healed us; he has saved us out of all our distresses, and delivered us out of all our destructions. We forget our sorrows and our griefs and fears as we feed upon the Word in our meetings and at home.

The fact has been emphasized before the company and the interested ones who have not yet identified themselves with us, that in the Word we are to look for the immediate help we so much need. We are still praying and longing for a minister to be sent; but while we wait, we realize that the word of his grace is able to build us up, and to give us an inheritance among all them that are sanctified; that this word is nigh us, even in our mouths, and that it is only for us to let it dwell in our hearts richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in our hearts to the Lord. Doing this, we are truly able to declare his works with rejoicing, and to sacrifice the sacrifices of thanksgiving.

We are making arrangements for a general gathering of all our isolated ones for the week of prayer, when we expect rich blessings from the Lord.