A LIVING EXPERIENCE

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Jan 9, 1900

A LIVING EXPERIENCE.

THE interest on the part of parents in the education of the children leads me to think that many REVIEW AND HERALD readers will appreciate the experience related by one of our church school teachers. The following selection is taken from a private letter, and was not intended for publication, therefore names are withheld. When I see how the Lord can use an eighteen-year-old girl to his glory, I long to see more of our young people in his service. This teacher writes:—

“We had a delightful trip, arriving in time to spend four days at the local camp-meeting. It was decided that we should come up to ——, as it was understood that the church wished a school, at least needed one, as there were about forty children in the church. We came, and found the church in a dead condition. There was no unity. They did not have a missionary meeting; and out of a church of seventy-five or eighty members, but three or four attended prayer-meeting.”

“When the matter of the church school was mentioned, they said: ‘We have an excellent public school system here, the best in the State, and, besides, we are all too poor to support a school. We have no building, and are all so scattered,’ etc.”

“It was a dark outlook; but we saw so many children going to ruin that our hearts ached for them, and for their parents, too. We began to pray and to work. We visited all the members; a missionary meeting was started, and an interest aroused. A few earnest ones began to work with us in educating the people in regard to the school. There was a Sabbath-school convention held in this county, which we attended. The subject of schools was brought before the convention for discussion. Some tried hard to stop the discussion, but the Lord was with us; and after a long, hard struggle, the truth began to go home to hearts.”

“We said, Have faith! Step out, and God will work for you; but they were slow to move. At last we took a paper and went to each one to see how many pupils we could depend upon, and how much money they would give to support the school. In this way we received twenty dollars and eighteen pupils. People began to have more interest, and wished to know more about the work. A meeting was called, and together we sought the Lord, and studied the matter over. Those who did not attend the meeting we visited, with the Bible and the Testimonies

in one hand and our paper in the other. This has been a wonderful experience for me. I am naturally very timid, but the Lord strengthened me to do what it would have been impossible for me to do otherwise.”

“Now we shall have a large school, and a night-school for the parents, as there are about ten or fifteen of them who wish to come, and we know the number will increase. A committee has been appointed, and to-day they rented, and are fitting up, a large school-room, in what used to be a sanitarium. The room is well lighted, and can be ventilated easily.

“They are going to pay me everything that comes in over and above expenses unless the amount should exceed twenty-five dollars, then the rest goes to the school fund for next year.”

“Several from families not of our people wish admission, and we think we shall have enough students to keep us both busy. Mama and —— have rooms in the same building. I shall make my home there, and visit around among the pupils. We are so thankful that God can use us in this work. It seems too good to be true, that God can use me in his work.”

M. BESSIE DE GRAW.