Avilla, Mo by George Ide Butler

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Jun 11, 1872

Avilla, Mo.

By George Ide Butler

OUR meeting at this place closed Monday, the 27th inst., in which was included the Kansas and Missouri Conferences. We trust it was instrumental for good to those present. If it could have been continued several days longer, it might have accomplished far more good.

Avilla is situated in the extreme south-western part of the State of Missouri, almost down to the Arkansas line, and but a few miles from the Indian Territory, and is farther south than any point where any important meeting was ever before held by our denomination. A few families of our people moved into that part of the country from Illinois, some three or four years since, among them, Bro. H. C. Blanchard of the Illinois Conference. They soon began to hold meetings and present our views to the people, and now there is a church in Avilla of upwards of fifty; and more than this, in other points near by, so that we have now quite a representation of our people in this community; and there is a general interest to hear in all directions around. The population is quite largely composed of northern elements, and the country is rapidly becoming improved, and is one of the finest fruit countries in the world.

Our meetings were held in the house of worship erected by the Avilla church. We did not take the tent there on account of the distance and expense, and the probability that we could not get it back in season for the Kansas meeting.

Our meetings commenced Friday night. There was quite a fair representation of brethren from abroad, even more than I expected to see, considering the bad state of the roads and the distance they had to come. Some came over a hundred miles. The meetings were not as spiritual at their commencement as I had hoped to see. I thought I could discern that in the hurry of settling up new farms and other business, the spirit of the world had gotten far too strong a hold, and that there was great need of the mind being aroused to sense more fully the importance of the eternal world. This point was kept before the minds of the people, and our meetings improved all the time till the close, and could we have had a day or two more, I believe a good and thorough work might have been accomplished. As it was, all expressed much gladness for the privilege they had enjoyed, and seemed to realize their obligations to the cause much more than before. Bro. Lawrence preached twice. I gave five discourses. Our last social meeting was an excellent one, characterized by confessions and brokenness of spirit.

Two sessions of the State Conference were held, of which a full report is herewith sent to the REVIEW. All the churches belonging to the Conference which still maintain an organization were represented by delegates. Two newly organized churches, viz., Nashville and Big Springs, were admitted to the Conference with S. B. amounting to $150.00 or upwards.

When the subject of openings for labor came up, it seemed distressing to think of the calls in all directions, apparently good ones too, and the utter inability on the part of the Conference to meet that demand. However, there was a laudable interest manifested to do something in this direction. The subject of purchasing another tent for the Conference came up. While it was thought best that the new one bought this spring, the means for which mostly came from brethren in the northern part of the Conference, should be run by Bro. Lawrence and T. J. Butler, in the northern field, the brethren further south felt that they desired to have a part in this good work also; and when the matter was properly set before them, $307.00 were pledged in about fifteen minutes.

More pledges will be needed. But it is thought from the interest manifested by the comparatively few who were present in this good work that there could be no doubt that others scattered all over the Conference, many of whom are earnestly pleading for help in their various localities, will take hold of this work heartily and swell the subscription list to at least $500.00. There is no danger at all of its being too large; for by a vote of the Conference all the money raised in excess of what is required to pay for the tent is to be put into the conference treasury to pay the expense of running the same. And as the treasury needs means very much, this will be just as important a part of the work as the purchase of the tent. All pledges and money should be sent to Eld. H. C. Blanchard, Avilla, Jasper Co., Mo.

We expect this tent will be purchased, and that this comparatively weak, but very large, Conference will have two tents running this season. There will be if scattered brethren have as much interest as those present at the meeting had. Laborers will be forthcoming to run it as soon as it can be obtained. The means can be raised at once if pledges from responsible men in the Conference to pay by next fall are sent in promptly. We feel much pleased to see a prospect of this young Conference having two tents of its own, raised within itself, with which to prosecute the work of God. It looks like doing something.

On the whole, the result of the Conference was encouraging. Yet there is an evident lack on the part of very many to take hold of S. B. as duty requires. And the work being in its infancy makes this absolutely necessary if the cause shall prosper. There is much need of this being set before the churches forcibly to make them see it in its proper light.

Under existing circumstances it was not thought advisable to organize a Conference Tract Society. The churches are so few and so very scattered that it seemed useless to undertake it at present. But the churches were recommended to form local societies.

I can hardly close this report without alluding to some of our traveling experiences on this trip. Avilla is upwards of forty miles from Columbus, the nearest point on the Missouri River, Ft. Scott, and Gulf R. R., where we took stage to reach our destination. It is sixty-five miles from Ft. Scott where we reached the railroad on our return. These distances were much greater than we expected before going there. We had to start on our return trip to meet our next appointment, Monday afternoon. There had been very heavy rains the night before, and it has been very wet for weeks. Many thought it preposterous to start, thinking the streams would stop us; but we thought it better to go as far as we could.

We had no serious trouble till Tuesday morning when we came to a stream several rods wide which looked rather dubious; and when we drove some cows through which stood on the bank, to test its depth, we found they had to swim. After debating quite a while, we took our baggage across a log farther up, and one of our number stood up in the wagon and swam team, wagon, and all, safe to the other shore. It was not dangerous, as there was no current.

We congratulated ourselves on our chance to once more pursue our journey toward our appointments, and hoped for no further trouble. We knew there was quite a large stream a mile or two ahead, but we learned it was bridged and hoped for no difficulty. But when we got within half a mile of it, we saw the people hastening to see the unusually high water, and they commenced telling us it was no use to try to cross. As we got nearer, we could see the emigrant wagons stopped, and teams off, concluding to wait for the water to go down; but as the water was rapidly rising, that did not seem very encouraging, and there seemed quite a prospect that the bridge would soon go off. Our situation was not pleasant. As far as we could see, it was an unbroken waste of water running over the road. The bridge itself was hidden from view by the trees. There was no way to get round it without going forty miles further. If we stayed, we were sure to miss our appointment.

We judged from some circumstances that the water over the road could not be dangerously deep; but the difficulty was to keep the grade of the road bed, no telling how deep it was either side. Under these circumstances two of our number concluded to wade through and test the practicability of getting to the bridge, and over it. So they waded full one hundred rods, as near as we could judge, and found the water in places breast high, with quite a strong current. The bridge was all right, the main current running up to the bridge, but not over it. These then returned and walked one in front of each horse to keep the track, and all got through in safety with no loss whatever. The water in the deepest place was within three inches of the top of the wagon box. The baggage was piled up on the seats and was not seriously damaged. We all felt very grateful to God for our safe arrival on the other shore, and we did not fail to express it.

We had no further difficulty, and reached the railroad communications safely. Two of our brethren from Kansas brought our company, consisting of Bro. Lawrence, T. J. Butler, and myself, through to Ft. Scott in their wagon, and saved us much expense, for which they have our gratitude. Traveling in the far south-west under such circumstances, has sometimes rather an exhilarating effect, and breaks up monotony very effectually. We are all well and in good spirits.

GEO. I. BUTLER.

Kansas City Depot, May 29, 1872.