Courage and Success in Australasia
By J. M. Johanson
NORTH FITZROY, VICTORIA,
August 13, 1903. DEAR BROTHER: You will please find enclosed something on resident canvassing for your department of the REVIEW if you think it suitable. I am more and more convinced, both by personal experience and by watching the results of the work of others, that the best work is done by the canvasser who will work his territory over and over with our different books, and I shall endeavor to encourage this plan of work all I can in the future. I believe that if we succeed in getting men to settle down in given districts, it will enable us to re-canvass our territory successfully with our standard books, such as “Daniel and the Revelation,” “Patriarchs and Prophets,” and “Great Controversy.” I was much impressed with the result of Brother Cooper’s work in New South Wales. He worked for about three years in the Lismore district, and as a result of his efforts over seventy-five persons have come into the truth. Of course there were other workers sent there to bind off the work, but the interest was aroused entirely by his efforts in the canvassing field. What has been done there can be done in other places throughout the field, and I believe we shall in the future see more direct results from the work of our canvassers than we have seen in the past. You will be pleased to learn that notwithstanding the drought and strikes, we have come out as well financially in our work for the twelve months ending June 30 as we did last year, and I think that on the whole the work done in the field is ahead of anything that we have accomplished before in our book work. We have not run nearly so heavily on the health books, but have greatly increased the sale of our religious books, and the total number of books sold is 1,217 copies ahead of our returns for last year’s work. This is exclusive of the work done in South Africa. It is most encouraging, as it demonstrates that our work is not in any way dependent upon surrounding circumstances, but that wherever there are men and women who will yield themselves unreservedly to God for service, he will work through them for his own glory and for the salvation of souls. I feel that this year’s work speaks well for our agents. In many places, as you know, circumstances have severely tried them, but they have continued their work faithfully, and success is the result. It also shows that some of our new general agents are getting hold of the work well, and are pushing it on right lines; but nevertheless I realize that “very much more efficient work can be done in the canvassing field than has yet been done,” and I trust that the Lord will give us wisdom to plan so that we may see a steady increase in the output of our literature. I have of late felt much impressed by the need of giving special attention to developing workers that can canvass our large towns and cities successfully. In years gone by we have done a good work in the towns of Australasia, but of late our attention has been given more particularly to country work, with the result that most of the agents we have in the field now are really afraid to take hold of the work in the large towns. I am going to Ballarat to-morrow to open up the work there. I feel confident that we can work as successfully in the cities now as we used to do in times gone by; and if we succeed, it means that we can largely increase our staff of workers, and so make sure of a large output of books. Trusting the Lord is blessing you very much in your work, I am
Yours in service,
J. M. Johanson,
General Agent of Australasia.