OUR WORK AND WORKERS

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · Feb 19, 1902

OUR WORK AND WORKERS.

January 18 four members were added to the church at Olean, N. Y.

The baptism of five candidates in San Luis Valley, Col., is noted by Brother M. Mackintosh.

Arrangements are being made for the erection of a new house of worship at Hillsdale, Wis.

A Sabbath-school of fifteen members has been organized at Knox, Ind., by Brother Lewis Büchtel.

Meetings held at Grey Eagle, Minn., by Brother J. O. Peet, have resulted so far in the conversion of four to “the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus.”

The new church edifice at Salida, Col., was dedicated January 26, by Brother C. McReynolds, president of Southwestern Union Conference, assisted by Dr. W. W. Hills.

The proceedings of the ninth session of the South African Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, issued in a neat pamphlet, indicate a good progress in the work of that field, notwithstanding the war-disturbed condition of the country.

Reporting to the Bulletin, Brother L. F. Starr reports the addition of four members to the church at Council Bluffs, Iowa, and one to the church at Atlantic. Also that church-schools have been organized at Council Bluffs and Onawa.

It is encouraging to know that the Helping Hand Mission in Melbourne, Australia, is now self-supporting, and doing excellent work. A choir composed of boys and girls from the church-school, and a missionary brass band of thirty pieces, composed of employees in the Echo office, assist in the services.

“Teaching the Scriptures, praying in families,—this is the work of the evangelist, and this is to be mingled with preaching. If it is omitted, preaching will, to a great extent, be a failure. Come close to the people by personal efforts. Teach them that the love of God must come into the sanctuary of the home life.”—Testimony for the Church, Vol. 6.

In one place in French Switzerland, Brother B. G. Wilkinson notes that ten persons have accepted the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus. Reporting to the Missionary Magazine, he says: “My visit to Italy has been very profitable. I can see that the field is ripe, and it ought to be entered at once. The language is not difficult, nothing like the French, and the people are open to hear the truth.”

Of a trip through Russia, Brother J. T. Boettcher says they found the people ready to listen to the truth. He says: “Very many are receiving the truth, and in southern Russia a German brother was ordained for the work among the natives. The German brethren appreciated the work done for them. A number came 175 miles to attend meetings. Some of these had not accepted the faith before coming to the meetings.”

Brother G. W. Reaser writes us under dates of December 10 and 16, from Natal, that he is holding a most interesting series of meetings in Maritzburg; that he has never had a better company of listeners; and eight good souls have accepted the truth. Good help has been given by medical missionaries and Bible-workers. The British have been very kind in granting permits to visit the Boer prisoners, and in this way work is being done for them; but literature is greatly needed. He hopes soon to go to Johannesburg to organize the Sabbath-keepers there, at least into a working company. While living expenses are very high in South Africa, railway expenses are very reasonable. He refers, as an illustration, to a round trip of 71 miles (142 both ways) costing only about $2.20. The government owns the railways, and the profits are large. Writing to the Missionary Magazine, Brother Reaser notes the dedication of a new church in Maritzburg, the first church of our denomination in that district. One of the high-court judges encouraged the enterprise in a material way, and, with his family, had attended meetings in the new edifice.

At Bridgetown, Barbados, B. W. I., Brother W. A. Sweany baptized fourteen candidates during the week of prayer. Writing to the Minnesota Worker of the school conducted by Sister Sweany, he says:—

We wrestled over the matter of books for weeks, and were almost in despair; for we have no fund here for such purposes, and felt unable to buy them ourselves. But we felt that the school must have the books, so we ordered about $50 worth on our own responsibility, and had them to begin the new term last Monday. Such a delighted lot of scholars you never saw. We are confident that the providence of God, which we know placed this burden upon us, will enable us to bear it. We only charge 5 cents a week tuition, and many of our people are unable to pay this, so it is purely a missionary enterprise. We have never felt such a deep interest in, or burden for, any other one enterprise as we do in this. We have a class of five young ladies, each of whom we hope soon to see enter some branch of the Lord’s work. In fact, they are already taking hold of it in various ways. And native workers is one of the greatest needs of this field. These girls are all attending the school in addition to the work of earning their own living, which is almost a life-and-death struggle here. Some of them get up at 2 o’clock A.M. to work and study. We had a most successful and interesting entertainment during the holidays. It was held in the church, and consisted of songs, recitations, and Scripture exercises expressing some phase of the truth of God. The church was packed, and crowds stood at doors and windows. The blessing and presence of God was so real as to be recognized by all, and it was universally declared to be the best thing of the kind any one present had seen, and all schools here hold them.