Our Work and Workers

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · Aug 25, 1898

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 24, No. 33.

Our Work and Workers.

There were three additions to the church at Watertown, Wis., July 30.

Brother J. M. Rees reports three additions to the church at Monte Vista.

Brother Henry Block notes the baptism of three candidates at Idalia, Colo.

The addition of two to our ranks at Niwot, Colo., is reported by Brother J. H. Kraft.

By a tent effort in Denver, Colo., nine persons have been gathered into the fold under the ministration of Brother W. Zeigler.

The church at Christchurch, N. Z., reports an increase of eleven members the first half of this year.

In connection with meetings recently held in Lincoln, N. Z., Brother George Teasdale reports nine converts.

At Grand Junction, Colo., where Brother M. Mackintosh is laboring, about $250 worth of jewelry has been donated to the cause.

Brother B. L. Howe and family, and Brother J. L. Doble and wife, will sail for Honolulu September 7, to engage in missionary work.

Prof. Delos Lake, for several years connected with South Lancaster (Mass.) Academy, is now in Healdsburg, Cal., and expects to sail September 7 for Samoa, where he and his wife go as self-supporting missionaries.

Through a report in the Monitor, we have another encouraging word for the Signs in Wheeling, W. Va.: “There are many interested readers of the Signs. I often hear such remarks as these: ‘The only religious paper worthy the name;’ ‘Just what I have been looking for;’ ‘The best paper published,’ etc.” To this the reporter, Brother B. B. Noftsger, adds: “Brethren all over the State, you ought to be getting ready to support a mission in Wheeling.” And this is true of the principal cities in every State.

Brother J. V. Willson, of Iowa, has been assigned to work in connection with the Claremont Sanitarium, South Africa. With his family he will sail from New York September 15.

Brother Morris Lukens speaks encouragingly of the canvassing work in Pennsylvania. In ten years our canvassers have sold about a quarter million dollars’ worth of books. In one place a church was raised up as a result of the book work; in another place nine were led to an acceptance of the truth by the same means, and these are only isolated instances of the good influences of this branch of the work.

Writing from Tonga, Friendly Islands, to the Minnesota Worker, Brother E. Hilliard says: “We are anxious to get out to the villages, visit the people, and treat the sick. We can now talk the language enough to give short Bible-readings, and make ourselves understood quite well in commonplace things.” Owing to close times, their school has been somewhat reduced in attendance. Concerning the financial depression he says: “The cause is a failure of the coconut crop for two successive years. This year bids fair for a good crop, unless some devastating hurricane passes this way. These heavy storms twist the stem of the nut, so that it dries up and falls from the tree when about half grown.”

Keep at Your Work.—Has God given you work to do? then keep at it. Others may disapprove and criticise you; keep at your work. Obstacles may be cast in your way; keep at your work. Men may ask you to surrender your work to other hands; keep at your work. Persons may wish to co-operate till they co-operate everything out of your hands and into their own; keep at your work. Men may threaten to hinder if you do not come under their rule; let them hinder; keep at your work. If God has given you a work to do, He will give you strength to do it, and will bless you in the doing of it. Many a good man has allowed his work to be taken from his hands, and wrecked by incompetent men, who never could or would begin the work themselves, but seem on the watch to capture and control what others have begun. Many a man has idly wasted years of life and work by surrendering work which God had given him, into the hands of men whom God had neither called nor qualified to undertake it.—The Armory.

The new quarters of the Helping Hand Mission in Cleveland, Ohio, were dedicated on the 28th ult. Elder J. W. Collie delivered the address of the evening, and was followed by other gentlemen interested in mission work. From the description of the place published in the Visitor, we collate these items: “On the first floor is the chapel, capable of seating about 100 people. The walls are painted white, and beautifully decorated with Scripture mottoes. . . . In the rear of the chapel is the lunch counter, where penny meals are served. These are brought from the kitchen above by a dumb waiter. At the right of the chapel is the superintendent’s office, nicely inclosed with a wire railing. On the second floor we found the workers’ bedrooms, dining-room, room for dispensary, and kitchen. This is fitted up with a large Born Steel Range, extra large sink, and cupboard. In the hall, just outside of the kitchen, are large closets for storing clothes. On the third floor is the dormitory. This is the finest we have ever seen in any mission. It contains about thirty double-deck iron bedsteads, rooming sixty men. Large windows open at either end; these, with the skylight, furnish excellent ventilation. In the rear of this room is the fumigating-room, where certain undesirable comers are destroyed. There is also a double shower bath, capable of accommodating two men at a time, closets, and a large sink for toilet purposes. Everything had that air of neatness and cleanliness that will make it a most desirable place for those who want to become better.”