JOTTINGS FROM OUR HELPING HAND MISSION.
By G. W. Reaser
The first meeting at the Mission was held on Sunday evening, February 27. There was a good attendance, and a remarkable degree of interest manifested in the presentation of the Word. The text for the evening was, “Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you.” After an earnest appeal at the close of the brief sermon, four men came forward, and expressed their determination to give themselves to the Lord. One man stated that he was deeply impressed by the words of the text, and that he had never looked at the matter of obeying the Lord from that standpoint before. He had been an intemperate man, and had tried several times to stop the use of intoxicating drinks, but had not been able to resist temptation. At one time in his experience he had remained sober for one year, and had, by industry and economy, accumulated about $1,200 worth of property, but, being urged to attend a banquet given to the president of a trade union, of which he was a member, by urgent invitation, drank wine,12and from the moment that the accursed cup touched his lips, he found it impossible to control his appetite, until his property was all swallowed up. On the following night two came forward, both of whom seemed to make a full surrender, and get a complete victory. The testimony of one of these was that he had long desired to give himself to the Lord, but that never before could he get the courage to stand boldly for the Master. Another came, while under the influence of liquor, and in a pitiful tone of voice said, “Can God forgive, can God forgive a poor drunkard, and one that has robbed fathers of families?” A young man lately discharged from the United States Navy, because of the expiration of his term of enlistment, came to us for assistance, and told the following story. He said that when he was paid off by the U. S. Paymaster, he had $470 in money, beside his personal effects; $300 of this amount he sent to his mother, who is a widow, and resides in the suburbs of the city of Boston. He then started out to see the sights in the city of San Francisco, and, meeting an acquaintance, was invited into a saloon, to “take a glass of beer.” Altho he was not in the habit of using strong drink, he did not like to refuse his friend’s invitation, and so reluctantly accepted. While in this Satanic den, he was drugged, and robbed of everything of value that he had on his person, including the $170 which he saved for his own use. He was a stranger to us, but we took him in, and supplied his needs. While with us he enlisted, not in “Uncle Sam’s” Navy, but in the army of the Lord. We felt that the Lord had sent him here, and our prayer is that he may prove to be a “good soldier,” and always wear the Christian’s armor. We helped him across the bay, where he hoped to secure employment, and thus be self-supporting. Up to the present time several who came to the mission out of work, and having nothing to live on, after giving themselves to the Lord, have secured good positions, and thus realized the truthfulness of the assurance that if we seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, all we need will be added.