OUR WORK AND WORKERS

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · Jul 16, 1896

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 22, No. 28.

OUR WORK AND WORKERS.

On the 13th ult. Elder D. A. Ball baptized six persons in the Hudson River, at Bath-on-Hudson, N. Y.

Elder A. E. Place, president of New York conference, whose severe illness was noted a few weeks ago, has so far recovered as to be able to visit his parents at Mt. Vernon, Ohio.

Meetings are now being held in Yreka, Siskiyou County, Cal., by Elders H. F. Courter and George A. Snyder. Siskiyou is one of the extreme northern counties of the state, and it is encouraging to know that the advent message is being proclaimed “from Dan to Beer-sheba” in California.

The Advance (Congregational) of June 18 has this reference to our medical missionary work in Chicago: “Dr. J. H. Kellogg, superintendent of the Battle Creek Sanitarium, Michigan, who has for some time maintained a free medical dispensary (with free baths and free laundry) for workingmen, at 40 Custom House Place, Chicago, at a cost to him of $6,000 per year, has recently secured the old brick church at 42 Custom House Place, Chicago, and has had it thoroughly renovated and fitted for a workingman’s home and medical mission, where will be maintained free reading-room, free baths, free medical dispensary, with a skilful physician in attendance to treat the sick poor. A daily Gospel meeting will also be maintained. Dr. Kellogg will be assisted by a corps of forty medical students, who are studying for missionary work. Dr. Kellogg has also started a ‘Settlement’ work at 744 West 47th Street, Chicago, where is maintained, for the better classes of the poor, lectures on health, cooking, and sewing schools, mothers’ meetings, kindergartens, kitchen-gardens, and other work. Several visiting nurses spend their time looking up the very needy and rendering to them all the aid possible.”

The importance of letting the light shine is illustrated in the report of a laborer at Exeter, England. A business man, with whom he had some conversation, asked if he had ever heard of a people called Seventh-day Adventists. The brother told him that he knew such a people. The gentleman then said he had met one of them on shipboard on the way to South Africa six years ago, and he is now interested to learn more of their doctrine. The same laborer relates another instance, which shows that the preaching of the truth often makes impression unknown to the preacher. He says: “I met a local preacher who was acquainted with the truth, having, with others still interested, attended the meetings held in the city by Elders Durland, Wilcox, and Lane about ten years ago. He gave me an order for ‘Patriarchs and Prophets,’ and the address of a gentleman carrying on a large business, also a local preacher. I found the latter in harmony with us on all points of truth, . . . and he informed me that he has preached the message quite extensively.” We are destined to find many surprises in discovering that the Lord has agencies in the work of which we had not been aware. We may also know by these things that if we prove recreant to the trust reposed in us, the Master can readily supply our places in the work.