The Medical Missionary Movement in Chicago
By David Paulson
We are sure that all our brethren will be glad to know something of the interesting experiences that God is giving us in our Chicago medical missionary work. The work faithfully done by those who preceded us is now beginning to bring a blessed harvest. Some of the leading pulpits in the city are being opened to us. At important occasions we have had opportunities to present the truths that are dear to us. Men and women whose work has been honored by God, have become friendly to our work, and are manifesting an interest to investigate the truths for this time. One of our oldest and most experienced workers is spending her entire time this month in visiting leading pastors in the city, interesting them in The Life Boat, securing opportunities for us to speak in their pulpits, and making arrangements for having schools of health conducted in their churches. Thus far she has met with most gratifying results. Fully a dozen of our workers are selling The Life Boat, either in the residence portion of the city or to business men in the great office buildings. One of our sisters sold two hundred and fifty copies of one number in one of these mammoth buildings. The success that has been met with in this work exceeds our fondest expectations. The most ordinary and inexperienced worker sells from twenty-five to forty copies in about four hours. As three cents is earned on the sale of each copy, it can be readily seen that the problem has at last been solved of how we can take in scores of workers, and give them the splendid opportunities for training that the Chicago work affords, and at the same time offer them an opportunity to earn their support. Before these workers start out in the morning, they have a consecration meeting, and unite in earnest prayer for divine guidance. Those who have had the privilege of attending our experience meetings would not doubt for a moment that these prayers are answered. The workers take note of the homes where the people desire Bible readings, and where cottage, health, and gospel meetings can be held, and these openings are more than we can fill. Chicago contains two million inhabitants, or more than many of our large States. We are maintaining in this city a sanitarium, a hospital, the Workingmen's Home, a splendid mission, a rescue work for women, a great medical missionary dispensary effort in the stockyards district, a free visiting nurses' work, and a hygienic restaurant, which from every point of view is the best there is in the vicinity of the Chicago University. Engaged in these various departments are nearly one hundred and fifty young people. We want fifty more earnest, consecrated, self-sacrificing young men and women to begin a training as missionary nurses, and at the same time share the splendid missionary opportunities that are spread out before us in this city; but they should come prepared to pay several dollars each week for their board and19room, or else be willing to sell The Life Boat to pay for the same. We would be glad if a dozen of our leading ministers and conference or tract society secretaries, leaders of young people's societies, and others occupying responsible positions in our work, would come, upon the same terms, and remain with us a month, or longer if providence so directs, and engage in missionary work, thereby coming so closely in touch with this work, and gaining such an experience in reaching all classes of people, that when they go back to their own fields of labor, they will be the means of arousing thousands of our people to engage in neighborhood gospel work. Multitudes are standing still, doing nothing, pleading as an excuse, “No man hath hired us;” that is, no one has set them to work. One business concern among us has been donating one hundred and fifty dollars a month to pay the rent and maintain some of the running expenses of the Life Boat Mission and some other departments of our work. We have received notice that they do not see their way clear to continue the contribution beyond this month. We want one hundred men who will give us a dollar a month to keep this important missionary center from being closed. We want ten thousand children to sell fifty thousand copies of The Life Boat each month, both for their own good and for the good of the community in which they live. This is only five copies apiece each month. Most of them could do much more. The circulation of the August number was fifty thousand. If our children will take hold of this work, we believe that they will easily double this circulation in a few months. We want people of mature years to introduce The Life Boat to their most influential neighbors, and to all the pastors in their community, and try to get them to subscribe for it. It will make friends for our work, and will increase their love for spiritual things and their confidence in God, and create an appetite for all the other good things we have to feed them on. If these requests are reasonable and proper in view of the time in which we are living, and the scenes and experiences into which we are about to be plunged, why not act upon them? God wants to make this people the greatest soul-saving denomination in the world. Gideon had to gather thirty thousand men in order to find three hundred who really possessed the spirit of battle. May the Lord grant that a great missionary wave may sweep over this people, and that there shall be found a larger proportion of genuine missionaries in our ranks than there was found in Gideon's company.