Church Work and Health Meetings in St. Gallen
By Albertina B. Voth
St. Gallen.—Since coming to this place, we have held meetings in a public hall four or five times a week, and have visited from house to house. This work, together with our labor for those who call on us, keeps us very busy. We had quite a hard time to get a place in which to hold meetings, hall rent being high, and there being great prejudice against our people. We are not nursing at present, but the Lord is with us, and is blessing our feeble efforts. Thursday nights my husband gives talks on anatomy, physiology, and hygiene. We have Dr. Kellogg’s large chart, and it is indeed a great help in bringing the truth before the people. It is most surprising how ignorant people are of the laws of health. Even those who profess to be Christians, when we visit them, offer us beer and wines, believing that these are very nourishing. Recently we have held a temperance talk each week, and since beginning these meetings we have not been annoyed in this way. Several have begun keeping the Sabbath since we came here. Six precious souls have joined our small company, and many others are interested, among whom are six Catholics and one Mormon, also a whole family of eight persons. One member of this family has already kept two Sabbaths. I never before realized as I do now, what it means to give up a good position and look for other work, to lose friends, and be regarded as a fanatic. It is quite a step to take in this country. Children are almost compelled to go to public schools on the Sabbath unless they attend a church school. I hope that the Lord will find a teacher for St. Gallen, as we shall soon need one. It is indeed a pleasure to be in this work. I enjoy it more and more. We are now having most beautiful weather, and the mountain scenery here is grand. St. Gallen lies very much higher than Basel. People say that they often have a snow shower here in the middle of summer.