Report From California by John Norton Loughborough

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Dec 20, 1870

Report From California.

By John Norton Loughborough

OUR meeting in Green Valley commenced with the Sabbath, Friday evening, Nov. 11, in the new meeting-house, and was quite well attended on Sabbath and first-day by our people from Santa Rosa and Bloomfield, as well as by the community around. As some interest was awakened, we continued our labors there, in public and from house to house, until Nov. 28, holding, in all, seventeen meetings.

This effort was not without fruits, as it proved a source of encouragement to the church, and two commenced to keep the Sabbath, and to serve the Lord. Measures were also taken to secure a library for the Sabbath-school, as well as to make the school more interesting. We trust the work will advance there, if all take hold to attend the meetings, and do their duty in meeting and out, and manifest, at all times, that zeal which has characterized the effort made in erecting a house of worship.

Nov. 29, commenced meetings again in Bloomfield, in the hall which has been bought and fitted up for a chapel for the use of S. D. Adventists in that place. This hall is 25x40, is on the first floor, there being another hall above it occupied by the Masons and Good Templars. Each hall is entitled to one half of the lot on which the building is erected. The lower hall was first built as a Methodist chapel, and since they left it, has been occupied for various purposes. This hall and half the lot were bought for $250.00; the hall has been newly papered, painted, whitewashed, and fitted up with stove, &c., for meetings. The principal expense of this was shared equally by two men who were infidels when the tent was first pitched in Bloomfield last summer; but they now have confidence in the Bible. One of these is keeping the Sabbath, and so are the wives of both of them.

We have had five meetings here during the last week, which have been well attended, with good interest, notwithstanding it has been rainy most of the time. We hope to see some good results from this effort, and that matters will soon be in such shape that we may strike for new fields. Although we are now in the midst of the rainy season, we shall be active, and do what we can.

Pray for us, that we may so sow the seed, that the Lord can water it by his Spirit, that abundant fruit may appear.

Bro. Kellogg was to be at the Healdsburg quarterly meeting, last Sabbath and first-day, and designs to enter the field again soon.

J. N. Loughborough.

Bloomfield, Dec. 5, 1870.