North Pacific Mission by I. D. Van Horn

Pacific Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Oakland, California · Aug 26, 1875

North Pacific Mission.

By I. D. Van Horn

THE result of our effort with the tent at Dayton has been good for so small a place. Sixteen have signed a covenant to keep all the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus. They have meeting every Sabbath.

When I closed the tent-meeting there I stated that I designed going immediately to the Willamette Valley. As soon as this was known, the Rev. Mr. Chamberlain of Walla Walla was sent for to give the “other side” of the Sabbath question. Accordingly an appointment was given out for him. My wife being sick we did not go down to Western Oregon as we designed, and I immediately made arrangements to reply to him at Dayton. The Methodists freely opened their meeting-house to him, but we were refused that privilege in our reply. The turn of the whole thing was to secure us many friends, while they wounded their own cause. The Baptists also have made a small effort against us; but the people in Dayton are reading their Bibles too much lately to be satisfied with assertion.

Last Friday, the 6th inst., I went to Dayton again, and held four meetings on Sabbath and first-day, and found the interest still good. I heard of others who were commencing to keep the Sabbath, but they have not yet identified themselves with us. The work is not done there yet.

The way has been opened and a very urgent call made for me to hold a series of meetings in the Grand Round Valley. This valley lies on the east side of the Blue Mountains, about sixty miles south-east of Walla Walla. A wealthy influential man of that place came to see me expressly to have me go there. He owns a meeting-house in one place, and the old Court House in La Grande, and he said both of these houses were open to me as long as I might wish to hold meetings. I begin to think that these two circumstances, the work at Dayton and the opening in the Grand Round Valley, was why the Lord hedged up the way of going to the Willamette Valley by my wife's sickness. She is getting better now, and I am in hopes soon to be out in the field at work again. The Lord is good to us, and we have some precious seasons waiting before him in prayer. We believe he is leading us.

I. D. VAN HORN. Walla Walla, W. T., Aug. 9, 1875.

P. S. Our P. O. address is still Walla Walla, Wash. Ter. I. D. & A. P. VAN HORN.