p. 650 | The Missionary by John Norton Loughborough

International Tract and Missionary Society · Oakland, California · Oct 30, 1884

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 10, No. 41.

The Missionary.

By John Norton Loughborough

San Jose and Lemoore.

ON Sabbath and first day, Oct. 11 and 12, Brother Ings and myself attended the church quarterly meeting at San Jose. On the Sabbath we had an interesting Sabbath-school, a discourse, and a social meeting. About thirty-five adults were present besides the children. I could not but note the changes that have taken place in San Jose. In the audience I saw but three persons who were in the church when I was last in the place, six and one-half years ago, and not one of the three remained as enrolled members. The church is mostly composed of those who have newly embraced the truth. Of the old members, death, removals, and a few cases of apostasy have depleted their number.

On first-day, as we had not the use of the hall in the city, our meetings were held at the house of Brother Peach, in Willow Glen. Here we had a discourse and the ordinances. Six members were voted into the church, making the present membership twenty-six. A spirited church missionary meeting was held, and, among other things considered, the San Jose members secured distributors for the waiting-rooms of the railway stations in the place, and made arrangements for reading-matter to supply them. One brother volunteered to attend to placing the reading-matter in the distributors. Some matters of difference were investigated during our stay, and we trust, as they go forward with a spirit of good cheer, they may see their number still increased.

On Friday evening, Oct. 17, Bro. Israel and myself commenced meetings with the church in Lemoore. These meetings continued until the afternoon of the 19th. Four discourses and one Bible-reading were given, and the district quarterly meeting was held. Before our arrival, on Wednesday, the church observed a day of fasting and prayer, for the Lord to give success to our meeting. In that meeting a part of the time was occupied in reading selections from the four volumes of "Spirit of Prophecy," and in a spirited social meeting. They reported a good meeting on fast day. We believed it, for the influence of the meeting was fully apparent in our two days' meeting. At 3 P. M. of Oct. 19 we parted with our brethren and sisters at Lemoore, leaving them in good cheer. They determined to prepare for the five days' meeting to be held there Nov. 21-25. We then rode twenty-three miles by team to Goshen, where we took the train for an all-night's trip to Los Angeles, and our southern meetings. J. N. LOUGHBOROUGH.