What Can Be Done in Six Months' Time
By David Paulson, M. D.
SCATTERED all through our ranks are mature Christian women whose children are grown up, so they are largely free from home cares and responsibilities. Some of these women are beginning to realize that unless they plunge into active service for others, their interests and usefulness will shrivel up long before their Creator intended. But they feel handicapped because they lack a practical training. They do not feel that at their age they can undertake several years of preparation. Again, there is a large number of consecrated Bible workers in our midst who are fully aware that in recent years we have been instructed again and again that they should be prepared not only to open the Bible to the people, but also to give instruction in healthful living and to treat simple disorders. They know from personal experience that very often it has been difficult for them to secure entrance into the homes of the people; but that, if when the heavy hand of sickness has laid some loved one low, the Bible worker was prepared to minister to the sick one, she not only would be welcome, but she would have a tenfold better opportunity to reach that family with the truth for this time. But the majority of our Bible workers feel they have neither the time nor inclination nor, in some cases, the necessary strength to spend three years in one of our sanitariums taking a full nurses' course. Furthermore, there are hundreds of other earnest, wide-awake Seventh-day Adventist sisters who are beginning to realize that they need a training of some kind if they are properly to represent the third angel's message before their neighbors. Two years ago my attention was providentially called to a very excellent six-months' training course for domestic nurses, which had been organized by a prominent physician in Albany, N. Y. It was his purpose to give a practical nurses' training in these few months' time, to fit women to go into the homes of the sick poor who could not afford to pay the large prices that are now demanded by the ordinary trained nurse. His work had already been indorsed by the governor of New York, the State medical society, and by leading citizens who recognized that these domestic nurses were filling a great need. Knowing from personal experience the enormous opportunities for just this class of workers in our large cities, I felt strongly impressed that if we could organize a similar short course, laying special stress upon the sanitarium methods of treatment, and at the same time combine with it live Bible instruction, it might prove a tremendous factor in solving the problem of our large cities; for when it is remembered that the population of Chicago increases a hundred thousand each year, it can be readily seen that the regular conference force of workers can not accomplish what should be done. We leased the old branch sanitarium on the South Side, which under most providential circumstances was built by Elder Geo. B. Starr and his associates nearly twenty-five years ago for a Chicago training-school for Bible workers. A year ago last October the first class was organized. The majority of this class was composed of women belonging to our Chicago churches, who saw in this a valuable opportunity to enlarge their field of usefulness in the immediate vicinity of their own homes. The Lord added his signal blessing to the effort from the very beginning. His Spirit was manifestly present through the entire six months. Although many of these sisters have important home cares, they have been gratified to find that this course of training has opened doors of usefulness to them of which they little dreamed. Last October a class of twenty-four was begun, many of whom were from adjoining States. Several of these students were already successful Bible workers, some were well-seasoned magazine workers, and others had had extensive experience in various ways in building up the Master's kingdom. The majority of them had had sufficient experience in missionary work to appreciate the rare opportunity they were enjoying, and they took hold of the class work with the utmost enthusiasm. It was the unanimous testimony of the teachers that they had never instructed a more studious and earnest class. The Spirit of Christ seemed to hover over every session. The majority of the students spent some portion of every day in some form of practical missionary work. They disposed of more than one thousand dollars' worth of magazines in the homes of the people, and thousands of tracts were circulated. Bible readings were held, any number of treatments were given to the sick, and doors were opened for the gospel to enter. No charge was made for tuition. Students were given room and board in the institution at actual cost, or three dollars a week. In most instances the members of the class managed to be self-supporting,—from the sale of magazines, from what they earned by treating the sick who could pay, and in other ways. During these six months, 120 Bible lessons were given; 32 lessons in anatomy, physiology, and hygiene; 24 lessons and demonstrations in hydrotherapy; 24 hours were devoted to instruction in practical bedside nursing; 15 to the principles and methods of treating simple diseases; 8 hours to bandaging, surgical nursing, and to what to do in accidents; 9 hours to dietetics and cookery; 8 hours to the care of obstetrical cases. In addition, members of the class had opportunity under the supervision of our doctors to help to care for this class of cases among Chicago's poor. This six months' course of training opened up an entirely new world of missionary opportunity to some who saw no chance for them to have an opportunity in active, aggressive missionary warfare. The next six months' course will begin the first week in October. The times demand that a large number of our laity shall secure a speedy training for immediate service, for God will have a quick work done in the earth. Steps are being taken for the establishment of similar courses for practical training in various large cities; but meanwhile it would be well for all those who can do avail themselves of this unique opportunity offered here in Chicago. It is expected, as far as Providence so directs, that those who come from other parts of the country should return again to their home fields to put in active practise the principles and experience that they have acquired while taking this course of training. Those who are interested and desire full printed information may secure the same by addressing the writer at Hinsdale, Ill. It is, of course, unnecessary to add that only those need to apply who have a definite Christian experience, and a real desire in their hearts to bring the saving gospel of Christ for this time to the attention of their fellow men.