p. 248 | Meetings at Woodland by Stephen Nelson Haskell

Pacific Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Oakland, California · Aug 14, 1879

Meetings at Woodland.

By Stephen Nelson Haskell

Our meetings commenced Friday evening, as usual, with a good attendance. The Sabbath-school interest was made quite prominent, and a strong desire was manifested to take advantage of every suggestion which would improve their school.

Brother J. E. White being present, it was decided that the school be reorganized, in order that they might avail themselves of the best method of organizing and conducting a Sabbath school. The school was reorganized, class contribution boxes adopted, teachers' meetings arranged, and maps purchased.

Bro. White illustrated the utility of maps in a Sabbath-school in a forcible manner. He also held a teacher's meeting of one hour with the Sabbath-school officers.

They have quite an interesting Vigilant Society, taking over one hundred copies of the SIGNS. There were fifty copies of the German paper taken.

Monday morning we had a temperance meeting, and nearly all signed the teetotal pledge.

One encouraging feature in most of our meetings thus far has been a disposition to reform,—to put away habits which were not only evil to those who indulged them, but presented a bad example to others. God will have a pure people, who will glorify him in their bodies and spirits, which are his. A successful meeting does not wholly depend upon speaking and praying, but in reforming, in putting away sin, and walking in the light.

We became much attached to the friends of the cause here, upon our short acquaintance, in witnessing a willingness to come up and get nearer to God. Only one drawback—a number who came from a distance were obliged to leave, so they were not at our temperance meeting on Monday.

On Sunday, Bro. Stephens baptized eight, who had previously taken their stand for the truth. S. N. HASKELL.