p. 126 | The French Mission by M. B. Czechowski

Publishing Committee · Battle Creek, Mich. · Mar 10, 1859

The French Mission.

By M. B. Czechowski

DEAR BRO. SMITH: By permission of the providence of God I left home the 2d. inst., with the intention of visiting Plattsburgh, and arrived at that place the same day. I immediately visited Bro. Moses Mott, who lives about three miles from the village. The 3d and 4th inst. Bro. Mott and myself procured a house in which to hold our meetings; visited the brethren in Plattsburgh, and announced in the journals of the village that we would give our first lecture on Sabbath, the 5th inst., at half-past 6 o'clock P. M. The day arrived when I should give my first discourse in French, but I was sick. I had been taken sick Sabbath evening, and became weak to that extent that I could not even walk. My pains became more and more acute, and my groans prevented the brethren from sleeping. Never had I been so sick since my arrival in America. But my heart was calm. I laid passive in the hands of the Lord, trusting that if it was his will I should be enabled to give my course of lectures.

According to our previous arrangements, the brethren met at Bro. Mott's for the purpose of obtaining from the Lord the grace that we needed to glorify him in our meetings. I told the brethren that I could not take part in the meeting, and requested them to pray. The voices of the saints seemed very solemn to me. They presented my case to the Lord, and when they had prayed I arose and spoke one hour and a half. Bro. Mott then asked me how I was, and I replied, I am perfectly well. The brethren rendered thanks to the God of heaven for his condescension; and God's Spirit rested upon us, and testified that we were approved of the Lord.

The evening after the Sabbath I spoke two hours in a school-house three miles from Bro. Mott's to quite a large congregation of attentive hearers. While I was preaching I was interrupted by a few individuals in the house and in the street, who cried, "Hurrah! Babylon! Babylon!" The next evening, before the meeting commenced, I thanked my friends for having interrupted me, and requested them to help me still by proclaiming in every street, Babylone est tombée! Babylone est tombée! (Babylon is fallen! is fallen!) but I was left to preach alone. The Lord helped me to give seven lectures in this place, and many of the intelligent Canadians who heard seemed to be very grateful for the new light which had been brought before them.

I left Plattsburgh the 13th inst., expressing my gratitude to God for the efforts the brethren had made to help me to disseminate the truth; and on my return from Plattsburgh I visited quite a number of families, and distributed several French and English tracts.

The 18th, in company with Bro. and Sr. Taylor and others, I went to Bakersfield, Vt., where we had a glorious conference, which lasted two days. I there had the pleasure of seeing Bro. and Sr. Sperry, Bro. and Sr. Hutchins, the Bros. Bourdeau, and all those of their relatives who of late have embraced the truth. And I was introduced to several members of our Father's family whose faces I had never seen before.

The 21st I returned to my place with Bro. Daniel Bourdeau, and after many prayers and serious reflections, we have decided to visit the French brethren of this vicinity this week, and next week, the Lord willing, we shall give a series of lectures in Constable, near Malone. Brethren, pray for us.

M. B. CZECHOWSKI.

Mooers, N. Y., Feb. 24th, 1859.