ACKNOWLEDGMENT by John Nevins Andrews

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · April 8, 1880

FromThe Review and Herald, Vol. 55, No. 15

ACKNOWLEDGMENT

By John Nevins Andrews

We have to-day received a package from the REVIEW Office, containing a quantity of our German paper and of the Danish and Swedish papers; also some publications in English, such as the Health and Temperance Annual, the Youth’s Instructor, and Good Health. We have besides received a patent lithogram for the copying of letters, which, on trial, promises to do excellent work. We are greatly encouraged and cheered by the reception of these things, which will add much to our means of usefulness.

The inhabitants of Basle are mostly Germans, though a large proportion are able to read the French language. We have commenced a systematic effort to place some of our publications in German and copies of our French paper in most of the families of the city, which involves a large amount of work. The copies of our German paper will be very timely to use in connection with our French paper. But the most serious task is the writing of letters to those who receive our publications. It seems like something very providential that this lithogram should come to hand at the very moment when we begin to feel deeply the need of something of the kind to aid us in this work. It seems the more providential in that we have not asked help of this kind from any of our friends, and have only presented our wants before God that he would aid us in this undertaking.

But our work is not confined to Basle. It embraces all French Switzerland, and, to some extent, France and all countries where the French language is spoken. For the present we do comparatively little for other countries, for two reasons: 1. That we have a much larger number of addresses in Switzerland than we can possibly use for some time to come; and 2. That the postage to other countries being two and a half times as great as to places in Switzerland, we have been compelled, for want of means to pay the postage, to confine this branch of the work mainly to Switzerland.

We have carefully put by a quantity of each of our back numbers for binding. Besides this, we have several hundred copies of each number which we are using in the following manner: We send four numbers in succession, inclosing in the first number a letter stating that we still publish our paper, and that we send these back numbers gratuitously as specimens of our journal. After this, we send a late number, and with it a letter inviting the receiver to become a subscriber. Much of the blessing of God has seemed to attend this effort.

I hoped to do much the past winter in public labor. I commenced in feebleness, but with the hope that God’s blessing would sustain me; but heavy burdens which I did not anticipate came upon me, in addition to those I already bore, and my health and strength completely gave way. I cannot find words to express my sorrow that I should be obliged to remain at Basle, when everything demanded my active efforts in the field. It has seemed doubtful at some times this winter whether I should ever rally, but I now feel encouraged to believe that a change is taking place for the better.

Though I have nearly lost the winter so far as my plan for public labor is concerned, and though I have suffered much anguish of spirit, yet, in other respects, I feel that the winter has not been lost. We have undertaken an extensive tract and missionary work, and I have bestowed much labor on the preparation of matter for our French paper. Besides this, I have seen the necessity of learning patience, and of humbling myself before God in view of my own faults.

But I designed only to express our gratitude for the things received from Battle Creek. They seem to be especially providential in view of the work that we are now doing. We have much reason to believe that the publications we are sending through Switzerland are accomplishing an important work.

Basle, March 7, 1880. J. N. A.