p. 19 | Review and Herald, Vol. 84, No. 37. (9/12/1907)

Good News from Paraguay

“Wonderful Are the Ways of the Lord”

The above is the heading of a report written by Brother Luis Ernst, director of the Alta Paraná Mission, for publication in the South American Union Conference paper, La Revista Adventista. Believing it would interest the REVIEW readers, Brother N. Z. Town has translated the report for us:—

“On the tenth of February I set out on horseback from the colony Gonzales, offering for a trip to Missiones, Argentina. After riding about two leagues, I fell in with a man, a native of Paraguay, who lives in the same colony from which I came. As he was traveling in the same direction as myself, I had the privilege of talking with him in regard to the signs that indicate the second coming of Christ. I also gave him a copy of La Verdad Presente which treated especially of the signs of our times. When we separated, he invited me to visit him on my return from Missiones.

“When I returned, Brother F. Taborda accompanied me to Paraguay, to take part in the work. When we arrived in Gonzales, we visited the man who had invited me to call on him. As we studied the Bible together, he became very much interested. We invited him to our meeting the following Sabbath. He came; but instead of coming alone, he brought seven or eight others with him. Shortly after this, one of these invited us to hold meetings in his house. We gladly accepted this invitation, and about thirty families attended. The interest seemed to grow continually; and soon the devil began to feel very uncomfortable. We were cited to appear before the authorities, where we were accused of making an uproar among the people with Jewish doctrines. The result was that the authorities strictly forbade us to hold any more meetings. I wrote to the judge in Asuncion, who had defended us once before when we were accused, and also to a brother in Asuncion, telling him what was taking place. At the same time my prayer to God was that he would destroy these satanic plans against us.

“He gave ear to our supplications. The brother presented the matter to the minister of the interior at once, and soon I received a paper with the government seal, giving me permission to hold public meetings in any part of the republic, and offering me the protection of the authorities, in case I was persecuted. The Lord be praised for the care he has over his work. At present there are ten in this place who have just begun keeping the Sabbath, and some of them desire baptism. The Paraguayans in general are very idolatrous, and steeped in vice. But the Lord is manifesting his arm among them. Pray for the work in Paraguay.”

An Open Door in Russia

RUSSIA is now offering an open door to the gospel missionaries. One who knows Russia well writes: “All over the land, in towns and villages, there are, at the present time, God-fearing men and women, students and peasants, young men and maidens, who meet in cottages and halls to sing spiritual and soul-stirring hymns, and to pray, with signs of deep feeling and emotion. I have seen all this myself—in Odessa, in Tauria, in Kharof, in Moscow, and in St. Petersburg. During the many years of my life and work I have never seen anything like it, either in the Eastern or in the Western hemisphere.”—Selected.

Southern Camp-Meetings

By William Ambrose Spicer

Louisville, Ky.

The Southern Union lists nine general camp-meetings and one local meeting this season. The first of the series was the local meeting for the northwestern part of the Cumberland Conference, held in the suburbs of Louisville, Ky. The Louisville believers and a small representation from near-by places gathered here from July 18 to 28. I enjoyed the two days spent with the brethren.

The workers present had cheering reports to give. And earnestly do they plead the need of more laborers in this populous and enterprising part of Kentucky. The meeting opened with blessings, and the surrender of hearts to the Lord, some starting for the first time; and I hear that this little camp-meeting closed with encouraging results.

Boyce, La.

The Louisiana meeting was held at Boyce, a town near the center of the State, July 19-28. The attendance of our own people was not large, as the meeting was rather distant from most of the churches. But as a means of agitating the minds of the public in a new region, the meeting was well located. The public thronged the tent night after night, and some were left more than ordinarily interested in the truth.

Brethren Horton and Reynolds were to follow up the interest with the large tent, while Brother Roberts, a new licentiate, and an associate are to use another tent elsewhere. Louisiana is evidently ready to hear the message, and the believers are anxious to see the active field work pushed.

The meetings brought decided spiritual victories to those attending. The proportion of young people present was encouraging in view of the great need of laborers. Canvassers had cheering reports to give. Out of about thirty-five parishes, or counties, the canvassers have been able to enter but seven or eight. They are aiming at new fields. And there is abundant room for new workers. One sister has done excellent work selling the Watchman in the towns of Louisiana. This feature of the work must surely become one of the strongest factors in sowing the seed through these enterprising towns of the South.

This conference has had three church-schools in operation, and the good influence of Christian education was apparent in the devotion of the little children at the camp-meeting. Last year's statistics of growth in Sabbath-keepers shows a gain of twenty-eight per cent. The State has had but one ordained minister, the president, and the New Orleans work has taken much of his attention. The conference invited an experienced minister of the West to enter the State.

In New Orleans a mission property has been purchased, on exceptionally favorable terms, which it is hoped will prove a great strength to the work. That is a cosmopolitan city, and the opening of work on the Panama Canal adds to its importance as the nearest great port to Central American countries. The main aim financially in the meeting was to secure help in this New Orleans enterprise; and the brethren in the South need any help that any one, especially interested in New Orleans and its outlook toward Spanish countries, may be led to give them.

Seven or eight were baptized in the Red River. The visiting laborers were Elders R. W. Parmele and J. E. Tenney, Dr. Mrs. Parmele, and myself. One important feature of the meeting was the excellent work of Elder Horton in reporting for the papers. By cultivating the friendship of the press, he was able to secure the insertion of daily reports of the meetings in New Orleans papers, although our meeting was in the central part of the State. By such means even a small camp-meeting may set multitudes to thinking about the message. The conference re-elected Elder S. B. Horton president, and Mrs. N. D. Saxby secretary and treasurer.

W. A. SPICER.

The Ohio Camp-Meeting

By G. A. Irwin

This meeting was held August 9-10, at Marion, Ohio. The brethren had obtained the use of the fair-grounds for their camp, and being located on a street-car line, it was very easy of access from the depots and from any part of the city. The grounds were excellent. There being many natural shade trees, the camp was not only attractive, but very comfortable during the heated part of the day.

There was a good attendance of our people, considering the lateness of the season and harvest. There were one hundred and five family tents on the grounds, containing an aggregate of five hundred persons; one hundred persons were accommodated in rooms near by, making a total attendance of six hundred in all.

From the first, the spiritual interests of the meeting were good. At the conclusion of the forenoon service on the first Sabbath, the whole congregation arose in response to the invitation to consecrate themselves anew to the Lord. In the afternoon services many cheering testimonies were borne, expressing confidence in the message and its ultimate and speedy triumph. Every day was filled with the consideration of some phase of our work for this time.

The first Sunday was a beautiful day, and there was quite a large number of the citizens of Marion in attendance. In the afternoon they listened attentively to a clear exposition of the Sabbath truth as we hold it, and in the evening to a discourse on the second coming of Christ.

Monday forenoon was taken up with the consideration of the recommendation of the General Conference Committee at its recent session at Gland to transfer the Ohio Conference from the Lake Union to the proposed new union conference that is to be formed out of the southern portion of the Atlantic Union. After the matter was presented from the standpoint of the interest of the work as a whole, and a few questions that arose in the minds of the brethren were answered, a motion to accede to the recommendation was unanimously passed by the brethren present. The rest of the time was taken up in considering the needs of the school at Mount Vernon.

In the afternoon I gave a talk on my trip around the world, and especially my experiences in Africa and my impression of the needs of that great field. Following this talk, the needs of the Mount Vernon school were again taken up, and a collection was taken, resulting as follows: $677.73 for the school; $75 for China; $62.50 for Africa, making a total collection of $815.23.

Wednesday forenoon an effort was made to raise the amount yet due from the Ohio Conference ($2,003) on the $150,000 fund. After a stirring missionary talk by Elder Thompson, and a few remarks by Elder Burkholder, the president of the conference, I made an appeal to the people to make up this fund, stating that I had made some figures while listening to Elder Thompson's speech, and if the brethren would respond to these, they could soon make up the amount. Prior to going into the meeting, we had had a blackboard marked off with squares; and I first raised the question if there were not ten persons in the congregation who would be willing to give one hundred dollars each to this fund, and as fast as they would stand upon their feet, signifying their willingness to do it, Brother Thompson would mark out one square in the first row. In order to give evidence of my interest in this effort, I told Brother Thompson to mark out the first square for myself. This example was quickly followed by eleven other persons. We then dropped down to fifty dollars, and it was not long until six persons gave fifty dollars each. We then dropped down to twenty-five dollars, and twenty-four squares were marked out. Our next drop was to ten dollars, and twenty-four more squares were marked out. Forty-one persons gave five each, and nine persons gave three dollars each. The hat was then passed in the congregation, and thirty-six dollars was collected in cash in varying sums from a nickel to one dollar. When this amount was all summed up, it was found that we had $2,608; adding to this amount twenty-five dollars that had been given for the same purpose the day before, it made $2,633; thus wiping out Ohio's quota to the $150,000 fund, and leaving a surplus of $630 to be put into the missionary work. Later the Ohio Conference Committee voted to add sufficient to this amount to bring the whole up to $3,000. In view of the fact that there were not over two hundred and fifty persons present when this effort was made, we felt well pleased with the result, especially since, the day before, $815 had been raised for the Mount Vernon school. If the whole membership of the conference had been present, and had lifted as did the few who were there, we would have realized a very handsome sum from the Ohio brethren for the promulgation of the truth in foreign lands.

Nor did this effort exhaust the liberality of the brethren present. Later, Dr. Miller received $308 for the work in China, and the last Sabbath of the meeting $105 was given in the Sabbath-school donation for foreign missions. Adding to

this the twenty-two dollars given the first Sabbath, we have the sum of $4,250.23, camp-meeting expenses excepted. The brethren seemed pleased because the Lord had put it into their hearts to give so liberally of their means.

Each day of the meeting following this was well filled with Bible studies, missionary talks, and matters of interest pertaining to the work both in the home and in the foreign field.

Elder Thompson and Dr. Miller each gave a stirring address; the former upon his trip and experiences and the need of the work in India, and the latter told of his experience and the needs of the work in China. Regular meetings were held each day for the young people, and daily meetings were also held with the workers in the conference, and an hour each day was given to instructing church officers and to answering questions.

The last Sabbath was an especially good day. Following the forenoon service nearly three hundred persons came forward to especially seek the Lord. Many of these were members of the church, but had felt they were in a back-slidden condition. Some gave themselves to the Lord for the first time. As the result of the entire meeting, thirty-four persons were baptized at the close. The meeting throughout was well planned and conducted, and, I think it could be said, judged by its general results, the best meeting Ohio ever yet held.

The two principal papers of the city gave very liberal reports of the sermons and addresses, so that the citizens of Marion who were unable to attend the meetings in person could read the principal addresses at their homes.

The one theme that seemed to permeate all the discourses and the meeting in general was the second coming of Christ in this generation and the preparation necessary for that event.

In addition to the ministry of the conference, Brother Moon, president of the Lake Union; Elder Curtis, educational secretary; Brother Slosser, canvassing agent; Elder Thompson, Dr. Miller, and the writer were in attendance.

I can not refrain at this point from speaking of the kind and courteous treatment we have received at each of the camp-meetings we have attended thus far. Everything has been done that could be done to make us comfortable both in the way of lodging and of board.

I was very pleased to have the privilege of attending this meeting, and especially because it was held in the town of Marion; for it brought vividly to my mind my experience at that place seventeen years before. The first camp-meeting held at Marion was the first meeting that I had charge of after having been elected president of the Ohio Conference. It was at that meeting that I was ordained to the gospel ministry. After the lapse of seventeen years, during which time I had spent four years in Australia and had made two trips around the world, visiting our work in different parts of the great field, it was indeed gratifying to me to come back and be privileged to meet many of the very persons with whom I was associated in my early experience in the work. I was glad to see many of the pioneers, and to hear their testimonies and their expressions of confidence in the ultimate triumph of this message, and their hope to triumph with it. While there were many whom I had formerly known, there were a great many whose faces were entirely new to me, showing that while there have been deaths and removals of the brethren and transfer of workers from that State to other fields, yet the cause of God is still onward in the Buckeye State.

The Ohio Conference has been very liberal in recent years with both its means and its laborers toward the work in foreign fields, and I trust this liberal policy will be continued in the days that are to come. G. A. Irwin.

Learning the Truth in India

By S. N. Haskell

We have received a letter from Sister Burgess, of India, in which she says: “Last Monday was a happy day in our experience. The day before, we climbed down the steep mountainside several hundred feet to a tiny stream trickling through the ravine. Here we had a dam made for baptism, and the following day our dear Hindustani brother, John Last, was buried with his Lord in baptism. The Lord witnessed in a marked manner, and I think I never saw a happier man than Brother Last was after his baptism.

“The Sabbath before his baptism he gave an account of how the Lord had led him in preparing him for this closing message; and even an outsider, a worldly man who was present at the meeting, was constrained to admit that surely God was with him. This man afterward sought occasion to have an interview with Brother Last to talk further with him in reference to his experience.

“Brother Last has now returned to his home in Patiala, hoping to win his wife to the truth, and to return with her to Dehra Dun for some further study after we go down. We hope that you will remember this brother in prayer, for we feel that God has especially called him to this work. His age and deep experience in the things of God will enable him to be of great help in establishing others in the truth.

“I must mention another thing. In our work we have felt very much the need of songs that express the sentiment of the message. Only a short time ago Mr. Burgess and I were talking about it, and expressed the hope that God would raise up some one who had the gift of composing music in the Hindustani. This gift Brother Last has. While here in Mussoorie, he composed a song on the soon coming of the Lord (his favorite theme), and sang it with great power in the crowded bazaars of Mussoorie. Hindus and Mohammedans crowded around, asking him to sing it again. The Lord especially blessed him as he went up and down the streets of Mussoorie singing and preaching the coming of the Lord, and we believe that fruit will be seen in the judgment as the result of it.

“I think several weeks ago I mentioned a man who had come several hundred miles to learn more of the truth. He has been with us studying, and has accepted the message gladly as far as he has studied. He was called home to-day by sickness in his family, but went home with the intention of teaching his wife and sister the truth he has received. He is planning to engage in the work of selling the little pamphlet.

“We are enjoying the bracing air of the mountains, and shall probably remain here until after the rains break. Amar Nath and his wife are with us again for a little season of study. We are also expecting several brethren from Agra who are keeping the Sabbath.”

The readers of the REVIEW should remember that Brother and Sister Burgess earned sufficient money by selling the Bible Training School at full price to our people to pay their fare to India. The money thus earned set the ball rolling, and since then there has been sufficient funds to support them and the workers who have embraced the truth through their labors among the Hindustani-speaking people since they returned.

Sister Burrows, now Sister Burgess, was the pioneer missionary to India; she remained there alone one year, learned the language, and was thus prepared to enter the work when Elder Robinson and wife reached India. Now she is the pioneer missionary among the Hindustani-speaking people. She was supported by volunteer contributions the first year from a brother in South Africa.

Papers are still taken and sold for ten cents a number, and the profits go to assist them in their work. Donations for the paper will be received from any desiring to aid Brother and Sister Burgess in their work.

For this particular enterprise, send your donations to Bible Training School, South Lancaster, Mass.

S. N. HASKELL.

West Michigan Camp-Meeting

By G. B. Thompson

This meeting was held at Hastings, August 15-26. The camp was located on the fair-grounds, and was a very pleasant and comfortable one. The attendance of our people was quite good. One hundred and fifteen tents were pitched, and fully eight hundred persons were in attendance.

The meeting was free from business, and a most excellent spirit prevailed throughout, the greatest unity being manifested in the various departments of conference work. A deep interest was also expressed in reference to the extension of the message in the home and foreign fields.

Here, as in all other camp-meetings attended this year, the unswerving loyalty and determination of those present to remain steadfast to the fundamental pillars of this message and triumph with it at last, was very encouraging and refreshing. It is a source of encouragement to know that God's remnant people are in no way being divided, but instead are pressing together, and preparing more effectually than ever before to carry the message to all parts of the earth.

The burden of the preaching during the camp-meeting was to present in a concise manner the field and the message, and the special preparation of heart necessary to meet the Lord when he comes. This was not only enjoyed by our own people, but many of the citizens of Hastings attended the meetings, and expressed their deep appreciation of the Bible truths which they heard each night.

As the progress of our work in the regions beyond, and the needs of the cause for workers and funds to extend and develop the work, were laid before

the conference, the hearts of all were touched; and they showed by their works that the liberal policy of the past in sustaining the work was not only to be maintained, but increased.

Considerable had been done toward raising their share of the $150,000 fund, $4,138 having been raised; and the conference felt that they should raise at least their pro rata share at this meeting. After making a reasonable allowance for the members who had been dropped from the Battle Creek church, there remained an apportionment of $4,185 still to raise. Following the writer's discourse on the needs of our work, a blackboard was placed before the congregation with a number of squares upon it. After a few well-chosen remarks, the president of the conference took the first square at five hundred dollars. Elder Irwin then led out in the meeting, and called for other liberal donations. Three quickly pledged five hundred dollars each, and a sister did the same the day following, thus making twenty-five hundred dollars. Six gave one hundred dollars each. Sixteen others pledged fifty dollars each. Twenty-one followed with pledges of twenty-five dollars each. Twenty-seven gave ten dollars each, and forty gave five dollars each. Six gave three dollars each, and eleven two dollars. This, with the collection which followed, made nearly five thousand dollars in cash and pledges. When all these pledges are paid, it will more than cover their pro rata share. In addition to this the conference committee decided to give sufficient from the tithe fund for missions to bring the sum up to six thousand seven hundred dollars. Two hundred and sixty-one dollars also was given to purchase and equip a printing-plant in China; thirty-five dollars was donated for the work among the blind, and forty-one dollars for a school in the South. In addition to this, the young people pledged over two hundred dollars to send a student to the Foreign Mission Seminary at Washington, D. C. The person has been selected, and expects to be present at the opening of the school. They are hoping to increase this sum sufficiently so that two persons, instead of one, can be sent to the Seminary the coming year. We believe it would be a good step for our Young People's Societies to take to assist in educating some of their consecrated young people for the foreign fields. While this conference has two important schools of its own, the most hearty sympathy, and co-operation was shown by the managers of these schools and by the conference toward the work of the Foreign Mission Seminary. This spirit we believe to be begotten from above, and to be a blessing to the work in many ways.

On the two Sabbaths of the camp-meeting $77.62 was given by the Sabbath-school for missions. A First-day offering of about sixty dollars was taken for foreign missions. This with other gifts makes the total amount raised in cash and pledges for the various branches of our work about seven thousand five hundred dollars.

Excellent work was done for the young people during the meeting, and a number of these gave their hearts to God.

From reports, we gather that encouraging progress is being made in the evangelical work of the conference. One church has been organized as the result of the work the past year, and three companies are ready for organization. Seven tents had been in the field before the camp-meeting, and the same number are planned for following the close of the meeting. One tent has been in Battle Creek during the summer, and the Lord has blessed the efforts put forth. While many are losing their way in the fog and mysticism of the prevailing skepticism there, about seventy have been converted and united with the church during the past few months. There is no more loyal and faithful church anywhere than at Battle Creek. The trials through which this church is passing have served greatly to strengthen the faithful people there.

Three laborers, members of the conference committee, have been called during the year to responsible positions outside the conference: Elder B. F. Kneeland, to act as president of the New Jersey Conference; Elder S. M. Butler, as Bible teacher in Union College, and Elder W. H. Heckman, to act as president of the South England Conference.

Besides the laborers in the conference, Elders G. A. Irwin, Allen Moon, and W. D. Curtis, Dr. H. W. Miller, J. B. Blosser, and the writer attended this meeting to represent the general work. We were glad also to have Elder Luther Warren spend the last two days of the meeting with us. In addition to these, a meeting of the board of trustees of Emmanuel Missionary College held during the meeting, brought to the camp-meeting for a short time presidents of the surrounding conferences, as well as other laborers.

Elder Irwin gave some most interesting studies on the subject of The Spirit of Prophecy, which were greatly enjoyed.

The revival spirit was manifest during the meeting, especially among the youth. Many sought the Lord on the last Sabbath, and found peace. Forty-one were baptized during the meeting. All felt grateful to God for the blessing bestowed at this annual gathering.

G. B. THOMPSON.

The Takoma Park (D. C.) School

By T. E. Bowen

POSSIBLY the readers of the REVIEW would be interested in a brief account of the local school work at Washington. So far, with all there has been to do in establishing the headquarters of the work here, no provision has been made for the children and youth of those who have had to move to this city to establish and maintain the work. In all, there are forty-five or fifty children of Sabbath-keeping parents, who have so far attended the public schools, except such as have been far enough advanced in their studies to attend the College. An effort was made last fall to open a school, but there being no suitable place to conduct it, the time passed for opening, and again the children were compelled to attend the public schools.

During the summer, this important matter received consideration by the church. A board was selected, and instructed to provide a place for the school. At first it was designed to connect the school with the proposed church building, but it was found impracticable to do this here. A very pleasant and desirable location for the school building was secured, about one fourth of a mile from where it is designed to build the church, in a quiet and retired place.

The lot cost six hundred dollars. The owner valued it at twelve hundred dollars, but as she lived in Wisconsin and desired to sell, she offered it herself at the above reasonable price.

It was first designed to build a one-story building, sufficient to provide only for regular church-school work, but the change in plans for the College, by which that becomes the Foreign Mission Seminary, made necessary an alteration in our plans, as the Seminary does not plan to provide for resident students who had been doing preparatory or academic work. Either this local school must provide for these students, or they would be compelled to attend at South Lancaster or elsewhere. This being true, it was thought best to make our building one story higher, and thus provide, or make it possible to provide, for students doing work between the eighth and twelfth grades. To do this, a building thirty-two by forty feet, with a basement under the entire building, is now being erected. At this writing the frame is nearly up. Everything possible is being done by those having the work in charge to economize in the outlay of money, but at the same time to provide a suitable place for the education of the youth and children, where they can be taught in harmony with the principles and truths of the Bible.

There will be two rooms, sixteen by thirty feet, on the first floor. The church may use temporarily the second floor for religious services in place of the rented town hall now being used, which is located too near the railroad to be desirable for such purposes.

Although the new building will not be done in time to occupy on opening school, temporary quarters will be provided, and we design to begin the twenty-third of the present month. Should there be those living in the vicinity of Washington, either in Maryland or in Virginia, who would like to improve the opportunity of the school, and can find good homes here among brethren and sisters, we should be glad to have them join us in making the school a success. Correspond with the writer. A few could be provided for to take work with those who will be in grades above the church-school work proper.

The Takoma Park church is taking hold earnestly and working hard to provide for this school. Some are cheerfully donating labor, and nearly every member is contributing every week of his means to raise the needed funds.

In a recent communication from Sister White regarding the work in Washington, this statement is made regarding school work:

“A special work should also be done in this city [Washington] in the establishing of schools, that the people may be educated along Christian lines. In our schools established in this city, the Word of God is to be exalted as the study book, and the law of God is to be honored and obeyed. The discipline of our schools is to be of the highest type.”

We ask for an interest in the prayers of all our brethren and sisters in this part of God's work here. One of the most important features of our God-given work for to-day is to gather in the children from the corrupting influences of the world, and unitedly, parents and teachers, train them for Christ.

T. E. BOWEN, Chairman School Board.

The Virginia Camp-Meeting

By E. W. Farnsworth

The conference and camp-meeting held at Hampton, Va., August 13-20, marks another mile-stone in the path of progress of the work in that State. There was a good attendance of our brethren and sisters from the different churches, and from the opening meeting a spirit of hope and courage was manifest till the close.

The arrangements for the camp were somewhat different from what they usually are. No family tents were pitched, but a large building was rented which had been fitted up for the accommodation of visitors to the Jamestown Exposition. Another building near by was used as a dining-room, and the large pavilion was pitched on vacant land adjoining the buildings our brethren had rented. A number of rooms were secured from people living near by, so all were provided for in houses instead of tents. This arrangement was very satisfactory to those attending the meeting.

Prof. H. R. Salisbury, Brother Bryant, of Iowa, and the writer were the only laborers present except those employed by the conference. Professor Salisbury was greatly blessed in presenting the subjects of the near coming of the Lord, and the reception of the Holy Spirit, and the brethren greatly appreciated his labors in their behalf. Sabbath, August 17, was a good day, when many renewed their vows of consecration to the Lord and his work. Brother Bryant gave acceptable help in the meetings for young people, and labored also in behalf of the canvassing work.

Hampton is located a short distance by trolley from Old Point, where the boats land bringing visitors to the exposition, and from which many small boats take them across the bay known as Hampton Roads to the exposition grounds. Many come to these places now, and it is expected that many more will attend the exposition during the autumn months. Elder G. A. Stevens is employed in distributing literature in the cities near the exposition grounds, and he is finding all he can do. Our periodicals are placed in the principal hotels and reading-rooms, and are also given away, and many seem to be deeply interested in them.

The conference meetings were harmonious, and there was a good spirit in all the business proceedings. Four newly organized churches were admitted to the conference. The Lord has blessed the work in Virginia during the past year, and we believe that still greater prosperity will attend it in the future if the brethren are faithful and true. Elder H. W. Herrell was elected president of the conference for the coming year, and he enters on his work with courage and the confidence of his brethren. Elder R. D. Hottel, who has been president of the conference a number of years, desired to be relieved of his responsibilities, but remains on the committee, and will still do what he can to assist in carrying forward the work. Other officers of the conference remain the same as last year.

On Sunday forenoon the $150,000 fund was considered. Virginia had still between five and six hundred dollars to raise on her apportionment. Most of our brethren there are poor, and it was difficult for them to give a large amount. But God put within them a spirit of self-sacrifice, “For to their power, I bear record, yea, and beyond their power they were willing of themselves.” Squares were marked off on a large sheet of paper, each square representing three dollars. There was no urging, and at times those in charge were about to close the meeting; then others would begin to take more of the squares, until over five hundred dollars had been given in cash or pledges. As the last square was crossed out, the congregation joined in singing, “Praise God, from whom all blessings flow,” and another song of jubilee was heard in heaven. The brethren were greatly rejoiced and encouraged, and a number remarked that this was the best meeting of all.

There was a good outside attendance of people from the city, and many seemed deeply interested in the truth. It was decided that several of the ministers should remain and develop the interest. We hope a good church may be brought out in Hampton as the result of this effort.

I was obliged to leave before the meeting closed, so was not there when baptism was administered, and can not give the number baptized. I greatly enjoyed this meeting, and my association with the dear brethren and sisters in Virginia. There must still be many in that State who will believe and obey the truth when it is brought to them. We hope to see the school near New Market speedily completed, for this should be a great blessing to the conference. I believe the brethren will hasten this enterprise forward to completion, as some money was given at this meeting, and no doubt others will bring their gifts that the building may be finished. May God greatly bless the work in Virginia.

E. W. FARNSWORTH.

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