p. 7 | Review and Herald, Vol. 77, No. 27. (7/3/1900)

A LETTER FROM THREE ILLINOIS CANVASSERS.

By W. C. Foreman; G. S. Nord; C. E. Wardson

SINCE leaving the College in Battle Creek we have been in the canvassing field one month, and have been very busy all the time, except during the rainy weather. Brother Fry has taken orders for thirty copies of “The Desire of Ages,” in the various styles of bindings, besides a number of orders of “The Coming King.” Brother Edwardson has secured orders for thirty-four copies of “The Desire of Ages,” also sixteen orders for “The Coming King.” Brother Nord has succeeded in securing fourteen orders for “The Desire of Ages,” and between twenty and twenty-five orders for “The Coming King.” In two days last week his sales amounted to $30. He also took eight orders for the Signs of the Times.

The Lord has wonderfully blessed the work of Brethren Fry and Edwardson. They have each taken as many as fifteen orders in one week for “The Desire of Ages,” and many of them were for the seven-dollar binding. We are gaining an experience that

will be of great value to us. We are all of good courage, and enjoy the work. We understand that Brother F. Wheeler’s company is meeting with good success in the county in which they are working. We realize more and more what it means, and the value of gaining practical experience in the canvassing work. After being in the field for a time we can better understand the necessity and importance of the missionary canvassers’ being thoroughly consecrated to God and accepting his promises by faith.

We are sure the Lord will bless the canvassing work this summer. Remember us at the throne of grace.

Yours in the blessed work, W. C. FOREMAN, G. S. NORD, C. E. WARDSON.

Amboy, Ill.

OVER EIGHTY YEARS OF AGE.

By C. Hale

I have been reading the interesting reports from the canvassers in the SUPPLEMENT, and I am much encouraged as I witness the work that God is accomplishing through the human agent. It stirs my heart, and carries my mind back to the time when I canvassed over the hills of Windsor County, Vermont.

The first book I worked with was “Sunshine at Home.” Since that time I have canvassed for “Breakfast, Dinner, and Supper,” “Marvel of Nations,” “Patriarchs and Prophets,” “Great Controversy,” “Thoughts on Daniel and the Revelation.”

At the time I was engaged in the work, I was over seventy years of age, but the Lord wonderfully blessed my efforts, and I earned more money in that work than I could possibly make on my farm. It is now ten years since I have been connected with the canvassing work, and I am in my eighty-first year. If I were young again, I would make canvassing my life work. To young men and women I would say, Dedicate your life and service to the cause of God. Believe his promises, for they are all “yea and amen” in Christ Jesus our Lord; and I pray God that he may bless you in the work.

Let us press together, and be of one mind and heart, that we may become one in Christ, even as the Father and Son are one. O what a blessed thought it is that Jesus prays for us. His prayers will prevail with the Father. O be strong in the Lord, and go forward. Fear not, saith the Lord, for I am with thee, even unto the end.

Your aged friend in the truth as it is in Jesus,

C. HALE.

Weston, Vt.

OUR COLLEGES AND THE CANVASSING WORK.

THERE never was a time in the history of the third angel’s message when there was such an intensity taking hold of every earthly power and enterprise as at present. We see this not only in the business, but also in the political and the religious, world.

Each of the great world-powers is watching with eagle eye the political movements of every other nation. At the present time Russia, Great Britain, Germany, France, the United States, and Japan are massing their troops in the Orient. What does this mean to us who understand the prophecies of Daniel and the Revelation? In the religious world, efforts are being made to awaken an interest in the minds of the people concerning the importance of being more faithful in attendance to their religious duties. Revivals are being instituted, and general and local societies are being organized for the purpose of enlisting the assistance of the young people to advance the interests of the churches.

God has given us a wonderful truth; and from every part of the Lord’s great vineyard comes the call for educated men and women to enter the field, and scatter the printed page of truth,—men and women who possess the faith and courage of Caleb and Joshua, and believe that they can accomplish the work that God has given them to do. There should be one hundred canvassers in the field, circulating such books as “Great Controversy,” “Patriarchs and Prophets,” “Daniel and the Revelation,” and “The Desire of Ages,” where there is now one.

The Lord does not depend upon any particular person to carry on this work; but we need, individually, the experience that is to be obtained in going from home to home, and talking to the people concerning the great truths contained in these volumes.

Our schools and colleges are taking an active interest in the canvassing work. Battle Creek College will offer a course of instruction in our large books for the purpose of fitting and training young people, and older ones to engage in missionary canvassing.

For information concerning the College canvassing course address Prof. E. A. Sutherland, Battle Creek College, Battle Creek, Mich.

Brother Edw. M. Phelps Canvassing

BROTHER EDW. M. PHELPS has lately come to our State and begun canvassing at Searcy. In about sixty hours he took $79 worth of orders for books.—Arkansas Reporter.

CANVASSING REPORT FOR MONTH ENDING MAY 31, 1900.

	STATE.	No. Canvass'rs	No. Rep'ting.	Days.	Hours.	Orders Taken.	Value.	Miscel. Sales.	Total Value.	No. of Books.	Value.
Dist. 1.	Atlantic
	Chesapeake
	Maine
	Maritime Prov.
	New England
	New York	14	14	62	242	116	286	75 14	361 14		$ 15
	Pennsylvania	19	19	170	1,277	589	824 45	334 30	1,158 75		518 50
	Quebec
	Virginia
	Vermont
	West Virginia
No. 2.	Alabama	8	5	62	295	150	150 50	37 71	188 21		39 10
	Cumb'land Mis.	13	7	46	370	294	402 55	33 60	435 15		49 50
	Florida	7	7			293	312 25	8 26	320 50	229	148 25
	Georgia	7	7	55	395	331	481 05	100 00	581 05		204 65
	Louisiana	4	2	14	158	162	167 75	9 75	177 50		49
	Mississippi	3	2	15	203	64	96 75	7 60	104 35		38 50
	N. Carolina	17	13	109	717	536	582 34	162 95	745 29	86	106 25
	S. Carolina	4	3	8	202	46	28 00	15 75	43 75	15	15 00
	Tenn. River	4	4	55	440	125	177 00	11 25	188 25		40 50
No. 3.	Indiana
	Illinois¹	12	12	43	256	34	113 00	36 75	149 75
	Michigan
	Ohio	20	16		294	398			643 15		393 23
	Ontario
	Wisconsin²	9	9		454		162 50	31 70	218 35
No. 4.	Dakotas	21	21		2,874	1,281	1,493 40	182 33	1,675 73
	Iowa	19	19		881	540	615 45	112 05	727 50	51	55 75
	Manitoba
	Minnesota	29	29		3,096	788	1,096 50	750 88	1,847 38
	Nebraska	24	24		2,684	532	1,114 00	718 93	1,832 93		26 50
No. 5.	Arkansas
	Oklahoma and Indian Terr.³	40	40		5,638	2,280	5,431 90	364 38	5,796 28		31 00
	Kansas	22	22		2,048	1,385	1,162 85		1,162 85	225	229 45
	Missouri	13	13			331	902 75		902 75
	Texas	11	11		734	325	616 75	21 75	638 50
	Colorado	10	10		649	345	657 90	72 95	730 85	79	119 30
No. 6.	California	10	10		190	159	258 50	25 60	284 10	128	108 85
	North Pacific	3	3		230	76	292 00	14 65	306 65
	Upper Col'bia
	Montana	3	3	23	200	114	311 90	54 40	366 30
No. 7.	Australia⁴	55	55			1,223	5,655 92		5,655 92
No. 8.	Great Britain
	Denmark
	Germany
Misc.	South America
	Jamaica
	Bahama
	Brazil
	Finland
Summary.	Dist. 1.	33	33	132	1,519	705	1,110 45	419 44	1,529 89		533 50
	Dist. 2.	67	50	362	2,780	2,001	2,399 19	386 66	2,785 85	330	690 70
	Dist. 3.	41	37	43	1,004	432	275 50	78 45	353 95		393 23
	Dist. 4.	93	93		9,535	3,141	4,319 35	1,764 19	6,083 54	51	82 25
	Dist. 5.	96	96		9,069	4,666	8,772 15	499 08	9,431 53	304	379 75
	Dist. 6.	16	16	23	620	349	927 40	54 65	756 75	128	108 85
	Dist. 7.	55	55			1,223	5,655 92		5,655 92
	Dist. 8.
	Miscellaneous
	Totals.	401	380	560	24,527	12,517	$23,394 90	$3,202 47	$26,597 43	813	$2,188 08

THE KANSAS WAY.

By R. W. Parmele

The portion of Kansas City, Kan., called Armourdale, is composed of about fifteen or twenty thousand inhabitants, covering a territory a very little over one mile square. From this it will be readily seen that this part of the city is densely populated. Several efforts have been made by our people to bring the light of truth to the people of Armourdale, but only a very few have yet been reached.

Since connecting with the work in Kansas City, I have given much study to the question of proper methods of work, and have decided on a plan that seems to me to be the best way to reach the people in a busy city as is this one. Our plan, in brief, is that outlined in Jer. 16:16, only we have reversed the order.

Brother B. E. Hoffman and I pitched our tent in the center of Armourdale, and began meetings last Friday night, with a fair attendance. We have divided the city into four quarters, and have enlisted quite a number of the members of the church to assist us in our work. These workers will go out as “hunters,” carrying our publications, and while canvassing will keep on the hunt for interested persons; and as these persons are found, their addresses will be obtained, and we will send out a “fisher” (Bible worker) with bait, and endeavor to catch them. We have planned to hold only three meetings for the public each week,—on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday nights,—and spend the rest of the time in visiting and giving Bible readings.

In one quarter of the city we will have a corps of workers selling “The Desire of Ages”; in another, “Heralds of the Morning”; in another, Signs; and in the fourth, a company distributing tracts on the envelope plan. We have over three thousand tracts to distribute in this way. As these workers finish their territories, they will move one territory ahead, and thus we hope to work the entire territory four times during the summer.

The Kansas City church is taking hold nobly, but only a few of them are situated so they can devote much of their time to the work. We could use at least six more workers than we will have, and if the Lord should impress some of our consecrated young people with the duty of engaging with us in self-supporting missionary work, we would be glad to hear from them. We ask an interest in the prayers of our brethren.—R. W. Parmele, in Kansas Worker.

Souls Thrive Best in the Field of Duty

“Souls thrive best in the field of duty.”

“THE DESIRE OF AGES.”

By Ellen G. White

LET canvassers handle books which bring light and strength to the soul, and let them drink in the spirit of these books. Let them put their whole soul into the work of presenting these books to the people. If they are imbued with the Spirit of God, heavenly angels will give them success in their work, and they will gain a deep, rich experience. God would be pleased to see “The Desire of Ages” in every home. In this book is contained the light he has given on his work. To our canvassers I would say, Go forth with your hearts softened and subdued by reading of the life of Christ. Drink deeply of the water of salvation, that it may be in your hearts as a living spring, flowing forth to refresh souls ready to perish.

Those who will read attentively the words which the human agent has tried to present clearly to enlighten the minds of others, will receive God’s blessing. He will be with every one who seeks to understand the truth that he may set it before others in clear lines. Make no delay. God has spoken plainly and clearly, giving instruction to be given to those who need it, that they may be brought to the knowledge of the truth as it is in Jesus.

MRS. E. G. WHITE.

1,000 BOOKS SOLD BY A RESIDENT CANVASSER.

By O. E. Cummings

N. F. House located in Thayer County, Neb., in 1878. He accepted the present truth in 1896, soon after which he removed to College View to prepare for missionary work. Receiving this preparation he worked eight months in Nebraska City, placing five hundred copies of our books in the homes of the people during that time.

In October, 1898, Brother House returned to his home in Belvidere, Thayer County. Since then, on account of sickness, he has put in less than one-half his time, yet has placed over one thousand copies of our books in less than half the county, the population of which is 13,000.

The foregoing shows what may be done by the resident canvasser. This plan of work is one to be commended, and we wish that many more might engage in it. Dear reader, are you longing to have a part in the closing message? Then here is a work you can do without going far from home. May the Lord stir up many hearts to help hasten the good work at this opportune time.—O. E. Cummings, in the Nebraska Reporter.