p. 24 | Review and Herald, Vol. 88, No. 28. (7/13/1911)

Missionary Departure and Gospel Workers

By Editor

R. B. STAUFFER and wife, of Kansas, who spent the winter at the Foreign Mission Seminary, sailed June 20 for South America. They expect to connect for a short time with the Argentina school, to study the language and customs of the people, after which their field of labor will be assigned them by the South American Union Conference. Brother Stauffer has had excellent success in the book work in the United States, and this experience will be of value to him in his new field.

NEXT week we shall open a Gospel Workers' department in the REVIEW. The need of such a department, in which there should be discussed the underlying principles of gospel work, the divine call to such work, qualifications of workers, their equipment, deportment, methods of labor, etc., has been recognized for some time. The department will be under the general charge of Elder A. G. Daniells, president of the General Conference. He has already sent in several excellent articles from his own pen, also contributions from some of our leading workers. We believe this new department will be found of special help to our workers throughout the field, and not alone to them, but to the general reader as well.

“Scorched With Great Heat”

NEVER in the history of this country have so many fatalities occurred from the intense heat of the sun as during the last few days. Weather conditions have been unparalleled. The Washington Post of July 6, speaking of these conditions, says:—

“The loss of more than five hundred lives is to be credited to the great heat wave of July 1-5, 1911, which official weather advices say will abate somewhat to-day. The torrid period will be memorable in weather annals for its wide extent, its long duration, its record-breaking temperatures in many places, and the long list of fatalities which it has caused. The hundreds of news despatches which cities from the North Atlantic seaboard west to the plains States have exchanged during the last four days account, according to a careful review to-night, for the deaths of 431 persons from the heat and 80 from drowning—a total of 511. Incomplete as the record is from the failure of many points to report specifically the number of such deaths, it is as serious a showing as is remembered for many years, if not a record. The number of prostrations is still more difficult to compute; but from the review of the despatches it appears that thousands have been seriously overcome by heat in the great cities.”

Conditions in this old earth will grow more and more abnormal until the time shall fully be reached, as brought to view under the fourth plague, when power shall be given the sun “to scorch men with fire. And men were scorched with great heat.” In these days of calamity and peril on every side it behooves the children of God to walk softly and carefully before him, and to live in daily consciousness of divine acceptance. Those only can claim the keeping power of God who are seeking to conform daily to his laws, not only with reference to the spiritual life but with respect to their physical being as well.

The Harvest Ingathering “Signs”

By T. E. Bowen

We have received a proof, in miniature, of the first page of the Harvest Ingathering Signs. It represents a harvest scene, with the Saviour sending reapers into the ripened grain at about the eleventh hour of the day. The importance of earnest work is emphasized by a threatening storm-cloud approaching. It is a very appropriate and impressive design.

The articles of this special number are being arranged for publication, the artists are grouping the illustrations, and soon the presses will be kept busy over at the Signs office printing the large number of papers that will be required to supply all our brethren and sisters with another missions special for earnest work with friends and neighbors.

All orders for the Harvest Ingathering Signs should be sent to the Pacific Press, the conference ordering in ample time for all supplies to be sent them early. Brother C. H. Jones writes that one conference, which has already ordered twenty thousand copies, states that even more papers will likely be needed.

Letters from conference presidents and from secretaries indicate that there will be a lively interest in the Harvest Ingathering campaign this year. We hope each conference will be sure to send in its first estimated order (making it large enough) during July, that the friends at the Pacific Press may have some idea as to the number of papers they will be required to prepare. Let us all plan to make this, our fourth campaign year, the best of all in our efforts for missions.

T. E. BOWEN, Asst. Sec. Gen. Conf.

Read carefully the statement of the $300,000 Fund, as given on page 12. See where your conference stands in furnishing its part of this greatly needed fund. Then consider if your local church and if you individually have fully acted your part in the raising of this money for our foreign missions.

Progress in the European Field

THE comparative report of the work in the European field, by Elder L. R. Conradi, on page 14, is of encouraging interest. While much yet remains to be accomplished, truly the Lord has done great things in these conservative countries of the Old World. May the fruit of the labor already put forth be an incentive to more earnest effort in the future. While we may thank God for all he accomplishes through us, we can never congratulate ourselves on our achievements. While throughout its history this cause has made encouraging progress in every field, we must still regretfully realize that we have not met God's expectations, nor accomplished one tithe of what should have been accomplished in the time that has passed. This consideration should lead us to deeper consecration and greater faithfulness in the future prosecution of the work.

A New Era in Europe

RECENT letters from Elder A. G. Daniels speak of his visit to our people in Russia, Turkey, Bulgaria, Servia, Hungary, and Austria, and of the interesting and profitable meetings which he had in these fields. He reports that in every quarter there is a reaching out after God on the part of our ministers and the people. Our workers in the European field are looking to the council meeting, which began July 4, for new help and inspiration. Not only all the workers for some distance from Friedensau are planning to attend the council, but many of the brethren and sisters as well. At Budapest, in Austria, four hundred miles away, about thirty were going; from Vienna, nearly as far distant, about the same number expected to attend. He says: “We shall have the largest meeting of our people ever held outside of the United States; and somehow it seems to me, from the atmosphere about here, that this is going to be a great occasion, and mark a new era in our work.” Let us pray that the work not only in Europe, but throughout the world, may be greatly benefited as the result of the counsel of our brethren at this important meeting.