Starr, Brother and Sister [G. B.]
Camp-ground, Petaluma, California
June 12, 1902
Portions of this letter are published in 8MR 305.
Dear brother and sister Starr,—
We received your letters yesterday. We should all be much pleased to see you and to have you labor with us. I am glad that you have been at Ballarat, where you could be with Brother and Sister James, and the other members of the little flock in that place. There are some places that seem to be much less favored than others. I think that Ballarat is one of these ill-favored places. May the Lord in His great mercy work in Ballarat. 17LtMs, Lt 109, 1902, par. 1
I often think of all the workers in Australia. I should be much pleased to be there again, if it were the will of the Lord. I have no desire to be anywhere, except where the Lord desires me to be. We are now in a lovely place, near St. Helena. The scenery is beautiful. The house is surrounded by ornamental trees, flowering shrubs, and large rose bushes. It is a place that just suits me. Nature’s loveliness is very enjoyable to me. 17LtMs, Lt 109, 1902, par. 2
About two weeks ago we received a letter from your sister Hiva. She is in Southern California. I think she writes well. I shall try to answer her letter. 17LtMs, Lt 109, 1902, par. 3
I am now in Petaluma, a constantly growing town of considerable importance, attending a camp-meeting. For many years our people have labored very little in Petaluma. Only about twelve Sabbath-keepers are living here. Thus far our meeting has been a very good one, and has created an interest among the people. During the day and in the evening the congregations have been large. We believe that the meeting will result in great good. Much has been accomplished for our own people. They are deeply interested in obtaining a clearer understanding of the truths that we believe. They have been studying Bible principles upon which to build. Elder A. T. Jones says that the testimonies given by our brethren and sisters in the social meetings are the best that he has heard in any camp-meeting he has ever attended. 17LtMs, Lt 109, 1902, par. 4
During this meeting the Lord has greatly strengthened me. I am of good courage. I will send you some of my talks, if they can be written out in time. I have never in my life worked more intensely than I have since my return to America. I have felt the Holy Spirit of God resting upon me. I long to have God’s presence abiding with me constantly. 17LtMs, Lt 109, 1902, par. 5
Yesterday we listened to a talk from Brother W. S. Sadler. I was sitting on the stand in a position where I could see his face. He stood a little back from the front of the stand. His talk was good. He spoke earnestly, and right to the point, on the medical missionary work that the church in San Francisco is doing, and the work that it desires to do. In that city we have a large church building, under which is a roomy basement. A portion of this basement is used for church-school purposes. The brethren have decided to utilize the remainder of the room for a medical dispensary. They have ample space for the dispensary and treatment rooms. Here they expect to give medical treatment to those who are too poor to go to one of our sanitariums. The workers will also give instruction in regard to the care of the sick. Brother Sadler related some touching experiences. 17LtMs, Lt 109, 1902, par. 6
I was then called upon, and gave a short talk in regard to the intimate relationship existing between the medical missionary work and the gospel ministry. They are bound together in sacred union and are never to be divorced. The principles of heaven are to be adopted and practiced. I also related some of our experiences in doing medical missionary work in Australia. 17LtMs, Lt 109, 1902, par. 7
After I had spoken, a call was made for means to finish fitting up and furnishing the basement, preparatory to beginning the good work of helping the suffering ones so much in need of help. I understand that over four hundred dollars was given. Thus it is in this country. The brethren and sisters in every Conference are constantly drawn upon for funds. Continually there is some call for means. 17LtMs, Lt 109, 1902, par. 8
During the past two years a good work has been going on in San Francisco. Over two years ago a hygienic restaurant was opened there. This enterprise has met with much success. The interest in that city to hear the truth is excellent. Every lever that can be used is now being used to work San Francisco. We must make haste slowly, however, because of a lack of means. If we could secure loans, we would do so, and thus advance the work more rapidly. 17LtMs, Lt 109, 1902, par. 9
Since the vigorous campaign for the sale of Object Lessons began, my other books have not had a very large sale, and my income from this source has been greatly decreased. This has made it necessary for me to borrow money. We left nearly three thousand dollars in the Australasian institutions. This is still our own, but we do not desire to withdraw it while it is so much needed there. We thought it necessary to borrow one thousand dollars from the bank at eight per cent interest. I had just put my name to the papers in order to secure this money, when the mail came, bringing a letter containing a draft for an amount sufficient to meet our needs. The loan was made at five per cent interest. I thanked the Lord for this money, because we did not desire to borrow from the bank if we could avoid doing so. 17LtMs, Lt 109, 1902, par. 10
We shall have sufficient means for the present; for on my place there is considerable fruit—prunes, grapes, and olives—which we can sell. Last year our vineyard did not bear very heavily, and our prune orchard yielded only a few prunes—about a hundred pounds when dried. Just as the fruit was forming, a heavy frost killed nearly all of it. This year we shall have more grapes and an unusually large yield of prunes. The prune trees are so heavily loaded that we have to tie up the branches with ropes, and prop up the larger limbs, in order to prevent them from breaking. 17LtMs, Lt 109, 1902, par. 11
We have placed our trust in the Lord. When my books sell more freely, we shall have more means with which to help carry forward the Lord’s work. O how I long to see His work advancing as rapidly as it should be advancing! If only we could put into circulation some of the means lying idle in banks and invested in unnecessary houses and lands, what a blessing it would be to the cause! How much more quickly the light of present truth would be diffused throughout the world! 17LtMs, Lt 109, 1902, par. 12
In the twelfth of Luke are lessons that we need to learn. This Scripture lays open before us the sin of covetousness. We must arouse our people in regard to their duty to sell the houses and lands that they do not need. Let us not forget the Savior’s instruction, “Sell that ye have, and give alms; provide yourselves bags which wax not old, a treasure in the heavens that faileth not, where no thief approacheth, neither moth corrupteth.” [Luke 12:33.] 17LtMs, Lt 109, 1902, par. 13
The Lord Jesus bids those who are accumulating riches for selfish ends to lay up treasures in heaven. “Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth,” He pleads, “where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: for where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” [Matthew 6:19-21.] 17LtMs, Lt 109, 1902, par. 14
O that the money now tied up might be put into circulation! There is not a dearth of means among our people. The Lord is soon to come. Let us closely examine ourselves. Are we ready to meet Him, our Saviour, with joy, and not with grief? The holding of means for selfish purposes results not only in eternal loss to the holder, but in great hindrance to the progress of the message that should be speedily carried to those who are still unwarned. May the Lord’s people honor Him, that He may strengthen, bless, and honor them. 17LtMs, Lt 109, 1902, par. 15