Being an evangelist at heart, she looked to the future of Seventh-day Adventist witnessing in Europe and represented it under the figure of a well-trained army. EGWE 54.1
“The grassy common in front of the office, of which we have spoken, is reserved by the Swiss government for military drill. Here, day after day, at certain seasons of the year, we see the soldiers training, so that they may be ready, when needed, to engage in actual service. As we have watched the progress of the drill, and from time to time noted the thoroughness manifest in every department, the query has arisen, Why should there not be in Basel a large army of Christian soldiers drilling for actual service in the battles to be fought in the different countries of Europe against tradition, superstition, and error? Why should those who are preparing to fight the battle for Prince Immanuel be less earnest, less painstaking, less thorough, in their preparation for the spiritual warfare?”—Ibid. EGWE 54.2
And the preparation of soldiers for spiritual warfare meant Christian education—church-sponsored schools to which the volunteers for service might come to prepare for “battle” on the vast frontiers of Europe—“to go forth as missionaries,” she said. Then she added, “And also that those of our brethren who have children may have a place to send them where they will not be obliged to attend school on the Sabbath.”—Ibid., 172. EGWE 54.3
This Sabbath-and-school-attendance dilemma was to be a really painful problem in some countries of Europe. God has worked many miracles for His obedient children as time has shown, but this has often been in the crucible of testing and faithfulness! EGWE 54.4
Here let us pause to see how the basic organizational structure of Seventh-day Adventist work in Europe came into being. This insight into the laying of the foundations forms the basis for understanding the structure that developed in conferences, publishing houses, schools, and medical institutions. EGWE 54.5