Loma Linda Messages

J. A. Burden to Sister, July 24, 1907

Loma Linda, Calif., July 24, 1907.

Dear Sister:

Feeling you would be glad to know of the prosperity that has attended the work of Loma Linda this year, we address you these few lines at this time. LLM 218.5

As the necessity for providing for the financial interests of the Loma Linda College of Evangelists was presented to the brethren and sisters at the local campmeeting, you remember they all responded heartily, subscribing pledges to the amount of nearly fourteen hundred dollars. It seemed like quite a large undertaking to start a school of this kind, and yet the Lord had indicated very plainly that provision should be made for the qualification of young people with medical ability to meet present necessities of the work. This school has been especially blessed the past year. We have seen special evidences that the Lord was working upon the hearts of the students. At the close of the school, there was a strong missionary spirit in the hearts of the students, and a number have dedicated themselves entirely to the work of the Lord. We have opened up a medical mission headquarters in San Bernardino, and the workers are finding access to the hearts and homes of the people in a remarkable way. It seems that the world is ripe for the message God has committed to us to give to them. Yesterday, at a special rally for the school of health, over fifty ladies were present, and seemed deeply interested in all lines of the work. During the winter, the students, with the help of others, have (384) been working in this town particularly, and the work has opened before them in a wonderful manner. Some sixty-five family circles have been receiving schools of health, and instruction in healthful living, rational treatment, health and temperance, and Bible subjects. These circles of ladies, from four up to twenty, have become better acquainted with healthful living, and rational treatment. They also opened the way for health lectures in the public schools, to which the workers have delivered talks on healthful diet, healthful dress, and lectures on tobacco, tea, and coffee, and liquor to over seven hundred school children in this one town. The interest created has gone to other places, and the workers have responded to calls in several of the towns about lecturing to the school children. They felt anxious to give them literature to interest them further in these subjects. Just then the “Youth's Instructor” came out with the health and temperance number, and fourteen hundred copies of this excellent paper were placed in the hands of the school children and their parents. The teachers and public instructors seemed delighted with the effort, and are cooperating with our workers to carry the principles further. This opened up our minds wonderfully to the importance of this line of work to which the testimonies have especially called our attention, and the necessity of training young people to engage in this evangelistic medical missionary work. Everywhere they go, they seem to find open doors and ready access to the people. But the work cannot be completed for the people by a few health schools, hence we have been led to establish the headquarters in San Bernardino, where the people can come and receive treatment and further instruction in health (385) lines, especially those who have become greatly interested. We have by donations secured a four-room cottage with bath facilities and other conveniences where the workers can invite the people for instruction, and to receive treatments, as well as to labor from house to house where they have opportunity. Our design being to make it a missionary work, we thought at first at least, to relieve the workers of the financial burden of renting a place that they might give their time more fully to the missionary phase of the work in educating the people. So far, the Lord has wonderfully blessed the effort, and encouraged the hearts of the workers. Some who were prejudiced against our people have wonderfully changed their opinion as they see that we have good sound truth to bring to them in all these lines. In one of the recent testimonies, we have been instructed that those who make these medical missionary tours among the towns and cities will reap a rich harvest of souls, both among the higher and lower classes. Already we are seeing this demonstrated. A lady of influence told the workers last week she was going to begin to keep the Sabbath, thus the way is open for instructing the people in the special truths as their prejudice is allayed. LLM 219.1

We thought those who had contributed to the starting of the school would be pleased to hear these few particulars concerning the results of the school, and the way the Lord is going before us. We now have a large number of applications for entering the school this fall. In our arrangements for the course of study, we have tried to plan for persons to (386) secure whatever help they felt they needed, either to take the regular course, or study such things as they felt they needed, (that is) either to take the regular course, or study such things as they felt would be of special value to them. Many are planning to take what we call our special elective year's course, calculated to fit the people with intelligence to do this gospel evangelistic work. LLM 220.1

The Lord has also blessed the Sanitarium more than we could dare hope for. The patronage of the institution has been good most of the time. This summer, during the warmer months, it is even higher than we had expected. We have been able to meet all our running expenses the past year, and have quite a little net gain. Of course, there would be some depreciation on furnishings to be considered, but aside from this, we have received seven thousand, five hundred dollars in donations; there remains about seven thousand dollars yet unpaid on the pledges, which will probably come in in due time. We had hoped the brethren and sisters might be able to settle these pledges this fall, as we are greatly in need of more room for the students who are coming to school. However, we know they will do the best they can, and we trust the Lord will provide what we need. If there are those, however, who could possibly raise their pledges this fall, it would be a great blessing to the work, as we shall certainly be crowded for room for the many students who are applying to us for preparation for the work. Thanking you for your interest and financial support, and wishing you much of the blessing of the Lord, we remain, LLM 220.2

Yours, (Signed) J. A. Burden.

E.O.

*****

(387)