Ellen G. White: The Later Elmshaven Years: 1905-1915 (vol. 6)

In The Field Again

Ellen White recovered from the exhaustion of her prolonged Eastern journey rather quickly. She was soon giving long hours to her writing and was testing her strength to see whether she could respond to requests for speaking appointments that were pressed upon her. She was mindful of her advancing age and waning strength and wanted to be certain she would be in the line of duty were she to venture forth. Opportunity came for such a test Sabbath morning, October 9, when she spoke with freedom at the St. Helena Sanitarium chapel. Now she was ready to respond to Elder Haskell's invitation to address those who could attend the week-long Bible institute in San Jose, which she did. 6BIO 267.6

The next Sabbath she spoke at the Sanitarium chapel again, and the last Sabbath in October she ministered to the St. Helena church. 6BIO 268.1

Elder Haskell, in an attempt to revive the churches, had organized a ten-day Biblical institute for the San Joaquin Valley at Lodi, November 5 to 15. She accepted his invitation to help out, and attended the full session, speaking Sabbath, Sunday, Monday, and two or three of the remaining days. She went over to the Normal School twice to speak to the students (Pacific Union Recorder, October 14, 1909 and Ibid., November 25, 1909). 6BIO 268.2

Ellen White was approaching another birthday, her eighty-second. She wrote of it: 6BIO 268.3

On Friday, November 26, I shall be 82 years old. It is a surprise to many that at my age I am able to speak before large congregations of people. But it is the Lord who sustains me in this work. “This is the Lord's doing; it is marvelous in our eyes.” He is indeed able to speak through the human agency.—Letter 144, 1909. 6BIO 268.4

On her birthday, W. C. White wrote to old friends, George and Martha Amadon in Battle Creek, and told of what was going on at Elmshaven: 6BIO 268.5

Yesterday was Thanksgiving Day. Today Mother is 82 years old. When I met her this morning and congratulated her on another birthday, she looked as well as five years ago, and from all appearance, has as good a prospect for five years of usefulness. 6BIO 268.6

Mother is not working as hard as she did five years ago. She is trying to lay off care and worry and to reserve her strength that she may occasionally attend general meetings and bear her testimony. 6BIO 268.7

Instead of receiving presents today, Mother has taken occasion on her eighty-second birthday to give us instruction to see that all our intermediate schools are supplied with a good set of her books. During the summer we have been supplying the sanitariums with her books, and now we shall gladly take up the work of seeing that the intermediate schools are supplied.... 6BIO 269.1

Yesterday Mother told us that she did not want any demonstration of any sort on her birthday and that she did not want any presents of any sort from anybody. So we are working along today as usual. 6BIO 269.2

The next Sabbath, November 27, Ellen White spoke at the Sanitarium chapel, and then on Sunday she slipped away from her writing for an hour or two to join Willie and a portion of his family in picking Japanese persimmons from the trees in his orchard just across the creek from her home. There together, side by side, were Ellen White, her son William and his wife, May, grandson Arthur and his sister Grace, and great-grandson Virgil with his mother, Ella (WCW to J. E. White, December 5, 1909). 6BIO 269.3

Ellen White observed with a great deal of satisfaction that the Lord was sustaining her and blessing her in a marked manner in her public ministry. She felt that she was especially blessed in her work in Lodi, and when Elder Haskell asked her to assist with the Week of Prayer meetings in Mountain View and Oakland in mid-December, she assented, and ministered helpfully in the two churches. 6BIO 269.4

Back home again, Ellen White took up her writing and book work. A letter addressed to Dr. Kress opens, “The Lord has strengthened me to attend important meetings in Mountain View. I know the Lord gave me words to give to the people.” With her heart still burdened for a stronger evangelistic thrust, she wrote: “Seed sowing must cover more territory.” “Sow the seeds of gospel truth in all places possible and there will be new and interesting fields open in a variety of places.”—Letter 182, 1909. 6BIO 269.5

Writing to another worker in the East, late in December she declared, “I expect to visit Mountain View again in a few weeks, at the time of the union conference.”—Letter 174, 1909. It was a crucial meeting, and she was there. 6BIO 269.6