Letters and Manuscripts — Volume 13 (1898)

Lt 82, 1898

Wessels, Sister [Philip]

“Sunnyside,” Cooranbong, New South Wales, Australia

October 5, 1898

Portions of this letter are published in DG 185-186.

Dear Sister Philip Wessels:

I feel a deep interest in you, your husband, and your children. I thank my heavenly Father that He has given you grace to hold fast the faith under trying circumstances. But do not for a moment, my sister, distrust your heavenly Father. Let your heart trust in God. Place your confidence in Him. His hand sustains you, and if you abide in Christ, you will grow stronger and stronger. Following on to know the Lord, you will know that His goings forth are prepared as the morning. 13LtMs, Lt 82, 1898, par. 1

The knowledge of the truth is connected with the possession of that faith that works by love and purifies the soul. If you continue to trust in God, you will realize the most precious blessings in every time of need. The Lord sees, the Lord knows, how much you need His grace. You may depend upon Him. His meditation is assured in His promise, His everlasting pledge. “Them that honor me,” He says, “I will honor.” [1 Samuel 2:30.] The Lord will reward your simple faith and trust in Him. You need not distrust the Word of God at any time. You have proved the promise of God. You have felt His hand upholding you. The Lord will hear your prayers. 13LtMs, Lt 82, 1898, par. 2

I feel so grateful to God that His work is advancing in this desert. At the close of the school term we had a most precious meeting, lasting nearly three weeks. A few weeks before this meeting twenty-one were baptized, and one week ago eleven more followed their Lord in this ordinance. Some of these have recently embraced the truth. Others were keeping their first Sabbath. One young man, who lives about six miles from this place, has been coming to the meetings. He is a man of fine appearance, but was placed in this locality to be away from the temptation to drink. He has embraced the truth, and was baptized one week ago. Another man and wife, living at Awaba, about nine miles from this place, who have come occasionally to our meetings, were baptized last Sabbath. They were at one time in the Salvation Army. Another candidate was a lady from Sydney, who is an artist. Her husband also is an artist but an infidel. The wife has embraced the truth. 13LtMs, Lt 82, 1898, par. 3

During the last term of school a Japanese has been in attendance. When he came he knew nothing of religion or of God. When asked if he had a knowledge of God, he pointed to himself, and said, “Me is God.” He has been a diligent student, and was baptized with the other candidates. He was thoroughly converted. Several of the students were baptized. There are others interested in the truth all through this place. The standard of truth is to be lifted in Newcastle at once. 13LtMs, Lt 82, 1898, par. 4

Today I spoke in our chapel. Willie spoke at Dora Creek, three miles from here. There is quite a little company of believers there. When we have general meetings here, they come up by boat, or I send my horses and carriages for them. One man, a fisherman, a rough, hard case, embraced the truth at this place. He was [a] tobacco user, a tea drinker, a meat eater. But he was converted and transformed in character. His trade as fisherman and boat builder failed, and he sold his boat and secured a little place for himself in the bush. He is now cultivating the soil. He is away in the bush, but he has some neighbors, and he has commenced meetings with them. Several have become interested. Thus those who receive the truth go forth to work for others, and the seeds of truth are being sown. 13LtMs, Lt 82, 1898, par. 5

We are now preparing to erect a hospital for the sick. I will put this through if I can. Often I have to give up Sister McEnterfer, my secretary and nurse, to go here and there to nurse the sick. No doctor can be obtained nearer than Newcastle, twenty-five miles distant, and the poor people have to pay five guineas for a visit. And when the doctor comes, he seldom does anything for them, but tells them to take their sick to the hospital. We charge nothing for our medical missionary work. I take the sick into my house and care for them, and Sara treats them with perfect success. But we cannot continue to do this, for our house is full of workers. 13LtMs, Lt 82, 1898, par. 6