Testimonies for the Church Vol 1 - Lansing SDA Church

98 Testimonies for the Church Volume 1[104]Having become fully satisfied that my husband would not recoverfrom his protracted sickness while remaining inactive, and that the timehad fully come for me to go forth and bear my testimony to the people,I decided to make a tour in northern Michigan, with my husband in hisextremely feeble condition, in the severest cold of winter. It requiredno small degree of moral courage and faith in God to bring my mindto the decision to risk so much; but I knew that I had a work to do,and it seemed to me that Satan was determined to keep me from it. Ihad waited long for our captivity to be turned, and feared that precioussouls would be lost by the delay. To remain longer from the fieldseemed to me worse than death, and should we move out we could butperish. So, on the 19th of December, 1866, we left Battle Creek in asnowstorm for Wright, Michigan. My husband stood the journey ofninety miles much better than I feared, and seemed quite as well whenwe reached our destination as when we left Battle Creek.Here commenced our first effective labors since his sickness. Herehe began labor as in former years, though in much weakness. Hewould speak thirty or forty minutes in the forenoon of the Sabbathand on first day, while I would occupy the rest of the time, and thenspeak in the afternoon of each day, about an hour and a half eachtime. We were listened to with the greatest attention. I saw thatmy husband was growing stronger, clearer, and more connected inhis subjects. And when on one occasion he spoke one hour withclearness and power, with the burden of the work upon him as beforehis sickness, my feelings of gratitude were beyond expression. I arosein the congregation, and for nearly half an hour tried with weeping togive utterance to them. The congregation was deeply moved. I feltassured that this was the dawn of better days for us.The hand of God in his restoration was most apparent. Probablyno other one upon whom such a blow has fallen ever recovered. Yeta severe shock of paralysis, seriously affecting the brain, was by thegood hand of God removed from His servant, and new strength grantedhim both in body and mind.During the years that followed the recovery of my husband, theLord opened before us a vast field of labor. Though I took the stand asa speaker timidly at first, yet as the providence of God opened the waybefore me, I had confidence to stand before large audiences. Together