Testimonies for the Church Vol 1 - Lansing SDA Church

Chapter 102—Sketch of Experience[571]From December 19, 1866 to April 25, 1867Having become fully satisfied that my husband would not recoverfrom his protracted sickness while remaining inactive, and that thetime had fully come for me to go forth and bear my testimony to thepeople, I decided, contrary to the judgment and advice of the churchat Battle Creek, of which we were members at that time, to venture atour in northern Michigan, with my husband in his extremely feeblecondition, in the severest cold of winter. It required no small degreeof moral courage and faith in God to bring my mind to the decisionto risk so much, especially as I stood alone, with the influence of thechurch, including those at the head of the work at Battle Creek, againstme.But I knew that I had a work to do, and it seemed to me that Satanwas determined to keep me from it. I had waited long for our captivityto be turned and feared that precious souls would be lost if I remainedlonger from the work. To remain longer from the field seemed to meworse than death, and should we move out we could but perish. So,on the 19th of December, 1866, we left Battle Creek in a snowstormfor Wright, Ottawa County, Michigan. My husband stood the long andsevere journey of ninety miles much better than I feared, and seemedquite as well when we reached our old home at Brother Root’s as whenwe left Battle Creek. We were kindly received by this dear family andas tenderly cared for as Christian parents can care for invalid children.We found this church in a very low condition. With a large portionof its members the seeds of disunion and dissatisfaction with one anotherwere taking deep root, and a worldly spirit was taking possessionof them. And notwithstanding their low state they had enjoyed thelabors of our preachers so seldom that they were hungry for spiritualfood. Here commenced our first effective labors since the sickness ofmy husband. Here he commenced to labor as in former years, thoughin much weakness. He would speak thirty or forty minutes in theforenoon of both Sabbath and first day, and I would fill up the rest of528