It was to a northern town of Montana that we were first sent out alone, "to sink or swim," as the conference president told us. There was no church, not even a Sabbath school. Because of his inexperience my husband felt that he could not begin work with a series of meetings. Accordingly, the conference gave us a club of fifty Signs of the Times, and with a prayer on our lips we went to fifty homes each week for three months to deliver these papers. We went together, making a friendly call at each home, encouraging people to read and study their Bibles, and calling their attention to the help this paper would give them in making the subjects clear.
People received us cordially, but looked at us with wonderment. Very few questions were asked, and little did we tell them aside from our one mission. We did, however, encourage questions on Bible subjects, assuring them of our willingness to help them, and said we had come to their little city for that purpose. Before long, the questions came so fast that it was necessary to organize classes, and later cottage meetings, until we had one for each evening in the week. Our clays were full of study at home, I can assure you, preparing the studies for the evening, and sermons for a future series of meetings. My soul was thrilled with joy as my husband and I visited the homes and there discussed these subjects. To be ready with an intelligent Bible answer when questions were asked, meant much to me.
Before we had completed our series of studies, an epidemic of influenza broke out. All churches were closed, and a ban was put on all public meetings. What were we to do now ? Having some knowledge of hydrotherapy and its merits in cases of pneumonia and kindred diseases, my husband and I started out together to visit homes and offer our services. It was a dangerous undertaking, but we were assured of our Father's protection. People were surprised that we would run such a risk when each was afraid to help his next-door neighbor. What opportunities we had! With faith and trust in God, we began our mission, treating all, from the infant to the aged, with hot and cold water, and suggesting a fruit and liquid diet for a time, rather than the flesh and starchy diet they were following.
When we were exhausted, we would go home to rest for a few hours, and then go out again. Doctors soon heard of our work among the sick, and would come to get us or urge us to go to homes where they had given up hope. God blessed every undertaking, and there was not a single death in the homes where they gave us permission to take full charge. Don't you think this had an influence on the spreading of the gospel in that field? Certainly, prejudice of ministers and all who opposed the truth was broken down, and a harvest of souls was reaped as a result of our earlier earnest efforts.
