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spent her winters writing and publishing. During the summer she attended camp
meetings, some years as many as twenty-eight! Testimonies, numbers 14-30, now
found in Testimonies, volumes 2-4, were published during these years.
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Following James White’s death in August, 1881, Ellen White resided in
California, at times in Healdsburg and at times in Oakland. She labored there,
writing and speaking, until she left for Europe in August, 1885, in response to the
call of the General Conference. During the two years in Europe she resided in
Basel, Switzerland, except for three extended visits to the Scandinavian countries,
England, and Italy. Returning to the United States in August, 1887, she soon made
her way west to her Healdsburg home. She attended the 1888 General Conference
session at Minneapolis in October and November; following the conference, while
residing in Battle Creek, she worked among the churches in the Midwest and
the East. After a year in the East she returned to California, but was called back
to attend the General Conference session at Battle Creek in October, 1889. She
remained in the vicinity of Battle Creek until she left for Australia in September,
1891.
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Responding to the call of the General Conference to visit Australia to aid
in establishing an educational work, Ellen White arrived in Sydney, December
8, 1891. She accepted the invitation somewhat reluctantly, for she had wanted
to get on with her writing of a larger book on the life of Christ. Soon after her
arrival she was stricken with inflammatory rheumatism, which confined her to
her bed for some eight months. Although suffering intensely, she persisted in
writing. In early 1893 she went to New Zealand, where she worked until the
end of the year. Returning to Australia in late December, she attended the first
Australian camp meeting. At this camp meeting, plans for a rural school were
developed that resulted in the establishment of what became Avondale College
at Cooranbong, 90 miles north of Sydney. Ellen White purchased land nearby
and built her Sunnyside home late in 1895. Here she resided, giving her attention
to her writing and traveling among the churches until she returned to the United
States in August, 1900.
When Ellen White settled at Elmshaven, her new home near St. Helena in
northern California, she hoped to give most of her time to writing her books. She
was 72 and still had a number of volumes that she wished to complete. She little
realized how much traveling, counseling, and speaking she would also be called
upon to do. The crisis created by the controversies in Battle Creek would also
make heavy demands on her time and strength. Even so, by writing early in the
morning, she was able to produce nine books during her Elmshaven years.
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