242
Welfare Ministry
if the Lord will. And He does will. His word is sure, and cannot fail,
nor be changed by any of the human devices to evade it.
We must help the needy and the oppressed lest Satan take them out
of our hands, out of our ranks, and place them, while under temptation,
in his own ranks.—
Letter 42, 1894
.
Shopping to Meet the Needs of the Poor—I go to Sydney today
to the yearly sales to purchase some goods. They have these sales
to rid the stores of their old stock. The poor around us are suffering
[331]
for food and clothing, and I can buy at an advantage by visiting these
stores. We economize as much as possible, and there is need enough
for it.... There are many poor who are distressed for want of food and
clothing who are of the household of faith. Our purses will scarcely
suffice to reach the needs of those we know. Jesus says, “Inasmuch
as ye have done it unto one of the least of these My brethren, ye have
done it unto Me.” How precious are these words of comfort to the
poor!—
Letter 39, 1895
.
A Dorcas Society Organized—Sunday has been a busy day for
us, planning for the very, very poor and setting in operation some plans
which will relieve myself and family from doing everything that is to
be done. Sister C., a worthy woman, is prostrated upon her bed with
sciatica. She has a son thirteen years of age and an aged mother, who
is an invalid with no means of support. The mother has had help from
her sons in paying house rent, and as times have become harder and
closer this is all they seem able to do. We have also Bro. R. and his
wife with four helpless children. He does his level best to support his
innocent children, but they are in want all the time. He gets little for
his fruit. We now go round to the members of the church to see if
they can supply us with old clothes for these destitute families. I have
been buying good material at sales to make up for them, as well as
supplying them with food.
Some of our family were out on a charity expedition yesterday,
and made a little beginning. Some things were collected. There are
eight families that we have been helping all that we thought advisable.
A Dorcas society is to open this week to examine and remodel old
and new material to help the needy. The members of my family and I
have made many donations of money and clothing. The draft upon us
has not been small. We do not have to hunt up cases; they hunt us up.
These things are forced upon our notice; we cannot be Christians and