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THE KING’S BUSINESS
THE NEGLECTED FIELDS Geo. P. Wicker, Evangelist
T ATHILE at Ukiah the following letter * * was received from H. E. Berg, sec retary of the Ukiah Ministerial Union, act ing for the churches of Mendocino County: “Mr. George P. Wicker: This is to notify you that you have been duly elected by the Protestant evangelical churches of Mendocino county as Field Secretary for ‘The Mendocino Interdenominational Church Extension Work.’ I think you are already familiar with the names of the other officers. We tender our warm con gratulations for the splendid work you have done in the Master’s name, and desire to assure you that the work shall have our keen interest, co-operation and sympathy, and shall be supported by our prayers, efforts, and what ever financial aid we shall be able to render from time to time.” In one neighborhood , where we held meetings we got in touch with a family where the mother had died aboiit six months ago, leaving a husband and seven children, the oldest being fourteen years. On her death bed she asked her husband to keep the little ones together, which he is striving to do. They are very poor. He came to the meetings, bringing all the children in his surrey. Thank God, the father ,and the oldest were converted, and not only converted, but went home and established a family altar, and now Jesus Christ will help the father in bringing up those little motherless children in the “nurture and admqnition of the Lord.” We made arrangements to hold meetings in an old saloon building, and had an aver age attendance of about twenty-five. The Lord gave us one conversion, one of the wickedest men in the camp, yet I have never seen a man come out any stronger than he did; under all the ridicule he stands firm and testifies for the Master, and not only testifies, but is doing personal work among the men under him (he is one of the foremen). One of his men said, ‘We kn6w that something has hap pened to the boss, because he is so dif
ferent.” One man. asked him, S “Taylor, how do you keep from swearing?” His answer was, “Why, that has all been taken away. I have been born again. I have no desire to swear. I have something you need; something that will make a man out of you.” Then he went on and gave his testimony. We have put him in as Sun day School Superintendent. Fort Bragg claims a population of 3500. They have twenty-nine saloons, two churches and one preacher. We wanted to hold two weeks’ meetings, but -found it impossible at this time. Some of these towns are Controlled by one man, and what he says, goes. He controls the churches and saloons, as well as the stores and everything else. We came over to Lake county to visit our friends and the Sunday School which we established here last May. Visited in the Highland Springs neighborhood, , and I spoke for them Sunday. You may remember that we had seven conversions at' that place, and we are glad to report that every one of them is standing, and all testified on Sunday. Believe me, they are doing things for the Lord. They invited us to come and hold another week’s meeting. Pray that God will open the way for us to place a worker in these counties, as we believe this is His will,- and that He will give us the worker that He can use to the best advantage. This is a very hard wprk, and not a bed of roses; many difficulties to overcome; many hardships to endure; many valleys to cross; many high mountains to climb; many meals to miss; many nights to sleep out with God’s great universe ’as our shelter. Yet * there are many stray sheep in the clefts of the rocks that need to be rescued before the wolves devour them.
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