In 1930 in South Dakota a Christian school teacher went into a small town to teach in a consolidated school. There was a church in the village, but they were struggling for an existence. They had no pastor. She felt led to throw her influence into the work of helping the church and Sunday School to reach the boys and girls and parents of the community. Soon the burden for the souls of these people began to weigh heavily upon her. God seemed to be calling her to conduct church services and to tell them the Gospel story. She yielded to His will and began announcing the preaching services.
A small group greeted her each Sunday, but not enough to suit her. This was the only church for many miles and she knew that these people were getting very little, if any, spiritual food. In her sleep she could see these precious boys and girls, fathers and mothers tramping steadily on to the Judgment. And how they stood in the eyes of God, she could not be sure. Yet she could see their lives were not measuring up to the standards of the Bible. She said, “I will not be here long. My stay in this community may be short. I am going to meet everyone of these souls at the Judgment. What I do for them I must do quickly…I will cast an uplifting influence over them. Maybe I can rescue some of them from the clutches of sin and Satan.”
She went to work. She began to spend her school days with reading of a portion of God’s Word. She went about on Saturdays, and during the evenings inviting the people out to church. She sent invitations home with the children to the parents. She prayed, cried and held on to God in prayer. Her travail of soul for the lost could be heard in the night hours. She took walks up the road and over the hills that she might be alone. In the main the people remained unconcerned, indifferent and distant. She could have grown discouraged and given up or could have said, “After all they have hired me to teach arithmetic, reading spelling, writing and geography. Here I am a self-appointed spiritual worker. Why spend my leisure hours in the evenings and on Saturdays praying and inviting the folks and preparing talks for the children? I may as well take life a bit easier.”
But no, she reasoned again, “I am a steward of my life and my influence. I cannot face these boys and girls and parents at the Judgment unless I have done my best for their spiritual welfare. I will continue on, trusting the God who called me to bring the harvest and the increase.” She worked on, writing cards, smiling, praying, preaching, persuading and entreating men to seek the Lord. (See part two for the conclusion)