Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1900-07-14

! cui0lukly prepared ourselves ana par
took OF O jolly good supper In m
! meantime. or AN the while we had bee
doing our toilet and dining, / haI
! made use Of the first good opportunit
| TO see how wen / was yet able q
| 'parIer' Duach, and indeed / was no
long IN finding out. 1 thought I wa
! doing fine however, and was al
! 'puned up i'm the pride OF my heart
/ at my splendid eh0rtuntil those freak,
/ little 'dienst meises Servant girls
/ began 10 smile q broad Dutch smilD
| and 10 show evidences OF being IN
| very distressed condition OF mind try
/ Ing 10 decide in what Language ] wal
/ really trying TO- talk French, German
/ Irish or English Dutch, quite evident
| D., never entered their bewIldereC
| heads. neither ala the explanations
/ made 20 enlighten them on the subject
/ But ! went on talking and they went on
| Misunderstanding and the way they In
sisted on keeping II up. you would
imagine that the very much 90 boz la-
mented event OF the confoundlng OF the
languages as at tho Tower Of Babel
/ had been reDeated. You never Wit
messed such "a hOpelessly untangleable
predicament Cold shiyers and not
hushes take possession OF me whenever
! think OF a., even now. And thus did
] introduce myself and party % the
much abused yet f0rbearing. good,
kind. sincere energetic, reyereutial,
perseveriug. and exceptionally hospita-
bic Hollander
We remained in Rotterdam a few
days making the acquaintance OF the
mission president and Elders, and re-
newing acquaintance with the yet
GOOD and faithful old Saints Of my
former mission IN 1903, when my wife
and I (brother and sister Thatcher re-
naming 20 Rotterdam), were appointed
10 labor IN Amsterdam under Elder Il.
n. I'M who was then very successful
ly directing operations In that confer
ence.
Here we spent a month In the happy
association Of both Elders and Saints,
while brushing up on the language pre-
paratory TO getting down 90 cOnsclen-
tious work pr0claimug the Gospel mes
sage Al the expiration Of one months
s0journ ln Amsterdam we had the priv
llt-e OF making the further acqualnt-
ancc OF two OF the church's Halwart
and very able representatives IN the
persons 0f Elder RulOn S. Wells and
Joseph W. McMurrin OF the European
presidency brother Edwin f. Parry
another of Just such men. second coun-
selot 10 President Wells, We met IN
Liverpool on our way over, and whose
Great Kindness 10 US while We visited
with him az "42" we shall never en-
trely forgot as they passed through
on route 10 Great Britain from an ex-
tended tour through the continental
missions. During their stay we held
some very fine meetings, especially
Priesthood meetings, where We were
given excellent counsel. and Instructed
very thoroughly as regarding our re-
spectlye duties IN the ministry.
Before leaving Amsterdam and In
making adjustments for the future they
appointed me to preside over the mis-
sion. was poorly prepared for a sur
prise Of this kind, OF course, having
made up my Mad that / would enjoy
clean uninterrupted sweep among the
people during this mission, and had
been carefully laying plans and build
ing castles 10 that end but alas! this
action demolished the whole and
knocked an that had contemplated in
to q mere recollection. 1 accepted the
can. however, though with much fear
and trembling, and accordingly accom-
panied them (Brothers Wells and Nc
Murrn with my wife back TO Rotter-
lam. where we established our perma-
lent headquarters and where We have
fought our main fight J. e., conformity
With the enemy
In the latter part Of
1898 the above named presidency
was released 90 return home. and
Brothers Platte ID. Lyman. one Of your
BID missionary acquaintances, James J..
NcMurrin. and Henry W. NaIsbitt
ucceeded 10 the position. They are
men for whom We all have the highest
.aspect and esteem, and there is no
l0ubt but what they are the right ones
n the right place
From the time OF our arrival In Sep
cmber 1897, up 10 the present. there
ias been am average force OF from 80
10 30 missionaries, three Of which num-
Der. j am pleased 20 state, were ladies,
aboring Ia the field. and as "a whole,
considering every thing. We feel that
Sc have been abundantly blessed IN all
hat We have undertaken 10 further the
works. establishment In this country.
u course our Elders and sisters have
consisted an along, Of a body Of very
arrest energetic workers, who seemed
% be especially gifted as well as de-
ermined 10 get al the hearts Of the
.eople being willing. at the same time,
I'd make any and every legitimate and
.ocessary sacrifice 20 accomplish this
purpose. that they might the better be
ble TO secure an unprejudiced hearing
when explaining the principles OF ia
gospel and testiIying TO their truthful
ess: ana the result. az you viii notice, |
.roves quite substantially the efficacy |
II their doings.
since September LIST, 80 up 10 June !
81 1900. constituting a period Of two !
ears and nine months our membership |
umbers an increase Of 5ys baptized |
ouls. and each year as we become !
ne-reuc and more able 20 intelligontly |
.pi8u and faithfully defend that |
Which we know 20 be the truth. and |
Which we know too, u obeycd can |
md VIII save and eXalt. our numbers |
astly multiply and our influence grows |
pace.
I'm 1897. i2g baptlsms were made, IN |
sos. g02. and IN 1899. 21S making. as / |
tated before. a steady and healthy In |
rolsed growth for each succeeding /
ears operations What this. the clos
lg year of the old century viii yield |
5 remains set 20 be seen. our aim,
oWever. $50 Tar as our missionary work |
E concerned. Will be 10 make Il one /
.orthy of The occasion and peer 10 any |
Z its predecessors.
During the last two years We have |
ucceeded IN getting nice new halls l
uened up for an our main branches 4
throughout the mission l. e., for such /
ranches az least that were not al
sadg provided Most OF our halls too.
ave an organ. making the essentials
rcassary for the insurance OF pleasant
nd enjoyable meetings just that much
lore complete. The special efforts We
ave put forth In this direction have
cited us very satisfactory returns FOR
ar friends do not at an object 20
haring these comforts and In doing 80,
ncOnsciously yet gradually become
Interested and start 20 probing and be-
)re they realize themselves what's go
lg on. investigate themselves into the
ia Of the good Shepherd, while the
aints. judging from the way they
hrong together on the sabbath day.