Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly volume 22.djvu/251



LETTERS OF REV. WILLIAM M. ROBERTS 241

ing them away from their homes and families cannot but cripple our opperations in some parts of our work. There is nothing in any of these embarasments that tends in the least to quench the zeal or dampen the ardor of any of the members of the Mission our resources are greater than our difficulties there is before us an abundant harvest and altho we would rejoice to have a share in gathering it as well as breaking up the ground and sowing the precious seed still we shall rejoice even if that is done by others who shall come after us when we are gone to our reward in Heaven. In addition to the above mentioned members there is a class of 13 members recently formed at Vancouver and 7 members in the Twalatine plains So that our Statistics are as follows :

Sunday O. & Members L. Pra. L. Dea. Schools Teach. Scholars

Oregon City &

Clackamus 47 2. . 1 10 60

Salem 115 .. 12 9 48

Yamhill 135 8

Vancouver 13

Twalatine Plains ... 7

317 10 1 3 19 108 Vol. Library 150 150

300

I have no means to ascertain the increase during the year but suppose our numbers to be nearly double what they were a year ago. Nor can I state with much positiveness the number of conversions. I am acquainted however with the case of 31 persons who have professed a change of heart since the first of July last including a few cases of backsliders who have been reclaimed.

The school kept in the Oregon Institute was deprived of a teacher recently by the illness of Mr. Joseph Smith who has had charge of it for several months past. He is not expected to recover, we were called into his room to see him die as it was supposed his hour was come, it was an hour of triumph. The power of divine grace was gloriously manifested and this is another of the numerous instances of in which persons who have come to this country ignorant of God and Salvation have