Once Brother Renbeck and I were holding a meeting in Erskine, Minn. It was 42 degrees below zero every day, and we had to stand the bread by the heating stove and a number of times it froze so hard on the table, before we got through with our meal, that we could not eat it. When we went to bed, we could see the stars twinkling through the cracks of the roof. We took off our shoes and coats and lay down on the bed, and pulled our fur caps down over our ears and put our fur coats over us. Often through the night we would have to turn over because the side that was down got cold.
This may seem ridiculous to some, but G.o.d knows it is true.
In 1911 Brother Morris Johnson and I held a meeting on the west coast of Denmark. At the place where we stayed and slept, we had to climb up a ladder through a hole into the room to sleep. The bed was too short for Bro. Johnson and too narrow for two, and the bed clothes accordingly.
We could not sleep much after breakfast. We took our traveling blankets and walked out side the town where there were some old grave hills that had been opened to get out the wealth that was buried. It left a deep hollow place in the ground. There was ice in the bottom. We wrapped our blankets around us and lay down so the wind could not blow on us and slept some.
That was pioneering in Denmark. In this little town it was really the first great battle for the truth won in Denmark.
Many have said that much of the pioneer work was lost and did not pay. It is true, some was lost, but what would we have had today without it? I pray G.o.d to rekindle the pioneer spirit and pa.s.sion for souls and trust in the Lord. The opportunities are still here. If I were a young man I would say