Show Written for tor this All Paper FROM THE FAR ANTIPODES PINE VALLEY VALLBY November 1894 Enclosed please find finda a letter written in New Zealand by my son William Gardner president of that mission to his wife in Pine Valley Washington County Utah As many of the readers of your valuable paper in Utah have husbands brothers or sons in the far off land and William has many friends here I thought if you could give space in the NEWS to such parts of the letter as you think suitable for publication it might be interesting to the above above- named and to those interested in that mission ROBERT ROBIRT GARDNER GISBORNE Poverty Bay September 1894 You will pardon men for not writing you last mail but it was impossible for forme forme forme me to write after receiving Bishop Snows Snow's letter With the sad sad news of the death of our darling little baby boy I have been enjoying ex- ex excellent ex excellent health and have been very busy traveling in the midst of the Saints Saints- settling up troubles some from the Church and also ing baptizing into the Church On the 2nd and of September baptizing I had the privilege of bap- bap seventeen and we blessed eight children I also married three couples and altogether there is a good prospect for the future There have been over fifty baptisms in the Te Malia Malta district since our conference in April I lately visited the place where we held our general conference on the of April and while we were having a good time with September the Saints on the 2nd and of Septem Septem- ber the Devil took possession of one of our sisters She was staying with some of her relatives who did not belong to the Church but some of the Saints were there They sent for us to come and administer her I did to not like to go amongst outsiders in a case of this kind but our sister was in such a condition that it took five men to hold her on the bed so we went and administered to her and she was released though so weak she could not raise her hand to her head We tried to get them to consent to take her to the house of ol the Saints and let them nurse her but they would not and as soon as we left the house the adversary returned and they running came came came- running alter after us to hurry back for there were five strong men again trying to hold her on the bed We rebuked the the- the evil evil one again and he left and still they would not consent to let her go to th the Saints So we left again and during the the- night the evil one came again she raged all night and at last they got tired of her and brought her back to the Saints 1 I told them all to fast and pray we administered to her and afterwards afterwards- I took a walk out to the sea shore lone lone- lonesome lonesome lonesome some and blue when I returned the adversary had come back she was was- getting weaker but we again adminis adminis- administered administered administered to her and rebuked the evil one and told him to return no more She seemed to get better from that same hour and is well and hearty now This was a great victory for us and a testimony testimony testimony mony that the Lord will hear His ser ser- servants servants servants if they will fast and pray before belore Him in humility The Saints l are re- re rel rejoicing rejoicing re over the great testimony that was given in their midst and I 1 believe it will do much good Iwas I was very much over It and I was anxious to ta t z leave for some of the other branches but I did not like to leave our sister so sowe sowe sowe we Elders concluded to fast for the Lord to open our way before us that we might perform our duty in a manner ac- ac acceptable acceptable ac acceptable to Him That very morning our sick sister was brought right to the house where we were stopping we could not help but praise the Lord for this blessing She was soon healed I fasted forty-eight forty hours and she is now all right I have been greatly blessed of the Lord in my labors I expect to leave here in the morning morning by steamer for Auckland I had concluded to sail for or Australia on the but was too late for the steamer I may go over on the next excursion steamer that leaves Auckland EJ Elder er Goddard has gone over to Sidney and will wait there till he hears from me If I dont go I will attend the conference at Te Aroha and from there to Waikato and from there thereto thereto thereto to the Bay of ot Islands to attend the general conference in February 8 9 JO io loWe We have two Elders in Auckland and andare andare andare are having very good meetings have found twenty old members and a very good prospect for some new ones The Elders are very anxious I should come and see them I will finish my letter when I get to Auckland if I am not too sick though I am sure I will have a time of it We have bad had very rough cold weather lots of rain the roads are very muddy horses are very poor and the grass is very short therefore I am obliged to take steamer to make it in time to be at the conference e e e e AUCKLAND October 3 1894 The morning I left Gisborne the rain was pouring down furiously Elder Fisher president of ot the district arrived the nigh before and went with me to the steamer The large steamship was anchored out in the bay and we had to take a small steamer called the Shank to go out to the big ship The wind was blowing and the rain was pouring down and the waves dashed over the deck of our little bark The cabin was full ull of passengers and many women and men had to stand out in the storm stormI I for or one But I 1 preferred the rain to the sickness sea-sickness We a had to cling to each other to keep from being swept off the deck when we got to the big steamer the waves rolled our little boat around till we could scarcely get on to the ladder to climb into the ship but finally we got aboard all right and she started off oft It was not long till nearly all the he new arrivals were looking pale and we soon covered the deck and ana such a heaving and groaning groaning as was made I 1 didn't eat anything till we landed safely in was Auckland Auckland was sick all the way way- way twenty way twenty four hous and over Zoo miles I found Elders Johnson and Goff well located and boarding themselves and I Iam Iam Iam am staying with them We will hold meeting tonight and then I leave for Te Aroha conference 55 miles by steamer and thirty-eight thirty by horse back The weather is quite pleasant here The Elders are holding two meetings every Sunday and one cottage meeting during the week they have found about twenty twenty twenty ty old members and some of them are feeling quite spirited in the work and I Iam Iam Iam am in hopes we will won Soon oon have a lively branch here in th tr city Vi GARDNER |