Elmshaven: Ellen White & A.G. Daniells Season 2 | Episode 49
Though Australia was not her home country,
she had no plans to leave,
and despite requests from Pastor O. A. Olson,
the GC president at the time,
she was happy to stay in Australia,
writing to her son Edson that she had no wish to return to America.
She enjoyed living in Sunnyside near Avondale,
and thought that this would be her last home.
However, in March of 1900,
she was overwhelmed by the conviction that she was needed back in America
and plans were made to set sail in August of that year.
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Upon arriving back in California,
Ellen now needed to find a place to live and work.
Oakland had grown and changed considerably since she last lived there.
Following her son Willie's advice,
she, along with her assistant Sarah McInterfer,
headed to the St Helena Sanitarium
to get some rest while he continued to look.
Someone at the sanitarium mentioned
that there was a house for sale just under the hill.
Upon inspection, it was agreed that it would meet her every need.
It was well constructed and completely furnished.
The house now needed a name,
and due to the large elm trees out front, it was called Elmshaven.
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It was whilst living here in this house that she completed some of her key books
such as Ministry of Healing, Acts of the Apostles,
and an updated version of the Great Controversy.
As the years passed on, she traveled less and less,
and the 1909 GC session in Washington DC would be her last major trip.
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Towards the end of her life,
Ellen White wrote a lot of counsel on the need to work the larger cities,
and strongly encouraged the church leaders
to work the big cities of San Francisco, New York, Boston, and Los Angeles.
She was frustrated by the lack of enthusiasm and support,
and the focus on obstacles.
After some modest plans were laid,
A. G. Daniells, the General Conference president at the time,
was in California and wanted to visit with Ellen White.
He came here to Elmshaven,
but the messenger of the Lord refused to see him.
She sent word to him that when he was ready
to follow the work that needed to be done,
then she would talk to him.
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He then wrote a humble and contrite letter to Ellen White.
He later received a message in response that said,
'When the president of the General Conference is converted,
he will know what to do with the messages that God has sent him.'
Soon afterwards, they released Elder Daniells for one year
from his normal duties as General Conference president
so he could pursue leadership in city evangelism.
He chose New York City,
and finally fulfilled what God had intended for him to do in evangelistic work
and helped launch a new day in Seventh-day Adventist city evangelism.
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A. G. Daniells had heard the counsel about working the cities,
but he hadn't fully applied himself to it.
Oftentimes we can be like that;
we know what we ought to do, but we don't take it seriously
and we want God to give us more counsel,
or to affirm what we already are doing.
God needs people who will follow the light that He gives,
and then as they follow that, He will give them more light
as He guides them along the pathway of life.
Let us be faithful to God in all areas of our lives.