Page 8 - Good News April 2016 paper
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his is a true story submitted his deacons to get busy and raise whose 57 cents, so sacrificially
by D. Griffiths wherein he enough money for a larger buil- saved, made such remarkable
Trelates the incident that led ding. history. Alongside it, is a portrait
to the establishment of the of her kind pastor, Dr Russel H
Temple Baptist Church, Temple But the story does not end there! Conwell, author of the book,
University, and the Good Sama- A local newspaper learned of the "Acres of Diamonds".
ritan Hospital in Philadelphia, story and published it. It was read
USA. It is about a little girl, Hattie by a realtor who offered them a UNSELFISH LOVE
May Wiatt, and her 57 cents that parcel of land worth many thou- When we are willing to show and
made history. sands. When told that the church exercise our unselfish love in a
could not pay so much, he offered practical way to the cause of the
"I CAN'T GO TO it for a 57-cent payment. Church billions who are perishing without Hattie May Wiatt
SUNDAY SCHOOL" members also made large sub- Christ, imagine what we could do
A sobbing little girl stood near a scriptions. Cheques came from and what could be achieved for
small church from which she had all over. Within five years the little the Lord!
been turned away because it "was girl's gift had increased to
too crowded". "I can't go to $250 000! Her unselfish love had Someone has said, "It is not the
Sunday School," she sobbed to paid large dividends! one big contribution that counts,
the pastor as he walked by. but the many small ones that
Seeing her shabby, unkempt PHILADELPHIA TODAY make the difference". Will you, my
appearance, the pastor guessed When you are in the city of dear friend, be willing to set aside
the reason and, taking her by the Philadelphia, look up Temple your "57 cents" so that those
hand, took her inside and found a Baptist Church, with a seating outside the fold of salvation may
place for her in the Sunday School capacity of 3 000 plus, and Temple be brought into the eternal
class. University, where thousands of salvation plan of our Lord in the
students are trained. various parts of our world?
The child was so touched that she
went to bed that night thinking of Have a look, too, at the Good Source: Abraham Sahu via Joel
the children who had no place to Samaritan Hospital and at a News, 2005.
worship Jesus. Sunday School
Building which
57 CENTS MULTIPLIED houses hun-
Some two years later, this child dreds of Sun-
lay dead in one of the poor day scholars,
tenement buildings and the so that no child
parents called for the kind- in the area will
hearted pastor, who had befrien- ever need to be
ded their daughter, to handle the l e f t o u t s i d e
final arrangements. As her poor during Sunday
little body was being moved, a School classes.
worn and crumpled purse was In one of the
found which seemed to have been rooms of this
rummaged from some trash building is the
dump. Inside was found 57 cents picture of the
and a note scribbled in childish sweet face of
handwriting which read: "This is the little girl
to help build the little church
bigger so more children can go to
Sunday School."
For two years she had been
saving this offering of love. When
the pastor tearfully read that note,
he knew instantly what he would
do. Carrying this note and the
cracked, red purse to the pulpit,
he told the story of her unselfish
love and devotion. He challenged
