Saturday, November 2, 2024


Happy November, everyone! With the holiday season approaching, I wanted to transport you to Bethlehem and visit the site of the birth of Christ.

The exterior of the Church of the Nativity
By Neil Ward - Church of the Nativity, CC



While Bethlehem is in the country of Israel, it is under the Palestinian Authority, so our tour bus was subject to searches from both Israeli and Palestinian military as we entered and exited the city. While much of the city has been modernized and is occupied by people today, there are still remnants of its rich history. Tucked away in the heart of Bethlehem, the Church of the Nativity stands as a testament to the enduring legacy of Christianity. This revered site, believed to be the birthplace of Jesus Christ, has been a sacred pilgrimage destination for centuries. As we delve into its rich history, you'll discover why this iconic landmark remains a powerful symbol of faith.


Many of the Christian sites in Israel are in dispute and have multiple places where the event may have taken place. For example, the Tomb of Christ has two sites that both claim to be the actual place where Christ was buried: the Garden Tomb (claimed by protestants) and the Church of the Holy Sepulcher (claimed by Catholics). However, Christ's birthplace in Bethlehem is not one of those places. Perhaps the reason that it is considered one of the most credible sites is because of how early it was revered as the place of Christ's birth. As early as 248 A.D. we have record of a Greek Philosopher mentioning that the site was held to be the place of the Nativity.

In Bethlehem the cave is pointed out where He was born, and the manger in the cave where He was wrapped in swaddling clothes. And the rumor is in those places, and among foreigners of the Faith, that indeed Jesus was born in this cave who is worshiped and reverenced by the Christians.
~ Origen of Alexandria, Contra Celsum 248 A.D.


In 333 AD, Emperor Constantine, the first Christian Roman Emperor, commissioned the construction of the original basilica. His mother, Helena, a devout Christian, played a pivotal role in identifying the site where Jesus was born. The church's design reflected the simplicity and elegance of early Christian architecture.

Interior of the church
Public Domain

Over the centuries, the church has undergone significant transformations. Following a devastating fire in 529 AD, Emperor Justinian rebuilt the church in grand Byzantine style, complete with stunning mosaics and marble. Later, the Crusaders renovated and fortified the structure, adding Gothic elements that still awe visitors today.


Under Ottoman rule, the church underwent further changes. A contentious dispute between the Ottoman Empire, Britain, France, and Russia in 1852 led to the infamous "Status Quo" agreement, which has maintained the church's integrity to this day.


In 2012, the Church of the Nativity earned UNESCO World Heritage status, recognizing its cultural and historical significance. Restoration efforts have preserved the ancient mosaics, frescoes, and architectural nuances that transport visitors back in time.

The Silver Star below the altar of the Nativity
By User:Rossnixon Public Domain


As you step into the church, the weight of history and devotion envelops you. There is a lavish basilica above, and a stairwell that leads to the cave beneath it where it is believed that Mary gave birth. The entire cavern is coated in gold and marble, which was a bit disappointing to me, because I had hoped to get more of an idea of what the cave may have looked like during the time of Jesus. There was a marble altar to commemorate the manger, and a silver star marks a spot on the floor which claims to be the exact spot where Jesus was "born". I found that odd, personally. The star is about one foot square in size, so I don't know if that is supposed to be where Mary was laying, or what the case may be. It was still an absolutely breathtaking experience to stand in that place.


Adjoining the Chruch of the Nativity is Saint Catherine's Church which has access to caves beneath. These caves are more authentic and untouched than the gold-coated cavern. This side of the caves is known to be the place where Joseph received the dream warning him to flee to Egypt, and where Saint Jerome hid out to translate the Bible. I enjoyed this side of the grotto much more, as I felt it was closer to how Mary would have experienced it.

The Church of the Nativity is more than just a historical site – it's a tangible connection to the beginnings of Christianity. Countless pilgrims have travelled to Bethlehem to honor the beginning of the Greatest Story Ever Told. Being there was certainly transformational for me and I couldn't wait to write about it in one of my stories.


*****


Two-time winner of the Christian Indie Award for historical fiction, Amber Lemus inspires hearts through enthralling tales She has a passion for travel, history, books and her Savior. This combination results in what her readers call "historical fiction at its finest".

She lives near the Ozarks in her "casita" with her prince charming. Between enjoying life as a boy mom, and spinning stories out of soap bubbles, Amber loves to connect with readers and hang out on Goodreads with other bookish peoples.

Amber is a proud member of the American Christian Fiction Writers Association. Visit her online at http://www.amberlemus.com/ and download a FREE story by subscribing to her Newsletter!



Friday, November 1, 2024

Unexpected Legacies: Louisa M. R. Stead

Matthew J Elliott

It is a busy season for many of us, and with the ‘Big’ holidays just around the corner, things are not going to cool off any time soon. We also have an election coming up, and while I do not advocate for promoting any candidate, it is important to take a few moments to focus on the motivations behind the choices we make before all the chaos of that election, and the upcoming holidays ensue. Sometimes it’s better to put our focus on something a little more heavenly than what the world brings.

While I have typically been highlighting the painful memories of certain songs or authors, today, I’d rather focus on the message left behind by the person. In truth, there is a bit of sadness to the story behind ‘Tis So Sweet to Trust in Jesus’. She struggled with health issues for most of her life. Despite failing to accomplish her goal of becoming a missionary to China, Louisa married William Stead and together they had a daughter named Lily. 

After tragedy struck, her husband died trying to save a young boy from drowning in the ocean. Louisa and Lily found themselves destitute, with only a prayer to guide them. However, faced with this loss, Louisa found the courage to pray and seek guidance. In the end, that prayer paid off and eventually, she became compelled to write the hymn we all know. While we all know and love the words of this classic hymn, that is not where the most impactful aspects of her legacy lie.

Rather, the most impactful aspects of her legacy come from the missionary she became after the tragedy struck. Less than a year after Stead penned the chorus of her song, she and Lily moved out of the country and became missionaries in Africa. While she was living there, Louisa married a gentleman named Robert Wodehouse. As they began to experience their life together, they both worked in various African countries. They were all about serving others and sharing a message of hope with those around them. Many came to believe through their ministry. 

Louisa’s health issues continued through all of this and eventually, she had to return to America. However, once the healing came, the missionary could not stay in one place. Instead, she returned to the missionary field in Rhodesia. This is where Louisa would spend the rest of her days ministering anywhere the road would take her. In time, Lily became interested in being a missionary like her mother and chose to pursue the same calling. 

So again, the legacy was not in the song “Tis So Sweet to Trust in Jesus.” It was about the courage Louisa showed through her dedication to serving as a missionary to so many in Africa. It was through this determination and dedication that her daughter Lily found her own path and several South African churches flourished. Louisa trusted that in all things, it was truly so sweet to trust in Jesus. Regardless of what she faced, Louisa continued to believe in the calling she felt she should embrace.  


As each day passes, we are confronted with many difficult trials and choices that require our attention. While overcoming the pain of those hard moments is not always easy, we can look at others as an example. Louisa trusted in something bigger than herself and things worked out for her. While she still endured pain and sickness throughout her life, she accomplished many things. We can do so as well. What are some ways we can pursue our own unexpected legacy? Share your thoughts in the comments below. I’ll be looking to reply to any comment I see.
 
See you in the pages and sooner than you think!!

Matt

PS (Next Time, The Unexpected Legacies Series, will be traveling back to ancient biblical times. It's going to be fun and I can't wait to go back there.)
PSS (I will be giving away a few copies of my newest book, The Cyprus Journal, at the Mid-Month Madness Takeover this month. Are you coming?)


~ Biography ~

Matthew James Elliott (M.J. Elliott) is a passionate writer who loves to encourage and inspire others. He has served in various ministry roles for over 15 years, which has given him a unique perspective on people and Biblical History. Matthew holds a degree in Biblical Studies from Oklahoma Wesleyan University, with a focus on Pastoral Care, Christian Education, and Worship.

Matthew is happily married to Traci, and they have three children named Leyla, Caleb, and Hannah, who bring them immense joy and inspiration. As a writer, Matthew's goal is to share love, equip others, and edify them for the greater good. He loves connecting any amount of scripture to his stories and uses his knowledge of Biblical History to do so often.

You can find Matthew's works on AmazonGoodreadsFacebook, and His Website. He has written DevotionalsAn Episodic SeriesNovellas, and even Commentaries for The Gospel Daily.

~ Highlighted Release ~

A Paperback Exclusive, Finding Philemon, The Entire Limited Series!

A Former Slave. His Emotional Journey. Searching For The Way Home.

Are you ready to dive into a captivating series that delves into the journey of a young runaway slave who discovers God in his quest for redemption? Finding Philemon is exactly that kind of series. Come along on this unexpected journey as Onesimus faces the haunting demons of his past and witness his story unfold before your eyes in this first-hand account of someone many know little about.



Thursday, October 31, 2024

Charles T Harvey and the Soo Locks

 


My husband and I recently took a vacation to Upper Michigan. We traveled all over the upper peninsula of Michigan. One of the sites we went to see was the Soo Locks. The history behind it was so interesting because the project was so enormous and they didn't have the machinery we have today.

The Soo Locks Today
Lake Superior has only one waterway to the lower Great Lakes and that is the St. Marys River. When you are standing there watching the locks work, it's hard to imagine what this was like before. The St. Marys River had rapids caused by a twenty-one foot drop over three-quarters of a mile. This made it impossible for ships to get their cargo where they needed it to go. They would have to unload all their cargo and carry around the rapids to be reloaded on another vessel if they wanted to continue by ship.

The need was great in the booming lumber area to allow ships to travel from Lake Superior to the lower Great Lakes, so the State of Michigan decided to contract the building of locks. The project would have a two-year deadline and was financed by a congressional land grant of 750,000 acres.

Charles T Harvey was a twenty-two-year-old salesman, recovering from typhoid fever at the time. But Charles saw an opportunity and used his skill as a salesman to convince his employer, E&T Fairbanks of Vermont and other investors to commit to the building of the locks. They won the contract and Harvey became the general superintendent. He moved to Sault Ste. Marie and oversaw hundreds of workers, tradesman, and even engineers.

Charles Harvey
Harvey had an eye for the future and he knew what they were asking for wasn't going to be enough. He requested they accommodate the largest steamships on the lakes, 70 feet wide and 350 feet long. His wish was granted. It was quite a challenge to meet the two-year deadline of their contract. One of his obstacles was lack of a workforce. There were not enough men to do the job that needed to be done. So, they shipped men from Detroit and New York up to the Sault. When the work was in its full swing on the lock between two and three thousand men were employed. And with that came more problems, housing all these bodies that arrived, medical needs, cholera, and working in extreme conditions.  

With a workforce in hand, Harvey started removing several feet of bedrock from the St. Marys River. But after the 1854 shipping season had closed the men discovered a 30,000 square foot rock ledge they were unprepared for. Winter was fast upon them, and they lacked the tools to be able to remove this massive rock. Unfortunately, there was no place to purchase the equipment they needed and if they waited for spring and the tools to get there it would be impossible to meet that 2-year deadline in their contract. Not meeting it would mean they would not only lose the contract but would lose all of the money the investors had put up.

The 'Hammer'



Harvey wouldn't be deterred. Instead, he and his workers put their heads together and came up with a solution. They would build a punch with what materials they had access to. "A bar of tempered steel formed the tip and rings made from a ship's propeller reinforced it. Attached to an oak beam, the whole punch weighed three tons. To shatter the ledge, a barge secured to the piers used a steam engine to lift and drop the 'hammer' in a grid over the entire ledge leaving pieces no larger than a man's hand."




Barge and Hammer



With the hammer Harvey and his men built, they were able to meet their deadline and fulfil their contract. The lock was called "The State Lock". The opening of Lake Superior to the lower Great Lakes allowed products and raw materials to flow freely to the UP. That encouraged the industrial growth of the area. 





The Early Lock
Charles Harvey founded a town named after him, Harvey, Michigan. But even that didn't keep him there. The bright lights of New York called to Mr. Harvey as it did many entrepreneurs. He left for New York City and helped to solve the gridlock of streetcars, horse-drawn omnibuses, carriages and wagons by building an elevated railway.


He couldn’t very well hear God if he wasn’t listening. He needed to lay his life before God and let him direct it instead of trying to manipulate things to his liking.

Kirsten Macleod is in a bind. Her father’s last will and testament stipulates that she must either marry, lead the plantation into a first-year profit, or forfeit it to her uncle. But marriage is proving no easy option. Every suitor seems more enamored with the land than with her. Until her handsome neighbor sweeps into her stable to the rescue… of her beloved horse.

Silas Westbrook’s last year at veterinary school ends abruptly when he is called home to care for his young orphaned sisters. Troubles compound when he finds an insurmountable lien on the only home they’ve ever known, and the unscrupulous banker is calling in the loan. The neighbor’s kind-hearted and beautiful stable girl, Krissy, provides the feminine influence the girls desperately need. If only he had a future to offer her. But to save his sisters from poverty, he should set his sights on Krissy’s wealthy relative Kirsten Macleod, the elusive new heiress. Surely this hard-working and unassuming young lady and the landowner could not be one and the same?


Debbie Lynne Costello is the author of Sword of Forgiveness, Amazon's #1 seller for Historical Christian Romance. She has enjoyed writing stories since she was eight years old. She raised her family and then embarked on her own career of writing the stories that had been begging to be told. She writes in the medieval/renaissance period as well as 19th century. She and her husband have four children and live in upstate South Carolina with their 4 dogs, 4 horses, miniature donkey, and 12 ducks. Life is good!





*quote from the Soo Lock Museum.

Wednesday, October 30, 2024

HHH October 2024 Book Day


GREAT READS FOR YOUR CHRISTMAS LIST

 

 

MRS. WITHERSPOON GOES TO WAR

(Heroines of WWII series)

2023 SELAH Award 3rd Place Winner!

By Mary Davis

A WASP (Women Airforce Service Pilots) embarks on an unsanctioned mission to rescue three US soldiers held captive in Cuba. Margaret “Peggy” Witherspoon is a thirty-four-year-old widow, mother of two, flying for the WASP. When her new supervisor, Army Air Corp Major Howie Berg, gives her an order she can’t follow, sparks fly. In the course of her duties, Peggy learns of US soldiers being held captive in Cuba. She undertakes a daring rescue mission. She will need all her WASP skills to succeed and come out of this alive while trying not to ignite an international incident.



BRIDE BY BEGUILEMENT

By Debbie Lynne Costello

Kirsten father’s last will and testament stipulates that she must either marry, lead the plantation into a first year profit, or forfeit it to her uncle. Thefts are hurting the profit and marriage is proving no easy option. Every suitor seems more enamored with the land than with her. Silas’s last year at veterinary school ends abruptly when he is called home to care for his young orphaned sisters. Troubles compound when he finds an insurmountable lien on the family home and an unscrupulous banker is calling in the loan. How will the two overcome pride and distrust to find real happiness?

 

 

THE WITNESS TREE

By Denise Weimer

Past betrayal has turned John Kliest’s passion to his work as a builder and surveyor in the Moravian town of Salem, North Carolina. To fulfill his mission in Cherokee Territory, he needs a bride. But the woman qualified to record the Cherokee language longs for a future with his younger brother. Clarissa Vogler’s dream of life with Daniel Kliest is shattered when she is chosen by lot to marry his older brother and venture into the frontier. Can she learn to love this stoic man? Her survival hinges on being able to trust him—but they both harbor secrets.

 

 

ALL WE THOUGHT WE KNEW

By Michelle Shocklee

Ava must put her life back together after her husband is killed at Pearl Harbor. A job at Camp Forrest provides income, but it also puts her in contact with Enemy Aliens interned on the military installation. Can she trust the German medical student whose friendship means more to her than it should? Mattie ran away from the pain when her brother was killed in Vietnam. Now she’s back in Tullahoma facing another devastating loss. Yet it is the bundle of WWII letters Mama insists she reads that makes her question everything she thought she knew about herself.

 

 

WILTED DANDELIONS

By Catherine Ulrich Brakefield

Wilted Dandelions: Rachael is ready to leave her luxurious life in Buffalo, New York, to share the gospel with the Native Americans in the Oregon Territory. But the Missionary Alliance requires their missionaries to be married. Rachael agrees to a marriage of convenience with a man she hardly knows and learns God doesn’t create coincidences—He designs possibilities. “I loved this quote… ‘I’m still such a babe in Christ. Will I ever stop seeking my desires and reasoning it is God’s will that I satisfy my own whims?’ Can you relate?” Grandaddy A.

 

 

WHEN MEMORY WHISPERS

By Johnnie Alexander

Marie Wyatt longed for fame and fortune and found herself in wartime London working as an Allied courier. But when a routine mission turns deadly, a mysterious German agent becomes her unlikely savior. Yet the line between duty and loyalty blurs when the German agent is imprisoned in a Florida POW camp with Axis soldiers who consider him a traitor. Marie embarks on a desperate mission to save him before he’s fatally injured. Plummet into a heart-wrenching tale of courage, treachery, and a love that defies all odds.

 

 

EL JIREH - THE GOD WHO PROVIDES

Compiled by Living Parables of Central Florida

Mary Dodge Allen, contributor

In A Mother’s Desperate Prayer, Mary Dodge Allen shares her struggle with guilt and despair after her son is badly burned in a kitchen accident. When we are at the end of all we have, El Jireh shows His hand. God doesn’t always give us what we want or when we want it, but He perfectly provides all we need at the right time. The stories, poems, devotions, and essays in this collection demonstrate the various and mysterious ways God is El Jireh—the God who provides—to His children.

 

 

EVEN IF WE CRY

By Terrie Todd

Now available to pre-order! Warned they “mustn’t cry,” British teenager Nina Gabriel and her two young siblings board a ship bound for Canada as part of the WWII child evacuee program. Nina’s mischievous brother and seasick sister test her limits on the long voyage—but her burden of responsibility grows still heavier in Canada. When a telegram arrives after a London bombing, will Nina find a way to fulfill her promise for the brother she’s never met? Will the Gabriel siblings learn that each of them is loved, even if they cry?

 

 

NEW!!! COURTING THE COUNTRY PREACHER

4 STORIES OF FAITH, HOPE, AND FALLING IN LOVE

By Naomi Musch, et al.

Every preacher needs a wife, right? Being a preacher in the countryside is not for the faint of heart nor faith. Four inexperienced preachers face a myriad of challenges including those who figure a man of the cloth needs a wife. Can they meet the expectations of “helpful” congregants and be true to their hearts? E-book available now! Paperback available tomorrow, November 1st.

 

 

TITANIC: LEGACY OF BETRAYAL

A Time-Slip Novel

By Kathleen E. Kovach, et al.

A secret. A key. Much was buried on the Titanic, but now it's time for resurrection. Follow two intertwining stories a century apart. 1912 - Matriarch Olive Stanford protects a secret after boarding the Titanic that must go to her grave. 2012 - Portland real estate agent Ember Keaton-Jones receives the key that will unlock the mystery of her past... and her distrusting heart. Review: “I told my wife to move this book to the top of her reading list... This titanic story is more interesting than the one told in the Titanic movie... She will absolutely love it.”

 

 

JULIA’S JOY

By Susan G Mathis

Julia Collins reluctantly sets foot on Sister Island intent on claiming her inheritance and moving on. But when she experiences the peaceful, faith-filled island life, and connects with the handsome lightkeeper, William, Julia confronts wounds from her parents' deaths. William Dodge, lightkeeper of Sister Island, wants nothing to do with love, thanks to a past betrayal and chronic pleurisy. But as love begins to blossom between them, Julia is faced with a tempting proposal from a prominent Brockville family. Will she succumb to societal expectations or choose the richness of her island life and the love of the steadfast lightkeeper?

 

 

SECRETS DARK AND DEEP

By Sherri Stewart

TV anchor, Maddie Caldecott, has a secret so deeply buried she doesn’t remember it. As an investigative reporter, Maddie can dig out the truth of any story, but Maddie can’t unearth the secret she’s blocked.
Police Detective, Brody Messner, is at his wits end. How can he protect Maddie from Absalom if she resists his every suggestion? From Orlando to Zürich, he follows Maddie, trying to stay one step ahead of her assailant.

 

 

FORTUNES OF DEATH

SECRETS OF EPHESUS SERIES

By Liisa Eyerly

Step into the shadowy streets of 96 AD Ephesus, where danger lurks, and trust is scarce. Fortunes of Death, the thrilling new novel by Liisa Eyerly, immerses you in a world where faith is tested, alliances crumble, and one woman's courage determines life or death. Sabina, a Christian widow, is drawn into a deadly mystery when a wealthy citizen is murdered. With her friend’s life at stake, she must navigate lies and deception. Each clue brings her closer to the truth—and closer to becoming the next target.

 

 

OVER THE HORIZON

By Penny Zeller

Alone in 1870s Idaho Territory, Paisley Abbott has nowhere to turn. With all other options exhausted, she agrees to an arrangement with Tyler Shepherdson, the recent inheritor of a farm and three orphans. Despite an unorthodox beginning to their marriage, will Paisley and Tyler trust God as they forge ahead to create a home for three children? Will love arise from a desperate situation?


Tuesday, October 29, 2024

Heroines of the Frontier, Part 6 - Women Who Were Pioneers of the Gospel / Jerusha Kirkland


In the annals of American history, of the women who proved themselves brave beyond the pale, the efforts of the women whom God chose to come alongside their husbands to both live out and spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ were among the most courageous. One first thinks almost naturally of the famous missionaries to Oregon, Dr. Marcus and Narcissa Whitman, and with them Mr. and Mrs. Spaulding. HHH blogger tells Narcissa's story of bravery, fortitude, and heroism in spreading God’s Word in a post here: An Extraordinary Woman. These early western missionaries traversed wide prairies, unimaginable mountain peaks, and raging waters, to bring comfort, medical aid, and the Good News to the indigenous peoples in the forest regions along America's northwestern coast. Others followed them. Stalwart men and brave women who shed their comfortable lives for the sake of aiding their husbands to reach the lost.

But before them were the resolute Moravians, whose missionaries' wives united with their husbands in arduous labors in the wilderness, and their kind offices and gentle ways did much to render the missionary work entirely effectual. They learned native languages, tended the sick, comforted the mothers, and themselves suffered from want. (HHH blogger Denise Weimer has written stories about their efforts in some of her books.)

And apart from them, when the colonies were shortly to embark on a great separation from old England, God called his servant Samuel Kirkland to the deep forests of upper New York where he was quickly adopted into a tribe of Seneca, one of the Iroquois nations. There he worked and taught the Gospel, while also learning several of the Indian languages. His story is a fascinating one, and you can read about it in J.M. Hochstetler's post right here.

Reverend Kirkland had been involved with ministry among the Oneida Indians for some time, when he returned to Connecticut and married Jerusha Bingham in 1769. She was a devout young woman, being a niece of Eleazer Wheelock, D. D., himself a successful laborer in the Indian missionary work. Jerusha (sometimes called Jemima) entered enthusiastically into the plans of her husband Samuel. Shortly after her marriage, she accompanied him to his post of duty in the wilderness near Fort Stanwix— now Rome.

This was literally on the frontier, in the midst of a dense forest which extended for hundreds of miles in every direction, and was the abode of numerous Indian tribes, some of which were hostile to the white settlers. Their forest-home was near the "Council House" of the Oneidas— in the heart of the forest. There, the devoted couple, alone and unaided, commenced their joint missionary labors. The gentle manners and the indomitable courage and energy of Mr. Kirkland, were nobly supplemented by the admirable qualities of his wife. It was said of her:

“With the sweetness, gentleness, simplicity, and delicacy so becoming to woman under all circumstances, were blended in her character, energy that was unconquerable, courage that danger could not blench, and firmness that human power could not bend.” *

History also notes that she also faithfully discharged her duties as a mother. One of her sons rose to eminence and became President of Harvard College.

While prior to his marriage, Mr. Kirkland made his home and pursued his missionary labors at the Council House, in 1772, he purchased a home in Stockbridge Massachusetts for Mrs. Kirkland and their children. He still continued to preach and teach at the Council House, addressing the Indians in their own language, which both he and his wife had learned fluently. 

Among Kirkland's many Oneida converts to Christianity was the Oneida chief Skenandoah,
who lived at Oneida Castle.

Meanwhile, Mrs. Kirkland visited the wigwams in the woods around her home and instructed the Indian mothers and children, who in turn flocked to her house where she ministered to their bodily and spiritual wants. These were her chosen pupils. Seated in circles on the grassy ground beneath the spreading arches of giant oaks and maples, they listened to her teachings, and learned from her lips the wondrous story of Christ, who gave up his life on the cross that all tribes and peoples of mankind might live through Him. She prayed for and sang with them in the musical tongue of the Oneidas, with the psalms and hymns which she had taught.

The effect Mr. and Mrs. Kirkland wrought among the Oneida was nothing less than a well-ordered community in the wilderness, and many souls were gathered into the fold of Christ. During the years of her residence and labors among the Oneidas, Jerusha won many hearts by her kind deeds as a nurse and medical benefactor to the native men and their wives and children.

She thus demonstrated the exemplary doctrines which she taught. Both she and her husband gained a wide influence among the Indians of the region. They
 had the distinction of being recommended by the Continental Congress, as having adapted to labor among the Native Americans, and as alone able to preserve the neutrality of the Oneidas toward the Revolutionary War, many of whom, when it became necessary, they were able to win over to the patriot cause.

Jerusha Kirkland rests in Hamilton College Cemetery, Clinton New York.
She died January 23, 1788 at the age of 44.

*William Worthington Fowler. Woman on the American Frontier / A Valuable and Authentic History of the Heroism, Adventures, Privations, Captivities, Trials, and Noble Lives and Deaths of the "Pioneer Mothers of the Republic" (Kindle Locations 4492-4498). Kindle Edition.
____________________________

NEW BOOK RELEASE!

In the spirit of those who have spread the Gospel to regions beyond, it's time to announce the release only three days from now (November 1, 2024) of Courting the Country Preacher, 4 Stories of Faith, Hope, and Falling in Love. That gives a couple days to get the pre-order price guarantee and hurry it along to your mailbox.

Courting the Country Preacher introduces readers to unseasoned ministers of the Gospel and the women anxious to come alongside them, both in ministry . . . and in love.