During this time letters from James Edson White brought little comfort to his mother. While she was in New Zealand, he was in Chicago in the printing business, and quite involved in debt, which was not unusual for him. In one letter he stated, “I am not at all religiously inclined.” There had been times when, with a heart dedicated to God, he had served in the Lord's work—Sabbath school, hymnbook preparation, publishing, et cetera. Now his letter, with these words, nearly crushed her. WV 296.5
Ellen White's response, in a letter that filled 10 double-spaced typewritten pages, described a dream in which was presented to her the case of a young man about to be carried away by the undertow, but was saved by the effort of one who risked his life to save him. WV 296.6
The letter, written in anguish, was attended by the winning and softening influence of the Spirit of God. Edson yielded his hard heart and experienced a reconversion. His immediate response and his experience of the next two or three weeks are not recorded in the files, but on August 10, 1893, he wrote to his mother: WV 296.7
I have surrendered fully and completely, and never enjoyed life before as I am now [enjoying it]. I have for years been under a strain, with so much to accomplish, and it has stood right in my way. Now, I have left it all with my Saviour, and the burden does not bear me down any longer. I have no desire for amusements and pleasures that made up the sum of my enjoyments before, but have an enjoyment in the meetings with the people of God such as I never had before. WV 296.8
As to his future, he declared he wanted to connect with the work of the church in some way. Later in the month he wrote his mother: “I have been thinking of going down into Tennessee to work among the colored people....I shall go into the work somewhere in the spring.... I still hope and trust in God, and am sure He will care for me. I have proved my own way and it is a poor way. I now want God's way, and I know it will be a good way.” WV 297.1
Through the next decade Ellen White thrilled to Edson's vivid reports of God's blessings as he pioneered the work among the Blacks in the great Southland of the United States. WV 297.2