Time to Say Good-by

Finally, it was time to say good-by. That Monday morning, July 27, Mrs. White spoke to the little church in Stockholm, and as she closed, each member greeted her with a warm handshake. The women were especially warm and friendly. But the farewells were not over yet. At Elder Matteson's apartment she found all the colporteurs and workers gathered for a last farewell.EGWE 305.2

“Each one said a few words of their appreciation of the meetings. They had read the books of Sister White and wanted so much to see her, and as they had listened to her testimony they had accepted the message brought to them and had been greatly benefited and much blessed of the Lord.”—Manuscript 35, 1887.EGWE 305.3

Her heart touched, Mrs. White responded with a short speech of her own, which Elder Matteson interpreted for the workers.EGWE 305.4

Finally, at the station there was one more round of good-bys, and Mrs. White left Sweden for the last time. There was a brief stopover in Copenhagen the next day, during which she was entertained at E. G. Olsen's home. Here she met Carl Ottosen again, and talked to him further about his plans.EGWE 305.5

The European Council in Moss had voted that O. A. Olsen should return to America as soon as possible to attend camp meetings, also the next General Conference session. He planned to sail the first week in August, and Ellen White had decided to go on the same boat.EGWE 305.6

She now headed for England, where she would spend the final month of her European sojourn. Her route took her to Kiel, Germany, and on to Hamburg. From there she traveled west through Germany and a portion of Holland^{*Ellen White held no meetings in the Netherlands. L. R. Conradi visited Holland in 1887, the first Adventist minister to penetrate this intriguing land, one of the most densely populated countries on earth. The next year the first Dutch paper was published in the United States (De Bijbellezer—“The Bible Reader”).
    “In 1889 Conradi visited the Netherlands with Peter Wessels from South Africa. In Winschoten they met the Potze family and converted Mrs. Potze to the SDA faith.
    “In 1893 R. G. Klingbeil began preaching and selling books to the sailors in rotterdam harbor. Two years later the first baptism of six converts took place in rotterdam.... On April 15, 1898, the first SDA church was organized.... By 1912 there were 250 Dutch SDA's. On July 7, 1919, the church was recognized by the government as a religious society.”—SDA Encyclopedia, p. 844.} before boarding the steamer Princess Elizabeth for the trip across the channel.EGWE 305.7

The final weeks of Mrs. White's stay in Europe were spent in Britain—as her first weeks had been two years earlier.EGWE 306.1