God has called thousands over the years to do the work of Oneida, and my prayer is that He will call thousands more in the future. It takes courage to do the Lord’s work, and I know no greater peace and contentment than being in the center of God’s will. I am grateful for the many servants, prayer warriors, donors, friends, etc. who have the courage to help us do what sometimes seems impossible here at Oneida. The following is an excerpt from our Oneida Mountaineer publication in 1944. Praise the Lord for sustaining Oneida during World War II, for His continued sustaining grace, and for the courage He supplies all of us in order that we might have a hand in this, His courageous work.

A friend in busy New York the other day took a printed card with the message reproduced below and on the blank card she wrote these words and sent the card to us:

“Every time I read this card I feel that it expresses just the courage exemplified in Oneida and its work—the founder, the teachers, the students—and so I am sending it to you.”

The message on the card is by Edward Everett Norwood and is entitled “Courage.” We want each of our students, workers and friends to have a copy of it and be thus reminded of the high estimate in which our institution is held by this friend and, we trust, by others. And may each of us determine the more to live day by day according to this high pattern of courage derived from the inspired Word. The card reads as follows:

“Be thou strong and very courageous. It is foolish and sinful to doubt the goodness and power of God. All of good is everywhere, never divided nor limited, and enough for all. We must have strength, courage, and faith to trust God always and all the way. Divine love is the only power and presence of the universe, here, now, and you cannot be shut out from His joy. The promise and fulfilment go hand in hand, and now is the day of salvation from all unlike good. Our understanding of God must equal our faith in Him; then we are intelligently praying, and the result is certain and sure. The argument that would discourage is not born of the Father, is not supported by law, hence it is baseless and base.

“Be strong, dear heart. Live one day at the time. Yesterday never was—tomorrow never will be; there is no time but now. And by doing our intelligent best today, tomorrow brings another day in which we can know more and more of Him from whom all blessings flow. Be cheerful. Hope all things, endure all things, expect all good to come, and come soon, and as we deserve it, God will make it so. Be strong and of good courage.”