Jack Reeves was the son of B. F. Reeves, of Flat Rock, Ind., so long the venerated elder of that church, and a sort of patriarch over all the churches.  And the above-named brethren, as well as a number of others, hearing that I was preaching near the Missouri River, sent for me to come and make them a visit.  I accordingly did so, and now, for thirty-one years I have not forgotten to visit them, and they have not forgotten me.  From this time forward I preached for them as I had opportunity, and thus began to make the acquaintance of brethren south of the Kansas River.  The church grew apace.  At their organization they had twenty-five members.  Two years afterwards they were able to report a membership of seventy-two persons.

The year 1857 passed rapidly away.  My time was divided between working on my claim on Stranger Creek, preaching for the churches that had been organized, and making the acquaintance of brethren wherever I was able to find them.

And now the year 1858 was upon us, predestinated to bring with it consequences far-reaching, as touching the future of Kansas.  In this year should be settled the question that had filled the Territory with agitation, tumult, and war for four years; and it was in this year that our Kansas missionary work was begun, and in which was organized the first missionary society.  The time was the early spring of 1858.  The place was “Old Union,” a little, log school-house situated in a ravine opening into Stranger Creek bottoms.  The personnel were, first, Numeris Humber, with his tender heart and quenchless love for missionary work.  Then there was his sister wife, that with saintly presence and sacred song made us feel that this was the very house of God and gate of heaven.  Judge William Young was also present, who had neither song nor sentimentality about him, but in his unpoetic way looked at everything in the light of cold, hard fact.  And yet Bro.  Young is neither cold nor hard, only on the outside.  There also was Spartan Rhea (these brethren were all from Missouri), whose fine sense of honor and upright conduct we have already had occasion to commend while acting as justice of the peace during our former troubles.  Joseph Potter was also there, and so, also, was Joseph McBride, a notable preacher of Tennessee, that many years ago was one of the pioneers that planted the Christian cause in Oregon.  All told, we had a crowd large enough to fill a little, log school-house.  Brethren Yohe and Marshall, of Leavenworth City, also gave us assurances of their hearty help and sympathy.  This Dr. S. A. Marshall was a brother-in-law to Isaac Errett, and always deeply interested himself in this work of building up the churches.  The church at Pardee was also represented.  And this constituted the make-up of our first missionary society.  Three churches represented, and enough persons decently to fill a little seven-by-nine log school-house.  Let us learn not to despise the day of small things.