COME AS SOON as you can,” Mr. Robinson wrote his wife in a letter from Montreal, March 3, 1913. “I am enclosing fifty dollars, and I want you to buy in Chicago any article of dress you may need, and you may have other needs besides clothing.
“Before leaving Zion City, please . . . buy some good thing for Gordon. He would like some sweet meats, and he can give some to his mother and his grandma, and bring a box of mixed caramels and a box of chocolates and bon bons for poor mother and poor me. . . . Please don’t forget this.”
Prior to this, the receipt of this letter, the Lord had made Mrs. Robinson know that it was His desire for her to go to Montreal, and this warm welcome confirmed the direction which she had been given. The Gordon to whom Mr. Robinson referred was, of course, his wife’s nephew, the son of her beloved sister Nettie who had joined the Faith Home family the previous year. And now Mrs. Wing, their mother, had taken up her residence with them in the Homes. Once again those who had been so closely united in former years were brought together. Gordon and Uncle Harry always loved each other very much. Hence, the special thought of his nephew and the provision for the “sweet meats” for the boy who was not quite thirteen.
“I found one woman here who has received her Pentecost,~ Mr. Robinson wrote in the same letter, “and she is very anxious to get a little meeting in her home or in some place where hungry seekers can assemble to wait upon God. There are quite a few here in the city who are praying that such a meeting be started.”
Two weeks later, on March 17, Mrs. Robinson left for Montreal. During her absence she kept close contact with the work by means of daily reports from one or more of the ministers in Zion. In turn she wrote as directed of the Lord for their help and guidance in the affairs of the Homes. In addition to this, she often solicited their prayers in behalf of needy souls and situations which the Lord brought her into contact with.
“Mrs. R.” or simply “R” was the way she signed many of these letters and notes addressed to her co-workers, and the way in which they generally referred to her among themselves. Inasmuch as this was her characteristic designation, especially in her latter years, this form of reference will be used for the most part in the remainder of this narrative.
After three months in Montreal, Mrs. R. left on June 19 for a visit in Toronto. There she ministered to the various members of the Toronto congregation—Professor and Mrs. Toews, the Marlatts, the McConnells, and others. In July she accompanied friends to Lake Muskoka near Bracebridge before returning to Montreal in the early part of August. Some time after the middle of September the Robinsons left for Zion City, going to the Enoch Home where Mrs. R. had moved the previous November.
One of the outstanding things about Mr. Robinson was his love of music which is reflected in his excellent collection of gospel hymns. One of his favorite songs was “I’m Living on the Hallelujah Side.” And when Mr. Robinson was “living on the Hallelujah Side,” he had great ability to bring others over onto the same side. When, for example, he raised his long arms in praise in a meeting, the glory of God would fall over the entire congregation. His preaching, too, at such times was in the glory of God.
Vivid glimpses into Mrs. R’s family life as well as her ministry are found in a lengthy letter to her mother when Mrs. Wing was visiting Ada and her family in Iowa in the late spring of 1914.
“After several unsuccessful attempts to write you,” so Martha began her letter of June 11 to her mother, “having begun but not finished, I try again and am determined to get it off this time. After you went away, I intended to surprise you with my letter-writing attentions, but this kind of intentions with me never seems to carry.
“I had the privilege of reading the letter you wrote Nettie and also the one from Freddie [Ada’s son]. He writes a very nice letter. We are all well here. God is blessing, as usual. Would write about various things but will hardly have time, and will let it go till you return. Then I suppose you will hear some of the doings, about meetings, etc. Perhaps Nettie will do better than I and tell you more.
“I suppose you are having a beautiful time, and I wish Nettie and I and Gordon could be there, too. However, even if the door were open other ways, I am afraid I could not manage it because of the work. The little visit to Wheaton and to Chicago crowded me so I am still running to catch up.
“Did you know I went to the Chicago Convention at the Stone Churchⁿ the week after you left, after being in Wheaton the week before? Harry went in and then sent for me, though I did not think I could manage to go, but I did for two or three days, and we had a real nice time. The meetings were nice and . . . I was blessed and enjoyed the change. I’m afraid I haven’t time to tell you much about it, though would if I could, as you are interested in the Stone Church. There are two or three incidents that just at this minute come to my mind.
Note: The Stone Church was an independent Pentecostal Church whose first pastor had been one of Dr. Dowie’s leading associate ministers. Mrs. Wing probably made this church her church home while she lived in Chicago.
“One is that the best thing I got there was a private talk Harry and I had with Fred Bosworth. He visited with us for quite awhile one day and told us of the wonderful work still going on in Texas, how souls are being won, and how that intercession (soul travail) has continued with wonderful results, also [of] many interesting healings, baptisms, etc.
“I remember now the man who was born blind and [was] healed on the platform while we were there.
“Someone said [that on the] Sunday after Harry and I left, a missionary offering of $2,700.00 was taken up in a few minutes in one meeting.
“That reminds me that Harry was there when they, also in a few minutes, got the offering of $1,500.00 for a large tent which Mr. Ericson is now holding meetings in for evangelistic work in connection with the Stone Church. It seats 2,000 people. Harry went back the next week for a few days to see these meetings. They are successful so far. Mr. Ericson is a very fine evangelist, they say. He worked with Fred Bosworth in Dallas. Mr. Bosworth told us something about his, Mr. E’s, conversion, that he was at one time a regular tough,—I think has been in prison, etc., do not now remember details—but he has surely found the Lord.
“I might add another incident of the trip. Mr. and Mrs. Marlattⁿ were in the same week and stayed at the same rooming house with Harry and me, and one morning, early before six, we went together to Jackson Park, taking our breakfast, returning in time for the ten o’clock meeting.
Note: The Marlatts were at this time making an extended visit in Zion City.
“Gordon had a piece of a picnic yesterday. Harry took him and Lehrⁿ down to the lake, that is, at Beach, and had an all-day bathing, etc., and came back by train, They had a pretty good time. Harry is red as a beet and pretty tired out today— don’t know how the boys got along, but Harry says they seemed to match him in the walking. He thought it would be nice to take the boys out for a treat.
Note: Lehr Kennedy, oldest son of Rev. Mr. and Mrs. E. B. Kennedy, missionaries to China, who were residing in Zion.
“There is a picnic [for] the children today in Shiloh Park which I suppose the boys will go to also. If they are as stiff as Harry [I] think it will be hard work. However, boys are at it all the time; it takes grown-up people to feel a picnic. Harry is such a good walker usually, they must have just done all they could [to keep up with him].
“I was thinking now how we used, sometimes when we were children, to walk three miles down to the Kline Woods with our dinners, work ever so hard walking through the woods, but what delicate children we would be with any housework in sight to do. So I suppose the boys were more able to do that than if we had set them to hoeing or something of that kind.
“When I started to write this, I got such a sudden sight of Ada and me, real little girls—not just imaginary ones,— and for a minute or two I forgot we were grown up and thought about ‘Ada.’ Now she is Mrs. Stevenson—yes, and she is Mrs. Stevenson that sings. I’d like to hear that! I’m not making fun. I got such an interesting sight of ‘Ada and Mattie’ I had to write about it. I don’t think Ada knows me very well now. Mrs. Stevenson and Mrs. Robinson are not very well acquainted, but I guess if Ada and Mattie got together, they would...
“How would you like on your return to stay over here at Enoch Home and be with this troublesome daughter a while again? We may be making some changes in the arrangement of the Home before long, and if agreeable to you that may be one of them. We find the people usually like to be at Enoch Home and don’t much care to leave, though, of course, if they know the Lord would have them live in the other homes, I suppose, then it’s all right....
“I said I did not have time to write about [the] work, but will say God is working and leading us a good deal deeper now, on account of the way He has been working lately, than He was in the early spring. We are having lovely meetings, abundant in the glory of God, and every one is feeling the presence of the Lord more, so much so, there is a real marked change already, and I know the Lord will do more. Then there is another thing, everyone around the place, no matter how busy they are, I find really wants to be in prayer, and God seems to be just intervening to make everyone better pray-ers.
“I wonder if you are remembering what we got in wisdom about your being sure to take time to pray at least one hour every day. I remember how urgently the Lord laid it on you to let all other things go, if you had to, to be sure to put in that hour. I do not want to urge it upon you myself, of course, nor maybe do I need to, or possibly you are doing even better and taking more than that time; but I remember the Lord advised you, unless you had the most unusual circumstances, to be real particular for the Word of God and for prayer....
“I remember how also the Lord gave it to you how that your tendency would be to get pretty busy over the home and you were to just let yourself be a visitor—to give others the oversight and you rest in God, and be useful in the way that would be most useful to those you were with. I am taking time to go back over it now, and hope you will do the same…
“Well, this letter is now at a finish, and although it has met enough interruptions, I am really apparently going to carry out my determination to get it off this time. How I would like to see you both, and be with my young man nephew, Clarence, a little while, and see Fred again! You store up all you can to tell me when you get here, and I will try to find the time to listen (really, not maybe), as I want to get a picture of Ada in her home. I would like also to hear about Aunt Em, Aunt Nettie, Aunt Carrie, Ray, Elmer, Uncle Hiram, Nellie and Herman, all the children, and, oh, every one you can think of….
“I must not write anymore except this, I do not know how you are fixed for your fare home. I did not add up afterwards what your expenses might be. I do not suppose you have quite enough, and you know the Lord can find it for you. I will send it on after I find how you are fixed—the Lord always gives it when we need it.... I do want you to have a nice time, good rest and change and enjoy yourself, and be back here at the time you feel like it, not spoiling your pleasure by cutting your visit off before you want to, but otherwise we are wanting to see you and will be glad when you get back, and know the Lord will bless you when you come.
“Tell Ada how we love her, and what we are doing, and how we often long to hear from her. And now I will have to shut right off. . . . In love and a hurry, Martha.”
From the last paragraphs of this letter one sees how Mrs. R. fulfilled the promise she made to her mother at the time of her healing when her mother had helped her financially. From henceforth Mrs. R. undertook her complete support.
The seemingly casual reference made to the Robinsons’ visit to Wheaton is in reality very important, although in all probability even Mrs. R. did not realize the full consequences of it at the time. The Robinsons had been invited to Wheaton, Illinois, by Miss Edith L. Chadwick, a devout and educated woman of the town who had attended at Wheaton College. Hungry for God, this woman had opened her home for some meetings so that others in Wheaton might have opportunity to know “the way of God more perfectly.” God never leads His servants to minister aimlessly, and there were some choice people in Wheaton whom He was after.
One of these was a very gracious Swedish lady, Miss Hilda Nilsson. She and a friend had been invited to attend a prayer meeting to be held in Miss Chadwick’s home, but she was informed that the people from Zion were fanatical. As an illustration of this, she was told that when they wanted to buy a cow, they prayed about it, that the Lord would direct them in their purchase. Miss Nilsson, who had had a rather unusual walk with the Lord for many years, was not at all surprised at this. Instead, she surprised her informant by saying, “Why, I pray about such things!” Still, Miss Nilsson was wary, for she had not met “these people.”
Early in the morning of the day when she was to go to the prayer meeting, Miss Nilsson recalls, “I opened my Bible to Acts 10, and my eyes fell on these words in verse 20: ‘Go with them doubting nothing, for I have sent them.’ As I was reading this, the Lord spoke the words, ‘Zion City,’ into my soul. I said to the Lord, ‘They are fanatical.’”
At the meeting later in the day, a number of women led out in prayer. At length one woman, dressed in white, prayed, and Miss Nilsson asked herself, “Who is that? I have never heard anyone pray like that!” And then this woman—Mrs. R.—a total stranger to her, came and laid hands on her head and invited her to come to Zion City. Having been prepared by the words the Lord, Himself, had spoken in her own soul, she knew that this was none other than the call of God.
Immediately Miss Nilsson took steps to obey the word of the Lord and came to Zion on the fourth of June. (About the same time Miss Chadwick came to reside permanently in the Homes and later became one of the Bible teachers of the work.) Thus by this visit Miss Nilsson and Mrs. R. were brought into a friendship which was to ripen with the years. For the next six years Miss Nilsson took her place as one of the workers in the Homes. A truly chosen vessel, she then became Mrs. Robinson’s faithful co-worker and minister in the Homes, and for the remaining years of Mrs. R’s life was her closest and almost constant companion.
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Martha Wing Robinson (1874 - 1936)
Martha held meetings which touched people to return to the work of the service of God. The Robinsons opened a "Faith Home" where people would come for teaching and prayer. Like George Muller they depended on God to provide what was needed for expenses. Thousands came through her home and healings were a regular occurrence. Her husband died in April of 1916, but Martha continued in her ministry. She had a very sharp gift of discernment and regularly told people the secrets of their hearts. She often had directive prophetic words for those under her care. Many young people came to the home for training and went into the mission fields and evangelistic endeavours.Martha Wing Robinson died June 26, 1936. Shortly before she died she stated her life's message "Nothing matters but Christ Jesus." Her whole life was spent in the service of God and for the Glory of His Son Jesus. She had seen many healed, saved, delivered, empowered and sent out. She was truly a mother in Israel. In 1962 Gordon P. Gardiner wrote a book about her life called "Radiant Glory" because that is how she lived her life.