This is an account of the events leading to the conversion of my parents, Mary and Ed Hess and their association with the Apostolic Faith Org. in Portland, Ore.
The two people responsible for bringing the latter rain gospel to my parents were Sis. Florence Crawford and Bro. Jackson White. Sis. Crawford attended the Azusa St. meetings and received the baptism experience there. While there she met Bro. White who at about the same time had received that experience also. He eventually returned to St Paul, Minn. and started a little mission on the third floor of this building (original photo not available.)
It is probable that they corresponded during 1906 because we understand Sis. Crawford came north to Portland.
My parents lived in St Paul at the time. They were members of the Presbyterian Church. My mother's youngest sister had started to attend this Apostolic Faith church, started by Bro. White. When Sis. Crawford arrived there to hold special meetings in St. Paul and help Bro. White with the gospel work, my aunt heard her preach during the week after Christmas in 1907. She was so impressed she invited my parents to attend a service with her. During that week they received salvation and sanctification under her ministry.
My mother often told me that Sis. Crawford held a watch night service New Years Eve. She must have preached a long sermon because she looked at her lapel watch and said, "Its 3 min. till 12:00, if we are going to pray in the New Year I had better stop preaching."
My mother was receiving her baptism when she heard the whistles blowing. My father received his four hours later that New Year's morning of 1908.
While Sis. Crawford was there she spoke to my parents about having a call to work for the Lord but didn't know where to go. She mentioned to them that while in the Midwest she may go to Illinois to investigate the Zionist movement. She understood they were a spiritual group of people and maybe she could do something there. A day or two later she told my mother, "I have received a letter since I talked with you about Illinois and the group of people I met in Portland would like to have me come there and be the leader of that Mission Group." She also said, "I am a native of Oregon and acquainted with the Northwest and feel that the Lord may be leading me in that direction.
My parents corresponded with Sister Crawford 12½ years after that, from Jan. 1908 until July 1920. After she started publishing the literature in Portland she would send quantities of papers and tracts. They held street meetings and cottage meetings in the Midwest during those years. In July 1920 we came to Portland to camp meeting and remained here until their death. I was 8 yrs. old when we came here so I've been here 66 yrs.
Harold Hess