Calcutta, India by L. J. BURGESS

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Jun 17, 1915

Calcutta, India

By L. J. BURGESS

L. J. BURGESS

SEVERAL months have passed since my wife and I reached India, after a pleasant and profitable furlough spent in the homeland. We wish to take this opportunity to send back greetings to the brethren and sisters and friends whom we had the privilege of visiting while in America, and to all others who we know are following us with their prayers, although we have not met them personally.

At our general meeting in December last, it was decided that we should remain in Bengal for the present. This was contrary to our expectations; but as we believed that the Lord was leading, we gladly settled down in Calcutta, to remain until Providence should send us elsewhere.

The Bengalis are a warm-hearted and affectionate people. Their likes and dislikes are strong, and they are very free in expressing their feelings. We were fortunate in having the good will of our Bengali brethren, which made the task of taking up work in this new field easier. It was to Bengal that our first zenana worker came about twenty years ago, Miss Burrus, who afterwards became Mrs. Burgess. Much good seed has been sown here; and although large results have not yet been seen, we are glad that some faithful workers have been developed, and the prospects are bright for a plenteous harvest in the near future.

We are now addressing ourselves to the task of mastering the Bengali language. My wife once spoke the Bengali quite freely, and it will doubtless come back to her in a few months; and as this language is somewhat akin to the one I already speak, I hope soon to gain a working knowledge of it. I am studying two hours each day with a native language teacher, or pundit, as he is called. My pundit is the same man who taught the language to our Brother Little who laid down his life in east Bengal some years ago. The pundit has a good knowledge of the Bengali language and of Sanskrit, and has also a keen interest in the truth. Although between seventy and eighty years of age, he is quite strong, and able to journey fourteen miles in a day on foot.

We expect to have all our native workers together for a two weeks' institute next month. Brother James, of South India, has promised to be with us to take a leading part in the program of the institute. We are hoping for a special blessing upon the meeting, and trust that it may mark a new era in our work here.

We are both well and of good courage, and believe that the Lord has set his hand to the finishing of the work in Bengal. We desire to walk humbly with him, that he may use us to that end.