A Call From India by Carl E. Weaks

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Tacoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Mar 13, 1913

A Call From India

By Carl E. Weaks

Another biennial session of the India Union Mission has just closed. It was a great cause for rejoicing to hear the reports from all parts of India and Burma telling of how the Lord had gone before the workers, giving success to those who, in answer to the call of God, have gone forth to herald the message of a soon-coming Saviour.

In no department have we greater reason for gratitude than in the work of circulating the printed page. This work has gone steadily forward during the two years since our last general meeting. At that time we were issuing three regular journals, two in English and one in Bengali. The combined circulation of these was about 3,500. Since then we have launched two more magazines in the vernaculars, one in Burmese and one in Tamil, and copy is now in the hands of the translator for a journal in the Hindustani language, the most widely spoken language of India. The combined circulation of the five that we are now issuing is about 20,000. While this is small compared with what the great need demands, we are glad for this growth and are pushing forward, hoping for great things for the future. We have certainly reached the time for God to work mightily in our behalf in giving our literature a wide circulation.

Our little band of faithful colporteurs have gone to all parts of India, Burma, and Ceylon with our English literature, circulating about $10,000 worth of our journals and books. Two years ago we had two regular colporteurs for this work, but in answer to our repeated calls for help, two more have joined us from the home land, Brethren P. A. Rick and M. M. Mattison. One young man, Brother Carratt, who was a soldier in the British army in India for a number of years, accepted the truth and entered the canvassing field a year and a half ago. Thus we have had five men engaged in the sale of English literature since July of last year.

As plans were laid for the prosecution of the work for the future, we again faced the problem of a great work with few to do it. It was imperative that men be supplied to fill places of importance, or the work would greatly suffer. As the larger number of our laborers are tied to some definite language area, the exchange of help becomes a much more serious problem than it is in the home land. As we looked over our force of workers in connection with the needs that had to be supplied, it was evident that about our only source from which to draw was our canvassing band. The accompanying cut shows those who have been at work. As stated above, only five of these have been engaged in the sale of English literature. Brother H. E. Baasch, the one standing at the right, had been working with our Burmese pa per until some weeks ago, when he joined our city evangelical work.

Brother Carratt, who has been in the tropics for seven or eight years, left before the close of the meeting for a furlough in England. Brother Mattison and his wife will connect with our English school in Mussoorie with the opening of the next school year, about the first of March. Brother F. O. Raymond, who has been doing such faithful work during the past three years, connects with the Rangoon Branch of the International Tract Society the first of April. While he will continue to devote a part of his time to actual field work, his efforts will be divided. This leaves us but two men who can devote their entire time to this line of work in this great needy field, and it may be necessary to call one of these to other work. We could hardly have agreed to call so many from this line of effort had we not felt that our people at home would rally to our support and send men to fill the places thus made vacant. We have sent our request to the Mission Board for two more men for the canvassing field.

Unless this call is answered soon, this work will greatly suffer. Possibly there are those who read these lines whom the Lord would have respond to this call. Two years ago when we sent in a similar call, one of our young men in Canada responded, and it is of interest to note that this young man, since arriving in the field, has paid his wage and expenses from commission on papers alone. If you can not come in answer to the call, possibly you can assist in sending some one else.

CARL E. WEAKS.