Karmatar, India by Della Burroway

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Jan 30, 1913

Karmatar, India

By Della Burroway

DELLA BURROWAY

SINCE we are on our own property—secured by the $300,000 Fund—the attitude of the people has greatly changed toward us. They look upon us as a part of the great Karmatar family. If we neglect going into their homes for a few weeks, they are sure to remind us that we are neighbors and should come often. Of the hundreds of homes about Karmatar only two have been closed to us thus far. The people lay aside their work when we enter their homes, bring out cots for us to sit upon, call their neighbors, and together they listen with the greatest attention. As we tell them of the soon coming of Christ, they invariably want to know when he will come. They can not comprehend how it is the dead who have been burned (all Hindus burn their dead) can be resurrected. The truths of Jesus' soon coming and his power over death as taught in the resurrection, arouse the Hindu as nothing else does. Many confess there is nothing in the Hindu religion to save from sin, but fear of caste prevents them from taking their stand for the Christian religion.

I believe school work is the entering wedge among Hindus and Mohammedans. We have many calls to open schools. Fourteen miles in the jungle such a call has been standing for four years. Three miles out a school building and teachers' house, belonging to the villagers, have been waiting for us to occupy for over a year. The salary of such a teacher does not exceed six dollars a month. For want of means, many calls can not be answered.

At first, for fear of turning away some of our Hindu and Mohammedan schoolboys, we did not introduce the Bible as a text-book in our school, but simply gave a Bible talk. Prejudice has given way to such an extent that we have this week placed in each boy's hand a portion of the Bible, with the instruction that in the future he will be graded on Bible as on other subjects. No objection was raised, but many questions were asked as to what was expected in the manner of study. We are getting hold of some fine young people who will be a power in the work here. One young man can speak four languages, and is an earnest Christian. Another young man and his wife, who have recently come to us, are learning the dispensary work.