India: Calcutta Workers' General Meeting and Spiritual Renewal
By Harry Armstrong
CALCUTTA.—The Lord is graciously blessing us with health and strength, and we are of good courage. The hot and rainy seasons are passed, and we are now enjoying the refreshing cool of an Eastern winter. During the hot season we all lost a little flesh; but now we are gaining again, and feel much refreshed. We have just closed a general meeting which lasted ten days. All our workers gathered in from their fields of labor, and we united in seeking the Lord for his special visitation to us at this time. Day by day, as the meetings progressed, each one felt that the Lord was signally answering our prayers and the desire of our hearts, in pouring upon us his Holy Spirit. We opened each day with a devotional service. At this meeting many who had become weak in spiritual things sought the Lord for special grace. We all looked forward to this hour with great pleasure. Next came a meeting of the workers, when the different phases of our work were considered. We met again at twelve o’clock, for a canvassing class. The canvassing work was studied from the light given in recent Testimonies, and a new spirit of work came into the hearts of those who go from door to door. We were able to make arrangements to clear our book shelves of all our books now lying in the office. At 1 P. M. each day we had a health meeting, and interesting and profitable instruction was given by those of our workers who are closely connected with this department. At 5:45 we all came together for a short prayer service, before our evening meeting. The Lord blessed very much in the evening service in presenting truths for these times. We conducted a study showing from the different lines of prophecy the time in which we are living and the work for this time. Many hearts were much encouraged and strengthened. I never enjoyed any meetings more than I did those which have just closed. A distribution of the laborers was recommended at the meeting to cover as nearly as possible the field before us. While it is sad to see so few laborers in such a needy field, we are thankful that the Lord has given us willing workers, who are ready to give their lives for the truth’s sake. Our printing department is making progress. Besides printing our Oriental Watchman, we have other work coming in all the time, which keeps our employees busy. We are about to buy a job-press, having received contributions sufficient to cover the expense of the purchase. This will increase our facilities for doing outside work. The Lord has blessed in the sanitarium work. With care and wise management, we believe it can be used in giving the truth to the world. Some of our sanitarium nurses who have been engaged so long in the institution will now take up field work. We believe this will be a help to them in many ways, especially healthwise. All in this department are of good courage. In the opening providence of God, there are some persons here who have come forward with their means, which they have dedicated to the native work. A few thousand rupees have been given, and other evidences of the Lord’s leading have led us to retain the Karmatar property, and secure some additional land which can be cultivated. We plan to make this an industrial native training-school. The European school formerly conducted at Karmatar will be removed to Calcutta, and the work at Karmatar be devoted to the natives. We are about to establish a place for Bengali workers in Calcutta. A liberal donation has come in for this also, for which we feel thankful. My heart burns with a strong desire to see some of these native people established in the truth, that they may be pillars in this field. At the close of our general meeting I baptized eight native converts. We are much encouraged by the removal to Washington. The pillar of cloud and fire is still leading the people of God.