Dear Brothers
We had a very busy weekend as we had to go for a gospel meeting arranged by brother Salatial Masih, a preacher of Kohala Church of Christ (Ferozepur). About 100 people had gathered in one place from other villages. This place is about 230 kms. from here. We took the students along with us. We used hired loud speakers and I was told by someone who came from another place, that the voice could reach about 5 kms away. I preached the message of Jesus. 3 souls obeyed this week and some more are being prepared. The work in Northern part of India is still in its initial stage and it needs a lot of efforts.
OLD STUDENTS' GOOD REPORT
We hear encouraging reports from the brothers gone after the course in their respective areas. Brother Rinku, and Kirtan are in regular touch with us. They telephone almost every week. They are in the new area and they have a lot of challenges for them. There are challenges from the denominational people who propagate that they have got the wrong kind of teaching, and sometimes the enticement that you work with us. We will pay you. There is family pressure as to why you don't join them. There are reports of the other brothers also.
Free SMS
We had started the Free SMS service to send a Bible Verse relating interesting points of nature to the people in my phone book. Now the demand has been increased and we have 1,600 contacts nationwide. But we are restricted to a daily limit of sending 100 SMS from 1 number. Earlier we tried to send through way2sms (a free internet service) but later the government made a limit on that too. Although it is meant for daily Bible verse, due to lack of time and money, we fail to send many. Even the contact numbers with us are increasing day by day.
I was told that we can send through corporate SMS service, but their condition is to send minimum 100,000 @ Re. 0.05 (or Re 0.10). That way it would cost us more (approximately Rs 5000 i.e., $100 for about a100,000 SMS package). Now we are praying that we should have at least 12-15 different telephone numbers (otherwise we have to pay a huge amount of money, per SMS Re 1 for local and Re 1.5 for national). But we cannot afford that.
BIBLE KI BAAT (A postal service)
We thought to send it monthly as an inland letter with the view to send the basic knowledge of Christian faith in the National language to the remotest areas. From January 2012 we have improved it to an A4, four page paper by adding new features. We print a small article in Hindi, a short poem to attract people (I have written a few lines on the books of Old Testament and the Books of New Testament in Hindi. And I plan to write or find something from the Christian poems to encourage the people in Hindi language). A short article in English is added. Sometimes it would be on the apologetics or a few lines for the defense of the faith. We have been using it here also as a tract to contact with the people.
First Wednesday
We are hiring a meeting hall and inviting people for a couple of hours to study with us. People are appreciating this and we trust more and more people in the city will come to the knowledge of truth. Last month we had it on the 7th and this week we will be having it on 4th of April.
Daily outreach
We go out on the week days to the people and invite them to have a study with us.
Literature Service
Perhaps, we are reaching the maximum people and covering most of the Northern part of India. We print and distribute Truth for Today's 6 books (Hindi and Punjabi) every alternate month. 3,000 Hindi books and 2,500 books are sent to various people. 2,000 copies of our own (Tract type) leaflet is being printed every other month. 5,000 copies of Voice of Truth is being printed and distributed throughout India. Song books are also being printed and sent to several Hindi speaking states. Hindi and Punjabi Bibles are also being sent to the preachers on request as and when needed.
New Students
New students are coming and some have not yet finished their exams. Thank you for your prayers and support and we always lift you in our prayers to the throne of grace.
For Christ
Earnest Gill