New Year Greetings
We wish you a very happy a prosperous year ahead. The past year brought many blessings and challenges as well.
Charles Scott and Bobby Peyton
First of all, we remember brother Charles Scott and brother Bobby Peyton. We missed brother Bobby in the last NIPL due to personal reasons, but from this time we will not see him till we go there. He was having a great love for the North Indian Belt, like brother Paul Tustin and brother Jim have, who once worked there.
Brother Charles has a great role in my life and many in India. I had never met him until I graduated from the NBC Chennai, but I am 100% the product of his love and dedication for the cause of Christ. Today there may be many who oppose some of his style of working, but I believe that his kind of selfless work is the need of the hour to work in the Northern part of India. His booklets, “Things Eternally Important” and “10 Simple Rules to Understand the Bible,” I have printed it several times in Hindi and my mother tongue Punjabi. Brother Scott sowed the seed and now the tree has started giving fruit.
Family issue
Benu was diagnosed with breast cancer, but to God be the glory that we have not been a single day without His providential care. The threat was big, but God gave us such caring and wonderful sisters and brothers that all our burden was lightened. Half of the treatment has almost been complete and so far there has not been any further complications.
Field work
Though we were somewhat concerned, yet at the same time we have in mind the talent that the Lord has given us. Encouraging reports are received from most of our graduates throughout India. We had been hearing of people obeying the truth. We rejoice about the people coming to the knowledge of truth from various parts of the country i.e., Punjab, Orissa, MP, U.P., Chandigarh, Chhattisgarh etc. There were several baptisms at various places, but I really do not remember how many in total.
Our efforts here continue as always, though my going out affected a lot. But again I am making myself to go this year out for evangelism. Our students were always sent for the evangelism.
In addition to speaking in the monthly gospel meetings in Chandigarh, I had also the opportunity to go where the brothers are working in Punjab area. I wish I could go to more places, but because of the time and financial restrictions, I was not able to visit where brothers were requesting me to come. Pray that this year I may work on that. Locally, we have been requesting many people to give us time for the home Bible study where I will go house to house.
Brother Salatial Masih, who works in Ferozepur District of Punjab, has purchased a small house for worship. He sold his piece of land to get this for Rs. 300,000 ($5,000). It has 2 small rooms. He told me yesterday that there are about 50 baptized people who worship in this place. I asked him to remove the middle wall and make it one room. I have offered him, from our side, a small amount and will request more from brother Russell when he comes here.
Ex Students’ Help
We have decided to help our outgoing students with a small amount of money from the offering we get here. It has been a real challenge for us to encourage the young people. I think this will be a boost for them.
Literature Service
We printed and distributed VOTI- Vol. 3, 4 (Hindi), Truth for Today (Hindi and Punjabi) all over India. Truth for Today has started printing Commentaries in all the Languages, and I am privileged to work for the Hindi and Punjabi languages.
222 Hindi Bibles were distributed. Song books were also given free of charge to brethren in various parts of the country.
Daily Bible verse through SMS
We have more than 1,600 cell numbers of people throughout India who were getting daily Bible Verse on their phones. Unfortunately, I had to stop that, and one reason was definitely the financial. Now again I am getting requests to send daily Bible messages. I pray we can start this.
Bible correspondence course
There may be several courses available online and in other languages, but in Hindi there were not many. As per my knowledge only, the brothers in Delhi were doing that. It has 27 chapters, and the Chapter (27th) is of 40 pages. I do not know if the finances will be available for that, but I think that lesson on the restoration is important. Now that we have started, there are presently 85 students who have been enrolled. Several of them have completed the 4th chapter and we have printed up to chapter 5 only. The next 5 chapters are in line.
Bible Ki Baat (Let the Bible Say in Hindi)
A 4 page leaflet was liked by the people. My aim was to reach every denominational family in the country. It was just a simple inland letter earlier and was developed to 4 pages. After getting a copy of House to House Heart to Heart, I saw the possibility of improvement and used most of the material in House to House …
Website
We have been thinking about starting a website for the college. Pray that soon it may be a reality and we will put our latest activities on it. Any suggestion in that regard would be welcome. The idea behind this is to publicize the NIBC so that people may know about us in this Internet age.
Earnest Gill