Returning From India

By Rich Carmicheal

    My son, Jon, and I have just returned from a two-week trip to India. The purpose for the trip was threefold: 1) to visit with several of the editors of Indian editions of Herald of His Coming, 2) to work through some problems involving one area of the work, and 3) to make some organizational changes to help the work continue and expand. As I have just returned and am pressed to meet the deadline for this October issue, I will not be able to go into great detail concerning the trip. However, I do offer the following observations that I hope will encourage you in your prayers for India as well as in considering ways you may support the cause of revival there:

    I was very blessed to meet and visit for the first time the editors of the Kannada, Telegu and Malayalam editions. All of these men are involved in other ministries, and give their time voluntarily and sacrificially in order to share the Herald’s message of revival with their readers. Each of them has a strong sense of calling to the Herald work, and I could clearly sense their love for the Lord and their desire to bless many readers with the Lord’s message through their Herald editions. They long to be able to distribute more copies of their editions, and also for their editions to become self-supporting. Currently, each of these editions needs help to cover the costs of printing and mailing.

    These men shared that Christian publications in India typically promote particular ministries, organizations or churches, and also carry advertisements to help with funding. One of the things that readers of the Herald editions express to these editors is their appreciation that Indian Heralds do not carry such promotional material. Instead, these papers are filled with messages that focus on the Lord and on repentance, revival, prayer, the Second Coming, and so forth. How blessed it is that these editions can be devoted to such important themes!

    I was also blessed to visit once again with the editor of the Indian English edition of the Herald who has served faithfully as Editor-in-chief for a number of years, and also to visit for the first time with the editor of the Tamil Herald and members of his family who help him with the work. Once again, I was blessed to see the heart of the Lord reflected in these friends and their desire to serve and bless the Church.

    One of the highlights of the trip was the opportunity Jon and I had to visit with S. Devadason, who was instrumental from the 1950’s on in establishing many Indian editions and who served for many years as Editor-in-chief in India as well as editor of the Tamil Herald. Although he has just recently turned 100 years old and is very frail physically, he has not lost his burning passion for revival in India. When we first met and began to discuss the ministry of Herald of His Coming in India, he began to passionately cry out to the Lord for revival to come to India and expressed his confidence that revival will come! I knew right away that I was in the presence of a very special man of God who had devoted his life to serving the Lord and promoting the message of revival in India. Many people through the years have been greatly blessed by this man’s ministry. May his heart’s desire for a great revival in India soon be realized!

    There is certainly the need for revival in India. Although I met a number of very sincere believers filled with spiritual life, I was told (and had some firsthand observation) that a large number of Christians in India have become rather stagnant in their faith and lack a vibrant relationship with the Lord. There is, therefore, a great need for revival literature such as Herald of His Coming that can encourage and strengthen those who are walking with the Lord, and also help awaken those who have become complacent in their faith. To this end, we hope the Lord will increase the impact of the current editions and make a way for more editions to begin. May the Lord send revival to India that will awaken the Church and bring many lost souls to salvation!

    You can help. India needs your prayers. As you know, India is a land filled with false religion. Christians there need your prayers for protection and perseverance, as well as for openings to share the love and light of the Lord with those around them. Pray for the Church to be strong and for the Gospel to spread. Pray for the various editors and editions to be the Lord’s instruments to help bring revival to India. Please pray that the organizational changes we are making in India will greatly benefit the work there. And please pray also that the Lord will open a way for funds to be sent in the future to help with present editions as well as to help other language editions begin.

    May the Lord pour out revival on India!