T. J. S. FREDARICHS, the pastor of Chirala, must have been the happiest man in all of India. R. D. Riches, South India lay activities secretary, baptized 107 souls on his behalf.
These were the first fruits of a recent effort conducted in Ramnagar, a village three miles from Chirala. Some months ago Brother Fredarichs came to this small village of five hundred people and rented a prayer shed in which to preach the message. The shed was built to seat comfortably only about forty or fifty people, but every night more than a hundred adults and over fifty children crowded in to hear the Advent message presented with enthusiasm and the fire of the Holy Spirit by Brother Fredarichs and his associate, Brother Devaiah, a newly baptized lay preacher. Others gathered outside. God sent His Holy Spirit as He had promised, and a great revival took place in the village.
At the conclusion of the campaign 176 people requested baptism. Some of these became discouraged because of persecution. Throughout the campaign enemies of truth did all they could to misrepresent the Advent message and cast reproach upon the messengers. But people continued to come, and they even attended the Sabbath services. A register was kept to see that each prospective member strictly attended the Sabbath school. A junior Sabbath school with seventy children was started under the leadership of two university graduates, who themselves were interested as a result of this campaign.
Pastor Riches visited this place for a week prior to the baptism. He held meetings and visited the baptismal candidates in their homes. He found that they were well acquainted with the doctrines and showed much evidence of sincere conversion.
These results did not occur by chance. Many nights Brother Fredarichs did not return home until after midnight. Often he had to walk three or four miles through thick mud and monsoon rain. God rewarded his hard work and consecrated effort by the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. We truly thank God for these marvelous results
