GFK 39: William Carey, Part 2

FATHER, DON'T YOU CARE?
"Father, how can you keep working after all that's happened?" Felix asked late in 1794. "Baby Peter died and Mother won't come out of her room, yet you keep working. It's like you don't even care!"

William looked up from his writing and rubbed his tired eyes. "Felix, I miss Peter as much as anyone. It is a terrible thing to lose a child so young. I pass my days as if in the valley of the shadow of death, but I must go on. He who has called us will be faithful."

Angry tears streamed down Felix's face. "God doesn't seem too faithful to me, Father. The Indians don't want to hear about our God. They have enough gods of their own. Not even one of them has believed. And now mother is sick and Peter is dead! We came here expecting great things, but God has let us down."

"Oh, Felix, God is still here. We must press on and trust Him, even when times are so hard."

William labored on for six years with little encouragement and little support before things began to improve.

HELP ARRIVES
"Those Carey children just run wild," said Hannah Marshman. Hannah and her husband, Joshua, had recently come to India along with William Ward and five others. The eight new missionaries arrived in 1799 to help William.

"William has worked so hard for six years, with his wife sick in bed and no one to help him. It appears the children have picked up some bad habits," answered Joshua. "Perhaps we can help."

Hannah and Joshua did just that. Along with William Ward, they helped William Carey run the mission, open schools, and print the Scriptures. Hundreds of people came to listen when William preached, yet still there were no converts to Christianity. In 1800, the team moved to Serampore, 17 miles north of Calcutta. Before long there was a breakthrough.

GREAT THINGS AT LAST
On December 28, 1800, the missionaries gathered together to walk with Krishna Pal to the river for the big event. Crowds of Hindus yelled and threw rocks to stop Krishna Pal from going through with his plans, but he was determined.

Felix walked alongside William. "Father, Krishna Pal is brave to be baptized when he knows his whole community will reject him and he'll lose his place in society."

"Yes, after seven long years, we can rejoice in the first Indian convert. God has done a great thing!"

"God has done another great thing, Father," said Felix. "My faith has grown stronger as I've talked with Krishna Pal. I want to be baptized today as well."

"Son, I will baptize you with joy!" said William. "This is only the beginning of the great things God will do here in India."

Felix Carey and Krishna Pal both went on to help spread the Gospel in India. William Carey worked in India for 34 more years--the rest of his life. He continued to face many obstacles and trials, but never gave up. Eventually hundreds of Indians came to Christ through William's work. But perhaps his greatest accomplishment was in helping to show people that the Gospel is meant for all races of people all over the world. His example has inspired generations of missionaries to leave the comforts of home and bring the Gospel to those who've never heard it. William truly is the "Father of Modern Missions."

Make It Real! Questions to make you dig a little deeper and think a little harder.

Do you think going to another land would be an adventure? Where would you most like to go?
People of William Carey's day did not understand that the Gospel is meant for all the people of the world. How do you think William Carey convinced them it is? See Matthew 28:19-20.
William Carey pressed on even when it seemed God was distant. Why might that be hard to do?
One of the struggles William faced was that he had very little contact with the people from his home in England. Would that be hard for you? Can you write a letter of news and encouragement to a missionary?

William Carey, the Father of Modern Missions Part 2

Serampore College, started by Carey, still stands on the banks of the Hooghly River.