{"pages":{"209":{"imagePath":"H:\\web_projects\\corpus-web\\electron-app\\data\\5e07978430078cb56ea89a104e5a0c0e50b3aa1618e48c486c8af005ae015143\\raw\\pages\\00233-80730091311a314b652e.webp","width":1170,"height":1680,"segments":[{"text":"SOURCE MATERIALS","box":{"x":466,"y":157,"width":249,"height":20}},{"text":"209.","box":{"x":999,"y":148,"width":67,"height":24}},{"text":"119. OMED'S CONVERSION: BEGINNING OF BAPTIST","box":{"x":139,"y":248,"width":908,"height":25}},{"text":"WORK AMONG HILL TRIBES OF NORTH EAST INDIA","box":{"x":155,"y":274,"width":893,"height":28}},{"text":"(1868 A.D.)","box":{"x":508,"y":304,"width":167,"height":31}},{"text":"Omed, a member of the Garo tribe of the present Meghalaya,","box":{"x":224,"y":367,"width":775,"height":31}},{"text":"was the first important convert among the Baptists from among","box":{"x":186,"y":395,"width":815,"height":29}},{"text":"the hills tribes of North-East India. A year following his baptism,","box":{"x":188,"y":417,"width":812,"height":28}},{"text":"which took place at Gauhati on 8th February, 1863, he became","box":{"x":183,"y":443,"width":819,"height":29}},{"text":"an evangelist among his own people. His successful work influenced","box":{"x":185,"y":469,"width":817,"height":29}},{"text":"the Mission to take up work in other hills areas a work which led to the","box":{"x":188,"y":492,"width":812,"height":29}},{"text":"establishment of large Christian communities in that region. Similar","box":{"x":186,"y":516,"width":815,"height":29}},{"text":"work was done by the Welsh Presbyterian Mission among","box":{"x":186,"y":543,"width":816,"height":29}},{"text":"the Khasis and Mizos. The account of Omed's conversion, as told","box":{"x":189,"y":568,"width":813,"height":27}},{"text":"by Omed to the missionary William Ward, through the instrumentality","box":{"x":189,"y":592,"width":815,"height":29}},{"text":"of a tract and an Assamese Christian is cited in the Baptist Missionary","box":{"x":188,"y":619,"width":815,"height":25}},{"text":"Magazine, vol. XLVIII (1868), p. 454. It is taken from a letter of","box":{"x":183,"y":644,"width":820,"height":31}},{"text":"Ward's dated June 28, 1868.","box":{"x":189,"y":670,"width":326,"height":25}},{"text":"As we wended our way to another preaching place, Omed gave","box":{"x":176,"y":736,"width":872,"height":34}},{"text":"me an account of his conversion, as follows: He was a sepoy at","box":{"x":140,"y":764,"width":908,"height":34}},{"text":"Gowahati, where, according to the custom of the European officers","box":{"x":132,"y":793,"width":915,"height":34}},{"text":"in command of the regiment, one sepoy had always to stand guard","box":{"x":137,"y":819,"width":911,"height":35}},{"text":"by turns at the door of the officers' private dwelling. At that time","box":{"x":137,"y":848,"width":912,"height":34}},{"text":"the commanding officer rented one of our Mission bungalows or","box":{"x":134,"y":875,"width":914,"height":35}},{"text":"houses, at which Omed was called very frequently to stand guard.","box":{"x":137,"y":904,"width":911,"height":35}},{"text":"In one room of the bungalow was a book-shelf belonging to the","box":{"x":139,"y":933,"width":911,"height":32}},{"text":"mission, on which were numerous tracts and religious books in","box":{"x":139,"y":959,"width":910,"height":34}},{"text":"Assamese and Bengali. The guard were charged by the English","box":{"x":133,"y":988,"width":915,"height":36}},{"text":"officer to see that no harm came to these books; no one was to","box":{"x":139,"y":1017,"width":910,"height":28}},{"text":"touch them. But in cleaning the house, some leaves of tracts had","box":{"x":139,"y":1043,"width":911,"height":35}},{"text":"been swept out upon the ground. To indulge his curiosity, Omed","box":{"x":140,"y":1071,"width":908,"height":35}},{"text":"picked up and read a few pages on 'Error Refuted,' and his attention","box":{"x":134,"y":1099,"width":914,"height":35}},{"text":"was immediately arrested, a strong con conviction taking possession","box":{"x":134,"y":1123,"width":914,"height":38}},{"text":"of his mind that what he had read was true. He then went to the","box":{"x":136,"y":1156,"width":911,"height":29}},{"text":"native Christians for more tracts and books, and the more he read,","box":{"x":140,"y":1183,"width":907,"height":31}},{"text":"the more deeply was he impressed. He visited the native Christians","box":{"x":140,"y":1210,"width":908,"height":38}},{"text":"for instruction; and, notwithstanding the abuse received from his","box":{"x":141,"y":1240,"width":907,"height":35}},{"text":"comrades, he resolved to be a Christian. They endeavoured to the","box":{"x":139,"y":1265,"width":911,"height":36}},{"text":"utmost to dissuade him. Omed,' said they, what is this you are","box":{"x":139,"y":1295,"width":907,"height":32}},{"text":"doing? Are you going to give up your caste and become a","box":{"x":139,"y":1323,"width":910,"height":36}},{"text":"\"Kistan\"? (a word of cutting contempt) 'don't do that; it is a","box":{"x":143,"y":1349,"width":907,"height":36}},{"text":"very bad religion. But his mind was made up. Henceforth he","box":{"x":137,"y":1377,"width":911,"height":38}},{"text":"consorted with the little company of despised Christians. Subse-","box":{"x":137,"y":1406,"width":911,"height":36}},{"text":"quently to this, br. Bronson wrote to me that Kandura, the leading","box":{"x":140,"y":1435,"width":911,"height":38}},{"text":"native Christian at Gowahati, had informed him that there were","box":{"x":139,"y":1463,"width":911,"height":34}},{"text":"two sepoys who had joined them and wished to be baptized, and","box":{"x":140,"y":1491,"width":911,"height":36}},{"text":"accordingly he baptized them on his next visit.","box":{"x":136,"y":1521,"width":651,"height":36}},{"text":"H.C.I.-14","box":{"x":234,"y":1566,"width":127,"height":25}}]}}}