This visit to Mysuru was my third time. First, for propagation, many years ago, perhaps a decade. Then, for a city tour last year with saints from abroad, and this time, for the introduction and distribution of the Kannada New Testament. Though the local brothers made a plan, the Lord's leading was very definite. Through the plan of the brothers, we visited a group of Pastors. There, I did the introduction as the local brothers were with me to observe and learn how the introduction of the ministry literature was done to Christian leaders. The main goal for me was to show our brothers the way and the pattern. Therefore, I purposefully took all the time I needed to carefully, slowly, and clearly introduce the ministry books using relevant Bible verses and ministering the truth, point by point.
Later in the evening, we were invited to a Bible Study group by a Pastor. There, we were requested to minister the word. Therefore, I felt the Lord's leading and ministered the word on the need to growh in the Chrisian life by breathing, drinking, and eating the Lord after explaining with Bible verses that as genuine believers born of God, we need to growth in life to be the same as God in life and in nature but not in the Godhead. The key Bible verses we quoted were John 1:12, 13; 3:3,5; 1 John 3:1-2; 2 Peter 1:3-4; 1 Thes. 5:17; 1 Tim. 3:16; John 4:14; 7:37-39; 6:32-63. The believers and the Pastor himself were so supplied with the ministry of the word, and they themselves took one full box of Kannada Recovery Version for distribution among the believers.
The next day, we went to visit a few more Christian Pastors at their places. In fact, all the Christian leaders and believers we met in Mysuru for the introduction of the Recovery Version came to know about it for the first time. But as they listened to our introduction, they were convinced that this Recovery Version Bible in Kannada is the need of the Kannada-speaking Christians at the present time, as there is a scarcity of the word and good Christian Bible and books in Kannada. The key Pastors themselves took the initiative to introduce and “sell” the Recovery Version to the believers meeting with them.
The Secretary of the Pastors’ Association, Missionaries serving among the Kannadigas, and a group of Pastors expressed their gratitude to the Lord and us for introducing the Recovery Version in Kannada to them. Since this was a new thing to them, they promised to go through the Recovery Version first and then introduce it to the believers meeting with them.
We also spent a couple of hours visiting Mysuru University and the lake nearby, spending time together, blending and fellowshipping with the local brothers. In this way, along with the distribution burden, the shepherding of the local burden was also carried out. The burden was the raising up of the church in Mysuru one day and having some solid local saints to bear the Lord's testimony, and to gain many campus students.
We also visited the largest Bible college in Mysuru. A Bible scholar initially expressed his skeptical opinion about the “new translation” in Kannada and did a bit of critical analysis in our presence. But as we faithfully introduced the Recovery Version using some crucial Bible verses and footnotes in comparison to other versions both in English and in Kannada, he changed his mind, requested a copy for himself, and even prayed for God’s blessing to be bestowed upon us as we distribute the Recovery Version.