It was in the year 1841 that the first Missionary of the Welsh Calvinistic Methodists arrived in Khasia. He found the inhabitants of the country sitting in darkness, and in the region and shadow of death. But in that year, though the Khasis then knew it not, was disclosed to them the tender mercy of God, whereby the day-spring from on high was to visit them, yea, to shine upon them and to guide their feet into the way of peace. They did not know it, but hope was born in the Hills of Khasia that year, hope of temporal prosperity, and the glorious hope of a life eternal in the presence of the only true and living God. In their ignorance they knew not how rich were the blessings that were now being offered to them. They clung with obstinate tenacity to their old demon worship; they hugged the chains that kept them bound. Many a year had to pass before they were willing to listen to the sweet voice of the Gospel, much had to be done to clear away the mists and ignorance and prejudices. The first Missionaries had not only to teach them to read, but they had also the task of reducing their language to writing, having to give them even an alphabet whereby they could be taught to read. At first the work of bringing them to Christ appeared very hopeless, but in faith and patience those pioneers of the Gospel quietly pursued their course, and after some years they had the exceeding joy of seeing that the veil which covered their hearts was being removed, and that the Khasis, one here and one there, were beginning to realise that the light and warmth of God’s love was in their midst, that the Sun of Righteousness had begun in very truth to shine upon their land, and then they began to bask in its light, and to open their hearts for its loving rays to enter in. How those early converts did revel in their new-found joy, how they did rejoice in the love which is beyond all knowledge, the love of God in Jesus Christ. They endured much persecution, they were often driven from hearth and home, they were cruelly treated in many ways, often even their lives were in danger; but they cared for none of these things, they had found the pearl of great price, they had found Jesus, and they were happy. Their only anxiety now was for their relatives, their friends, their neighbours, and in the face of ridicule, and opposition, and worse, they would go to them to press upon them also the great gift which they had accepted to the salvation ‘of their souls’. They had learned that they were precious in the sight of God, and they strove to awaken the same consciousness in their friends. They knew that the Khasi thought only of this world, and of his comfort here, but having tasted for themselves the hope of immortality they could not rest until others had the same hope; and God blessed their efforts to many around them.

It is not the object of this little book to trace particularly the progress of the work, suffice it to say that God was graciously pleased to bless abundantly the labours of His servants in Wales and in Khasia. In the early part of the year 1905 there were 20,000 Christians in Khasia and Jaintia. These were members of the Church militant, but there were thousands who had been taken to join the general assembly and Church of the first-born in heaven, who had been set before the presence of His glory, without blemish in exceeding joy, and to Him who worked so wonderfully, to the only God our Saviour, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and power, for ever and ever, Amen.