Susan Devadass is a wonderful instrument of God, an inspiration to all women, visionary and strategic leader in accomplishing God’s plan. She has shared her memoir in this book.
Born on 20 February 1946 to Benjamin Levi Vuppula and Magdalena, she grew up in a Christian home. Her mother Magdalena was a great storyteller. Apart from bible stories, great testimonies of God’s faithfulness from George Muller’s book: Prayer and Answers, Pilgrim’s Progress by John Bunyan and Mary Jones were her favourite. Suzan writes about listening to the story of Mary Jones: “When I heard this story, I had tears in my eyes, and I decided to love the Bible more than anything else.”
As Susan Devadass grew up: “As the eldest in my family, with my mother’s help, every night, I would prepare a short Bible study for our family to do.” She began to teach Sunday School when she was 14 years old.
Married to Devadass Velpula, who was a librarian by profession. Susan writes: “While my husband was working as a librarian, I had an opportunity to read books; historical, social commentaries, biographies, adventures, religious reformations, inter alia. I was able to read 80 books, and I developed the habit of reading books with the encouragement of my husband.” (Page 18)
As Susan was married at an early age, she completed Higher Secondary Certificate in 1962-63. God opened a door, Rev. Blanchared invited Devadass to become a librarian in Ramapatnam Theological Seminary. Susan passed the entrance exams and joined a four years Graduate in Theology course. Later the college was merged with Andhra Christian Theological College. Later Devadass also joined as student. With a part-time job, the family had challenging times. Susan wrote a letter to parents seeking money, but Devadass refused to send, instead tore it. “If you don’t depend on God for our needs, you can leave Bible college and go to your parents.” (Page 23)
The American Baptist missionaries began work in 1836. In 1887 the churches were organized as the convention of Telugu Baptist churches. In 1962 it was renamed as the Samavesam of Telugu Baptist Churches (STBC), consisting of 3680 churches and 10,50,000 baptized members covering Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, and Telangana. The churches grew and the movement became structured. “Churches depended more on constitutions and rules, rather than, as the church in the book of Acts of Apostles.” (Page 27)
Miss. Helen Bailey, Preston Institute along with Mary Louise Slater and Ruth Thurmond recognized the need for the spiritual growth of past students who were pastors’ wives, schoolteachers, nurses, women workers, mothers…, invited them to the first meet at Hanamkonda church. Women from five fields in Deccan attended in 1960, meditating the theme: I Chronicles 28:20. “Meditating on this great promise laid a strong foundation for the coming generation and they illuminated the light of Deccan Baptist Women’s Association, which brought hope to enlighten women socially, economically, and spiritually.” (Page 15-16)
Corrie Ten Boom quote was Susan’s experience too: “Every experience God gives us, every person He puts in our lives is the perfect preparation for the future.” (Page 29) Lord provided opportunities, wisdom and good strategy; the Deccan Baptist Women Association held several annual events in all the churches. The programmes brought women together in unity, develop leadership skills, get greater vision, and do great things for the Lord. Regarding the annual gathering Susan writes: “Over the last 50 years, about 350-400 women from 30-35 villages have been gathering together regularly every year.” (Page 31) Of that for 44 years, women do this retreat with their own generous donations.
Susan chose to spend more time in the ministry. But God was faithful in His promise to protect the children and help in their studies. In those days, when she left home, there could be no communication until she returns. Devadass was very cooperative allow Susan to travel for ministries.
Devadass would encourage Susan to go for ministry and conference, even if he is sick. He will always say: “Go on; I will be all right.” Devadass wrote to Susan when she was overwhelmed by the ministry challenges, persecution and went to her mother’s place: “If any soldier dies, soldiers stand still silently to pay their homage, and move on to war according to their assigned work. They never stop the war and go home.” (Page 67)
Missionaries with divine vision for future acquired bountiful properties: churches, bungalows, huge schools, college buildings, hostels for schools and boys separately, medical centers, nursing schools, teacher training schools, and staff quarters. “The missionaries brought phenomenal reformation socially, spiritually, educationally, economically, and physically in every region. They illuminated the Gospel of Christ to those who were living in complete darkness.”
Sadly, the love for money ruined one property after another. Court cases, sale of properties, police cases became a distress and disaster in several congregations. Susan notes: “In spite of all these situations, the DBWA work continued and went well, without any disturbances.” (Page 51)
“It took twenty years to bring awareness of education and social status among village women. In past years, the social status of women was repressed by higher-caste people, poverty, illiteracy, and dark forces. After missionaries had brought the gospel to villages, women were spiritually nurtured by churches and pastors.” (Page 53) DBWA helped women to reach higher level of spiritual growth. DBWA conducted annual meetings, lay women’s retreats, evangelical camps, Thanksgiving Pots festivals, and Women’s Christmas Candle-light programmes in all regions. Susan used the best possible communication methods: “I used to post 65 post cards for every programme.”
DBWA celebrated the DBWA Silver Jubilee in 1985. God gave the theme: Keep Your Lamps Burning. DBWA women learnt effective leadership. They became strong leaders by meeting frequently, attending leadership conference, spending time in prayer and bible studies and meditating on spiritual leadership topics.
Susan Lists Her Life Lessons From Her Trials:
- Maturity is the ability to control your anger and settle your difference without violence or resentment.
- Maturity is patience. It is willingness to pass up short term pleasures for long-term gain.
- Maturity is humility. It is being big enough to say, “I was wrong,” even when you are right.
- Maturity is the ability to make a decision and follow it, instead of exploring endless possibilities, and ending up in doing nothing.
- Maturing means dependability, keeping your word, and getting through in a crisis. Immature people are confused and disorganized.
- Ministry is the art of bring at peace with what you can’t change, having the courage to change what you can, and the wisdom to know the difference.
Though Susan had to migrate as her children went to New Zealand, she continued to be closely associated with DBWA.
This book includes, a few of her teachings from Ezekiel 37, witness of the Samaritan woman, the slave girl missionary in Kings, Rahab, and from the life of Jehoshaphat that helped her and encouraged other women.
DBWA sponsored the trip of Susan to Melbourne to attend the World Baptist Alliance conference in January 2000. The year 2010 was its Jubilee Year. The Mother’s Heart Programme was added as many young people pursued wrong things and lost their lives in many of the rural areas.
Susan strongly believes in prayer that is answered by the living, listening, and answering God. Susan firmly believes: “We have all been chosen, called, appointed, disciples, apostles, and heralds of Christ as messengers our task is to proclaim.” (Page 129)
Summarizing Her Secret For Being Used By God, She Lists The Following Three:
- Reading the Word of God
- Prayer
- Praise And Worship
Values Susan’s daughter, Juliet Lark and Paranjyothi Basika (son-in-law) described about her parents are Perseverance: Pushing Through Produces Character, Tenacity, Resilience, Support From Others, Not A Loner, Perspective And Endurance.
This Book Is A Great Testimony Of God’s Call, Faithfulness Till the End, And For Missions. When a person is obedient to God’s call, s/he becomes God’s holy and righteous instrument. The faithful remnant of Deccan Baptist Women Association has been used by God to continue to exhibit His glory, light and power.
This great book on the life of a contemporary missionary should be read by all engaged in missions.
Name of the book: Pressed But Not Crushed: Lessons From A Lifetime Of Walking With God
Author: Rev. Susan Devadass Velpula
Publisher: Wild Side Publishing
Place of Publication: Ruawai, New Zealand
Year of publication: 2020
Reviewed by: J.N. Manokaran
Part 2 Rev. Susan Devadass Velpula
PRESSED BUT NOT CRUSHED | Rev. Susan Devadass Velpula
LESSONS LEARNED FROM A LIFETIME OF WALKING WITH GOD. THIS REMARKABLE TRUE STORY OF PERSEVERANCE AND FAITH WILL ENCOURAGE CHRISTIANS THROUGHOUT THE WORLD.
Pressed But Not Crushed reveals the trials, tribulations and faith of Rev. Susan Devadass Velpula, a woman of God working within the Deccan Baptist Women’s Association in India.
Susan’s story of incredible faith will teach you how to verbalise your specific needs to God, with the expectation that God will answer and provide His solution. Here are keys to how to apply spiritual warfare in our personal life and in our ministry, to stand with confidence, and with a strong faith.
”Faith honours God, God honours faith.” – Rev. Susan Devadass Velpula
REVIEWS
“This book teaches us, once again, that God calls and uses ordinary women and men to do extra-ordinary things. Something that we are only capable of doing through his Holy Spirit”. – John McKee, Senior Pastor, Newlands Baptist Church, Wellington, NZ
“This book has an important and inspirational message to touch the hearts of all church pastors, church leaders, mothers and youth of this new generation.” – Pastor Prabhakar Malladi, Christ Church, North Lalaguda, Secunderabad
ISBN13: 978-0-473-52015-1
Publication Date: May 2020
Publication country: New Zealand
Publisher: Rev. Susan Devadass Velpula with Wild Side Publishing
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