I walked the land where construction will soon begin on a home where many homeless leprosy patients will live. Inset: A homeless leprosy patient that currently lives on the sidewalk of Hyderabad.

A Home for the Homeless

Carole’s first blog from India

Dear Friends,

After arriving in Hyderabad, India, this month, our Heaven’s Family team, which included gifted wound care nurse Cindy Ellman, joined forces with a team from Hope for Hansen’s and 40+ nurses and doctors from Chamberlain School of Nursing to begin two weeks of ministry to the needs of leprosy patients.

The first order of the week was to visit a parcel of land that had been purchased this year through a partnership between Heaven’s Family and Hope for Hansen’s for homeless patients who have been struggling to survive on the sidewalks of Hyderabad. This 2-acre tract will house 48 patients plus staff when it is completed.

While there we dedicated the land, watched the drilling of the bore-well (water was reached!), and fed a group of untreated patients who had come from the surrounding villages.

At left, Carole presenting a leprosy patient with special new shoes; at right, Carole ministering to a few leprosy patients

I also had many wonderful opportunities to minister to leprosy patients through prayer and the provision of much-needed items like special shoes that help protect leprosy patient feet from ulcers and wounds.

Thank you for partnering with the Leprosy Ministry!

Together with Him,

Carole Collins
Director, Leprosy Ministry