24 Dec

Five Years of Loving

A nursing student tending to leprosy patient

Five Years of Loving

My recent visit to India caps a great year of ministry

Dear Friends,

Last month in India I took part in a wonderful collaboration between Heaven’s Family, Hope for Hansen’s and Chamberlain College of Nurses—all for the purpose of pouring out God’s love and compassion to leprosy victims in 20 colonies spread throughout Hyderabad and New Delhi, India.

At each colony site, our team of 40 nurses and doctors conducted medical clinics. And each time we were greeted enthusiastically, often with robust dancing and songs—and I cannot forget the throwing of flower petals or adornment with jasmine garlands! After ministering to their wounds and physical needs, we prayed for them, gave out toys to their children, served a meal to each family, and then distributed rice, lentils, oil and other mainstays to take home.

Heaven’s Family’s Leprosy Ministry is now in its fifth year of leprosy ministry in India, and has moved from the provision of food, clothing and medicine to sponsorship of students and vocational training, support of projects to establish self-sustainability, and breaking ground for shelter to house homeless patients who are currently living on the sidewalks of Hyderabad.

Through special projects, we have also been able to purchase a vehicle to enable our wound care nurses to make their 1,000-mile circuit each month to care for these needy patients. And just last week we provided special new shoes to protect the feet of almost 1,000 leprosy-affected individuals whose ulcerated feet need special cushioning. This was made possible by Heaven’s Family’s Compassion Club.

Leprosy patient with ulcerated feet being presented new shoes with micro-fiber soles that will protect his feet

One of my favorite parts of these trips is getting to meet with all the students our sponsors enable to attend school, and deliver the tuition money for the next 6 months to the school’s administrator. We were also able to participate in the graduation of this year’s sewing class of young ladies, and the young men being certified after their taxi driving courses.

Graduating sewing class students being presented with certificates and new sewing machines with which they can make a living

Two very dear young men we have watched grow and develop over the past five years are also about to receive their certification in Culinary Arts and Hotel Management: they posed for me in their chef’s uniforms.

Boaz and Murali in their chef-trainee uniforms—they’re hungry for success!

On behalf of all those who’ve contributed to the Leprosy Ministry in 2015 so that we could provide these young (disease-free) children of leprosy-affected families with a new lease on life, I can report that I felt like a proud, adoptive parent representing you on this trip.

My heart is always so full of joy and gratitude at being able to be your “love-link” to these worthy families. Thank you yet once again for making all this possible.

Together with Him,