Lepers of India

As we walked to the tent set up to provide shelter from the hot sun, deformed and bent over shapes began to shuffle over to greet us. Some are hobbling, others are using crutches, and many keep their arms crossed and their hands tucked under their arms. They're lepers, and they're hiding gnarled limbs that are missing fingers and toes.

Leprosy attacks nerve endings and destroys the body's ability to feel pain and injury. So lepers unwittingly injure themselves with burns and cuts, and suffer infections that result in tissue loss. Fingers and toes become shortened and deformed as cartilage is absorbed by the body.

India continues to record the highest number of new leprosy cases in the world followed by Brazil and Indonesia. Today there are still more than 1,000 leprosy colonies in India, and there are more than a 150,000 new cases each year - 150,000 people each with their 
                                                                own story of leprosy.  

But leprosy is not nearly as contagious as most people think. In fact, 95% of the world's people have a natural immunity to it. And when a leper receives the proper medication, within two weeks his disease is no longer contagious. But in India, when someone is discovered to have leprosy, their own family members consider them cursed, and they are driven from their homes and disowned. Worse, no one will associate with a family that has a leprous member for fear of being contaminated. No one will marry a child of a leper.

Even though a treated leper is no longer contagious, lepers are shunned for life. The risk of social rejection is so great that many people cured of leprosy end up living in isolated settlements. It's not only lepers that are treated as outcasts, but their children also. Even if they are perfectly healthy, they are banned from attending school because their parents have leprosy.

We listen to many stories. One is that of 62-year-old Susilla (pictured right). She was diagnosed with leprosy when it had already progressed significantly. She was only 16 years old, and has never been married.

As we continue our visit, we are presented with many needs. Some men lift the legs of their trousers to reveal their homemade prosthetic legs that are falling apart. Others point to their sandals that are coming apart at the seams.

Through the Lepers Fund, Asia International Mission is partnering with respected Indian pastors to give these brothers and sisters in Christ some comfort in their trials by providing food, clothing, sandals, fresh water wells, and most importantly, the good news of a loving Savior. 

Please prayerfully consider helping these outcasts of society by providing them with God’s Word and some of the basic necessities of life by going here to Donate Now. In the purpose box type “Lepers Fund.”

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 John Wesley said, “Prayer is where the action is.” And so we invite you to take action on behalf of our persecuted family by joining in prayer during this year's International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church on Nov. 13.

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Prayer Requests
Pray for the Lepers of India; that God would make his love known to them.
Pray that God will continue to work mightily in the land of India. 
Pray for more sponsors to support and expand the work in India.

Pray for the Unreached Arakh of India
Population: 531,000
World Popl: 532,000
Main Language: Hindi
Main Religion: Hinduism
Bible: Complete
Status: Least-Reached
Christ-Followers: Few, less than 2%



"Declare his glory among the nations" (Psalm 96:3)

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