Yunnan Believers Care for Leprosy Survivors

On July 18, 30 Christians from a local church in Mile visited 28 leprosy survivors living in a leprosy rehabilitation village on the mountain of Hongxi County; bringing them rice, candies, cotton quilts and laundry detergent to them. 

"The survivors were moved, comforted and encouraged by the brothers and sisters... May the love of the Lord Jesus be with the survivors." Says Brother Lin who joined in the visit. 

He tells CCD that all the visited survivors have been Christians, living in houses funded by the local government with subsidies. They are separated from the world for decades due to the sickness.

Nowadays, leprosy is preventable and curable, not as terrible as before. 

Lin says he was scared to contact the lepers because he fears the potential infection. "In the past, the lepers felt no pain, unaware of the injuries on their fingers or toes. But now, medical technology has been advanced and those born in the leprosy village were injected with the vaccine and can live like normal people, some of whom are over 30. However, they live with some difficulties.  "

This is his second time to visit the patients. He adds that he was wondering how to help them after his first contact with the survivors in 2015.

"They are in a pitiable state. So the believers of the church in Mile donated several thousand yuan, trying to provide them with assistance."

Normally, leprosy rehabilitation villages in Yunnan are located in distant places with difficult transportation and the people there live in extreme poverty.

Moreover, considering their disability, they're hard to integrate into the community after decades' exclusion from the world.

Fortunately, a large percentage of the people knows more about the disease, believing that it can be cured. Therefore, the existing prejudice and discrimination regarding the disease are now declining. Moreover, many volunteers care for this special group.

An article recorded the story that a lot of volunteers repaired the road of the leprosy village for the International Day of Dignity&Respect.

A team, including Rev. Yu Wenliang, the provincial CCC&TSPM chairman, visited the leprosy villages in Weixi Lisu Autonomous County and Shangri-La City at the Christmas of 2009. They brought and handed out Christmas gifts and daily necessities containing rice, sugar and tea.

The pastor said, "We not only help them materially, but also comfort them spiritually. Although they are disabled and far from people, they have happiness when accepting the gospel, which can be seen from their faces and deeds."