On the morning of May 29, the day before the Chinese Dragon Boat Festival, 11 members of Lengshuitan Christian Church's volunteer team passionately went to the leprosy rehabilitation village in Xianglingkou, Yangcundian to bring the holiday's greetings.
The Lingkou Leprosy Village is located in the remote Siming Mountain, miles away from Yangcundian County. Most of the survivors were sent there for isolation in the 1960s, and the majority of them are in their 70s and 80s and alone. All of them have been tortured by the disease, forced to separate from their children, or deserted by their families. Added to this was the even more insufferable discrimination and abandonment by society, which caused them both physical and mental devastation.
Living yearlong in the relatively closed-off "isolated island," the leprosy survivors long for the care and acceptance of society, as well as love and help from people.
The volunteer workers greeted the seniors warmly as soon as they arrived at the rehab village, after which they started working in perfect order. They specially borrowed a large van to take rice, oil, fruits, and zongzi (sticky rice dumplings) for the villagers. Volunteering doctors gave the elderly a simple physical while some workers stayed in the cafeteria to prepare lunch.
This is the second time the volunteer team has carried out ministry in this leprosy rehab village. The villagers still remember them visiting last Double Nine Festival and they felt very excited seeing some familiar faces. They gave the workers a hearty welcome for visiting before the festival.
The volunteer team of Lengshuitan Church has been focusing on underprivileged groups like those who are old, weak, ill or disabled since its establishment last March. "Uphold truth, kindness, and beauty, spread faith, hope, and love" is their motto. So far, they have organized over 30 volunteer activities and donated more than 30,000 yuan of materials. Two love bases have been built, including Xing'an Disabled Care Center and Yijiaqiao Nursing Home in Gaoxi City. They're now working on serving some rural empty-nest seniors in order to strictly observe their duties for the volunteer ministry in Yongzhou.
Translated by Grace Hubl
