Autumn inTouch Magazine 2024

INTOUCH

Autumn 2024

Stories of lives transformed

Dear friend,

Welcome

Welcome to your Spring edition of inTouch!

I’m delighted to welcome you to the first edition of inTouch for 2024.

In my role, I’ve been so honoured and privileged to meet many special people and witness first-hand the incredible work you help support.

As we journey through the year, I pray that you and your family will know God’s presence and provision in every area of your life.

What a blessing to return to India earlier this year. Despite all the challenges of the past few years, the local Leprosy Mission staff team remain resolute in their commitment to bring an end to leprosy.

Thank you for your unwavering support of people affected by leprosy. This is particularly meaningful as we continue living through a cost-ofliving crisis.

Despite this, you haven’t stopped caring for some of the world’s most marginalised people. Your love has reached them at a painful time when they needed it the most.

I can never thank you enough for showing such kindness to people affected by leprosy who are often being neglected.

Your giving is a true ministry, demonstrating God’s heart of compassion.

And what a blessing to once again meet with families who share their life story and the impact of leprosy. You will read more about Abeer in this magazine. I met Abeer and his dad at the Leprosy Mission Hospital they travel 100 kms to for his treatment. He is such a young boy with soulful eyes, yet leprosy is already damaging his body. Your support and the dedicated staff will ensure Abeer gets timely treatment to cure leprosy and reduce the physical impact.

India awakens the senses with the vibrancy, colour and urgency of life. My prayer is that children like Abeer have the opportunity to have a vibrant fulfilled life.

‘Leprosy defeated; lives transformed’ is our shared vision at The Leprosy Mission. We’re so thankful that together we continue to defeat leprosy in individual’s lives across the globe. Thank you for partnering with us in this life-changing work.

I pray this edition of inTouch will be a blessing to you, as you read how people affected by leprosy like Maya and Satendra are making plans for their future. It is because of you that young people like Maya and Satendra have renewed hope, after leprosy threatened to steal their dreams.

I hope that you enjoy reading this latest edition of inTouch magazine and being reminded about the real transformation your support is bringing into the lives of people affected by leprosy.

Thank you for going above and beyond in your belief that no young people should have endure all that they have been through.

From Abeer completing his multi-drug therapy, Santosh starting his own family and a new lease of life, for Munna’s grandpa,

Allu’s whose eyesight was restored...

I hope you know that they are wonderful outcomes that simply could not happen without your prayers, love, and support.

Thank you for all that you do to make lives better every day.

“The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.”

Through the loving kindness, dedication and the expertise of the medical team at Anandaban Hospital, Maya and Satendra can be completely cured, cared for and restored from leprosy!

Lamentations 3:22-23

God’s blessing, your wonderful support, and the dedication of our staff are the special ingredients that make this life-transforming work possible!

God Bless,

Gillian Whitley Executive Director

I’d like to end by thanking you for being a light for Christ in a broken world where sometimes the need can seem overwhelming. As we watch winter turn to spring, we are reminded of the certainty of God’s hand on our lives as we look to the beauty of his creation.

P.S. Attached to this magazine is our annual supporter survey.

May His blessing be upon you and your families this season.

As part of the Leprosy Mission family, your feedback is important to us as we work together to achieve a world without leprosy. I hope you can take a moment to fill it out.

God bless,

Gillian Whitley Executive Director

Alternatively, you can use your smartphone to scan this QR below to complete the survey or visit leprosymission.org.nz/ SupporterSurvey2024

Gillian visiting Abeer at Naini Hospital in India.

Abeer’s Cure One Journey

Cured by you!

Last year we introduced you to 10 year old Abeer from India.

Abeer’s young body had been devastated by a deadly mix of leprosy and severe poverty. Leprosy had already inflicted lifelong harm – and poverty was putting his chance for a cure at grave risk, because it was a further hardship for the family to afford the monthly bus fare to hospital for his vital leprosy treatment - MultiDrug Therapy.

To reach the Leprosy Mission’s Naini Hospital, Abeer’s father carried Abeer on a 10km bumpy bike ride to the road, then more than 100km by bus!

Thankfully, they finally made their way to Naini Hospital where Abeer was put on the much-needed Multi-Drug Therapy to cure his leprosy.

Thanks to kind supporters like you, Abeer was able to complete his full course of medications and is now cured of leprosy.

Cared for by you!

At Naini Hospital, Abeer patiently watched a therapist tapping a tiny wire on his skin, mapping out the numb spots where leprosy has killed his nerves. They were all over his little body!

Feet, back, bottom, arms – and fingers, now stiffening into the tell-tale rigid claws of advanced leprosy.

On top of his advanced leprosy, Abeer was experiencing an unbearable inflammation called leprosy reaction. His body was numb in so many places, yet he was also wracked with pain.

Leprosy has twisted his hands into rigid claws. He has wounds that need to be cared for to prevent further infection.

Because of your kindness, Abeer has received excellent care for the damage this dreaded disease has inflicted on a brave young boy.

Your love and support helped provide ongoing professional care like reconstructive surgery on his hands, physiotherapy, and counselling to help him cope with the stigma and loss he has endured.

Without you, a family in such poverty could never afford a hospital stay, physiotherapy for tightened tendons, or plaster casting to stretch clawed fingers.

Thank you for being such a generous blessing to Abeer and his family!

Abeer’s next step

Through the Cure One programme and your kindness, Abeer will be able to return to school and continue his education. His future will be restored. Abeer’s family can also receive help to connect into a self-help group for people affected by leprosy in their community.

Thank you for being part of Abeer’s story. It is wonderful to share his progress with you. Your kindness and compassion bring hope and assurance into Abeer’s life.

Thank you for Abeer’s excellent leprosy care!

If you would like to become a Cure One supporter, please visit www.cureone.org.nz or phone 0800 862 873 or email cureone@leprosymission.org.nz

Thank you for bringing joy!

Thank you for bringing joy and hope to Munna and his grandpa, Allu, through Really Good Gifts last Christmas.

Life as a shepherd can be solitary, working alone with only the sheep for company. But Allu’s loneliness is very much amplified. Like the shepherds in the nativity story, Allu knows how it feels to live on the fringes of society. His body is weakened by leprosy, and he cannot stand up for long. Like many elderly people, Allu also used to struggle to see because of cataracts.

Thankfully, Allu has his little grandson Munna, the light of his world. Munna loves his grandpa for exactly who he is.

Allu has not been invited to a social occasion for many years. Like so many families affected by leprosy, little Munna is an outcast by association. It is heartbreaking that little ones like Munna all too often feel this is their lot in life.

Munna is so grateful to people like you for giving Allu a pair of protective sandals.

It was the best Christmas present they could possibly receive!

The sandals give Allu the support he needs to stay on his feet while tending to his flock. They also protect him from cuts and scrapes that can easily become infected, leading to lasting disability.

Thank you for taking Munna and Allu into your heart last Christmas and for bringing them joy.

Because of you, so many more people like Allu can receive the gift of protective sandals, and

receive life-changing eye surgery - to experience the hope that Christmas brings as light returns to their eyes; children like Munna can also have a chance to go to school and receive an education.

You can order Really Good Gifts all year round , go to leprosymission.org.nz/ReallyGoodGifts

As Allu was also struggling with his eyesight, the medical team operated on his cataracts. He is delighted that his vision has been restored!

Thank you for wanting the very best for people affected by leprosy, like Munna and Allu.

When we told Munna and Allu’s story to our partners in India, their hearts were touched. They arranged for Munna and Allu to come to their Christmas party!

It was a joyful occasion for both of them. Munna was happy to play with the other children while Allu watched proudly. Munna said he had never been to a party like that in his life! It was a special moment for him.

Munna helps this grandpa to look after his sheep.

A new bundle of joy added to Santosh’s family have given him a drive to succeed.

Beginning a life in all its fullness

Do you remember Santosh? A young men from Nepal whose story we shared with you back in 2020.

Santosh was diagnosed with leprosy when he was only four when an ulcer was found on his right foot.

There is a long history with Santosh as he has been known to the staff at the Leprosy Mission’s Anandaban Hospital since he was first diagnosed at such a young age and is naturally loved by many as a smiley, positive person.

The story of Santosh is a real turnaround from despair and depression to hope and a future for him.

We left him back in 2020 with two new artificial legs, renewed hope, and a determination to make things happen with an entrepreneurial spirit.

Last year, the Leprosy Mission team travelled to visit Santosh at his home in southern Nepal. We wished to see how he was years on from having a second leg amputation and new artificial legs fitted.

Praise the Lord! Over the last four years many things have happened to improve Santosh’s overall situation.

With the help of staff at Anandaban Hospital, Santosh now has a fit for purpose home allowing him easy access and security. In addition to his new home, a motor scooter has been purchased for him with specially adapted stabilisers to help him with balance when starting and stopping in traffic.

This newfound travel independence has led him to try two jobs. The first job was as a delivery person and his second job was working as a shop assistant in a grocery store. Unfortunately, Santosh needed to leave both jobs due to some unforeseen issues.

Yet, Santosh didn’t give up. Despite facing various challenges, Santosh remains determined to find a way to support himself financially.

He plans to purchase three milking buffaloes with the help of his mother and sell the milk in nearby towns and villages.

One of the biggest changes for Santosh though has been his marriage to Manju who has cerebral palsy. They also had a baby daughter who was just one month old when the team met them in 2023. She is beautiful and Santosh’s eyes light up when he is holding his daughter!

Thank you to faithful supporters like you, so much of the first 20 years of Santosh’s life he spent in hospitals due to the ulcers on his affected legs leading to amputation , but now he is beginning to see some of ‘life in all its fulness’.

“A thief comes to steal and kill and destroy, but I came to give life — life in all its fullness.” John 10:10

Running the last leg of the race to end leprosy

In 2024, The Leprosy Mission is celebrating 150 years since we were founded in 1874 by Wellesley and Alice Bailey.

This year we will be celebrating the achievements of the heroes who have gone before us in the fight to defeat leprosy. As we celebrate their achievements, we also accept the baton from them on the final leg of this long race to end one of the world’s oldest diseases.

Arm in arm with persons affected by leprosy, we want this 150th anniversary to be a launchpad towards a world where no one is diagnosed with leprosy again, where no one lives with disability because of this preventable disease, and where no one faces discrimination because of a leprosy diagnosis.

We have all the tools we need to make that world a reality. Even more so, we have faith in the God who has taken us this far and will take us on to a world without leprosy.

How will we reach the finishing line in the race to end leprosy?

Ending leprosy transmission

Ending the transmission of leprosy across the world is now an achievable goal. We believe this because, for the first time in the 4,000 year history of leprosy, the coming years will bring us all the tools we need to end leprosy.

Tool 1

For the first time, we have a WHO-approved way to prevent leprosy. This is currently being rolled out in nations across the world and we expect the effects to be dramatic. Cheaply and effectively, leprosy has become a preventable disease.

Tool 2

Scientists are currently perfecting diagnostic tests that will simplify leprosy diagnosis in a way that has never been see before. We will see people diagnosed and started on treatment in moments, even in the most remote settings.

Tool 3

Perhaps most excitingly, researchers are testing leprosy vaccines. An approved leprosy vaccine is a realistic possibility in the years ahead and it will be a game changer.

A world without leprosy is possible. We have the tools and the expertise to make this possible. What we lack is the right resources and political commitment.

Ending leprosy-related disability and discrimination

Ending leprosy is about much more than stopping the transmission of a disease. Leprosy causes disabilities that individuals live with for their whole lives. Leprosy comes with stigma and discrimination that can follow people wherever they go.

Our work as a Mission will not be finished when we have ended transmission. We will continue to innovate and find solutions to the challenges of leprosy -related and disability and discrimination for as long as there are individuals who need our support. Thanks to our growing partnerships with Organisations of Persons Affected by Leprosy, this work is going from strength to strength.

New Beginnings in Kiribati

In January, we had the honour and privilege to welcome, Hon Minister of Commerce and Tourism Bootii Nauan; Secretary Ruui Tabutoa & Dr. Temea, Medical Practitioner from the Ministry of Health from the Republic of Kiribati to our office in Auckland.

We had a fruitful meeting sharing our vision and goal for this new partnership. A Memorandum of Understanding was signed between the Ministry of Health and The Leprosy Mission NZ, endorsed by the Cabinet of the Republic of Kiribati to work on a new Preventative Health Programme supported by the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT).

Leprosy remains one of the medical health challenges in Kiribati.

In 2021, the number of leprosy cases recorded in Kiribati increased dramatically... and approximately 30% of these cases were children; 20% of the people affected by leprosy were reported with disabilities. This shows that leprosy is raging in communities.

This partnership marks a new chapter of Kiribati and the Leprosy Mission NZ.

This new programme is based on the success of the preventative health programme we have in Bougainville, taking a holistic approach to improve the overall wellbeing of communities in Kiribati, which has a goal of building healthy, resilient, inclusive and empowered communities.

Thank you for your faithful support!

This will be a significant step forward in our shared pursuit of a world free from leprosy.

“This menorandum of understanding signifies our collective determintion to uphold the dignity and the rights of people affected by leprosy; and to work tiredlessly towards their full inclusion and wellbeing. Thank you New Zealanders for making this partnership possible!”

- Mr.

Supporter Spotlight

Jenny has been supporting the Leprosy Mission for over 15 years. We are so inspried by her story and would like to share with you, too.

When I was a little girl in England, I read about these terrifying people who were affected by leprosy.

I didn’t know who ” they” were, only that they carried bells to signal that they were coming close and that they called out - “unclean”.

I imagined them to be covered in dirt, weeping sores, and to be dreadfully smelly. And I was terrified that one day I would meet one.

It was years before I saw real, live people inflicted with leprosy and everything changed for me.

They weren’t monsters, they weren’t smelly –they were just ordinary people like you or me –but with dreadful disabilities that caused them pain, limited their lives, and separated them from society. And the hardest thing for me to understand and come to terms with was how come leprosy had been eradicated from Europe and other affluent countries but not from the poorer ones like Botswana, where I first met sufferers from leprosy.

After relocating to New Zealand, I was introduced to the Leprosy Mission in New Zealand, and for the first time, I discovered a community of individuals who shared my desire to make a difference in practical ways. What struck me was not only the similarity in our aspirations but also the affordability of the opportunities to contribute.

I don’t have a lot of money. I was brought up in abject poverty I would see my strong, hard -working, orphanage reared mother, with her head in her hands worrying about where the next meal was coming from but who still worried about poorer children in Russia or in other countries who were starving. All that mattered, was that we reached out to help. I know the

hopelessness of it all, but I also know, that with the support of people who care, you can rise above it.

I have grandchildren and I want them to learn to care as my mother taught me, for the less fortunate people in life. I want them to THINK!

To learn the deeper meaning of giving to others, - with a generous heart and a desire to help others is a beautiful expression of faith and love, regardless of race, colour or creed.

My first ‘leprosy gift’ to my grandchildren was buying a goat from the Really Good Gift Catalogue at the Leprosy Mission many years ago.

They were thrilled! Their father was horrified because he thought that I was bringing to Australia an actual goat that would eat – his newly planted spinach... his low-hanging pears... his roses! The misunderstanding was soon cleared up, and last year I bought a goat again on behalf of my grandchildren for Munna, whose grandpa had leprosy.

I wanted them to learn that giving is as rewarding as receiving.

I don’t know whether it will influence them as they grow up – but – I do believe that we can start now to teach our grandchildren.

Some years ago, my husband died very suddenly and when I feel down, I like to go through my head and think about the blessing I was given to be able to help the boy who had leprosy who can now see, or the girl who had leprosy who now has received training, healing, and hope. They have been given their security and independence to believe in their future and I feel happy.

Youth Advocate Scholarship

A mission trip to Nepal in mid January 2025 – will you join us?

Each year, we choose a group of enthusiastic young people (18-24 years old) to become advocates for the vital work we do with people affected by leprosy and their families.

Apply Now!

This is a life-changing opportunity that will shift their perspective on what is truly important, whilst they make some amazing friends along the way.

If you know of any suitable young people in your family or church, please encourage them to apply!

Scan this to hear some powerful reflection from our past Youth Advocates, or visit our website at leprosymission.org.nz/YAS-2025 Save the

Thank you, Lord, that I could be used in a small little way for “A gift opens the way and ushers the giver into the presence of the great.”

Proverbs 18:16.

Wed 8 May 2024

Prayer has always been essential to what we do and so we are bringing our staff, supporters, volunteers to unite in prayer for a world without leprosy.

All 30 countries within the Leprosy Mission Global Fellowship are setting aside 8 May in prayer. There will be large, global prayer sessions for people like you to join with others around the world through Zoom (the link will be available on our website).

Please contact Nadia if you want to know more about the Global Day of Prayer at 022 199 5758 or email Nadia.Paul@leprosymission.org.nz

Please join us on this special day of prayer to start the journey towards ending leprosy!

Just in case you don’t live forever

During your lifetime, the number of people affected by leprosy has fallen tremendously. Yet many remain. God cares for them deeply and we know you do too.

Use your Will to make sure there will be hope, light and life for those still affected by leprosy after your lifetime.

Your bequest costs nothing now, but in the future will have great power to transform the lives of the most wounded, rejected and poverty-stricken.

While you can’t take it with you, you can decide how it stays behind.

Your legacy can be a world where everyone is cured, healed and included.

For more information, please call Nadia on 022 199 5758 or email: Nadia.Paul@leprosymission.org.nz