New Day January 2024

JA N UA RY 2 02 4

Thank you for giving Rajisha new hope for the future!

PAG E 2 — W E LCO M E

Welcome

Each morning 600 people queue with hope in their hearts outside the Outpatients building at Muzaffarpur Hospital

But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.

Romans 8:25 (NIV)

I’m delighted to welcome you to the first edition of New Day in 2024. As we begin a new year, I pray that you and your family will know God’s presence and provision in every area of your life.

In this edition of New Day, and over the next few months, you can journey with us to the heart of rural India. In the vast open landscape of the ultra-poor state of Bihar lies Muzaffarpur Hospital. This special place, which only exists because of people like you, provides a lifeline to thousands of people each year.

Bihar is a forgotten place, where people live in extreme poverty with few resources and sparse medical care. It is no surprise that leprosy rates are three times higher here than anywhere in India.

Living in the shadows of society are the least, the last and the lost.

People affected by leprosy who are ignored and excluded. These are

In November, I was privileged to spend time with the dedicated team of medical staff at Muzaffarpur Hospital. They were working tirelessly from a dilapidated Outpatient Department.

It was wonderful to see that this is a place where the unseen are finally welcomed and accepted.

Where exemplary medical care is freely given. Where the love of Jesus shines out for miles around.

But the need is great, and it’s increasing. Every day over 600 people queue in the fierce sun or monsoon rains, desperate for leprosy treatment. The hospital was built 40 years ago and rooves have holes, walls are crumbling, and infrastructure needs to be modernised. The Outpatient Department must be replaced so the team can continue to follow their calling. Without it, there is no other place for people affected by leprosy to receive free treatment and loving care in their greatest hour of need.

Together, in Jesus’ name, we are opening eyes and arms to people affected by leprosy just like He did.

You are bringing them out of the shadows and into the light.

May God bless you abundantly at the start of this New Year.

Peter Chief Executive

W E LCO M E — PAG E 3

Thank you for your unfaltering support of people affected by leprosy. This is particularly meaningful as we continue living through a cost-of-living crisis. Despite this, you haven’t stopped caring for some of the world's poorest people. Your love has reached them at a painful time when they needed it the very most. I can never thank you enough for showing such kindness to people you have never even met! Your giving is a true ministry, demonstrating God’s heart of compassion.

the very people Jesus showed love to and served in his earthly life.

PAG E 4 — T H A N K YO U FO R R U N N I N G T H E R AC E!

Alice and Wellesley Bailey

Thank you for running the race!

Your hero might be someone who has hosted coffee mornings to help people affected by leprosy.

Or it might be someone who goes out of their way to voice the plight of people affected by this cruel disease. Heroes take many forms. God blesses such service through which lives are changed for the better. We would love to hear from you.

It is wonderful to reflect back on the compassion shown by this 19th Century Christian. Wellesley Bailey's heart for people outcast by leprosy created The Leprosy Mission; a global charity serving millions. You have picked up the baton in the race that began with just Wellesley and his wife Alice.

Please email us at hello@LM.org.uk or write to The Leprosy Mission, Goldhay Way, Orton Goldhay, Peterborough PE2 5GZ.

Through God's faithfulness, in 2024 we celebrate 150 years of The Leprosy Mission!

For more than half of The Leprosy Mission's existence, there was no cure for leprosy.

Little could be done medically to alleviate the suffering this disease caused. Those who went before us could only offer love, care and acceptance. We praise God that a cure was discovered forty years ago, and we praise God that you continue to enable us to take this cure to people across Africa and Asia.

On this special anniversary, we would like to invite you to nominate your leprosy hero! We would also love to hear about what led you to support people affected by leprosy. We will share some of these inspiring prayer and fundraising stories in the May edition of New Day.

A 19th century photograph of a man with leprosy in Mumbai

'Born and cradled in prayer'

Photo © Ruth Towell

Chief Executive Peter Waddup prays with Dr Saw at Mawlamyine Christian Leprosy Hospital in Myanmar

Each morning members of the Leprosy Mission family around the world stop what they are doing.

We pray for the needs of people and communities affected by leprosy. We pray for and thank God for you too, as partners in this kingdom-building work.

The Leprosy Mission prayer A prayer that has bridged generations and will continue to do so until the day comes when there is no more leprosy.

Almighty Father, the giver of life and health, look mercifully on those who suffer from leprosy. Stretch out your hand to touch and heal them as Jesus did during his earthly life.

Grant wisdom and insight to those who are seeking the prevention and cure of the disease; give skill and sympathy to those who minister to the patients; reunite the separated with their families and friends; and inspire your people with the task set before The Leprosy Mission; that it may never lack either the staff or the means to carry on its healing work, in accordance with your will, and to the glory of your holy name.

We ask this for the sake of Jesus Christ your son, our Lord.

Amen

B O R N & C R A D L E D I N P R AY E R — PAG E 5

Wellesley Bailey famously said The Leprosy Mission was ‘born and cradled in prayer.’ One hundred and fifty years later, prayer remains at the very heart of everything we do. We thank our sovereign God for blessing the work of our hands as we seek to end leprosy. We praise him that through your kindness we can bring fullness of life to those affected by this disease.

PAG E 6 — F R O M H U M B L E B EG I N N I N G S

From humble beginnings

It is heart-warming to see God’s plan at every turn in the life stories of Wellesley and Alice Bailey.

In 1866 the young Irishman became engaged to Alice Grahame, his childhood sweetheart. Little did either of them know what God had in store and how their lives would change so dramatically!

strong, and he set sail once again. This time it was to visit his brother in India. It was here that he felt God calling him to mission work and applied to teach in a school in Ambala in Northern India. It was during his training that he saw, for the first time, the devastating effects of leprosy.

He wrote:

The couple grew up during the potato famine in Ireland. The hardship Wellesley endured as a boy inspired him to travel in search of a more prosperous future. He decided to go to Australia and New Zealand before he married. Alice’s one request to Wellesley was that he should attend church services whenever he could.

Wellesley had never taken the Christian faith seriously. But just a few days into his travels he found himself stranded in Gravesend. He was waiting for a heavy fog to lift that had left his ship stuck in port. With little else to do, Wellesley entered a church. He was astounded when he heard God speak to him! He left the church deeply moved by the experience. On return to the ship, he knelt by his bed, committing his life to Christ.

Wellesley did not make his fortune in Australia and returned to Dublin no richer than when he had set out. Yet his adventurous spirit remained

"I almost shuddered, yet I was at the same time fascinated, and I felt if there was ever a Christlike work in the world it was to go amongst these poor sufferers and bring them the consolation of the gospel."

The people Wellesley met had clawed hands.

Some had disfigured faces and others were blind.

This was an illness that was both mysterious and cruel. There was no cure for leprosy. The prejudice surrounding the disease was terrible, as it can be even today. Wellesley decided to spend time with this special group of people and wrote home to Alice. He shared with her his heart for people with leprosy.

Alice was deeply moved by Wellesley's letters and in 1871 travelled to India to be with him. After marrying in Bombay Cathedral, they travelled north together to Ambala.

'Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.'

1 Corinthians 12:27 (NIV)

Two years into their stay, the dry heat began to take its toll on Alice’s health. Much to their regret, the young couple decided to return home to Ireland. Little did they know, however, that this was all part of God's plan. Their work had only just begun and their time in Dublin would lead to far greater things!

When they arrived back in Dublin the couple were invited to the home of the Pim sisters. The sisters were renowned for their socialising and charitable works. Wellesley was asked whether he would share their experiences of leprosy. So gripping were Wellesley's talks, that many more were arranged.

Alice's health began to improve, and the couple prepared to return to India. It was agreed that Charlotte Pim would begin fundraising to support the Baileys' work. A target of £30 was exceeded

and they managed to raise £600 by the end of 1874! And so The Leprosy Mission was born. By the late 1870s, the first supporters generously gave £900 a year which cared for 100 people in Northern India.

We hope this testimony encourages you in your place in God's plan to restore justice to the world today. The work to raise money in Ireland in 1874 was of equal importance to the work in India. One could not exist without the other! As it was before, so it is now. By working together, we can restore the lives of some of the most excluded people on the planet. Whether we serve in a leprosy hospital, speak in churches, pray or give, together we are a powerful force for good. God has blessed the work of the generations before us. Today may He bless you and your heart for people affected by leprosy.

F R O M H U M B L E B EG I N N I N G S — PAG E 7

Wellesley Bailey is pictured giving literacy lessons to people with leprosy in Tarn Taran, India, during the late 19th Century

PAG E 8 — A P L AC E O F R E F U G E

A REFUGE FOR THE LEAST, THE LAST AND THE LOST Living in the shadows of society in Bihar are the least, the last and the lost. People affected by leprosy are largely ignored and excluded from society. These are the very people Jesus showed love to and served in his earthly life.

If it wasn't for Muzaffarpur Hospital, these precious people would be deprived of all hope. Many have travelled for days. People like Rajisha who carried with her just a hope in her heart of having her sick body cared for. She prayed that she might be treated with the kindness and respect that any human being deserves.

In the summer months patients congregate outside in the stifling heat for many hours. There is little room inside the current cramped Outpatient Department to sit down. The toilet and wash facilities are woeful. This is particularly problematic for those with open wounds that need to be kept clean.

In the monsoon rains, people stand outside soaked to the very core. As the hospital is built on low-lying land, it floods easily. More so in recent years with the effects of climate change. Battling pain and exhaustion, it is only the certainty they will see a doctor that keeps them going. Even if they do need to stand in dirty flood water for hours.

The dilapidated Outpatients building is threatening the very existence of Muzaffarpur Hospital. The building must be replaced so that the medical team can continue to provide vital care. The highly skilled medics work long hours for little reward. God has called them to serve these precious people.

They know without Muzaffarpur, patients would be left uncared for and unseen. There is nowhere else they can be treated, free of charge, in their greatest hour of need.

Now as together we look to the next generation and continued provision of specialist leprosy care, we pray that together we can build a new Outpatients Department at Muzaffarpur Hospital.

S EC T I O N / PAG E T I T L E — PAG E 9

PAG E 10 — M E E T R A J I S H A

Meet Rajisha

Leprosy should not exist in the 21st Century.

Especially as there has been a cure for more than 40 years! Yet poverty means it continues to blight young lives like Rajisha's today. Rajisha lives with her parents and three siblings in Nirmali in Bihar. The future looked rosy for Rajisha. She is bright and loves to learn. Her proud parents hoped her intelligence and schooling would give her a route out of poverty.

tones. Suddenly the world was a dark place.

But Rajisha began to notice changes to her body that she didn’t understand. Strange marks appeared on her face and her fingers stiffened and started to bend inwards. She had a bad open sore on her finger that just would not heal. She felt anxious and afraid. Thankfully for Rajisha, her parents took her to a doctor who was visiting the village. He told her she had leprosy. Rajisha will never forget that moment. She had heard of leprosy, yet it was always spoken of in hushed

In the midst of despair came a glimmer of hope.

The same visiting doctor told Rajisha’s parents about Muzaffarpur Hospital. Despite being 100km away, the doctor had heard of the exemplary medical care that was available free of charge.

Rajisha started taking tablets to cure her leprosy.

But sadly, the medicine came too late to prevent nerve damage which stole the feeling in her hands.

By now, her fingers bent so far into her palms that Rajisha couldn’t even feed herself. Unsurprisingly, she became withdrawn and depressed.

Rajisha’s parents couldn’t go to the hospital with her.

Her mother was too poorly to travel, and her father couldn’t afford to take time off work. The journey

Rajisha says,

I want to be a nurse as I want to serve as I was served when I was so sad. was frightening, not knowing what was going to happen. Would she be welcomed and accepted?

Rajisha waited anxious and alone for many hours outside the crumbling Outpatients building.

Despite her exhausting journey, there was nowhere to sit inside. Instead, she waited in the oppressive heat. Hours later, a doctor saw Rajisha. He was kind and began tending to her severe medical needs.

She was admitted and a week later, well enough to have surgery on her right hand to straighten her fingers. In time she will need to have the procedure on her left hand as well.

Rajisha is now recovering on a ward with girls of a similar age who’ve also had reconstructive surgery.

Together, they help each other get through the

hard days and cheer each other up when they get homesick. At 18, Rajisha should be taking her final exams. However, leprosy has caused a major setback. It is hard for her to see beyond the next three weeks when she will have the cast removed.

Although she is clinging to the hope of returning to a ‘normal life,’ she is taking each day as it comes.

For a young girl she has been through so much.

Rajisha says, “When I came here, I was depressed.

But now I have hope. Because of the nurses and my new friends, I don’t miss my parents as much.

If I’m scared, the nurses come and help.”

Through your giving, young people like Rajisha are being given a second chance at life. May God bless you for giving healing and a new start to so many.

M E E T R A J I S H A — PAG E 1 1

Rajisha is cared for by nurse Rabini who has inspired her to want to train as a nurse after her recovery

PAG E 1 2 — A N J U ' S S TO RY

Former leprosy patient Anju demonstrates the dexterity in her hands after reconstructive surgery by playing Jenga with her two children

A big heart for a big job!

Anju was diagnosed with leprosy when she was just 14. Like Rajisha, she was scared when her fingers began to stiffen and bend inwards towards her palms. Before long she had to rely on her mother and sister for the simplest of tasks, even combing her hair.

Thankfully, Anju's leprosy was treated before it could further destroy her health. Two years after her diagnosis, she had reconstructive surgery on both her hands. Anju's surgery was performed by Dr Premal Das at The Leprosy Mission's Naini Hospital. Dr Premal now heads up The Leprosy Mission's work across India. He remembers operating on Anju and is so proud of the shining star she has become!

Anju says, "The surgery changed my life but not overnight. I was still depressed for a long time afterwards because it took a while for me to be able to use my hands again. Before leprosy I had beautiful handwriting. I had to practice so hard to get it back to something I could be proud of again.

"My parents were approached about the possibility of me marrying into their families. But they soon rejected me once they found out I had been treated for leprosy. In the end I thought 'I only have one life and it was time for me to get on with it'. Then things began to feel better."

Anju was determined to work for The Leprosy Mission. "I knew firsthand there were so many people lonely and depressed because of leprosy," she said. So she was delighted when she was offered at job at The Leprosy Mission in 2008. Life really changed for Anju from this point. Soon after she arrived, she met a man who she went on to marry. She has found a partner who loves her, regardless of leprosy, and now the couple have two gorgeous children.

A N J U ' S S TO RY — PAG E 1 3

Anju is the Hospital Administrator at Muzaffarpur. It is a big and diverse job which sees her involved in administration, maintenance and accounting! Then there is the pastoral care that God has given her such a heart for. Anju knows every patient by name and takes time to encourage each one. She and Rajisha have a particularly close bond. Anju says talking to Rajisha is like holding a mirror up to her younger self. She says, "Rajisha is such a nice girl. I really feel for her as she reminds me of myself 20 years ago. I sit with her when she is sad and tell her 'your life will get better'."

PAG E 1 4 — C A N YO U H E L P TO DAY ?

My time at Muzaffarpur Hospital really helped me to understand the difficulties the small medical team are facing.

Extreme poverty means leprosy cases are rising and the number of people needing care is increasing.

Leprosy rates are three times higher here than anywhere else in India.

Living in the shadows of society are the least, the last and the lost.

People affected by leprosy who are ignored and excluded. These are the very people Jesus showed love to and served in his earthly life. People like Rajisha, who you will have read about in this edition of New Day, are struggling to build a future.

Can you imagine the fear and anxiety she felt, travelling 100 miles alone to Muzaffarpur Hospital?

She didn’t know the place or if she’d get the care she needed. Picture her waiting for hours in the stifling heat outside the crumbling Outpatient Department, wondering what would happen to her. This is the harsh reality for many like Rajisha.

Thankfully, Rajisha was given a warm welcome at the hospital. She was so thankful for the loving and caring staff. They became like family too her.

But the hospital needs urgent attention so that the team can continue to give people the welcome and the treatment they deserve.

The current state of the Outpatient Department is alarming - it floods during monsoon, offers no proper shelter or seating for waiting patients, and is woefully cramped. We urgently need to rebuild it. Without your support, we risk losing Muzaffarpur Hospital - the only place in Bihar where people affected by leprosy can receive free and compassionate care.

I’m sure you agree, we must do something. This is not how God wants people affected by leprosy to live. We won’t let people like Rajisha remain

Like you, we are committed to bringing these unseen individuals into the light, treating them with the respect and care every human being deserves. The dedicated team at Muzaffarpur Hospital are doing this on a daily basis, but they need your help.

The highly skilled medics work long hours for little reward. They have been called by God to serve these precious people. They know without Muzaffarpur, these people would be left uncared for and unseen. There is nowhere else they can be treated, free of charge, in their greatest hour of need.

Together, we can ensure they are no longer unseen. With your donation, we can restore the Outpatients Department, rebuild lives, and renew hope for individuals like Rajisha.

How can you help today?

Your gift of just £36 will provide a tonne of bricks for the restoration. £188 would supply two tonnes of cement.

If you're able to give more, £442 would fund reconstructive surgery for someone like Rajisha, and £2,008 would cover a labourer's wages for the entire build. A gift of £9,275 will build and equip a new consultation room.

Your support is not just about bricks and cement, it's about rebuilding lives. It's about giving Rajisha and others like her a chance to live without fear or stigma.

Together, we can ensure that Muzaffarpur Hospital continues to provide comfort and care to every person affected by leprosy that comes through its doors. Let's create a world where no one has to suffer in silence or isolation because of leprosy.

With every blessing,

Peter Chief Executive

C A N YO U H E L P TO DAY ? — PAG E 1 5

At just 18, Rajisha’s dreams of escaping poverty disappeared with a devastating leprosy diagnosis. The disease stole the use of her hands and the ability to even feed herself.

It left her depressed and hopeless.

unseen, unwanted and unloved. No longer will backs be turned against them. Together, in Jesus’ name, we are opening eyes and arms to people affected by leprosy just like He did.

PLEASE DONATE WHAT YOU CAN TODAY: £36

Buys a tonne of bricks to help rebuild the Outpatient Department at Muzaffarpur Hospital, India

£188

Provides two tonnes of cement for the building project

£442

Gives the gift of independence through reconstructive surgery and hospital care

£2,008

Covers a labourer’s wages for the entire building project

£9,275

Builds and equips a new consultation room

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