Nepal has been an incredible month with many different opportunities. We have helped with feedings in the slums, visited homes of new believers, spoke in churches, visited a home for rescued women, trekked to a remote village and visited a leper colony.
Most of us are familiar with leprosy from the bible and history where leprosy was a highly contagious and devastating disease. People with leprosy were often ostracized by their families, considered unclean and sent to live in communities with other lepers. No clean person would dare go near them, let alone touch them.
Until Jesus.
In Matthew chapter 8 a man with leprosy approaches Jesus and says “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.” Jesus approached him, reached out his hand, touched the man, and said “I am willing.” He laid his hand on this man and I’m sure all those around him let out a gasp and took a step back. But Jesus knew that this man was a human and not a disease. He saw him, really saw him, and knew what he needed and how to extend it to him.
Despite the example of Jesus and the advancement of diagnostics, medications, and treatments this stigma remains. So please allow me a few moments for the biologist hibernating within me to come to life.
Leprosy (or Hansen’s disease) was once believed to be a highly contagious and devastating disease but now with modern day medicine and early diagnosis this disease can be cured. Leprosy is caused by a bacteria and it can affect the nerves, skin, eyes, and mucus lining of the nose. Leprosy is transmitted from person to person by prolonged, close contact with an infected person. Leprosy cannot be transmitted by casual contact (i.e. shaking hands, sitting together, hugging, etc.) This bacteria is also found in some armadillos and it is possible to contract this disease from improper handling or consumption of the animal.
When treatment is available and administered quickly after the onset of symptoms (lesions, stuffy nose, nose bleeds) a person is no longer contagious and will eventually be cured. However, when medication is not available the disease will progress and more severe symptoms will appear. In the more advanced stage this disease will attack the nervous system and can cause severe damage to ones nerves resulting in paralysis and crippling of the hands and feet. It can also lead to blindness, disfigurement of the nose, loss of feeling or sensation, and many other symptoms.
Leprosy is rather rare within the United States with less than 150 cases occurring per year but in other areas of the world Leprosy is still a prominent disease that currently affects around 2 million people. People with leprosy are still being ostracized today. They are still being treated as less then. They are still being sent to live in leper colonies. They are still being viewed as unclean.
Today we traveled to a little village outside Kathmandu where a pastor has a home for people who are living with leprosy. Most of the people at this home were living in a very advanced stage of this disease and their symptoms were visible. They came from many different walks of life but were grouped together because of what the world saw in them.
While we were visiting the home I had the opportunity to sit with a woman who has had leprosy for many years. We didn’t speak the same language and I was without a translator but we didn’t need one. I sat down beside her, smiled, and greeted her with the very little Nepali I know, “Jai Massihi” (victory to the Messiah.) She was combing out her hair and due to the paralysis in her hands this was quite a taxing job but she finally finished, pulled on her toboggan and gave us the sweetest grin.
She pointed to my arm and then to hers and laughed at what I can only imagine was the difference in our skin tone or the fact that I was in a t-shirt and she was bundled up.
She told us some stories that we didn’t understand but we smiled along.
We sang a worship song to her and at the end she grabbed each our hands and look at us with the kindest eyes.
We gathered from her charades that her eyes cause her a lot of pain. We played charades back to ask if we could pray for her and she immediately bowed her head.
I placed her hand in my hands and I prayed that she felt every ounce of love I had within me.
Jesus came and died on the cross for this woman.
He came for the outcasts.
He came for the sinners.
He came for the broken.
He came for the sick.
Who are we to do anything but love the people that he came for?
(all of the information given was pulled from the CDC and WHO websites for Leprosy or information I learned while earning my B.S. in biology)
