I Saw Jesus in a Leper Colony
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Is it contagious? Could we get it? Do we need to wear gloves? These were all questions going through my mind as I pulled out my only leggings that cover my ankles and my beautiful jean dress that seals in humid heat perfectly. In Nepal, we have to dress modestly covering our ankles and shoulders, so here we go! Today, we are going to visit a leper colony to pray for the people there. I’m not really sure what to expect, but I honestly can’t wait!
The seven of us climb one by one into our spacious van conveniently labeled, “Tourist Only” on the outside. That’s right, we ARE tourists… sometimes, but today, it is our cover to be warriors for Christ and love the unlovable, touch the untouchable. We ride an hour to Lalitpur, then we walk about twenty minutes down the mountain, through the rice patties, over a bridge, up a hill, around a corner and voila! We’re here!
As we walk, my multi-tasking brain is balancing dodging the many mud puddles while taking in the breath-taking beauty that surrounds us, while thoughts are also racing through my mind about what we are about to encounter. All of my previous knowledge about leprosy is from the Bible. They had to be separated from society. I think it is contagious. Jesus healed 11 of them. Other than that, I have no idea what to expect. What will it look like? Will they live outside? Will they have access to necessities like everyone else? Then, one by one, we step out of a world of stereotypes, and into a world of love.
Flowers blooming and faces smiling, I step into this beautiful place. Children are playing. Women are washing. Men are talking. This is it, the leper colony. I learned later that leprosy is a disease mainly affecting the nervous system and skin. People in this place lose feeling in their fingers and toes and get injuries without knowing it, causing them to lose them. This makes life more difficult for sure, but in my first impression, these people don’t seem to mind as much as I would expect. There is a light here. Because of a previous NGO funding the buildings, they have rooms to live in. They have beds and some furniture. Some even have TV’s.
Tanuj, one of our hosts for the month, lead Alex, Sean and I to a friend of his. We are greeted by a smiling face that seems to shine light. Pure joy, contentment, and love for life would be good descriptors for this man. Standing up with his two crutches, he is a little shorter than I am, quite a bit darker, as he is Nepali, and at 61, he has a loving fatherly air about him. His brown eyes seem to reflect all the light around us. Hands put together in a praying position and body bent slightly over, we greet him saying, “Namaste.” He invites us to his home. Gladly, we oblige. As we follow him, I notice his black tennis shoes with loosened shoe strings as his feet inside have swollen from the disease. His hands maneuver the crutches, with fingers that have turned to nubs. We join this man and his wife in their little home. His wife steps out and reappears a few minutes later with Fanta and cookies to serve us.
As we visit with this couple, I see only joy and happiness. His wife was 16 and he was 35 when they got married. He married late because of the leprosy. They have had two children and they have been following the Lord for 30 years. In the United States, we might pity them and thank the Lord that this is not the trial of life that He has handed us, but as I sit here, I can only notice the joy on their faces and how they seem more at peace than other people I know back home, more at peace than me.
This visit to the leper colony taught me something I thought I already knew. Peace and contentment does not come from a nice house, a nice car, a good job, or even a good family. It comes from the Lord.
Philippians 4:12-13 says…
“I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little. For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.”
I thought I was coming here to share Jesus with the people in a leper colony, but instead, they shared a little more of Jesus with me.
