December 25, 2009. The morning began with a grand parade and candle light service at the Immanuel Ministry Center. The beats of Mridanga and the chimes of cymbals were a delight to the ear.  

 Singing old Christmas songs in Indian vernacular and creating the Mridanga rhythm is not everyone’s forte.   Modern folks have no clue to it. Since the Mrudanga tradition is preserved in village areas, a spillover can be seen in the city slums where a big chunk of the village population moves in from time to time.      

MRIDANGA RYTHM

Over 600 people including the children gathered at Christmas service. As some of you are aware the children who are a part of Immanuel Home are all destitute and orphan children.  The local people who showed up on this special occasion were mostly from poorer slums.                                                     

Everything displayed a touch of Christmas: the banner on the stage, the songs we sang, the memory verses children recited, the message I delivered, the candle lights, the love feast, cookies and even the cold of the

 winter.

It was a cold morning indeed! As some of you are familiar with my aversion to cold, I couldn’t go out without a jacket. The coconut trees and rose plants together with the children in the premises seemed to smile and giggle with the touch of the Christmas air while I clenched my teeth in discomfort.                                                                                                                                                                                                              The sun kept shining as the day progressed. It was very pleasant.  It got to be because the remaining part of the day was to be spent outdoors.   

JOYFUL PARADE

VISITING THE WIDOWS

Our next stop was Chinayapalem.  I couldn’t go there with my jacket. I needed to relate with the people.  Just as Paul had said, “All things to all men.”

MEETING WITH WIDOWS 

MEETING WITH WIDOWS & CHILDREN

I took off my jacket and shoes as we headed for the slums.  Our purpose was to meet with the children and the widows; share with them whatever we had. It was awesome. There were over 100 widows and 50 children in this isolated slum. We gave them food supplies and clothes. The smile and gratitude on their faces made our day.

We sang Christmas songs and shared the word as well.

 APPOINTMENT WITH THE POOREST

My day would have been very incomplete without meeting with the leprosy victims.   I quickly went home to meet with some people who waited for me, and had a cup of hot lemon tea with no milk in it before heading for the leprosy colony. 

 While the Christendom sang, “Joy to the World”, I saw abject poverty and dejection in this camp.

MEETING WITH LEPROSY PATIENTS

We have been serving the leprosy patients for many years. In fact 50 families from this colony come to our Ministry Center once every month to receive their food supplies. But going to their poor hamlet on a Christmas day to see how they lived was a totally different experience.

 The disease has disfigured their bodies causing lesions on the skin and progressive debilitation.

I saw the ulcers on their hands and feet closely. I saw their helplessness to work not only because of the deformities it has caused but also because of the age-old stigma. They had no medicine and bandages which are so desperately needed every day to bring healing to their ulcers. The flies kept buzzing over their uncovered sores. They had no food supplies.  Begging every day wherever they are allowed to do so has been their only way of survival. 

SUBBAMMA WITH AMPUTATED LEGS

“I am the most unfortunate,”

said Subbamma, a sixty year old leprosy patient.  “Look at me. I cannot walk and go begging. There’s no one to take care of me.”  

Both her legs had to be amputated because of bone-eroding ulcers.  

I HEARD THEIR INNER BRUISES

I heard their inner bruises too. No one goes near them, not even their own family members. They are an outcast. People detest their presence as much as they abhor their disease.  

My inner man was greatly disturbed as never before.  Their open sores reminded me of Lazarus who

FEET WITH ULCERS

 lay at the rich man’s gate desiring to be fed with the crumbs that fell from his table. Jesus said, dogs came and licked his sores.

But very uplifting were the words of Narsiah, who has both his hands and feet totally deformed. “You made our day. We are so encouraged to see you in our dirty abode today.”

A DREAM TO CLEAN ULCERS

AIM ASIA has been providing food supplies for 50 leprosy families of this colony every month. We decided to increase it to 65 families from this month onwards. There are 120 families living in this colony who are as needy as others.

We have also desired to run an Outpatient Clinic for them where leprosy victims can be administered with medicine and bandages every day. A trained Health Worker will be appointed to bind up their ulcers.  It will cost us an additional $500 every month.  But we believe the Lord wants to have us serve them and that He will show us a way, or someone to provide for it.

Let me close with the words of Malcolm Forbes, “When you cease to dream you cease to live.” 

SHARING A SPECIAL MEAL

When we want to live, how can we stop dreaming? This would be one of our first dreams of the year.  We do not want to let them die at the doorstep. 

Thank you, friends, for thinking of me during this season of Festivity and participating in the transforming work of the Lord. May the face of Immanuel shine on you today and lead you through the New Year.

Joab Lohara.

CLOTHES FOR EVERY ONE

GIFTS FOR EVERY ONE

Women with deformed hand, and face