THESCOPE OF MISIONS
V
Edited by Oran B . Smith
Chairman, Dept, of Missions, Biola Bible College
L ubo looks like a little old man. With his wrinkled skin and swol len lips you would never guess that he is only twelve years old. It is hard to understand him when he talks. His voice comes out in a raspy, hoarse noise. He has lepromatous lep rosy. His twelve-year-old body is more distorted and disease-filled per haps than any you have ever seen. Life takes on a grim and hopeless aspect when leprosy takes over at such a young age. Lubo, however, is fortunate. He is'receiving treatment and the last few months have made a big change in his body. They also have made a big change in his heart. Lubo is now a child of God, through faith in the Son of God. Lubo was glad a doctor was near the other day. A reaction set in. The leprosy nodules enlarged in his throat and he lay gasping for breath. The doctor worked—a tube was inserted in Lubo’s throat. Now he can breathe more easily. He will have to wear this tube, protruding from the front of his throat, until his leprosy clears up. That may be from two to five
baby daughter were thrown out into the street with no place to go. At night she slept huddled up with her babies to keep them from the cold night air. All day long she had to handle them and keep them from getting lost in the teeming market place. Soon she noticed that both of her children had leprosy. She had given it to them by her constant con tact with them. The dark days became darker. The hopeless weeks dragged into months and into years. Still she was begging and not caring much what happened, her body weak and mutilated, her children spotted and spoiled. Miser able beggars, living on the offal of thousands who passed by her day aft er day. Suddenly God appeared in her life. No doubt motivated by the earnest prayer of someone—maybe you—God sent a missionary to this woman. Aft er much talking she gave him her children to take to the leprosarium. Several weeks later she also came— seeking for help herself. Today there is hope again. The son has already found Christ as his Saviour. Now we are praying for the mother and daughter. We thank God for these, but 60,000 children in this part of this land are in just as pitiful condition — what about them? The Lord needs you to help—can you, dare you refuse? * B io l a ’51, supervisor for the Sudan Interior Mission Leprosy Service in Jos, N. Nigeria.
years in spite of all that medical sci ence can do. Lubo is not alone in his misery. In the area in West Africa in which the Sudan Interior Mission is work ing there are over 60,000 children under 15 years of age who have lep rosy. Very few of these are getting any care or treatment. Treatment of children is so important, yet it costs much more to treat a child than it does a grownup. The children must be fed and clothed. They cannot make their own way as easily as the older people. Sometimes the disease starts so early in these little lives. Our seven leprosaria and 36 treat ment centers are far apart. In many places a child would have to walk hundreds of miles to find help. More doctors and nurses are needed who are well trained and love their Lord enough to drop everything and come out here to help care for these 60,000 children with leprosy. Years of hard work are still ahead of us. Much earnest prayer will light en this heavy burden. Sixty thousand children with leprosy-—loved as dear ly as you love yours, means thousands of aching hearts with no hope be cause they have no Saviour. * * * The young mother’s heart had lost all hope for her two children. She was but a girl in years, but a mother and an old woman in experience. One day her husband found out that the reason for her weakness and sickness was leprosy. He had no further use for her. She and her small son and
Pills have to be put in patient's mouth so he will not take them home to sell.
28
T H E K IN G 'S BU SINESS
Made with FlippingBook HTML5