'We look forward with hope to that wonderful day when the glory of our great God and Saviour, Jesus Christ, will be revealed.' 

                 Titus 2:13 NLT

Greetings from all of us here at The Leprosy Mission in this Advent season; a time to look ahead to when Jesus will come again not as a vulnerable baby, but in power and with authority. Advent is a season of eager waiting, a time of hope and expectation. Anticipating the anniversary of His arrival brings a sense of hope for our lives, and for our world. 

Without vital support from The Leprosy Mission many diagnosed with the disease would endure a prolonged struggle with poverty, disability and social exclusion. With your compassion and support many will have the hope of a dignified future. In this Season of Hope, please could you consider a donation today to help bring the gift of hope to someone affected by leprosy?  

Having recently returned from a visit to some of our projects in Asia, I have been privileged to meet a number of people for whom leprosy seemed like a life sentence but who, as a result of the generosity of supporters like you, now have a brighter future.

One of the people I met was Chunni, who lives in the slums of Dhaka. She kept alive the hope of a better life through many years of hardship. Her family immigrated to Bangladesh from Kolkata, India when she was a child. Tragically, by the time she was ten years old both her parents had died suddenly and her brother had succumbed to a mysterious illness. Alone in a strange land, she became the responsibility of her aunt who showed her little love.

When Chunni's aunt arranged her marriage at the age of fifteen she was already showing the signs of leprosy. With every passing year her condition worsened but it was not until ten years later that leprosy was diagnosed and she commenced treatment. Unusually, her husband stood by her throughout, although he recalls with pain the insults and rejection they suffered from their neighbours. Shopkeepers refused to serve them, such was the stigma they faced. Chunni's husband used to pull a rickshaw, but when he suffered a period of sickness he was unable to continue to provide for his wife and their five children. Their only option for survival was for Chunni to beg on the streets. Life became extremely hard and the family often went hungry.  

Embers of hope were fanned into a flame when Chunni came into contact with our community based rehabilitation programme in Dhaka. She joined a self-help group organised by The Leprosy Mission Bangladesh and funded by people like you. After her husband had recovered, Chunni received a loan from her group to buy a second-hand rickshaw. This became the gateway to a new life. Not strong enough to pull the rickshaw for a full day, Chunni's husband works for half a day, then rents the rickshaw out. The income supports the whole family and to her delight Chunni no longer has to beg on the streets. The family now eats two meals a day and has attained respect and dignity in the community. Chunni and her husband are proud that their new financial stability has helped them to become independent. Chunni took great delight, as any mother would, in telling me that they have now been able to find a marriage partner for their eldest daughter.

Our hope for the world is that, faced with a diagnosis of leprosy, all will have access to treatment, a livelihood, and inclusion in their community. We will continue to work to bring hope and purpose back to lives devastated by leprosy. We give thanks for the faithfulness of our supporters that makes it possible for us to do so. Please be assured that any amount you feel able to give will help to change a life like Chunni's for the better. Thank you.

With every blessing for a peaceful Christmas.

 Peter Walker, National Director