MISSION TO LEPERS.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 61, Issue 282, 10 September 1941, Page 4

MISSION TO LEPERS.

EXTENT OF THE WORK. ADDRESS IN ASHBURTON. The mission to lepers co-operates with 35 missionary organisations and churches throughout the world and is serving 19,000 lepers, according to the Rev. F. A. Thompson, New Zealand secretary for the Mission for Lepers, addressing a meeting of women in the Salvation Army Hall yesterday afternoon. Mr Thompson gave a lantern lecture in tho evening. The speaker outlined the origin oi tho Mission to Lepers, which began by a young schoolmaster taking an interest in 10 lepers who were, camped on com--moil ground near his school. They were poorly clad and fed, and the young man, Wellesley Baily by name, was so moved by their pitiable condition that for three years he gave all he had for food and medicine for them. He was the only one doing anything for lepers. Ho was later called Home on business, when he took the opportunity to address a meeting of 24 people concerning the needs of the lepers. The result was a guarantee of £3O. That was a beginning. Last year £84,750, of which New Zealand contributed £4640, was contributed to the Mission and used throughout tho world. One penny provides a meal for a leper, said Mr Thompson. .Four pounds will keep a child for a year and £5 an adult. Some people like to “adopt” a leper, in which case they have the choice of the place, age and sex of the leper “adopted.” There are 800 hoys and girls who are curable and 900 boys and girls of leper parents who are free from leprosy, but who have not a penny in tho world. Tho Mission is caring for thorn, educating them to tho sixth standard and training them in a, trade. It does this for tho boys and girls who are undergoing treatment also. The speaker mentioned the different kinds of leprosy and pointed out that it is not a filth disease but comes as the result of infection, especially when people are continually under-nourished as these people are. Out of every five people in India four go to bed hungry. Hydrocarpus oil has made it possible to heal every ease not in the advanced stages and 30 per cent, of the advanced cases are also being healed. Not only are these people healed physically hut they come to know The Groat Physician and are' given the Bread of Life and become healed spiritually too.