Report from Indonesia, Dec 2006

Leper finds hope

Dear friends,

I recently went to Teresa's (our child's) village to do medical work. It was one of the most beautiful places I've ever been, a lovely clean village next to the sea. The sea was full of coral and tropical fish. It was clean and just beautiful. Each morning the villagers go out in groups with nets made from jungle twine. They trap the fish in a confined area with the nets then they poison them with crushed roots from the jungle. All manner of fish are there from really big ones to tiny, colorful, tropical fish, sad they have to die too. The environmentalists would not cope with it but it was sure a sight to behold and we ate lots of barbecued fish with a topping made of vinegar, tomatoes and onion. It was delicious.

The whole village was so clean and behind many houses the women were making a range of traditional foods so fascinating, they sit on a press made with a log to crush roots and make a sort of bread. Other cakes, biscuits, syrup, even wooden goggles for the sea were made there. However on the edge of such a paradise was a small hut, about 2 meters. Inside were a small table and a few planks of wood for a bed but not even long enough for a bed. In the hut was a man with leprosy who had been kicked out of the village 20 years ago. His legs were bent up from sitting hardly any toes or fingers left. His nose was collapsed in and he looked so much older than his 40+ years. He told us he would crawl out when it rained to wash and his elderly mother brought him food once a day. It was a tragedy to see him so handicapped when there is medicine for leprosy only no one had helped him. We invited him to come home with us  and he was eager. I said to his relatives can one of you come to help lift him on the boat and settle him in. No was the reply if we wanted to take him then ok but they weren't doing anything. The poor man .

When our staff member first showered him he cried at the kindness shown to him. The fact that we would touch him amazed him. We don't have a facility for leprosy patients yet so we placed him in our old laboratory, a temporary wooden hut. Each day we lift him carry him up a bank and bath him in our clinic, At first it was fine but as time has gone on I began to struggle to lift him then he told me it is because he has  put on lots of weight, that explained it. A good thing only makes it a little harder work for us. His name is Hendrk. He once had a dear wife who stuck by him but she drowned when a ship capsized and she was caught underneath it, she had been on her way to a relatives wedding on another island. He has one child who obviously doesn't do anything for him.

Yesterday when I was caring for him he said Pina was here yesterday, that is Teresa's mum. She asked me how I was. I replied I am in Heaven--I laughed. He continued it is not the same as Jara Jara, here I am treated with respect. I asked are all the staff good to you yes all of them, I told him I am happy to hear that as all our work falls down if at the patient point of contact is not loving. In Jara Jara youth would yell out at him that he was an animal and better he die and be thrown in the sea. He is a lovely man. Hendrik is one of many leprosy sufferers ostracized in villages. We have the highest rate of leprosy in the southern Hemisphere. One day we will go out and gather all those leprosy sufferers and bring them here to a facility that we will have prepared for them. I look forward to that day. Noone needs to suffer from such a crippling disease when the drugs are available.

The other day Thelda was in the clinic with her little girl very sick with diarrhea. She has had 13 children, is the mother of Wendy's Jasmine and a previous leprosy patient. She was saying how blessed she is to have been treated and that she is able to walk not like poor Hendrik. She said when I look at Hendrik I realized how blessed I am. She has crippled up hands, can't do up a zip or comb her hair. She needs her child’s assistance to walk any distance. Four of her children have died, she is severely handicapped yet she smiles constantly and counts her blessings.

I was telling Wendy about Hendrik telling me he is in heaven. She said what it is with these lepers mum, so positive. I mean look at Thelda always smiling and happy. I said it's because they are not spoilt, they have nothing, any love shown, anything done for them or provided for them is so appreciated. Remember it is harder for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven than for a camel to go through the eye of a needle. Poverty encourages people to rely on God, not themselves, so in some ways it is a blessing. It is a privilege to serve these people, we are indeed blessed.  Not everyone gets the opportunity to care for the poor and look after lepers.It's so lovely to have Wendy working wholeheartedly with me in the medical work. Thank you for your part in helping these people.

Love in Him—Esther
IFC Medical Director