From Court Wood - The Beautiful Lepers

Dear Friends in the Lord

Some of the most beautiful Christians Sandy and I have ever met are the lepers in India who have come to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. Over the next few days, I would like to share a few photos of these precious brethren. Indeed, they are your precious family also if you are bound to Jesus Christ. These photos were taken during my recent visit to two leper colonies in India.

I will only show two photos each email because I do not want to reduce the size of the photo, and thus limit your insight into the depth of the beauty, love, and faith of Jesus Christ that resides so deeply in these saints. They possess the greatest faith because they come to the King of Kings out of the depths of their greatest needs. They possess not the faith of the "prosperity gospel" but the faith of Job, and Joseph, and Abraham, and David, and Jesus Christ. They endure for the "joy that is set before them." And indeed even now that joy within them is great.

Our leper brothers expressing the joy, love, and faith of Jesus Christ

"Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal." 2 Corinthians 4:16-18

The joy and faith of these lepers has been greatly strengthened by the love of their American brethren. The lepers of India are considered unclean and untouchable by the general society, and most of them live in abject poverty in isolated colonies. Compelled by the grace and love of God in Jesus Christ, their Indian and American Christian brethren are reaching out to them, helping them, and embracing them. One American brother, who came to India with me several years ago, encouraged his home fellowship to begin helping the lepers. They have built a church for one colony, and send substantial help for at least two colonies each month. They try to return each year to live for two weeks with the lepers. They spend personal time with an interpeter not only sharing the gospel, but visiting in the lepers' humble homes encouraging them, and learning about their lives and experiences from childhood. This is real love. The eternal fruit of that Christ-like love is seen in these photos. 1 John 3:16-19

My friends, please join with us in strengthening and comforting our brothers and sisters in Jesus Christ in India.