Giving Financially To Those In Need
When an earthquake in 1934 wrecked two Mission Homes for Lepers in India, appeals were made of fellow leper homes throughout India. Joyfully they sacrificed some personal luxuries to help their afflicted countrymen.
Following excerpt from 48% into 25 Years Among the Lepers of India by William C. Irvine
Two Homes of the Mission to Lepers were wrecked by the great earthquake in Bihar, in January, 1934—Musaffapur and Bhagalpur. Mr. Miller, the Secretary for India, wrote to the Leper Homes throughout India requesting help. We placed the matter before our inmates.
On understanding the situation, and on it being suggested that one way they could help would be by foregoing their sheep—they get a sheep once in a month—all in favour were asked to put up their hands. A small forest of hands shot up. A lump came into my throat. "Carried unanimously.”
“Very nice,” you will say, and possibly may add, "and quite right that they should be willing to give up a good dinner for their less fortunate countrymen.” Most true, but this meant unanimously, joyfully, and ungrudgingly giving up their one meat dinner in a month. Would I? Would you?
And that was not all by any means. Rice, flour, dal (pulse) followed, and one Christian leper woman then and there gave a rupee (1/5), and later four others eight annas each.
On understanding the situation, and on it being suggested that one way they could help would be by foregoing their sheep—they get a sheep once in a month—all in favour were asked to put up their hands. A small forest of hands shot up. A lump came into my throat. "Carried unanimously.”
“Very nice,” you will say, and possibly may add, "and quite right that they should be willing to give up a good dinner for their less fortunate countrymen.” Most true, but this meant unanimously, joyfully, and ungrudgingly giving up their one meat dinner in a month. Would I? Would you?
And that was not all by any means. Rice, flour, dal (pulse) followed, and one Christian leper woman then and there gave a rupee (1/5), and later four others eight annas each.
25 Years Among the Lepers of India
by William C. Irvine
| Genre: | Missionary biography |
| Subject: | William C. Irvine |
| Publisher: | Pickering & Inglis |
| Year: | 1938 |
| Location: | London |
| Library: | Missiology.org.uk |
| Online: | https://missiology.org.uk/book_25-years-... |
Scripture Testimony Index stories in this book
Very kindly, yet firmly; Mr. Irvine told the high castle inmates who wanted preferential treatment at the asylum he ran that as Christians men belong to one family—God's family and there was no segregation whatsoever. He held his ground even when they threatened to not become Christians.
Mr. Irvine was quite surprised when one day, Bunchdas—a known persecutor of Christians at the Mission Home for Lepers—asked to be baptized. But Bunchdas was now truly changed, and Mr. Irvine confirmed this as he quizzed him. After his baptism, Bunchdas went on to live faithfully for Christ untill his flight to heaven a year later.
When an earthquake in 1934 wrecked two Mission Homes for Lepers in India, appeals were made of fellow leper homes throughout India. Joyfully they sacrificed some personal luxuries to help their afflicted countrymen.
Dongaru was not only illiterate and blind, but also leprous—yet his disabilities not withstanding, he was a bold witness for the gospel of Christ. To the caste and low caste, he preached the good news he had come to believe!
After Govind jettisoned Hinduism for Christianity, there was no going back for him—not even the exciting prospect of the Hindu Pilgrimage Resort was enough to change his mind. He was now a child of God and was a new man!
Vithoba was in severe pain, his leprosy was progressing and eating up his legs and hands, but even as death seemed imminent, his powerful testimony was, "But I am saved and have eternal life.”
While his leprosy was a terrible enough disease, Pascol was grateful that by coming to the Mission Home, his eyes were opened to the more terrible sin-disease that plaques him and of his need for a Saviour. He was grateful that courtesy of a terrible disease like leprosy, he found and accepted the Lord Jesus Christ.