My name is Vellathai and I was born in a remote village. My life was smooth and happy. I got married at the age of fourteen and with my husband we had four children, one girl, and three boys. Our life was going well at that time but one day I had a pain in my leg. It started out very sharp so I went to the village doctor, but they couldn’t do anything for me. Then I started to feel numbness in my legs, after a while I felt very achy, so I went back to the doctor and they said I had leprosy. I didn’t tell my husband that I had leprosy, but after a while, I started to get wounds on my legs and hands I started to loose sensation.
My husband came to know I had leprosy, and he started to feel very bad about his life. He started to drink alcohol, he drank very heavily and within 3 years he died. He would drink because he got very sad about what happened to me. After I got leprosy, all my family members rejected me, my relatives said I am a cursed person. After my husband died I started to live outside of the village. My two sons would beat me every day, no one was ever nice to me. I lived outside of the village, I would only go in to beg for food.
One day one of my leprosy friends who lived in my village went to the church, so he invited me along. I went there and I felt the peace and love of Jesus there. From that time onwards, I started to go every week. They blessed me with a goat, and I took care of my goat and lived in the village. Until then I didn’t have anyone in my life but now it’s Jesus only. The Church is my home now, I feel like all my leprosy friends in the church are my relatives, my brothers and sisters. I won’t go anywhere, if I die, I will die here only. I have all my relatives here, they are my friends. I was nearly blind and they took me and spent money on me which gave me sight. (Cataract surgery) Even my own family wouldn’t do that for me. Now I am very happy, I live in the Promised Land and I can have good meals. I have my own family that loves me, I am happy to live here.
Sponsor A Victim of Leprosy
100% of your monthly gift will go to sponsor a victim of leprosy.
Independent Church in India wants to invite you to sponsor a victim of leprosy. Your sponsorship of only $360 a year or $30 per month (partial sponsorship) or $720 a year or $60 per month (full sponsorship) will help to provide for one leprosy friend’s food we cannot grow on the land. It will also provide medicine, clothes, personal needs, and will help to keep the Promised Land leprosy community running smoothly.
Here at their new home your leprosy friend will also learn more about Jesus through Bible studies and attending services. You will receive a photo and a testimony card of the leprosy friend that you decide to sponsor. Also each year you will receive a letter from your leprosy friend.