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| Pastors and congregations of GFA-affiliated churches in Andhra Pradesh rallied together recently for special outreach to some of the most outcast of their society—the beggars. |
"For 15 years I have been begging," Melwin stated. "But nobody has shown me any love." True, people had tossed him some change here and there, but never had he encountered the tenderness he saw in the Gospel for Asia missionary and believers from his church.
Melwin was not the only leprosy patient touched with Jesus' love that day as pastors and believers of GFA-affiliated congregations in Andhra Pradesh, India, organized a special day of outreach to beggars. They traveled to railway stations, bus stops and slum areas giving out food packets—tangible expressions of Christ's love for these impoverished people.
Melwin began to share his sad story with the Christians who so obviously cared for him. Melwin had once lived a fairly comfortable life with his wife and two children. Owning eight acres of land, he was able to meet his family's basic needs. But when Melwin became afflicted with leprosy, his wife and children kicked him out of the home, reducing him to life as a beggar.
“'For fifteen years I have been begging,' Melwin stated. 'But nobody has shown me any love.'”Ever since, Melwin had spent his days on street corners, pleading passers-by for a little bit of money to stay alive. For the past two days, he told the believers, he had gone without food, the absence of nutrients depleting his already weak body of what little energy he had left. Melwin gladly took the food packet they offered him. And as the believers continued to reach out to him, clearly sharing the Gospel and Christ's healing power, Melwin broke down in tears. Before the believers left, he expressed an interest in visiting their church.
In one area, the hands of some of the beggars were so deformed by leprosy that they were unable to open their food packets. Some of GFA's Bible college students sat alongside them, opened their packets for them and helped them eat the food.
Because it is nearly unheard of in Asian society for people to show this measure of kindness to one afflicted with leprosy, some of the leprosy patients asked the students why they had approached them. The students responded that they loved them because of the love of Jesus. A number of the leprosy patients requested prayer and many asked to know more about Jesus.
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| Beggars like this man welcomed the gifts of food packets filled with nutritious, home-cooked meals—tangible expressions of Christ's love for them. |
Like these leprosy patients, beggars in several regions of Andhra Pradesh were touched that day with much-needed physical provisions and the love of Jesus as GFA-affiliated church members, their leaders and GFA Bible college students reached out to them in His name.
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