Recently my family spent 2 weeks in India
volunteering with an Organization called Rising Star Outreach,
who's mission is to "Lift Leprosy"
among the leprosy afflicted there.
I questioned how a trip like this would turn out given the young ages of my children;
6, 8, and 10.
I am pleased to say it was WONDERFUL!
I admired my 8 year old daughter
as she held up limbs infected with leprosy while another cut away rotted bandages.
I smiled as my 10 year old son
helped his dad wash and rub the exposed disease.
My heart was touched
when I witnessed my 6 year old son
overwhelmed with compassion for
people missing fingers, legs, or hands.
“I want to hug them all day.” He whispered in my ear.
“I can’t stop hugging them.”
(This lady was as a little as he is!)
My hope was to have my children see the beauty in serving others,
especially when “OTHERS” are...not always beautiful.
At first, my 6 year old didn’t want them to touch him. Perhaps he was afraid he would magically turn into one of them. (Missing fingers or have deformities)
After some gentle assurance he knew would be safe if they touched him.
I encouraged all my kids to love those with leprosy by
offering a smile
while making eye contact. (A simple gesture of respect that leprosy afflicted people don't normally get. )
This could be a challenge in itself because some of them can be scary looking to a child.
Without communicating in the same language
my young family was able to express
friendship, love and kindness to a people often rejected and mistreated by giving them a
"HEART."
It was my 6 year old's job to deliver a heart
each time someone new sat down to have their wounds cleaned and re-bandaged.
We got the same reaction every time.
First it was confusion.
They stare at the heart unsure of what to do with it.
Then, I would motion them to place the heart over their heart.
As they did this I tenderly gave a gentle tap over their hands and the heart indicating it was now theirs to keep.
Often times their eyes would meet mine and I could tell they were moved by this. They understood the language of LOVE.
A tender touch:
A little Kindness
softens HEARTS!
When YOU become a Rising Star Volunteer you are changing history.
You are teaching the World that being HUMAN is what life is about.
You aren’t just changing bandages- you’re changing a 1,000 year old stigma.
