Story number 4 for 24 Oct 2001

(China)–Next, there is progress being made toward the elimination of leprosy around the world. At the beginning of last year, the number of new cases dropped by 40-thousand. However, poverty issues can make overall recovery difficult. As an example of their approach, American Leprosy Mission’s Matthew Maury explains how their project works in China. “In Hunan Province, we’re working closely with a Christian NGO (non-governmental organization) that’s called ‘Amity Foundation’. They work very closely with the official church and also in partnership with the government. So, they’re very overt about their faith and their belief in Christ.” Maury says their work in China often makes a huge difference in normalizing lives. “The issue of stigma is still strong in China and so people can pray for the families to be not only cured physically, but also re-integrated back into society. And also, pray that we continue to have strong partnerships with the people that are working there. The situation is not always easy and so it’s something we’d appreciate prayer on.”