People with leprosy

---

Christina here:

Last week I got some amazing footage of another outreach of this family: Giving food, blankets, vitamins and money to lepers from the community. I expertly filmed their wholistic distribution, and somehow captured the essence of a sacred humanity: serving hearts and love poured out in tangible form. My video camera was everywhere, missing no caring glance, no outstretched hand being filled by saintly servants. This might possibly be the most beautiful video ever shot. I'll get an Academy Award, at least, but this is not about me---

The important thing is, I did a rough edit on the office computer here, and they held city-wide viewings, projecting it onto a huge sheet in the field they use for gospel crusades. At first, people just came to see what was going on, but then they got their friends and came back, and soon thousands gathered. It was incredible. The fantastic news is that people were so moved by this--I can only say--amazing footage, that they started to give. Money has poured in from all over Andhra Pradesh. The best part of this is that with all this money, every leper in the State is guarranteed good vitamins, wound dressings, and good food, and they can even replace the current leperous hospital wing with a huge, comfortable Leprosy Center, with free care for life.

...Want to know what really happened?
I was planning to get film of the distribution to the lepers. In fact, that's been one of the key items on our long list of things to video.

--I started out with an aim to video every major outreach of this organization, and it's kept Sheryl & I running & sweating & nearly dehydrated the whole time we've been here. Every day we check a few things off the list, and seem to add just as many. Busy! You simply wouldn't believe all the outreaches coming from this place, unless you could see them...Which is why I probably need to get them all on film, so others can know how amazing all of it is.
-- On early lists, this item said something like "Leper Food Distribution Shoot," and then it got shortened to "Lepers." (Calling it "Shooting the Lepers" just sounded too harsh.)


So anyway, they did the distribution. Except I was in the next building filming something else. And I got to there too late. I had met some of the lepers earlier that day, just trying to communicate a little. But I hadn't done any filming yet. (Hmm...Actually, I now wonder if that was odd for them. I physically touched them, shaking their partial hands, etc. without really thinking about it, and that might be abnormal. I'm so used to the children touching me, it just came naturally. I didn't notice I had done that until later.)

Anyway, no filming had been done yet. Sweetie saw my disappointment and asked a group of them if I could film them. I hesitated, feeling like the slimy journalist who shoves a microphone into a man's face right after his house has been flattened--"so, how do you feel, now that you've lost everything and everyone important to you?" I was only filming these people because of their misfortune. Ugh. It was extremely uncomfortable, but the group quickly agreed to be filmed. I remembered that maybe this footage would bring more support to these people. I had a job to do, so I took a deep breath & moved in with the camera.

I still felt slimy, but I did ok on the first few. They'd hold up their diseased limbs and I'd shoot. But then I got to the 4th man. I was doing a low angle shot of his disfigured outstretched hands, then tilting up to his face. When I got to his face, my camera started wobbling. I tried again, and kept getting distracted. His eyes--they were amazing. I don't know how to say it. His eyes weren't asking anything. They weren't lost in anguish. They were simply the most kind, the most wise eyes I have ever seen. This man was beautiful.

After that, I kept filming people, but I went sort of numb. I really don't know if I got any decent footage, but it's doubtful. My eyes were all blurry, and I couldn't breathe right somehow. The pavement was a reflecting oven, heat waves washing over me and making it difficult to focus. Lepers kept coming to be filmed, and I woodenly tried to film them. The last woman had many bandages, both from leprosy and a recent accident. I can still feel the vibration in my stomach from the moaning wail she made, and how it sucked the breath out of me.

I had to stop, and our hosts were glad, because, of course they were ready to serve us lunch. I came out from the blazing sun into Rachel's dark and cool dining room, washed my hands, and sat down while they piled my plate with food. It was so surreal. I did the only logical thing then, excusing myself to go into a spare room and totally lose it for a while. That helped a little. Since then, I've waited, hoping the passage of time would bring me some kind of insight. Sorry, nothing yet. The only thing that seemed to help, that seemed extremely crucial in fact, was to pull out my video logbook and cross out the word "Lepers." Under it, I wrote, "People with Leprosy."

---

Comments

[deleted_32805]

People With Leprosy
Christina, Your entry on the People with Leprosy was very moving. You demonstrate that your writing is equal to your filming. I can't image what it must be like to experience all that you are seeing and doing. You girls are my heros! Dave A

[Vicky]

excellent
Christina, that is wonderful and excellent to hear your experience. The avarage Indian do not even attempt to talk to these lepers.

[Aunt Donna]

You had me 'till . . .
OK, so call me slightly gullible, or hugely gullible, but you had me 'till "and they can even replace the current leperous hospital wing with a huge, comfortable Leprosy Center, with free care for life." But wouldn't that be wonderful! And on a serious note, you do in fact, have a terrific gift for communication. This entry was poignant and moving. And I'm sure you brightened the day of the People with Leprosy.

[Sister Liz]

Mother Spielberg
This was your crowning moment! Christina, you saw yourself as a leper, didn't you? I'm seeing myself as homeless here in Maryland... Our human flesh is so vulnerable... thanks for expressing it so well... Don't ever stop writing from your heart. I love you!