Outreach To Outcasts

Outreach to Outcasts

When you think of Hawaii, you probably picture beautiful, sandy beaches and warm temperatures, surfing, lying in the sun, and eating coconuts. But Hawaii wasn’t always the fun vacation spot that it is today, especially on the island of Molokai.

Around 150 years ago, Chinese workers brought the disease leprosy to Hawaii. You might have read about leprosy in the Bible. Jesus healed many lepers when he walked the earth. But during the mid-1800s, there were no cures for this disease (there are now) that attacks the skin, nerves, and muscles. Because the disease could be spread by contact, the Hawaiians took those who had leprosy and put them on Kalaupapa—a remote part of Molokai that’s surrounded on three sides by the Pacific Ocean and on the fourth side by two-thousand-foot-high cliffs. Basically, it was a prison that held the lepers until they died.

Half a world away in Belgium, Joseph de Veuster felt called to missionary work. On March 19, 1864, he arrived in Hawaii. Known as Father Damien, Joseph loved being a missionary to the Hawaiian people. But once he learned about the lepers and their horrible living conditions, he felt compelled by God to help.

Father Damien brought hope to Molokai. He worked with the lepers to build houses, schools, and churches. He studied treatment options. He taught them about Jesus. He even bandaged their skin. And when the necessity arose, he dug their graves and built their coffins. Although Father Damien died of leprosy at the age of forty-nine in 1889, he is still remembered for his Christian service in all the Hawaiian Islands.

One of Father Damien’s favorite words was participation. He looked for needs, rallied help, and met the needs. Where do you see opportunities to serve the people around you? Who are the outcasts? Look for ways to follow Jesus’ example with your service. Matthew 20:28 says, “Even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

Daddy-Daughter Time

You don’t have to travel to a remote Hawaiian island to make a difference for Jesus. The opportunities could be right in your neighborhood. Do you have an elderly neighbor who could use help with housework or would be cheered up with a plate of cookies?

Talk it over and then try to do one act of service this week. Write down what you want to do: ____________________________________________________________.

What’s The Word?

Even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.   Matthew 20:28