From a Leprosy Colony to Nursing School — The Story of Jameson
There are stories that remind us what hope truly looks like.
Not the kind that happens overnight.
The kind that grows quietly over years—through faithful prayer, unwavering love, and ordinary people who choose to believe that every life has value.
Jameson’s story is one of those stories.
It Began Long Before Jameson Was Born
For generations, Jameson’s family lived with the stigma that comes with leprosy.
His grandfather, Livingstone, knew the pain of rejection and hardship firsthand. Yet rather than allowing suffering to define his life, he chose to serve others.
For years, Livingstone faithfully partnered with Embrace a Village, helping care for men and women living with leprosy. He understood their pain because he had walked the same road.
His compassion became one of his greatest testimonies.
His daughter, Gladys, chose that same path.
Despite facing enormous challenges—including raising Jameson on her own after being abandoned by her husband—she refused to surrender hope.
Instead, she faithfully poured her life into Embrace a Village’s after-school program, investing in children who desperately needed encouragement.
She believed every child deserved someone who believed in them.
Especially her own son.
A Little Boy Who Needed Someone to Believe
When Jameson first entered the Little Lights Program, he was just a young boy living inside a leprosy colony.
Like so many children growing up in these communities, the future already seemed decided for him.
Society often assumes children from leprosy-affected families will never escape the stigma surrounding them.
But God had another plan.
Through Little Lights and the after-school program, Jameson found more than tutoring.
He found mentors.
He found encouragement.
He found confidence.
Most importantly, he discovered that God had created him with purpose.
Every afternoon of learning…
Every Bible lesson…
Every caring volunteer…
Every prayer…
Every act of kindness…
Slowly shaped the young man he was becoming.
Hope Has a Name
As the years passed, Jameson never forgot those who believed in him.
Joe Clendenny often visited the children and their families, encouraging them to dream beyond the boundaries society had placed around them.
Those visits became reminders that someone across the world cared enough to invest in their future.
Not because of who they were…
But because of whose they were.
Those moments planted seeds that would one day grow into something extraordinary.
The Next Chapter Begins
Today, Jameson stands where no one in his family has ever stood before.
This September, he will become the first person in his family to attend college, beginning his journey toward becoming a nurse.
Embrace a Village is honored to continue walking beside him by helping provide tuition assistance as he pursues the calling God has placed on his life.
Think about that for a moment.
The little boy who once needed someone to believe in him…
is preparing to care for others.
One day, he may be the person comforting a frightened patient.
Encouraging a struggling family.
Bringing healing to someone who feels forgotten.
Just as others once did for him.
This Story Isn’t Finished
Jameson’s acceptance into nursing school isn’t the ending.
It’s the beginning.
There are countless children growing up in leprosy colonies today who are waiting for someone to believe in them.
Someone to encourage them.
Someone to invest in their education.
Someone to remind them that their circumstances do not define their future.
Because of faithful supporters like you, those stories are already being written.
Thank you for praying.
Thank you for giving.
Thank you for believing.
Your partnership is changing lives—not just for today, but for generations to come.
Because when someone believes in one child…
God can change an entire family’s future.