Rev Károly Dobos - TLM Hero

At the age of 72, Rev Dobos, a retired minister of the Presbyterian Church of Hungary, met his former classmate for the first time since the 1930s. Communist rule and the Second World War had kept Rev Dobos and Mr Toureille apart for decades but when they met again, Mr Toureille was acting as a Belgian Missionary.

During his visit to Hungary in 1973, Mr Toureille talked about his life and ministry with persons affected by leprosy and this left a flame burning in the heart of Rev Dobos. Although advanced in years, Rev Dobos developed an action plan: prayer and some practical support for persons affected by leprosy was possible, even within a closed, Communist, and strictly anti-Christian country like Hungary.

He asked some of his reliable pastor friends to pray on World Leprosy Day and he mobilised the ladies of his family and wider network to start knitting bandages.

Both activities spread quickly across all denominations thanks to his dedication and energising encouragement. More and more volunteers joined the cause and channelled support to TLM.

After starting with a small mustard seed 50 years ago, the obedience of this one man has developed into what is now TLM Hungary. As the now Country Leader of TLM Hungary, Marta Risko, says: "In God's hands, the impossible becomes possible."