I share with pride, two life changing unforgettable experiences, which prepared me to accept the call to continue the legacy of my late father - Rt. Rev. Babbili Prabhudas, first Bishop of Diocese of Karimnagar, and late mother Sarah Prabhudas, who dedicated their lives to provide the needed spiritual, medical, social, and domestic care for hundreds of lepers, families, and neighbors residing in a leper colony located at Borabanda, Parvathnagar, Hyderabad, India.
Firstly, as a sixteen year old high school graduate in the summer of 1966, I was selected to do a pre-med hospital externship along with Dr. Christa Kupfernagel, a very dedicated medical missionary doctor and director of Church of South India Hospital in Karimnagar. During an early morning pre-surgical round, she asked me boldly, "Have you touched a leper?" After a few seconds pause, I answered, "No."
Without hesitation and delay, with her deep German accent, she asked me another bold but curious question, "Do you want to touch today?" I hesitantly consented, donned gloves and, for the first time in my life, touched an elderly woman with leprosy-infested crippled, disfigured toes, which were successfully amputated that day.
On July 13, 1996, yet another touching experience was noted at the burial service of my father in Narayanguda church cemetery, where scores of crippled lepers attended and participated in the burial service. After a beautiful graveside service, a few sobbing lepers asked, "Now what is going to happen to us, who will take care of us? Please do not forget us, do whatever you can, your dad was a little Jesus to us."
My parents, with help from friends and family, built the only living church for the lepers, supported an evangelist to conduct worship and Holy Communion services every Sunday, built strong houses, improved sanitation and fresh water supplies, provided food, clothing, medicine and wound dressing supplies, blankets, footwear, tools to assist ambulation, and much more.
These two experiences helped me to answer the call THAT shaped my deep interest, dedication AND passion to continue providing medical, psychosocial, educational, and preventive services to the lepers and their families in Hansons Colony, Parvathnagar, and other surrounding areas. It is a tremendous challenge ahead of us, and I urge you all to pray and support this ministry among the poorest of the poor, helpless, and most neglected children of God in and around Hyderabad, India.
We thank all our church and diocesan members, leaders, friends, relatives, and well-wishers for their continuous prayers and generous monetary support to Hopewallah Inc.
Hopewallah is an IRS tax exempt 501(c)(3) organization. Generous donations to this charity organization are tax deductible.