Arrival of Mother Josapha(In 1959 Mother Josapha arrived from Australia and helped with the work.)

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Mother Josapha was born on 27th May 1932 to Francis Frank and Dorothia in Australia. She had only one brother John. She was impressed by religious sisters from her childhood. She was interested to become a sister one day; but at the age of 12, she lost her father, the pillar of the family, now there was a question of livelihood. Who will look after the family? She had to drop out from school and to go in search of a work, she got a job and started earning, but the desire to become a religious was not diminished. Her father was a carpenter, in his electronic box he had kept St. Damian’s story book. She happened to find the book and started reading it very carefully, with much interest. And from then onwards her desire to become a sister and to serve the lepers as St. Damian grew stronger day by day.

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When she was 17-18 year old, she used to go to an orphanage every Friday and  teach hymns, play games with the children, tell the stories and take care of them happily,sister were well pleased with her. She wished to join convent but she was only 7th passed. She went to ask to the Missionary Sisters Servant of the Holy Spirit and she was accepted, she joined in 1952, made her first promise on 6th January 1952 and final on 6th January 1962.

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In 1959 she received her mission appointment to India; she was overjoyed at being sent, but as her plane left Darwin flying off into the setting sun and the coastland of Australia dropped away behind her, her heart experienced the pain of separation, for in those days, there was no thought of ever returning. India was to become her future home.

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She expected jungles, lions, tigers, and elephants to be everyday events and was not prepared for the destiny of people, the congested slums, the tragedy of begging, street children, lack of essential amenities, all kinds of sicknesses, leprosy being one of them. Looking at all of these from distance was a daunting prospect and it was only when she could leave herself and her preconceived images behind and come to the level of the actualities could she begin to function and know that India may be did not need her, but that she needed India.  As far as was possible, within the limits of being a religious person, living in a religious institution, she made India her home, and its people her people and feels privileged to have spent 40 years imbibing its spirit immensity,  beauty and  its greatness. She finds that India has not taken from her anything; rather it has given to her.

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Over the years she had been rather closely involved with many projects for the uplifting of women, teaching them various arts and crafts so that they might be able to earn more to supplement their family incomes- that their families might have chance of coming above the poverty line, that their children might be educated, that the health of the families might be bettered, and might come to know what it means to be treated as a person, as an equal.

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Not being in actual school or hospital environments, left her somewhat free to be with the people at a different level, in their homes, in their places of work. She became a confidant of their joys and sorrows, of their wishes and desires. She helped to deliver their babies and bury their dead- literally. Her vehicle was both ambulance and hearse. She learnt to leave out the connotation of street child, prostitute, orphan and leper to reach toward the person underneath. They became her people, friends, relatives, and children. After 40 years spent in her adopted land of India, on November 13, 1999, she returned to her homeland, Australia. She is still rendering her service to the women. 

                                                                                        

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Arrival of Brother Henry Brother Henry Dunk SVD was born in Holland, on 22nd July 1928. He entered the seminary in 1951, made his first vows in 1954 and final in 1960.

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He was very happy to get mission appointment to India, for the specific work to serve the lepers. August 22, 1968 Brother Henry Dunk arrived with lot of enthusiasm from  Holland . When he came to Indore, Ishawas leper's colony was on progress already. The day he reached to Indore, he was first taken to Ishawas from airport, to visit the lepers, he was moved with compassion and love towards them and he dedicated himself fully.

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Along with the medical work he used to instruct the sisters. He stayed in Bishop’s House for some weeks to learn Hindi and then came to Nandanagar. He worked as the in-charge of the dispensary,  along with the sisters went weekly to Ujjain, Dewas, Ishawas and Pallia to treat and give food stamp  to the leprosy patients. He had a big and warm heart for the patients, fatherly love for the children, concern and thoughtfulness for the sisters, he rendered his selfless service to the needy till 2002 and returned Holland his home country, but his mind and heart was very much in  Nandanagar.  Indore India .

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Brother Henry was very sensitive toward poor, he advised to start a “bed fund”, too many people sick because the ground was cold and moist, and they could not afford a bed. The beginning of the fund had started.

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