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Mission Honduras International
Breaking the Cycle of Poverty ... One Child at a Time |
May 2010
Newsletter
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Greetings!
Greetings and blessings to you and your family! We are blessed to share with you updates on the life-giving work going on at Liberia Mission. Below you will find a reflection from Fr. Don Halpin, OFM Conv. on his visit to Liberia Mission, "Make a Joyful Noise Unto the Lord!"; a letter from Liberia Mission Directors about celebrating Easter; and a welcome to the new Liberia Mission team!
Thank you for all you do to help transform lives this Easter Season! You truly make a difference every day. You are a part of the resurrection taking place in a very needy part of the world.
Monsignor Andrew Karnley from the Archdiocese of Monrovia recently said,
"The supporters you have in the United States will never know how many lives they have already changed. I just pray that more hear the call, because your mission is the cornerstone of all the other programs in Liberia."
Please read on in this newsletter about the good work that you are a part of at Liberia Mission. Thank you for your
continued prayers and support.
God bless you,
Bob O'Dwyer
bodwyer@missionhonduras.com, 773-809-4008
On behalf of the Board of Directors of Mission Honduras International
Watch the new Liberia Mission documentary - "Children of Hope: The Liberia Mission Story". Click or copy
and paste this link into your browser: www.liberiamission.com/video.html
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 Make
a Joyful Noise Unto the Lord!
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Fr.
Don Halpin, OFM Conv., is an MHI Board Member and  Spiritual Advisor. He
visited Liberia Mission for the entire month of February, where he provided a
loving, healing Franciscan presence and served as advisor, spiritual director,
priest and compassionate listener to the mission children and staff. His
presence there is greatly missed and the children and staff can't wait for his
return.
"Make a joyful noise unto the Lord." That
is a Scripture that comes to mind when I think of the Liberian Mission. The
noises of life are there: talk, chatter, laughter, little arguments,
friend-to-friend shouting, along with commands of the house parents or mission
directors. Anyone visiting cannot help but be pulled into the fullness of
the life of the mission.
There is a natural mixture among the
children of the mission. In an atmosphere of comfort, conversation comes
easily. The conversation can have its humor, and then a seriousness enters that
creates trust, a need to talk, and discussion of concerns for the future.
During the entire month of February 2010, I was at the mission; the children
are loveable and loving in their interaction.
The weather was hot! At times I wanted to
sit outside my room and have a moment of prayer and maybe solitude, including
an opportunity to cool off. Some of the children would soon gather. At
one point, Jerome Cabeen, co-director of the mission (with his wife Clarisa),
asked if the children were bothering me. I laughed and said I was hoping
to have this time in prayer. Jerome wondered if he should chase the children
away. I said: "no, they are my prayer." Sounds like Gospel, really - "...let the
little children come to me."
 Liberia has come through a recent history
of two civil wars. Trust and listening is important for the sake of healing a
nation. That comes to the heart of the mission's goal of restoration,
re-spiriting, and maybe even of a re-founding. There seems to be a longing for
a spiritual life around the mission: they love celebrating the Eucharist, and
song, drumming, dancing all become a central feature of any liturgy.
One Friday there was the evening prayer.
This was Lent already. Benjamin, who is the oldest of the residents of
the mission, was leading the prayer session. He introduced the session, saying
Fr. Don will lead us in the Way of the Cross. This was a surprise to me, and in
some ways I was not prepared. I had no prayer source with me, even to remind me
which Station come after another. The children knew! I would announce: "Third
Station... Fifth Station... Eighth Station," and they would announce as if in
chorus the title of that Station. I simply needed to reflect in meditation
style the story of each station. They listened with attentive awareness, and of
course, the story-telling mode became all the more intense as the session
continued in prayer and song.
The month went by quickly. There were
important events, even one as simple as going into the hills for a re-supply of
charcoal. Trips into Monrovia became a weekly experience, maybe twice a week.
The coadjutor Archbishop of Monrovia came to bless the Church of St. Michael
the Archangel and give the sacrament of confirmation to twenty-five of the
children. The school of the mission, named for the Franciscan St. Anthony of
Padua, also needed some attention.
Three days before returning to the
States, I was sitting again outside my room. This was to be prayer time again.
Two girls came to visit and talk. Conversation included a favorite song I had
taught them. Then one of them turned to me saying, "Fr. Don, are you leaving?"
And I answered, "I have to leave and go back to where I live." "We don't want
you to leave," she said. A minute later, she looked at me, asking, "Fr. Don,
are you crying?"
If such a mission touches the heart with
affection, bonding, empathy - a little emotion will follow! I hope that the
mission is a little better place after a month of my getting to know a hundred
and fourteen children. Somewhere in all of that is the definition Jesus might
give in the Gospel: "...the kingdom of heaven is like...."
~
Fr. Don Halpin, OFM Conv.
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Celebrating
Easter at Liberia Mission!
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Dear Friends, Supporters and Family of
Mission Honduras International,
 Clarisa and I would like to extend deep
wishes of health and newness to you and your loved ones as we faithfully move through the Easter Season. In this season of renewal, redemption, and
resurrection we celebrate the risen Christ and His glorious defeat of death and
sin. As I am sure you and your family followed Christ's footsteps, it was no
different for us here at Liberia Mission Incorporated.
We celebrated a glorious
week with prayer, song, Stations of the Cross, finally culminating in
a beautiful Easter Sunday Mass that was as alive as the risen Christ. Monsignor
Robert Tikpor, still strong and dedicated at the age of 84, reminded all of us
of the importance of the stone being rolled away that ushered in the beginnings
of life and ushered out the dominion of death.
After the Easter Mass, Monsignor Tikpor
joined us at the mission for  Easter lunch, and the children took part in our
annual Easter egg hunt on the mission grounds. After they had finished their
somewhat raucous hunt, all of the mission children enjoyed a very delicious
Easter lunch of okra soup and rice with sweet cornbread, a typical Liberian
dish. It was a very beautiful day that was enjoyed by all of those involved.
But our joy and celebration
at Liberia Mission Incorporated didn't end with Easter Sunday....
Read the complete letter by clicking here.
~ Jerome and Clarisa, Liberia Mission Directors
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Welcome New Liberia Mission Leadership Team!
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We are pleased to announce the new leadership team for Liberia Mission! As you know, Jerome and Clarisa Cabeen, who have served at Liberia
Mission for nearly 2 years, will be leaving this summer. We are pleased to welcome four new
staff members.
Bernardine Ileto, the new Liberia
Mission Director, brings a breadth of experience in education, pastoral
ministry, international mission work, and education administration. Bernardine's husband, Brian Chan, will serve as Medical
Director, caring for the mission children, staff and volunteers, and
coordinating community projects. Amy Spelz joins the team as Program
Coordinator for Community Development, and Matthew
Travis will serve as Program Coordinator of Organization Development.
This
summer we will share detailed profiles on each of our new leaders and the many
gifts they bring to Liberia Mission! If you would like to welcome them, please send an email to: info@missionhonduras.com and we will forward it to them in Liberia.
Please note, we are still looking for one more team member! We are seeking a Program Coordinator for Education. Read the complete job description here, and please forward to anyone you think might be interested. Thanks!
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About Mission Honduras International / Liberia Mission
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Mission Honduras International is dedicated to breaking
the cycle of poverty for children and families through material and
spiritual support and a Catholic education.
Learn more on our website!
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