A Time for All Things                    
                by Lindsay Gallman

Thank you for a fruitful year - Highlights of 2010-2011

It is with great pleasure that we share with you some of the highlights of the 2010-2011 year at Mission Honduras International and Liberia Mission Inc. It has been a year of renewal and growth for us, with new partners in the mission, new development, new initiatives, and new opportunities for connecting with our sisters and brothers in Liberia, across the ocean in prayer, word, and deed. Through this renewal and growth, we have been able to expand and enhance our programming at Liberia Mission to further our goals of alleviating poverty and promoting transformation by providing quality Catholic education, a loving home, and life skills training for children and youth so that they may become capable, responsible, and compassionate citizens and future leaders of Liberia.

Liberia Mission Inc. Highlights:

Residential Life

• Formed youth leadership program
• Hired a Spiritual Development coordinator who has improved activities surrounding prayer, mass, religious education, and spirituality
• Improved grounds and facilities (library, soccer pitches, goat pen, area outside girls' fence, pigpen, security booth). Access to water improved (piping to girls' dorm built, new well constructed)

Education

• Overall staff morale is very high, with open and transparent communications encouraged among school staff and between school and mission administrators and staff
• School administration and faculty overall have become very active in improving instruction, student activities, oversight, administrative systems, planning, budgeting, etc.
• New classroom construction completed, which allows for better study environment for children and increased staff relations, morale, and collaboration by centralizing all classes in the main school area

Health

• Medical doctor available onsite to assess overall health and hygiene on campus, to take care of resident children's ailments, and to be a resource of medical knowledge for staff and occasional visitors from the community; Liberian clinician identified to take over health initiatives on campus
• Medical files and annual physical exam established for each child and vaccination drives done for measles and ivermectin
• House parents educated in basic triage for cuts, sores, headaches, etc.

Staffing Capacity and Work Environment

• Increased relationships & communication between international and Liberian staff through monthly "all staff" meetings and ongoing collaborative efforts; Improved staff morale by promoting communication, consistent meetings, and empowerment such as involving local staff in budget discussions, disciplinary committee, information and idea sharing, etc.
• Improved care for children, education, and overall mission functioning by hiring 2 house parents (one who is dedicated to developing spiritual programming, the other who is designated to be a primary mother-figure for the boys), 4.5 new school teachers, a designated choir director for the church, a Liberian logistics officer, an additional cook, an additional security guard
• Development of Human Resources: Policies and Procedures completed; Established more transparent and logical bookkeeping system at school and mission
• Staff are praying more together in both informal and formal settings

Community Relations

• Strengthening of collaboration, networking, and friendships with various persons and organizations in the Liberian Catholic community; other upstanding child welfare organizations, and within the Liberian NGO community
• Increased understanding and resource building with the personnel and processes of various key institutions such as the bank and government ministries
• Strengthening of relations with community members through formal and informal activity and/or social relations between mission staff and children and community activities or persons
• Adult Literacy Program hosted on school campus is continuing and thriving

Mission Honduras International Highlights:

Partners in Mission:

• Welcomed new Board member, Jerome C. Cabeen.
• Welcomed in the Spring/Summer of 2010, five long-term volunteer-staff who served for a year or more at Liberia Mission: Bernardine Ileto, Director; Brian Chan, Medical Director; Amy Spelz, Program Coordinator for Community Development; Matthew Travis; Program Coordinator for Organizational Development; and Christopher Keeney, Program Coordinator for Education. We are very blessed that Chris has continued on as Interim Director while we continue our leadership transition in fall 2011.
• Welcomed nearly 200 new supporters to the MHI/LMI family, and new sponsors to our sponsorship program from across the country.
• Established the framework for a volunteer program at Liberia Mission and welcomed several short and mid-term volunteers, as well as several volunteer groups. Among their numerous contributions, two that stand out are our new Liberia Mission blog and the new computer lab just completed this month at the mission.
• Connected several parish groups and countless individuals wishing to volunteer in Honduras with Olancho Aid Foundation. All gave exceptional reviews of their experience with Olancho Aid and plan to return for years to come.
• Oversaw the development and implementation of the new, comprehensive and Liberia-specific child protection program, Policies for the Protection of Beneficiaries.  

New Initiatives and Partners in Development:

• Successful "Build a Classroom..." Campaign, which raised funds for the new classroom building completed this year. MHI Intern Robyn Kilman from DePaul University planned a successful fundraiser at GreenHeart in Chicago; Students at Seton Hill University raised $5000 through their creative event, Mission ImPROMible; and Volunteer Lindsay Gallman raised funds through Causes on Facebook for the Liberia Match;  
• Presented during dozens of Masses through Diocesan mission appeals, with volunteer speakers traveling from the Northeast, to the South, to the West Coast to spread the word about Liberia Mission and engage new supporters. And these are only just a few of the groundswell of activities that have taken place this year to keep the work of LMI going strong now and into the future.
• The Martin/Dewan Liberia Challenge Match was a miracle of love. This "Triple your Gift" match campaign exceeded its goal of $150,000 and because of a generous outpouring of support, we raised more than $196,662! 

For additional highlights from 2010-2011, please click here.

While there have been many successes over the past year, there is more that must be accomplished. In that light, I will share some of our goals:

• Provide support and programs for our children who continue to grow and whose needs are expanding. To best address the needs of our young people, we must provide for the next phase of their education with the development of high school linkage, vocational programs, and partnership with the University.
• Continue to improve the quality of our programs through the hiring of new Liberian staff and the development of opportunities for professional training and development.
• Ensure the sustainability of our mission through new partnerships, both in Liberia and in the U.S. and to continue our strong relationship with the Conventual Franciscans.

These successes are your successes, dedicated friends and supporters of MHI / LMI. These goals are our goals too, and we ask you to continue to work with us to achieve them.

Thank you for your prayers and financial support - without you, none of this would be possible. We look forward to continuing this work with you at the service of one another and our Liberian family members who are striving for a brighter future.

May God bless you abundantly,

Bob O'Dwyer, Board President, and all of us at Mission Honduras International and Liberia Mission Inc.