We have reached a very exciting milestone - 2008 marks Mir Pace's 5th Anniversary of drawing more than 80 high school student volunteers from across the United States to participate in our community-building service programs that have brought life-saving solutions to the poor and forgotten around the world.

Since first beginning our international high school student mission programs in April of 2003, the support of you, our donors and sponsors, has enabled us to make an extraordinary impact on communities in Central America and Africa. Today, numerous families now occupy sturdy new homes, clean drinking water is being piped to a Mayan community, life-saving food has been delivered to the hungry, rural hospitals and medical clinics have been refurbished and have medicines and medical equipment, a secondary school has more classrooms and a library, and two weaver's collaboratives have been established that are already showing signs of economic impact within their communities.

Equally important has been the life-changing effect our programs have had on our high school student volunteers. They have been busy bringing about positive change in their homes, communities, at their schools, and across various issue areas. Understanding another culture, experiencing the depths and effects of abject poverty, and discovering and refining their own unique skills and abilities have changed the way our teen volunteers not only see the world, but also themselves.

Inspired by their experience with Mir Pace, many of our teens now commit themselves to local community service projects, such as tutoring elementary school children, visiting and reading to the elderly, and feeding the homeless at soup kitchens. A number of teens have received school and community awards for their service. Some were selected to participate as high school student ambassadors in an international health and human rights summit which took place in India, while others participated in a Doctors Without Borders mock refugee camp weekend that took place in New York City's Central Park. Nearly all of our volunteers now attending college modified their academic plans to include a curriculum that will prepare them for work in public service and the nonprofit sector upon graduation. Five alumni volunteers are awaiting acceptance into the Peace Corps, and one former volunteer has joined Mir Pace's Board of Directors.

I seldom have the opportunity to publicly express my gratitude to Mir Pace's board of directors, both past and present, and I would like to use this opportunity to do so now. Mir Pace's very pulse comes from the unique experiences, knowledge, and wisdom of our members, and they have been instrumental in the growth and development of our organization. To Cynthia, Paul, Craig, John, and Maureen, thank you with all my heart, for giving of yourselves and your talents to us. To Patti, Janet, and Andrew (our newest board members who you will learn more about later in this newsletter), we are thrilled to welcome you aboard and look forward, with tremendous excitement and anticipation, to all that you bring to Mir Pace as we move forward. There is, however, one very special person to whom I owe my deepest gratitude and that is co-founder Terry Mullen. Day in and day out, he continues to selflessly do more than you could ever know for us. Terry is deeply committed to Mir Pace's ideals and objectives and his indispensable support, guidance, and leadership is the source and foundation of Mir Pace. Thank you dear friend!

You, our volunteers, donors, sponsors, and board members, are the reason behind our ability to make a significant and very positive difference in the lives of so many - here and abroad! I am so very proud of our young volunteers and of our accomplishments, and are forever grateful to all of you for your gracious support, boundless generosity, and compassionate hearts! On behalf of all of us here at Mir Pace, thank you!

The pages that follow include news and announcements regarding our programs, our upcoming 4th Annual Paddle for Poverty, new appointments to our Board of Directors, and a collection of beautiful reflections that speak to the impact Mir Pace has had on our very special volunteers over these past five years. I hope you will take a moment and enjoy this 5th Anniversary edition of Mir Pace's newsletter.