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 The end of the financial year has seen HR workers busily preparing the annual report. The annual report will be published in a few weeks time for HR members, but we'd like to share what our President had to say with all of you. Be encouraged as you read!
PRESIDENT'S REPORT
By Tom Navanua
It has been another busy year at House of Restoration. Our boys and girls houses continue to operate in Box Hill, and our family has expanded once again as some people move into independent living and others move into our houses to have a go at making a positive change in their lives. Our extended network of friends and family has also grown and we have met countless new people from the community through weekly ‘open house’ dinners and family nights. Many people have been touched and changed through the encouragement and support they have received from being part of this ‘family’. We have been blessed to see marriages restored, families reunited and individuals overcoming personal obstacles through counselling and positive community interaction.
The various sub-ministries of House of Restoration have also been active in undertaking practical projects this year. Shining Light sent a second container of educational resources to Fiji and has secured a warehouse where equipment is being stored ready to send to Papua New Guinea to support the work of the newly established HR-PNG. This new branch of House of Restoration is based in Mt Hagen, PNG, and is being set up and directed by local men from the PNG Christian Centre whose vision to help street kids in PNG runs parallel to the vision of HR Melbourne.
The indigenous ministry, now known as LINC, has been able to build connections with indigenous communities in the Northern Territory and is currently seeking ways to build on the foundational relationships that have been formed in order to help these people improve quality of life and work towards reconciliation and restoration as individuals and as a community.
As I reflect upon the last few years of my involvement with House of Restoration, there have been many changes, both within the organization and within my own life, that have led me to a crossroad where I believe it is time for us to refocus and remind ourselves of the real vision of House of Restoration and what that name stands for. This ministry was founded on the passage in Isaiah 58 that talks about being a light in the darkness by showing true love and generosity to those in need. In some ways I believe we have drifted from that purpose by allowing the structure of the organization to dictate what we do and how we do it, and in so doing we have missed the mark of what we are truly here for.
I believe it is time to come back to basics and to rediscover the real purpose of this organization, which is to show genuine love and care to those who are in desperate need of it. That kind of practical love is what will empower people to get back on their feet and believe that they are valuable human beings who can feel, think, love, create, achieve and become.
Thank you all for your support and partnership this year.
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