Highland woman cherishes role as president of Missions International
Shelly Sands of Highland is passionate about her involvement as president of Missions International, which her late father, Len Daiber, founded more than 30 years ago.
The global organization reaches out to the Caribbean, Latin and Central America, and South Africa. While the recipients of Missions International may believe they have been blessed, Shelly will emphasize the rewards have been hers and those on her team.
Shelly was born May 24, 1969, in Columbus, Ohio to Len and Alice Daiber. She was the fourth of six kids and had three brothers and two sisters and there was a 16-year-span between the eldest and youngest child. Not long after her birth, Shelly and her family relocated to Highland where grandparents and other relatives resided. Uncle Alvin farmed all of the land which is now a subdivision.
Shelly’s childhood days were filled with her mother teaching her to cook and sew and her dad frequently took the kids for a tractor ride through the woods adjacent their home. Sandy has fond memories of her late parents inasmuch she said, “I never once saw my mom get angry or mad. And my dad, he was a very manly man and exuded internal strength. Our parents taught us right from wrong by example.”
She attended St. Paul Catholic Church until her junior year, and then the school closed. She then attended and graduated from Highland High School in 1987. She had an outstanding aptitude for anything math related, especially calculus. She also met Craig Sands during her senior year.
Craig was the quarterback for HHS football team and Shelly was a tad shy. However the two noticed each other and became friends.
“Craig wasn’t superficial and made me laugh,” recalls Shelly. “And I soon realized he actually cared about what I thought of him.”
Family life, about Missions International
Shelly taught swimming and gymnastics during her teen years. They began dating and continued together until both graduated from college four years later. After having received her master’s degree in 1991, she and Craig married Dec. 27, 1991. Craig took a position coaching at Rend Lake College and Shelly taught school in Red Bud and then Mt. Vernon. In 1998, they came home to Highland. But not before she gave birth to their first son, Brendan.
Back in Highland so they could be closer to family, they added a daughter, Megan, three years later. Two years after, Connor was born. Shelly began teaching calculus for Marquette Catholic in Alton. But she also took an interest in her father’s missionary efforts.
Missions International is a Highland-based non-profit organization and has been performing missionary work for more than 30 years in other countries. It was formed mainly through the efforts of Harry Hosey, Daiber and Friar Vince Haselhorst to help parishes answer the call of global solidarity as set forth by the United States Catholic Bishops.
The organization helps establish and maintain sister parish relationships by matching churches or individuals in the United States with sister parishes, missions or institutions in developing countries. The goal of this program is to foster a close relationship built on sharing spiritual and financial support that ultimately transforms the lives of all involved. They also have a prayer project between children in Catholic schools with orphans in these countries.
Trip to Haiti, ‘Universal Language of Love’
Shelly got her first taste of what life can be like in impoverished countries when she went to Haiti in 2011. She said the children of the village were entranced and matriarchs were curious and she could tell they wanted to touch her. She used what she terms the “Universal Language of Love” and, without any words, gestured in such a way those watching her knew they could approach her and touch her hair and skin. All done with lots of smiles.
Conditions there can be so extreme and famine so rampant, Shelly’s memory came out as tears on her face when she retold an incident in Haiti where her dad observed a starving woman.
In an effort to give unemployed women and opportunity to provide a bit of sustenance for their families, Missions International brought in sewing machines and organized a school. But the country had no electricity, so they had to find treadle sewing machines for them.
Shelly said she quickly learned “because of my parents’ guidance and example, I realized I didn’t need to be strong. The strength comes from above.”
Prayer group, coffee can donation
Shelly has since organized a prayer group where she teaches and, ironically, she had the exact same number of students as prayer requests for orphans. The pupils commit to playing for their orphan for the rest of their lives.
During this time, Shelley set up a coffee can in case any of her students wanted to make any monetary donations. Imagine her surprise and delight when one day she opened the coffee can and found two $50 bills.
Around Christmas, Shelly partners with Steve Kloss of Kloss Furniture, and he provides swaths of material squares which are then made into large, purse-type bags that get filled with hygiene products, gifts and candies and then sent to these countries.
What has Shelly gleaned from her experiences? She said, “I’ve been reminded of how blessed Americans are and how important it is to remember those less fortunate.”
Organization’s mission statement
The mission statement of Missions International reads this way: “Missions International is a lay, Roman Catholic, nonprofit organization which assists Roman Catholic Parishes to partner with another Roman Catholic Parish. Missions International also provides services to other Christian churches and institutions around the world. Through financial and spiritual support, these institutions we build maintain relationships between parishes, parishioners and other individuals, thus serving the needs of the poor while creating awareness of the needs of the missionary church in developing countries.”
Shelly said, “There is no way I could ever repay what I have been given by being a part of Missions International.”
The trip to Guatemala this summer was postponed due to coronavirus.