There is a bittersweetness to everything we do as parents. We love them, raise them and then, with a mix of pride and pain, we must let them go.”
This fall, we launched our second-born into adulthood, further spreading our family across continents. It’s a reality we never imagined when we first moved to Bolivia in 2002, just “trying out missions for a bit.” We relished those early years—adventuring, exploring and plowing new ground with unbridled hope.
I vividly recall that major adjustment—sending emails with a dial-up modem wearing fingerless gloves to fend off the cold, learning to dry-toast noodles before cooking them at high altitude and the daunting challenge of being asked to pray out loud in Spanish.
I remember my next-door neighbor who taught me, a new mother far from home, how to breastfeed. She insisted we join her for lunch on days we served at Missionaries of Charity, knowing we’d be too exhausted to cook after serving residents with disabilities on the outskirts of El Alto.
Living among the poor, we witnessed the complexities of poverty and the profound value of generosity and hospitality—especially when one has so little. We grew to appreciate the simplicity of living day-to-day and finding goodness in the midst of suffering.
Like new parents who pour every fiber of their being into raising a child, we devoted ourselves fully to learning from and living among the poor in Bolivia. From these experiences, a crazy idea was born.
Twenty-three years later, that humble outreach has matured into a vibrant, professional missional community. What began as a simple desire to serve God among the urban poor has flourished into Bolivia’s leading organization dedicated to combating trafficking and serving adult victims of sexual exploitation.
Our work has evolved from intentional street outreach and hospitality to developing a trauma-informed, holistic program supporting vulnerable women seeking to transform their lives in the face of injustice. We expanded our efforts to include the children of prostituted women, helping entire families grow together and protecting at-risk children from repeating harmful cycles.
Through listening, learning and a lot of trial and error, we’ve grown with the help of mentors, supporters and friends. And I’m deeply proud of what we’ve achieved together.
"Growth is painful. Change is painful. But nothing is as painful as staying stuck somewhere you don't belong." – Mandy Hale
Recently, from our home in Bolivia, I watched my son’s university send-off ceremony in the U.S., filled with both deep grief and gratitude. I felt the weight of this sacrifice anew and yet grateful at the same time for the journey of birthing both a family and a ministry overseas. I’m thankful for who our sons have become as a result of our life in Bolivia, even as I ache to be closer to them now. Despite the distance, the commitment to our calling to this place and this work remains unwavering.
Entrusting our children to new mentors and guides is a new challenge, but I trust the foundations laid, the God who has guided us thus far and those now investing in their lives.
In a similar way, we are entrusting Project Suma to new national leadership, though our support and guidance remains still. A few “gringos” (outsiders) will never be able to grow deep roots for the fullest transformation in Bolivia. Happy to have helped break new ground, I know that long-lasting flourishing fruit will best be harvested by the people who have metaphorically worked this land for centuries.
Last year, Doris Monasterios officially became the National Director of Project Suma. Having known and walked with Doris since our earliest days in El Alto, I trust her to nurture and grow this work to its fullest potential. Doris intimately understands the challenges women face in this context. She has also overcome. Equipped with leadership and “ne’que”—the Aymara word for grit and perseverance—Doris is passionately committed to seeing transformation in her city.
Additionally, we have a rising generation of survivor leaders and young adults who have literally grown up in our program, now taking the lead with deep understanding and commitment to reaching their friends and influencing their context.
It is an honor to continue here, supporting our community in different ways now. We proudly stand on the sidelines, cheering them on as they continue to soar. Many parents may understand, this transition involves a delicate dance of knowing when and how to offer encouragement as new dynamics take shape. Our first steps feel a bit awkward, with some mishaps and misunderstandings along the way, but our foundation is strong.
Your continued partnership is crucial now, helping to ensure that the seeds planted will continue to bear fruit for generations to come. I’m expectant to watch as my boys take all that they’ve learned and make it their own, just as the Suma community now forges ahead in new ways.
Thank you for believing in us, for standing with us and journeying with us into this new season of maturity.
“Watch for the new thing I am going to do. It is happening already—you can see it now! I will make a road through the wilderness and give you streams of water there.” - Isaiah 43:19
Andrea Baker, Co-Founder & Advocate