Mariel's* Story
At 14 year's old, Mariel found herself pregnant, without support from her parents and no place to live.
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Blog
Filtered by Tag: #Bolivia
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Angst in the Red-Light District
As a part of Project Suma for almost 6 years, I’ve grown to appreciate that despite our mistakes, we are different. Different, in that we accompany women and their children, starting from a place of relationship. We don’t judge from our places of comfort, but make ourselves uncomfortable, in order to meet them and thus show the face of Christ in our weakness.
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Refinement in our Rebrand
Though our essence remains the same, a humble posture of service and connection with others, with Jesus at the core of it all, we also wanted to emphasize alignment, full authenticity and transparency with who we are and what we do.
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My Special Place
I didn’t know that a place as special as the “House of Hope” existed. I’m not exaggerating when I say that this place is magnificent. This place not only managed to change the way I think but also my way of acting. I really don’t know how to express myself well, I can’t get the right words out in order to say that the “House of Hope” is a special place for me.…
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THE FREEDOM CLIMB
The Freedom Climb mirrors a woman’s arduous journey towards restoration. We meet her in her place of need and offer hope and opportunities for lasting change. Support her brave journey to freedom!
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Free Indeed!
I have lived in El Alto, Bolivia almost all my life. My parents worked in the copper mines, and 30 years ago moved to the city where they raised my four sisters, my brother and me. I have watched the city limits explode, reaching out further and further. I’ve seen up close how difficult it is for migrants to learn a whole new way of life, to navigate intense poverty, limited options and racism…
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Learning As We Go
Mission work has its ebbs and flows of learning effective ministry and mission tools and tricks. From saying the wrong things to practicing ineffective missional practices, we have definitely fallen short. It’s no surprise that we fall short, Romans 3:23 tells us “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” Our humanity is simply incapable of being perfect, which is why we strive to continually point back to Jesus, even in the midst of mistakes and weird moments.
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Abundant Life: A Life Free of Family Violence
As the pandemic turned all of our lives upside down, we suddenly found ourselves at home every day, using our 220 sq. ft., two-bedroom apartment for two jobs, virtual preschool, and everything else already related to home. Though difficult some days, we were able to adjust as a family and in general enjoy some extra time together. For other families though, the strict lockdown experienced in Bolivia meant that they had to deal with an increased threat of violence, not from anything outside, but from inside their very homes…
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Humility when Tensions are High
From our home, we have a panoramic view of the capital city of La Paz and her sister-city El Alto, a combined population of over 2 million people. I stood paralyzed at the edge of our overlook and watched the outbreak from afar. I could hear dynamite boom and pops of firecrackers on all sides. I saw huge smoke stacks rising in the distance from ongoing fighting and vandalism. And the nervous words of loved ones bombarded my thoughts:
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The Long Haul
Our program begins with intervention: meeting women in brothels and health centers, building relationships and trust. We believe that if Jesus came upon someone in the road who needed healing, he would heal them. Perhaps he would never see them again, but that one interaction still had an impact, still glorified God, and was still a work of the Spirit. We believe that even if we never have the opportunity to follow up with a woman, the interactions we have in the intervention stage still make an impact…
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Life Together
What then can we learn from the simplicity of Bolivia? For all that it may lack, Bolivia keeps me grounded. Sharing the mundane and the gritty with my neighbors is good for me. Overlapping pieces of life together highlights our shared humanity. And a slower interdependence with one other means that not only do others matter, but I matter to others as well.
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Mirada a una Realidad Invisible
Todos podemos hacer algo, desde alzar nuestra voz hasta ser voluntarios o apoyar desde nuestra propia realidad para que los “invisibles” sean vistos.Y tú… ¿todavía no harás nada por cambiar el mundo?
Read MoreRelentless Hope
If hope was a challenge to find before, you would think that right about now we would be done. And there are days when, undoubtedly, I feel exhausted and defeated. Nevertheless, there are countless reasons for hope that continue to surprise and encourage me, reminding me of the strength and resilience of these individuals and families that inspired me to come join the ministry in the first place.
Read MoreHumility in the Shark Tank
“How would you like to win $70,000?” We were initially excited when a few weeks ago we were asked to pitch SutiSana for a Bolivian version of the reality show Shark Tank, where we would be competing with 99 other Bolivian businesses for a $70,000 prize.
Read MoreCoronavirus, and the World Shifts
The first two coronavirus patients were diagnosed in Bolivia on Wednesday, and already life has been turned upside-down.
Read MoreRemembering Vivi
Today on All Saints' Day we remember the deceased. Vivi* left us and her two young sons earlier this year.
Read MoreOver the Long Haul vs. the Quick Save
I was running errands with my daughters when a teenager with a duffel bag swung over his back stopped me and asked if I could spare some change for food. His name was Jesús. Sometimes God isn’t too subtle when He chooses to wrap Himself up in the guise of his suffering children.
Read More"She Just Disappeared"
Of course it was "Mariela*" who didn't show up to SutiSana to work, our youngest artisan barely out of her teens, already a mom of her own two children and raising her orphaned brother.
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Eucharistic Community
An update from one of our interns who just completed her internship in Bolivia. Michaela is a senior at Anderson University and is completing her degree in International Relations and Spanish.
Read MoreBeyond what we can ask or Imagine
Update is from one of our interns in Bolivia. Michaela is a senior at Anderson University and is completing her degree in International Relations and Spanish. She will be working in the community center while in Bolivia. We are excited for her as she joins our Bolivia community for a couple months!
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