BIG Announcement! Same passion, new name!

With our new name, we seek to communicate all that we hope and strive for: renewed identity, goodness, health and wholeness for sexually exploited women and their children in Bolivia.

Reflections on our New Identity

Change can be good, but it’s rarely simple.

As we considered an organizational update and independence from our long-standing sponsoring organization, Word Made Flesh, we took a lot of time as a team to identify our priorities. We wanted our new identity to show all that we hope and strive for, while also honoring our local context.

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…

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.

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…

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:

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…

A View of an Invisible Realit

We can all do something, from raising our voices, to volunteering or supporting from our own corner of the world, so that the “invisible” are seen. And you ... what will you do to change the world?

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?

Creating Policies that Limit Exploitation through Advocacy

WMF Bolivia calls for credit card freeze on porn sites.

Choosing Radical Hope as Obedience

I have recently rejoined our Word Made Flesh community in El Alto, Bolivia after a time of maternity leave and sabbatical.

The Rescued Offering Rescue

We don't love the word "rescue" in the context of prostitution and trafficking work, because the implication is that WE missionaries and social workers are doing the heroic and dangerous work of swooping in and carrying women away from this life, Indiana Jones-style. That's not what we do.

Remembering Vivi

Today on All Saints' Day we remember the deceased. Vivi* left us and her two young sons earlier this year.

"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.

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.

Vania*

At 12 years old, Vania* has experienced more hardships than most adults.

Beyond 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!

Franz*

While most five-year-old boys are playing fearlessly among a multitude of friends, Franz,* with a limited vocabulary was timidly saving his own life and that of his family.

Arriving in La Paz

My host family is kind, welcoming and incredibly patient with my Spanglish :). There are six kids all living at home between the ages of 15 and about 27 which makes for a lot of energy and good community.

A Safe Space

It’s not uncommon for our therapeutic groups or conversations with the amigas to get interrupted by the inner battle that they face daily — shortened breath, uncontrollable crying, dissociation, anxiety attacks, loss of hope…and so we make space.

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