Filtered by Tag: #community
Ariatne* speak first. At 16, she looks younger, her face bright with enthusiasm. In bold, beautiful letters, she’s written: “Siento que merezco más” (I feel I deserve more) and “Mi lugar seguro” (My safe place). Beside the words is a small drawing of “Casa Esperanza”—a little house with a hearth at its center.
Read MoreWhen Andrés invited us to Casa Esperanza, there was so much distrust that few of us accepted. Some went only for the material help but others went because we wanted out, we wanted to see if someone could do something for us, if someone could help us leave the brothels or at least give us hope.
Read MoreSeeing this community grow into itself over the past months has taught me so much about what it means to be a Christian. Christian community had never been modeled with such integrity before in my life.
Read MoreAs 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…
Read MoreFrom 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:
Read MoreWhat 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.
Read MoreAn 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.
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