Filtered by Category: Reflections
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:
Read MoreOur 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…
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 MoreWe 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?
Read MoreTodos 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 MoreIf 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 More“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 MorePese a la situación que se vive en Bolivia, las sonrisas y las ganas de seguir trabajando junto a los más vulnerables nunca se acaban.
Read MoreToday on All Saints' Day we remember the deceased. Vivi* left us and her two young sons earlier this year.
Read MoreRecently, we as a social enterprise experienced a similar discomfort, when we embarked on a large scale project that was slightly outside of our core offerings of handbags and small accessories.
Read MoreI 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 MoreOf 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.
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.
Read MoreAt 12 years old, Vania* has experienced more hardships than most adults.
Read MoreUpdate 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!
Read MoreIt’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.
Read MoreI walked into a brothel last night. The light was dim, the music bouncing. Hard porn covered the walls. Urinals lined the entryway. The place reeked of urine, beer, & smoke.
Read MoreFor many years, the strategy God gave WMFB was to simply be present, to be with those affected by prostitution. That strategy continues today, as groups of staff and volunteers visit local red-light districts. They go to where the women are to get to know them and form friendships with them, inviting them to the activities offered at the ministry center.
Read More"God stand in this place! Settle in my heart, take Your place and come, reign in every corner of my heart, be the Lord of my life, of my dreams, of my fears and my questions. May you be the center of everything, in every process, anoint my heart with your Holy Spirit, and pour Yourself out as oil that soaks and restores the deepest part of my being."
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