Nine KingsWay members traveled to Bolivia last month as part of a long-standing relationship with the Casa de Esperanza orphanage in the mountainous town of Caranavi and a newer partnership with sister Sovereign Grace church, Iglesia Gracia Soberana, in Santa Cruz. Below, team members share about their experiences and how they saw the Lord at work.

how did you spend your time while you were in bolivia?

Ted Williams: I spent my time in Bolivia at Casa de Esperanza, the orphanage in Caranavi, primarily performing and coordinating health assessments with the medical team. This was my fifth trip to the orphanage, and I was delighted to find that the orphanage has had a full time physician on site for the last year, and the overall health of the orphans remained good. We did identify some patients with anemia and parasitic infections which we were able to treat. A few were found to have some dental, vision, or growth issues, and we made some suggestions for monitoring and follow-up. In addition to the children, we were also able to address some health concerns in some of the staff and arrange referral to some doctors in La Paz.

Laina Smith: I went on the trip as a part of the medical team, spending 6 days at the orphanage and 4 days doing the actual clinic. The kids were amazing, but some of them, also surprisingly sick, so it made me happy we were able to diagnose and give medications for things like parasites and lice. Getting to supply them with medications from the town's pharmacy was a good thing because it allows them to always have access to the help they need when we aren’t there to supply it. I also loved working alongside Ted, Mercy, and Karen, learning how to diagnose and help the kids. Karen allowed me to sit in on her well checks and had me take notes for her as she went along. She taught me how to listen for asthma as compared to bronchitis, to feel for swollen internal organs, to check for lice, and to assist her in doing stitches.

Ben Taylor: In Caranavi, Chris and I were a part of a team laying tile for one of the Casa de Esperanza houses. We worked mornings and afternoons while chatting with the kids. The Bolivian men who worked at the other houses were patient teachers. During lunch, we would eat with the kids, and it was a great opportunity to slog through broken conversation and get to know one another. Most afternoons, after lunch, Fidel and Charo, who run Casa de Esperanza, would invite us to their house for coffee, so that we could get to know them, their story, and how they wound up working at Casa. The evenings would involve a Christ-centered program with the kids where we did worship, games and lessons, and usually a skit.

One time, we went with the older kids to play indoor volleyball ("Walleyball"), and I had an opportunity to visit the older boys at their place in Caranavi. There, Chris and I talked and shared testimonies over pizza. We also ended the trip there with a "Gringos vs. Bolivianos" soccer game, where the final score was, I think, 15-2. I won't say who got what score.

In Santa Cruz, we did a kids’ program during the marriage conference Mario taught. We met and spent significant time with members of Iglesia Gracia Soberana, also worshiping and eating with them on Sunday.

Ben Taylor: We visited Nuevo Corazón, a home for young girls, and learned about their program. They welcomed us in English. We shared a meal with them; the women helped them decorate their rooms; and we did crafts, making butterflies and crowns. The girls make and sell jewelry, which the ladies at Nuevo Corazón use to teach the girls about business and managing money as well as giving them a skill. We also observed Anchor of Hope, a ministry to kids living on the streets: they presented a lesson about a healthy diet, we played games, had a soccer match, and shared lunch.

Mercy Robertson: It was so nice to see the girls’ home and how well behaved and happy and friendly the girls were. They were very welcoming and loved the art projects we did with them. I really enjoyed the time in Santa Cruz. The Anchor of Hope rescue team was amazing… they put [so much] into trying to get the kids off the street and into a safe place.

What most surprised you about what you saw or experienced in Bolivia?

Maria Deloglos: God was so kind in the way that he orchestrated details on the trip. He brought together activities and things for us to do that worked perfectly. In Caranavi, at Casa de Esperanza, I loved seeing how God worked in the hearts of the people that flew to Bolivia and rode on the bus up and then down a major mountain to get there. God gave strength and replaced fear with faith… [and it was] too amazing. God’s hand was visible everywhere: I saw the staff at Anchor of Hope hugging certain supplies they had prayed for and that Mercy had in her truck of supplies; she blessed so many. As for Ted, he never deviated from the plan he had and he was always problem-solving for the future; like a well-established “timón” (rudder), he was steady in his course...for years now. Members from our church gave funds to provide new beds for the children at Casa, and the gift of beds arrived at the same time as we did. It was so amazing to see that. I also saw the great planning that went into the ministry time of lessons, games, and songs at Casa de Esperanza, headed up by Anna, Rich, and members of the Fredericksburg church we traveled with. It was awe-inspiring to see that plan come to life and it be what was needed. The way the team blessed the kids at Caranavi was real. These were things only God could do.

Ben Taylor: Santa Cruz was the new part of the trip for me. It surprised me how similar it was to the states in terms of quality of life. That, and the fact that their worship team was killer. The challenges of the street ministry were also a shock, I think, to all of us.

Mercy Robertson: I was surprised by the love from the kids. And I'm always amazed at how happy the kids are and how well behaved they are, despite having so little. Plus in Santa Cruz, we met with the ‘new members class’ participants. I was struck that they all said a big reason for coming to Iglesia Gracia Soberana was the love they felt from other members. They had been invited over, or felt like the members cared about them. We should remember that in our churches: it doesn't have to be a fancy dinner, but just getting together with people and showing we care is what matters. Also, it was so neat to worship with them in church and sing the same songs but in a different language.

What did you see that the Lord is up to in Bolivia?

Ben Taylor: God seems to be equipping and using His church to care for fragile, vulnerable lives and to nurture them - body and soul.

Mercy Robertson: Both in Caranavi and and in Santa Cruz I was surprised by the enthusiasm of the church members and their worship and that the Lord is growing his church.

Maria Deloglos: We had the amazing privilege of ministering to young people who definitely came from hard, hard situations. Some could truly not sink much deeper into poverty and despair. How to love these children of God became a walk in the Spirit. We asked for guidance for the next step, and grace met us at that point. I had really nothing to give but the biblical knowledge that God loves our new friends and us.

How should KingsWay pray for our Bolivian brothers and sisters?

Ben Taylor: Pray for consistent work for some of the men at Gracia Soberana, for mercy and continued provision for those pouring themselves out in ministry - Lily and her crew at Anchor of Hope in particular - and for the salvation of the kids who are being ministered to down there.

Mercy Robertson: It is a poor country and all are struggling to get work. Pray for less corruption in the government.

Ted Williams: I can testify that Our Father does look out for the fatherless, and that He uses the Church, made up of ordinary people like us, to do so. Although you may not have made the trip to the orphanage, your prayers and financial support for the team were invaluable. Please continue to pray for provision for the children, caregivers, and support staff, and consider becoming a monthly supporter as the orphanage has only one third of the needed sponsors to fully meet their financial needs. More importantly, pray that the Lord would choose each child to come to know him and that He would use the orphanage to advance the gospel message in Bolivia.

Did the Lord use the mission trip to change you in any significant way?

Ben Taylor: Yes, God reminded me of how essential fellowship, prayer, and co-laboring in ministry is. Coming back to the States, I was made aware of how individualistic, even how isolated I can be, and how easily I can neglect prayer.

Mercy Robertson: It reminded me that I should be reaching out to people and showing I care. I was reminded that people everywhere want to belong and be included and know that we care.

Ted Williams: I left humbled by my interaction with the staff who overall expressed a gratefulness to serve the children and exemplified a joyful resilience to the long hours and limited resources. Despite many of them dealing with some chronic medical issues, they demonstrated a confidence and trust in the Lord to care for the children.

Laina Smith: This trip changed my perspective on what I want to do in life and put medical missions on my heart. Also, the whole experience grew me as we all shared testimonies during [our evening] meetings, and sharing mine also pushed me to get over a fear. All the wonderful people who run Casa have such faith and are so full of the joy of the Lord that it just fills up our souls, too!

Maria Deloglos: In Bolivia, everything is so different: how close trucks get to each other, to precipices without road railings; even the bathrooms looked different. God gave the team grace to deal with ‘it’, but most importantly, grace in the form of LOVE towards the people our team met and ministered God’s love and grace to, through the different situations we encountered. We grew. This was a gracious, kind team. If I messed up in translation or with the day’s schedule…oh well, grace covered that. We were free to be ourselves and to love each other. I felt loved.

“By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers.”

1 John 3:16

To participate on a future trip, or to support the work the Lord is doing in Bolivia, contact KingsWay’s International Missions Committee at church@kingsway.cc

Bolivia Mission Teams: Post-Trip Update