Getting to Work on our Mission Trip to Bolivia

This is the second post from Kate Mosher, Creative Specialist & Photographer at Chalice, sharing the experience of three staff members, a deacon, and twenty volunteers on a Solidarity Trip to Bolivia. Click here to read part one.

Monday – Our First Full Day of Service

Rested, refreshed (especially those of us who were confounded by how to get the showers to heat up) we piled into two minibuses and headed to the Sacred Heart of Jesus Day Care, a part of Chalice’s Fatima site. Located in the northern region of Cochabamba, water scarcity is a major issue. We could see the landscape turn brown and dry as we wound our way up into the community.

But, needless to say, wellsprings of life and joy abound at the day care. Approximately 60 children, ages one to four, greeted us with their national anthem and a song they had prepared especially for us. And then a teacher announced everyone’s favorite activity, “hug time”! It was moving to see the work and care that the children and their teachers had put into preparing our special welcome.

Just like that, it was time for the children to go to their activities and for us volunteers to roll up our sleeves and start working. The dental team moved to a different location to begin their set up, and most of the team set to work washing down children’s desks and furniture. One volunteer reflected later that he was about to suggest “well let’s just grab the hose and wash these down,” when he remembered that this area had only gotten rain a handful of times this year. The things we take for granted.

Midway through the morning, the children received a fruit snack. Watermelon! There officially may be nothing cuter than Bolivian youngsters chowing down on juicy, sticky watermelon.

In the afternoon, after an excellent lunch prepared by the day care’s kitchen staff, much of the team cleared the children’s playing field of large stones and what we later discovered were leftover pieces of a playground (we would never have guessed) and then evened out the field so it would be safe to run around. One group took to whitewashing the wall that forms the front entrance of the school, as a base coat for a mural we’ll also be painting.

One volunteer reflected that it was in that moment that she understood solidarity: donning blue smocks and masks alongside several mothers who had also come to help, at once united with a small mission they could do with great love. It was a day to understand patience, charity, and the value of a little humor in the face of frustrations. At the end of the day, we met and prayed together for the people we had met throughout the day and in thanksgiving for our new understanding. Teased by the promise of surprises to come on Tuesday with the Chalice sponsored elders at Kasa Wasa, we fell into bed ready to dream about the day ahead.

Tuesday

Once again we piled into two buses, one for the dental team (including a few brave volunteers learning to assist with dental suction and sterilization), and the other heading to Kasa Wasa, the Chalice senior center in Cochabamba.

Arriving at Kasa Wasa, the street was lined with seniors, with a sign announcing that they had been eagerly anticipating our arrival. We took our time entering, as we had to stop to greet each senior and allow for handfuls of confetti to be showered upon us. When we got onto the grounds of the center, we saw a display they had made. November being the month of All Souls, they had constructed a memorial to seniors who had passed away. This follows a tradition held by the Aymara people for centuries.

It was explained to us that the ladders of bread symbolize “the rise or fall of the sky”. It serves to cross obstacles. The cross is of course for Jesus who protects the souls of the deceased. The sweets and food are to cheer the angels and represent the food the deceased person enjoyed.

At this time, some members of the team began visiting homes of sponsored children – either their own, or on behalf of friends, relatives, or fellow parishioners. “Home Visits,” as they’re called, are very special occasions for both the visiting sponsor and the hosting family. Although we sponsors are humble, our presence is a matter of great gravity and cause for celebration for the families who participate in our Catholic child sponsorship programs. These visits can be emotional, the families are so eager to express their deepest gratitude. They will often run to buy cold juice or soda for their esteemed guests – a lavish treat for a VIP. It is fun for us visitors to bring gifts for the children and their families – especially soccer balls, candies, rosaries, school supplies, and clothing.

At lunch time, we hosted the seniors for lunch, serving them the popular “pollo picante” (spicy chicken) with potatoes, rice, juice, and an apple for dessert. We made sure to line up and welcome them just as they had done for us! After our meal, Irene, one of our mission volunteers, taught the elders “You are My Sunshine”. Deacon Phil presented them with a card made by the seniors he works with at home in Toronto. His elderly clients were very excited to know that Deacon Phil would be meeting Bolivian seniors, and put a great deal of effort into their greeting.

In the afternoon, we divided and conquered once more. The dentists were overrun with children who needed dental procedures – some needing as many as three teeth extracted! Irene, a chiropractor, provided knee and foot treatments for the elderly. She enlisted Deacon Phil to wash their feet before her treatment, and he fulfilled his diaconate mission by doing so with great care. A translator, Oscar, volunteered to give the seniors a foot massage after the wash, and everyone who watched was deeply touched by the loving care he showed each of them. He even helped the ladies don their stockings afterwards. After the experience, Irene reflected, “After I would look at their knees and their feet, I made sure to look in their eyes. And each time I thought, is that you, Lord?"

It was a day to appreciate God’s presence in each moment; to gain a deeper awareness of our unity as God’s people, as one family, expressed through large and small acts of great love.

— Kate Mosher, Creative Specialist & Photographer at Chalice