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Black Lives Matter Bolivia

It was February 12th when I received the first email. The subject line was “First Steps Towards a Worthy Cause”. The email talked about coming together as a US community in Bolivia to voice our concerns around the racial injustices taking place all over the US. My first reaction? Why are we doing this now?…

Street Art – Cochabamba Style

I’ve always been a fan of street art. After all, I grew up in NYC in 70s and 80s. The time when hip-hop was born and you couldn’t walk down a street or onto a subway platform in NYC without spotting a piece someone had worked on the night before. Admittedly, even though I loved…

There’s More – Committing to a Fourth Year

It is official: I am extending my contract to stay in Bolivia for a fourth and final year. With this decision, I have a sense of excitement and joy… as well as a bit of relief. In my discernment, I had my pros for staying in Bolivia and my pros for returning to the U.S.…

Bagels of Love

I love the food here in Bolivia. Cochabamba in particular is known for its food. There are however, a few foods I miss from the US. It’ll be some time before my next Philly Cheesesteak; hamburgers here leave a lot to be desired; and the closest I can come to a Primanti’s sandwich is trancapecho.…

I Get by with a Little Help from My Friends

Lately my emotions have been all over the place. I get stressed out when I think of all the stuff I have to bring to and from the US. I’m stressed out about the missioners who will be leaving Bolivia (for good) while I’m away and won’t be here when I get back. Last but…

One more year

My third year serving as a Franciscan lay missioner with FMS invited me to become rooted in my community here in Cochabamba, Bolivia. And being rooted in this community has opened my eyes to more of the complexities of the marginalization experienced by our sisters and brothers here. I desire to continue to grow in…

Making an impression

Editor’s Note: The following post was written by Nate Mortenson. Pastoral Universitario This is the group Mary and I have been participating in since we moved to the UAC – Carmen Pampa. It’s a wonderful group—usually about 7 to 15 attend the Tuesday evening gatherings where we sing, pray and read from the bible, and…

Looking back

I can’t help but remember what I was doing this time last year. It’s weird because in some ways things have changed so much and in other ways, they are still the same. For starters, I live alone now. Last year, at this time, I was living with three other people. We had just moved…

Are you hungry?

From time to time, my ministry site CUBE has short term volunteers from the United States. They come to share their time, learn more about Bolivia, and learn more about the fight against sexual violence. Although they bring the best of intentions, at times they struggle to understand the populations with which they are spending time.…

Rooted in Mother Earth

Life as a Franciscan missioner is full of transition and change. We learn to expect the unexpected and that we are never in control. And the more I reflect on it, the more I realize that these are all just parts of being an adult, the challenging process of learning to embrace change. The Bolivian…

Libre Soy

Editor’s Note: The name of the individual involved has been changed. During my first year in Bolivia, I was visiting a group of inmates in Hospital Viedma when I met Jose. He had been sent from the prison to the hospital to receive treatment for TB and to prevent an outbreak in the prison. After…

Seeds of Progress

I did not miss clean air or water until I did not have access to them. I did not miss trees, plants, or grass until I could not see them. And I did not know that my upper class background could buy clean air, access to water, and preservation of nature. I grew up in…

New Semester Brings New Opportunities

Editor’s Note: The following post is from Mary Mortenson. The school year at Carmen Pampa University starts this week. Please keep Mary and Nate in your prayers as they begin another semester of guiding young scholars. Recently Nate and I had the opportunity to accompany a group of 8 Pastoral students (a Catholic Young-adult group)…

Learn to play Cacho

Annemarie Barrett, missioner in Bolivia, spends much of her time gardening to help the community in Cochabamba. Surprisingly enough, she does have down time. “Cacho is a game I often play with friends here in Cochabamba,” she said, “and I loved sharing the tradition with my family as well when they came to visit.” To pass…

Happy two year anniversary to Jeff!

Editor’s Note: Also pictured in the featured photo is fellow FMS class 28 lay missioner Annemarie Barrett. Jeff Sved is beginning his third year serving in Bolivia this January. Working with many prisons in the Cochabamba area to ensure the inmates are receiving spiritual guidance and materials to make goods to sell for an income,…

Happy one year anniversary to Hady!

Editor’s Note: Also pictured in featured image is Maryknoll lay missioner Caitlin. One year ago this moth, Hady Mendez, of FMS’ 29th class of missioners, arrived in Cochabamba, Bolivia. Since then, Hady had used her time work with Manos Con Libertad to help women in prison to better their spiritual life and their financial situation,…

Happy two year anniversary to Annemarie!

Editor’s Note: The following was written by FMS. Also pictured in feature image is former FMS lay missioner Kitzi Hendricks. 2015 is the beginning of Annemarie’s third year as a FMS lay missioner, and we could not be more proud. The work that she has done with the agriculture of the community in Cochabambato to…

Friendly Support

“One day more means one day less.” This is something my girls at prison say. It’s sort of an inside joke. Once I understood what it meant, I got to thinking, “Shoot, sometimes I feel the same way when I’m homesick.” In the same way, I too have “time to complete” before I can go…

Prison Ministry – It’s No Joke

My family and friends laugh at me when I say,“ Talk to you later. I gotta go to jail,” “It sounds funny,” they tell me. But for me it’s the most natural thing in the world. It’s what I do. I started prison ministry roughly six months ago. When I first started going to jail,…

Bringing Beauty to the World

Lay missioner Mary Mortenson reflects on her time with an artist cooperative in Cochabamba, Bolivia. Last year, when I was still stateside, I was exploring and working with clay almost everyday. I rented studio space from the University in Eau Claire and spent 20 to 30 hours there a week. A big part of my…

Photoshoot: Goodbye to Cochabamba

Missioner Nate Mortenson shares some photos he shot in Bolivia. This weekend marks a special time for Mary and I. We are packing up our beloved room at the Franciscan Social Center in Cochabamba and moving to Carmen Pampa where we’ll begin working at the university in Carmen Pampa – UAC (Universidad Academica Catolica). Here’s…

Discipleship in Bolivia

In today’s post, Stephen F. Scott, Associate Director of United States Catholic Mission Association, reflects on the spiritual gifts he received last month during our Short Term Mission and Global Awareness Trip to Bolivia with FMS Associate Director Mariam Kaldas and Program Coordinator Natalie Helfrick. The following is an excerpt from an article previously published…

Valerie’s New Ministries: Violence Prevention and Awareness Raising

Lay missioner Valerie Ellis talks about the two new ministries in which she has been invited to serve. I came to Bolivia with the goal of working with children, and possibly women, who are survivors or current victims of violence. Unfortunately, like in the United States, this is not hard to find. I saved one…

Mission Monday: A Third Year of Service for Annemarie and Jeff!

Today’s post features an exciting update about two current missioners in Cochabamba! Great news: second-year missioners Annemarie Barrett and Jeff Sved have each decided to stay in Bolivia for a third year of mission! When our lay missioners are commissioned, they agree to a minimum of two years of service, but they can renew their…

Takeway Wednesday: Jack Jezreel’s Anselm Moons, OFM Award Acceptance Speech!

Earlier this Spring, Franciscan Mission Service celebrated the 2014 World Care Benefit! In today’s blog, we share the inspiring acceptance speech of Anselm Moons, OFM award recipient Jack Jezreel. Enjoy the full text of his speech. Originator of the JustFaith program, a faith formation program for adults, Jack Jezreel also contributed to our Lenten blog…

Mission Monday: Arroz By Any Other Name

Editor’s Note: This is Part IV in a series called “Visiting Christ the Prisoner: A Look into Prison Ministry in Bolivia”. Enjoy previous posts in the series: Part I: Plantas Part II: Chess Part III: Council “Christ of Maryknoll” by Br. Robert Lentz, OFM In this post, missioner Jeff shares with us a little about how…

Takeaway Wednesday: Recipe for Choclo Salad!

In today’s Takeaway Wednesday post, lay missioner Nate Mortenson presents a recipe for one of his new favorite Bolivian dishes: “Choclo Salad”! “Choclo Salad” prepared and photographed by Nate Mortenson It features a type of Andean corn with kernels much larger than traditional sweet corn in the United States: Read more about choclo here. It…

Mission Monday: A Helpful Guide on How to Get Lost in a New City

In today’s post, missioner Valerie Ellis proposes a satirical guide to urban navigation. Although new missioner Valerie Ellis was having an awfully hard time adjusting to the new city in January, she is happy to report that she only occasionally gets lost in the Cancha, and might not be the best guide anymore for getting lost…

Mission Monday: “You’re Going to Have to Wait”

In today’s post, missioner Annemarie Barret reflects on the privilege of time and how waiting on others, on events, and life in general has personally affected her and informed her toward deeper ministry of presence. “You are going to have to wait.” I remember Hermano Ignacio’s warning when he visited during our formation in Washington,…

Mission Monday: “How Life Prepared Me for Mission”

In today’s post, current missioner Hady Mendez reflects on how the relationships she developed and enjoyed before mission prepared her for her ministry of presence as a Franciscan lay missioner. When I was living in New York, I used to often go to a salon in Jersey City. Mary owned the salon. Lucy did my…

Mission Monday: “Living Simplicity”

In today’s post, Nate Mortenson reflects on the freedom he has found in Bolivia to live simply by incorporating a mentality and lifestyle that values recycling. This intentional living has affected his own faith-life to draw closer to Franciscan spirituality. Photo of Cochabamba by Nate Mortenson Recycling came up in class the other day. It…

Mission Monday: “Hospitality”

Since they arrived in January early this year, the missioners have been living with host families while engaging language study. In this post, missioner Mary Mortenson describes the joys and graces she has received while living with her host family in Cochabamba, the Mustafa family. Nate and I have been here for a little under…

Visiting Christ the Prisoner: “Chess”

Editor’s Note: This is Part II in a series called “Visiting Christ the Prisoner: A Look into Prison Ministry in Bolivia”. Read Part I and Part III. In this post, Jeff shares with us a story of his time in El Centro Productivo de San Antonio. Home to 500 men along with their wives and children, San Antonio is…

Mission Monday: Persistence!

In today’s post, first-year missioner Hady Mendez shares her experience climbing the steep mountain to reach Cochabamba’s famous landmark, Cristo de la Concordia, the largest Jesus statue in the world. WE DID IT! This picture was taken just minutes from reaching the top of the mountain and seeing the beautiful statue. I got up at…

Visiting Christ the Prisoner: “Plantas”

Editor’s Note: This is Part I a series called “Visiting Christ the Prisoner: A Look into Prison Ministry in Bolivia”. Read Part II and Part III. Jeff shares a story of his time in El Penal de San Sebastián. Home to 800-900 men along with their wives and children, San Sebastián is one of the six prisons that Jeff regularly…

On Mission with Hady Mendez: “This is Not Vacation”

Current missioner Hady Mendez writes about the realities of cultural adaptation while on mission and a few successful methods of addressing them. Hady and Caitlin having ice cream This is not vacation. This is my life. Cailtin and I were walking home from language school like we have every day since school started on January…

Short-Film: Reconciliation and Mother Earth

Continuing our series Sacraments and Social Mission: Living the Gospel, Being Disciples, today we share a short film titled “El litio: La Siguiente Batalla de Bolivia” or (roughly translated) “Lithium: The Next Battle of Bolivia”. “Care for Creation” is hugely important in Franciscan Spirituality. This film is about concrete political realities, but it also is…

Franciscan Friday: On Mission with Nora Pfeiffer

Continuing our series Sacraments and Social Mission: Living the Gospel, Being Disciples, Communications Associate Michael Carlson interviews Nora Pfeiffer about her faith’s relationship to Confirmation, the Holy Spirit, and her response to God through her mission service. Nora served in Bolivia as a Franciscan missioner and subsequently joined the staff of Franciscans International. 1. The sacrament of Confirmation is a…

Confirmation as Mission: Gifts I Didn’t Ask For

Continuing our series Sacraments and Social Mission: Living the Gospel, Being Disciples, full-time volunteer Michael Carlson writes today about his faith’s relationship to Confirmation, the Holy Spirit, and Franciscan mission. . “When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from…

“Necesitamos menos ciencia y más Pachamama”

Continuing our series Sacraments and Social Mission: Living the Gospel, Being Disciples, current missioner Annemarie Barrett writes about her relationship with the Earth, its presence in her life, and her ongoing conversion. When I am in Santa Rosa, time is relative. We spend less energy worrying about what time it is or when we need…

Sacraments and Social Mission: The Eucharist as Mystery

Continuing our series Sacraments and Social Mission: Living the Gospel, Being Disciples, current missioner Annemarie Barrett writes about her relationship with the Earth, its presence in her life, and her ongoing conversion. As a Catholic, my faith has taught me to reverence the mystery in myself, in others and in all of creation, to honor…

Report: Kim and Mariam Visit Missioners in Bolivia

On December 4, Franciscan Mission Service Director Kim Smolik and Associate Director Mariam Kaldas traveled to Bolivia for twelve days to visit the current missioners and provide a retreat for them. Annemarie Barrett, Kitzi Hendricks, and Jeff Sved are the current missioners serving in Cochabamba, Bolivia. Annemarie works in a parish garden with local women and…

The Light Remains: 2013 in Review

public domain Many thanks to the Advent reflection series contributors. Below are reflections our readers particularly enjoyed, listed again in case you missed them: The Light of One: The Gift of Yourself by Hady Mendez The Light of One: Confessions of a Bad Listener by Sarah Hoffeditz The Light of One: Preparing to Be Overwhelmed…

The Light of One: “My Abuelito”

Continuing our daily Advent reflection series, current missioner Kitzi Hendricks writes about the nourishing kindness of a man she calls “abuelito”. “A smile is the shortest distance between two people” –Victor Borge Abuelito is the type-writer mechanic I used to pass by every day on my way to work at my old service site, Madre…

The Light of One: Overflowing Joy

Continuing our daily Advent reflection series, returned missioner Nora Pfeiffer writes about the simple gift of a child’s love. While in mission with FMS in Cochabamba, Bolivia, the place I lived was not exactly a private place. People always knew when I went from one room to the next, when I washed my clothes, and…

The Light of One: Both/And Is Possible

Continuing our daily Advent reflection series, Franciscan Missioner Jeff Sved reflects on how a relationship demonstrated an alternate approach to rehabilitative prison systems. From the time I spent working in the US prison system, I learned that a choice is necessary. If I want to continue working in rehabilitative justice, I can help in one…

When My Story and Your Story Becomes Our Story

Lay missioner Annemarie Barrett reflects on what she’s learned about solidarity in the past few months of serving in Bolivia. I once heard solidarity defined as, “When my story and your story becomes our story.” That definition touched my very core. It resonated with my experiences of accompanying families in El Salvador and my time…

Mission Monday: A Look Into Bolivia’s Prison System

Each week, lay missioner Jeff Sved visits six prisons in Cochabamba, Bolivia, through his ministry with Pastoral Penitenciaria, an organization looking out for the basic needs of those in Bolivian prisons. Here is something he has observed during his visits. “Lo único que pedimos es que cumplan lo que manda la ley” “All that we…

Mission Monday: Sharing Stories in Sacred Spaces

A watercolor by Annemarie that was inspired by the women of Santa Rosa First-year missioner Annemarie Barrett reflects on the conversations she has had with the women she has come to know in Cochabamba, Bolivia. Work. More work. Children. Husbands. Cooking. Cleaning. More cooking and more cleaning. Domestic violence. Machismo. More violence. And no justice.…

Franciscan Friday: Learning about Humility In the Strangest Ways

Lay missioner Jeff Sved tells a story of purchasing food for the prison kitchen in Cochabamba, Bolivia. “Cabeza de baca…” “Wait a second! You want me to buy cow heads?” The head delegate of one of the prisons here was actually asking us to go out and buy cow heads. I guess when you’re cooking…

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