August 2010
At this very moment, I am sitting in a beautiful hotel in Nebraska, enjoying the heat, the tumble of trees outside, and delicious fruits of an American summer. Every three years the American Word Made Flesh staff from all around the world pull themselves together for ten days to refocus, re-envision, and renew relationships. The Kolkota staff come in from India in their ornate sandals and bangle earrings, the Brazilians come in complaining about the World Cup results. Personally, I chow down on the cheesecake at the dessert buffet and ooze my way through the heat.
We left Bolivia in the capable hands of our Bolivian co-workers. Suti Sana is finishing up its fourth month. And guess what! We started with five women in the program, and we still have five women. Five women who now sew, can articulate their process of healing, and are learning to organize their finances, diets, and lives.
Their growth is inspiring. One of my favorite recent moments came at our annual Mother’s Day Party. Our speaker asked about fifty of our friends who was a daughter of the King, and one of the Suti Sana women raised both hands in the air triumphantly—“I am!”
When I return to Bolivia, my job will be quite different. I’ve been transitioning into the position of Acting Field Coordinator while Bakers are taking a long-anticipated sabbatical. Which makes me responsible. Which can be a sticky place to be. Sometimes a thorny place to be.
So I’m a little nervous, and a lot hopeful, but feeling inadequate. WMF Bolivia is a thriving, conflicted, loving, dramatic place. It’s a lot to take on. And having the responsibility of guiding it for the next nine months is sobering. I’m begging for prayer.
And while you’re praying, don’t forget to lift up my friends—the five who are struggling valiantly for liberty and the hundreds more who need it.
Love,
Cara