Love Multiplies

By Catherine Flanagan

One of the special elements of the Multi-Specialty Mission Trip (MSMT) is that we begin most days by gathering in the beautiful chapel at Casa Maurer for a morning reflection. Mid-week, we paused to reflect on the idea of sharing love through our work here in Bolivia. As we gathered around the heart that has been the symbol of our week, chaplain Juan Gomez invited us to consider moments of love and tenderness we had already experienced during our time at Tiquipaya Hospital or in one of the external clinics where we have served. He encouraged us to think about the people who personified that love, write their names on slips of paper, and place them on the heart.

As I personally reflected on the patients, doctors, nurses, family members, and others I had already met this week, one example of love stood out clearly: the mother of a young girl suffering from a hereditary, debilitating, and incurable illness, called “butterfly skin.” Although doctors had told her the child would not survive her first year, through love and tireless care, Belinda is still with us. Our dermatologist team treated her both last year and again this year, and the local team has committed to follow-up with care in a couple of months. Against all odds, she is now eleven years old and preparing to begin secondary school next year. The powerful love of Belinda’s mother and her relentless drive to secure the best possible care for her daughter deeply touched and inspired me. I didn’t know her name, but I wrote “Belinda’s mom” and reverently laid it on the heart.

Love is plentiful here. I have witnessed it in the dedication and compassion of my fellow missioners, who have traveled far from their homes and comfort zones to work alongside Bolivian doctors and care for patients who most need their specialized expertise. I have seen it in the skill and warmth of Bolivian healthcare professionals, who have welcomed us graciously and worked beside us. I have been moved by it in the trust of social workers, patients, and family members who have allowed us to meet the needs we encounter here. And I have been inspired by it in our Bolivian partners, who never stop striving to improve healthcare for the most vulnerable in their country. Truly, it is impossible not to see love flowing all around me.

In our reflection, Juan reminded us that love rarely happens in isolation. We love because we have first been loved. And when we experience love, it flows outward, multiplying endlessly. He then asked us to think about someone who has shown us the kind of love that has helped us love better. We wrote those names on another slip of paper and once again placed them on the heart. By then, the heart—created out of seeds—was covered with names and examples of love.

Through our experiences and encounters here, the seeds of love are already taking root. I am certain they are beginning to grow and spread. Our morning reflection reminded me that while medical care is an important part of our mission in Bolivia, perhaps the most meaningful gift we can offer is love. As Juan reminded us, love is a multiplier. The love we share here will extend far beyond these brief encounters, rippling outward through the lives of our patients and their families, and, when we return home, through our own lives and families as well. How beautiful is the math of love!

*The patient name has been changed for privacy protection.