The stark reality of under-resourced hospitals in Bolivia and beyond triggers a series of urgent questions. Will tired patients in the crowded waiting room see a doctor today? Will medical professionals have the right tools to successfully complete a surgery? Will patients and families trust the advice they receive and willingly walk the road to recovery?

Solidarity Bridge’s newest staff member, Mary McCann Sanchez (Senior Director of Programs), discusses the launch of the 2015 Neurosurgery Mission Trip, the upcoming Neurosurgery Boot Camp, and that inner voice that awakens the desire to reach out.

As the 2015 Multi-Specialty Mission Trip wraps up in Cochabamba, we received the following note from our dear trip chaplain, Fr. Bob Oldershaw. As you will discover, Fr. Bob caught up with the team after a brief stop in our nation’s capital.

I pray for strength for these patients, not only to heal from physical ailments but also for peace of mind to trust that they are being cared for in mind, body, and spirit.

There was nervousness in the air. This mission trip was the first time we’d be working at Univalle Hospital, located on the southern outskirts of the city. What would the hospital be like? Would there be patients waiting to be seen?

What can I tell you about the people we serve in Bolivia? It’s very hard to communicate, but In our patients I encounter a directness that I rarely experience in the United States, a simplicity of soul, a humble and powerful capacity for clear, straightforward connection.

Bolivian Doctors Virna and Paulo completed two weeks at Chicago’s Lurie Children’s Hospital on a Solidarity Visit to help shape our expanding children’s open heart surgery program.

We experience amazing grace on mission trips.