In today's Gospel, Jesus heals the blind man, and Chaplain Jim Manzardo, invites us to consider where in our lives we may have been blind, with closed hearts and minds. 

In the third Sunday of Lent, we hear about Jesus’ choice to visit Samaria, a place and a people looked down upon by the Jews. Once there, he engages in a theological discussion with a woman, and not just any woman, but a woman that the Evangelist’s audience would have frowned upon.   

In the second Sunday of Lent, we reflect on this week’s Gospel, recounting Christ’s transfiguration, which has commonality with my experience as a missioner in Bolivia. Five words came to mind sequentially as I reflected on this passage and my work with Solidarity Bridge: privilege, remoteness, intensity, uncertainty, and humility.

“In the gospels, the particular word used for repentance is metanoia. Literally this means to do an about face, to turn around, to face in an entirely new direction.” And this is the invitation for this first Sunday of Lent - to turn our lives around - to face in an entirely new direction. Jesus is urging his listeners - and us - to change our lives, to see anew.

Many missioners find that their memories of Bolivia remain vivid after they return to work and life in the United States. Following her fourth Gynecologic Surgery Mission Trip, Dr. Janet Tomezsko offered these reflections.

There is more to healing than simply providing an operation. During their internships with our partner organization, Puente de Solidaridad, two Bolivian social work students learned to offer true solidarity to patients and families in the face of complex medical challenges.

Elena’s journey—which began with a devastating injury and led her to nursing school—shows the powerful ripple effect of gratitude.

Fighting complications from Chagas disease, a young father struggles to recover his health and support his family. 

In Bolivia, home visits help build bridges of solidarity—like the day Esperanza met Kim.

Our final mission trip of 2017 has been focused on training, serving patients in need, and strengthening our partnerships across the state of Santa Cruz.

Troubling symptoms and a difficult diagnosis can turn your life upside-down. For the past two years, this has been the case for Shirley, the first patient during our Fall Neurosurgery Mission Trip. 

Our Neurosurgery Mission Team has just landed in Santa Cruz where summertime temps are in the mid 90s. This week, veteran missioners and their Bolivian colleagues will offer training to a cohort of neurosurgeons and residents from across the South American continent. We are one in our mission to provide high quality neurosurgical care to those who greatly need it.