Recently, a few small things happened at the St. Francis Girls’ Home in Cochabamba that, taken together, made a truly big difference.
The afternoon arrival of a vehicle carrying the morning’s purchases sparked great excitement among the girls. At the appliance store, we bought one of the largest washing machines available in stock – with a capacity of up to 20 kilograms. The children’s curious eyes followed every step of the men who delivered it, carried it into the laundry room, and connected it.
A moment later, Sister Anna began explaining how to use the machine and how it works. The girls watched in amazement – until now, the entire home, which houses around 60 residents, had access to only one small washing machine. It was used exclusively for washing bed linens, while the girls had to wash their personal clothes by hand.
Now the situation will improve somewhat. Somewhat – because even such a large washing machine is still not enough for the needs of such a large community. There is also another side to this story: the Sister Servants of the Sacred Heart, who care for the St. Francis Girls’ Home, do not want the children to live “beyond their means” – that is, above the standard of life in their family homes, where washing clothes by hand is something completely normal.
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But that’s not the end of the good news from Bolivia. In Cochabamba, new chairs and tables have also appeared in the dining room, which also serves as a study area.
For several years now, we have been inviting sponsors from the Love Adoption and Hope Adoption programs to take part in missionary volunteering in Bolivia. These trips give adoptive parents the opportunity to learn about the daily realities of their beneficiaries “first-hand.” Shared moments, relationships, and memories – these are immeasurable but invaluable fruits.
There are also very tangible, material outcomes of these visits – a visible trace of the presence of people who truly care about the fate of Bolivian orphans. During the most recent volunteer trip, one of the adoptive mothers raised the issue of replacing the heavily worn-out chairs and tables in the dining room, which were no longer suitable for refurbishment.
It is worth noting that this room is in constant use from morning until night: it serves not only for meals but also for studying and doing homework. Since the orphanage was built over 30 years ago, the Sister Servants of the Sacred Heart had never had the funds for renovations, let alone for replacing furniture. The sight of the old furnishings was argument enough – the decision could only go one way.
Today, 36 new chairs and six long tables serve the girls in Cochabamba. They are the ones who appreciate this change the most: they no longer snag their clothes on damaged edges, they have more space, and they can sit comfortably at tables that no longer wobble. And once again, they rediscover an old truth – that joy really is found in small things. The total cost of purchasing the new chairs and tables amounted to 11,000 PLN.
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