The Friendship Mission

A Mission Built on Friendship

Amistad Mission is one of St. John the Divine’s longest-running foreign mission relationships. Since the 1990s, our church has been interwoven in the life-changing work of Amistad Mission to serve orphans in Bolivia through mission trips and yearly financial support.

Amistad Mission was founded by Father William Wilson, a Trappist monk who followed God’s call to live in Cochabamba, a town in Bolivia. During his years in Cochabamba, Father Will witnessed the problem of children suffering from abandonment or from being orphaned. They were living in the streets or were in woefully overcrowded orphanages, siblings often being separated by gender or age. This is how Amistad Mission was born. Amistad means “friendship” in Spanish. Amistad Mission was founded on these three tenets: friendship with God, friendship with the poor, and friendship with each other.

During our week in the Amistad community, we realized our families weren’t that different from one another. —Julia Humphreys, parishioner

This past June, a team from St. John the Divine traveled to Amistad Mission and the house we support, Casa Amanecer. Mission team members formed relationships with children and adults in the house and witnessed the important work Amistad Mission does to support the children’s growth and development. What differentiates Amistad from other orphanages is that they keep sibling groups together, do not separate by gender or age, and do not stop supporting the children at age 18.  Amistad supports the children until they can support themselves.  They continue their academic careers through high school and then are given the opportunity to attend university or vocational training. The children of each casa form sibling bonds with each other that last a lifetime.

The Humphreys family was a part of this year’s mission team, and have shared some of their experiences so we all can have a chance to see how God’s love, friendship, and light is shared there.

Where did you see God at work on your trip?

It’s difficult to pinpoint specific places where God was at work, but we felt God’s presence all over the Amistad Mission! What sets it apart from other Bolivian orphanages (being faith-based, keeping siblings together, and raising the children as family units in small group homes) is transformative for these precious children. Christian values are instilled, and the children know they are loved and cared for. The staff are gifted and committed leaders who work tirelessly and live for Jesus and the church.

A particularly special moment we witnessed happened at Casa Amanacer, the St. John the Divine-sponsored house, which has been in transition recently without a permanent “Mamá” (lead parental role). One day into our visit, the new “Tía” (a secondary parental role) Daniella felt a call to pursue becoming the next Mamá in the casa! The children living in Casa Amanacer had been aching for the stability of a constant mother figure, and their prayers were finally answered.

What specific memory stands out as a highlight?

We were surprised and delighted by the Amistad children’s readiness to engage with our group. We didn’t bring extravagant gifts; we simply brought friendship, and right away, we were welcomed as their “amigos” and trotted off to the playground and futbol field! Marcela, Matias, Matioli, Santi, Rosa, and Jesús from Casa Amanacer quickly stole our hearts.  David’s favorite afternoon was the play day and cookout with the entire Amistad community. Collier’s most memorable morning was the heartfelt Bible Study with all the “Mamás” and “Tías”. A standout for Julia was the evening sharing stories with adults who grew up in Amistad and have gone on to achieve personal and professional success.

How did going as a family impact your experience?

This was our first-ever mission trip, and it was a life-changing experience. We felt such gratitude to be in Bolivia together, developing friendships with our new Amistad friends as well as deepening relationships with our SJD group. During our week in the Amistad community, we realized our families weren’t that different from one another. We gained valuable perspective by seeing firsthand how similarly our families operated, prioritizing a strong sense of community, faith, love and respect, and accountability. Amistad succeeds beautifully in creating a familial environment for its children. It’s a special place, and we are blessed to have had the opportunity to visit this year. We each came home with new prayer buddies, and we will stay connected with our friends via the monthly Zoom calls with Casa Amanacer.