Carrying Stories and Cultivating Hope

In April 2024, I traveled to Bolivia with a team of women to share the gospel through street evangelism. Though I had served on previous mission trips—including time in Cambodia offering gospel training and anti-trafficking education—something about this particular experience pierced my heart in a new way.

On the very first day, I was paired with a pastor’s wife and her two children to walk through their rural neighborhood. Together, we knocked on doors, shared the gospel, offered prayer, and listened. Each home held a story—illness, grief, perseverance.

At one house, we met a woman whose husband was gravely ill with tuberculosis. She had once been active in church, but the burden of his illness had pulled her away. Tearfully, she asked if we would pray for her. We gladly agreed. Then, hesitantly, she asked if it would be okay for her husband to come out and receive prayer as well. We could tell she was afraid to ask, perhaps because so many had stayed away due to the seriousness of his condition. But of course, we welcomed him with open arms and prayed for him with hope and faith. It was a holy moment.

At another home, a kind elderly woman offered us shelter as a sudden storm rolled in. She was a believer, and as we spoke, we learned her household had been hit hard, fighting through both Influenza A and Dengue fever at the same time. She had been caring for her family while they all recovered from illness. We surrounded her with prayer and momentary comfort, grateful for the sacred space we shared.

But the story that stayed with me most was that of the pastor’s wife. She knew every person, every burden, every heartache in that community—and she carried them all. With no support network of women around her, she was quietly bearing a heavy load as both a mother and ministry leader. Her strength was undeniable, but so was her exhaustion.

That walk through her neighborhood showed me something I hadn’t fully seen before: the staggering challenges that women face around the world—violence, poverty, spiritual isolation, limited resources—and the deep need for women-centered solutions that advance the gospel.

That day became one of the seeds from which Qara International was born.

And now, I’m inviting you to join us on this journey.

Whether through prayer, giving, or simply following along and sharing our story, your presence matters.

If your heart is stirred by this mission, I’d love to hear from you. I’d love to pray with you, dream together, and invite you to walk with us as we continue this journey of faith and obedience.

We don’t go alone—and I would be honored to have you beside us.