A group of 11 students, faculty and staff from Lewis University were among this year’s participants in a two-week university mission trip to Bolivia. The Diocese of Joliet’s Peace and Social Justice Ministry coordinated the June 8-21 trip to Sucre, Bolivia that included 35 participants from the colleges and universities within the diocese.

During the trip, the volunteers worked with the children and youth in the barrios, orphanages, and on the streets. Different from previous mission trips to Bolivia, the group was given a more rural experience of working with the poor by visiting El Cortijo, a home for boys and girls.

Lewis student Laura Mizwicki shared that she learned a great deal from both the children and the adults in Bolivia, as they touched her life in more ways than one. “I went there thinking that I was going to help these children in need and make a difference in their lives. To my surprise, it was the exact opposite,” commented Mizwicki. She added, “I feel so blessed to have been given the opportunity to meet these people; they will remain in my heart for the rest of my life.”

The greatest challenge for Mizwicki was the return home. “After everything I had witnessed for two weeks, I found it very difficult to go back to my normal American lifestyle without feeling guilty,” stated Mizwicki as she explained that the people in Bolivia are very happy with so little. Mizwicki also learned that happiness grows from relationships with others.

Lewis nursing student Brittany Russo found the trip to Bolivia to be especially life changing, and she is now committed to doing mission work. Highlights of Russo’s trip included playing with the children, assisting the nurses and doctors at the hospital, serving at the soup kitchen and touching the lives of others.

While spending time with the children, Russo saw how much they really enjoyed swinging on the monkey bars and playing with chalk. She added, “I especially loved it when we gave them a birthday party with a clown and treat bags!” With more than 95 children under the age of 10 at the San Marteen daycare center, Russo was amazed at the good behavior of the young boys and girls.

“The experience I had at the hospital was priceless,” stated Russo as she described caring for an 18-month-old burn victim. “On our first day at the San Marteen daycare center one of the women asked us to take a look at the (third degree untreated) burn and possibly treat it. We were shocked at how severe the burn was and cared for it immediately,” Russo explained.

The students turned the burn incident into a public outreach by teaching a few local women basic first aid. The following week, the Lewis University students returned with donated medical supplies so that the children could be cared for more effectively.

Dr. Valerie Perry, assistant professor of English at Lewis University, presented three workshops to university faculty, staff and students while in Bolivia, including “Teaching English to Foreign Language Students—Problems and Successes,” “Representation of Bolivia in U.S. Popular Culture” and “The History of the English Language.”

Lewis University students on the trip included: Elma Arce of Chicago, Iesha Carter of Chicago, Mike Fedoruk of Norridge, Adriana Mena of Chicago, Laura Mizwicki of New Lenox, Brittany Russo of Plainfield, Kellie Scholze of Lombard, Ashley Sloma of Bolingbrook and Ariel Zarate of Oak Lawn.

Martha Villegas Miranda, coordinator of University Ministry Outreach and assistant to the Director of Multicultural Student Services at Lewis University, also participated and assisted the students and faculty in coordinating Lewis efforts.

Lewis University is a Catholic university offering distinctive undergraduate and graduate programs to more than 5,800 traditional and adult students. Lewis offers multiple campus locations, online degree programs, and a variety of formats that provide accessibility and convenience to a growing student population. Sponsored by the De La Salle Christian Brothers, Lewis prepares ethically grounded, globally aware, and socially responsible graduates. The ninth largest not-for-profit university in Illinois, Lewis has been nationally recognized by The Princeton Review and U.S. News & World Report.

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