For 23 years, Amistad has been a mission built on friendship and centered on Christ, dedicated to the vision of its founder, Father William Wilson:

“Amistad Mission is an open and inviting group of friends in
Christ. We share the belief that friendship with God in the Person
of Jesus Christ in the source of all happiness, goodness, and
mission in the world. By means of prayer, biblical contemplation,
and spiritual sharing with each other, we seek to grow and to help
each other grow in this divine friendship. Our union with each other
and with God in friendship inspires and empowers us to reach out
in the name of Jesus Christ to become friends to the poor and needy
in Bolivia whom we are called to serve in the mission of Amistad.”

Today, Amistad Mission ministers to nearly a hundred orphaned and abandoned children in Cochabamba and countless Quechua natives of all ages in the rural village of Aramasi and beyond. Through God’s grace and the faithfulness of our supporters, we are blessed to have the ability to impact the lives of these precious people through the following programs.

Villa Amistad

Amistad Mission provides more than “housing” for the orphaned and abandoned children of Cochabamba, Bolivia. We provide a home. Seven coeducational cottages offer a safe, loving environment for children under the age of 15, and each cottage is supervised by a well-trained Mama. The Mamas care for the children as if they were their own, lavishing attention, affection, compassion, and wisdom on each. In addition, a Tia (Aunt) assists every Mama to ensure that no child lacks support or supervision at any time. Complimenting our cottage system is a burgeoning transitional program, which strives to meet the special needs of youth aged 15 and over. In 2003, we launched our first youth house for boys – a single-sex home that offers an added measure of privacy for teens as well as individualized spiritual guidance by a resident seminarian. Two additional youth houses are slated to open in 2004 – one for girls and a second for boys. Augmenting the physical housing component of our Cochabamba ministry is a comprehensive schedule of onsite activities, social and educational field trips, and spiritual gatherings, as well as far-reaching academic and health care programs. Although the children of Villa Amistad may never experience the embrace of a biological parent, they are certain to know the unconditional love of Jesus Christ.

Rural Health Care

Before Amistad Mission came to Aramasi, preventative health care and medical treatment for illnesses and diseases were unheard of in this impoverished rural village. However, the people of Aramasi now benefit from a full-time medical clinic that is staffed by a licensed physician and a trained nurse. With the guidance of these dedicated medical professionals, this remote Quechua community is learning how proper nutrition, hygiene, and vaccinations contribute to good health. Moreover, we are providing them with the training and resources needed to grow their own fruits and vegetables, thereby giving them greater responsibility for and control over their own health. In 2004, with the addition of an ambulance and a motorcycle, we look forward to expanding our services to the surrounding mountain villages where medical care remains as much a mystery as it once was in Aramasi. At Amistad Mission, we are committed to helping as many people as possible to lead long, healthy lives to the glory of God.

Education

Amistad Mission maintains strong elementary and secondary academic training programs for the children at the Villa and those in Aramasi. At the Villa, traditional education is augmented by electives such as folk dancing, judo, and soccer. Attention is also given to issues that are central to the children’s lives, such as cultural identity, nonviolent communication, self-esteem, nutrition, and the ways in which children can play an active role in society. In Aramasi, we administer a flourishing Montessori program for the children from the surrounding rural areas, and we maintain two school buildings for their use. Amistad Mission is committed to helping our children obtain a wealth of knowledge so that they can escape the cycle of poverty.

Spiritual Enrichment

Biblical instruction and spiritual guidance are central to our children’s learning experience in Bolivia. In addition to Bible readings and celebration of religious events in Aramasi, a Catecheses of the Good Shepherd program has been established at the Villa. In both areas, the teachings of Jesus are applied to real-life situations. At Amistad Mission, we raise our children not only to read God’s Word, but also to live His Word on a daily basis.

Vocational Training

One of our goals at Amistad Mission is to restore dignity and independence to those who are under-skilled or unemployed. To this end, we provide access to various vocational training programs for the young adults at the Villa. Courses of study are available in baking, social work, computer operations, graphic design, office administration, auto mechanics, carpentry, and hospitality and tourism. In Aramasi, our efforts are focused on helping the local people to grow their own fruits and vegetables so that good nutrition will no longer be an unaffordable luxury. Through these programs, Amistad Mission is truly bearing fruit in the name of Jesus.

Micro-Enterprise

In response to Bolivia’s depressed labor market and the need of our youth to advance to self-sufficiency, Amistad Mission is launching an entrepreneurial development program, which will enable participants to transition the skills they have acquired through vocational training into gainful employment. This project represents an extraordinary step for our youth on their path to self-respect and independence.

To become involved in Amistad Mission’s ministry to the orphaned and
abandoned children at the Villa and the impoverished Quechua
people of Aramasi, please click on one of the links below.
The opportunity to change a life is at your fingertips!

“If a brother or sister is without clothing and in need of daily food, and one of you says to them ‘Go in peace, be warm and be filled,’ yet you do not give them what is necessary for their body, what use is that? 
           James 2:15-16