It’s a beautiful 60 degrees today in Minneapolis and my fellow classmates and I are embracing it with shorts, tank tops, and iced coffee. The cafes are setting up their outdoor patios and as long as the sun is shining we are happy to be outside. We’re still studying for finals, but at least we are no longer stuck in the classroom and the countdown to graduation is nearing single digits. Unfortunately, the unavoidable “what’s next?” is overwhelming us seniors. Fortunately, I have an answer.
When you submit an application to IJM for a field office internship/fellowship, you apply to the position rather than the location. Most of their offices have English speakers, but there is a requirement in the Latin American offices to be fluent in Spanish and prepared to complete all work en español. This meant that my interview process included a Spanish phone interview with the field office. While it was intimidating, the current intern (that I will be replacing) was on the call with us and guided me through the process. As soon as we got off of the phone I emailed her asking for more information.
We finally were able to talk this past week and just barely after getting through the typical “get to know you” questions, she blurted out that La Paz is “cold.” She urgently told me to be ready with tons of layers and blankets, and I just started laughing. I’ve been tracking the weather and it’s been a consistent 50-60 degrees, basically what we have right now in MN (minus the altitude) which is my idea of perfect. She laughed and said that I’d have a much easier time adapting than she did (she’s from the southern U.S.) and then moved on to talk about her experience. La Paz is a mix of indigenous influence and urban energy which creates a unique culture to adapt to. That being said, she made it clear people love it (and some interns have opted to move there instead of returning to the states… totally not considering that… no need to worry at all Mom….).
Alongside the cultural experience, she explained that the area has a relatively large missionary population and a recurring cycle of IJM interns. So even though I am the only one deploying to Bolivia in September, I will be very well taken care of. She also was clear in that La Paz is safe, relatively inexpensive compared to other field office locations, and has very slow and understandable Spanish. She was confident I would adapt quickly to communicating solely in my second language.
After debriefing her transition to living abroad, she explained a bit about the work that I will be doing. IJM Bolivia has been focusing on cases of child sex trafficking since 2006 and has done phenomenal work.
The big successes at IJM Bolivia have been:
- Successfully advocating for trials to be concluded in as few as 18 days – a major step forward in a country where cases usually take years, if they reach any verdict at all.
- Being invited by the Bolivian government to train all government psychologists working with the Social Services Ministry to help ensure that children who survive sexual assault receive sensitive care through the justice system process.
- Trained more than a thousand teachers and educators on how to identify and report sexual assault cases. They are now equipped to protect the more than 25,000 students they service.
The overall field office is really starting to be seen by the government and other organizations as an expert in training professionals in how to respond to human trafficking, and specifically, child sex trafficking. In terms of my role, the team that I will be a part of runs these trainings for other professionals. My job is to learn and support the native staff, but I will be able to do so alongside some other native English speakers.
To prepare, my next steps are attending orientation, applying for my visa, and arranging other travel requirements. These are unfortunately expensive processes that need to happen fast. Any support you can offer would be greatly appreciated.
Finally, I cannot say this enough but please subscribe, comment, text, call… reach out to me in whatever way you can (and share this with others)! I know it might seem trivial now, but establishing relationships will help me feel supported as the process gets more logistic oriented and overwhelming (y otros hispanohablantes, por favor practiquen conmigo)!
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Updates:
- Venmo option available
- New Facebook page for quick updates (like and follow!)
- Passed $750 mark in fundraising
Prayer Requests:
- A strong thesis defense/surviving through graduation
- A breakthrough with an organization to facilitate funds
- More partners and support in this process