80 Hours Makes a Difference

80 hours – the number of hours it takes to drive back and forth from Wichita to Las Vegas twice, the number of hours it takes in class credits to be considered a junior in college and also the number of hours our volunteers gave this month to help Hospitals of Hope.

September was a great month for Hospitals of Hope. We had a number of individuals volunteer their time and abilities to help us continue making progress on our warehouse. Several weeks in a row, we had students from Northfield School help us out. A group sorted materials so we could recycle the metal. Another group inventoried medical supplies. We also had a group of students help us clean our newly constructed Clinic In A Can. We were very appreciative of having these students be willing to do this for us. We also had six physician assistant students from Wichita State University volunteer with us last week. They tackled more inventorying medical supplies and entering them into our data base. Some more people wanted to help, but couldn’t make it into our office during the day. These individuals were willing to still help by looking up values of donations from their home.

We also had some volunteers join Hospitals of Hope in Bolivia this month. Shelly Humphries moved to Bolivia earlier in the summer, but had come back to the United States for a couple weeks. She returned to Bolivia this month to continue working in the hospital. Rachel Longton also moved to Bolivia this month to volunteer in the hospital.

Of course we can’t talk about our volunteers without mentioning our dear friend Bob. Bob is a dedicated volunteer who comes in almost everyday. He even came in on Labor Day to make sure our trash got taken to the curb so none of the staff had to come in on our day off to do it. Earlier this week, Bob had an accident while he was tearing down a barn. He is doing alright, but is very sore. Needless to say we will be missing him around here for a while as he recovers. We are praying for him to heal quickly and to not be in too much pain.

We are so grateful for our volunteers and supporters. It’s amazing our volunteers gave over 80 hours to help Hospitals of Hope continue in ministry. Our volunteers and supporters have been such an encouragement to the staff. It is refreshing to see others have a passion and desire to make a difference and help us continue in our mission to heal bodies and souls. Thank you to each and every volunteer who has served with us either this month or previously – we couldn’t help change lives around the world without your support!

Xelda Ministries Moves to Hospital

Leta shares some exciting news from Bolivia about the Xelda Ministries and the recent relocation of Café Xelda.

Xelda Ministries was born with the help of a donation from the estate of Xelda Ditmer, the grandmother of HOH’s founder, Michael Wawrzewski. She was passionate about sharing the good news about Christ and inspired Mike to take his first mission trip.

After her death, Mike decided that the best way to honor her memory was to start a branch of Hospitals of Hope that would be focused on building relationships and sharing Christ’s love through friendship. The original plan was to start a coffee shop in the city of Cochabamba, but, due to complications with finding the right personnel and a good location, it has now been moved to the hospital, where it can be a more integral part of our volunteers’ ministry and where it can better serve our staff and patients.


We have been serving coffee in the hospital for nearly three weeks now, and it has proved to be a great way to get to know those we interact with on a daily basis. It provides a welcoming environment, rather than a cold, sterile waiting area. Patients often take the opportunity to chat with us about their lives, sharing a bit about their hopes and fears. Sometimes they choose to just sit quietly, reading the Bibles on the center of each table.

We’ve got great plans for the future of the café, as well. In the next few weeks, we’re planning an English class that will meet in the café area, and we’re also hoping to bring in live music, as we’ve got some volunteers coming who play the guitar.

If you’re ever in the area, feel free to stop by for a cappuccino and a chat. We’d love to see you!

September 11: When Volunteers Became Heroes

Not single September 11 comes around without us thinking back to where we were that morning, how we heard about the attack and how it’s changed life forever. One of those changes was actually a positive change. After September 11, 2001, volunteers became more of a hero than a volunteer. You saw people giving their time, efforts and resources to treat survivors, clear wreckage, comfort the families of the victims. In the ten years following that fateful day, we have seen more people willing to volunteer and help others in grave need. While it has been tragic to see loss of life over the past ten years from hurricanes, tsunamis, earthquakes, war, tornadoes, and most recently famine, we have been privilege to see people step up and become heroes.

It is no different than what we’ve seen at Hospitals of Hope. Our volunteers have given their skills, time, money and more to help bring relief, healing and hope to people all over the world. These heroes have treated earthquake victims in Haiti, car accident victims in Bolivia, brought new life into the world in Liberia, as well as so much more all over world.

We are honored to have some of the best volunteers in the world. Our volunteers have not only a desire to serve, but a passion to see change and give hope.

“There is just such a pressing need for help in this country [Liberia] ... [Serving here] has been a renewed fuel to the passion and fire I had to become an international physician,” one of our volunteers said. “I really hope to someday come back and serve in a country like this, if not maybe here.”

While it is always solemn to pause and think about all the lives lost ten years ago, we have been honored to see the positive change of people becoming heroes and respond to the needs not just in the United States, but around the world. Thank you to all of our amazing heroes who make Hospitals of Hope happen.