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Intro |
An Update on
Sebastiana |
Christmas Distribution '08 |
Soup Kitchen |
Hope for the Hopeless
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While Bethlehem
Slept |
Celebration in Tiquipaya | Roadblocks Again?
| Christmas Project
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Staff Profiles
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Bolivia is known as
the 'Tibet of the Americas'-the highe
Please remember to pray for Bolivia and it's people and traditions. Only God can do a miracle, but you can help by praying! <top> |
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Christmas Project "Shine Bright"
Today was the day! We started out our
morning around 5am and were headed out the door and on the road by about
7:3
 0am.
A car load of toys, food and blankets had already gone ahead of us and
we were caravanning with another Nissan Patrol like our own. These are
the only types of vehicles good for the roads we were about to
experience! The first part of our trip was just leaving the city heading
towards La Paz on a paved road. I thought, "This isn't too bad!" We
drove about an hour on a paved road...and then we hit the dirt. And the
next 2 1/2 hours of my life I prayed more than I think I ever had....non
stop.
After having bounced for over an hour on
very dusty road we stopped in a huge dry river bed. I wondered why
we were stopped and the people in the other car pointed at the truck
that was up on the hill and coming down. He explained that it was
ONLY a ONE WAY road and we had to WAIT until the truck was down at
the bottom and MAKE SURE there was no one else coming down the road.
I thought that was interesting because even on the 'one way roads',
there is usually enough space for another car to pass. So we waited
and waited. We watched as the truck went around and around the
mountain, finally making it to the bottom. As the
truck came closer we could see the people packed into the back of
it, standing close to each other, holding on to the side.
Finally we made it to our destination!
The people were very colorfully
 dressed
with many of them wearing very brightly colored, pointy hats and
black rubber sandals (made from tire). I didn't realize it at the
time but we had gone up several more thousand feet in altitude and
must have been at around 10-12,000 feet altitude. There were no
trees but the mountains were green from the recent rainfall. The
only bushes there were, had been/and were being used for 'firewood'
and kindling.
As we were now within blocks of our
meeting place, the children began to run after the car and jump up
onto the back of it. I could only see about a dozen 'houses' (little
adobe shacks, many of them with thatched roofs) so I wondered where
we were going to get the 500 children we were expecting. Amazin
 gly
enough, they came out of the woodwork! (or shall I say, adobe-work)
They kept coming and coming and coming. I tried to count them but it
was a little hard with so much
movement, but I still estimate that we
had at least 650 people in attendance, including the children.
Gustavo shared in Spanish about the
gospel and the real 'meaning' of Christmas and what Jesus had done
for us. It was all translated into Q
 uechua
as the people didn't speak very much Spanish, if any at all. After
that there was a special 'typical/traditional' music
prepared by the people. Some men had 'home made' wooden flutes that
they played a 'traditional' carnival type song and dressed in their
native costumes. Then there were
other children singing and
dancing with little tiny guitars and very brightly decorated
costumes with hats, feathers and various other types of decorations.
I think there were about 10 groups of people who had prepared
something special for us. It was all done in Quechua so we didn't
understa nd
much, but even my children were interested in it!
Then began the fun! We weren't sure how
to divide the mass of people into groups to distribute the toys,
blankets and food. Finally, we
decided to divide them by age group and they all went onto a
'basketball' court by age and waited for their gifts. We brought 'panetonnes'
(fruitcake) and gave them to all the people who had participated in
the special dances and songs. Then we gave
out food baskets to all the families from the church as well as the
ladies who were working hard to prepare 'buñuelos and api"
(refreshments) for the masses. We THANK THE LORD that we had enough
toys for each child to get one. THANK you for participating. After
that we called all the 'widows' and were able to give each one a
blanket. It was a wonderful time and I know that it was because of
your prayers and generous gifts that we
were able to give toys, food and blankets to this very remote
village.
 As
we were leaving the village, one of the Bolivian men driving with us
told us that was the FIRST gift
these kids had EVER received. I do
believe it too! Kids from the
ages of 1-12 were able to receive something. These people are so
poor that even if they had 'money' for a gift, they would have to
use it to buy food or clothes for their families. Most families have
several children (like 4 or more), and many of them are single
parent families either because
they are widowed, or because one of the parents has left. One family
was of 5 children and both of their parents had died. They were
being raised by some other family member.
It was a blessing to be able to give to
these people and share with them about the love of Jesus. There is a
small Quechua church (about 15
families) that meets on a regular basis. Please pray that these
families will grow in the Lord, and be open to share with their
neighbors and friends (who are spread apart in the mountains) about
the good news of Jesus.
Thank you for caring for these ones. God does! <top> |
st
and most isolated of the Latin American countries. It has two major
indigenous groups (Quechua and Aymara) as well as several smaller ones.
Bolivia is the most 'traditional' country in the South American
continent. A land with about 8,725,000 people (2004-CIA Factbook) of which fifty to sixty percent of the
population are of pure Indian blood. The official literacy rate is only
75% although children from 6-14 are required to go to school.
According
to statistics, 95% of Bolivia's population are Catholic but these belief
systems are mixed with the Inca and Aymara beliefs and is turned into an
interesting 'religion' of many different doctrines, superstitions and
rites. Although the coca leaf is
the source of cocaine, it is chewed daily by many Bolivians. Bolivia is
known as the world's third largest cultivator of coca after Columbia and
Peru. They believe
that 'Mama Coca' is the daughter of Pachamama (mother earth) and it is
believed to drive away evil spirits from the home and work fields.
Sacrifices to Pachamama are made in order to cause a good crop or
apologizing for disturbing the earth by using plows and tractors.
(including coca, alcohol, and the blood of animals especially of
llamas.)