our field

The Land

Santa Cruz, Bolivia (or Santa Cruz de la Sierra) is the most populous city and heart of the second most populous metropolitan area in Bolivia. It is considered the most economically prosperous city in the country. In contrast to La Paz and the other major Bolivian cities located high in the Andes, Santa Cruz lies at an altitude of 416 meters, and its climate is distinctly tropical. Santa Cruz is one of the fastest growing cities in the world, and has grown from being a small outpost town to today having over 2 million people. Santa Cruz is expanding and growing rapidly. They are now building the world’s 2nd largest crystalized lake which is going to be over 2km long. Another interesting fact about Santa Cruz is that it’s the unofficial Sloth Capital of the World , these charming and iconic animals can still be seen frequently today climbing in trees on the outskirts of the city. The national animal of Bolivia is the Llama.

The People

Bolivians are the people that inhabit Bolivia. Amerindians lived in what is now known as Bolivia for before the Spanish Conquest in the 16th century. Spaniards mixed with enslaved Africans in steady numbers, mixing widely with each other and with indigenous peoples. The Bolivian population, estimated at 10.9 million is multiethnic and the predominate religion is Roman Catholic but Syncretism with native beliefs is still widely practiced in the country. Minorities religions include Baha’i, Mormon, Muslim, Buddhist, and Hindu. The different ethnicities are Amerindians, Mestizos, Europeans, Asians and Africans. The main language spoken is Spanish, although the Guarani, Aymara and Quechua languages are also common and all three, as well as 34 other indigenous languages, are official. The many cultures in Bolivia have contributed greatly to a wide diversity in fields such as art, cuisine, literature, and music.

The Missions Work

Like many South American countries the established Christian schools have an open enrollment policy allowing any students from any background to apply. This opens a door for our work as we are able to teach English to various levels of students. Many come either knowing nothing about the Lord to knowing very little. Many are brought up in a traditional Roman Catholic household. By teaching them vowels, reading and comprehension, and pronunciation gives us the opportunity to share our Christian testimonies and faith with the salvation message. While there we will be assisting a local church and missionaries (or local pastor) with various outreach ministries and activities at the church. Team members will be able to experience all the culture has to offer through our work.