Bolivia Post Trip - Catholicism, Pachamama and Syncretism

Before getting started here, I would like to urge you read my previous post on Worldview. Reading it will help to understand better what I will be writing about.

Bolivia has a very large Catholic population. Depending on what sources you check, the country is anywhere from roughly 70% to 90% Catholic. But what exactly does that mean? Often times what one person thinks of as Catholic is not what another person does. The same thing can be said about Christianity and just about anything else in the world. That is why facts and definitions matter, but sadly we don't often bother with these details much to our detriment.

A great example of this in regards to Catholicism is a girl named Rosalinda (she is with Liz in a video in previous post). Liz and I befriended Rosalinda while we were in Bolivia. She is 11 years old just like Liz so they had a lot in common even though they were from different countries and cultures. I personally loved her happy countenance and joy even in the midst of difficult circumstances in her life. One of the days while there, I was talking to John with Food for the Hungry. Rosalinda came and sat on my lap so I started talking with her via John who served as the translator. After several questions, I asked Rosalinda if she went to church. Initially she said no and then said yes indicating she went to a Catholic church. It was obvious from her answer that she didn't go often, but that she thought of herself as a Catholic. I then asked her to tell me who Jesus is. Her reply was startling -- she didn't know who Jesus was! I mean she had never heard of Him. John then proceeded to share the good news of Jesus Christ with her. As he told the story of Jesus, she became so fixated on what he was telling her that she stood up. From my angle it almost appeared that she was about to cry. She had never heard the story of Jesus! Praise God that John (and I) were able to share the good news with her and pray that He will call her through the Word to Himself.

The key fact remained that she considered herself a Catholic yet did not know who Jesus was. This situation is due to a combination of issues -- many of which I don't even know about. But in the bigger picture a lot of it has to do with background and worldview.

Before the Spanish came to South America, Bolivia was inhabited by native Incas and other tribal peoples. These people had many gods being very animistic in their worldview. One of these gods was called Pachamama - the goddess of mother earth (or world). Pachamama was known as a benevolent fertility goddess who presided over planting and harvesting. As the Spanish came and spread Catholicism many of the natives were "converted" to the Catholic form of "Christianity." Or so it was thought. What actually happened in many instances was a blending of Pachamama and Catholicism. This is called syncretism and it is alive and well in Bolivia today.

One of the main tenets of Pachamama for farmers in Bolivia is that they are bury Llama fetuses in their fields. This is done to please Pachamama so that they will have a good harvest. If the harvest is bad, then they didn't bury enough llama fetuses in their fields as Pachamama was mad at them. Also, they were to have a big celebration after the harvest which costs a lot of money -- much of which they had just gained causing their poverty to continue. Many of the Catholics in Bolivia are also staunch believers of Pachamama. This is easily seen in the marketplaces as llama fetuses are not in short supply. The photo below shows various forms of the llama fetuses that are for sale.

It was a stark reminder of how syncretism exists in Bolivia. And it is reminder of how the gospel and biblical truth must be used wisely and extensively to combat, change and effect the worldview of the people in Bolivia so that God would gloried there.

While this may seem so distant to us here in North America reading this, let me ask you this -- what kind of syncretism exists in your own life? It probably isn't Pachamama, but could it be materialism? What other aspects of a secular worldview have you merged together with Christianity? All the more reason to read and study God's word -- to become scripture saturated. And to also pray for His wisdom to discern what is right and true in order that we live lives that are holy and pleasing to Him. Remember what 1 Corinithians 6:19-20 says in that you were bought with a price so glorify God with your bodies. Let this be our prayer and petition.

Bolivia Post Trip - Worldview: Ideas Have Consequences

Do you remember as a kid when your mom told you that the burner on the stove was hot? In your mind you didn't really believe her. So you had the bright idea to touch it. And what happened? You got a nice burn and suffered some pain in the process. Yes, ideas do have consequences. But this is not only true with hot stove tops when you are a kid -- it also happens all throughout your life.

You might ask what this has to do with our trip to Bolivia. Answer: Everything. The poverty in Bolivia is not an isolated incident or caused by one single influence. It is important to understand what worldview is and how it influences all that happens in a particular culture.

The analogy that John from Food for the Hungry gave is that of a tree. Below is a diagram from one of his worldview training sessions for our team while we were there that will help explain how poverty is a fruit (or consequence) of ideas. And this is also why Food for the Hungry works to teach and train on worldview as one of the tools in the aresenal (with the help of Christ) of fighting poverty in Bolivia and other places around the world that they work.

In this diagram, you can see that the fruit is simply a result. To treat the fruit is like just treating the symptom of the disease rather than trying to find the cause. In regards to poverty, it is the fruit of actions based on values that people have which are born out of what they believe to be true and real. This is worldview. And working to change worldview in light of the scripture, the gospel and Jesus Christ is what Food for the Hungry works on to make real lasting change and produce fruit in the lives of the people it ministers to (Matthew 7:16-20).

By definition worldview is: The total set of assumptions held consciously or unconsciously in faith about the basic makeup of the world and how the world works. These assumptions comprise the mindset of an individual and determine what they value and how they behave.

In our training by John with Food for the Hungry we looked at three types of worldviews - animism, secularism, and theism. I would like to take a brief look at each of these:

Animism
The ultimate reality is spiritual. This believes that world is predominately spiritual and supernatural which pervades and controls every area of life. As a result, the truth is hidden and all is mystery. People with this worldview largely live a life in fear of the spirits as they work to always please them in hopes they will not be punished. Religions with this worldview include Buddhism, Hinduism, Daoism and Tribal Religions.

Secularism
The world is predominately physical/material. Matter is the only fundamental reality. They see all being, processes, and phenomena as being explained as manifestations of matter which produces morals that are relative and truth that is empirical (what the senses can perceive). Religions include Agnosticism, Evolutionism (yes this is religion - set of beliefs) and Post-Modern Thinking.

Theism
The world is personal and relational. Man was created by God and in His likeness and image and the physical realm springs forth and is sustained by the spiritual. Truth is revealed by God; it is objective and can be known by man. Christianity is an example of this.

How Does a Worldview Function in Culture?
A worldview is like a road map that sets our direction and guides us through life. You might think of it as like a pair of glasses that filters the way you perceive the universe around you or like like wind blowing through the trees. It cannot be seen, yet it enlivens and animates. Worldview infuses a community with life and establishes its dynamic. It says, "This is who we are."

How Does Worldview Function in Bolivia?
From what Liz and I experienced firsthand, there many things that are apparent while others are not so easy to see. Some of the most obvious include: lack of value of children which results in many not being educated, abandonement of wife/children by many men, physical/sexual viloence, alcholism, and disregard for environment as evidenced by the lack of upkeep and trash all around in the neighborhoods. To fight this, by the help of Christ, Food for the Hungry works toward gospel transformation as found in Romans 12:1-2 "Do not be conformed any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – his good, pleasing and perfect will." Lord willing change will continue by God's grace in Bolivia through the work of Food for the Hungry. Please continue to pray that people will be saved so that this transformation will be able to take place.

* Special credit goes to John from Food for the Hungry. I used much of this information included here from one of his presentations. Thank you John.

Bolivia Post Trip - Issues Contributing to Poverty in Sucre

One thing that really stands out when you visit other countries and experience the culture there is that ideas and worldviews are quite different from the way we look at things in the United States. In Bolivia, 60% of the people are considered to be in poverty. Stats such as these focus on the material (or lack of) whereas Food for the Hungry (which I wrote of in an earlier post) really defines poverty much more accurately as being broken relationships with others, self, creation and God. Thus we are all in some form of poverty as a result of sin (Romans 3:23). It is just that when you see such abject material poverty as in Bolivia it is so blatantly apparent whereas in the United States our affluence often hides our other forms of poverty. For an example, you may have a father of a family here who is very successful in business but is a workaholic. He puts in lots and lots of hours at the office (or on the road for business trips) which ultimately wrecks his family relationships with his wife and kids. This is poverty of relationships with others, but it is not as apparent because the large amount of income he produces tends to hide the problems (Proverbs 14:20). On the other hand, in Bolivia, most people simply have nothing on a material level so everything is out in the open and their poverty is easily seen suffering in all areas of relationships. Sometimes this poverty is brought upon by the person while in many cases systems and oppression around the are main root cause. Whatever the case may be, these people are suffering greatly and in desperate need of help.

During our time in Bolivia, we spent our days in what is considered a barrio of the city of Sucre call Horno Ckasa B. The best way I can describe Horno Ckasa B is that of an outer edge suburb. In the United States, suburbs are usally more affluent, but in Bolivia it is the opposite. Out in the rural areas where poverty (I'm told) can be even worse, people believe that going to the city to find work will be the way for them to make it. So these people - with few skills and little to no education - come to the city with very little if any money. As a result, they often settle in the outer edges (or barrios) often finding little to no work available. Thus it appears that the further you go into a city the more wealthy it seemed to be. However, because of the overall amount of material poverty in Bolivia, it was quite common to see a "nice" house next to area where things were literally falling apart. With the outer edges suffering the most, there are invariably a host of social problems for those that live there such as physical abuse, sexual abuse, abandonement (of wives and kids), alcoholism, and pornography. The United States also has all of these problems, but the magnitude and pervasity of them in Bolivia was oppressive in the areas we were in.

Whether here or there in Bolivia, the need for Christ and the gospel is great. Please pray not only for ourselves but also for the people of Bolivia for their need is great.
"Blessed is he who has regard for the poor" Psalm 41:1
"Now this was the sin of your sister Sodom: She and her daughters were arrogant, overfed and unconcerned, they did not help the poor and needy." Ezekiel 16:49

Bolivia Trip - More Photos

Here are some more photos from our Bolivia trip with Food for the Hungry.

Bolivia Trip - Safely Home

Liz and I arrived home around 10:30pm last night. It was certainly a full day of travel as we had a wake-up call at 3 AM yesterday morning after a little over 4 hours of sleep. We caught a 6:15 AM flight from La Paz to Santa Cruz (still in Bolivia). It was about an hour flight. After a short layover, we flew from there to Miami and arrived a little bit before 4PM. We then caught a flight at 7PM to DFW and arrived right at 9PM. There we said our goodbyes to the Mountain Christian folks as they had one more leg to go on to Albuquerque. Surprisingly, neither Liz nor I slept during any of the flights and actually had a lot of fun despite being on an airplane so long. Liz did, however, sleep until almost 2PM today.

Though our trip is over, there is still much to write about. During the trip I was really only able to summarize in many instances of what we did. I didn't explain the why or what in those instances. Additionally, there are some reflections on our activities that I also want to write about. Thus I hope to write several post-trip entries over the next 2 weeks on our trip. So stay tuned to hear more about our incredible journey that God took us on and the wonderful work that Food for the Hungry is doing by God's grace.

Bolivia Trip - I Ate What?

The team has a little down time here this morning before we fly out of Sucre to La Paz. We originally were supposed to catch a morning flight, but it was moved until 2pm. Some of the team are out seeing a few things around town, but Liz and I chose to stay at the hotel. Liz is actually still sleeping and it is 10:30am as I write this. She has been a trooper but the long days as well as getting a little bit of a cold has worn her out. So I´m grateful to God that our flight got pushed back so she could get some more sleep.

Yesterday morning we our last scheduled activity for the team. It was a nutrition fair held at a local school. You could kind of say that it was "The Next Food Network Star - Bolivian Style." This event involved the creation of either a food dish or a drink. We had 7 entries for food and 4 for drinks. Our team´s job was to go and sample each item and judge it according to several categories. One of the main goals of this event (and our judging reflected this) was to promote more healthy cooking. Much of what people eat here are either potatoes and/or deep fried. Our team broke into two groups - one to sample food and the other drink. I was in the food group. Though we had interpreters to help us, I struck out on my own. Each table had a sign with the name of the dish and ingredients - which were all in Spanish. You are seeing where this is leading. I have to tell you that EVERY dish I sampled was good. Some were better than others as far as taste but I sure enjoyed the opportunity to sample foods I would not find back home. So after sampled each one, I scored them. It turns out that the dish that I thought was the best had tripe in it!!! I´m still not sure if it was pig or sheep. For those of you who don´t know, tripe is intestines. My thought was, "I ate what???" All that fun aside, it was so neat to see the prizes awarded to the winners and I think every participant received something. Though the event promoted nutrition, the goal was to see and value the bodies that God has given us. As 1 Corinthians 6 says, our bodies are a temple.

After an afternoon of some sight-seeing and shopping, we attended the farewell dinner with the FH Staff. Words can´t quite describe how at the same time it was so wonderful yet sad because we are leaving soon. One of FH´s themes is that teams that come here are mutually transformed. In serving them, we are ourselves are transformed by the very people we are serving. As I mentioned previously, the FH staff labors and they do such an excellent job. The conditions are tough but they do it with such great joy. What an example they are to me!!! What also was so amazing last night is that in the mist of only a week, you can develop such relationships. I feel that I know not only the FH staff so well, but also my team members from Mountain Christian Church - most all of whom I had not met or knew. It is neat to see how Christ can unify a group so tightly in such a short period of time. It was a great blessing to Liz and I.

Well, need to go and get packed up. Though I wish I could stay longer, I also look forward to seeing family and friends back home.

Bolivia Trip - Winding Down

Once again we had a very packed day yesterday. Most of it was spent planting trees and flowers. The beauty and life of these service projects are symbolic of the life that Food for the Hungry is bringing through the transformational power of Jesus Christ through the gospel here in Horno Ckasa B. The work here can be overwhelming because of the great need, but we serve a GREAT God. Things have and are continuing to change here which allows the light of Christ to shine brightly in this community.

Last night we attended a special "Night of Dance" put on by the Dance Academy via FH. Our team did a couple of special dance routines in addition to the Dance Academy students doing several numbers. Our team member Marv gave his testimony and shared the gospel with all the kids there. There was a stark contrast to the kids involved in the Dance Academy and the gang members there. You could see the hope in the kids involved in the Dance Academy as they were realizing the gifts and abilities God has given them and the hope they have in Jesus Christ. On the other hand, you could sense the false hope of the gang members. It is definitely a hard life here in Horno Ckasa B, but through the great Reconciler Jesus Christ, things are changing for the better and His glory. Please pray for all the people who heard that gospel last night that God would changes hearts and draw them to himself (John 6:44).

This morning we will be participating in a nutrition fair at a local school. I know some of you may think that many of the things I´ve wrote about this week that FH has been doing is the "social gospel" but let me tell you that you are WRONG. I will explain this in more detail in later posts, but suffice it to say that the God has shown me that the gospel is so much BIGGER and all encompassing than I had previously thought and believed.

The nutrition fair is last activity of our trip. This afternoon we´ll be able to get a bit of rest and see a few sights in Sucre. Tonight we will have a farewell dinner with the FH staff here. Words cannot begin to describe the great labor these folks do. It has been said that working with people is a messy business. The FH staff here live with mud all over their hands each every day. And they do it with great joy!!! Praise God for them and please pray for them. There is much that is against them here and they need our prayer as they fight the good fight.

Tomorrow, we will be heading to La Paz in the late morning. We will see a few things tomorrow in La Paz before having a dinner with FH staff there to encourage them. We will then get up about 3am on Monday to catch our flight home. So this may be my last post until I get home.

I just want to thank everyone who has contributed financially to allow us to go on this trip. We are VERY grateful and hope that you have been blessed through our trip. I want to also thank those who have been praying for us - we have seen God work this week and have been humbled by it.

Bolivia Trip - A Few Photos

I just grabbed Liz´s camera and she is up to over 300 photos. I also have a camera and have taken quite a few. Each photo has a story and I hope to share many of them after I get back.

Our welcome as we got off the plane in Sucre

Our welcome inside the airport. Having a relationship where you come back to an area once or twice a year is so valuable.

Dogs and pigs freely roam the streets. This is typical of Horno Ckasa B.

Liz and two friends in the Food for the Hungry program.

Liz and teammate Erin along with several children on a home visit.

This is an example of a typical home in Horno Ckasa B. This was one of our home visits.

Liz and her new friend Rosalinda who is also 11 years old (like Liz).

A little boy at one of the churches we visited this week.

One of the kids in the handwashing clinic we participated in.

One of the little girls who is showing her washed hands.

Juan Javier and I. He is one of the many success stories of Food for the Hungry.

The women of the Food for the Hungry sewing project.

The Mountain Christian Church Food for the Hungry Team.