Published on Operation World (http://www.operationworld.org)
Mar 11: Bolivia
Bolivia
Republic of Bolivia
Latin America
See Prayer Information
Geography
Area: 1,099,000 sq kmLandlocked Andean state. High plateau in southwest, tropical lowlands in north and east. One of only two landlocked republics in the Americas.
Population: 10,030,832 Annual Growth: 1.78%
Capital: La Paz (administrative); Sucre (legal)
Urbanites: 66.5%
HDI Rank: 113 of 182 (UN Human Development Reports 2009)
Peoples
Peoples: 43 (2% unreached) All peoplesUnreached Peoples Prayer Card
Official language: Spanish; Aymara; Quechua Languages: 41 All languages
Religion
Largest Religion: Christian| Religion | Pop % | Ann Gr | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Christians | 9,125,048 | 90.97 | 1.6 |
| Evangelicals | 1,628,371 | 16.2 | 4.6 |
Challenges for Prayer
Leadership training is a desperate need recognized by all – precipitated by rapid church growth in past decades. Only a tiny fraction of pastors have formal theological training. There are over 30 Protestant seminaries and Bible schools as well as a variety of TEE institutes, BCCs and in-service training programmes; all of the above will not suffice to meet the need unless the Spirit actively calls, raises up and sanctifies thousands of new leaders. Pray for this.The less-reached:
a) The upper classes have long held exclusive control of the reins of power, and the gap between rich and poor is widening. Although a number in this class have come to faith, evangelicalism remains largely the domain of the poor. Ekklesia Church is one denomination impacting this group; some of the newer charismatic churches also see response.
b) Rural villages. A high proportion of Quechua, Aymara and lowland peoples live in hard-to-access mountain or forest regions. Those who have been reached at all are almost always under-resourced in terms of teaching, discipleship and Christian resources.
c) New urban populations. Many migrants have drifted to the cities looking for work. They are often rootless, vulnerable and usually menial labourers working for a pittance; the majority are Quechua or Aymara.
d) The more than 300,000 tertiary students in the 59 universities and colleges face difficult prospects, are often disillusioned with traditional values and are confronted by post-Christian value systems. CCU(IFES) and CCCI have dozens of workers and hundreds of students, but the large majority of campuses and students remain untouched.
e) Young people are rarely specifically ministered to, yet over 67% of the population are under age 30. Widespread unemployment, urban violence and easy availability of drugs make reaching and discipling them all the more vital. Pray for SU and many others seeking to reach and disciple the youth, but most important, pray that local congregations would understand the great importance and potential in reaching youth.
f) Children. Up to 75% of Bolivia’s children are raised in a context of poverty; chronic malnutrition is all too common. Perhaps 100,000 are homeless or street kids – almost all the boys have used drugs, and many of the girls have experienced sexual abuse. Pray for the development of children’s ministries and for churches to see the importance of these.
For an additional 9 Challenges for Prayer see Operation World book, CD-ROM, or DVD-ROM.
