Sunday, January 09, 2011

A different Bolivia

The new government has renamed the country: The Plurinational State of Bolivia. Plurinational because there are so many different people groups.

Over New Years weekend we went out to the Trans World Radio station in Pailon. The ministry there, directed by our friends Jake and Dorothy Fehr, is directed to Spanish speaking Bolivians, Quechua speaking Bolivians and Plautisch speaking Bolivians. Plautisch, or Low German, is the language of the Mennonite colonies. An estimated 60,000 folks live in the colonies in lowland Bolivia. They have a very closed, restricted culture where people can be excommunicated for listening to the radio or reading the Bible. It is a culture where people have very little access to the Good News of the Gospel.

Jake and Dorothy broadcast to these people and the ministry is flourishing. They have many live events at the station where hundreds of Mennonite colonists will come to hear solid teaching from God's word. Among the many tools they use is the JESUS Film on DVD as well as the radio version in Low German.

Here's Jeanie with her friend Dorothy:



Jake drove us around the community near the station and I caught this Mennonite boy hiding from us in a puddle. Kids are kids!



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