E-Mail From the Field

When headed in to the unknown there are few things more valuable than words of wisdom from those who are already there. The following E-Mail is from the Besares family who will be taking care of our DIBC mission team to Bolivia.

Hey Billy,

Sorry it has taken so long for my response. Glad you are coming and want to learn more about the area. Cochabamba is in a big valley, the "breadbasket" so to say of Bolivia. Because of a very mild year round climate, much fruit and veggies grow around here and are plentiful and very good. Surrounded on four sides by mountains, the largest of which is Mt. Tunari with a summit reaching close to 15,000 feet. Where we live, about 15 km outside of the city, we rest at about 8,800 feet above sea level. The city is a mixture of Quechua, some pure Spanish people and the mestizos, which are a mixture of native and Spanish decent.

We will mostly be ministering and holding clinics with the Quechua people. They are the native "indians" of this part of South America, although we don't use the term Indian as it is very offensive to them. The Quechua come from a long legacy of Christo-pagan beliefs, starting off with Pacha Mama, Mother Earth and then Roman Catholocism and much "virgin" worship. They have virgins we have never heard of and most of them are displayed in prominent locations, looking rather like "Barbie dolls". Very strange!!

The language here is very mixed with the Spanish language very influenced by the Quechua language. We will have interpretors with us at the clinics as many of the people we will be ministering to do not speak any Spanish. Our first clinic will be high in the mountains in a town called Morachata. The next will be in a village called Junca Calla with the village of San Miguel joining us. Two other clinics will be in or close to the city itself. Water is a big issue here and we will be taking our own with us, but you will see the effects of not having water everywhere we go. Sometimes it isn't pretty, but a very real issue for the people here.

I guess the biggest and best thing you can bring to be a good steward is a servant's heart and a flexible attitude. We are so looking forward to seeing how the Lord is going to work in and through the team from Davis Island Baptist. Looking forward to seeing you soon! Hope this helps a bit.

In Him,

Lea Besares

Find out more about the Besares family.