A letter from Bob and Julie Dunsmore in Bolivia
July 2007
Dear Friends,
We shivered in the thin mountain air, 15,000 feet above sea level in the high Andes of Bolivia. Fatigued from the lack of oxygen, some of us in the circle tried to sit down, but found sharp cacti under us, propelling us upwards!
The Aymara yatiri, or priest, intoned words of gratitude to Pacha Mama (Mother Earth) for her bounty, and in our hearts we thanked God our Father, our Mother, with heartfelt sighs.
We meditated quietly, intently watching as the yatiri distributed small tokens to each of us, then invited us to place them in the small fire, lifting our prayers with the smoke.
Our Joining Hands network, part of the Presbyterian Hunger Program, links Presbyterians in San Francisco, Oregon, and Newark with an ecumenical, interreligious network here in Bolivia called UMAVIDA (“Joining Hands for Life” in Spanish).
The group assembled on the mountainside had gathered from far and near to spend ten days seeing and hearing about hunger and thirst in Bolivia, physical hunger and thirst.
Visitors from all three Presbyteries learned that Bolivia is a nation composed of more than 30 distinct ethnic groups, as well as numerous persons of mixed European and indigenous descent. The visitors learned that today the nation seeks to create a more truly pluralistic society in which all cultures, languages, and religious traditions are fully honored. A new constitution is being drafted to provide a solid foundation for that goal.
As we fellowshipped and learned together, we came to see how challenging and rewarding it can be to honor the tradition of the Aymara people, the Andean cosmovision, while at the same time staying true to our Christian faith. Some of the Aymara and Quechua traditions are very much in line with Christian traditions, such as brotherly love, sharing of abundance with others, and care of the earth.
Forbearance, that marvelous precept from our Presbyterian heritage, seemed intensely relevant and useful at this moment. We recognized that the UMAVIDA network models this forbearance and honoring by including time for prayer as well as traditional ceremonies in all its activities.
Here in Bolivia a bill has recently been introduced into Congress to modify the educational system so that no single religion is taught in a public school (as has been the case up to the present), but rather a survey of religions practiced in Bolivia, as well as ethical principles of tolerance and respect.
Hundreds of delegates are attempting to rewrite the constitution of Bolivia in order to end the existence of one state religion so that other religious denominations and traditions will have equal footing in terms of rights and privileges under the constitution.
The visitors learned that some Bolivians, due to longstanding cultural tradition, adopt practices from several different spiritual traditions and find meaning in the common elements of justice, love, and honoring of creation.
When the visitors attended the small Luz y Verdad Presbyterian Church here in La Paz on Sunday, they sang along enthusiastically with Christian songs set to exquisite Aymara melodies. The congregation clapped and swayed, and the corps of teenage girls beat their beribboned tambourines in time to the music.
James Carroll in The Boston Globe writes that “In Latin America, impoverished people depend on religion for meaning and hope, nor just for rewards in heaven…. The gospel is centrally a call to justice, and poor people throughout the continent are hearing it that way.…” Carroll points out that this was dynamically experienced in the U.S. civil rights movement.
In Bolivia our visitors saw the importance of UMAVIDA’s faith-based social action with new eyes. Some Bolivians nonviolently but steadfastly have brought into being a new historic moment in which our sisters and brothers believe they can more effectively build a bit of God’s kin-dom on Earth. Their faith is awesome.
Far beyond forbearance, our visitors from San Francisco, Oregon, and Newark were moved to outright joy and new hope for possibilities not only in Bolivia, but also in the United States.
UMAVIDA will be sponsoring an international youth conference here in Bolivia in January 2008 with delegates from different countries of diverse races and religions, coming together with a shared concern for the Earth and restoration of God's creation. Presbyterian youth from the United States will be among the delegates! Write us if you are interested in this shared learning experience.
So while holding fast to our own faith tradition, let us express love and honor toward our Bolivian sisters and brothers and their expressions of faith, spirituality, and justice.
For all people will walk every one in the name of his god, and we will walk in the name of the LORD our God for ever and ever.
Micah 4:5
In fellowship,
Julie and Bob
The 2007 Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study, p. 44
