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Come Visit Bolivia
Little Lights Mission Education ProgramFacts about the mission area
Bolivia is about equal in area to the Province of Ontario. At one time Bolivia enjoyed coastal territory on the Pacific Ocean. A war with Chile in 1879-1880 left the country landlocked. The country has three distinct geographical levels. The highest level, the altiplano, is 12,500 feet above sea level. The temperatures can be quite chilly in the highlands. The cities of La Paz and Oruro are the main cities of this level. The second level hosts fertile valleys. The city of Cochabamba is on this level at an altitude of 8,000 feet. The third and most extensive level is the lowland region. It has tropical weather with jungle areas and open, lightly forested plains.
The people also have a three level social structure. At the bottom are the Aymaras and Quechuas, the indigenous people who make up more than half of the population. The middle class is made up of mestizos. They are of mixed Indian and Spanish ancestry and make up a third of the total population. The upper class is made up of those who may have a trace of Indian blood but who have a predominantly European background. Over the years and presently Bolivia has been troubled by social unrest. There is a great gap between the wealthy middle and upper class and the laborers and farmers of the lower class. Most Bolivians live on less than two dollars a day. It is the poorest of the South American countries.
Canadian Baptists began mission work in Bolivia in 1898. Archibald Reekie arrived in Oruro April 20, 1898 and began by teaching English. Feb. 1 1899 he opened an English language school which became very popular among the upper class people. Soon after he established a Sunday School and Sunday morning worship services. Since that time Canadian Baptists have served in Bolivia as nurses, teachers, seminary professors, agriculturalists, pastors, Christian radio broadcasters, leadership trainers and in various other ministries.
Information taken from: “Moving With The Times, by Orville E. Daniel, Published by Canadian Baptist Overseas Mission Board, Printed by Lingley Printing Company Limited, Saint John, NB, 1973.
Choose 3-5 centers in which the children
will participate during the Little Lights program. You will need a leader
at each center to help lead the activity, direct the conversation and to
encourage the children to be involved. You may plan to use the
Bolivia activity centers for more than
one program. Some of the favorite centers may be repeated. Children
learn best through repetition.
Home living
A Flag To Eat
The Bolivian flag is made up of 3 wide, horizontal stripes: red (top) yellow (middle) green (bottom). Bolivians enjoy eating Jell-O. In 3 separate dishes mix red, yellow and green Jell-O and let them set. In clear dishes layer the Jell-O green, yellow and red. An alternate method if time allows; layer the Jell-O in a 9 x 13 glass baking dish. Mix the green Jell-O first, and allow it to set, next mix the yellow Jell-O and cover the green layer, allow the yellow to set and follow with the red layer. Cut the Jell-O into rectangles, and serve on plates with a piece of a licorice for a flag pole. Show children the Bolivian flag. Let them match the colors of the flag with the colors of the Jell-O. Children in Bolivia and children in Canada enjoy eating Jell-O. Lead the children in thanking God for Jesus who loves all the children.
A lake of blue Jell-O
Serve blue Jell-O in a bowl. Pretend with the children that it is Lake Titicaca. Serve the Jell-O with fish shaped crackers or apple slices for boats. Remind the children that Lake Titicaca is a lake in Bolivia. After the children have finished their snack give each of them a map of Bolivia, find Lake Titicaca, color it blue and/or place a boat sticker on the lake.
Potatoes
Bolivian children eat potatoes in a variety of ways. Provide a tub with various sizes and kinds of potatoes. Have children sort the potatoes by size and/or variety. As children sort the potatoes talk about the various ways we eat potatoes. Children in Bolivia eat potatoes too.
Children may enjoy tasting potatoes, a leader can make instant mashed potatoes, or bake them in a microwave oven. Thank God for potatoes and other good food.
Bananas
Bananas are a popular food in Bolivia. They are eaten, fried, baked or fresh. For a dessert dish, peel bananas and slice lengthwise in half. Place in buttered baking dish, sprinkle to taste with sugar and cinnamon. Bake in a moderate oven until bananas are soft and sugar is slightly brown. Serve warm with whipped cream. Preschoolers can help to peel the bananas and sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon.
As you prepare the dish talk about bananas. Where do they grow? Do bananas grow in your area? What color are they? Who makes the bananas grow? As they are baking have them participate in another activity/learning center and then eat the baked banana dessert when it is ready.
After the children have finished their banana dessert, give them their maps of Bolivia. Color the lowland area (from Santa Cruz to the Paraguay border) yellow and/or place banana stickers and other tropical fruit stickers on this area.
Back Bundles
People, particularly women, carry large bundles on their backs. They use large, colorful square pieces of material to wrap around the item or young child and put it on their backs. They may carry the bundle a long distance. Provide several pieces of colorful material, some boxes and dolls for the children to wrap up and carry on their backs. Lead the children to say , “Thank you God for strong muscles to carry things.”
Make A Charango
A charango is a musical instrument played in Bolivia. It is similar to a mandolin or small guitar. It is made from an armadillo shell or wood. A charango has 10 strings. Provide a small shoe box, no cover, and 10 elastic bands of various widths. Guide preschoolers to place the rubber bands lengthwise over the shoe box. Lead the children to play their charangos by strumming the elastic bands over the open top of the box.
Songs
Sing a song in English and then in Spanish. Have children tap to the beat with rhythm sticks, or use empty margarine tubs with lids as drums.
Jesus Loves Me
Cristo
Me Ama (Chorus)
Si, Cristo me
ama (See, Cree’stow
may ah’mah)
Si, Cristo Me Ama
Si, Cristo
Me Ama
La Biblia dice asi.
(Lah
Beeb’lee-ah
dee’say ah-see)
Taken from: “God’s Family (the church)
Around the World Unit 1”
“Buenas Nuevas –
Good News”
Primary Mission Ed booklet 1987, p. 10.
God is so Good
Tan
bueno es Dios (x3),
Es tan bueno conmigo.
God is so good, - (repeat 3 times)
He's so good to me.
Me ama tanto (x3)
Es tan bueno conmigo.
He Loves me so (repeat 3 times)
He's so good to me.
Adorare Su nombre (x3)
Es tan bueno conmigo.
I'll praise His name, -(repeat 3 times)
He's so good to me
(translated by Cathy McGorman)
Statues
Play favorite songs on a cassette tape or CD. Children will clap and move to the music as long as they hear it playing. When the music stops they are to freeze like a statue. When the music begins to play the children are free to move again.
Make a Tape
The Southern Cross Radio is a Christian radio station that is used as a means to share the Gospel with people in Bolivia. During the week church groups tape music and messages that are aired on the radio. Provide a tape recorder and cassette tape. Encourage the children to sing favorite songs they have learned in little lights. Some children may want to say a Bible verse or message such as, “Jesus loves all the children”, “God’s Word is true”, or, “love one another”. After the children have taped their music and messages play it back so that they can hear their voices. One way missionaries in Bolivia have helped to share the message that God loves everyone is through the Southern Cross Radio programs.
Language
People in Bolivia speak Spanish. What language do you speak? Older children may try to say these phrases. You may make word cards with pictures that depict the word or phrase. Say the word or phrase and have the children repeat it after you. Have the children say the word or phrase together as a group.
Buenas
Nuevas - Good News
Dios
es grande (Dee os
s grand ay) - God is great
Mi nombre
es ___ (Me nom bray s ____) - My name is
______
Feliz
Navidad – Merry Christmas
Hello – Hola!
Good Morning – Buenas
Dias
Thank you - Gracias
La Biblia – The Bible
Jesus me ama – Jesus loves me
Si
– “see” - yes
Birds Fly
This is a game played in Bolivia. The leader says, “Birds Fly” and raises and lowers her arms to the side as if pretending to fly. The children copy the leader. The leader continues…”robins fly”, “eagles fly”, “airplanes fly”, pretending to fly after saying each one. Then the leader may say, “houses fly”. The children try not to get caught raising their arms after a leader says an object that does not fly. Give each child a turn to be the leader. Bolivian children say, “fly, fly sparrows” (vuelen, vuelen sparrows) “fly, fly
Seagulls” (vuelen, vuelen seagulls) “fly, fly buses” (vuelen, vuelen buses), etc. Try to help children think of several different kinds of birds that fly. This game is also a fun way to help young children learn to listen and decide which things do not fly.
Taken from: “God’s Family (the church)
Around the World Unit 1”
“Buenas Nuevas –
Good News”
Primary Mission Ed booklet 1987, p. 25.
Produced by the Mission
Education Sub-Committee of the Canadian Baptist Federation
(from How To Say More Than Hello In Bolivia by
Thelma I. Langley, published by All-Canada Baptist Publications 1967)
Weather – 3 climates:
Bolivia has 3 geographical levels and 3 climates. Divide your play area into 3 sections. It would be ideal if the sections also had different heights such as an auditorium with a platform. On the lowest level place sun glasses, sun hats, tropical plants, monkeys, and other tropical items. On the next level place sweaters, smaller plants and hills (chairs covered with brown or green blankets) around the edges. On the highest level place hats, coats, llamas and a large sheet of blue paper or plastic to represent Lake Titicaca. Have children come for a walk with you over Bolivia. At each level have the children stop and put on the clothing. Pretend that the weather in the lowland is hot, look at the tropical plants and animals. As you climb up to the next level take off the sunglasses and slowly climb up the hills to where the weather is a bit cooler and put on the sweaters. Then slowly climb higher over the Andes Mountains, if you look up to the high mountain peaks you will see snow. It is colder up in the highlands. You can also see llamas out in the fields. Lake Titicaca is the highest navigable body of water in the world. Can you see the islands and the boats? What kind of weather do you have? Is it hot, cool or cold?
What kind of clothes do we need to wear today? What kind of weather do you like best?
Lead the children to say, “Thank you God for making all kinds of weather, thank you for creating everything”.
Pillow Mountains
The Andes are the beautiful, rugged mountains of Bolivia. For younger preschoolers gather pillows of various sizes. Pile the pillows in the play area and encourage the preschoolers to climb on the pillow mountains. Canadian Baptist Missionaries live in Bolivia and travel over the Andes mountains to tell people that Jesus loves them.
Cut out several llamas, hide them in the play area. As children climb over the mountains encourage them to find the llamas and put them together in one place.
Kantuta
The Kantuta is the Bolivian national flower. The Kantuta grows in gardens, parks or wild in parts of Bolivia. Give each child a piece of blank, white paper. If possible use variegated (yellow to red) tissue paper. Older children may trace the pattern on the yellow –red edge of the paper. Young children may be given a kantuta shape to glue on the white paper. Give children several flowers and encourage them to arrange them on the white paper. Glue them in place. Add a green calyx to the bottom of each flower. Add leaves. The flower usually hangs like a bell, on a thin, vine-like stem . If variegated paper is not available use yellow construction paper and color the opening of the flower red.
Taken from: “God’s Family (the church)
Around the World Unit 1”
“Buenas Nuevas –
Good News”
Primary Mission Ed booklet 1987
Produced by the Mission
Education Sub-Committee of the Canadian Baptist Federation
Missionary Name & Picture Match
On a bulletin board place the map of Bolivia, flag, llama, and pictures of Canadian Baptist Missionaries who are currently serving in Bolivia. Check with Canadian Baptist Ministries for a current list and pictures. Show preschoolers a picture of one of the missionaries, ask the child to find the matching picture of the missionary on the bulletin board. Say the name of the missionary and have all the children repeat the name. Young children may find it easier to say either their first or last names rather than both names. Continue matching the missionary pictures and repeating the names until each child has had a turn. Pray for the missionaries.
Make a Llama
Llamas are important animals in Bolivia. They are used to carry things. Their wool is used to make warm clothes: hats, blankets and sweaters. Their meat is used for food. Show children pictures of llamas. Cut out a llama for each child, older children may be able to cut it out by themselves. Cut out the llama shape on a folded piece of heavy paper or light cardboard. Place the back of the lama on the fold, do not cut through the fold line, so that the llama will stand up. Glue pieces of cotton balls to the llama. You may glue a small piece of fabric to the llama’s back for a blanket or tie a ribbon around its neck.
Maps
Provide a map of Bolivia for each child. Find Lake Titicaca, color it blue and/or place a boat sticker on the lake. Find the lowland area where it is very warm and where bananas and oranges grow. Color this area (from Santa Cruz to the Paraguay border) yellow and/or place banana stickers and tropical fruit stickers in this area. Place Bible stickers on the city of Oruro, where the first Canadian Missionary, Archibald Reekie began a school. Place Bible stickers on Cochabamba where the Baptist Seminary is located and students learn to teach God’s Word and become pastors. Place music note sticker on la Paz to indicate the Christian radio station, “Radio La Cruz Del Sur” (Southern Cross Radio Station) You may cut out the hat from white paper and color the band black and place it on Cochabamba. This is a typical hat worn by women in this area. A 1lama can also be added to the map. You may choose to add a sticker or picture to the map during each session, rather than starting and finishing it all at once. This can be a continuing project from week to week.
Easy Stamps
Cut several different simple shapes from
self-adhesive weather stripping. Some shapes are: heart, star, triangle,
rectangle, circle and moon. Peel off the paper backing and attach each
shape to a film canister for easy gripping. Provide various colors of ink
pads and paper and watch the children have fun making pictures with the
stamps.
Map, kantuta, and hat outlines taken
from:
“God’s Family (the church) Around the World Unit 1”
“Buenas Nuevas – Good News”
Primary Mission Ed booklet 1987, p. 13, p. 20, p.
50.
Produced by the Mission Education
Sub-Committee of the Canadian Baptist Federation
LLama and man
(Black and White)
LLama and man
(colour)
Lake Titicaca
La Paz women singing in church