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Bolivia is a landlocked country located in Western Central South America. It became independent of Spain in 1825. The area of this country is 1,098,500 km2 and its population is about 11.4 million (2015). Here is Salar de Uyuni, the world’s largest salt flat. La Paz is the administrative capital, the highest capital (3,650m) in the world; the largest city is Santa Cruz, the commercial city. 

The GDP per capita is $ 6,650 (2016), and its main economic activities include agriculture, forestry, and mining. In particular, oil reserves are the fifth largest in South America, but domestic oil production is insufficient to meet domestic demand, so Bolivia has to import oil. The natural gas reserves also are the second largest in South America. 78 percent of the population is Roman Catholic and 16 percent is Protestant. 

Santa Cruz belongs to the Eastern Lowland. When we arrived, it was 32o C. It was like the spring weather in Paraguay, while it was hot summer-like weather in Santa Cruz. Bolivia UBF is in Santa Cruz. It consists of Chapter I and Chapter II. M. Esteban Cho serves Santa Cruz I as director with his wife, M. Paulina Cho, and M. Mark Shin serves as director of Santa Cruz II with his wife, Ruth Shin.

Santa Cruz I is the second largest chapter in South America, This chapter has about 50 attendants at the Sunday Worship Service and has a normal discipleship ministry. A spiritual revival has been taking place since Santa Cruz II was established 6 years ago with about 15 attendants joining the Sunday Worship Service.  

Four missionaries joined in the CME. On Friday evening, I delivered a lecture titled, “Why should we serve a Campus Discipleship Ministry?,” based on Ephesians 2:10. Subsequently, we had a question-and-answer period for an hour or so. On Saturday evening, we studied Ephesians 1:1-19 with Bolivian leaders. We held a gracious Sunday Worship Service in combination with Santa Cruz I and II.    

On Saturday afternoon, we shared testimonies filled with missionaries’ repentance. M. Mark Shin has decided to keep repenting of the desires of the flesh in order to be led by the Spirit, based on Galatians 5:16-24. M. Esteban Cho has confessed to renew three spiritual blessings every day, based on Ephesians 1:1-19. He has decided to actively help every leader to join in the early morning devotions, imitating Jesus, who got up and prayed very early in the morning while it was still dark. He prayed that God might help him to protect sheep from the trend of a corrupted society and to achieve a disciple-making ministry through early morning devotions.

<Prayer Topics>

Santa Cruz I:

1)  For M. Noah who was sent to Buenos Aires I. 

2)  For campuses in other cities to be also pioneer.

3)  For three messengers: Abraham, Mateo, and Esteban Cho.

4)  For faithful early morning devotions. 

Santa Cruz II: 

1) For one Abraham and the raising of 12 disciples.

2) For self-support. 

3) For powerful Sunday worship messages.