In Bolivia most Friends live in the rural areas. They depend on the farming to feed their families and others who live in the cities. My Friends church is located in a small community of the Andean lands. Bolivian people there have only one harvest season. The produce—such as potatoes, beans, wheat, and quinoa—sometimes is not harvested in March because the rainstorm, cold weather, and hail destroy their plants. At the church, Friends are confident that God protects their crops from bad weather conditions. However, whenever it is raining a lot or is hailing, the non-Christians and civil authorities ask Friends to join them in prayer to God in a community worship service on the top of a mountain. Friends go and pray with them for the protection of all the crops in the community. Since local authorities arrange this community worship for Sundays, Friends only have one hour of worship in the early morning that particular Sunday (instead of the habitual whole day of worship at the church), so they attend the community worship on the mountain.
This community worship service as a sacred ritual is held on the top of the mountain with all children, men and women of the community. Usually the main worship leader is a Friend and other religious leaders help with the program, too. These people from the community not only do praying there but also do reconciliation with each other. That day, religious and civil leaders start asking and giving forgiveness each other on their knees, and the others follow that example.
Contributed by Emma Condori-Mamani, a Friend from Bolivia
