Happy September, and welcome to our Seventh missions spotlight! Guyana is September’s focus country, and I hope you enjoy our little trip to this South American nation! So without further ado, let’s take off!

Country: República del Guyana

Continent: South America

Population: 786,552 (2020)

Capital: Georgetown

Largest City: Georgetown

Motto: One People, One Nation, One Destiny

National Anthem: “Dear Land of Guyana, of Rivers and Plains”

Current Leader: Irfaan Ali

Language: English

Bordering Countries: Suriname, Brazil, and Venezuela.

Religions: (As of 2012) Hindu (24.8%); Pentecostal (22.8%); Other Christians (20.8%); Roman Catholic (7.1%); Muslim (6.8%); Seventh-Day Adventist (5.4%); Anglican (5.2%); Irreligious (3.1%); Other (2.6%); Methodist (1.4%); Jehovah’s witnesses (1.3%). Nearly 75% of the population is involved in false religion, and probably more have never heard a clear Gospel presentation from the Bible.

Animals of Interest: Jaguars, Caimans, Sloths, Howler Monkeys, Horses, Anteaters, Coatis, Ocelots, Geckos, and Giant Otters, just to give a sample!

Famous Foods: Pepper Pot (Slow cooked Stew of meat, Caribbean peppers, cinnamon and cassava root sauce); Metemgee (stew of yams, plantains, cassava, and coconut milk curry broth); Fried Bora (a Chinese green bean, fried in a garlic soy sauce glaze).

Fun Facts: Kaieteur Falls is the number waterfall in the Worldwide Waterfall Database! Guyana is the only South American Country with English as it’s first language! Guyana means Land of Many Waters!

Missionaries: (Subject to Additions!)

Prayer Requests: Pray that the light of the Gospel will reach this nation and turn it around from an idol-worshiping nation to followers of Christ. FBN is heard in this country, so please pray that God will bless the broadcast and that the Guyanese people will hear the Gospel. And above all, pray for laborers to go and serve!

Don’t forget to check your list of missionaries at your church for Missionaries to Ecuador! Encourage your family to pray for them and perhaps send them a note of encouragement!

Have a blessed week!
Ryana Lynn
Jude 22

Happy August, and welcome to our sixth missions spotlight! Ecuador is August’s focus country, and I hope you enjoy our little trip to this South American nation! So without further ado, let’s take off!

Country: República del Ecuador

Continent: South America

Population: 17,643,054 (2020)

Capital: Quito

Largest City: Quito

Motto: Dios, Patria y Libertad (God, Homeland and Liberty)

National Anthem: “Salve, Oh Patria” (We Salute You, Our Homeland)

Current Leader: Lenín Moreno

Language: Spanish

Bordering Countries: Peru and Colombia.

Religions: Catholic (79%%); Protestant and Baptist (13%); Unaffiliated (5%); Other (3%) (Pew Research, 2014). Over  87% of the population is involved in false religion, and probably more have never heard a clear Gospel presentation from the Bible.

Animals of Interest: Galapagos Penguin, Toucans, Waved Albatross, Giant Armadillos, Harpy Eagles, Jaguars, Spectacled Bears, Scarlet Macaws, and Anacondas, just to give a sample!

Famous Foods: Locro de Papa (Potato Stew), Cuy Asado (Roasted Guinea Pig) Llapingachos (Fried Potato Pancakes filled with cheese and covered in peanut sauce, chorizo, fried eggs salad and avocado), Mote Pillo (Hominy and scrambled eggs), and Encocado de Pescado (Fish with Coconut Sauce).

Fun Facts: Ecuador literally means Equator! Ecuador, Colombia, and Venezuela used to be one country! Sad but true, Charles Darwin developed some of his evolutionary theories in the Galapagos Islands of Ecuador. Panama Hats actually come from Ecuador.

Missionaries: (Subject to Additions!)

Prayer Requests: Pray that the light of the Gospel will reach this nation and turn it around from an idol-worshiping nation to followers of Christ. FBN is heard in this country, so please pray that God will bless the broadcast and that the Ecuadorian people will hear the Gospel. And above all, pray for laborers to go and serve!

Don’t forget to check your list of missionaries at your church for Missionaries to Ecuador! Encourage your family to pray for them and perhaps send them a note of encouragement!

Have a blessed week!
Ryana Lynn
Jude 22

Happy July, and welcome to our fifth missions spotlight! Chile is July’s focus country, and I hope you enjoy our little trip to this South American nation! It’s been so much fun for me, reviewing all these countries I learned about in Spanish 2! So without further ado, let’s take off!

Country: The República de Chile

Continent: South America

Population: 18.73 Million (2018)

Capital: Santiago

Largest City: Santiago

Motto: Por la Razón o la Fuerza (By Right or Might)

National Anthem: “Puro, Chile es Tu Cielo Azulado” (How Pure, Chile, is Your Blue Sky)

Current Leader: Sebastian Piñera

Language: Spanish

Bordering Countries: Peru, Bolivia, and Argentina.

Religions: Catholic (45%); Protestant and Baptist (18%); Unaffiliated (32%); Other (5%). Approximately  77% of the population is involved in false religion, and probably more have never heard a clear Gospel presentation from the Bible.

Animals of Interest: Culpeo (fox-like creature), Chilean flamingo, Hippocamelus (a type of llama looking deer), Rheas (a large bird), Kodkod (a member of the cat family), and Southern River Otter, just to give a sample!

Famous Foods: Paste de Chocl0 (corn casserole with meat stuffing), Cazuela (beef, chicken, corn, rice, and potato stew), Completo (a jumbo hot dog with Mayonaise, tomatoes, onions, pickles, and Sauerkraut!), Porotos Granados (Bean stew with mashed corn, onions, pumpkin, garlic, tomato, and basil), Sopaipillas (Pumpkin fritters), and Chorlillana (sliced beef with fries, eggs {scrabbled or fried} and fried onions).

Fun Facts: The world’s largest swimming pool is in Chile! The Chilean Andes mountains have some of the largest active volcanos! Chile is home to the world’s oldest mummy!

Missionaries: (Subject to Additions!)

Prayer Requests: Pray that the light of the Gospel will reach this nation and turn it around from an idol-worshiping nation to followers of Christ. FBN is heard in this country, so please pray that God will bless the broadcast and that the Chilean people will hear the Gospel. And above all, pray for laborers to go and serve!

Don’t forget to check your list of missionaries at your church for Missionaries to Chile! Encourage your family to pray for them and perhaps send them a note of encouragement!

Have a blessed week!
Ryana Lynn
Jude 22

Happy 1st of June, and welcome to our fourth missions spotlight! Colombia is June’s focus country, and I hope you enjoy our little trip to this South American nation! Having friends that serve there makes this post even more exciting to me! So, let’s go!

But before we do...

Congratulations to Ribbon Ash for Winning the Giveaway! I will be emailing you your prize shortly!

Country: Spanish Republica de Colombia

Continent: South America

Population: 50,882,291

Capital: Bogota

Largest City: Bogota

Motto: Libertad y Orden (Liberty and Order)

National Anthem: “Himno Nacional de la Republica de Colombia” (National Anthem of the Republic of Colombia)

Current Leader: Ivan Duque Marquez

Language: Spanish

Bordering Countries: Brazil, Ecuador, Panama, Peru, and Venezuela.

Religions: Catholic (79%); Pentecostalism (6%); Mainline Protestant (2%); other Protestant and Baptist (6%); Other Religion (2%); Unspecified (5%). Approximately  90% of the population is involved in false religion, and probably more have never heard a clear Gospel presentation from the Bible.

Animals of Interest: Blue-Billed Curassow (bird), Multicolored Tanager (bird), Pink River Dolphin, Cotton-Top Tamarin (monkey!), Orinoco Crocodile, 89’98 Butterfly, Jaguar, Capybara (a large rodent), and Poison Dart Frogs, just to give a sample!

Famous Foods: Bandeja Paisa (grilled steak, fried pork rind, chorizo sausage on a bed of white rice and beans, topped with a fried egg), Arepas (flatbread made of cornbread, served with butter or cheese), Fritanga (grilled chicken, beef, and pork, and fried plantain), Bunuelos (ball-shaped fritters, made with white cheese), Empanadas (a pastry filled with beef, chicken or cheese, rice, and coriander), Patacones (deep-fried plantain pancakes), Pandebono (bread made of cornflour, cheese, and eggs), Sancocho (a stew of meat, plantain, cassava root, coriander, sweetcorn, and potatoes), Cholado Colombiano (crushed ice, fresh fruit, condensed milk, shredded coconut, and blackberry syrup).

Fun Facts: In Colombia, a typical breakfast drink is hot chocolate with cheese! Colombia is the only country in South America that has two coastlines, the Caribbean and Pacific! One/third of Colombia is made up of the Amazon Rainforest! Every day at 6 am and 6 pm, radios are required to play the National Anthem! The colors of the flag stand for bloodshed in the War for Independence (red), the riches of the country (yellow) and liberty and sovereignty (blue)!

Missionaries: Aaron and Aubrie Vance! (bemagnified.org) This sweet family of 6 came to our church for our Missions Conference, and shortly after that, we took them on for support. They were expecting their 2nd daughter at the time. We got to spend a good deal of time together, and I was so excited to have Brother Vance help us out on our bus route on Sunday Morning. Being fluent in Spanish, my kiddos just loved him!

Prayer Requests: Pray that the light of the Gospel will reach this nation and turn it around from an idol-worshiping nation to followers of Christ. FBN is heard in this country, so please pray that God will bless the broadcast and that the Colombian people will hear the Gospel. And above all, pray for laborers to go and serve!

Don’t forget to check your list of missionaries at your church for Missionaries to Colombia! Encourage your family to pray for them and perhaps send them a note of encouragement!

Have a blessed week!
Ryana Lynn
Jude 22

Welcome to our third missions spotlight! Bolivia is May’s focus country and I hope you enjoy our little trip to this South American nation!

Country: Republic of Bolivia

Continent: South America

Population: 11,673,021

Capital: La Paz and Sucre (yep, two Capitals!)

Largest City: Santa Cruz de la Sierra

Motto: La Unión es la Fuerza (Unity is Strength)

National Anthem: “Bolivianos, el Hado Propicio” (Bolivians, a most Favorable Destiny)

Current Leader: Juan Evo Morales Ayma

Language: Spanish is the main one, but they have multiple native languages recognized as well!

Bordering Countries: Brazil, Paraguay, Argentina, Chile, and Peru.

Religions: Catholic (70.0%); Protestant (includes Baptist, because for some reason Wikipedia is confused on that, lol! We’ll forgive them I guess 😉) (17.2%); None (9.3%); Mormon/JW (1.7%); Other Religion (1.2%). Approximately  83% of the population is involved in false religion, and probably more have never heard a clear Gospel presentation from the Bible.

Animals of Interest: Spectacled Bear, Giant Otters, Capybara, Guanaco (a llama type animal), Viscacha (rabbit), Andean Condor, Chinchilla Rat, and Giant Armadillo, just to give a sample!

Famous Foods: Sopa de Mondongo (veggie and tripe soup), Sajta de pollo (Chicken with onions, tomatoes, peas, and yellow chili peppers and, with an array of seasonings, including cumin!), Arroz con queso (Rice and Cheese), Anticucho (beef heart, usually, kabobbed),  Silpancho (white rice, boiled or steamed potatoes, beef or chicken, and fried eggs), and Majadito (rice, dried meat, chopped onions, and tomatoes).

Fun Facts: Bolivia was named after Revolutionary Simon Bolivar, the first president of the country! Bolivia was home to the ancient Incan civilization! Bolivia has 37 official languages! Bolivia is one of two land-locked countries in South America!

Missionaries: (coming soon!)

Prayer Requests: Pray that the light of the Gospel will reach this nation and turn it around from an idol worshiping nation to followers of Christ. FBN is heard in this country, so please pray that God will bless the broadcast and that the Bolivian people will hear the Gospel. And above all, pray for laborers to go and serve!

Don’t forget to check your list of missionaries at your church for Missionaries to Bolivia! Encourage your family to pray for them and perhaps send them a note of encouragement!