World Race Country #1: Colombia
The first of our 11-month journey begins in Colombia. Colombia named after Christopher Columbus in its present form has been in existence since the 1800’s with human civilization being present in Colombia far before that. Colombia has had a turbulent history marked by slavery and appropriation of indigenous land during the Colonial period, and political instability, civil war and drug-related violence in recent years. Despite reforms, Colombia continues to be plagued by illegal factions and drug trade violence.
Despite this, the largely homogenous culture is a rich artistic blend of Spanish customs, tribal heritage and Afro-Caribbean traditions. Colombia’s turbulent history has created a racially tolerant, proud culture made up of people with Spanish, indigenous and African heritage.
Being the fourth largest country in South America and one of the continent’s most populous nations, Colombia has large oil reserves and is a major producer of gold, silver, emeralds, platinum and coal. However, the country has a highly stratified society where the traditionally rich families of Spanish descent have benefited from this wealth to a far greater degree than the majority mixed race population.
The World Race reaches out to indigenous tribes, college students, and families living on the streets – this will be the mission of my team in Colombia. Will you partner with us?
World Race Country #2: Ecuador
Month 2 of our 11-month Journey will begin in Ecuador.
Ecuador’s tumultuous history is, in many ways, cyclical. The country continually struggles against deep-rooted social, political-economic, and geographical challenges. The same factors that determined Ecuador’s history during the last two centuries continue to dominate its landscape at the beginning of the 21st century. During Ecuador’s Pre-Colombian Period, a variety of indigenous groups coexisted for thousands of years before being subjugated, first by the Inca and then by Spanish conquistadors. Although both conquests were brutal invasions, inhabitants suffered far more under Spain than under the Inca.
In Ecuador, the majority of the nation’s wealth sits in the hands of a very few; a small middle class struggles to survive; and more than half of the country’s population hovers at or below the poverty level. The economy continues to enjoy periods of “boom” and suffer periods of “bust” due to its dependence on a few export commodities, such as oil. The constant rise and fall of the economy makes it very difficult for Ecuador to realize any meaningful economic, social or political changes. This persistent regional rivalry often determines the outcome of key national issues and frequently paralyzes the government. Since independence from Spain in 1822, there have been more than ninety changes of power. On average, every two years a new civilian or military government takes control. Governmental institutions, without opportunity to mature, have been unable to address Ecuador’s constantly re-emerging problems.
More than a fourth of Ecuador’s population lives below the poverty line. Earthquakes and other natural disasters have also devastated this country, leaving many homeless.
Will you help me minister to those people looking for hope?
World Race Country #3: Peru
Peru is best known as the heart of the Inca empire, but it was home to many diverse indigenous cultures long before the Incas arrived. Although there is evidence of human habitation in Peru as long ago as the eighth millennium BC, there is little evidence of organized village life until about 2500 BC. It was at about this time that climatic changes in the coastal regions prompted Peru’s early inhabitants to move toward the more fertile interior river valleys. For the next 1500 years, Peruvian civilization developed into organized cultures, including the Chavìn and the Sechìn.
Peru’s current population of about 31 million is divided almost equally between the highlands and the population centers of the coast, and that division marks a sharp cultural as well as geographic divide. The inland regions are marked by extreme poverty and subsistence agriculture, while the fertile river valleys of the lowlands have produced a wealthier, more cosmopolitan culture. Almost half of Peru’s people are Indian, while another one third or so are mestizo. About ten percent are of European descent, and there are significant African and Asian minorities. Although Spanish is Peru’s official language, a multitude of indigenous languages continue to hold sway in the highlands.
Peru experiences wide spread problems like government corruption, teenage pregnancy, substance abuse, and crime. Peru is one of the world-leading producers of cocaine.
Will you help our team share the word of God’s love to the people of Peru?
World Race Country #4: India
The 4th country on our trek across the world will be in India. India is the birthplace of many of the world’s religions. Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism, originated in India. India also has many places of worship and holy sites of Islam, Christianity and the Jewish faith. A country that occupies the greater part of South Asia. It is a constitutional republic consisting of 29 states, each with a substantial degree of control over its own affairs; 6 less fully empowered union territories; and the Delhi national capital territory, which includes New Delhi, India’s capital. With roughly one-sixth of the world’s total population, India is the second most-populous country, after China.
India has the largest democracy and is a rising economic powerhouse and nuclear – armed state, India has emerged as an important regional power. But it is also a place struggling with huge social, economic and environmental problems.
Discrimination poverty, human trafficking, child abandonment – these are a few of the issues many people of India face.
Will you help us impact lives by supporting my teams work in India?
World Race Country #5: Nepal
Nepal is a place with a rich cultural heritage. Culture has been called ‘the way of life for an entire society’. The statement holds particularly true in case of Nepal where every aspect of life, food, clothing and even occupations are culturally classified. In a society so feudalistic and so fractured across class lines, cultural heritage comes as a fresh wind. The culture of Nepal includes the codes of manners, dress, language, rituals, norms of behavior and systems of belief. It is surprising to note that a country as poor, illiterate and backward as Nepal displays such flexibility when it comes to incorporating traits from other cultures. Culture in Nepal is an assemblage of music, architecture, religion and literature. The mountain kingdom of Nepal is multi-ethic and multi-lingual.
Nepal had experienced a struggle for democracy at times in the 20th century and early 21st century. During the 1990s and until 2008, the country was in a civil strife. As one of the world’s poorest countries, Nepal’s economy relies heavily on aid and tourism. A devastating earthquake in 2015 killed thousands of people, flattening villages and reduced numerous heritage sites to ruin. The political infighting has delayed much of the reconstruction despite billions of dollars having been pledged. Nepal, being primarily Hindu and Buddhist, Christianity is now on the rise.
Will you help us love and serve the people of Nepal?
World Race Country #6: Rwanda
Four months of my eleven-month journey will be spent in Africa, the first stop is Rwanda. Rwanda known as the “land of a thousand hills,” Rwanda is a mountainous country located on the far western edge of the Rift Valley, bordering on Burundi, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda, and Tanzania. Rwanda rises from relatively flat plains in the east along the Tanzania border to steep mountains in the west along the continental divide between the Congo and Nile rivers.
War and political turmoil have led to radical population shifts in Rwanda in the past decade. According to the 1991 census, the total population of Rwanda was 7.7 million, with 90 percent of the population in the Hutu ethnic group, 9 percent Tutsi, and 1 percent Twa. During the 1994 genocide, an estimated 80 percent of the Tutsi population living in Rwanda were killed, perhaps 600,000 people.. Meanwhile, several hundred thousand Hutu also died in the genocide and war and from diseases like cholera that spread in refugee camps.
Today, Rwanda is striving to rebuild its economy, with coffee and tea production among its main exports. While 38% of the population is Christian, the Christian God is considered synonymous with the traditional Rwandan god, Imana, to many.
Will you support my team and I as we preach the gospel of love and forgiveness to the people of Rwanda?
World Race Country #7: Uganda
Uganda, once a kingdom of British protectorate, for most of the later half of the 20th century, Uganda was under military rule, first under Idi Amin, the subject of the film The Last King of Scotland. Much of northern Uganda was also troubled by the Lord’s Resistance Army, which caused 20 years of conflict along the country’s northern border, abduction of more than 20,000 children and displacement of some two million people. A cease fire which occurred between the Ugandan Government and the LRA came into force in 2006. Child labor and prostitution are still issue sin Uganda today. While the country has won praise for its vigorous campaign against HIV/AIDS, it has also attracted international attention for its hardening stance against the LGBT community. One of the poorest countries in the world, many refugees who have fled to Uganda are unable to find jobs. Referred to as the Pearl of Africa, Uganda is diverse in topography and wildlife.
Will you help us minister, serve, and love those in Uganda through The World Race?
World Race Country #8: Kenya
Who hasn’t heard of Kenya in their lifetime? The Kenyan people are colorful, musical, artistic and hungry for the love of Christ. The Maasai bush, the Nairobi metropolis, and the Kibera slums comprise a country diverse yet unified in history. As a new era dawns in Kenya, so does the gospel of truth and faith.
By meeting felt needs in the bush and the city, participants help bear lasting fruit with current ministry partnerships (ministries like evangelism, orphan care, and community development), and build foundations of future partnerships.
Will you help my team minister to those in need?
World Race Country #9 Ethiopia
The birthplace of coffee, literary and archaeological discoveries date back to Bible times. The Orthodox Church even claims to have the Ark of the Covenant. It’s also a nation well acquainted with pain.
The Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia is a sovereign landlocked country located at the north eastern part of Africa (the horn of Africa), covering a total land area of about 1,100,000 square kilometers. Just a bout 15.1% of Ethiopia’s total land area remains arable. Although landlocked, Ethiopia is often referred to as the “water tower” of eastern Africa because of its many rivers and lakes. With a population of 108 million people it is the second most populous country in Africa today.
Ethiopia is unique in many ways, one of those ways is they have been able to survive the late 19th century “Scramble for Africa” thanks to its uniquely successful military resistance.
Ethiopia was the first independent African member of the 20th century League of Nations and the United Nations. Abundant with natural resources including gold, potash, unexploited natural gas or methane, copper, and platinum.
Ethiopia has seen great improvements in several sectors of its economy, particularly within infrastructure these past couple of years. According to the Worlds Bank Group’s latest assessment, poverty in Ethiopia fell from 44 percent in 2000 to 30 percent in 2011 which translated to a 33 percent reduction in the share of people living in poverty. Despite these great achievements, at least 37 million Ethiopians continue to wallow in poverty and according to recent studies, the poorest in Ethiopia have become poorer in the sense that, the high food prices that improves income for many farmers, also makes buying food more challenging for the poorest especially those in rural areas.
Due to extreme poverty and hunger, most children of school going age are out of school and most are forced into child marriage, child labor, child trafficking and most recently, child prostitution. Poor governance, rampant corruption, lawlessness, etc. remain some of the top issues facing Ethiopia today.
Will you help share the love of Jesus with people hungry for hope? #11in11
World Race Country #10: Romania
The final two months of our journey takes place in Europe. Romania, the home of Dracula brings thousands to explore the history and beauty of Romania, from its castles to the idyllic countryside dotted with horse drawn buggies and endless herds of sheep. Romania has seen many empires come and go, from the Roman and Ottoman to the Austro-Hungarian. After World War II the country fell under Communist rule, although the leadership pursued a foreign policy independent of that of the Soviet Union. In 2004 Romania took a major step away from its past when it was one the seven countries to join NATO. In 2005 the EU accession treaty was signed, paving the way for Romania to eventually join the union in 2007. Still, economic growth is an impossible dream for many orphans and widows, who struggle for food and hope for the future.
Will you help my team share the good news of being remembered and loved by God with those who feel forgotten and alone?
World Race Country #11: Ukraine
The last month of our journey across the world will be in the Ukraine. Ukraine who gained their independence after the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. Since then they have veered between seeking closer integration with Western Europe and being drawn into the orbit of Russia, which sees its interests as threatened by a Western-leaning Ukraine. Europe’s second largest country, Ukraine is a land of wide, fertile agricultural plains, with large pockets of heavy industry in the east. While Ukraine and Russia share common historical origins, the west of the country has closer ties with its European neighbors. A significant minority of the population uses Russian as its first language, particularly in the cities and the industrialized east. The most common religion is Eastern Orthodoxy. It’s estimated that 75% of the population believes in God, but only 37% attend any kind of service regularly. The government has shown little effort in responding to what has been called an “epidemic” of human trafficking; Men, women, and children in Ukraine are being trafficked for the purpose of forced labor and sexual exploitation.
Caught between the East and the West, the past and the future, the people of Ukraine need to know God sees and loves them. Would you help our team share the love of God in the Ukraine?
