Die Stadt Juliaca

The population of the city spans a broad spectrum of social classes. There's a conglomeration of city and rural inhabitants, but few foreigners. The tourists that fly into to Juliaca for the most part continue on to Cuzco or Puno, the tourist centers of the highlands.

The main problem in the city is the high unemployment rate and the resulting high crime rate. It's altitude makes it a difficult climate to live in, with high winds, cold temperatures and very dry air.

On all sides of the city farmers are busy planting and harvesting wheat, barley, potatoes, quinua (a Peruvian grain), and fodder plants for animals, as well as feeding their herds of cattle or sheep or llamas on the tough highland grass. Because of the high altitude, there are few trees - mostly little pines, eucalyptus or collis.

It is summer, rainy season, during the months of January till March. Dry season starts in May, continuing through the coldest months of winter, June through August, and ends about October. The transitional months, April-May and Nov-Dec, are usually not too wet, yet at these times it hails or even snows a little.

The Catholic church of Juliaca.

Since the Spanish conquered Peru, the Catholic Church has had a great influence on the religious customs and traditions of the people. Unfortunately, the Christian festivals and practices are oft mixed with heathen or animistic beliefs and rituals. One gets the impression that, especially here in the high plateau, the former empire of the Incas, the natives have only superficially accepted Catholic forms or names, but deep down continued in their old traditions.

Witchcraft, occultism, fortune telling, etc., are practiced openly on the streets and market places. Even some cases of human sacrifice continue today as in ancient times. Many still believe that "Pacha Mama", "Mother Earth", must be appeased before making any decision of importance.

Meanwhile, the influence of many cults is growing.

There are various evangelical and pentacostal churches of different denominations. A few years ago, many of these churches came together to form a evangelical association of pastors, which became an official legal association in 2001, in an effort to work more closely together. Since then the pastors have been meeting weekly for prayer, mutual encouragement and exchange of information. Many interdenominational events have been borne of these meetings, such as prayer events open to all churches, joint evangelistic outreaches to the city, and many of the weekend seminars at "Chacra de Dios" are held for groups of churches.

Most of these evangelical or pentacostal churches are small (15-80 adult members) and, for various reasons, slow growing. The pastors must work hard, since the churches often cannot fully support them. Most of them have not had the chance to receive a theological training and often work without much assistance from church members. Remaining faithful to their calling requires much perseverance and faith from them.

Thus there is a great need for training evangelical leaders and church workers, so that not all the burden rests on the shoulders of just a few pastors.

In the rural communities surrounding Juliaca there is also a great need for evangelical churches. There are seldom pastors or mature Christians who can preach and teach the Word, disciple new believers and evangelize in these communities. And for many, the cities are too distant and transportation too expensive.