Working with the Deaf and Hearing Impaired

Do you know sign language and have a heart for the deaf and hearing impaired? One of the largest unreached people groups in Bolivia is the deaf and hearing impaired community. Through our medical clinic in the city of Potosí, we have access to this community every day, but we long to be able to share the love of Jesus with them through teaching sign language, organising support groups, and caring for their physical, emotional, and spiritual needs. Our prayer is that the deaf and hearing impaired and their families in Potosí would come to know Jesus as their Lord and Saviour, learn Bolivian Sign Language, and have access to resources that will help them to flourish in all aspects of life. If you know sign language, would like to work with the deaf and hearing impaired, are a social worker, a psychologist, a counsellor, an Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) specialist or a plastic surgeon, we would love to have you join our team!

Bolivia, South & Central America

Any duration

The Quechua in Peri-Urban Areas

Ministry to the Quechua once required travel to distant and difficult-to-access villages. But the urban population has exploded as rural Quechuas have moved to cities for opportunities afforded there. Churches in peri-urban areas where SIM workers minister need Bible teaching and help to reach their Quechua neighbours of all generations for Jesus Christ. Ministry opportunities include oral Bible teaching, social work to equip local churches to minister to challenges in their churches and communities and Sports Friends (See our Sports Friends entry for details). Community kids’ clubs, church-based children’s ministry, friendship evangelism, discipleship, mentoring and tutoring youth are ministry options. Are you compassionate, adventurous and can see yourself sharing your faith in Christ-in-life relationships? Join us in Bolivia!

Bolivia, South & Central America

Mid term (1 to 2 years)
Long term (+2 years)

Guest House Coordinator

The guesthouse is a home away from home for SIM workers, both long and short-term, while in Cochabamba. New workers find temporary housing at the guesthouse while learning language and culture. We are looking for a person with a servant heart and a love for hospitality to help with this ministry. Some administrative skills would be helpful.

Bolivia, South & Central America

Any duration

Training Bolivian Church Planters

God is raising Bolivians with a clarion call for church planting and mission in Bolivia’s capital city, La Paz However, it is a challenge for them to find training and support from their local churches. The SIM La Paz team longs for God to establish a coalition of Bolivian churches which is biblically and financially committed to planting gospel-focused, disciple-making, missional churches. For this reason, we are providing training for church planters and their wives, as well as training for churches to ignite missional, life-on-life discipleship movements in their congregations so they can send out mature and equipped believers who are passionate about declaring and demonstrating the gospel, whether across the street or around the world. The SIM La Paz team needs discipleship and church-planting trainers and a person to mobilise churches and individual believers toward missional living and giving.

Bolivia, South & Central America

Long term (+2 years)

Theological Education

The Bolivian church is following its call to mission near and far, and sending workers where the gospel is least known. To help meet the need for Bible formation, SIM Bolivia is seeking qualified seminary teachers who are passionate about discipling and equipping students to assume leadership in local churches, gospel ministries and for mission. Workers must demonstrate a willingness to learn a high level of Spanish, acquire cultural insight and be able to partner with local Bolivian leaders. There are opportunities in seminary and non-institutional training. Can you see yourself on a team of local and expat theologians investing in the next generation of Christian leaders in the global south? Join our team in Bolivia!

Bolivia, South & Central America

Long term (+2 years)

Medical Health Care

Potosí, a mining town more than 13,000 feet metres above sea level, is home to many vulnerable and at-risk families who face a variety of medical challenges. A lack of affordable, quality health care further complicates the high medical morbidity and mortality rates. Our team interacts with these families by providing medical care in an outpatient clinic, called Allinta Ruwana, and also works with local churches and their ministries. Our passion is to point people to the Great Physician as we serve as his hands and feet. We would love to invite you to join our team if you are a physician, nurse, physical therapist, counsellor or social worker who has a heart for sharing the hope of Christ with the most vulnerable. If this sounds like you, or something you might be interested in, please prayerfully consider joining us!

Bolivia, South & Central America

Any duration

Mining Families

In Potosí, a city which stands at 13,000 feet above sea level, mining is one of the major industries. Those who go down the mines enter one of the darkest places on earth, physically and spiritually. We want to let them know that even where the sun cannot reach them, they are still within the reach of God’s love. Our desire is that they may know the power of the gospel and that their lives would be filled with the hope of the Lord of heaven and earth. There are many opportunities to reach out to this community! If you are a pastor, a social worker, a teacher, a medic, a sports coach, a safety officer, an engineer, a miner, an emergency medical technician, a paramedic, a fire fighter, a sustainability/community development specialist, or someone who has a heart for children, consider joining our team to let God’s light shine!

Bolivia, South & Central America

Any duration

Carachipampa Christian School

As our motto “Educating for Eternity” states, Carachipampa Christian School strives to prepare students for life and eternity through a quality international education grounded in God’s word. We integrate faith, learning and living through a Biblical worldview. In addition to the academic programme, we want our students to know and understand the gospel, become disciples of Jesus, be impacted to live for him and continue to make other disciples. Our desire is to reach future potential leaders of Bolivia, impacting Bolivian society from the top down. To do that, we need trained English-speaking teachers who are passionate about their subject or grade level, sharing the gospel, making disciples, and ministering in a Spanish-speaking culture.

Bolivia, South & Central America

Mid term (1 to 2 years)
Long term (+2 years)

Children with Special Needs

There are many children with special needs in Bolivia, including ADHD, autism and Down's Syndrome. Unfortunately, these families and their children face additional challenges because they are often marginalised and under-served. We are reaching out to them with the love of Jesus, showing them how special they are in his eyes and helping these children and their families thrive. Talk to us to find out how you could help. We organize support groups caring for their physical, emotional, and spiritual needs and hold workshops for parents and teachers of special needs children. Do you have a heart for children with special needs? We are looking for psychologists and therapists, including occupational therapists, physical therapists, speech and language pathologists/therapists. Come be a part of our multidisciplinary team bringing hope to families of children with special needs. Empower a child’s life!

Bolivia, South & Central America

Any duration

Bolivia’s Youth and Children

Childhood is when people ususally choose to become Jesus followers. It is a time of formation and decision-making, yet a time of vulnerability for potential abuse and harm. Minors need safe spaces and safe people to nurture and guide them in life. More than 50 per cent of Bolivia’s population is aged 25 or younger, so ministry focused toward children and youth presents a tremendous opportunity to develop life-long disciples of Christ. The Bolivian church has asked SIM for workers to partner with them to build leadership capacity in children and youth ministries. SIM is seeking workers to be involved in Bible clubs, puppet ministry, camping, sports, after-school tutoring, youth mentoring, big brother/big sister relationships, Young Life, university ministry, church or community-based youth groups.

Bolivia, South & Central America

Any duration

The Shoe Shiners of La Paz

Kayuparu means 'at his feet', and is a ministry that is reaching out to the masked shoe shiners of La Paz. The shiners hide their faces behind masks because there is a strong sense of shame associated with being a shiner. In the eyes of society, they are invisible and insignificant. A lot of them are students who need the work to pay for their tuition, others are facing economic hardships. Our desire is for them to realise they are not insignificant and invisible in the eyes of God, and that they find hope in Jesus as their Lord and Saviour. Join our team to reach out to the shoe shiners and their families!

Bolivia, South & Central America

Mid term (1 to 2 years)

S.H.I.N.E. Africa Project

We teach how the honour-shame dynamics of Scripture relate to cultural dynamics. Are you interested in equipping people with this knowledge and seeing transformation in lives for God's glory?

Botswana, Southern Africa

Any duration