The final phase of this project will be a place where students will learn a trade in order to make a living after they graduate.

The vision of building this school began 15 years ago. Fifty different men from Trinity have worked on this project and we have given over $350,000 to see it completed. I have heard it said, “Never overestimate what can be done in one year, and never underestimate what can be done in ten.” To see the completion of this project is something special indeed.

Many of the families of our team of men also sponsor a child attending this school through Latin America Child Care (http://www.lacc4hope.org). For $30 a month a child can go to school and receive food and care. More importantly, they receive a touch from someone who will introduce them to Jesus.

During our time there, Craig Bell, the missionary and myself had a chance to visit the Palmasola prison, which is in itself a small city. Although there have been improvements in the prison over the last 15 years, it is still not a place for children. Barbwire fences rope off grassy areas where the kids play. During the day, the children and spouses are allowed to leave the prison to go to school or work. The school was built for the purpose of serving these children as well as students from the surrounding area.

Back at the school, missionary Steve Patutschnig arranged a special day for the prison children who attend the school. They came from the prison and received a new backpack with their name on it, new and free uniforms, a hot meal, new shoes, and a bunch of school supplies that we brought with us. Steve has an amazing heart for these kids. He is a great host and fits in well with our team as they joke and tease each other in ways that only guys can do.

Realizing that this is the completion of the project which started fifteen years ago, makes this trip all the more special. Although the men are focused on the construction, they are also well aware that they most likely will not return to this particular place – at least not for construction. With that in mind, on Sunday, several of the students came to the project to help, working alongside us for several hours, pointing the brick and helping in any way. Although it slowed the work down a little, it was well worth it. Gerald and Horst, our elder workers, worked patiently with them and we all enjoyed their company.

Most of us who sponsor a child at the school got a chance to meet our sponsored child and bring gifts. I was able to see my girl, Georgia (11) and her sister Yada (13). What a thrill it was to see them two years in a row. The children in Bolivia have a way of capturing your heart and you really feel like they are yours.

Wayne Leatherman had the opportunity to go to his sponsored girl’s house for lunch. He truly enjoyed the visit and graciously ate the lunch. Steve told him that the only rule of eating the food that is offered is this, “If it moves, don’t eat it!” Wayne’s girl came back with him and worked alongside of him for the afternoon, shoveling concrete into a bucket to be lifted up to the second level.

Many thanks need to be given to Craig Bell for making this happen. He has led seven trips and is the one that keeps everything running. He motivated individuals to press on with plans to go on this trip, even though for many of them it was an incredible sacrifice. At the end of the week, they will present the school with several plaques recognizing the work of Trinity throughout the years. They will also present a surprise plaque to “Missionary Craig”. I only wish I could be there to see it. Although Craig resides in Monkton, Maryland, his heart belongs to the children of Bolivia.

This final project cost $60,000 for construction materials, which was donated by the people of Trinity through special gifts and following through on Faith Promises. It is because of generosity like this that we can continue to make a difference around the world. We thank God every day for pastors Earl Baldwin and George Raduano for their belief in something beyond themselves.

I know without a doubt that the men of Trinity, over the last fifteen years, were doing the work of Christ in Palmasola, Bolivia. Please pray for the children of Bolivia. The political climate is changing and we do not know what is in store for this country. It seems to grow more socialistic every year. We know that in the years to come we will hear about the time some people from Maryland showed up in a poverty-ridden community and reached out to the children by building a school and from that school came missionaries, evangelists, pastors and community leaders, all pointing people to Jesus.

Continue to pray for missionaries like Steve and his family. They face continual challenges in ministry, both personal and professional. Pray for God’s favor and blessing on their lives.

Since the beginning of this trip I have noticed a passion demonstrated by each man on this mission team to serve the Lord. They do this without hesitation, no matter how hot the weather or how inconvenient the timing may be to their busy lives. A mission trip is about getting closer to the Lord and showing His love to others by serving those less fortunate than ourselves but now I also realize that a project can be made or broken by the people you are serving with. As the youngest member (age 21) of this mission trip, I witnessed not just a group of men giving of themselves for the Lord but a band of brothers that have been brought together through their love for Christ. On the first day of work, I was honored to not only work with these great men of God, but to be included in their group as one of the men, and not as the kid of one of the men. They welcomed me into their group and treated me as if I had been with them since day one, over 19 years ago. I was taught how to properly lay block, ceramic tile, and mix the cement for each. They taught me these skills so that one day I might teach others to do the same. The steadfastness in their service toward the Lord gives me encouragement and hope that I too may be able to serve the Lord with such consistency in my life, as they have done in theirs. - Matt Robinson