This morning’s Hagerstown (MD) Herald-Mail contains the following story and photo about a team from the Maranatha Brethren Church in Hagerstown (Jay Fretz, pastor). In the photo from left, in the front row are: Bev Stitely, Caleb Myers, Carly Hartman, Hannah Barger, Kelsey Oliver, Bethany Shank, Derrick Martin and James Stoneham; and back row, Pastor Ron Shank, Noah King, Adam Fay, Travis Bolio, Ben Barnett and Alan Myers Jr.
Nine teens and five adults from Maranatha Brethren Church in Hagerstown left for Santa Cruz, Bolivia, on June 18.
For two weeks, they helped with construction projects for the Talita Cumi Girl’s Home and the Cristo Viene Boy’s Home. Both house about 20 children, ages 5 to 23.
Having limited tools, most work was done by hand.
Having limited tools, most work was done by hand.
The group painted an estimated 20,000 bricks, laid about 6,000 stones for sidewalks, dug a 6-foot-deep hole that will be used for a drainage system, laid a brick patio, painted the interior of the girls’ home, and did tile work for the entryways at the boys’ home.
In addition, the team ate lunch with the children, put on dramas and skits, and built lasting friendships.
On the day the group was leaving, one child said, “Thank you for making our home better.”
The mission team went on a weekend retreat in the mountains of Samaipata, where they visited ancient ruins, “and heard the amazing stories from the missionary families they were working with of how God called them into foreign mission service,” Youth Pastor Ron Shank said.