Following the Master Carpenter

 

 

What is life like on the streets?

What are orphanages like in Cochabamba?

How can we draw orphans and street kids to the Lord?

These are great questions and the driving force behind the ministry of Following the Master Carpenter. 

 

Background on Following the Master Carpenter

FMC was founded by Nate Hitson, a friend of ours who was working for Food for the Hungry International.  The ministry began when Nate was asked to do some small carpentry projects for Food for the Hungry when he wasn't busy with his agricultural projects.  From there others heard of his carpentry skills and began requesting good-quality furnishings for their orphanages.  The first was from a large orphanage known as Salomon Klein, a government-run orphanage with over 200 children below the age of 5!  The cribs the babies were in were made of metal and the spindles were so far apart that the babies could literally get stuck in them!  Nate began making cribs of wood, simple, but effective to help meet the growing need for more and more stable cribs.  Other ministries have since asked Nate to build toddler beds, bunk beds and other furnishings for their orphanages and other projects.  On a side note, Nate and the guys have also built beds for the girls at Casa de Alegria, who's beds had been falling apart from day one (6 years ago) and now are not even worthy of calling beds, they're so broken!  With the growing number of orders, Nate couldn't keep up on his own.  He began looking for help.  It was then that Skip Bachman, a friend of Nate's who works with street kids, suggested that Nate hire them.  These kids are typically addicted to drugs, usually sniffing glue, although cocaine and other drugs are fairly easy to access as well.  Their source of income comes from theft (of cell phones or other similar commodities) or from washing car windows at intersections.  The idea of training the street kids in carpentry gives the boys incentive to stop doing drugs (required before working in the shop), and also allows them to earn an honest income, which many of them long to do.  Carpentry is probably the most high-demand position in Cochabamba currently.  With much prayer, the work of training in the boys began.  Only a handful of boys were selected and allowed to work and they don't get paid the day they work, so they can't choose to work one day so they can have drugs.  The trial period went well.  At that point Nate returned to the US for a time of fundraising and upon his return he officially began Following the Master Carpenter this year, 2009.  He was able to return to Bolivia and purchase all the tools needed for the project and purchase some wood for his current projects.  Nate also added a very important person to his ministry, Javier Soliz, the technology missionary that we've written so much about.  Javier was once a street kid and came to know the Lord while serving time in jail. As a result of his conversion, hundreds of Bolivians have come to know the Lord and/or grown in their faith through his technology ministry.  He has now joined up with Nate and is making a tremendous difference in the lives of these boys because they can relate to him and just like those who ministered to Javier, he won't give up on them when they backslide, but keep encouraging them forward.  Javier prays with the boys every day before working.  The boys are so humbled to have someone take a chance on them and give them an opportunity.  Please pray for the workers that they could see that it's only through the One who created them that they will finally be able to live up to their full potential and have a great hope and future! 

Today, the ministry looks slightly different from its original design.  After months of trying to work with kids who come directly from the streets, Nate and Monte found that it was almost impossible to find consistent help who would stay off the drugs and come regularly.  At about the same time, the Lord provided a new location for the shop- on the property of a new drug rehabilitation center.  Nate's hope is that as the guys get rehabilitated and show desire to stay clean, that we can work with the center to help train up and continue the discipling process for these guys.  Please pray that all of the details will work out and that there will continue to be a tremendous spiritual impact on those involved.  Currently Nate and Cindy Hitson are in the US working to raise additional support for the construction projects, equipment, and funding to help pay the workers.  If you're interested in helping with that, please let us know or check out www.followingthemastercarpenter.com.  They will return in June.

So what is our role in all of this?

Well, Monte is a carpenter by hobby.  He loves designing and building furniture.  He has missed it like crazy since he didn't have any tools here.  We were so excited to hear about this ministry and have been praying about our role in this ministry all along, but we thought we were heading back to the US, so we didn't commit to the project.  Now that we know we'll be here for some time more, we feel the Lord leading Monte to work with the ministry of Following the Master Carpenter.  As this is a new program, Nate, Monte, and Javier will be working out the kinks of the program.  We are so excited about the potential of this program and the hundreds of people it will bless as a result!  Please keep praying for the safety of the guys and for the positive influence that Nate, Javier and Monte will have on these boys.

While Nate is gone, Monte is the currently the only one at the shop, so he just takes on little projects for the moment.  He has one apprentice that he works with in the afternoons named Junyor.  Junyor is a believer, but doesn't have a strong walk, so please pray for him as well.

 

How can you be involved?

We're glad you asked!  #1  You can PRAY!  #2, you can help with FUNDING for the projects.  These orphanages cannot afford to buy new furnishings of any kind.  Funds are also needed to pay the boys a small wage.  Javier also receives a salary as he plays such a vital role in the lives of these boys.  And #3, you can also get involved personally by coming!  That's right COME TO BOLIVIA!  You can come on a short-term trip and even be part of a short-term team.  If you are experienced in carpentry or have a friend or relative who is and who would like to come, we'd love to have you!!!  If you don't have experience, but would still like to come, we can use you too!  We can help organize trips for individuals and teams and help you every step of the way.  The trip would also include visiting orphanages so you can see first hand that these furnishings are being put to good use and who is getting blessed by these projects!  We can put together ministry trips for those not interested in carpentry as well, so please know that you're still invited!  #4, Another way you can be involved is that you can SEND GIFTS.  You can send two types of gifts- gifts for orphans, particularly small items that can be brought down by teams, or gifts for our incentive-program for the boys working towards more competency in carpentry.  As they become proficient at a certain tool or skill, the boys will receive recognition and when possible, we'd like to honor them with a gift such as safety glasses, a hand-sander, or other work-related items, allowing them to build up some tools of their own for their own future.  At the end of the program, we'd like to reward them for their accomplishment by giving them a special tool set, perhaps including a skill saw and other much-needed items.  Donations of tools and equipment through companies or foundations would definitely be welcome!  Shipping of gifts is difficult, so that is another challenge to be praying about as well.  As you can see, we are thrilled at the possibilities and appreciate your support of us and our ministry.  Thank you so much, and may the Lord bless you as you've blessed us!