A First Step in Vocational Training

In August we welcomed Rick Cogbill, Todd Green and Ed Hyslip, who came to teach a course on basic automotive repair to some of the mission’s key staff and sponsored students. This, in combination with the maintenance facility currently under construction, marks the beginning of the mission’s automotive vocational training program.

Theory was taught in a thatched gazebo each morning, and afternoons were spent doing hands-on work. What a blessing it was to have skilled automotive technicians on site to undertake the more challenging tasks and to pass some skills along.

In the words of Jacobo, the mission’s main driver, “The vocational training was awesome. It’s helped me a lot to better understand how an engine, the electrics, and brakes work on vehicles. I also learned the importance of regular maintenance. A few weeks ago, two of us who attended the course managed to fix some electrical problems on our truck. This saved the mission a lengthy and costly repair job in town.”