05/12/2026
Dear friends and family,
After almost 17 years on the mission field, serving in Bolivia, we have come to the end of a chapter.
Even writing that sentence feels strange.
In 2009, as green as the grass, Melinda and I sold nearly everything we owned, packed our lives into four bags, and got on a plane to Bolivia. At the time, Bolivia was a country we admittedly knew almost nothing about just a year earlier. We came with fear, excitement, faith, and probably a good dose of youthful ignorance. We were 24 years old, had been married for two and a half years, and knew very little about life, ministry, marriage, or what the years ahead would hold.
But God knew. And what a ride it has been.
Over the years, life in Bolivia has been one of the greatest blessings of our lives. It has also been deeply bittersweet. We have experienced some of the most beautiful moments imaginable, while also carrying the weight of being far away from home during some of life’s most painful and meaningful seasons. We have grieved the loss of close family members from a distance. We have missed the births of nieces and nephews, weddings, holidays, and ordinary moments with people we love in the States.
At the same time, we have witnessed God build something beautiful here. We have attended weddings in Bolivia, watched children grow up, shared life with families, and built friendships that have become like family. We have missed relationships back home, but we have also been given deep and meaningful relationships here. It has been the ultimate catch-22; joy and grief, sacrifice and blessing, loss and gain all woven together.
In many ways, we feel like we grew up in Bolivia.
Our marriage grew here. Our family grew here. Our understanding of ministry grew here. Our perspective on the world, the church, poverty, community, and the faithfulness of God has been shaped in ways we could never have expected. Growing our marriage, raising our family, and serving in ministry within a culture outside of our own has been one of the most unexpected gifts of this journey.
When it comes to ministry, it feels like we have had our hands in almost everything at one point or another. We began in orphan care and assumed, at first, that we might do that forever. And honestly, we would have been completely fine with that. But over time, God opened different doors: youth ministry, leadership conferences, church replanting and planting, community gardens, medical work, village outreach, community programs, discipleship, and so much more.
Looking back, it is amazing to see how little we planned and how much God directed.
That was true in ministry, and it was true in our family too. When people would ask us when we were going to have children, our answer was usually, “One day.” We wanted children, but we did not really have a plan or timeline. We also hoped to adopt one day, but again, we did not know when or how that would happen.
But God did.
Now, all these years later, we have three Bolivian-born children, including one through adoption. Our story has been powerful, humbling, and full of moments that only God could have written. He has intertwined Himself through our lives in ways that are nothing short of miraculous.
And now, after much prayer and consideration, we believe the best move for our family is to return to the United States.
I (Romon) have been offered and have accepted a position at New Covenant Christian Church in Fort Dodge, Iowa, and that is where we will be living.
We are sad about what we are leaving behind, but we are also excited about what is ahead. Bolivia will always be a gigantic part of our story. It is where we grew up in so many ways. It is where our children were born. It is where God formed us, stretched us, humbled us, and allowed us to serve Him for nearly 17 years. Leaving is not easy, and we do not want to pretend that it is. But we also have great peace that God is leading us into this next season.
➤ OVER THE COMING MONTHS we will continue our projects here through the end of the year before handing everything off to local leadership. Our desire is to finish well, care for the people who have served alongside us, and make the transition as healthy and responsible as possible.
➤ Because of that, we are asking, if you are able, that you continue your financial support through the end of the year. This will allow us to continue paying our team and sustaining the work during this transition period.
There is still a lot ahead of us. We will be navigating an international transition, finding a place to live, buying furniture, clothes, vehicles, and all the normal things needed to start again in a new place. It will be a major change in rhythm and lifestyle for our family, and we would truly appreciate your prayers.
➤ PRAYER: Please pray for our family as we prepare to leave the place that has been home for nearly 17 years. Pray for our children as they transition to a new country and culture. Pray for the ministry here in Bolivia as it moves into local leadership. Pray for wisdom, provision, peace, and joy in the middle of all the change.
We love you all, and we are so incredibly grateful for the love, encouragement, prayer, and support you have given us over the years. You have been part of this story. You have helped make this work possible. You have walked with us through seasons of joy, difficulty, growth, and change.
In one sense, this feels like the end.
But in another sense, it’s only the beginning.
The same God who called us to Bolivia in 2009 is the same God leading us now. He has been faithful in every chapter so far, and we trust that He will be faithful in the next one too.
With love and gratitude,
Romon, Melinda, & family
