History

How Misión Timoteo began.

Misión Timoteo has been a foundation in Bolivia since 1992. The founders are Dick and Therese Altena, who were called by God to go out to Bolivia.

They started a children’s home in Santa Cruz primarily for children who are living in prison. This very vulnerable group of children is living there with their parents. The children are not in prison because they committed crimes, but because there is nobody to take care of them outside the jail. More than 700 children from the age of 0 to 10 years are living in the governmental prison from Santa Cruz de la Sierra, called Palmasola. Within the walls of the jail, many of them become victims of smuggling drugs or /and sexual abuse.

Later on, Misión Timoteo also began to work with orphans and street children, who found a home at Misión Timoteo as well.

CHILDRENS HOME AND DAYCARE.

Since 1995, the children home has been located on a big property at the border of the city. In the 5 units, Misión Timoteo takes care of about 50 children, sometimes more, sometimes less, whose parents are in prison. Each house has a Bolivian couple to take care of the children. The children get all they need such as food, clothes, medical care and psychological help. They grow up with the gospel, they go to school, and sometimes they visit their parents in jail.

Close to the children home, the Misión has also constructed a daycare. About 60 children from the neighborhood are taken care of daily. The parents of those children have to work very hard to maintain their family and to survive. To avoid that those children leave for the streets, they can come to the daycare. In addition, in this way, the children are able to hear the gospel.

BET-EL  AND THE FARM

In 2002 Mision Timoteo received grant money from the Dutch embassy to buy a farm. Here Misión Timoteo built a house for the street kids giving them the opportunity for rehabilitation. In Santa Cruz de la Sierra alone, there are about 6 thousand street children!

In Portachuelo, the Mision could buy a property from about 244 hectares with a farm on it. The Misión built a rehabilitation center for boys from 10 till 15 years. Here they can free themselves from a life dominated by drugs and persecution by the police.

Through buying and selling cows, the Mision will try to maintain the projects at least partially. The farm is also a good place to get some work experience. In addition, we want to give the street children the opportunity to learn about mechanics, carpentry and bakery. 

THE COUNTRY BOLIVIA

Bolivia is very well known for its culture but also for the overwhelming flora and fauna. Nevertheless, with 8 million inhabitants it is also one of the poorest countries of Latin America. It is a country that struggles with corruption, high crime level, drug negotiations and the deepest poverty. Survival is the most important thing for the Bolivians to think about. And that’s especially for the children of the Bolivian community. Many of them are living in the most miserable circumstances. 

THE LOGO

The logo shows the mission of Misión Timoteo:

People have to be freed from their imprisoned position whether it is intellectual or spiritual. Many people are addicted at drugs, alcohol, clue, etc. There are also people who really are in jail without any form of due process and they have to be liberated.

The red hand is the hand which is imprisoned in darkness and which cannot go by itself to the light. The white hand is not a closed one. It is the helping hand. Human people can do that, but most of all it is God who really will liberate them. He reaches out to all those who really search for Him.

This LOGO is made by Jeroen Hemmes and Heidi van den Ham and was given to Misión Timoteo.