Bob and Lynne Trout joined ABWE in 1966, faithfully serving as missionaries ever since.
Over their decades of ministry, Bob has worn many hats—church planter, regional director for Spanish-speaking South America, director of Member Care, and current director of ABWE’s Ambassador Ministries serving retired missionaries. We recently asked Bob and Lynne to reflect on a lifetime dedicated to missions and the faithfulness of God.
Q: Tell us a bit about your journey with ABWE.
Bob: My wife, Lynne, and I have been married for 62 years, and we’ve had a wonderful journey. God has been generous to us. We have served with ABWE for 59 of those years, with 45 in Latin America—Peru, Paraguay, and Colombia—and the remainder in the US.
Lynne: We have three children, 11 grandchildren, and four great-grandchildren—a real blessing. We first went to Lima, Peru, with a three-year-old, a two-year-old, and a six-week-old baby. Looking back, we must have been crazy—but when you’re young, you do crazy things for the Lord.
Q: How did God lead you into missions?
Lynne: I remember clearly accepting the Lord as my Savior at Geneva College. That night, I couldn’t sleep, thinking, I’m 18; why hasn’t anybody told me this before? I told the Lord I wanted to share the gospel with others, because surely there were others like me who had never heard.
Bob: My father was a businessman, and I was heading that direction. But after 13 job interviews upon college graduation, none seemed right. We began attending a church with a strong missions program, and the Lord used veteran missionaries Bill and Elva Scherer to direct us toward missions. Our first ministry was in Lima, Peru, where the Scherers had served.
Q: Can you share a memorable story from your ministry?
Bob: In Lima, we met a young man who had attempted suicide but miraculously survived. In the hospital, unable to speak, he trusted Christ after some Christians shared the gospel by writing it down for him. Despite severe speech difficulties, he dedicated his life to ministry, eventually becoming president of the pastors’ fellowship in Peru. Later, he even moved his entire family from Lima to Bogota to plant churches, selling his house to fund the move. God used him tremendously; his testimony became a widely viewed gospel video in Peru.
Q: You experienced both joy and hardship. What was a particularly difficult moment?
Lynne: While serving in Bogota, a woman hurled a large piece of concrete through our car windshield, severely injuring our daughter, Holly. It broke her nose in three places, and she sustained other serious injuries. I vividly remember wrestling with God, thinking, Lord, you can do anything to me, but don’t touch my kids. It was the only time we seriously considered leaving the mission field. Yet, looking back, I’m thankful God didn’t let us quit. Had we left, we would have missed seeing him plant 26 churches.
Bob: That event happened in 1980. Had we left, we would have missed decades of blessings in Colombia. God’s faithfulness sustained us, and our ministry blossomed.
Q: What is your fondest memory from the field?
Bob: We watched God grow churches beyond expectations. We once started a church in a garage with 30 people; today, three services pack in 350 worshipers weekly, still focused on preaching the Word. Seeing nationals multiply ministries was deeply rewarding.
Lynne: My fondest memories revolve around answered prayer. We’ve seen God provide money when there was none, change weather, and save countless souls. Those answered prayers stand out most vividly.
Q: What was it like transitioning back to the US after 45 years on the field?
Lynne: It was incredibly hard. I realized I was more Latin than American. Bob reconnected quickly, but I struggled. In Colombia, I’d been busy with Bible studies, discipleship, and ministry. Coming home was isolating. Thankfully, over time, God gave me ministries teaching women and children.
Bob: Adjusting was challenging. The contrast between Colombia and the US was stark—such wealth here, yet so much complaining. Yet, God was faithful, guiding us into our new role with ABWE Member Care.
Q: Tell us about your current ministry.
Bob: Today, we serve in member care, specifically focusing on ABWE’s retirees through the Ambassador program. We have about 300 retirees, and we’ve expanded gatherings to multiple states so retirees can stay connected. We help them navigate life’s transitions and maintain meaningful ministry involvement. For us, it’s about ensuring they never feel disconnected.
Lynne: Bob spends hours on phone calls and emails—maybe 500 to 600 a month—to answer financial questions, pray, or just check in. These relationships are vital. I stay connected through weekly Bible studies and discipleship classes with women in Bogota.
Q: How would you like to be remembered?
Bob: Faithfulness. I saw it in my dad, who served faithfully until age 97. Faithfulness is stewardship—caring well for what God gives.
Lynne: Every night, we thank God that we can still serve him. All we’ve ever wanted is to serve faithfully until he calls us home or returns.
Q: What advice would you give someone considering cross-cultural ministry?
Bob: Make sure that you don’t allow your schedule to become so busy that you neglect your personal time with God. Faithfulness, a teachable spirit, and mutual respect for your colleagues are all essential, regardless of the stressors you face in life and ministry.
Q: Any final thoughts?
Bob: Our life hasn’t been easy, but it has been greatly blessed. Our pastor used to say, “Just preach and pray and plug away.” That’s what we’ve done, and that’s what we’ll keep doing.
