Hi friends and family! We have arrived in Medellin, Colombia! For this month we are partnering with an organization called “Ciudad Refugio” (City of Refuge). This ministry is established in the city and is already doing great things for the homeless, youth and drug addicted populations in this part of the country.
The ministry building that we are staying in is a five-story building in the center of the city that gives homes and help to the hurting in this community. The first floor of the building turns into a homeless shelter at night. The ministry was started with this shelter and the hope that Jesus brings to all people including the ones living on the streets. There are around 13,000 homeless people that sleep in this ministry building every year and they are given help, rehabilitation, and the option to get involved in discipleship programs here.
Some of these people also decide to become a part of the residential restoration program. The second floor of this building is allocated as rooms for men (the third floor is for women) who are given care, rehabilitation classes, discipleship, trained in jobs, conduct service for the ministry and they form a community. The ministry gives life skills, a mentor to each person, and teaches life ethics with an ultimate goal of keeping people off of drugs, giving them a lasting hope, and also giving people the tools that they need to get back into the community and remain self-sufficient. The ministry has had tremendous success with this program!
A third thing that the ministry does is a youth development program. There are many homes of children in the community that are at a high risk to become involved in gangs or involved in drugs. The ministry gives children the option to live here instead so that they have access to the school district, they are assigned mentors, trained in leadership development and they get to live in a drug and alcohol-free environment.
I am extremely encouraged by the work that the ministry here is doing in this neighborhood! This part of town was run by Pablo Escobar and his gangs only 30 or so years ago and is now on the rise again because of organizations like this doing great work! In my time here, I will have the opportunity to support the long-standing missionaries by serving with the children, with the homeless populations staying here, and with another branch of prison ministry that the ministry is involved in.
As my team is getting involved here in this city, I would really appreciate your prayers for my team as we step into working in a very heavy atmosphere for ministry this month, prayers for the women that we will work with this month and that they can see another way of living life. Lastly prayers over the city of Medellin, and that people in need of support can hear about this ministry and get the help that they need.
Thank you as always for your love, support, and prayers.
Love always,
Claire
