The interns and I have just finished our first month here in Colombia, and in many ways, we feel like we’re still adjusting. Some things are very similar to my South Africa experience; but other things are unlike anything I’ve ever known.
In many parts of Medellin, crime, drugs, and poverty seem to rule the streets unchecked. We see hundreds and hundreds of men sleeping on the ground, mothers digging through trash, kids sniffing glue, young girls selling their bodies. It’s heartbreaking.
Every Friday night, we go right into the midst of it all, into some of the city’s poorest neighborhoods to visit those living on the streets. We offer bread and a hot drink, inviting each one to join us for a service and a meal the next day. Many of the leaders here once lived on these same streets and first came to the program because of someone reaching out with a simple piece of bread.
The ministry here is mostly centered around serving the homeless and helping recovering drug addicts. Every night, La Ciudad Refugio's ground floor is lined with homeless men content to have found a safe place to sleep. Upstairs from them, live a about a dozen guys who are learning to walk in freedom from addiction. Above that is the women’s program where moms and their children find a fresh start in life.
It’s not an easy ministry, but it is worth it all to see the Lord healing hearts and restoring broken lives.
Remember to keep us in prayer.
Thank you.
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