We arrived in Medellin, Colombia at about 5 am on Wednesday Morning after 24 hrs of traveling including a 13 hr layover in Ft. Lauderdale. As many of you know Ft. Lauderdale was the scene of a shooting about a week ago. As it turns out our baggage claim and where we spent the majority of our 13 hrs was right beside the baggage claim where the shooting took place. It really put the World Race and what it was all about into perspective for me. There are a lot of hurting and broken people in this world and they are need of the hope and Peace that Jesus provide. My team and I had the opportunity to pray over and provide a little peace to a waitress we met while eating lunch at the airport who had worked while the shooting was occurring.
We finally landed in Medellin about 3 am and then had to take an hr bus ride to Ciudad Refugio, the ministry that my team will be living at and serving alongside. Traveling with 50+ and all of there gear can get quite interesting especially on little sleep at 3 am.
The last two days have been of transition and rest as several of the teams have to travel to other parts of Colombia where they will be spending the month serving. Today we had the opportunity to learn a little bit more about the organization and the impact God is making here in Medellin.
Ciudad Refugio is a organization that was started by a Argentine Canadian Missionary from Time Square Church in New York. The Organization works a lot with the unwanted or discarded people of Medellin. This may include drug addicts, prostitutes, homeless, and children with learning disabilities that the education system failed. The ministry is housed in a five story building with each floor serving a specific purpose. The first is a Church/ Homeless shelter/ parking garage with a bakery on the front end of it that participants in the rehab program work out of. The Second and Third is for a rehab and rehabilitation facility for both men and women who may be Drug addicts, prostitutes and alcoholics. On the fourth floor they have a home school for children who may have learning disabilities or fell behind and didn’t quite fit in the normal school system. The people who are in the rehab center also work and clean at the ministry. Their focus is to use the Holy Spirit and discipleship to rehabilitate the individuals while providing them with life skills and trades so that they can become productive members of society again. 70% of graduates within the program remain clean 5 years later.
We will be working in several capacities while here at the ministry. Some days we might be receiving food donations that goes into feeding the homeless and children programs. We will also be working with children in the community who might be at risk for falling into life on the streets. They Believe it is better to disciple and teach them when they are young so they are not the people who end up in the rehab program in their 20’s.
Thank you everyone for your continued support. If you would like to check out more about the organization and maybe get a better understanding of all that well will be doing over the next month feel free to visit there website http://ciudadrefugio.org/
I would love to go into more specific detail however I don’t want my blogs to become overdrawn out and long to where no one wants to read them. If you would like to know more info personally you can always email me and I’d be glad to go more in depth when I have the time available. [email protected]
Now that I am actually in country and serving I will be looking to write a blog at least once a week to keep each and every one of you updated on all that God is doing.
