While serving at Fundacion Ciudad Refugio, some of us got the chance to go out and minister to homeless individuals in Medellin. It was a Wednesday after a Men’s church service they have at the foundation each week – we gathered around Harry, a missionary and leader of the foundation, to listen for instructions on how the evening was going to work. Once we prayed, we piled into the back of a truck and a van and made our way to the site where we would be evangelizing. We would be passing out aguapanela (a sweet, warm South American drink) and bread on the street – the foundation does this every week, and as far as I understand, handing out augapanela is how the entire ministry began.
Once we arrived, we gathered together once again to pray. After prayer and last minute instructions we split into groups of four to go talk to people while a few people stayed near the van to pass out the aguapanela and bread. We were in a relatively small area, maybe the size of a football field and there were people scattered along the curbs.
As we approached the area where everyone was congregated, I was overwhelmed by the smell of drugs. I found myself trying to discretely keep the smell out of my nose, but gave up very quickly. We were surrounded by a couple hundred people who were either doing drugs or were drunk. I felt the need to be hyper-vigilant of my surroundings, I wanted to be aware. We spoke to a handful a different people, some more coherent than others.
We asked God to lead us to a specific person, then asked them their names, followed the conversation wherever it lead, told them about the foundation, and left them with a track if they wanted it. It was simple. It wasn’t the evangelizing that made me feel uneasy, it was that I had never experienced the enemy in the ways I was at that moment. I have never had contact with any sort of drug, and being exposed them in such a widespread way for the first time was shocking, to say the least.
As we were talking with our 4th or 5th person, someone came and told us it was time to go. We tried to wrap our conversation as quickly as possible, and soon another person came down and told us to leave with a bit more urgency. The group and I made it up to where the van was, we prayed for everyone we met by name, and packed back into our respective vehicles.
Again, there was urgency in peoples voices – I was very confused and by looking at my squad mates faces I could tell they were shaken up and feeling that same shock that I was experiencing. All of the aquapanela had been passed out and Harry had decided that it was time for everyone to leave. We trusted the Lord to protect us and He did, but that didn’t soften the blow of emotions we were all feeling as a side effect of the ministry we had just done.
The ride home was quiet. I remember asking at one point, “Does anyone else just feel like crying?” to the other people in the back of the truck. There were a few answers and a couple of conversations. There was an overwhelming feeling of shock, but what we had just experienced was something that words will never be able to describe properly.
When we got to our home next to the foundation, Harry addressed all of us just to get the story straight. He told us that there had been a few conflicts between different people, but that no one was injured. We gathered inside and worshiped together, then I tried to go straight to bed. I was ready to cuddle up into my sleeping bag and just let my tears soak into my pillow, but a few minutes after I had settled in for the night I realized that I needed to write everything down. I knew that if I didn’t do it right then, that I wouldn’t be able to capture everything in the same way the next morning.
I wrote down all that had happened and specifics of what we saw. I honestly felt a little numb to feeling – I think that was my reaction to the shock of it all. As I worked on understanding, to the best of my ability, all that had happened I continued to write over the next few days – that felt like the only thing I could do to process.
I wrote, “There was so much brokenness that we saw last night. I literally looked evil right in the face. It has been hard to understand why God would allow all of that to happen.” It was literally dark, as well as spiritually. We could see and feel the spiritual warfare as soon as we had arrived.
One of my squad leaders, Allie, helped me process the next day. I talked to her about how I would look into people’s eyes and not feel like there was a person inside. How people looked hollow and empty, and they didn’t communicate, move, or function like a human. I knew God was good, but I just didn’t understand how He would allow people to wander that far away from all that is good. I didn’t understand how God would allow Satan to rule over those people. I didn’t understand how people could become so addicted to a substance that they lose most human-like qualities about them.
Through all of this I realized that if God made every single lost person on this planet come to Him, faith would be non-existent. I realized that He gave us free will for a reason. Just like any other relationship, it is a two way street. He can pursue us, but if we don’t choose Him back there is not a relationship.
I felt hopeless after seeing so many people that were lost. I knew that the only thing I could do was pray that they would wake up and find the track we gave them in their pocket. I knew all I could do was pray that they would come to the foundation for a place to sleep, but I wanted to do so much more. I wanted to be there with them, and spend more time with them. I wanted to show them that Jesus could bring them so much more joy than drugs ever could. But, right now the Lord is calling me to prayer for those people and He has been teaching me that prayer is enough.
After walking through all of the emotion and confusion, I realized that Jesus is still pursuing those people just like He does with you and me everyday. He wants a relationship with them and He is using people here in Medellin to reach those that are lost. One day this city that is known for drug lords and prostitution will be know for people of great faith. Redemption has come for this city, and you can see it every single day. Our amazing ministry hosts at the foundation are so loving and so passionate about the people in this city, and people are coming to know Christ because of it.
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I still cannot believe that I am fully funded, and I want to thank you all for the overwhelming support. Because of your gifts I got the opportunity to pour into the people of Medellin, and it has been an honor. Please know that your contribution is truly an investment in the kingdom.
Please be praying for my squad! Please be praying for our health and safety as we continue to travel! Please continue to pray for the people in Colombia that are lost, as well as the people who are here expanding the kingdom of God. Please join me in prayer for Fundacion Cuidad Refugio and our ministry hosts.
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