Building Upon Itself

Hola from Colombia! We’ve been here almost 2 weeks and I can already say without a doubt it’s my favorite country I’ve been to. The culture, the city of Medellin where we’re staying, and more than anything the people, have made it a month I already know will be incredibly difficult to say goodbye to. 

Ephesians 4:16, “from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so it builds itself up in love.”

Coming into Colombia I had heard two things, that it was the most spiritually heavy month for most people, and that everyone raves about our ministry host. While the city does indeed have a lot of heaviness, the hope that comes from this ministry is insane and combats the heaviness well. I’ve never in my life been so obsessed with a place or a ministry so let me tell you a bit about what they do. 

Ciudad Refugio is the name of the place we are staying and working this month and a city of refuge it has in fact been. They have a homeless shelter, feeding programs, rehabilitation programs, children and teens living and serving there, and just about any other ministry to people brushed aside by society you can think of. They see the marginalized and they provide genuine holistic help, where each level builds upon another. 

Yeson our go to for all our questions and our resident Spanish teacher translating and praying with me over this sweet woman. 

Literally, the ministry started with the homeless shelter on the ground floor and those who were in the shelter built the second floor that became the men’s rehabilitation program (it’s a teen challenge program!). The men on the second floor not only got to build the third floor which became the women’s rehabilitation program, the men also facilitate the homeless shelter. It’s incredible the way they get to help show those in the shelter that there’s a better way and that getting off drugs is worth it than someone who has lived their story in the past. 

There’s a children’s program on Saturday where the kids get to come learn about Jesus, dance around, and get food. There’s a teens program where those with bad home lives can come stay from Friday till Sunday in the foundation and attend youth group and church (some live there full time). There‘s a bakery that benefits the ministry and employs those coming out of the program, and they do all of it on top of running a whole church out of their building. 

my favorite people in every country are always the kids 

We’ve done park ministry, visited inclianados (a house that has been rented out to multiple families all crammed into it), done elderly care at a nursing home, prayed with people and given out food in the worst street block for drug use in the city, and that doesn’t even scratch the surface of the way this ministry is caring for people and serving the Lord. 

Pastor Harry, one of the three leaders here, telling us the story of the ministry and the intentionality behind how the building was made. For example, Pastor Douglas had the foresight in the beginning to create the building with openings up top and slit like windows on each floor so they don’t need electric lights until the sun goes down. 

All of it builds upon itself and true change is demonstrated in the fact that a lot of staff members are people who have come through the program and have so much freedom in Christ that they want to share it with others in similar situations as they were. It reminds me of Ephesians 4:16 ““from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.”

struggling through guitar but Vanessa is always the kindest and most encouraging. She grabbed me as I was going up the stairs to put the guitar away and said she wanted to sing while I played so we got to start a worship song randomly in the middle of the bakery. 

It’s incredible, it’s beautiful, it’s building itself up in love and most importantly it’s obedient. Everyone in Ciudad Refugio is very obviously going after God’s heart and obeying the ways He says to minister His love to those around them. 

I’m sure I’ll have much more to say about it in future blogs because I love it so much, and also every call I receive in the next month will probably be about just how much I love this city and seeing the things God is doing in it. 

The youth kids!!! Literally they have my heart, I love them so dearly. They’re trying to flip the water bottle, which we did for a solid hour. 

This ministry has challenged me to really look out for the marginalized and to really serve them the way Christ would. I hope hearing just a little bit about it challenges you in the same way and makes you want to demonstrate Christ’s love to those who need to know it.