The Ciudad Refugio Youth Development program was birthed out of our children’s ministry outreach in the community of Manantiales.  Manantiales is the second largest community of internally displaced persons in Colombia. Displaced individuals find their way to this community from throughout the country, displaced due to armed violence, natural disasters, and forced land acquisitions devastating the livelihood of the campesinos (local farmers).

After several years of building relationships within the Manantiales community Ciudad Refugio volunteers noticed that the older youth were at a particular high risk due to gang exposure, drugs, broken homes, and lack of access to education. We began to pray and committed ourselves to look for ways to work with these youth, and asking the Lord to lead us to those who had genuinely made a decision to follow Jesus and were interested in changing their lives and futures.

Ciudad Refugio has now developed a small group youth some of who sleep here on weekends others of whom live here with us fulltime.  Our goal is to provide an environment and opportunities for them to succeed in life- spiritually, physically, and emotionally.  We offer them a second home and we mentor them vocationally, academically, spiritually and relationally.  It is our desire to raise up this next generation of leaders to serve and transform the Manantiales community.