Dear friends,
For the past 30 years, our mission in Colombia has covered a wide range of outreach—building churches and schools, conducting mass evangelism, distributing Bibles, and more. But at the heart of it all, we are especially called to serve children, particularly those facing difficult and often heartbreaking circumstances.
We’ve always believed that if there’s a Christian church in a community and a state-run children's home nearby, the children in that home would be loved and supported. Sadly, we discovered that the opposite is often true.
That realization and a deep conviction to help connected us to the Refuge Boys’ Home 12 years ago. Our desire was simple but powerful: to reach boys at one of the most vulnerable times in their lives and love them in Jesus’s name. We began with what we had—bags of snacks, games, warm hugs and a listening ear.
We wanted these boys to experience the kind of childhood that most take for granted—attending church, going to camp, seeing a circus and feeling like part of a family. So, we leveraged our relationships with local churches and brought them into the mission. Today, half the home’s board members are Christians from the area, and many of the boys now attend local congregations.
Alongside this, we began improving the physical space. Canadian outreach teams came in to help renovate this rundown home: painting, installing new floors, replacing the roof, adding washers and dryers, and even a TV—basic things the boys had long gone without. But God had something even greater in mind.
Although Refuge is a secular foundation created by the city of Chiquinquirá and supported only minimally by Colombian social services, we’ve had the privilege of seeing some of these boys grow up and even graduate as professionals.
Originally built for 30 boys, the need quickly outgrew the space. Six years ago, God placed a vision in our hearts for a new facility on an unused piece of land next to the home—a two-story structure. The first floor would house a community day program to keep kids out of full-time care, and the second floor would be a transition home for university-aged boys.
This transition home is critical. In state care, children are protected, but often aren’t taught the life skills they need to thrive on their own. And they don’t experience true love. Under different regulations, we’re now able to teach older youth how to cook, clean and live independently while pursuing their education, setting them up for long-term success.
Another need we’ve seen is for full-time staffing. Currently, many positions are part-time, which leads to high turnover and inconsistent care. With this expansion, we hope to offer stable employment to those serving the boys. We aim to improve the quality of care and provide dignity for the staff and their families.
But how do you build something this big with no money? You start with faith! We spray-painted a shovel gold, held a groundbreaking ceremony, and taught the boys a lesson in trusting God for the impossible.
Then, we went to work. Outreach teams helped us lay the foundation. When the pandemic brought construction teams to a halt, God stirred hearts to give, and we pressed on brick by brick. In March 2025, we celebrated the inauguration of the new transition home with representatives from the home, the local church (both Evangelical and Catholic), government officials and social service leaders.
We are now finalizing licensing, and once complete, we will be one of just seven such facilities in all of Colombia.
The impact? We’re expanding from serving 30 boys to over 70, and with the new day programs, we will be able to reach hundreds more—boys and girls—within the broader community.
For us, this is not just a construction project. Our connection to Refuge represents a living, ongoing ministry—a surrogate family to children longing for hope and love. We’ll keep taking the boys out for pizza, spending days at the pool, kicking a soccer ball around, and reminding them they are deeply loved by a Father who believes in them and has a purpose for their lives.
Being far from our own sons, this work is deeply personal. We are parenting frightened children learning to trust again—one step at a time.
While the building may be complete, the mission continues. There are still opportunities for outreach teams to come and serve, teach and invest in these young lives.
Are there ongoing needs? Absolutely. A basketball court needs rebuilding. The bunkbeds could use replacing. And those tile floors we installed eight years ago are beginning to show their wear.
The work and ministry continue. God’s call to reach the youth of Colombia continues. We are privileged to see young lives transformed by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Thank you for walking this journey with us.
Much love,
Darren & Patty McCrea
Darren and Patty McCrea are global workers with Mission Global. Visit www.ourlovingfather.com.
This article appeared in the October/November/December 2025 issue of testimony/Enrich, a quarterly publication of The Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada. © 2025 The Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada.
Photos above: Sunday afternoon at the boys’ home. Children playing basketball with a team from Bethel Church in Hamilton, Ont.
Darren and Patti McCrea, and Darren at the breaking of ground ceremony. Photos © Mission Global.