interview with A MISSIONARY: JERRY AND BARB MANDERFIELD - YOUTH AND FAMILY MINISTRY IN Medellin, COLOMBIA
Recently, we had the opportunity to catch up with Jerry and Barb Manderfield to learn more about the great work of God among youth and families throughout Medellin. Serving in Colombia for the last 15 years, the Manderfields are partnered with Comunidad Cristiana de Fe (Christian Community of Faith Church), a vibrant church located in the heart of Medellin. You can find even more information about the Manderfields' work in our latest issue of 1:ONE.
ITeams: Could you share with us a little bit about your ministry in Medellin?
Barb: Our primary ministry has been to raise up youth groups in local churches. In Medellin we were part of the team that planted our current church. We started with just a couple of youth and now the youth group has grown to about 1,200. The youth ministry includes evangelism (we have done student equipping events in Medellin and several other cities - encouraging young people how to share their faith with their friends), new believers retreats, discipleship, a school of ministry (currently with 700 students), cell groups, and training and outreach to parents.
We also work with youth leadership training within the city and in other cities in Colombia and other parts of the world. The things we implement in our church, we have taught and mentored in other cities.
Jerry is, also, director of a ministry to street children and their mothers. We call it the "House of Refuge". We have a school established within it and provide daycare and meals for the children. Many of the mothers were (or are) drug addicts. They would do prostitution to gain money for their habits. One day we had provided glasses to one of the children and the next day he came without the glasses because the mother had sold them to pay for her drug habit.
We then realized that we needed to reach out to the mothers as well. We started to invite them to help serve the food and play with the children and now we are teaching them to make jewelry to sell and we have a small food business that the mothers participate in to earn money in a respectful way. We have had some great successes and some great disappointments in this ministry.
ITeams: Has all your time in Colombia been in working with youth?
Barb: Yes, youth has been our primary ministry. Jerry led worship and was in charge of the sound when we first started the church plant in Medellin. Now, some of our youth have grown up and so we also are working with young couples and even with some children. We have been asked to do conferences for parents and couples as well. Youth ministry in Colombia actually includes young people from the ages of 14 to about 24.
ITeams: What, in your experience, is the biggest need of the youth living in Medellin?
Barb: The youth in Medellin are similar to the youth in the rest of the world. They are hurting because of broken families. They look to fill their need for love in sexual relationships and alcohal.
One of the main differences here are the number of youth that are struggling with homosexuality (it may be that we have been out of the states for a long time and the amount of homosexuality has grown there, too.) Many of the youth were abused when they were young. Some of them were just left alone too much because both parents were working and they started experimenting with each other and began to enjoy it. When they come to get help, it is because they feel trapped and they want to be set free. This has been an area that many youth are affected by.
Another difference is the violence. We have worked with youth that have killed. Some for pay, some for a dare, and some for anger. This is not as common a problem as youth
that struggle with pornography, homosexuality, promiscuity, and alcohol but it is something we often have to deal with.
Another area is economic need. Unemployment is very high. We know several youth who haven't finished school because they have to work to help their families. We have several testimonies of young girls who did "professional prostitution" (prostitution by appointment and with recommendation only) to pay for their university education. There is much temptation to do things that they know is wrong to get ahead.
ITeams: What kinds of socio-economic backgrounds do the youth of Medellin - that you have met and worked with - come from?
Barb: This is a very good question because in Medellin, there is more discrimination for social economic class than for skin color. Probably 80% of our church are very needy financially. The other 20% are very needy spiritually but their material needs are met. Many of the youth in our church had never really gotten to know or appreciate those of a different social class than them. They go to different schools (because most Colombians go to private schools that vary in cost from $10 per month to $500 per month), different supermarkets and even most Catholic churches are based in certain neighborhoods and don't reach across social economic lines.
We are able to reach a wide variety of socio-economic backgrounds because our church is cell based. We see our cells like rescue boats that go into the neighborhoods to bring the salvation to the people who never would set foot in a church but they feel comfortable in a Bible study / prayer group in a home close by. As they begin to grow spiritually, they become 
hungry for more and then will come to church.
We have youth that come from very affluent homes and others that don't even have the 25cents to ride a bus to church. One young man walks to church for about an hour downhill. When he gets to church he looks for Jerry or me for the 25 cents to ride the bus back home.
ITeams: What kinds of roadblocks (spiritual, emotional, physical, and/or mental) do Medellin youth face as they experience young-adulthood?
Barb: One of the biggest roadblocks for the youth in Colombia is in the emotional area. Surgery is relatively inexpensive here so it is very common for the young girls to have surgeries to enhance their figures. After spending their money on the surgery, they want to show it off. Our young men have a hard time guarding their purity under these circumstances. Also, there is much sexual promiscuity. Sexual relationships outside of marriage is not only accepted, it is expected.
Another area that affects the youth here more than other places in the world is the economic situation. Jobs are scarce and don't pay well. When the youth are fortunate to be able to find a job, often they are paid the minimal (about $150 / month) and they are expected to work about 55 hours per week with no overtime pay. They don't complain because there are so many people looking for work that they feel fortunate to have a job.
This also causes much of the problems of theft and violence because the people are so desperate. In the past, the professionals (people with a college degree) were able to earn more. Parents made big sacrifices for their children to put them through college. Unfortunately, now many are graduating and still are not able to get jobs that pay more than the minimal.
ITeams: In your experience, what is the most unique positive characteristic of Colombian/Medellin youth?
Barb: They are very open to spiritual things. When they decide to live for Christ, they live it in every area of their life. I think they are a little less egoistic than a typical American. They live with a passion. They are willing to work hard and play hard. Some of our youth leaders work full time, go to school part time, lead a cell group (which involves being discipled, evangelism, visiting homes, helping with the school of ministry, etc). We have over a hundred youth that come to prayer at 5:00 am every Thursday. We have prayer that early because many of the youth work or have to go to classes at 6:00. Some even ride their bike a long way to come for prayer. The prayer time is not a "bless me club" but a time of spiritual warfare for the city and country.
ITeams: When you were a teenager, was there an adult/mentor relationship that made a positive impact on you in regards to your walk with Jesus Christ?
Barb: Jerry and I accepted Christ when we were studying in the university. When we started to go to a Christian church, there was a young couple with small children that used to invite us to their home after church. They taught us what the Word of God had to say about subjects such as fornication and integrity. We were boyfriend and girlfriend at the time and thought that all that we did was normal. They helped us to understand the Word of God and be able to apply it to our lives. We used to think that the Bible was full of outdated rules but they taught us to love the Word and to see it as God's Word that he has given to protect us so we could have a more fulfilling life here on earth as well as the assurance of our eternal life in heaven .
ITeams: How has serving the youth of Medellin, Colombia changed/enhanced your understanding of God and his purposes?
Barb: We have changed so much. We used to see the U.S. as almost the center of the universe. Now we see that actually Colombia is the center of the universe.... just kidding. Actually that is another good question but difficult to answer. I think I would say that the more I get to know God, the more I realize how much more I don't know. We feel privileged to be able to serve Him here in this time of harvest.
There have been times in the past when missionaries have served in Colombia without seeing many results. We are so thankful for them who have gone before us. Now we are in a time of harvest. The results we are seeing would not have been possible without the missionaries 
that gave their lives in the past.
ITeams: What is your hope for the youth of Medellin, Colombia?
Barb: Our hope is that as they come to know God personally, they will share this with others who will share it with others and this love for God would be contagious. We see them as history makers. The love and passion that they have they will share with others in the city, in this country and we hope to see many youth go out as missionaries to the world. Maybe someday we will even send some missionaries to the US.... *smile*
