We believe that God puts us in families with plans that He’s had for us since before the foundations of the earth were laid.  We also believe that we live in a fallen world and that sometimes those families of origin that God placed us in are not safe…either for a period of time, or until we are ready to enter into the world and into our calling.

We started The Refuge in 2014 so that children who can’t be in their family of origin would have a safe place to live.  The mission that God gave us was to come alongside these children who lived in poverty, abuse, and rejection...and offer love, security, acceptance.   

In 2022 the mission was put on hold due to a tragedy and we patiently waited for hearts to heal and God to indicate that it was time to step back into the gap.  While the mission remains the same, the execution of it looks different:  Instead of providing a home for children our goal now is to provide a home for young people exiting the care of the government and giving them the opportunity to transition successfully into adulthood. 

Our mission remains to walk alongside those who can’t take care of themselves and usher in the healing that God has for them, replacing memories from the “before” with a hope for the future.

Still based on three foundational beliefs: God, Family, and Education, we provide a holistic approach to trauma-informed care.  We believe that the most important relationship that we can introduce the young adults to is one with God, that they understand the value they have simply because they were born.  We believe that relationships bring healing and we know that through modeling healthy family relationships and interactions we can give these young people a new example of what living in a healthy family looks like.  We know that education is a major key to escaping the environment that fosters the repetition of cycles of abuse, poverty, and addictions.

Based on those three foundation beliefs, we are creating a new model for "transitioning".  We purposefully strive to provide an environment that is less like an institution and more like a family home where the young adults learn what healthy relationships look.  As in any healthy family, we are constantly addressing the spiritual, physical, emotional, social, and mental needs of the individual by providing a safe home, medical and psychological care, and education wrapped in love and traditions that they will carry with them for the rest of their lives.

Within our home, they'll also learn to explore their faith in God and use a biblical world view in making life decisions.  We are making a difference in Mexico by creating strong independent youth with a love for their country and an even greater love for God.  Our mission is to prepare them to enter the world as successful young adults grounded in their faith and ready to make a difference.