the child DEVELOPMENT center

Located in Villavicencio, Colombia, this Child Development Center is one of Mission Life’s newest locations. It was established in February 2021 during a Mission Life exploratory trip, in partnership with Fundacion Formavida and Seeds of Life. 

In 2016, sisters Marilyn and Nidia Pencue started a program called Seeds of Life to provide spiritual activities for children on Saturdays as an extension of the local church’s Sunday school program. Their parents were longtime pastors, so ministry runs in the family. They saw a need to reach children when they’re young to give them a foundation of values for a better future.

Now, through this new partnership with Fundacion Formavida and Mission Life, Seeds of Life has a space where the children can learn and have fun. Through child sponsorship, they receive daily meals and homework help, and they learn the importance of Christian values and God’s teachings, all in a positive environment.

As a Mission Life sponsor, you are making it possible for your child to attend Seeds of Life, and you have an opportunity to interact with them and develop a meaningful relationship. Even better? You can get your whole family involved and teach your children the importance of empathy and giving to others.

The city of Villavicencio is a 3.5-hour drive southeast of the Colombian capital city of Bogotá. As with many areas of Colombia, children spend a lot of time alone while their parents work long hours. Many families are not together, and with too much unsupervised time on their hands, it can be easy for children to choose a wrong path. When they learned the children often went without meals, they made lunches out of their parents’ home.