“After God, ‘A Bread of Love’ Has Been Everything to Me”

Manuel Baena’s story reflects how an Adventist foundation in Colombia brings hope and restoration to those struggling with addiction.

November 26, 2025 | Medellín, Colombia | Cristin Serrano and IAD News Staff

A year ago, Manuel Baena was considered a danger to his own family. After 28 years of addiction, he reached the point of trying to set his house on fire. His mother, a faithful Seventh-day Adventist, never gave up praying for him.

When volunteers from the ministry Un Pan de Amor (A Bread of Love) heard his story, they did not hesitate to help. Beginning at five o’clock each morning, they visited him one after another—talking to him, praying with him, reminding him that God could still save him.

“It was in that moment that I felt God speaking to me through them,” Manuel recalls. “He told me it was my last opportunity.”

That same day, Manuel was admitted to a rehabilitation center. It was not easy, he said.

“The process was full of obstacles,” said Yajaira Fuentes, the initiative’s founder. “At the hospital, we faced doctors who didn’t understand that this wasn’t just a human crisis, but a spiritual battle. We prayed and sang right there, and God worked the miracle.”

Today Manuel is free from drugs, restored, and active in his local church. “After God, ‘A Bread of Love’ has been everything to me,” he shared. “Here I recovered my life and the desire to be an example for my family.”

A Ministry Born, a Burden for the Broken

The start of the foundation began on a Sunday in 2024, during a fasting and prayer service at the Adventist church in the La María neighborhood, Los Corales sector of Cartagena, in Colombia. That day, while studying the Sabbath School lesson, God placed a special burden on the heart of Yajaira Fuentes, a social communicator, public-school teacher, and active church member, who were joined by her husband, Daniel Senior, and nurse Nelcy Pérez.

“We understood that the church must be a center of influence,” Fuentes said. “We watched people in deep need walk past our temple, and we knew God was showing us our mission.”

With the little they had—a cookie, a cup of oatmeal, and a willing heart—they began serving. Every Sabbath, starting at six in the morning, they set up tents in front of the church to offer food, showers, clean clothes, and prayer.

That is how A Bread of Love was born.

Pastor Fabián Blanco, leader of the Cartagena North District, knows firsthand the reality many beneficiaries face.

“One day I was also trapped in the world of drugs, crime, and gangs,” he shared. “How much I would have loved for my local church back then to have a foundation like A Bread of Love. My psychological, emotional, physical, and spiritual recovery would surely have been faster.”

For Blanco, this ministry is a divine response to an urgent need.

“The Bread of Love Foundation is a great blessing for the fulfillment of the mission. Through it, we can reach a vulnerable, discriminated, and marginalized population—not only with the Gospel of Jesus Christ but also with the gospel of good works,” said Blanco.

He emphasized that the combination of Adventist professionals—psychologists, teachers, lawyers, and nurses—with the power of the Gospel has borne remarkable fruit.

“More than ten young people have been baptized thanks to this work. That’s why I encourage the whole church to pray and support this ministry, so that like a mustard seed, it grows and expands from the district to the conference, the union, and the division.”

Serving Dozens Each Week

Over the months, A Bread of Love became a legally registered foundation. It now serves between 30 and 35 vulnerable individuals every week. Adventist professional volunteers—lawyers, nurses, teachers, and psychologists—offer counseling, support, and prayer.

The project has helped several beneficiaries return to school, find jobs, or begin rehabilitation processes. To date, eight people have been baptized, testifying to the transforming power of the Gospel, organizers said.

Among the most moving stories is that of Rubén Darío, a young man whose heart and body were damaged by drugs and a physical disability.

“He died in peace, accompanied and with dignity,” Fuentes remembers. “We couldn’t save his body, but his soul rested in hope. That too is redemption.”

Dreaming of A Home, a Bakery, and a Center

Although resources are limited, the foundation continues to dream. It is currently seeking funding to purchase its own house to serve as a full-service care center and to establish a community bakery in partnership with the National Learning Service (SENA). The bakery would provide skills training and employment opportunities for those seeking a fresh start.

“Our motto is Salvation and Service,” explained Mr. Senior. “We believe that helping those in need is the best preparation for meeting our Lord.”

Fuentes dreams of creating an Adventist Center for Integral Rehabilitation—a space that combines spiritual, professional, and educational support.

“The Adventist Church has schools, hospitals, and universities, but we also need a place to heal the invisible wounds of addiction,” she said.

Her conviction is summarized in the words of Jesus: “Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me” (Matthew 25:40).

For Fuentes, every cup of oatmeal, every prayer, and every hug is a seed for eternity. “The Kingdom of Heaven is also for addicts, for the forgotten, for those no one wants to see. At A Bread of Love we have witnessed that the love of Christ still breaks chains,” Fuentes said.