Iliana Bustios spends her days and nights in the barrios of Trujillo, Peru, searching for young adults age 16 to 25 who need God and a purpose for their lives. And there are many to be found.

A short-term intern with CMF partner Project New Hope, Iliana visited the area several times with her church, The Crossing Christian Church, Las Vegas, Nev., before committing to a year of service last June.

“Many of the youth here at this age are unsure of their futures and lose themselves on the streets or gangs,” said Iliana. “Many are running away from ‘stuff’ at home or simply looking for any work that will put food on the table.”

The young adult group she leads meets on Saturday nights, and Iliana also disciples several young people individually and in small groups for leadership roles in the ministry. Then during the week she and a small group of young men who live in the barrio walk through the streets, inviting others to join them.

“Our goal is to capture their attention, gain their trust and give them a secure environment to hang out where they can have fun while we guide them in their spiritual growth,” she said.

“Thankfully, I do not work alone,” she added. “We do a lot of blind knocking on doors to introduce ourselves. If I get wind that there is a youth there between 16 and 25 years of age, I reel them in. We also find a lot of young men standing on the corners. I love to approach them because it blows them away!”

Some of the older adults in the barrios are fearful of the young people, and Iliana hopes to dispel that mistrust.

“I plan on introducing some of them to the elderly who live in the barrios and try to create a bond of trust between them, even encouraging them to adopt a grandparent,” she said. “We will be making in-home visits and the youth will prepare a dinner and put on a show for them in May.”

“I have a huge passion for young people because so many are forgotten, especially here, and I know God has great plans for each of them,” Iliana said.