Ministry Directors Gene & Jordana (Quintero) Engebretsen have been serving through the ministry of CVI for more than 13 years, since 1998. Their son, Benjamin ‘Osito’, joined them in service in 2005. As a family, their heart for children, adults and families with special needs drives their commitment and service.
Mission
Provide children and youth with disabilities and their families an opportunity to experience the love of God and faith in Christ through a fun and engaging camp experience.
Vision
Create opportunities which will inspire participants to respond to the message of God’s love and delight in them and leads them to a genuine experience with Jesus as Lord and Savior.
History
Cristo Vive International began in 1998, when Jordana gathered a team of college students and headed to Ecuador, South America. The first CVI camp in Quito, Ecuador hosted 16 campers with down syndrome. Since that first summer, CVI has traveled to Kenya, Ireland, Mongolia, and Ukraine. Cristo Vive also started hosting camps here in the United States, beginning in Wisconsin. Currently, CVI has U.S. locations in Idaho, Texas and Alaska.
Impact
Cristo Vive International has seen much fruit from these camp endeavors. Many campers, volunteers, and family members have come to faith in Christ Jesus through this ministry. Multitudes of volunteers have been impacted through this special ministry experience and scores of campers have felt the love of Jesus in these special camp settings. Many churches have adopted CVI as one of their ministry outreaches and continue to send teams to attend camp. The greatest gift of all is to see each camper experience freedom in Christ in their own personal way. Each and every child is unique and valued by God and is a treasure to be cherished.