When the hacked-up body parts of her friends began turning up around San José three years ago, Jackeline Brenes, 12, knew she had to leave her life on the streets—so the drug-addicted child of a prostitute entered a Salvation Army drug-rehab program, which the government financed.

The treatment was supposed to last 13 months. After three months, Brenes quit and rejoined her gang. But when she tried returning to drug rehab, she found the Salvation Army center had closed. The government agency that paid for the rehab program was $90,000 behind in its payments and locked in squabbles with the ministry over rules and other issues. The Salvation Army had to shut down the program.

Determined not to return to her gang, Brenes turned to Christ for the City International and its weekday rehab program. Last November, she was the first youth to enter CFCI's 15-month residential program, called Renacer. It is supported completely with private funds. In June, Renacer staff led Brenes to Christ.

Brenes's tale highlights just one of the difficulties Christian ministries may encounter when working with government agencies. A representative from the Catholic Casa Alianza ministry said that Costa Rica's child service agency, PANI, causes problems through arrogance.

"I've worked with government contracts since the 1970s," said David Befus, president of Miami-based Latin America Mission. "Working with government is always risky." He has seen government agencies, including ones in the United States, start programs in partnership with Christian ministries, but when politics change, funding dries up.

Evangelicals in Costa Rica have long offered programs to help needy children. The country has at least 3,000 street children. Beginning in 1999, Costa ...