In Guatemala and El Salvador, some pastors wrestle with issues not altogether unfamiliar to North America, but they often lack resources to cope with them. They encounter problems like:

• working at secular jobs to provide for their families while caring for the church;
• seeking to confirm a full-time call;
• dealing with problems like a spirit of Jezebel in their church.

A pastor may have to work at a full-time job (even 10 hours a day or more). The rest of his waking hours are invested in his family and ministry, and cut deep into needed rest. Those who desire to work full time in the pastorate, giving up their paid employment, must seek the Lord on how to provide for their families. Other problems like a "Jezebel spirit" cause friction in the church, demanding even more time and energy from the pastor.

That's why we invited pastors and workers (25 Salvadorean and 30 from Christians in Action's 14 Guatemalan churches) to attend a three-day motivational teaching seminar. San Salvador, the beautiful capital city of El Salvador, was our chosen locale.

The seminar was held in the church, "Jesus es mi Ayudador" ("Jesus is My Helper"), where Ricardo and Lola Escobar, along with their four children, have been pastoring for the last seven years. Prior to this they started a couple of flourishing churches in Quito, Ecuador, Lola's native country.

On the second day of the seminar, we took time out to distribute Gospel brochures on the streets en route to a local park. After about an hour of sharing one-on-one, ten people prayed to receive the Lord! The reports were stimulating as these preachers and teachers talked about sharing Christ...from the "other" side of the pulpit—outside of the church and among the people!

Pastors were motivated to fulfill their calling, recognize ministerial priorities and delegate other duties to lay members being discipled. Question and answer times helped them deal with the issues they face.

Please continue to pray for the breakthrough that each minister needs, that "God would count you [them] worthy of this calling, and fulfill all the good pleasure of His goodness and the work of faith with power:" as 2 Thess 1:11 says.

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