Latin America Regional Conference
Ministries Come Together With a Focus on Family
In an effort to create more solidarity among Luke Society ministries, the Regional Coordinators for Asia, Africa and Latin America have been holding regional conferences this year. Each Luke Society director from the region is invited to the conference for a time of refocusing and refreshment.
In July, all of the Latin America ministries of the Luke Society gathered in Jalapa, Mexico. Dr. Jose Luis Guerrero, who is the Luke Society Regional Coordinator for Central America, was the host for the conference. Dr. Guerrero coordinated and planned this conference with Dr. Apolos Landa, who is the Regional Coordinator for South America. This was the first conference held in which the Latin America region was split into Central America and South America.
The first Luke Society Latin America conference was held in Catacamas, Honduras, in 1996, and there were only five ministries at that time. Dr. Apolos Landa was then the director of the Luke Society ministry in Moyobamba, Peru. He remembers, “All of us shared some common language, culture, and history, although different present realities of poverty. As we all were aiming at using our health professions and skills to bring health care and health betterment to those most in need in our countries, we realized we could share experiences on how each one faced similar problems, what methodologies worked and which would be the most effective ways to convey God’s message of salvation to people without creating dependency.” Even though each director was doing unique ministry work, they were linked together under the names of Jesus and the Luke Society. “We grew in fellowship and a sense of brotherhood – a family in ministry,” Dr. Landa says.
That sense of family remains important among the Luke Society ministries today. “Due to the intensive and sometimes hard work that the directors have to do, it is essential to have the support of their families. It is so good when the family can participate in the ministry directly,” explains Dr. Guerrero. “With this same thought, it is important that among the Latin America ministries there exist the feeling of belonging to a family.”
Many times the ministry work is a difficult strain on the family unit because most ministry directors have moved their families closer to the ministry work. Since most LS ministries are located in remote areas, this can lead to a feeling of isolation. “Counseling and sharing in peer basis is also of tremendous value,” Dr. Landa says. “The time for ministries to intimate in their personal or family struggles in ministry meets a point of mutual support and advice.”
Because both Dr. Landa and Dr. Guerrero have directed Luke Society ministries (Dr. Guerrero continues to direct in Jalapa, Mexico), they understand and empathize with the situations the other directors are facing. The conference is focused on addressing many of these topics to gain insight among the group.
“Each conference tries to have a relevant subject that appeals to most,” Dr. Landa explains. So before the conference, general subjects – like planning, evaluation, community participation, empowerment, fundraising, financial accountability, etc – are circulated to bring consensus on which will be the core subject. “So besides the practical and directly applicable matters, there is a tremendous benefit in the open exchange during workshops,” Dr. Landa says. “The younger learn from the mature, and the mature are challenged by the younger, and mature growth speeds among all.”
Dr. Guerrero also points out that the directors may unknowingly be looking for validation for their ministry among their peers. “For many new ministries, it is the first opportunity to know other visionaries like themselves,” he says. “This is very important because when someone is working in their community alone, without daily feedback about what he/she is doing, sometime one may think, Is this really what the Lord wants me to do? And when we can come together to a regional conference and meet other servants and talk with them and share experiences and ask them about their fights and doubts, one can receive a lot of blessings.”
Not only do the blessings come from the solidarity of being with like-minded people, the directors also get lessons in how to run their ministry more effectively and efficiently. “The lessons learned at the conference are related to the health and medical practice at the mission field level,” explains Dr. Landa. “Second, methodological standards and ethical values are followed by moral and spiritual growth and encouragement. Overall, there is fellowship. We are also learning from previous mistakes. The older ministries share what they would not do if they were starting over again.”
Dr. Guerrero was repeatedly impressed by the fellowship among the group. “I never could see any attitude of egotism or indifference,” he said. He was also happy with the openness of the veteran directors. “Those who knew more were always available to help the others.”
According to Dr. Jose Luis Guerrero, there were two highlights at the conference. The first was the blessing of being spiritually nourished. “We were fed with God’s Word by Pastor Ricardo Aquino every morning during devotions,” he says. “During these devotions, I could see my brothers and sisters being touched by the Holy Spirit and receiving edification in their spiritual life.”
The second highlight was more relational. “We had several times of comradeship and friendship, but one of them was very special,” Dr. Guerrero remembers. “We celebrated the birthday of Dr. Silvia Martinez (from Dominican Republic). We organized a little surprise party with a cake, songs and a piñata.” Dr. Martinez was surprised and touched by the effort of her fellow ministry directors. She later told Dr. Guerrero, “This was an unforgettable birthday and one of the more emotional moments for me.”
Two of the Luke Society directors were also asked to speak about their personal experiences on certain issues.
Dr. Yeny Agila de Penos from Ecuador spoke about family integration into the ministry. She spoke of the importance of family being involved in the ministry, and also the significance of family in the Kingdom of God. Interactive workshop activities were used with the directors to demonstrate how to improve their relationships as parents, spouses, sons and daughters. They were also given specific techniques to evaluate their own role in their family. “I think it is very important because as directors of ministries, we are servants of God and a witness before society,” Dr. Guerrero said. “If our family and especially if our matrimony is wrong, then our ministry is at risk.”
Dr. Axel Suquen of Guatemala addressed the importance of monitoring the quality of projects within the ministry. “He shed light on the importance of incorporating good standards of practices in our ministries as organizations so that each ministry would not only handle well their processes, but also live up to the local beneficiaries’ expectations, the country regulations, and the (joining) funding organizations and agencies,” explained Dr. Landa. Dr. Guerrero adds, “As medical doctors, almost all the directors of the Luke Society ministries have training in clinical and surgical abilities, but we don’t have administration skills. And when we need to elaborate a project to start development processes in the community, we are in trouble. Then it is very important to have some training in using administrative tools.”
Much of the Luke Society’s ministry work includes traveling to rural areas to provide medical care or community health training. Usually directors meet with community leaders to discuss economic and health needs for individual communities. They may even speak to those holding government offices on behalf of these community leaders. For most, it’s a nearly thankless job. In the area of community health, it may take months or even years before a village will see improvement in health or water conditions. To stimulate economic development, it takes hard work and dedication for a business to grow.
The Latin America Conference, therefore, also provided a time of refreshment and renewal for the Luke Society family. “Some of the directors might be losing stamina or becoming less bold, but as they see others prevailing and pressing ahead – even in some more difficult situations – they are boosted into a good path of dedication,” Dr. Landa says. “There is not an obsession for showing results, but it is healthy encouragement. Conferences like this tend to rule out mediocrity, provided that there are a number of outstanding ministries that set paradigms.”
Laura Eisenga