Burdened for the Weary
"When you're tired, you don't make good decisions."
On the surface, the statement seems rather obvious, but it hit us in a profound way that Saturday morning as we listened to Pastor Shester present a session called "Don't Let Exhaustion Defeat You" as a part of a retreat put on by one of the local churches here in Costa Rica.
Pastor Shester, Abby, and two other pastors had been invited to share about "Renewing Our Strength" with a group of weary lay leaders, worn out by a year of serving their congregation during a difficult pastoral transition, one brought on by—you guessed it—poor decisions.
The statement struck us because only a few days earlier we had received the results of a survey conducted by a Church of God pastor in Brazil. The statistics published the survey are not surprising; we know that pastors all around the world from every movement and denomination are facing enormous challenges and battling with burnout. But this was the first time we had read data from "our people," the very pastors and leaders we know and work with here in Latin America.
The survey revealed that 54% of our pastors admit to feeling emotionally exhausted. Of the women who responded, some of them pastors and some pastor's wives, 76% reported emotional exhaustion. When Pastor Shester shared his session a few days later, the reality hit us hard: more than half of the pastors in the Church of God in Latin America are emotionally poised to make some very bad decisions.
If that's not a wakeup call, I don't know what is.
Thankfully, by the grace of God, we know that most will not crash and burn. We know that many will bear the burden quietly. Still, even those who make it will find that their health, their families, and their ministries, will inevitably feel the effects.
The same survey also revealed that 45% are physically ill, no doubt related, at least in part, to the stress they feel. Another 78% are experiencing financial difficulties, which only adds to the challenge, especially for those who have families. Finally, 60% revealed that they have no close pastor friends that they can share with, which means that the majority are bearing their burdens alone.
What can we do? That is the question we have been asking ourselves over the past several weeks. There are certainly no easy answers. The problem isn't new or unique to Latin America. We have seen similar stresses and challenges pop up in the United States, something which has perhaps prepared us to know how to respond in the region where we serve.
Focusing on personal health is still relatively new in Latin American churches. Looking back, we can see that the need has always been there, but the scars left behind by burned out and wounded leaders have been largely covered up or ignored when the church is ready to move on. The tide is beginning to turn in the conversation, and leaders are becoming more and more open to acknowledging the stress and strain that ministry has placed on them. The survey is a big step, and we applaud all who were brave enough to participate.
We feel that our role is to keep the conversation alive, removing the stigma of admitting that we need rest and emotional support. We speak often, both in public and in private, about the importance of Sabbath, of taking time for family, and of spiritual renewal. We share what we have learned from ministry experiences in the U.S. While the cultures are not the same and the opportunities to address mental and spiritual health are vastly different, we know that talking about the struggles in our home country, a place many in Latin America perceive as perfect, will help normalize the need to care for leaders' health.
We are also doing our part to encourage spiritual retreats. The pastors and their spouses in Costa Rica will be gathering at the end of March to focus on caring for their souls. While we know that two days represent a mere drop in the bucket, we hope that the retreat also encourages them to continue in the spiritual discipline of Sabbath and that it helps to strengthen personal relationships among the pastors so that they do not join the 60% of those who labor alone.
We are also encouraged by other ministries, such as Project Rest in Paraguay, where our colleagues Norberto and Nancy Kurrle set up weekends for pastors and their families to get away for rest and rejuvenation.
As we continue to brainstorm ideas (and ask for more!), we are also striving to lead by example, taking the vacation time that is given to us and being more intentional about family days. In the past we tried to downplay the time off, as if there were something shameful about rest, but now we talk more openly, hoping that those we serve will feel freedom to do the same.
So what can you do? If you are a pastor, we beg you to take stock of the state of your soul. We invite you to ask yourself: Are you feeling emotionally exhausted? Are you ill? Are you trying to go at it alone, or do you have a confidant that you can, in the eloquent words of one U.S. pastor, "dump your pastor poop on?" We can't give from what we don't have, and we will never have the vibrant spiritual lives and personal relationships we need for ministry without intentionally cultivating health.
If you are a church-goer, send a note of encouragement to your pastors today. Applaud them when they take vacation, and encourage them to invest in their families. Buy them a gift card for a restaurant, Chuck E Cheese, mini golf, or an escape room, something that will encourage them to spend time with loved ones. Be bold and advocate with leadership for a paid sabbatical. Be willing to step up so they can step back from time to time. In doing so, stay attuned to your own health and cultivate your relationship with the Lord and your loved ones.
We aren't meant to do it all, and we definitely aren't meant to do it all alone.
"Come to me, all you who are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light" --Mt. 11:28-30, NRSVConnecting with the U.S.In the month of February, Abby was invited to join our partners at Vancouver Church as the congregation kicked off their missions emphasis month. It was a true joy to spend some time with the church, the missions committee, and her incredible host family. The church has a long history of close mission engagement, and it was a true blessing to hear how God has used them around the world in the past and to give thanks for the way we are walking together now.
During that trip to Vancouver, WA, Abby also connected with a number of other congregations, including some of the youth from Cornwall Church's Skagit campus in a conversation about their trip to Costa Rica in August. She also met with a number of other pastors and leaders from around Washington and Oregon, hearing their stories, sharing about the work in Latin America, and finding many points of connection where we can learn from and encourage one another. It was a special joy to hear about the congregations' hearts not only for the church around the world but also their dream of building cross-cultural engagement in their own backyards. As her Vancouver host said, "Missions is around the world and across the street." We can see that being lived out in the Pacific Northwest!
Jason is also currently traveling in the U.S. ahead of an upcoming knee surgery. It appears that the procedure he had last year, with its grueling recovery process, did not work, for a variety of reasons. Once the needed consults and insurance paperwork are finalized, he expects to have surgery for another meniscus tear and have a new cartilage graft done. In the meantime, he is also taking advantage of the opportunity to connect with partners and new contacts in the U.S. and is greatly enjoying the chance to renew and build relationships. Please pray for him as he travels, as he prepares for surgery, and as he begins a recovery process that will take several months. And pray for Abby, who is holding down the home and ministry front in Costa Rica!
We are grateful to have the chance to live geographically close to the U.S. so that we are able to engage in these shorter trips. We are also making plans for the longer home assignment we have coming up from June to August. While we are still putting our schedule together, we expect to spend some time in FL, TN, PA, OH, WY, ID, WA, and OR, as well as many places in between, so please let us know if you would like to connect, and we'll see what we can work out!
Walk Alongside Us!
In this section, we normally feature our regional projects and give you the opportunity to be a part of what God is doing in Latin America. We have countless incredible leaders in our region, and we have the opportunity to walk alongside some of their ministries through financial partnership. For more about projects in Latin America, click here.
This month, however, we need to turn our focus a bit closer to home. We are incredibly grateful for every congregation and individual who has been walking alongside our family so faithfully for all these years. It has been a joy to partner with you. And now we find ourselves ready to grow in that joy.
In other words, we are looking for a few more partners to join the team of those who walk alongside us and are asking our existing partners to prayerfully consider whether you are able to give more. As we all know, the world has gotten more expensive over the past few years, and Latin America is no exception. We have also had a few partners experience financial setbacks that have forced them to decrease or end support. While we are not panicking, we have had to scale back some of our ministry and travel plans to adjust to the new reality of our budget. For us to continue walking alongside the Church of God in Latin America at full capacity, we need some help.
If the Lord is prompting you to step into the gap, please click here or call 765-642-0256 or 800-848-2464.
We know that this ministry belongs to the Lord, and He will provide as He sees fit, but we are blessed that He has chosen to do so through His people, including many of you. Once again, THANK YOU to all who walk alongside us so faithfully in prayer and partnership. We could not do this without you!
We recently had a couple partners ask us for a video, so we also wanted to pass it along for you to hear from our family. If you would like to show it on a big screen, let us know, and we can email you a higher-resolution version.
Other Prayer Requests and Praises
"When you're tired, you don't make good decisions."
On the surface, the statement seems rather obvious, but it hit us in a profound way that Saturday morning as we listened to Pastor Shester present a session called "Don't Let Exhaustion Defeat You" as a part of a retreat put on by one of the local churches here in Costa Rica.
Pastor Shester, Abby, and two other pastors had been invited to share about "Renewing Our Strength" with a group of weary lay leaders, worn out by a year of serving their congregation during a difficult pastoral transition, one brought on by—you guessed it—poor decisions.
The statement struck us because only a few days earlier we had received the results of a survey conducted by a Church of God pastor in Brazil. The statistics published the survey are not surprising; we know that pastors all around the world from every movement and denomination are facing enormous challenges and battling with burnout. But this was the first time we had read data from "our people," the very pastors and leaders we know and work with here in Latin America.
The survey revealed that 54% of our pastors admit to feeling emotionally exhausted. Of the women who responded, some of them pastors and some pastor's wives, 76% reported emotional exhaustion. When Pastor Shester shared his session a few days later, the reality hit us hard: more than half of the pastors in the Church of God in Latin America are emotionally poised to make some very bad decisions.
If that's not a wakeup call, I don't know what is.
Thankfully, by the grace of God, we know that most will not crash and burn. We know that many will bear the burden quietly. Still, even those who make it will find that their health, their families, and their ministries, will inevitably feel the effects.
The same survey also revealed that 45% are physically ill, no doubt related, at least in part, to the stress they feel. Another 78% are experiencing financial difficulties, which only adds to the challenge, especially for those who have families. Finally, 60% revealed that they have no close pastor friends that they can share with, which means that the majority are bearing their burdens alone.
What can we do? That is the question we have been asking ourselves over the past several weeks. There are certainly no easy answers. The problem isn't new or unique to Latin America. We have seen similar stresses and challenges pop up in the United States, something which has perhaps prepared us to know how to respond in the region where we serve.
Focusing on personal health is still relatively new in Latin American churches. Looking back, we can see that the need has always been there, but the scars left behind by burned out and wounded leaders have been largely covered up or ignored when the church is ready to move on. The tide is beginning to turn in the conversation, and leaders are becoming more and more open to acknowledging the stress and strain that ministry has placed on them. The survey is a big step, and we applaud all who were brave enough to participate.
We feel that our role is to keep the conversation alive, removing the stigma of admitting that we need rest and emotional support. We speak often, both in public and in private, about the importance of Sabbath, of taking time for family, and of spiritual renewal. We share what we have learned from ministry experiences in the U.S. While the cultures are not the same and the opportunities to address mental and spiritual health are vastly different, we know that talking about the struggles in our home country, a place many in Latin America perceive as perfect, will help normalize the need to care for leaders' health.
We are also doing our part to encourage spiritual retreats. The pastors and their spouses in Costa Rica will be gathering at the end of March to focus on caring for their souls. While we know that two days represent a mere drop in the bucket, we hope that the retreat also encourages them to continue in the spiritual discipline of Sabbath and that it helps to strengthen personal relationships among the pastors so that they do not join the 60% of those who labor alone.
We are also encouraged by other ministries, such as Project Rest in Paraguay, where our colleagues Norberto and Nancy Kurrle set up weekends for pastors and their families to get away for rest and rejuvenation.
As we continue to brainstorm ideas (and ask for more!), we are also striving to lead by example, taking the vacation time that is given to us and being more intentional about family days. In the past we tried to downplay the time off, as if there were something shameful about rest, but now we talk more openly, hoping that those we serve will feel freedom to do the same.
So what can you do? If you are a pastor, we beg you to take stock of the state of your soul. We invite you to ask yourself: Are you feeling emotionally exhausted? Are you ill? Are you trying to go at it alone, or do you have a confidant that you can, in the eloquent words of one U.S. pastor, "dump your pastor poop on?" We can't give from what we don't have, and we will never have the vibrant spiritual lives and personal relationships we need for ministry without intentionally cultivating health.
If you are a church-goer, send a note of encouragement to your pastors today. Applaud them when they take vacation, and encourage them to invest in their families. Buy them a gift card for a restaurant, Chuck E Cheese, mini golf, or an escape room, something that will encourage them to spend time with loved ones. Be bold and advocate with leadership for a paid sabbatical. Be willing to step up so they can step back from time to time. In doing so, stay attuned to your own health and cultivate your relationship with the Lord and your loved ones.
We aren't meant to do it all, and we definitely aren't meant to do it all alone.
"Come to me, all you who are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light" --Mt. 11:28-30, NRSVConnecting with the U.S.In the month of February, Abby was invited to join our partners at Vancouver Church as the congregation kicked off their missions emphasis month. It was a true joy to spend some time with the church, the missions committee, and her incredible host family. The church has a long history of close mission engagement, and it was a true blessing to hear how God has used them around the world in the past and to give thanks for the way we are walking together now.
During that trip to Vancouver, WA, Abby also connected with a number of other congregations, including some of the youth from Cornwall Church's Skagit campus in a conversation about their trip to Costa Rica in August. She also met with a number of other pastors and leaders from around Washington and Oregon, hearing their stories, sharing about the work in Latin America, and finding many points of connection where we can learn from and encourage one another. It was a special joy to hear about the congregations' hearts not only for the church around the world but also their dream of building cross-cultural engagement in their own backyards. As her Vancouver host said, "Missions is around the world and across the street." We can see that being lived out in the Pacific Northwest!
Jason is also currently traveling in the U.S. ahead of an upcoming knee surgery. It appears that the procedure he had last year, with its grueling recovery process, did not work, for a variety of reasons. Once the needed consults and insurance paperwork are finalized, he expects to have surgery for another meniscus tear and have a new cartilage graft done. In the meantime, he is also taking advantage of the opportunity to connect with partners and new contacts in the U.S. and is greatly enjoying the chance to renew and build relationships. Please pray for him as he travels, as he prepares for surgery, and as he begins a recovery process that will take several months. And pray for Abby, who is holding down the home and ministry front in Costa Rica!
We are grateful to have the chance to live geographically close to the U.S. so that we are able to engage in these shorter trips. We are also making plans for the longer home assignment we have coming up from June to August. While we are still putting our schedule together, we expect to spend some time in FL, TN, PA, OH, WY, ID, WA, and OR, as well as many places in between, so please let us know if you would like to connect, and we'll see what we can work out!
Walk Alongside Us!
In this section, we normally feature our regional projects and give you the opportunity to be a part of what God is doing in Latin America. We have countless incredible leaders in our region, and we have the opportunity to walk alongside some of their ministries through financial partnership. For more about projects in Latin America, click here.
This month, however, we need to turn our focus a bit closer to home. We are incredibly grateful for every congregation and individual who has been walking alongside our family so faithfully for all these years. It has been a joy to partner with you. And now we find ourselves ready to grow in that joy.
In other words, we are looking for a few more partners to join the team of those who walk alongside us and are asking our existing partners to prayerfully consider whether you are able to give more. As we all know, the world has gotten more expensive over the past few years, and Latin America is no exception. We have also had a few partners experience financial setbacks that have forced them to decrease or end support. While we are not panicking, we have had to scale back some of our ministry and travel plans to adjust to the new reality of our budget. For us to continue walking alongside the Church of God in Latin America at full capacity, we need some help.
If the Lord is prompting you to step into the gap, please click here or call 765-642-0256 or 800-848-2464.
We know that this ministry belongs to the Lord, and He will provide as He sees fit, but we are blessed that He has chosen to do so through His people, including many of you. Once again, THANK YOU to all who walk alongside us so faithfully in prayer and partnership. We could not do this without you!
We recently had a couple partners ask us for a video, so we also wanted to pass it along for you to hear from our family. If you would like to show it on a big screen, let us know, and we can email you a higher-resolution version.
Other Prayer Requests and Praises
- Give thanks for visits from groups and guests from St. Joseph, MI, Bellingham, WA, and Huber Heights, OH, that we will host in the coming months. We are excited about all the ways they will get to connect with churches in Costa Rica.
- Please pray for pastors in Costa Rica who have recently experienced loss. Retired pastor Arturo Laitano's wife Anay passed away in January, Pastor Noily's mother-in-law went to be with Jesus in early March, Pastor Irma's niece died last week, and Pastor William's family recently lost a 20-year-old relative to a tragic motorcycle accident.
- Give thanks for Daniela, a mom from our son's school, who recently came to know the Lord and was miraculously healed from cancer after a time of intense intercession from the school's Moms in Prayer group. Give thanks for the opportunity Abby has to join these women who regularly lift up the students, families, and staff, as well as the nation of Costa Rica.
- Lift up those in our region who have left their homes in response to extreme economic crisis and/or threats of violence. Pray for the family of a young boy from a church in Honduras that lost his life in such a journey. Pray especially for the circumstances on the ground that lead to this type of tragedy and for the local churches seeking to provide hope and practical help to those feeling compelled to flee. Give thanks for ministries in Mexico and other places that are dedicated to serving those in limbo.
- Pray for churches and communities in northern and western Peru, which was recently devastated by a tropical cyclone. Several church buildings and church members' homes sustained flood damage, and many families lost crops, livestock, and other sources of livelihood. To help bring relief and hope to those impacted by disasters in Peru and around the world, click here.