September 1, 2005
C&MA workers David and Betty Constance travel in Central and South America, training and encouraging those who minister to children. But the Constances don’t start with the basics of Sunday school teaching-they assume the people who attend their workshops already are good Bible teachers.
“We concentrate on children’s emotional needs and how to better recognize them and minister to a child who is suffering from abandonment, neglect, mistreatment, and abuse,” says David. “These are the issues that plague our world and deeply harm innocent children.”
During the presentations, the Constances address parenting models that have been distorted in ways that affect attitudes, hinder communication, and create addictions. They discuss the emotional losses that children suffer and bring to light the violence in societies, homes, and schools. All of the workshops are conducted with the goal of teaching workers how to bring the children in their ministries toward healing. “We talk about restoration, forgiveness, and caring,” David reports.
The workshops are held in venues ranging from churches to city meeting halls to hotel conference rooms. All who attend are eager to learn better ways of ministering to children and adolescents. In August, Betty went to Puerto Rico to speak to teachers from Alliance churches, and in September and late October, the Contances will travel to Costa Rica and Mexico.
In Costa Rica, they will conduct workshops with five organizations that work with at-risk children, such as those who are orphaned or live on the streets. In addition, the Costa Rica schedule will include a seminar for people who minister to at-risk adolescents, a separate session for those who work with unwed mothers, and a special workshop for pastors and workers in The Christian and Missionary Alliance of Costa Rica.
The Constances will have activities every day of the workshop schedule, with events lasting from two to eight hours. They request prayer for protection in travel, as well as discernment in counseling and speaking.
“Always, we are approached by people who want private time to talk of their problems and be prayed for,” says David. “Thank you for remembering us in your prayers. We count on you!”