September 21-26, 2007
Greetings from the second “Instituto del Ministerio de Ninos” in San Opisco, El Salvador. The US training team --Karrie Endecott, Children's Pastor, Council Bluffs, IA and Beverly Goforth-Brooks, Regional Director, CA as well as Kathy Creasy-- joined with El Salvador's national leadership team to provide training to 107 children's ministers and pastors from throughout the nation. The national children’s ministry director of Guatemala, Nidea Azucena, and the national children’s ministry director of Costa Rica, Ingrid Francheska Nelson Perry, along with two other children’s ministers from their nations also joined us at this Institute.
During the Institute participants were involved in hands-on learning activities as they developed skill in storytelling, worship through movement, and teaching Bible truth to children. They were challenged to take on the 
role of leadership as they evaluated their ministries, discussed the challenges facing them, and brainstormed ways to recruit and train ministry volunteers. And they developed ministry skills through workshops such as leading a child to Christ and developing an large outreach event. At the conclusion of the Institute each participant received a certificate of participation as well as teaching supplies and resource materials to use in their personal ministries to children.
On September 24 the national team joined us on a three day trek to the three zones of El Salvador—Oriente, Occidente, and the Central zone. The district overseers, pastors, and children’s ministers in each zone had organized and promoted the outreach event for many months. Children, parents, children’s ministers, and pastors came on open-bed trucks and school buses to each event site.
• The outreaches provided an amazing opportunity to share the Gospel with more than 1300 children as well as many parents who stood on the perimeter or outside the building. We do not have an accounting of the children who were saved or healed or encouraged but we know that pastors and children’s ministers prayed with many children.
• The outreaches also allowed the children’s ministers who attended 
the Institute to observe and participate in implementing the principles that had been taught.
• Finally, the outreaches were a testimony to pastors, district overseers, and parents of what God desires to accomplish in the lives of the children of their homes, churches and communities.
Bishop Flores, our national overseer, his wife and the national leadership team did an excellent job planning strategically for our ministry in El Salvador. While the results of the Institute and outreaches cannot be fully quantified, I believe that men and women more fully embraced the call to minister to children and to assume leadership roles in this ministry. I am also confident that many pastors became more committed to providing excellent ministry to the children of their local churches and communities. And, finally, I believe that more than 1300 children had an unforgettable experience as they celebrated God’s love for them.