More than 60 ministers and health professionals were part of the first edition of the conference Compassion and Health: Serving through Your Profession, organized by Nazarene Compassionate Ministries of the North Central Field and held in Guatemala.

From 4-6 October, leaders from 13 districts in the area received tools to respond to the problems and needs of their countries from a preventive approach. The conference discussed topics such as health care for ministers and pastors, the church's mental health, community health evangelism, prevention and oral health, and the importance of ministry with children.

Doctors Georgina Rivas, Helmer Juárez, René Rivas, Juan Díaz, and Tony Mendoza led the discussion. In addition, the ministers who spoke were Cesar Juárez, Rosario Xuc, David Campos, and Dámaris Kellogg.

Mesoamerica Regional NCM Coordinator David Campos challenged participants to share church resources with their community generously.

"I thank God for the participation of the districts. As a Church, we were challenged to see health integrally," said Damaris Kellogg, NCM coordinator for the North Central Field. "It is my prayer that everything we have learned will be reproduced and put into practice both in our local churches and our communities."

--Church of the Nazarene Mesoamerica Region