Bolivia’s troubles have mission teams on alert.

Bolivia (MNN)–The social and political upheaval that led to the resignation of Bolivia’s President Gonzalo Sanchez de Lozada leads to the next question: What next?

Lozada’s exit closed a chapter in the landlocked Andean nation’s attempts to speed up modernization. The new challenge to the presidential successor is how to combat the persistently dire economic conditions of this poor South American country.

Bolivia’s quick change of power may have bought time. Grace Ministries International’s Sam Vinton says they’re watching the situation. “The concern is that the vice president, who has now become the president, that, if he doesn’t deliver in so many weeks or months, whatever limit they set, that these people will do the same thing again. So, the country, it seems to me, is left in a very tenuous situation, to where we need to pray that the Lord will, in some way, will work through these new leaders.”

Vinton says while their teams were fairly well-removed from the conflicts, the trouble has spread before. He adds that the indigenous church moves ahead, in spite of substantial obstacles. “They’re seeing the Bolivian believers move on and start some new churches, and put up some buildings, which, of course, is what we’re aiming for in any of our ministries and so I think that that, to me, is always an encouraging thing to see.”