More from Costa Rica...

We have had another good week here in Costa Rica. School continues to go well although we are very much looking forward to our Holy Week holiday coming up soon. We are thankful for your prayers. We are also so thankful for your giving to the Cooperative Program and the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering that helps pay for our language learning expenses.

Our job as missionaries right now is to learn the language and culture of Latin America so that when we arrive in Peru we can begin our 'real' work. We also are being trained in other areas by our mentors here, Asbury and Hope Martin (both from Mississippi!). They have a long history of missionary experience and we are blessed to be able to learn so much from them. They are teaching us things like writing our personal testimonies that will communicate effectively when translated into Spanish and expressed in a Latino culture. We are also memorizing bible verses in Spanish and some other projects.

School is difficult but we are amazed at all that we have learned so far. We were at a birthday party at McDonald's Friday night and Jeff was able to order our food correctly and without breaking out in a cold sweat...so progress is being made. Most of our language learning continues to be stuck in our head and has trouble making it out of our mouths but things are coming along. Our teachers at the Spanish Language Institute are wonderful men and women who want so much for the gospel to be taken to the ends of the earth.

Prayer Requests this week...
-- Jeff's mom arrives Saturday for a week. She'll be teaching at Haylee and Jackson's school during the day and helping the with VBS in the evenings.
-- Haylee and Jackson are doing well. Continue to pray for their transition and their friendships.
-- Language school is getting more difficult each day...continue to pray for good attitudes and for us to stay healthy.
-- Please email your prayer requests to us at lholeman@samregion.com .


We attend church about three blocks from our house. This is our pastor here in Costa Rica...Walter Acuna...but we call him Pastor chino (he looks sort of chinese.) Don't worry Eric Hankins. You're still the man!


Track season ended with Jackson taking Second Place in his age group. These are his two buddies here showing off their ribbons.


On Friday we had 'Culture Day' and Jeff had to teach Liesa some new dance moves. No big head cowboy hats down here.

We pray for many of you by name regularly....we love you. Thank you for your support.