CUATRO REBELDES DE PERÚ!

SEE THE OTHER BLOG...

2008-12-09T19:42:00.002-06:00

www.theholemanfamily.blogspot.com.

Our journey in Peru will begin a new blog!

We'll be in Perú on Saturday, December 13...

2008-12-07T13:12:00.008-06:00

We're packing up to head south to Perú. Here's our itinerary for the next few days.

Wednesday...Our internet here in Costa Rica will be cut off. If you need to reach us you can try our vonage number...601-914-6705.
Our graduation from language school is at 9 a.m. on Friday, December 12.

On Saturday, December 13 we will leave Costa Rica at 10:30 am and arrive in Lima at 2:30 p.m....short flight.

We may not have internet connection for a few days.

Pray for us and all the changes...especially for Haylee and Jackson.

Today at La Carpio...

2008-12-04T21:30:00.014-06:00

Today was our Christmas Party at La Carpio. We had a huge turn-out as you can see in the video. Thank you to Liesa's parents for paying for the food...500 hotdogs, packs of cookies and soft drinks were distributed today. Thank you to the La Carpio team for supplying Christmas gifts for the kids. Thank you to Southern Baptists for allowing us to serve here in Costa Rica. Merry Christmas!

The La Carpio Ministry Team (Fall 2008). This is the group who we have had the blessing of leading this fall at La Carpio. Thank you to all of these folks for your commitment and hard work this fall.

Thank you for praying...

2008-12-03T07:01:00.002-06:00

We received our scores from our Oral Proficiency Interview with the International Mission Board and we are both VERY PLEASED with our results. We are both at a level of Spanish that will allow us to go to Perú with a very good understanding of Spanish. Thank you for praying.

We should receive our scores from our language school today or tommorrow.

Prayer Requests for this week...

2008-11-30T21:51:00.002-06:00

Our time in Costa Rica is winding down and in just a few days we'll be on the ground in Perú, land of the Incas! We are so thankful for those of you who prayed for us this past week. Our Oral Language Test and Written Grammar Test are behind us. On Monday we will have our final Oral Proficiency Interview for our boss, The International Mission Board. If we fail we can no longer be Baptist...just kidding. BUT, we want to do well. Here's our prayer requests for this week.

Pray for Haylee and Jackson as the BIG MOVE is coming quickly. Pray for peaceful hearts and sweet times with their friends here during their last few days.
On Monday December 1, Pray for Jeff at 10 am (Oxford, MS Time) and Liesa at 3 pm (Oxford, MS Time).
Our final ministry day at La Carpio is Thursday, December 4. We are throwing a big Christmas Party for our kids at La Carpio. Pray for a clear presentation of the gospel this week. The La Carpio ministry is from 1:30 pm until 5:00 pm.
Pray for the millions of lost people of Perú. Pray for more workers to come and work in this harvest field.
Pray about your gift to this year's Lottie Moon Christmas Offering. The less you give the more people miss hearing the gospel...'nuff said.

The Chili's Logo at the top of the page represents a very fine meal that we plan to have in Lima in just a few days....

Cheerleading Fun!

2008-11-29T18:05:00.004-06:00

Sabrina, Allison, Alyssa, and Haylee...Cheering on the Sojourn Zealots in their final basketball game of the season.

Way to go Girls!

Soccer Day!

2008-11-29T15:31:00.003-06:00

To the woodshed...

2008-11-28T21:32:00.003-06:00

The Rebs finished up a great regular season by defeating the Bulldogs 45 to zip.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2008-11-26T16:19:00.006-06:00

We are THANKFUL for the 8 kids who trusted Christ as Savior YESTERDAY at La Carpio. We have seen 18 kids come to Christ in the past 6 days. Continue to pray for the ministry at La Carpio. Our Christmas Party is Next Thursday!

We have survived our Oral Exam today and are so thankful for your prayers. We should get our results in a few days. Our Written Exam is on Friday at 1:30 pm Oxford, MS time. Please pray for us.

Thanksgiving is not celebrated in Costa Rica as a national holiday. Our school day will be normal but we do have a special treat in the evening as we gather with the other IMB families for a Turkey Day Feast! We are expecting a crowd of over 90 of our personnel to get together for a great time. We pray you enjoy your day as well.

Prayer Requests for this week...

2008-11-23T18:21:00.008-06:00

Thank you so much to all who are praying regularly for each one of us. We are grateful for your love and concern for our family. Please send us your prayer requests! We would love to minister to you through prayer. You can send those to lholeman@samregion.com .

Our prayer requests for this week...

Please continue to pray for Haylee and Jackson as they prepare for the BIG move to Lima, Peru.
Liesa and Jeff have BIG exams this week... Final Language Oral Test on Wednesday and Final Written Grammar Test on Friday. Both of these tests are comprehensive from the whole year.
Our Oral Proficiency Interview for the International Mission Board is Monday, December 1.
Pray for the details of the move to Peru on December 13.
Pray for Jeff's trip to the department of Junin, Tambo River on December 28 until January 5-6. This will be with a college student team. More details to come...
Pray for a record amount to be given to the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering this year. If your church does not participate in the offering you can send your contribution to First Baptist Church, Oxford, MS. Put "Lottie Moon Christmas Offering" on your check!

We have a house in Lima! The map doesn't tell us much but here it is from above...

Another Ole Miss Rebel Victory...

2008-11-22T18:12:00.010-06:00

And it couldn't happen

to a nicer bunch of folks.

A GREAT DAY!...

2008-11-20T21:07:00.003-06:00

Today at La Carpio TEN students in the older kids group...11 years old and up...responded to the invitation time and prayed to receive Christ as their Savior and Lord. This is all God's Work through the many of you who are praying! Please continue to pray for Bob Yeater and Dan Fredricks who are the bible study leaders for this small group.

Continue to pray for the ministry at La Carpio. We have two weeks left in our positions of leadership in this ministry. We want to take advantage of every opportunity to share the Good News.

From the Week of Prayer website...

2008-11-18T18:45:00.012-06:00

God provides 'wide open' doors for Virginia volunteers to adopt people group in Peru

11/17/2008

EDITOR’S NOTE: This year’s Week of Prayer for International Missions, Nov. 30-Dec. 7, focuses on missionaries who serve in South America as well as churches partnering with them, exemplifying the global outreach supported by Southern Baptists’ gifts to the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering. This year’s theme is “GO TELL the story of Jesus.” National offering goal: $170 million.

By Kristen Hiller

SAN JOSE DE QUERO, Peru (BP) — Just outside the door of a local tienda (store) in San Jose de Quero, Peru, 64-year-old missionary Larry Jackson stands in the sunlight, shaking hands with an influential community leader. “We want to welcome you here, and we want to hear about your religion,” the Wanka Quechua man says. Larry later explains the man is the family's patriarch, and generally what he says is what everybody else does. Larry and his wife, Nancy, are from Pleasant Garden Baptist Church in Pleasant Garden, N.C.The Jacksons serve in the International Mission Board’s Masters Program. Masters missionaries are individuals 50 or older who commit to at least two or three years of overseas service. The Jacksons are serving their third masters term.They have been in South America for eight years, first as church planters in Bolivia, then as prayer coordinators and trainers for the Xtreme Team, young people who take the Gospel to difficult-to-access areas in South America. Now the Jacksons recruit churches to adopt people groups in northern and central Peru where few know the true meaning of the name “Jesus.” While leading a team of volunteers through Wanka Quechua villages nestled deep in the Andes Mountains of central Peru, Jackson says the openness of the Wanka people reminded him of the “Macedonian call” the apostle Paul received in the New Testament.After a six-hour drive over 16,000-foot passes in the Andes, members of Grace Community Baptist Church and Cambridge Baptist Church of Richmond, Va., stepped out of three four-wheel-drive vehicles in Huancayo, Peru. It was late in the afternoon when the vehicles pulled into the parking lot of a local hotel, but team members knew this was merely a stopping point on their journey. The next day they would continue their trek into the Wanka Quechua villages tucked away in the mountainous horizon surrounding Huancayo.

WIDE-OPEN DOORS
A Wanka Quechua boy sits sideways at his desk facing the front of the kindergarten classroom where Guy Holloway, pastor of Grace Community Baptist Church, uses his fingers to teach the children to count to 10 in English. With an elbow propped against his wooden desk and a hand in the air trying to keep up with Guy’s counting, the puzzled youngster struggles to remember the words. But Guy didn’t come to San Jose de Quero to teach the children numbers. When he first began preparing for a vision trip to Peru, he had no idea he would stand before a crowd of Wanka Quechua children, sharing the Gospel in a public school.The crowd of children quiets as Guy starts telling them how he came to faith in Christ at a young age.“I was really humbled that God was there, repeatedly, before we were, and gave us a tremendous, wide-open door,” Guy says. “I even wrote in my journal, ‘These are not open doors; they’re wide-open doors.’”Larry, who regularly guides volunteer teams on vision trips through Peru and Bolivia, said the opportunity was an anomaly.“On a vision trip, it’s highly unusual to get into the schools because the first trip is generally investigation,” Larry says. “It’s really about making a decision, making a commitment.”The two congregations intended to share the Gospel on the vision trip, but their primary goal was to research the area and the people group to discern whether the Lord was calling them to become strategy coordinator churches for the Wanka Quechua.Strategy coordinator churches mobilize efforts to plant indigenous, self-sufficient bodies of believers among specific people groups.“The strategy coordinator church concept gives the local church the opportunity of doing what, in the past, was relegated just to missionaries,” Guy says. “The missionaries play a very vital role now, but what they’re really doing is being the coach and getting believers to be the players on the field.”

FILLING IN THE GAP
Through the IMB’s Rapid Entry Advance Plan (REAP), Baptist associations or U.S. churches like these two can adopt people groups in South America, filling in the gap where there is little access to the Gospel or no ongoing Christian witness.Of the 699 known people groups living in the South America region today, only 48 have full-time International Mission Board missionaries serving among them. By adopting a people group, churches commit to send volunteer teams on a regular basis – usually three to five 10-day trips per year – while developing a strategy to reach those who’ve never heard the Gospel. “There is one IMB missionary for every 1.6 million people,” Larry says. “So we need the churches in America to come forward and fill in the gap.”Following their initial vision trip through the Peruvian Andes, the team of nine returned to their churches to share their experience with fellow church members. After months of prayer, both churches accepted the invitation and the challenge to serve as strategy coordinator churches among the Wanka Quechua of Peru. Trips they have made this year to show the JESUS film among the Wanka Quechua have yielded dozens of new believers in Christ and the start of a weekly Bible study. In November, two dentists from their congregations spearheaded a dental clinic team, which prayed with more than 55 people who wanted know more about how they could have a personal relationship with Jesus. That week, six people that the churches and national believers have been discipling throughout the year were baptized in a mountain stream, including the community leader who greeted them with curiosity about their religion. Also baptized was his wife and grown daughter. “To stay at home, that’s what requires a call,” Guy says. “In the Great Commission, God has already told us to go, and if I’m going to do other than that or less than that, I think that really demands a call. “I think real often, we get that backward.”

To learn more about becoming a strategy coordinator church in South America, go to takingit2the edge.org/SCCP.htm.

For other areas of the world, contact the International Mission Board at (800) 999-3113 or go to imb.org and inquire about a particular world region.

Gifts to the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering provide vital support to the International Mission Board’s more than 5,300 missionaries worldwide, including the Jacksons. To give, go to imb.org/offering.

Prayer Requests and Playa Hermosa...

2008-11-17T18:17:00.007-06:00

We took a trip with our friends...the Bredbenners, the Penningtons and the Sells...to Guanacaste, Costa Rica. We had a great weekend together at Playa Hermosa. Enjoy the movie!

Prayer Requests...

Continue to pray for Jackson and Haylee and they prepare for another move. We are trusting God to provide great new friends for Haylee and Jackson in Peru.
Please pray for a miraculous understanding of Spanish for all of us. We have much to learn and so little time left to learn it.
Pray for the ministry to the people at La Carpio. We only have three more weeks of ministry with this community and we want to take advantage of every opportunity to introduce them to our Savior.
Pray for the REAP North Peru team led by Boots and Katie Holder. Pray for wisdom as they manage the arrival of a new group of team members.
Pray for a HUGE Lottie Moon Christmas Offering. Pray that God would be glorified and that Southern Baptists would demonstrate their commitment to missions as never before.

We're back from the beach!

2008-11-17T06:50:00.000-06:00

We'll post more pictures in a little while...

Gone to the BEACH....

2008-11-12T20:03:00.002-06:00

While we feel sorry for all you folks freezing in the States...we're going to the Beach for the weekend! We'll back soon...

Prayer Requests for November 9, 2008...

2008-11-09T14:21:00.006-06:00

Thank you for all of you who are supporting us through prayer. I think of all the things we've learned over the past 18 months of this journey we have learned the importance and power of prayer. We are so blessed with so many who pray for us including our family, our church family and many friends around the world. Here are some answers that we have experienced over the past few months...

Haylee and Jackson have had a wonderful experience here in Costa Rica and would love to stay here for a while. That is a blessing! School has been great and they have developed friendships that they will have for a long, long time.
We (Jeff and Liesa) have had grown in many, many ways. It's neat how God has deepened our faith over the past few months. We have learned so much about what it means to follow Him wherever He leads.
We have seen God work through all of us. All four of us are investing in the ministry at La Carpio. We have developed friendships with our Tico friends here on our street. We're going to miss them.
Our fellow missionaries. What an honor to serve alongside some of the most wonderful followers of Christ on the planet. God is certainly calling out some incredible people to do His work in Latin America.

Here are some prayer requests for this week...

SCHOOL! All four of us have a ton of things on our mind. Pray for focus!
The move to Peru. Moving to a new country. Making another house a home. Adjustments...particularly for Haylee and Jackon.
Finding a good school for Haylee and Jackson in Lima. We have several choices so pray for wisdom.
Speaking Spanish...we have a lot more to learn...pray for a MIRACLE.

This photo is Liesa and a few of her friends from Costa Rica at the basilica in Cartago, Costa Rica.

For our church family at First Baptist Oxford Mississippi..

2008-11-09T14:10:00.001-06:00

It's beginning to look a lot like...

2008-11-06T20:50:00.002-06:00

Christmas?? Costa Rica does not celebrate the American Thanksgiving holiday so the Christmas decorations have been coming out in full force this week. It's kind of fun because we love the Christmas season. However, it feels strange to see Christmas lights up before Thanksgiving. We WILL celebrate THANKSGIVING American style with our gringo friends. Our school has classes on that day and then we'll feast together that afternoon. Will we go to class that day??? Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.

Thank You for the birthday wishes!

2008-11-04T06:39:00.004-06:00

Happy Birthday to Liesa...

2008-11-03T06:34:00.003-06:00

Happy Birthday to Liesa...our wonderful mom and wife!

We love you! Haylee, Jackson and Jeff.

BUNCO IN COSTA RICA!

2008-11-02T18:57:00.010-06:00

Pictured above are my friends who will be serving all over Latin America in the coming months and year.

Row 1 -Melissa (Argentina), DeNiel (Dominican Republic), Mary (Honduras)
Row 2 - Jenn (Peru), Hope (Argentina), Nicole (Peru), Crystal (Peru), Nury (Costa Rica, not pictured)

After 13 long months....BUNCO is back. I could think of no better way to celebrate the eve of the big ???? birthday than to have a BUNCO party with my dear friends here in Costa Rica. We had a great time of fellowship together. Thanks girls back home for giving me the game supplies to make my party complete. The night was a big hit.

La Carpio Girls Day Out...

2008-11-01T19:01:00.005-06:00

La Carpio is a community here in San Jose, Cost Rica where we work each week. Today, November 1, 2008, Liesa and some of the other missionaries spent the day at Sabana Park with some of the girls from La Carpio. Going to a park is a huge deal to these girls because they don't have parks and playgrounds in their community. The girls had a great time of playing together, having Bible study, enjoying craft time and lunch from that traditional Costa Rican restaurant...McDonald's!

Muchas Gracias to our home church, First Baptist Oxford Mississippi, for footing the bill for the bus and the food!

Here's a video of the day's events...

Updates at the bottom of this page...

2008-10-31T15:01:00.003-06:00

At the bottom of our blog page are updated prayer requests for the REAPNORTH team in Peru. You can print them and use them to support this work with your prayer. You can even share them with your bible study/sunday school classes.

Also, the November issue of 'Bible Express' magazine is featuring the Holeman family. A copy of the article is found below.

Special Prayer Request!

2008-10-31T06:18:00.004-06:00

Please pray for a special project we're doing with some of the girls from La Carpio tommorrow (Saturday, November 1). We'll be having a "Girl's Day Out" where the girls will spend time at a park and have lunch at McDonald's. Liesa is sharing her testimony and the girls are having a bible study time.. This is a special treat for many of our girls who don't get to go special places.

First Baptist Oxford Mississippi is sponsoring the day...chartering the bus and providing lunch for all the girls. Thank You!
We'll have photos on the Sunday Night post.

Please pray for...

God to bring the exact girls to the this event who need to hear the gospel and/or spend a day being encouraged.
That Liesa and the other ladies leading this day will communicate clearly in Spanish.
That those who do not have a relationship with Christ will respond to His invitation.

Prayer Requests for October 27, 2008...

2008-10-26T22:21:00.004-06:00

The photo to the left is of Jackson on the roof of our house here in Costa Rica. He likes to climb on the roof and talk to his buddies who live about three houses down the street. He's ALL boy!

We've just finished up a busy and fun week. Our new neighbors, the Sells (Charles, Mary, Brodie, Emily, Bethany and Timothy) arrived Thursday afternoon. It has been fun being able to help them get adjusted to life in Costa Rica. Please pray for them if you get the chance. Adjusting to life here is quite an experience.

You can also join us in praying for...

Spiritual Emphasis Week at school. This is a week of special worship and teaching times to help all of our students 'keep the main thing the main thing.' Jeff is one of the school chaplains so he has to pull extra duty this week trying to keep it all running smoothly.

The Countdown to Peru... Pray for the schooling options for Haylee and Jackson in Lima. We have some great schools to choose from and we need wisdom on what is best.

Lottie Moon Christmas Offering. Obviously with the economic conditions around the world it is so important that mission giving increase. Pray for a record breaking offering this year!

La Carpio Ministry on Thursdays. Please pray for the gospel to be proclaimed clearly and effectively to this community here in San Jose.

Have a tremendous week! Thank you for holding the rope for us.

Fall 2008 Bible Drill Group...

2008-10-25T07:48:00.006-06:00

Liesa and Jeff help lead a bible drill group for kids at a local ministry here. We meet on Sunday afternoons. The kids memorize lots of bible verses and they learn how to find them in their bible.

Haylee is becoming a great songwriter...

2008-10-23T06:57:00.002-06:00

A copy of an article for you...

2008-10-22T06:45:00.005-06:00

If you are ever afraid to follow God's Plan remember you are in great company! If you are dealing with fear in the midst of God's Plan you can count on His presence.

Fatal Flaws (from RBC ministries)

“All these people were still living by faith when they died.”

Hebrews 11:13

If you’re a fan of Shakespeare, you know that his heroes always have a serious character flaw. I guess it’s what makes for a good story—and teaches some important lessons too.

The same is true of our Bible hero Abraham. His flaw? Fear.

Twice Abraham succumbed to the fear that the rulers of other nations would kill him and steal his wife. So he deceived the kings and said that she was his sister, in essence welcoming them to take her into their harems. By letting fear dictate his actions, he put at great risk God’s promise and plan that through Abraham and Sarah a great nation would be born from whom Jesus the redeemer would ultimately come (

Genesis 12:1-3; 15:4-5).

Not Abraham’s proudest moments—but thankfully, God intervened. In

Genesis 20 we learn that “God came to Abimelech in a dream one night and said to him, ‘You are as good as dead because of the woman you have taken; she is a married woman’” (v.3). Suddenly the tables of fear were turned, as Abimelech and all his officials “were very much afraid” (v.8)! When they confronted Abraham, he replied, “I said to myself, ‘There is surely no fear of God in this place, and they will kill me because of my wife’” (v.11). He had let fear get the best of him.

But before you come down too hard on Abraham, it might be good to ask: For fear of losing your job, would you put your integrity at risk? For fear of appearing old-fashioned, would you put righteousness at risk? For fear of being ridiculed or misunderstood, would you neglect sharing the gospel and put someone’s eternity at risk?

If you’ve ever felt the intimidation of fear, then be assured that only one thing will conquer your fears: tenacious faith in God—in His presence, His protection, His power, His promises. Remember, God is bigger than your biggest fear!

And here’s the good news: Abraham is actually known for his legacy as a man of faith. In fact, the “Hall of Faith” chapter gives Abraham a lot of good press (

Hebrews 11:8-19)! Thankfully he wasn’t marked forever by his flaw.

Maybe it’s not fear in your life but another “fatal flaw” that consistently puts God’s will and plans for you at risk. But remember, your flaw doesn’t have to be fatal! Have faith in the fact that He will never ask you to do anything that He can’t bring to completion, even if it requires miraculous intervention on His part. Live in such a way that you can be counted among those who “were still living by faith when they died” (Hebrews 11:13)—even if things aren’t going the way you thought they would. And when your faith trumps your fear, He’ll turn your sweaty palms into raised hands of worship and praise!

Prayer Requests for October 20, 2008

2008-10-20T07:38:00.002-06:00

¡Buen día amigos! We have had another busy week here in Costa Rica. Haylee is busy with school and cheerleading practices. Jackson is working hard in school and playing hard at soccer. Both Haylee and Jackson had big Spanish exams this week and did well. Liesa and Jeff are working hard at learning as much Spanish as we can cram in our heads. We are all thankful for a day off from school today (Monday, October 20).

We had a busy weekend with IMB meetings. The International Mission Board takes good care of us with training and providing resources to help us in so many ways. We are thankful for Southern Baptists and a strong committment to supporting missionaries around the world.

We are MORE than thankful for those of you who pray regularly. Please pray for ...

Haylee and Jackson. Your prayers have been answered in many ways in their lives. They are doing well in school. They have developed deep friendships here. They are involved in ministry projects. They are learning Spanish. Continue to pray for these areas. And, pray for our upcoming move to Peru. This will be another big adjustment for them.
Language school for Liesa and Jeff. We are on the downhill slide toward December. We still have much to learn and need to remain motivated. "Final trimester -itis" is setting in.
La Carpio. Pray for the ministry at La Carpio. Every Thursday at 2:30 pm Central Time. If you would like to read about La Carpio go here... LA CARPIO.

Thank you all for your prayers and support. We would love to hear what is going on with all of you. Send us some mail... lholeman@samregion.com.

ALSO, Remember Liesa's birthday is coming up on November 3!

ALSO, We have updated our mailing address information to the right of this page...take note!

Praying, Giving, Going, or Disobedient. What are you?

2008-10-16T17:46:00.003-06:00

Prayer Requests for October 13, 2008...

2008-10-12T19:59:00.003-06:00

Hello to all of our dear friends around the world. Please know of our gratitude for you prayers for our family. We are always aware of God's presence with us, protecting us and blessing us in so many ways.

Please join us in prayer. Here are our most important requests as of today...

Please continue to pray for Haylee and Jackson. They are doing GREAT! But, we have a big move to Peru coming up where they will have to start over with a new school, new friends, a new culture and parents who have a new work schedule.
Language school continues to roll along. Pray for Liesa and Jeff to stay focused, motivated and that their ability to speak and HEAR Spanish will increase.
Please pray for the lost people of South America. Pray for churches in the U.S. to take on the responsibility of reaching out to an unreached people group. Go to http://www.reapwsar.org/ to see how your church can get involved with us in Peru.

This weekend in Costa Rica...

2008-10-11T20:14:00.013-06:00

We have had a busy few days here. On Friday, Haylee and Jackson's school sponsored a Culture Day. The video below shows some of the events that Haylee and Jackson participated in. (Haylee has the Brazil flag painted on her face.)

On Saturday, Jackson's soccer team had an away game in Belen (about 30 minutes from our barrio of San Francisco). Jackson scored a goal in the 8-2 victory.

A Sweet Story...

2008-10-10T06:43:00.001-06:00

Please go to this link and read a sweet story about the ministry at La Carpio this week...

http://pratherfamily.wordpress.com/2008/10/10/today-in-la-carpio/

Please continue to pray for the ministry in the La Carpio barrio!

Go tell the world...

2008-10-09T06:23:00.007-06:00

Be sure to take advantage of opportunities to go on short-term mission trips with your church. Please continue to pray for the unreached peoples of the world. Give generously to support the work of missionaries around the world through the Cooperative Program and the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering.

Prayer Requests for October 6, 2008...

2008-10-06T17:00:00.002-06:00

Thank you for your prayers for our family. We see the evidence of your faithful prayers every day. We appreciate your partnership with us here in Latin America.

Please join us in praying for...

The economic situation in the United States. Every person in the world is affected by the U.S. economy. Please pray that God will use these tough times to bring people unto Himself.

Continue to pray for Haylee and Jackson. We are counting down our time here in Costa Rica. It has become 'home' for them and they will have to once again leave a place they have grown to love.

LANGUAGE LEARNING! Only 9 weeks left and we want to finish strong.

The Lottie Moon Christmas Offering. The work of the International Mission Board is largely funded through this offering. Please pray that this offering will break all records this year.

The Unreached People of Peru. Pray that the Message of Hope will be proclaimed throughout the Andes and the Amazon River region!

Today at La Carpio...

2008-10-02T19:21:00.002-06:00

Our visas for Peru are APPROVED!

2008-10-02T17:36:00.001-06:00

Thank you for praying. We'll pick up the visas on Friday at the Peruvian Embassy here in Costa Rica.

New Prayer Requests for October...

2008-10-01T19:31:00.001-06:00

Scroll down to the bottom of this page and there are new October 2008 Prayer Requests for South America and the REAP North team. Please join us in praying for them. You can even print them out for your personal use or to share with others!

Prayer Requests for October 1, 2008...

2008-10-01T00:01:00.000-06:00

Thank you so much for praying for Haylee and her dance recital. It was WONDERFUL. Hopefully we'll be able to post a video of her dance soon. She did a great job and continues to prove how 'tough' she is. She loves a challenge. Taking a dance class in spanish and performing on a stage before several thousand is a tough task. She did great!

Liesa's parents have returned to the States. We are so thankful they were able to come and visit. One of the highest costs of serving as missionaries is the separation from our family and friends. It is horrible. Life is not fair. We are comforted by knowing that God has called us to be here and has equipped our family and friends to support us in various ways. We are thankful for each of you who support us by prayer and by giving to the Cooperative Program and the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering.

We need your prayers this week for the following things...

Please continue to pray for Haylee and Jackson. We are approaching another time of 'good-byes' to so many dear friends.

Please pray for the ministry at La Carpio. If you can remember to specifically pray on Thursday afternoons as we lead a group into this community.

Please pray for our continued Language Learning. With only ten weeks remaining it is so easy to lose motivation.

Please pray for our Peruvian Visa to be approved soon. Things look good but prayer is always a great weapon against government red tape.

Please pray for Boots and Katie Holder and the REAP North team in Peru. There is so much going in Peru and so many things coming up in the next few months. Pray for God's wisdom in decision making.

Please pray for an increase in the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering. Obviously, the economy of the U.S. is in difficulty. Pray that mission budgets will not be cut and that missionaries waiting to be appointed will have the necessary resources to be able to follow God's call.

Nana's and Papaw's Visit and The Dance Recital...

2008-09-30T19:04:00.007-06:00

We have enjoyed our visit with Liesa's parents. Here are some photos of some of the fun that we had.

Go Rebels!

2008-09-27T14:21:00.006-06:00

OLE MISS 31
FLORIDA 30

Update for this week....

2008-09-21T15:13:00.002-06:00

Thank you for all of your emails, phone calls and gifts in the mail for Jeff's birthday this week. All was very appreciated! Most of all thank you for your prayers for our family. We continue to roll along with our final few weeks here in Costa Rica. This past week we went to school and took advantage of some great ministry opportunities. You are probably aware that we work with one of the communities here called La Carpio. It is a community of Nicaraguan immigrants...very poor...they build their homes out of whatever they can find. We are so grateful for the folks who volunteer to go with us each week. Liesa does a great job organizing our bible studies for each of our groups.

This coming week is another busy week. Please pray for...

Haylee as she performs in her dance recital. She has worked hard overcoming language barriers and will perform Friday, Saturday and Sunday evenings.
Jackson is loving his new teacher and whatever she's doing to get him to read so much is TREMENDOUS. Continue to pray for him as he grows more every day.
Liesa is busy as always. Pray for her this week as she balances being a mom, wife, student and good friend to so many.
Jeff as our final weeks of formal language training continue. Pray that all of our language skills would improve.
Liesa's parents are coming to visit this week. Pray for safe travel for them.

Below are some photos from Jackson's soccer practice and his nap time in the hammock on the back patio. Sweet stuff!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JEFF!

2008-09-17T06:16:00.006-06:00

Unfortunately, Jeff instead of enjoying a day at the beach, Jeff is at school. We hope he has a great day.

Happy Birthday Dad! We love you, Liesa, Haylee, and Jackson.

Prayer Requests for September 15, 2008...

2008-09-14T21:13:00.005-06:00

We are so blessed by all of you who pray regularly for us. There are not enough " THANK YOU'S " that we can pass along but we want you to know how important you are to us.

We have had a really good week here in Costa Rica. Liesa and I both had big language tests and we did well. We can actually speak a little spanish! Jeff has to write a paper for grammar class this weekend and Liesa has a grammar test on Tuesday, Sept 16. Life goes on for us.

Haylee and Jackson had a good week. School is back in full swing. Haylee is working hard preparing for her dance recital at the end of the month. The recital is in a big theater in downtown San Jose and will run for three nights! Haylee also celebrated her birthday (Video is below) with her friends here at the house. Jackson is enjoying fourth grade. His teacher is such a blessing. He is enjoying playing indoor soccer during the week at school and we joined our local neighborhood team that practices and plays on Saturdays outdoors (Video is below.) Both Jackson and Haylee are improving their language skills daily.

We began bible drill on Sunday afternoon at a local ministry here. Jeff and Liesa are serving as helpers for this ministry. There were over twenty 4th-6th graders from all types of backgrounds who showed up today. This is a variation of bible drill in the U.S. This should be a great challenge for all of us as we memorize scripture together.

Monday, September 15 is Independence Day here in Costa Rica. Not quite as meaningful as 4th of July in the States but we'll certainly take the day off from school. We stood in our front yard tonight and watched a good fireworks show. We'll venture out on Monday and if we can find something interesting to do.

PRAYER REQUESTS THIS WEEK...

Haylee and Jackson. Continue to pray for good health, their classes at school, their spanish skills and for meaningful friendships.
Jeff and Liesa. We have less than 90 days left. We must stay focused. We have 90 days left. We must stay focused. We have less than 90 days left. (SEE HOW HARD IT IS?)
La Carpio. There are so many needs in this community that we work with each week. The biggest need is for more families to be reached with the gospel. Pray for the work that is going on in the La Carpio community.
International Mission Board. Many of you are aware of changes going on with the International Mission Board. Please pray for our leadership as they seek to follow God's plan for the IMB. Pray that giving to the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering and the Cooperative Program will dramatically increase so that the work of missionaries around the world will be supported adequately.

Haylee's 12th Birthday Party...

2008-09-13T18:21:00.003-06:00

Prayer Requests for September 8, 2008

2008-09-07T19:54:00.006-06:00

Thank you to all who pray frequently for this family. Your prayers are used in so many ways to allow us to see so many great things happening here in Costa Rica. We have had a great first week of school. We are especially greatful for really good language teachers this trimester. We are certainly blessed.

Haylee and Jackson continue to do very well. They have settled in to their school routine and seem to really enjoy their teachers and classes. Haylee is celebrating her 12th birthday this week so we're gearing up for a big spend the night party. A bit more of a challenge in our house here than in the BIG house in Mississippi. But, we'll make it work.

Jackson joined a new soccer league this week. A video of that is down this page a little. He really likes his teacher this semester. He is a big 4th grader now.

Prayer Requests for this week...

Pray for Liesa's grandmother in the hospital in Jackson, MS. Nothing too serious but an important request.
Pray for Haylee and Jackson as they continue to adjust to a different culture. Haylee has her dance recital coming up. Haylee and Jackson need to learn more Spanish.
Pray for Jeff and Liesa and their language learning...Good attitudes. Motivation.
Pray for the ministry at La Carpio that we lead each Thursday Afternoon. We are thankful for so many language students that volunteer to help each week. Pray for THE WORD to be taught effectively and clearly.
Pray for our home church, First Baptist Oxford, as they seek to be light. The first presidential debate will be in Oxford about 6 blocks away from First Baptist Oxford. Eric Hankins is the pastor. Website is http://www.gotofirst.org/. Jeff was student minister there for almost ten years before joining the IMB.

Escuela De Futbol San Francisco

2008-09-06T12:51:00.007-06:00

Thought we'd give you a peek at what Jackson has been up to!

Haylee's Dance Recital is COMING SOON...

2008-09-01T06:55:00.004-06:00

Prayer Requests for September 1, 2008...

2008-08-31T21:25:00.006-06:00

This photo pretty much sums up our weekend...FOOTBALL AMERICANO AMIGO! The Rebels won BIG over Memphis State and we were able to enjoy about 10 hours of college football on Saturday thanks to cable TV and the internet. This semester will certainly be a lot more bearable with some football to enjoy.

Thank you to all who are praying. We have enjoyed our vacation break and we head back to class Tuesday morning, Sept 2. We are excited to be entering our final trimester of formal langauge training. This time last year we were finishing up our careers in Mississippi and beginning this new journey. Your prayers have been used mightily over these past 12 months.

Prayer Requests for this week...

Pray for the people affected by Hurricane Gustav. Jeff's mom has evacuated to the Jackson area.
Please continue to pray for Haylee and Jackson. They love their new teachers this year! Haylee has started middle school and has a tough schedule and Jackson is enjoying P.E. class...that's about the best we can hope for I suppose.
The daily grind of language school returns for Liesa and Jeff. Again, pray for good attitudes and an ability to continue to grasp this difficult language.
We have received word that our house in Peru is ready for us. Our move to Peru will be here before we know it. Please pray for our preparations over the next few months...visas, a great school for the kids, miraculous ability to speak Spanish, etc.
Liesa and Jeff are heading up the weekly ministry at La Carpio. This past Thursday went great with Jeff teaching the kids (in Spanish!) and Liesa leading the music (in Spanish!). That was pretty cool stuff. Pray for this ministry each Thursday afternoon.
Please join us in praying for increased giving to the Cooperative Program and the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering.

THERE IS A NEW PRAYER GUIDE FOR THE SOUTH AMERICA REGION POSTED AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS PAGE. PRINT IT OUT AND SHARE IT WITH YOUR SUNDAY SCHOOL CLASS.

Mi esposa aprendió como hacer empanadas!

2008-08-28T12:43:00.006-06:00

Prayer Requests for August 24, 2008

2008-08-24T14:39:00.006-06:00

Thank you so much for praying for us! God uses you every day to help us.

We have had a good, SLOW week. We have spent time relaxing, playing, watching the Olympics, visiting the amusement park...just about anything we can do to avoid STUDYING! But the days of vacation are coming to an end. The kids begin their new school year on Wednesday. Haylee begins 6th grade and Jackson will be diving in to the world of 4th grade. Haylee is working hard for her dance recital coming up in September and Jackson will be returning to soccer. Liesa and Jeff will be heading up the ministry at La Carpio this semester and Jeff was elected (drafted, manipulated, ___ -insert any shady verb here.) one of the two chaplains for the language school for this semester. AND, we have to go to class. The great news is that we'll also be getting visas, making travel arrangements and getting ready to get to work in Peru. So these next three months will be busy. We need your prayers more than ever!

Please pray for...

Haylee and Jackson as they begin their new school year.
Jeff and Liesa as a new semester begins. OUR SPANISH MUST IMPROVE A LOT or the Peruvians might end up trusting in no telling what.
The ministry at La Carpio. La Carpio is a barrio of San Jose that pretty much is one of the poorest places on the earth. The people there are wonderful and they are hungry to hear about Jesus. We lead a group there every Thursday afternoon to conduct a meeting of games, worship and bible study primarily for kids.
The chaplaincy ministry at school that Jeff is leading. He is responsible (along with our other chaplain) for certain areas of orientation of new students, planning the chapel schedule, coordinating spiritual emphasis week and "other duties as assigned."
Jeff's brother and sister in law...Pete and Carrie Holeman...are pregnant! The little bundle of joy will make his/her appearance in April 2009.
All of the Ole Miss Football Games to be broadcast in Costa Rica...never hurts to ask!

Our Day at La Paz Waterfall Gardens...

2008-08-19T16:52:00.003-06:00

Today's Devotion from Oswald Chambers...

2008-08-18T11:21:00.005-06:00

From My Utmost For His Highest...

Have You Ever Been Speechless with Sorrow?

When he heard this, he became very sorrowful, for he was very rich —Luke 18:23

The rich young ruler went away from Jesus speechless with sorrow, having nothing to say in response to Jesus’ words. He had no doubt about what Jesus had said or what it meant, and it produced in him a sorrow with no words with which to respond. Have you ever been there? Has God’s Word ever come to you, pointing out an area of your life, requiring you to yield it to Him? Maybe He has pointed out certain personal qualities, desires, and interests, or possibly relationships of your heart and mind. If so, then you have often been speechless with sorrow. The Lord will not go after you, and He will not plead with you. But every time He meets you at the place where He has pointed, He will simply repeat His words, saying, "If you really mean what you say, these are the conditions."

"Sell all that you have . . ." ( Luke 18:22 ). In other words, rid yourself before God of everything that might be considered a possession until you are a mere conscious human being standing before Him, and then give God that. That is where the battle is truly fought— in the realm of your will before God. Are you more devoted to your idea of what Jesus wants than to Jesus Himself? If so, you are likely to hear one of His harsh and unyielding statements that will produce sorrow in you. What Jesus says is difficult— it is only easy when it is heard by those who have His nature in them. Beware of allowing anything to soften the hard words of Jesus Christ.

I can be so rich in my own poverty, or in the awareness of the fact that I am nobody, that I will never be a disciple of Jesus. Or I can be so rich in the awareness that I am somebody that I will never be a disciple. Am I willing to be destitute and poor even in my sense of awareness of my destitution and poverty? If not, that is why I become discouraged. Discouragement is disillusioned self-love, and self-love may be love for my devotion to Jesus— not love for Jesus Himself.

A great word for missionaries like me.

Prayer Requests for August 17, 2008...

2008-08-17T16:37:00.002-06:00

We have finished our second trimester here in Costa Rica and we have a break for a couple of weeks until our third and final trimester begins. We are enjoying our time off by having some fun. On Saturday we made a trip to the V.I.P. theater to see "The Clone Wars." The seats are very comfy recliners and there are waiters to bring you your snacks right to your seat. It was the most comfortable chair we have had since leaving Mississippi in December. Very Nice! The movie was good, too!

This past week we had to say good bye to our neighbors...the McLamb's and to our great friends...the Cook's. It is weird here on the street without the McLamb's...and the Pennington's have gone on vacation....so here we are. :-(

We got word on Friday that the South America Summit scheduled for January has been cancelled because of the lack of funds. As most of you know the value of the US dollar has weakened considerably over the last year and the Cooperative Program and Lottie Moon Christmas Offering have not kept pace with this decline. Therefore, some regional training events have been cancelled so that cuts will not be made in mission budgets. We were looking forward to The Summit as a chance to hear some great preaching and worship, excellent training and some fellowship time with other missionaries serving in South America. We are also thankful for those in leadership who seek God's guidance on the priorities we must have and make decisions that help to keep us on task.

Thank you for praying and your giving to the Cooperative Program and the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering! You can pray for us this week...

Please keep Haylee and Jackson in your prayers as they enjoy their break from school. Their school year begins on August 27.
Please pray for good rest time for Liesa and Jeff and for all the Spanish they have learned over the past months to sink in and take root.
Please pray for the preparations for Peru that will begin soon...luggage, a place to live, a school for Haylee and Jackson, adjusting to another culture, visas....so many things to pray about.

Have a great week and let us hear from you. Liesa's email... lholeman@samregion.com .

Happy Mother's Day!

2008-08-15T21:20:00.003-06:00

Today was Mother's Day here in Costa Rica. After spending the morning getting our friends to the airport and on their way we spent the afternoon laying around being lazy...it's been a while since we did that! Tonight we were invited to the home of some of our tico friends to celebrate Mother's Day with them. We had bar-b-que ribs, mashed potatos, veggies, and some peaches and ice cream for desert. Yummy!

Prayer Requests for August 11, 2008...

2008-08-11T06:55:00.003-06:00

Thank you for your prayers this trimester. Your prayers have allowed us to experience God's blessings and see Him work in and through us.

Our Oral Proficiency Interview Scores indicate that we are learning very well. We both increased our levels of Spanish! We are certainly happy about that.

Thank you to Salem Baptist Church for the box of goodies and the support of the La Carpio ministry.

This is our final few days of the trimester. We are enjoying that thought but it is diminished by the thought of our dearest friends leaving us for their place of service. Please pray for...

Jenny, John, Caleb, Luke and Elijah McLamb as they leave us this week for their next stop in South America.
Jan, Jay, Elizabeth, Bill, John, and Jessica Cook as they leave for their field of service.
Haylee and Jackson as they finish up their last few days. THEY ARE READY FOR A VACATION!
Jeff and Liesa as we finish up our trimester. We are READY for a break, also!
Please pray for our friend Stacy Case Stout who was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis this week.

Thank you for your prayers and your giving to the Cooperative Program and the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering.

Our Oral Interviews are over...

2008-08-06T16:41:00.005-06:00

Thank you for praying! We'll find out in a couple of days how we did. We'll update you then!

Here's an aerial view of the house when Jeff was doing his interview. You can see how it went.

Jeff on his way to his Spanish Oral Proficiency Interview...

2008-08-04T17:01:00.007-06:00

--Pray for Liesa on Wednesday at 3:00 pm CENTRAL time.
--Pray for Jeff on Wednesday at 4:00 pm CENTRAL time.

Prayer Requests for the week of August 4, 2008...

2008-08-03T19:08:00.004-06:00

Only 8 days of class left in our second semester! We are so ready for a break although we enjoy school. We look forward to a couple of weeks of down time with Haylee and Jackson.

On Sunday afternoon, August 3, we had a "See You Later" meeting for our colleagues who are finishing up language school this semester. We are going to miss our friends but fortunately we'll get to see everybody in January at our South America Summit Meeting in Paraguay.

On Friday night Jeff was part of team that went to Cartago to do some street evangelism with those participating in the pilgrimage to the Basilica of La Negrita. We were able to distribute 50,000 tracts to the estimated TWO MILLION people gathered in Cartago. Jeff had never seen so many people in one place! Amazing. All were there to bow down to a miniature statue of the Virgin Mary that was 'discovered' about 400 years ago. Tragic. The sad (but humorous!) part of all this was getting 'blessed out' but a bunch of old catholic ladies. Bless their hearts!

Prayer Requests This Week...

Continue to pray for Haylee and Jackson. They are doing great but will have to say 'See You Later' to another group of friends this next week.

Pray for motivation and good attitudes as we finish up our semester.

Pray for the ministry at the La Carpio community each Thursday afternoon.

PRAISE...Liesa's dad's skin cancer is the 'not as serious' type.

Pray for The Spanish Language Institute as the teachers and staff prepare for a new 'crop' of missionaries arriving in a couple of weeks.

Pray for Boots and Katie Holder and the rest of the ReapNorth team working in Peru.

Just when we think we've reached our limit...

2008-08-01T14:02:00.002-06:00

we are reminded of WHY we're here.

New South America Prayer Requests...

2008-07-31T19:30:00.001-06:00

Look at the bottom of this page for NEW South America Prayer Requests for August 2008. You can print them out and share with others...churches, Sunday School Classes, etc. A great idea is to keep a copy on your dinner table to pray over before each meal!

From the Holeman's in Costa Rica...

2008-07-28T09:31:00.008-06:00

This photo is Haylee and her friend Jessica. Jessica's family will be heading to their field of service very soon!

We know that so many of you are praying because things continue to go so well here in Costa Rica. Even the challenges we face every day are not overwhelming because of people praying for us. You are so important...just as important as we are...so that the people of Latin America will be able to hear and respond to THE GOSPEL. We would love to pray for you also. Email your prayer requests to lholeman@samregion.com.
This is a photo of Liesa's language class (we practice speaking in language class.). Angela (sitting next to Liesa) and her family left last week for their field of service. Their blog is listed to the right.

Our second semester is winding down...We finish on August 13. We'll have a couple of weeks off and then we begin our final semester here in Language School. Some important dates are coming up...
- Aug. 6 (Oral Proficiency Interviews)
- Sept. 11 (Haylee's Birthday!)
- Sept. 17 (Jeff's Birthday!)

Prayer Requests this week...

Pray for Haylee and Jackson as they continue to work hard learning Spanish. We are impressed with their progress.
Pray for Liesa's Dad. He has to have a skin cancer removed from his ear. Pray all will go well with the surgery and healing.
Pray for Liesa and Jeff...good attitudes, motivation, mental sharpness!

Pray for the ReapNorth crew led by Boots and Katie Holder in Peru.

Pray for our regional leaders, Dickie and Dee Nelson, who will be meeting with us this week. Liesa and I have the privilege of meeting with them Friday morning.
Liesa has a BIG test this week...Friday at 11:15 am Costa Rica time...that's 12:15 pm in Mississippi. Pray for her preparation.
Haylee's Dance Recital is coming up in September...Three nights of dancing in a big theater in downtown San Jose. Her classes are all in Spanish! Pray for her as she prepares for the BIG EVENT.
FOUR WEEKS until REBEL FOOTBALL! Hotty Toddy! We praise the Lord for OleMiss.TV. Jeff was babysitting for another family the other night and watched a few of the past Egg Bowls. Ole Miss won every one of them!
Pray for the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering. It is so important that giving to the LMCO keep increasing so that more missionaries can serve around the world. Begin now to pray about how you can increase your giving this Christmas.
As your churches begin their budget processes be sure to ask how much is going to the Cooperative Program. The CP is the primary channel through which Southern Baptists fund missions in the US and around the world. My home church, FBC Oxford, is a leader in CP giving with over 12% of the annual budget given to the CP. Be sure to find out what your church gives to the Cooperative Program.

Thank you all for praying and giving and going!

Thank You to Sherry and Tom Case....

2008-07-27T19:57:00.002-06:00

For buying us dinner at OUTBACK STEAKHOUSE here in San Jose, Costa Rica!
Thank you for thinking of us!

Go Tell...A great video to watch...

2008-07-25T21:14:00.003-06:00

Prayer Requests for July 20, 2008...

2008-07-20T21:23:00.004-06:00

Wow. What a week! This has been a busy week for us. Language Tests, IMB Meetings, ministry at La Carpio and spending time with our Costa Rican neighbors have left us "Muy Cansados" today. We needed a SLOW Sunday in order to recharge our batteries.

Thank you to all of you who are praying for us regularly. We cannot thank you enough for your investment in our lives. We are especially thankful for those of you who allow us to pray for you. Please send us your prayer requests.. lholeman@samregion.com.

Prayer Requests for this week...

Pray for Haylee and Jackson. They have a full schedule just like we do every day. Although their summer school schedule is not as demanding as the regular school year they are not able to have a 'summer off' like their friends in Mississippi. Pray for health and good attitudes for them. Pray for their language acquisition. Pray for them as they prepare to say good bye to more friends who are leaving in a few weeks.
Pray for Liesa's mom and dad and Jeff's mom who are vacationing together this week on a cruise. Pray for their safety.
Pray for Liesa's grandmother. Granny turns 75 this week!
Pray for Liesa and Jeff as they continue their second semester. Good attitudes. Strong minds. Motivation. The normal stuff.
Pray for our sweet friend Courtney Hunter serving in Argentina this week as a student missionary. God has BIG plans for Courtney this week and in the future.
Pray for Oral Proficiency Interviews coming up on August 6.
Pray for the 'C family' as they return to their field of service after returning to the states for a death in their family.
Pray for Boots and Katie Holder and the REAP North team serving in Peru.

Thank you for your prayer support and your giving to the Cooperative Program and the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering!

Prayer Requests for July 14, 2008...

2008-07-14T06:53:00.003-06:00

Thank you to all who are praying for us. Prayer Requests this week...

Pray for Haylee and Jackson as they participate in Summer Camp at school.

Pray for Liesa's grandmother. Her brother died last week in Meridian, Mississippi.

Pray for our final few weeks of school this semester...good attitudes! Finish Strong.

Our Oral Proficiency Interviews are coming up. These Exams are given by the IMB to determine our language level.

Pray for the ministry at La Carpio on Thursday afternoons.

Pray for our friends, Ken and Angela Massey and their kids as they leave this week headed to Bolivia.

PRAISES...we continue to do well. Misty Robinson is cancer-free. God is giving us more opportunities to build relationships with spanish speakers.

For Salem Baptist Church...Toomsuba, Mississippi

2008-07-11T21:46:00.003-06:00

Liesa made this video for her Granny's home church that is having Vacation Bible School this week. We are blessed to be a part of their Vacation Bible School.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY PaPaw!!!!!

2008-07-09T16:21:00.005-06:00

The Holeman family wants to wish PaPaw
Happy Birthday!
Today is my PaPaw's ???? birthday.
(Sorry can't publish his age)

We love you PaPaw!

Prayer Requests for July 6, 2008...

2008-07-06T17:11:00.002-06:00

Thank you for so many who are praying for us by name every day. We KNOW you are praying and we NEED you to continue. AND...let us know how we can be praying for you. Email us at lholeman@samregion.com and let us know how to pray.

We have a had a good 4th of July weekend with my brother (Pete) and his wife (Carrie) here for a few days. We went to La Fortuna this weekend to spend time at the Arenal Volcano and taking a Canopy Tour (by zip line) and hiking through the jungle to a water fall. We get back to class on Monday (July 7) while Pete and Carrie enjoy a few days at Manuel Antonio.

We depend on you to pray for us. Here are some important items to be lifting up...

Pray for the family of Greg Gomez. Greg is a student from the University of Mississippi who was killed in Peru this weekend while serving as a summer missionary. Greg was a wonderful young man who was doing exactly what God called him to do. Pray for the family during this difficult time for them.
Pray for safety for our family here in Costa Rica this week. We do not live in fear and we would appreciate you continuing to pray for God's protection on us.
Pray for GOOD ATTITUDES as we study spanish. This semester is getting REALLY LOOOOONG. We must stay focused!
Praise for the great recovery of our friends John McLamb and Crystal Nelson...both have recovered nicely and are almost back to full speed.
Pray for the many people of the world who have yet to hear about Jesus. Are you willing to GIVE, PRAY, AND GO so that they will hear about HIM?

Remembering Greg Gomez...

2008-07-06T17:06:00.002-06:00

Dear Prayer Partners,

Please pray with us for the family of summer missionary, Greg Gomez. Greg arrived in Lima the end of May with 60 other interns to serve on the REAP South Team. Since then he has traveled around southern Peru with a team researching unreached micro people groups. Saturday afternoon (July 5) Greg was traveling on a public transportation van near the town of Abancay with another summer intern and a Peruvian national who also serve on the REAP South team. The van was in an accident and Greg died of head injuries.

Greg was involved in the ministry of First Baptist Church, Oxford during the time Jeff was serving as student minister there. He was a devoted follower of Christ. We are blessed to have known Greg.

Greg is from Illinois and recently graduated from The University of Mississippi with an engineering degree. Greg’s family was on a trip and weren’t notified until late last night. Please pray for peace for his family and friends. Also, please pray for the two young ladies who were in the accident. Missionaries Mike Weaver and Arnold Austin are on the way to pick them up and bring them back to Lima. Pray for safe travel for them.

Please pray for the other summer interns. Many of them are in hard to reach places and don’t even know about the accident yet. Pray for the REAP South team and our mission leaders who are ministering to the family in the U.S. and working with Peruvian officials there.

Prayer Requests...

2008-06-29T21:57:00.003-06:00

Katy and Haylee trying on some sunglasses.

We had to say "See you later" to our precious friend Katy Carter this morning. We are looking forward to her visiting us in Peru in the near future. You can see below that we had a great time with her during her visit. We are thankful for Mississippi Baptists, her parents and others supporting her financially so she could come and assist at our school, be involved in the La Carpio minstry, help out with the kids during their week off from school and a lot of other important ways that she served while she was here. Thanks Katy!

We have been looking forward to my brother and his wife (Pete and Carrie Holeman) visiting this week. They arrive Wednesday, July 2 and will be here in Costa Rica for a week.

Prayer Requests...

Haylee and Jackson...they begin summer camp this week. We're not exactly sure what that is but if it involves homework I'm afraid that we will have a new volcano in San Jose...named Mount Liesa.

Pray for Liesa and Jeff as we continue language study. It is difficult to stay focused and our brains are pretty 'mushy' right now. Not sure where we can put more info.

Pray for our neighbor John McLamb. He had his tonsils removed last week and is having a tough time with the recovery. We're ready for him to be back at full speed.

Pray for our friend and team mate (Reap North) Crystal Nelson. She had some nasal surgery next week and is still recovering. We miss seeing her face every day.

Pray for the C family. They have had a tough couple of weeks. Pray for strength, comfort and wisdom for them.

We are so thankful for you and your support through prayer. It really does make a difference. We see the evidence each and every day. Thank you for giving to the Cooperative Program and the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering.

Today at La Carpio...

2008-06-26T17:51:00.005-06:00

The Ministry at La Carpio is one of our favorite times during the week. Haylee and Jackson were able to be a part of the action today since they are out of school. Thank you for your prayers and support of this ministry through the Cooperative Program and the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering.

Prayer Requests...

2008-06-22T19:35:00.004-06:00

Haylee and some of her buddies from school. Our school year ended Friday!

We have had a great week this week with Katy Carter visiting. She has been working at the school where Haylee and Jackson go to school and has also participated in our weekly visit to La Carpio. We've had a ton of fun, too. (VIDEOS BELOW!)

Thank You so much to all of our faithful prayer partners. Your prayers and giving to the Cooperative Program and the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering are so NEEDED and appreciated. Thank you to all!

Prayer Requests this week...

This is Katy's last week with us so pray that she will experience a great week here in Costa Rica.

Haylee and Jackson have finished up their school year and have a week of summer vacation before beginning summer camp next week. Pray for them to have a relaxing week.

Liesa and Jeff are working their way through the summer semester. Pray for good attitudes and that we'll take advantage of every opportunity to learn language.

Pray for the opportunity to share the gospel this week whenever we have the chance.

Pray for our dear friend, John McLamb who had his tonsils out Saturday. OUCH!

Pray for our dear friend, Crystal Nelson who had nasal surgery on Saturday. John and Crystal will be missing some language school so pray for a speedy recovery!

Fun at Arenal Volcano...

2008-06-22T19:13:00.004-06:00

We were able to go up to Arenal Volcano this weekend with our friend Katy Carter. She is visiting from the U.S. We had a great time....now you can roll the tape. (You can turn the music down at the bottom of this page...all the way down at the bottom.)

Today at La Carpio...

2008-06-19T18:03:00.002-06:00

Neighborhood Fun...

2008-06-16T17:44:00.002-06:00

Our Year in Costa Rica is...

2008-06-15T21:55:00.005-06:00

HALFWAY DONE! As much as we are enjoying language school, ministering here in Costa Rica and enjoying God's beautiful creation our attention is often focused on the people of Peru that we are yet to meet and the fellow IMB missionaries we will be working with. Thank you to all who have prayed for us over the past few months. We are so thankful for your partnership with us.

(Some of our kids at La Carpio.)

Prayer Requests This Week...

Katy Carter arrived safely this afternoon. We are so excited about her being here. Pray for her to have a great week as she ministers to the kids at Sojourn Academy and the La Carpio community. Thank you to Tim and Pam, Mississippi Baptists and First Baptist Oxford for sending her to us!

This is the last week of school for Haylee and Jackson before beginning Summer Camp. Pray that they will finish strong. They have their Oral Spanish Exam on Monday, June 16.

The daily grind of language learning is so MENTAL! It is really a mental marathon every day to stay focused on the things we need to learn. Pray for ENDURANCE!

La Carpio is a local community that Liesa and I are working with. Words can't describe the living conditions of these families. Pray for those who are teaching God's Word and seeking to share the gospel. Pray for "Gordon" and "Pablo", two guys that Jeff has become attached to.

Pray for the REAP NORTH team in Peru. This is a very busy summer in Peru. Pray for God's protection and for the gospel to be shared effectively. Pray that strong churches would be planted among the unreached people of Peru.

There are numerous prayer requests at the bottom of this page...please pray for them!

Enjoying the Beach...

2008-06-15T21:46:00.001-06:00

Haylee's Skit Day...

2008-06-15T21:30:00.001-06:00

Video is not great but...

A Great Surprise...

2008-06-14T19:53:00.002-06:00

Ricky Young from First Baptist Tupelo showed up with his youth group this week at our language school chapel service. They did a great time leading in worship and Ricky was effective, as usual, in speaking Truth from God's Word. It was great seeing him!

This Week from Costa Rica...

2008-06-08T14:14:00.004-06:00

Liesa and one of our sweet kids at La Carpio.

Highlights of the week...
-- Liesa led music (in Spanish!) for the kids at La Carpio on Thursday. She loves to do that.
-- Jeff spoke (in Spanish) at a church Tuesday evening and was able to share his testimony.
-- We had training meetings this weekend with the other IMB missionaries.
-- Haylee finished up the cheerleading/basketball season this week.
-- Jackson dressed up as a pro soccer player for career day at school.

We thank you all so much for your prayers! Prayer requests for this week...
-- Haylee and Jackson as they finish up the school year with tests.
-- Jeff and Liesa as they approach the mid-point of this semester.
-- Opportunities to minister and to share the gospel.
-- Katy Carter arrives to spend two weeks with us next Sunday, June 15!

Life in Costa Rica continues...

2008-06-03T14:22:00.005-06:00

Life continues to roll on here in Costa Rica. We are approaching the half-way mark of our time here before heading South. We are fortunate to be able to take advantage of the beauty of Costa Rica and this weekend we journeyed to the Carribbean side for some fun on the beach. Words cannot describe what we saw but we do have a couple of photos..

Jackson has become a surfer...sort of.

Haylee and Jess getting ready to do some snorkeling.

We would put some photos of us studying and sitting in class but you really aren't interested in those...and we're not interested in sharing those.

Please continue to pray for:

Haylee and Jackson as they continue to grow up and adjust to life in a different culture.
Liesa and Jeff as they continue to learn Spanish.
Opportunities to share the gospel effectively.
Safety for us here in Costa Rica...there are bad guys here, too.

If you scroll to the bottom of this page you will find more requests for work that is going on with our colleagues in South America. Please join us in praying for them.

Thank you for your prayers and your giving to the Cooperative Program and the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering.

Prayer Requests for June 2008...

2008-06-02T21:15:00.002-06:00

Scroll down for new prayer requests for JUNE.

News for this week...

2008-05-25T13:46:00.005-06:00

Thank you so much for your prayers. We have had a good week. Language school is definitely more challenging for us in our second semester. We are doing well and trying to keep up with the faster pace. Our assignments for class are much more challenging and our teachers are expecting much more from us.

The highlights of our week...

We had some challenging tests in our grammar and language classes but we survived OK.
We had three BIG boxes of goodies arrive from the Buckley family in Oxford. It was quite an adventure getting them released from the post office and customs but we have enjoyed our goodies! Thank you for sending them to us.
We had an earthquake here Thursday evening around 4:30 pm. It shook us for about 2 to 3 seconds. Earthquakes are common but this is the first one we were actually aware of.
We met with our IMB mentors this week (We meet every other week.). We enjoy our times with Asbury and Hope Martin. We are thankful for the wisdom and good advice they give to us. We memorize bible passages in Spanish as well as other assignments.
We had our monthly company meeting with all the other IMB folks. This is the only time we are all able to get together at one time so it's always good to see all the other families.
Our baseball REBELS made it to the SEC Baseball Tourney against the LSU Stinkin Tigers. Unfortunately we ran out of gas and the bad guys won. Good effort Rebs!

PLEASE PRAY FOR THESE PRAYER REQUESTS...

Continue to pray for Haylee and Jackson as they adjust to cross cultural living. They continue to do well and we are thankful for your prayers.
Pray for the ministry at La Carpio (see post below) that we are involved in. Pray that God would open doors to plant reproducing churches among this settlement here in San Jose.
Pray for the REAP North conference going on in Mississippi this week. This is the team that Liesa and I are a part of in Peru. Pray for the churches who are considering adopting a people group in Peru.
Pray that Liesa and Jeff will grasp all the language concepts being thrown at us.

Thank you so much for your giving to the Cooperative Program and the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering.

News for this week...

2008-05-17T22:17:00.024-06:00

Hey dear friends. We have had a FULL week of life and language learning here in Costa Rica. The Second Semester is definitely a challenge as all of our classes have, as Emeril says, 'turned it up a notch.' But your prayers are definitely helping in many ways. Liesa and I continue to learn new things and are progressing in our Spanish learning.

Haylee and Jackson are doing very well in school in spite of missing Oxford a whole bunch. They do miss their friends at home but are doing so well here. Haylee is busy with school and cheerleading and dance. Dance School is a challenge here because it's all in Spanish but she's tough and is hanging in there and doing very well. Jackson is doing what 9 year old boys do...trying to play as much as he can and trying to avoid homework and bathing at all times. We are blessed to have a new missionary family on our street with two boys and one is in Jackson's class at school.

Prayer Requests for this week.

Pray for the people in the mountains and jungles of Peru who right now, at this moment, are waiting for someone to bring real HOPE.
Pray for 'Yami' who is meeting with Liesa from time to time to practice English. We're not sure she has a personal relationship with Christ even though she has a very close relationship with the rituals of the Catholic church.
Pray for the kids and adults at 'La Carpio'. This is an area of San Jose that is basically a SLUM. Thousands of people, mostly refugees from Nicaragua and Columbia, live in BAD conditions. Pictures from Jeff's work there last Thursday are below.
Pray that our language learning will continue to progress. We have learned so much that we are amazed every day but we are also so overwhelmed by the amount we do not yet know.
Pray that giving to the Cooperative Program and the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering will increase so that more can hear about Jesus.

This is my friend 'Missy' that loved to ride on my shoulders. I told her about my sister-in-law named Missy. She thought that was cool.

The woman in this picture is Jessica. She has graduated college and is serving in South America for at least two years as a Journeyman. For more info go to http://www.imb.org/.

This is a bridge in La Carpio that folks have to travel over. The picture doesn't really show how rickety and dangerous it is. I kept thinking...Tim Carter would REALLY love this!

There are multitudes of street kids like this in South America who need to be loved and need to be taught about Jesus. We are thankful God has placed us here!

Thank you for your prayers and giving to the Cooperative Program and the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering.

Happy Birthday Jackson PART TWO!

2008-05-14T22:05:00.004-06:00

We had a great birthday celebration at "Aunt Jenny's and Uncle John's House" tonight.
We had fun with the 'cousins' and celebrated with TWO birthday cakes that Jenny made for Jackson.

Jenny and Jackson.

Birthday Cake #1!

Birthday Cake #2 (Ice Cream Oreo Cake.)

Uncle Jeremy always brings some interesting toys for Jackson to check out. Tonight he brought his "insect sting zapper" for Jackson to play with. He also brought a mini-tazer...Uncle John tazered himself for all to see. You might see some photos of that on the McLamb blog....Passion and Obedience listed to the right of this page.

Happy Birthday Jackson!

2008-05-14T14:08:00.003-06:00

Happy Birthday to Jackson! These are some of the birthday cards he received from churches all over Mississippi...WMU groups, sunday school classes, mission study groups, etc.

Thank you to all who pray for us and give to the Cooperative Program and the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering.

News for this week...

2008-05-11T18:09:00.030-06:00

Happy Mother's Day!
We love our Moms!

Granny and Liesa'a Mom (Nana) during their visit to Costa Rica.

Jeff's mom (Mimi) w/ Haylee and Jackson during her visit to Costa Rica

Happy Birthday Jackson!

On May 14, Jackson will celebrate his 9th Birthday.

Last friday night, in keeping with tradition, he had a sleepover birthday party. The boys had a great time playing with the "Wii"and play station, eating pizza and ice cream, and not sleeping! Yes we do mean not sleeping. They began watching a movie around 10:30, fell asleep, and were up for good around 3:30 the next morning. Doing what you might ask? Playing "Wii". Fun was had by all, but mom and dad were a bit tired.

Pizza at Ortero's. This is our favorite pizza restaurant

in Costa Rica. You can eat pizza and enjoy a movie

(Spanish or English). You never know what you'll get.

The boys enjoyed cheese and peperoni pizza!

Jackson got a soccer ball and a toy that shoots rubber balls.

Thanks to Nana and Pawpaw, the boys had a "Wii" to play with.

This was their game of choice.

Ice Cream "Chocolate and Cookies and Creme" from

"Pops" was the dessert of choice.

Prayer Requests for this week....

***Jackson - Wednesday is his birthday

***Haylee that she will continue to flourish here in C.R.

***Jeff and Liesa - we begin our first full week of our 2nd

trimester. Classes have kicked up a notch. We're not freshmen anymore!

***Liesa's mom as she recovers from a "knee stress fracture". It is imperative that she stay off her leg. She's not very good at doing that.

***Liesa's granny as she has some medical tests in association with her annual checkup.

***Jeff's mom as she finishes up the school year.

Thank you to all who prayed for South America.

Prayer Requests for Sunday, May 11, 2008!

2008-05-09T15:45:00.000-06:00

You can find some up to date prayer requests for the South America Region on the list at the bottom of this page. You should be able to print them.

What's going on in Peru...

2008-05-09T15:40:00.000-06:00

Here is info on one of the people groups we will be working with in Peru.

News from the Family Visit...

2008-05-02T14:21:00.012-06:00

Liesa's family...her grandmother, her parents, her two sisters and all of their families... 11 people in all descended upon Costa Rica this week for a visit. We spent time in San Jose and then took off for the beach for four days. We had a great time!

Haylee and Nana on the hammock on the back patio of our house. Haylee is a cheerleader at school and this is her cheerleading uniform.

Jackson and Nana on the patio.

The women shopped and Papaw got to watch T.V. at the department store with the kids!

Jackson and Sydney couldn't stay awake on the bus trip to the beach.

Missy, Liesa, and Sonya posing with one of the many painted cows in downtown San Jose.

Liesa and Granny enjoying some time on the terrace at the hotel.

Overlooking the pool and beach at our resort for the week.

We're back from the beach!

2008-05-02T07:51:00.002-06:00

Hi friends! We're all back from the beach. Our families head back to the States today.
We'll be posting more soon!

One Trimester Down...Two More To Go...

2008-04-25T10:35:00.005-06:00

We have finished our first semester of language school here in Costa Rica! Buenos tiempos amigos! We realize every day how dependent we are on your prayers...a good dependency! Thank you for your prayers and your giving through the Cooperative Program and the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering.

This past week has been a good one for us as we have wrapped up the semester in fun ways. Most of our classes have been light this week and simply a time for fellowship. Some of our classmates will be headed off to different places to engage the people of Latin America, Spain, and the United States with the gospel. Very exciting and somewhat bittersweet to say "see you soon!" to fellow travelers on this road to bring hope to the lost. It's great that Christians never have to say goodbye. And as Jackson, Haylee and I read this morning from Psalm 90...God is not too affected by time and a thousand years are like a day to him. So, when we miss our friends we know that God has a great reunion planned for us with Him after this life. The life of a missionary family is filled with hello's and "see you later's."

A big event of our week was going to a professional soccer game here in San Jose. This was our first but it won't be our last. There are really no words to describe the event...similar to Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge but this was probably turned up a notch!

Liesa's parents arrived safely last night and her sisters and their families arrive this afternoon. We'll be headed to the beach for some fun this weekend and will return next weekend.

Have a great week. Know you are loved and appreciated. Send us your prayer requests...we want to hear from you!

Don't forget our Day of Prayer for South America on May 11....If you can commit to spending some time on this day in prayer send an email to Liesa at lholeman@samregion.com .

Prayer Requests for this week...

2008-04-19T21:30:00.002-06:00

FOUR more days of class this semester! We are certainly looking forward to several days off from school. We'll be headed to the beach with Liesa's family...Her parents, sisters and their families and Granny all arrive on Thursday and Friday. It's 11 of them and 4 of us. Should be an interesting week here to say the least.

Thank you so much for your faithful prayer support and financial gifts to the Cooperative Program and the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering! Thank You. Thank You. Thank You.

Our primary assignment here in Costa Rica is to learn the language but we are also involved in other opportunities...

Liesa is meeting with one of our neighbors teaching English and learning Spanish.
Liesa is involved with a prayer walking group that is covering our little part of the world.
Jeff shared his testimony (In Spanish) this week with one of our Costa Rican friends.

Prayer Requests this week...

Continue to pray for Haylee and Jackson. Jackson will be losing one of his good buddies this week as his family is headed to another country to serve as missionaries. The life of a Kid Missionary is filled with hello's and good-bye's.
Pray for some of our collegues in Africa who were robbed at gunpoint this past week. Pray for peace and wisdom as they recover from this.
Pray for the millions in South America who have no personal relationship with Jesus.
Join us in giving thanks for a very good first semester here at Language School.
Pray for Liesa's family as they travel here this week.

We thank you for your support and be assured that your prayers are responsible for so many great things in our lives.

Remember to let us know if you can help us on May 11 with the Day of Prayer for South America. You can email Liesa at lholeman@samregion.com.

Update for this week...

2008-04-12T08:28:00.007-06:00

Hey all,

We have had a LOOooonnng week with several important things going on. Our usual school schedule with tests and such continue. The kids are immersed in school activities...Jackson in soccer and Haylee in cheerleading (and dance). AND, this week we had our Oral Proficiency Interviews with our company. The interviews are to measure our progress in learning Spanish. We both feel like we did as good as we could possibly do at this point. Evaluations will come sometime soon.

The mental fatigue of all this is pretty intense. We would not being doing well without God's blessings and your prayers. Thank you for all that you are doing to help us learn the language and culture of South America.

Prayer Requests this week...

Pray for the Day of Prayer and Fasting for South America on May 11. We'll be celebrating Mother's Day! If you would like to join us in prayer be sure and email Liesa at lholeman@gotofirst.org.
Pray for Haylee and Jackson. They continue to do well in school and activities. They are making good friends and are adapting to our new life very well. Continue to pray for their adjustment.
Pray for Liesa and Jeff. Only two weeks of class until a much needed break....pray for endurance and good attitudes.
Pray for the people of Costa Rica. We are reaching a point where we are feeling comfortable with our Spanish. We are praying for opportunities to share the gospel with Spanish speakers.
Pray for a Chik-fil-a to open here soon.

Haylee's Talent Show!

2008-04-05T20:11:00.003-06:00

On Friday, April 4, Haylee and a few friends were in the Sojourn Academy talent show. They won third place. The video is not the greatest...we had a few earthquake tremors during the show.

I'm just joking about the earthquake tremors. ¡Tranquilízate!

http://www.sojournacademy.org is the website for the kid's school. You can find some great information on that website!

Prayer Requests...

2008-04-01T13:46:00.003-06:00

The home stretch of this semester has begun. Only three weeks remain until our first semester of language school will be over. We only hope we can last that long!
Learning a language five days a week from 7:30 am until 1:00 pm is certainly not the most stressful job in the world but it does have some moments. Thank you for praying and supporting us with your giving to the Cooperative Program and the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering.

**Please pray for the unreached people of Peru...we'll be there in about 8 months!
**Please continue to pray for good attitudes and clear thinking as we learn Spanish.
**Pray for Haylee and Jackson as they live and learn in another culture.
**Please pray for safety for Liesa's family as they travel here in late April.

Climbing to the Crosses...

2008-03-29T20:31:00.012-06:00

We took advantage of a beautiful Saturday here in Costa Rica to climb one of the mountains overlooking San José. We had a great but tiring day. Liesa and I are stiff and moving slowly but the climb was well worth it. We climbed up to an elevation of about 7,000 feet. San José has an elevation of around 3500 feet...so we are tired! Here are some photos...

This is the view of San José from up above. In the background is the Irazú volcano.

Jackson and one of his buddies taking a break during our lunch on top of the mountain.

My big brother John McLamb and me. In the background is the cross that you can see from all around our city.

Haylee and one of her buddies taking a break during lunch.

Jeff and Liesa with a spectacular view on top of the mountain.

This is Haylee and one of her buddies waiting on the bus at the base of the mountain.

We had a great day and we look forward to getting to see more of Costa Rica in the future.

Until later..........

Please join us in praying...

2008-03-27T06:03:00.000-06:00

PERU: (REAP North Team) In the highlands of Peru where mountains are covered with jungle lives a group of people who call themselves Ashaninca. There are no roads here. All travel is by boat. They live a simple life, sleeping in houses made of wooden poles, with leaf roofs. The Ashaninca provide food for themselves by raising yucca gardens and hunting, fishing, and gathering food. The majority of Ashaninca who live in this region have no access to the gospel. Because of the remoteness of the Ashaninca villages, medical care is non-existent. People suffer from parasites and other diseases due to the lack of clean drinking water and unsanitary practices. Spiritual darkness envelopes the region and causes much human suffering as well. Family units face instability and turmoil due to immorality and death. Roebuck Baptist Church from South Carolina adopted the Ashaninca people and visited several villages sharing the Good News. Many of the Ashaninca are under-educated and have difficulty reading. The strategy coordinators of Roebuck Baptist adopted a story telling approach so the people can learn and repeat Biblical truths. A conference for believers will be held in June to teach them more stories with the hopes that they will share them in their villages. Many Ashaninca villages are 1-3 days walking distance from the river. Please pray that believers from the villages where Roebuck is working will carry the gospel to these distant villages.