31 December 2010 Update!

The last post of 2010.

Thank you to all who pray for us. I know you get tired of reading this but your prayers are so very important to us. Please don't ever stop praying for us and the work that is going on in South America with our REAP NORTH team. You are a very important part of what God is doing and plans to do in South America.

We have had a blessed time here in Mississippi with our families. On Christmas morning we celebrated with Jeff's mom and family in Petal, MS and later that day we traveled to Brandon, MS to celebrate with Liesa's family. Earlier this week Liesa and Jeff spent two days in New Orleans celebrating 20 years of marriage. We had a great time exploring the French Quarter and eating the best food on the planet. We're back in Petal, MS tonight shooting fireworks and hanging out at Jeff's mom's house. On New Year's Day we'll be at Jeff's brother's house watching some football and playing with Madilyn (Pete and Carrie's daughter.)

We'll try to update as we are able. We're on vacation but are still supporting teams as they contact us with needs...hotel reservations, transportation, etc...so I suppose it's good to be needed. And, we're enjoying visiting with some very special folks in churches while we are here in Mississippi.

Here's some specific prayer requests for you to lift up...

• Please continue to pray for Haylee and her treatment for Rheumatoid Arthritis. She is responding well to treatment and we are thankful.
• Please pray for several new works among the people groups of Peru. Please pray specifically for work among the Lamista Quechua. First Baptist Oxford is very close to seeing a new church started in the village of Bella Vista. The Enemy will seek to put a stop to that.
• Please praise the Lord with us for at least 9 new churches started among the people groups of Northern Peru during 2010.
• Please pray for changes to our work that is coming in 2011. Because of IMB funding priorities, several of the positions on our team will not be able to continue. Please pray for wisdom for Liesa and Jeff as we lead our teams in Peru, Bolivia, and Ecuador to adjust to these changes.
• Please pray for us as we travel Mississippi telling about the Lord's work over the next couple of weeks. Pray for those who will hear and respond to God's Call to be Disciplemakers.

Thank you so much for your support of our work through the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering and the Cooperative Program.

Jeff, Liesa, Haylee, and Jackson

22 December 2010 Update!

We have had an eventful week. Last week, a team of students from First Baptist Church Oxford arrived in Peru to continue the church's ministry to the Lamista Quechua people in the northern jungle area of Peru. (See photo to the right.) We had finished three long days of ministry and were asleep when Jeff's cell phone rang around 2 a.m. Liesa was calling with the news that Granny (her grandmother) had died suddenly. Many of you know Granny because she has been such a big part of our lives for so many years. Granny is now in perfect presence of our powerful Lord Jesus.

On Wednesday morning Jeff left the FBC Oxford group in the capable hands of a national partner (Thank God for Jose!) and flew back to Lima. Although we were grieving, we were comforted by the certainty of Granny's faith. After talking with the fine capitalistic folks at Delta Airlines (I like making money, too), it was determined that they would not be willing to change our already purchased tickets to Mississippi unless we put $6,000 bucks in their pockets (Jerks.). Well, that's not good stewardship so Liesa's family graciously agreed to wait for us to get to Mississippi for the funeral.

We arrived in Mississippi on Monday morning (Dec 20) and prepared for visitation at the funeral home that evening. The funeral was yesterday (Dec 21) in Brandon, MS and Meridian, MS. Jeff was honored to be able to speak at the funeral. Here's the scripture he used...

Matthew 2:9-12

⁹ After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. ¹⁰ When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. ¹¹ On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. ¹² And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route.

Jeff talked about two important gifts that Granny had given to her family in her lifetime: A Life that loved God, and a Life that loved family. It was a very meaningful time of remembering the way God was faithful and worked miracles through Granny's life.

Today, December 22, Liesa and Jeff are celebrating 20 years of marriage by doing all of our Christmas shopping! Lots to do! We plan to be Latin Americans today... break in line and drive like crazy maniacs. Should be an adventure.

We'll be able to speak in several churches while we're in the USA. Here's our schedule:

• Sunday, January 2, 2011. First Baptist Yazoo City.
• Wednesday, January 5, 2011. T.B.A.
• Sunday, January 9, 2011. Morning at FBC Oxford. Evening at West Heights, Pontotoc.
• Wednesday, January 12, 2011. FBC Oxford AWANA group.
• Sunday, January 16, 2011. Salem Baptist Church, Lauderdale County.
• Tuesday, January 18, 2011. Crossgates Baptist Church, Brandon, MS.
• Wednesday, January 19, 2011. Open Date! Call us!

Finally, Thank You. God has used each of you who pray for us in so many ways. 2010 has been a challenging year...

• Haylee being diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis.
• Being far away from family and friends in the USA.
• Our REAP NORTH PERU team is slowly being taken apart using methods and for reasons we don't fully understand.
• Trying to be team strategy leaders that are led by the Holy Spirit and trying to make sure our team members have what they need to do the jobs God has called them to do and at the same time trying to figure out how to manage so many different wonderful personalities.
• Learning to be patient with national partners who seem only to want resources/funding from us instead of allowing us to learn from them and work with them.

Through all of these challenges, God has blessed us more than we deserve. Thank you for your prayers and support. We are blessed to have you as a part of our team.

Merry Christmas!

Jeff, Liesa, Haylee, and Jackson!

Granny's Obituary.

Please click below for Granny's Obituary.

Dorothy S. Gressett Obituary: View Dorothy Gressett's Obituary by Clarion Ledger

First Baptist Oxford in Peru!

16 December 2010 Update.

Our 'Granny' went home to be with Jesus on Wednesday, December 15. This is Liesa's mother's mom. We'll be headed home to the USA this weekend for the funeral. Thank you for praying for our family during this time.

Granny is seated front and center in this photo with the family.

2 December 2010 Update

Hello to all of you out there.

Thank you so much for your prayers on our behalf. Just this week one of our faithful prayer warriors emailed us letting us know she was praying that "God will open doors for telling the mystery of Christ" and "that every time I open my mouth I'll be able to make Christ plain as day." Those words are from Colossians 4. We are constantly reminded of your prayers for us. You need to know that your prayers are so important to the work here. Please keep praying.

Thanksgiving Week here was a blessing for us. We were able to travel to the Southern Conchucos area of Peru to visit with our missionary family members: The Bredbenner's and the Pennington's. We had a blast being with them and seeing their part of Peru.

December brings six mission teams from the USA to Peru. Teams from North Carolina, Georgia, Mississippi, and Colorado will be working to bring the message of HOPE to the Quechua and Ashaninca peoples of Peru. Please pray for the Father to use these teams according to His plan.

We are looking forward to some time of vacation in the USA. We'll be in Mississippi from late December to late January. We are excited about being able to spend some time with our families and friends. It will also be good to spend time in churches telling about the things God is doing here in Peru and other parts of South America.

Before our trip to the USA, our home church, First Baptist Oxford is sending a team. We are excited about seeing them and Jeff will be traveling with them to work among the San Martin Quechua. This project will focus on middle and high school students. Please pray for open doors of ministry among these folks.

Thank you so much for taking the time to support us.

Jeff, Liesa, Haylee, and Jackson

21 November 2010 Update!

Greetings from Sunny Lima! Yep, it looks like Spring has finally arrived here in Lima, Peru with today being a bright sunny day. Maybe the gray skies that we've consistently had since May will make a way for some sunny days for a few months.

It's been a busy week. Jeff (along with teammates David and Cameron Olson) traveled to the department of San Martin in northern Peru to spend time with national partner Jose Delgado. Jose is missions coordinator for the Christian Missionary Alliance Church in San Martin and is a great partner. We were able to visit a new area that we needed to learn more about. We were also able to meet with a leader of an association of indigenous Quechua churches in the area. We're hopeful that we can work alongside this new partner in the future.

Much of our team has been busy this week working with volunteer teams. We have had teams from South Carolina, Georgia, Texas, and Oregon here this week. It looks like we'll have a few days with no teams before a really busy December hits us. But, it sure is good to be busy working with great people. We enjoy our work.

Haylee is doing well. Her last doctor visit was very positive. She is still having some pain from her arthritis but it is not nearly what it was a few weeks ago. The doctor is adjusting medicines and determining the best dosage for her condition. She is doing well in school and is getting excited about seeing her friends in Oxford, Mississippi soon.

Jackson is great. Doing well in school. Dominating the soccer field. Being lazy on Saturdays. Good life.

Thank you so much for praying for us. We are so grateful for the time you invest in prayer on our behalf. You are vital to the work going on here in Peru. Thank You.

Here's some updated prayer requests:

• Haylee. Please continue to pray for healing and for her pain from Rheumatoid Arthritis to go away.
• Peru. More Peruvians are needed to multiply the work of missionaries and Strategy Coordinator churches. Pray that God would move Peruvian churches to respond to the needs of the unreached indigenous population of Peru.
• Lottie Moon Christmas Offering. Please pray for a HUGE offering this year. The more the US Government borrows the less the dollars you give are worth in foreign lands. When we arrived in Peru, one US dollar would buy 3.2 Peruvian Soles. Now, one dollar will only buy 2.75 Soles. That's a nearly 15% devaluation of the dollar in 2 years.

Happy Thanksgiving! We are thankful for so many who love and support us. Thank you for your support through the Cooperative Program and the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering.

12 November 2010 Update!

Greetings to all of you out there!

Thank you for praying for our family. We are grateful for your partnership.

The first half of November has been very busy for us. We have been encouraged that so many of the Strategy Coordinator Partners that we assist here in Peru have ministry trips this month and in December. This is a blessing because November and December are usually months that many of our ministry partners cannot come to Peru.

Here are some updates from our lives.

• Haylee has been diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis. Obviously we are very concerned but her medical care here is excellent. She is responding well to her treatment and has had several pain free days this week. Please continue to pray that she would be healed from this disease. She is doing great in school, earning all A's last week on her grade report.
• Jackson is growing up fast...trying to get taller than Liesa but he's still just a little bit short. He is doing excellent in school and is enjoying soccer, video games, and avoiding getting dressed on Saturdays. Jackson newest sport is Ping Pong and he's working on perfecting his skills.
• Liesa is doing well. She has been busy working on the logistics for all of our volunteer teams. She has also begun work at a local orphanage one day per week and is loving being a part of that ministry. She has forgiven Jeff for taking the set of keys with the car alarm remote which meant she had to drive the truck around Lima with the alarm going full blast. You can ask her about that story.
• Jeff has had a busy few weeks of travel. There was a trip with Jake Glover on the Amazon River and some tributaries where 4 new unreached people group segments were discovered. A quick trip to Birmingham, Alabama for a meeting of ministry partners. Also, a trip to Ecuador to meet and work with the REAP Ecuador team. Overall, it has been a great month of seeing the Lord do some great things.
• The Future. We continue to pray and wait on the Lord regarding our future. Our 3 year term ends next month but we plan to be in Peru until June. These are days of transition with the International Mission Board and we are waiting to hear where we may be needed in our organization. Of course, we know God is in control, and if He is finished with us here with the IMB then we'll do our best to obey wherever He leads. Liesa and I are both surprised that we lasted this long in a foreign country. Please join us in praying for clarity and wisdom in knowing God's plan for our family. We need help knowing which ministry option is God's plan and is, therefore, God's best for us. Pray for our leadership here at the IMB as they determine ministry needs and personnel placement.

God's Blessings to all of you. Please let us hear from you. You can email us at wigtake@gmail.com or call us from the USA on our Mississippi number at 601-914-6705.

New School Photos.

Recent Photos.

25 October 2010 Update

Greetings from Peru!

Thank you so much for your prayers for us. We are humbled knowing of your investment of time to pray for us. Your prayers have been evident over the past couple of weeks. Thank you so much.

Haylee is feeling much better with some new medicine. She visited an arthritis specialist last week and we are in the process of finding out exactly what is causing her joint pain. There are several possibilities so it will take some time to figure out exactly what the problem is. The most likely diagnosis is Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis. The good news is that Haylee is feeling great and the new medicine seems to be working great.

Jackson is doing well. He's been busy with school, homework, book reports, i-pod touch, wii, soccer, and other boy stuff.

Liesa and Jeff have had a busy few weeks. We were able to travel to Bolivia earlier this month to visit with our teammates who are working there. Jeff traveled to Alabama to lead part of a meeting for Strategy Coordinator churches. While in the USA Jeff was able to visit family in Mississippi. Liesa has been busy getting ready for a large number of churches coming to work in Peru before the end of the year.

Jeff will be traveling to the Amazon region of Peru for a few days of research with our teammate Jake Glover. Please pray for Spirit-led work that will open doors for future ministry. Pray for good health and safety, also.

We have confirmed our dates for our trip to the USA in December and January. We'll be in Mississippi from December 20 to January 20. We're excited about being able to visit some great churches while we are there. Here's our schedule so far...

• Jan 2 -- First Baptist Yazoo City.
• Jan 9 -- First Baptist Oxford (morning), West Heights Baptist Pontotoc (evening).
• Jan 16 -- Salem Baptist Church in Lauderdale County, MS

We have some Wednesday nights available if you would like for us to help promote missions in your church. Just let us know and we'll try to work something out.

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

15 October 2010 Update.

Thank you for praying for our family over the past couple of weeks. Here's an update of what's been going on.

Haylee and Jackson are busy with school and their lives. Haylee is preparing for a guitar recital on Oct 24 and Jackson has been enjoying soccer. Both are doing well. Haylee has been having some pain in her hands and feet for the past couple of weeks and we are working with doctors to determine what is going on with that. We'll keep you updated.

Liesa and Jeff have been busy with life and work. We were able to visit our team mates in Bolivia during the past week and enjoyed spending time with all of them and see the great work they are doing. October, November, and December are going to be very busy months for us. We are very excited about heading to the USA for some vacation time in December and January.

Please join us in praying for these prayer requests...

• Haylee's health. Pray that we'll be able to figure out what is causing the pain in her hands and feet.
• Haylee and Jackson as they live in another culture.
• Jeff is traveling quite a bit over the next few weeks. Please pray for Spirit-led work to be done.
• Please pray for these churches/groups coming to work with our team over the next few weeks...

1. Oct 8 to 15. George/Greene Association.
2. Oct 9 to 18. FBC, Universal City, TX.
3. Oct 15 to 23. Roebuck BC, Roebuck, SC.
4. Oct 21 to 30. Bell Shoals BC. Oct 22 to Nov 5. Bryan Association, OK
5. Nov 5 to 12. Grace BC, Somerset, KY.
6. Nov 6 to 13. Lifepoint, Columbus, OH.
7. Nov 6 to 13. Crossroads BC, Cadiz, KY.
8. Nov 6 to 14. Grace BC, Richmond, VA.
9. Nov 12 to 20. FBC, Humble, TX.
10. Nov 13 to 22. Morningside, GA.
11. Nov 15 to 20. Grant Ave BC, Corvalis, OR.
12. Nov 30 to Dec 7. Lincoln Ave BC, Lincolnton, NC.
13. Dec 11 to 18. FBC, Oxford, MS.
14. Dec 12 to 20. West Heights BC, Pontotoc, MS.
15. Dec 20 to Jan 3. Immanuel BC, Fort Collins, CO.
16. Dec 26 to Jan 3. Morningside, GA.
17. Dec 26 to Jan 2. FBC, Callahan, FL.
18. Dec 27 to Jan 19. Oklahoma Baptist Univ.

Thank you to all who pray and support us financially through the Cooperative Program and the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering.

1 October 2010 Update

Greetings to all of you out there!

Thank you to all who have been faithfully praying for us. Oswald Chambers is quoted, "Prayer does not fit us for the greater work, prayer is the greater work. That is something that we experience daily here in South America. Your prayers are a vital part of the work of missionaries around the world.

October and November are going to be a very busy months as several of our Strategy Coordinator Church partners will be coming to work in Peru this month. We will be traveling to Bolivia for training with the REAP Bolivia team, to Alabama for a meeting with some of our Strategy Coordinator Partners, to the Amazon Basin for more research, to Ecuador for training with the REAP Ecuador team, and to Northern Peru for a research trip.

This past week Jeff was able to travel to Iquitos, Peru (on the Amazon River in Northern Peru) for some meetings with pastors and missionaries from that area. There are some exciting doors opening in this part of our world. Please pray for opportunities for Uncontacted, Unengaged, Unreached People Groups to be presented an opportunity to hear the Gospel. Some amazing things could happen over the next few months!

Liesa has been busy keeping up with financial stuff for our teams in Peru, Bolivia, and Ecuador. She also has been busy helping our SC partners with logistical planning for the ministry projects in Peru. And, she has begun volunteering at an orphanage one morning per week and that has been a BIG blessing.

Your prayers for Haylee and Jackson have been a huge blessing. They both did wonderful on their recent grade reports. They both are doing very well here and God is growing them into some really special people. Haylee has a guitar recital coming up in a few weeks and Jackson continues to develop into a great soccer player. Please pray for them to continue to grow in their relationship with Jesus.

Please pray for:

• Opportunities to get the Gospel to people groups with no access. Please pray for opportunities to train Peruvian nationals who can then gain access to these people groups.
• We have several people groups who need a church or association to begin work with them. Pray for more churches to serve as Strategy Coordinator Churches.
• Giving to the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering. Pray about what you will give.
• Recruitment of college student missionaries for Summer 2011.
• Safe travel for us over the next few weeks.

Lottie Moon Christmas Offering is coming...

How many opportunities to give to the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering do we have left before all have had an opportunity to hear about Jesus?

21 September 2010 Update!

Thank you for praying for us. We can never thank you enough for your prayer support. Please continue to pray.

We've had a great couple of weeks since our last update. Here's some highlights:

1. Several of our SC Church Partners have reported great progress and response to the Gospel in several locations in Peru. As you know, the work of planting churches among the indigenous people of Peru is very difficult. But, God is working in many parts of Peru. Those of you who pray are an important part of the work.
2. Haylee and Jeff had birthdays this month. Haylee celebrated with the traditional group of girls spending the night. We then took the group of girls bowling and out to eat. It was a great two day event. Jeff enjoyed Facebook birthday wishes from 4 continents! Thanks to all who sent greetings.
3. We were able to spend some quality time with our friends, the McLamb's before they headed back to the USA for their stateside assignment. The McLamb's are family to us and we sure miss them now that they're gone. As a tribute to them Jeff wrecked the purple vehicle they used to drive. Email Jeff is you want details.
4. There have been LOTS of meetings with so many different people over the past couple of weeks. It seems we are spending too much of our time trying to catch up from being out of the office for the past few months.

You can pray! Please pray for the following prayer requests:

• Please pray for our REAP NORTH PERU Team. Pray specifically for Amber, Brian, Cameron, Crystal, David, Dodie, Felicia, Jake, Jim, Jeremy, Mindy, and Tommy. These folks work so hard and so much fun to work with. Please pray that their relationship with the Father would remain strong. Pray for the missionary kids on our team... Abigail, Adalyn, Baby Olson, Hannah, Haylee, Karis, Skylar, and Sydney.
• Please pray for Haylee and Jackson. They continue to EXCEL in all areas of missionary kid life. God has been faithful to answer your prayers on their behalf. Please continue to pray for them and ask others to pray as well. We have some prayer guides for them located at the bottom of this page. Please print them and share them!
• Please pray for a busy month coming up. Jeff has travel to several cities in Peru to meet with Peruvian national partners. There are also important meetings in Bolivia, Ecuador, and in Alabama. Please also pray for an upcoming research trip on the Amazon River. The water level is currently very low and travel is difficult. Pray for RAIN so the people of the Amazon region can get their primary mode of transportation restored.

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

Here's a video from last Sunday at our church here in Lima. Haylee was the guitar player for the children's group.

September 2010 REAP NORTH PERU NEWSLETTER

Scroll down to the bottom of the page and read about what's going on with our team here in Peru. Print it out and share it with your friends, Sunday School class, mission study groups, etc. Thank you for praying!

Protesting.

Liesa's family made a trip to Washington D.C. last weekend. If you look closely you can see Liesa's dad holding the sign that says Gov't Spending Out of Control. Liesa's mom is in the lower left of the photo in the red vest. Liesa's sister is in the photo right under the U.S. flag.

You can read all about it by clicking HERE.

5 September 2010 Update.

Hello to all,

It's been a good week here in Lima, Peru for the Holeman crew as we get back to whatever it is we call normal.

We had a great time on our REAP NORTH PERU Team Retreat on Aug 26 to 30. We were able to take the whole crew down to Ica, Peru for some fun in the sun. It was good to fellowship with one another after enduring several months of hard work together. I know our family would have enjoyed another week away from wintry, cloudy Lima.

Haylee and Jackson are doing great in school and both are back in full swing with guitar (Haylee), club soccer (Jackson), youth group activities, and homework when they have time. Your prayers for them are so appreciated and are an important part of their lives. They know you are praying. Thank You so much. Please continue to pray that Haylee and Jackson will grow closer to the Father each day.

Haylee's birthday is September 11 (Saturday) so we'll be partying next weekend to celebrate Haylee's 14th birthday!

Liesa and Jeff have been able to catch up on some much needed work projects and planning for the upcoming year. We also had training meetings this week that complete our missionary apprentice requirements so that we can move on to Career Missionary status. It was also good to visit with our cluster leader and his wife this week and get to hear some of their experiences through the years as missionaries. These next few weeks will be busy with other meetings, continuing to plan for the upcoming year, preparing for a busy last few months of the year with mission teams coming in to minister to their adopted people groups, a research trip on the Amazon, and a training meeting in Bolivia. Lots to do! Please pray that in our busyness that we will not miss opportunities to join God in what He is doing.

Looking over last month's work here in Peru I wanted to share with you some info. Our REAP NORTH PERU team hosted 29 teams with 307 volunteers. 2257 people heard a clear presentation of the Gospel. 407 people responded by beginning a relationship with Christ. 12 of those were baptized. Seven indigenous villages now have Bible studies meeting in their village and have access to God's Word. 3 new churches were reported by our Strategy Coordinator church partners. 1198 copies of God's Word were distributed. All of these numbers remind us of the great harvest that occurs every day here in Peru and the need for more Peruvians to join the work. Please pray for Peruvian partners to be found, that they can be properly trained, and the work of reaching Peru with the Gospel will not be hindered by a lack of laborers or financial resources.

Jeff and one of our fellow missionaries will be doing research by boat on a part of the Amazon River and some of the tributaries during the latter part of September. Please pray that the preparations for this trip will be Spirit-led and that we'll go where God wants us to be working in the future. And, pray for safety for the research team. There's room in the boat for you if you want to go.

This week is a special week as it marks the completion of three years on this missionary adventure. Most of you who read this were dragged into this life reluctantly. Many of you have sacrificed in so many ways. Some of you have hurt deeply because of your love for us. We understand in so many ways the words of David who wrote Give your burdens to the Lord,and he will take care of you. He will not permit the godly to slip and fall. (Psalm 55:22) We have learned so much about following HIM and what living in radical obedience to HIM means. To follow Christ is to live a life of sacrifice. No where in Scripture are we taught that we can follow Christ and have our way at the same time. Someone has to be Lord and things really work out better if it is Jesus. Jesus and a comfortable life free from sacrifice are not compatible. We are grateful for so many of you who God used to teach us what obedience and being a disciple really means. Thank you for 'holding the rope' for us faithfully through prayer and your giving to the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering and the Cooperative Program (through your local Southern Baptist Church). Please pray that God would continue to teach us how to follow Him faithfully. We have a long way to go.

Now, for a recap of Ole Miss' football performance last week. Hmmmm. Enough of that.

Jeff, Liesa, Haylee, and Jackson Holeman

“Our vision is...

...a multitude of disciples among all peoples of the Americas...

...equipped to fulfill the Great Commission...

...to the ends of the earth.”

Sandi is heading to the USA!

Tonight is our last night with Sandi in the house (at least for a while). She has been such a blessing to our family and to our REAP NORTH PERU Team over the past few months. Please pray for Sandi Bridges as she re-adjusts to life in the USA. And, please pray that resources will be made available for her to return to our team in the future.

29 August 2010 Update.

Hey everyone,

We are currently with our REAP NORTH PERU Team for a few days of retreat. Here's a video of some of our activities so far. More to come!

22 August 2010 Update!

Helloooooooo from Peru!

Thank you to all who pray for us. We are grateful for your investment of time on our behalf before the Father. Your prayers are so very important to the work here in Peru and around the world. Thank You!

We've had a good week. Things have been busy but nothing like the past 12 weeks. It's interesting when you're a little bored with 'normal' but I think we've experienced a little of that this week. Normal work hours. Normal sleep. Our own bed. The 'normal' sounds of Lima. It's good to be home.

Haylee and Jackson are getting back in the school routine and Liesa and Jeff have been able to get caught up on paperwork and house 'stuff' that has to be done. We enjoyed having Christy H. and Jacinda M. visit us from Bolivia. It was a blessing to have Sandi's mom here from Florida this week. We're thankful to have David and Cameron here in Lima with us after living in another part of Peru for the past year.. We're thankful for so much!

Our team retreat is coming up in a few days. We'll get away for a time of prayer, fellowship, planning, and some fun. We tell you all the time about the great team of missionaries that we work with. It is VERY true. Please pray for our time together.

Jeremiah Masoli joins REAP NORTH Peru team...

No. Not really. But he has joined the Ole Miss Rebel football team after some successes and mistakes at a previous school. I don't know Señor Masoli but I do know that he will be in an environment at Ole Miss where he will hear about Jesus. He will be given an opportunity to understand the Scriptures and, if he hasn't already, will be given an opportunity to begin an eternal life journey with Jesus. Mr. Masoli will also be given an opportunity to walk away from that opportunity with no hard feelings.

Maybe he'll make a difference on the football field this year for Ole Miss. Maybe I'll get to see Jeremiah Masoli play in a bowl game when we're in the USA for the holidays. Those are maybe's. The sure thing is that there are a lot of things in life more important than football. Jeremiah Masoli and well over a hundred other Ole Miss football players will hear a lot about that over the next few months.

I'm praying personally for the coaches, athletes, players, and others I know at Ole Miss who see football as an opportunity to 'make disciples.'

It's time for FOOTBALL! Hotty Toddy!

15 August 2010 Update

Hey everybody out there in the big world!

Sorry for a lapse of updates but we've had a crazy couple of weeks with our final International World Changers project of the summer. We had 77 folks from Oregon, Washington, and Canada here for 12 days of ministry among the North Lima Quechua. Although they didn't like grits, they sure were very nice to work with. You who pray for us regularly were a huge part of God doing great things through this group.

Many folks ask us how we're able to do all that we do with so many mission teams coming to Peru. Fortunately, we're blessed with the best team of missionary personnel in the universe. Our teammates work so hard and care so deeply about the work that God has called them to. They work tirelessly and sacrificially to make sure God is honored and the volunteers who work with us have the best opportunity to be effective. Please pray for our team. We have a team prayer blog at www.pray4reapnorth.blogspot.com. Check it out and pray. We cannot tell you how important your prayers are to us.

Jackson has started 6th grade and Haylee is now an 8th grader at Fetzer Academy here in Lima. They are doing well and we were blessed to have them available to travel during the month of July and early August. They were a big help on several projects.

Liesa and Jeff are busy taking on a few new responsibilities for our team as we fill-in for Boots and Katie Holder who have gone to the USA for 10 months. Please pray for us as we help our teammates in Ecuador in Bolivia as well as Peru. Fortunately, we have veterans in place in Ecuador and Bolivia and they know more about missions than we will ever know. Please go to our website at www.reapsouthamerica.org to find info about all that is going on with our team.

Thank you for all you do to support the work here in Peru. Please continue to give to the Cooperative Program through your local Southern Baptist Church and begin praying now about your commitment to the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering coming up. Most importantly, develop your own prayer strategy so that you'll be a vital part of the work here in South America.

29 July 2010 Update!

We have just finished up a great week of ministry with First Baptist Church, Starkville, Mississippi. This group was well prepared and fun to work with. They were able to lead in discipleship training of children and adults, lead worship with local believers, and work on a construction project with a local pastor.

We're headed into the home stretch of our 'busier season' as the summer winds down in the USA. This week we also say good bye to an outstanding team of summer missionaries who have been so faithful to their task over the past 8 weeks. On Monday, our final International World Changer project kicks off with 80 students and adults arriving from Oregon, Washington, and Canada. We're looking forward to seeing how funny they sound when they talk.

Thank you so much for your prayers. These past few weeks have been busy but God has accomplished many great things here in Peru. Please continue to pray for us as we finish up these next couple of weeks.

Video from last week...

10 July 2010 Update...

Thank you so much for your prayers on our behalf. We've had a challenging week and we know your prayers made the difference in so many ways.

We have been in Huancayo, Peru for the past week with a team of over 100. We've been working with on an International World Changers Project where we used medical ministry to open the doors for sharing the gospel among the Wanka Quechua people group. We had a great week despite the challenges of feeding a large group, transporting them to difficult places, and the health challenges of working above 10,000 feet.

We were able to work together as a family on a crew of 22 folks which included a Peruvian pastor and his wife. We were able to provide medical care to families and individuals. A highlight was seeing a family of 8 people begin a relationship with Christ. A bigger blessing was having a local pastor with us to enable all of those we led to Christ to have a contact with a local church.

We'll be in Lima this week preparing for a strong finish to a busy U.S. summer here in Peru. We'll have First Baptist Starkville, MS arriving on July 22 and our final IWC project begins August 3. These are just two of the 14 mission teams coming in to work in Peru in the next couple of weeks.

Please continue to pray!

Another International World Changers Video...

30 June 2010 Update

Thank you so much for your prayers. Things are busy and good down here. We have been blessed by some great ministry projects this month with some outstanding groups bringing the Light to Peru. This week we have a group of International World Changers working in villages in the Amazon Region. Pray for our teammates who are working with this group of students.

Tommorrow we welcome a group of International World Changers who will be working in Huancayo, Peru next week. We're excited about how God will use these students to minister next week.

Here are some photos from last week's IWC project...

We're back from IWC Canta (1st project)!

Award Winning Kids.

4 June 2010 Update

Whew. It's really bad when we're this tired the first week of June! But, as they say," it's a good tired."

We've been too busy to update you on all that has gone on here the past couple of weeks. Jeff has been in northern Peru in the department of San Martin working with two groups. One group was led by one of our former youth from Oxford who is now attending Southwest Baptist University in Missouri. This team lived in a jungle village for several days as they shared the gospel by teaching in the school, visiting house to house, showing movies, and more. They are a great team who have made an impact for eternity here in Peru.

First Baptist Oxford, MS sent a team to work in the same general area. This team was able to work in schools, lead bible studies, visit door to door in two villages, and do some prayer walking. This team was always ready to do whatever was asked of them and did a great job. Their video is here...

We are so grateful for those of you who are praying. Please continue to pray for the work going on here in Peru. Your prayers are much more important than anything we can attempt to do. You can pray specifically for:

• Haylee and Jackson as they finish up their school year.
• We have four International World Changer projects coming up over the next few weeks with over 250 students coming to Peru. Please pray for our team as we coordinate these projects.
• We have a multitude of projects for college students this summer. Pray for these teams as they travel to different parts of northern Peru to take the gospel to difficult places.
• Please praise God with us for the 3rd largest Lottie Moon Christmas Offering in history. This will allow some doors to be opened for ministry! Thank you for giving!

Thank you so much for your partnership! Please let us hear from you.

Love,

Jeff, Liesa, Haylee, and Jackson

23 May 2010 Update

We're in the midst of a busy beginning to our 'busy' season here in Peru. More mission teams will be joining us this week here in Peru to do the work that God has called them to do. We have teams here working with the Quechua (several segments) and Iquitos people groups. These teams are seeking to plant reproducing churches among the indigenous peoples. Please pray for them. You can find specific prayer requests on our team prayer blog at www.pray4reapnorth.blogspot.com.

Haylee and Jackson are doing well and are ready for this school year to wind down in a few weeks. Here in South America the schools take a 'winter break' during the month of July. The new school year begins in August with Haylee entering the 8th grade and Jackson the 6th grade. They just performed their Spring play at school, Oliver Twist. Jackson and Haylee both had great performances. We hope to publish more of that on the blog in the coming days.

This week, Jeff traveled to Tarapoto in North Peru for meetings with leaders of Lamista Quechua villages where teams from the U.S. will be working over the next couple of weeks. We are blessed to have a local pastor with a missionary heart who is a big help to us. He is a very effective National Strategy Coordinator for our team. Liesa and Jeff also enjoyed spending time with our teammates, Jake, Dodie, Hannah, and Abigail Glover. They live in Iquitos, Peru on the Amazon River. Please pray for them and their work in the Amazon Basin.

This morning, Liesa and Jeff went to visit with a team from First Baptist, Louisville, MS as they were leaving for their mission project in Jimbe, Peru. One of our former youth, Shonna Harvey Ryals, is a part of that team and it was so good to see her. It was good to see Mississippi folk again in Peru.

We are very glad that our home church, First Baptist Oxford, is coming to Peru this week to continue their church planting work with the Lamista Quechua. Please pray for this team to be able to continue to build relationships, begin bible studies, encourage struggling churches, and lay a healthy foundation for new churches.

Please pray for the missionaries and mission teams working in Peru this week. This week we have teams here from:

• Charleston, SC
• Ole Miss
• Calhoun Association, Mississippi
• William Carey University
• Bryan Baptist Association
• Southwest Baptist University
• First Baptist Louisville, MS
• First Baptist Oxford, MS
• Southside Baptist, Pine Bluff, AR
• First Baptist, Humble, TX
• Ingleside Baptist, Macon, GA

Thank you for your prayer support and your Great Commission Giving!

Haylee and Jackson's School Play

Jackson and Haylee have been working hard for several weeks to prepare for Oliver Twist. The performance was last night and here are a few scenes...

16 May 2010 Update

Thank you so much for you prayers!

We've had a busy week here and we've enjoyed seeing some great friends from Mississippi. A team from the Ole Miss BSU and Ecru Baptist Church are here working with a jungle tribe. They'll be roughing it for the next 10 days so pray for them.

Here's a video for you from Jackson's birthday party...

Thank you so much for praying for us!

Fun time with Madilyn...

During our recent trip to Mississippi we were able to spend some time with Jeff's brother's family. Here's Haylee and Jackson with Madilyn.

11 May 2010 Update

Hey all of our great friends out there in Webville,

Thank you so much for your prayer support!

We've had a calm few days before the busyness of the U.S. summer season hits Peru. The madness begins this weekend with 5 teams coming in to work in Peru. Before the end of the month of May, 8 more teams will be in Peru. We'll work with 15 teams during this month of May 2010. So, you can see your prayers are needed.

We're all doing well. No big news from us since our last update! Haylee and Jackson are working hard to finish their school year strong. They're also working hard getting ready for their school play on May 21. Jackson is back on the soccer fields three days a week after school and Haylee is busy with her guitar class once a week.

Don't forget that Friday, May 14th is Jackson's birthday. He'd love to hear from each of you.

Take care, know you are loved, and keep praying that the lost of Peru will know HIM.

3 May 2010 Update!

Hey out there!

Thank you so much to all of you who pray so much for our family. We are daily blessed by your help through your prayers on our behalf.

It has been a busy couple of weeks for us. On April 22 we traveled to Oxford, Mississippi. Here's a daily play-by-play of our travels to Mississippi...

• April 22... We arrived in Oxford and went to open our storage building for the first time since 2007. Haylee and Jackson were excited to get their bicycles out of storage and take them out to the old neighborhood to ride around. We were able to live with Glenn, Ruby, and Tory Wilson for the week and enjoy their hospitality. We were able to spend some time with Larry and Debbie Little and their precious grand-daughter Brinson (and Brinson's mom, Leslie). After that we enjoyed dinner with Liz Thurmond from the Ole Miss BSU. That evening we were able to spend some time training with some Ole Miss students who are coming to Peru this month. They are a great group.
• April 23... We spend part of the day working at FBC Oxford preparing for the REAP NORTH Equipped for Missions Conference and then in the evening we enjoyed a wonderful dinner with Beth and Robert Allen. Haylee and Jackson took off and went to visit friends they haven't seen in a while. Jackson was able to go trail riding on his bicycle with his big bro Austin Carter...Jackson had a blast!
• April 24... We were able to enjoy a cook-out for lunch with the folks from the neighborhood where we used to live in Oxford. We were blessed back then and are still blessed now by the friendships on County Road 241. That afternoon and evening we enjoyed an Ole Miss baseball double-header as the Rebels defeated the evil LSU tigers twice in one day. A BIG thank you to the Morgan's for giving us some great seats to the baseball games.
• April 25... We enjoyed being a part of worship at FBC Oxford, checking out the Double Decker Arts Festival on the Oxford Square and witnessing the Rebels complete a 3 game sweep of LSU. After the game Jeff and Liesa were able to lead some training for the FBC Oxford mission team coming to Peru in a few weeks. We ended the night with the folks at North Oxford Baptist Church where Jeff was able to share in a part of the worship service. We ended the evening with the North Oxford Baptist mission team that came to Peru in March.
• April 26... We spend part of the day preparing for the mission conference. Jeff was able to have lunch with Jim Yates, youth pastor at First Baptist Starkville, MS. Jim is bringing a team of students to Peru in July. Monday evening we enjoyed a great time with the Carter's, Robinson's, and Allen's. Liesa's parents came and picked up Haylee and Jackson and took them to Brandon, MS. The best part of the day was visiting with Katy Carter!
• April 27... It was great to have Tuesday morning coffee with Fish and Liz at Uptown Coffee...just like the old days! After that it was a return to lunch at Oxford High School with Austin, Nicole, and Joseph. What a blessing to see so many of my former students. Then, Liesa and I were able to spend some time with Karen Allen Landers, one of the all-time greatest. The REAP North Equipped for Missions conference began with a great group of folks representing churches from MS, OK, VA, AR, GA, and SC. Katie Griffin and Susan Dempsey (Katie, Susan, and I have been all over the world together.) were a great help in getting the conference going.
• April 28... Day Two of the conference went well. During a little break in the schedule Boots, Larry and Nancy Jackson, and Jeff were given an 'inside' tour of the Ole Miss Rebel Football facility and stadium. Liesa spent some time giving the folks from Grace Richmond a tour of the Ole Miss campus. Boots led the Wednesday evening worship time at FBC Oxford and did a wonderful job. After church Boots, Larry, Louis Zinc, and I took in an Ole Miss baseball game. Spending time with Louis Zinc is one of my all-time favorite things to do...always fun!
• April 29... Day Three of the conference was great. After the conference, Liesa and Jeff traveled to Brandon, MS where Liesa's parents live.
• April 30... Jeff led a bible study for a group of men in Madison, MS at the Reunion Golf Clubhouse. It was good seeing my great friend Harvey Ellis. That afternoon we all headed to Petal, MS to spend time with Jeff's family. Jeff's mom lives there along with his brother and his family.
• May 1... On Saturday morning Jeff and Liesa were able to visit with former and future summer missionaries from the University of Southern Mississippi. For lunch we celebrated Jackson's birthday at Jeff's brother's house. In the afternoon we all traveled back to Brandon for some time with Liesa's family.
• May 2... We went to Sunday School and worshipped with the folks at Crossgates Baptist Church in Brandon, MS. We had an afternoon birthday celebration for Jackson. Then, we made our last minute run to Target.
• May 3... We left Brandon at 5:45 am and drove to Memphis for our 11:45 am flight that ended up leaving at 1:30 pm. We made it to Atlanta in time for our 5:05 pm flight to Peru that finally took off around 7:00 pm. We arrived here at the house around 1:30 am this morning.

So, there you go. That's been our life for the past 10 days. We'd love to hear about yours!

Please pray for the following...

• May begins MISSIONS MADNESS SEASON here in Peru as many, many mission teams come to Peru. Please pray we are able to take care of all of them. Most of all, please pray God uses them in mighty ways.
• Jeff will be doing some research in the Amazon Basin this week with a teammate. Please pray for non-poisonous snakes, non-biting misquitoes, and for God to lead us to the right places.
• Please join us in praying for the needs of our REAP NORTH team at our prayer blog... www.pray4reapnorth.blogspot.com.

Please pray for the people of Cancejos and Ambo.

Over the last weekend Jeff traveled to an area of Peru devastated by heavy rains and landslides. The International Mission Board has released a generous amount of funds to help the people who lost family members, homes, and possessions. The great state of South Carolina sent a team of volunteers to assist with disaster medical care. This team was able to provide medical examinations, free medicine, and grief counseling to those living in 'tent cities' around the disaster area. Over 30 people were killed in this disaster including one area pastor. Another pastor in the area was in Lima while the mudslide buried his wife and children. We saw many physically wounded people who told stories of digging themselves out of the mud. So many people were having a hard time dealing with their loss.

Please pray for the people of this area and pray for David and Cameron Olson, members of the REAP NORTH Peru team who are directing the IMB response to this disaster.

REAP NORTH Training Conference is coming soon...

The REAP NORTH Training Conference is coming to First Baptist Church, Oxford, MS on April 27-29, 2010. We would love to see you there. You can find conference details HERE.

10 April 2010 Update.

Another good busy week here in Peru. It seems this week has been 'crisis' week with so many things that we've had to help with...broken down vans, stolen passports, helping hurting people, trying to make sure our teammates are receiving the support they need...and that was just yesterday. God is good to use us in so many good ways.

Our week started off Sunday morning in Iquitos, Peru where we boarded an early flight so we could get back to Lima for church. A friend preached at our church for Easter Sunday and threw the hammer down in Spanish. He did an excellent job. Our church here has a big breakfast and then a worship service around the tables and it was great time with our Peruvian brothers and sisters...and our gringo friends, too.

Sunday afternoon we went to a fellowship in honor of some of our missionary friends who are moving to Mississippi to pastor a church. They have been in Peru for over 20 years and it was a sweet time of celebration for them. Jeff carried them to the airport on Wednesday night and they are now safely in Mississippi beginning their new ministry.

Brian and Felicia Henderson lead the REAP NORTH Peru translator ministry. On Monday night their home folks came to Peru for a Vision Trip in the Amazon Basin in northeast Peru. Brian was with them all week and you can find stories from their adventure HERE. It was good to have more Mississippi folk in Peru this week.

We are gearing up for a great summer with a ton of high school and college students coming to Peru. You can keep up with what is going on with our student ministry HERE.

We have a team pray blog where our team members are able to post prayer requests. You can check that out HERE.

Haylee and Jackson have had a busy week. Jackson has started playing at the soccer club in our neighborhood after a few months off for summer (in Peru) vacation and swimming classes in March. He is also busy with school work and playing the Wii whenever he can. Haylee is busy with school and keeping up with her guitar lessons and socital calendar. They are both excited about our visit to Mississippi in a couple of weeks.

Thank you to all of you who pray for us. Your prayers are so important to the work here. Please join us in praying for these things:

• The REAP NORTH training conference in Oxford, MS on April 27-29. We want to provide the training that our churches need to be able to have success in church planting here in Peru. You can find details about the conference HERE. There is still room for churches and individuals to attend.
• Jeff will be traveling with a team this week to provide some medical care for folks recently affected by a mudslide. This is a disaster relief project and the IMB has provided some emergency funds to buy medical supplies and other needs these people may have. A team from South Carolina will be coming in to minister to these folks.
• Pray for good health and safety for Jeff, Liesa, Haylee and Jackson.
• Pray for wisdom as we make plans for upcoming International World Changer projects. We are hosting a total of four projects in Peru in June, July, and August.

Thank you so much for your prayers. We'd love to hear from you! Send us some updates on your life at lholeman@samregion.com.

Quick trip to Iquitos and the Amazon River...

Haylee and Jackson were able to go with Liesa and Jeff on a trip up to Iquitos to visit with our teammates who work in the Amazon Basin area (the Glovers and Nelsons). There is so much good work going on up in the Amazon area. Please pray for the work there.

We were able to have some fun on Saturday while we were there. We visited with some of the Amazon wildlife and had a great time.

We're back from a trip on the Amazon...

We'll have a video posted real soon.....

1 April 2010 Update.

Thank you to all of your for your prayers for us. We are strengthened each day through the prayers of so many.

We are looking forward to a great weekend visiting our teammates in Iquitos. Jeremy, Crystal, and Karis Nelson and Jake, Dodie, Hannah, and Abigail Glover serve with our Strategy Coordinator church/association partners who work in the Amazon Basin region of northern Peru. They live and serve in Iquitos, Peru which is a port city on the Amazon River. They live in a challenging place and we are glad to be able to go and visit with them. We'll fly to Iquitos this afternoon (Thursday, April 1) and return to Lima on Sunday, April 4.

This week please offer prayers of Thanksgiving to God for:

• Amazing ministry work during the month of March. We have some outstanding strategic partners who have deep levels of commitment to the work that they are called to do.
• God's protection over our family. Through hundreds of miles traveled during March God protected us.
• Good health for all of us!

Please continue to pray for:

• Our REAP North Equipped for Missions Conference in Oxford, MS on April 27-29, 2010. This will be an important time of training for our ministry partners. Many are traveling long distances so pray for safety.
• Ten churches coming to Peru during April to work in Peru.
• Planning for 4 International World Changer projects that we are hosting this summer. A WHOLE LOT of stuff needs to be done.

Thank you all so much for your support!