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!