We've had quite a time this past month. Thank you for praying us through. We're still waiting on adoption paperwork. We're still encouraging our national partners who've walked alongside us and taken on the leadership roles for small groups and churches-in-formation God had opened over the last years. we're still packing the house and setting our hearts toward a much needed time with family, friends and YOU back in the States. We've had ups and downs and we're working on keeping our focus on the Lord and staying true to the task He's given us here in Northern Argentina. We're learning more about what our task will be when we return as Catalytic Connectors between U.S. churches and Argentine churches allied in the purpose of pushing back the darkness and opening new works in places where there right now this is little or no evangelical presence.

     We ask you to continue praying for us specifically in the area of the adoption paperwork. We've been told that our file is complete and only lacks the judge's final review before she finalizes our permanent guardianship of Nico. Just before the judicial winter vacation began, the judge told us that it would take her 10-15 days to finalize our situation and today is day 15. Our attorney will be at the judge's office early - hopefully before anyone else with the hope of speaking with her personally to understand what she is planning in our case. Marcela, our attorney, will also assess the possibility of a meeting between us and the judge personally in order to present our urgency face-to-face.

      Please pray specifically:

* Pray for Marcela to be able to meet with the judge and then have clear insight and the right words to say as she speaks with her.

* Pray for the judge, Beatriz, to be willing to listen and moved with compassion to FINISH our paperwork. (we have two open petitions in the file permission to travel to the States and permanent guardianship. If granted the guardianship, we won't need the permission)

* Pray for us - if we have the chance to speak #1 that we will have EXCELLENT Spanish communication skills #2 that we will present ourselves in such a way that God is glorified.

* Pray for Juan and Ramona working in Colonia Derqui - there have been some setbacks there as Louisa has been pressured into no longer hosting the Bible study at her home. Pray for a new meeting place to open and for Juan and Ramona as they continue to reach out in Jesus' name to this very dark settlement.

* Pray for Pastor Hector in Esquina and the team of hunters who will be working together in September. Pray that that David will be able to help them organize their time together for God's glory

     Thank you. Truly, your partnership with us through prayer is essential to our ministry.

 

Argentina doesn't celebrate Mother's Day until October.  And, because we're in Argentina in May and will be in the U.S. in October, I'll not get to celebrate Mother's Day with everyone else...but that doesn't keep my fellas from celebrating me!  I'm SO BLESED!

Pretty, sparkly flowers!

Words of love!

My Beautiful Blue Eyed Boy!

My Curly Headed Happiness!

Bling!

Happy Mother's Day!



There's a first time for everything, and tonight I enter the world of blogs. I guess it isn't too different from things I've done in other media. Here's hoping this will bring news of our work and our lives to folk who are interested in praying for the Criollo of Northern Argentina.

For anyone who doesn't know, we are the Holt family: Alisha, David, Elijah (7) and Nicholas (1). We live in Corrientes, Argentina and serve through the Southern Baptist Convention's International Mission Board as church planters. We've been here since 2002 and while living cross-culturally is challenging, we really enjoy it and especially doing what God has called us to in teaching people of God's great love for them.

Right now, we are working with several families in a neighborhood here in Corrientes Capital where we live starting a Baptist church there. We've been meeting in the Cardosa family's front yard for about a year and a half. The work is slow as we have to spend a lot of time earning trust and building friendships. Lately, we have seen interest from others in the neighborhood and that is encouraging.

We are also putting together the details for a volunteer trip in July. We'll be going to the southern tip of the province to a town called Esquina and will be focusing on creating contacts among the hunting and fishing guides who make their living in the eco-turism industry that fuels much of the Corrientes province.

In the meantime, we are also building relationships with local pastors in an effort to find like-minded congregations interested in reaching out to the non believers all around us. We're working to begin partnerships which will take us to the nearby towns of Lorreto, Bella Vista, Derqui and deepen our presence in Paso de la Patria. We appreciate your prayer support in each of these opportunities.

On the personal front, we are waiting on adoption paperwork to go through for our second son, Nicholas. Please pray with us for favor from the family court judge and a quick resolution to the process. This is a pretty big request as all legal paperwork moves very slowly here.