Dear Friends,                                         April 2010            Thank you for your faithfulness in praying and giving to our ministry. Your support is literally affecting many throughout South America as we prepare missionaries to serve.   Development and training are key components to the success and longevity of a missionary. One of my roles here in the office is to oversee this area and ensure our missionaries are continually looking for ways to improve on their knowledge and skills to be more effective.  We are working on special cooperative agreements with two local seminaries and we have a partnership agreement with a Cultural training center. Leadership training is a core value within SAM and it includes our missionaries as well as our national brothers and sisters.   We ask for you to please pray for one of our fields in particular. Paraguay has been an open field for SAM since 1995. Just recently we had one of our career missionaries leave the field. At this time we have one new family and one single in Paraguay. Pray for these missionaries as they have lost their team leader and as they look to redefine their present and future ministry.   Urbana '09 was a big Missions event which took place the last week of December, ending on the 31st.  The photo here is of me at our booth. There were about 17,500 young people, all with a desire to learn more of opportunities to serve God. I went to represent SAM with another missionary to hopefully find some young people willing to go to South America. During the week we talked personally with about 200 people. The booth area was open for 5 hours each day and we ended up talking almost non stop. South America Mission has a unique niche in the area of ministry because few organizations are dedicated to just South America. We trust that the seeds which were planted will take root. Our mobilization department is looking to fill over 50 ministry roles.   Diane has recently joined the staff here in the office. She is working in the area of donor relations. Her experience and skills are a real help in this area.   P.S.  We want to hear from you.  Please send us  a note, or email. We would love to hear what is happening in your lives.  Please check out our website for more up to date information:  www.kennykrestan.com    God bless each of you for your partnership in this ministry!  

Major Writing Project - I am beginning the last step towards my Doctor of Religious Studies degree. I hope to write on the historical movement of South America Mission into Urban ministries and criteria for creating and choosing new ministries for rural areas. My passion is for rural areas in South America. I have seen first hand over the years missionaries leaving these areas to work in the cities. This is not bad in and of itself but a void has been left in the rural areas and it is time to consider a new shift in focus. The Mission is on board and is willing to help me in this process. Please pray for me and for my family as this will require a huge sacrifice from everyone. I hope to be able to visit some of our fields to do research which will involve costs.

Happy 2010
Time is just whipping by this year. God is faithful and we appreciate all those that pray and support us in ministry, Thanks! We are already beginning the planning for this year's candidate orientation which will be held June 20 - July 2, 2010.  If you know someone who is interested in serving the Lord in South America, please give them our contact info: mobilization@southamericamission.org. We hope to be sending a prayer letter soon to update you on ministry specifics.

Urbana 09
This year is the year of Urbana, an Intervarsity Missions fare that is not hosted in the city of St. Louis, MO.  I will be representing South America Mission and will be teaching a seminar on Indigenous Leadership Development.  Please pray for me as I prepare for this and that God will bring to us young men and women that want to serve the Lord in  South America.

November 2009- Happy Thanksgiving! 
Thank You!  We want to express our thanks for your faithful support to our ministry.    We trust all is well and that God is blessing you.  We  continue to be grateful for God's blessings in these challenging economic times.  We covet your prayers as we continue to raise our support.   Hostage Alert!  We would like for you to pray for a group of Kogi Indians currently being held hostage in Colombia.  The Kogi Indians are a people group that South America Mission had worked with over 20 years ago.  Today there is a small group of believers and some of them are being held captive by their own Shamans. (Tribal Priests) This weighs heavy on our hearts and we pray that God gives them the grace and mercy to persevere through this. The Kogi are the direct descendants of the Tairona civilization and live in the Sierra Nevada mountains of Santa Marta in Northern Colombia.   We just completed our annual board meeting and ministry presentations.  Part of my responsibility is to write an annual report about areas of my responsibilities as International Staff Development Director. I was able to report about the 17 new missionaries that joined SAM, and the board approved them all.  I also was able to report on the Home Ministry assignment conference I organized here in the Fort Mill area.  The consensus was that it was a real blessing to the missionaries.  Recently I represented SAM at Moody Bible.  I had the privilege to teach several seminars in Contextualization of the Gospel, and Indigenous Leadership Development.  These young people are the next missionaries, and their educational development is necessary as they prepare to serve in ministry.   God is good to the Krestan family.  Rachel continues to reside in the Chicago area and Kendra is well into her second year of college.  Kenny is looking forward to playing basketball this fall in a local park district program.    We appreciate you and would love to hear from you.  You can reach us at kdkrestan@southamericamission.org or on Facebook at Kenny-Diane Krestan.      Psalm 106:1  Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever!  

August 2009  We celebrated our 25th wedding anniversary in Chicago with our children.  We renewed our vows and had a great time.

On the Bridge - this took place at the Graue Mill near Lagrange, IL during our visit to Chicago.

Peru Summer Team 2009   I had the privilage to help organize this year's team.  They just returned after 6 weeks in Peru.  We are already thinking about next years team.    

June 2009 Candidate Orientation

We hosted this years candidate orientation here in Fort Mill, SC.  I had the privilege to primarliy organize the orientation.  We praise God that we have appointed 17 new missionaries.  Diane spent most of the time preparing and organizing the food while I was able to teach different seminars.

April 2009 Prayer Letter - Krestan Flyer

Dear Friends,  

"Availability and suitability are both essentials of a 'missionary call.' The monumental challenge is to identify who are both available and suitable for service." David Hesselgrave  

David Sills from Cross Global Link states that mission agencies are doing their very best in the selection of missionaries, and it is a difficult task to sort out the candidates who apply.  Here at South America Mission we recently held a Weekend of Discovery for potential appointees to SAM.  I had the privilege to organize and host the event and participate in the teaching presentations as well.  The picture is from the Weekend of Discovery of the whole group that attended.   We are excited that two couples and three of the singles are already committing to taking the next step by attending our two week Candidate Orientation this summer.  As I have said before I enjoy being a part of encouraging and shaping people to serve the Lord in Missions.   Staff development is another vital part of my ministry. The beginning of this area of ministry will focus on our missionaries on HMA and those planning on coming on HMA this year.  As our missionaries come through the office we discuss as part of their ministry assignments areas where they may consider taking a class or attending a seminar or conference that can positively affect their context of ministry.  SAM encourages their missionaries to consider advancing their academics for personal and professional growth.   Diane has begun to help out in the home office on a regular basis in the area of finances.  Our children continue to amaze us as they grow and become independent.  Rachel lives and works in the Chicago area.  Kendra attends Olivet Nazarene University and is majoring in elementary education.  Little Kenny is in 7th grade and is on a local recreational baseball team; I have the privilege to help coach the team.  I have to say that each of them miss Bolivia.  We are happy to see that missionary life has been a positive part of our children's development.   P.S.  We want to hear from you.  Please send us  a note, or email. We would love to hear what is happening in your lives.  Please check out our website for more up to date information:  www.kennykrestan.com  If you would like to have a part in our ministry by prayer or financially be send in the slip below. God bless each of you for your partnership in this ministry!   From Bolivia: An encouraging note to us from a pastor and his wife. Hola Hermosa familia. Gracias porque siempre sus predicaciones han sido de mucha bendición para mi vida. Aún recuerdo cuando habló sobre la Gracia de Dios y otros temas que nunca olvidaré.  Arturo & Gloria  ("Thank you always for your teachings and messages they have been a big blessing in my life.  I remember specifically when you spoke about the grace of God, and other themes, I will never forget them.")  

Happy New Year - 2009

We will try a new look on our web page for this year. 

Merry Christmas!  Thank you all for your faithful prayers and support.  May God bless you during this joyful season.

November 2008 - Happy Thanksgiving!

October 2008 - We were all together as a family in October for a long weekend.  We had a good time and visited a state park near our home.

Sept. 22, 2008 - Please pray for Bolivia.  This is a picture of a group of men and women carrying guns and weapons marching to Santa Cruz to take control.  Santa Cruz and other departments have been at opposition to the current administration that violence has been the choice of negotiations.   Please pray.

Bolivia News - September 15, 2008

The political atmosphere in Bolivia is extremely tense at present as different factions battle for control of the government.  The differences go beyond political ideologies and include cultural and religious identities.

The SAM Crisis Management team is continually monitoring the situation, consulting with other Mission groups, advising our missionaries, and staying in touch with the Home Office in the US.

We covet your prayers for Bolivia.  SAM is putting together contingency plans and we will keep you all informed over the days and weeks to come.

August 26, 2008

Hola!  Even though we are stateside I still haven't forgotten my Spanish. :)  We thank the Lord for your continued support and prayers.

Little Kenny has started school and is playing football.  Kendra just moved to college this last weekend and starts her classes tomorrow.  Diane was there this last weekend for a few days.  Rachel continues to look for a full time job within her degree area, we would appreciate your prayers for her.

Bolivia recently went through another vote.  this was put on by the President as a way to remove some of the governors and mayors of cities and departments tat didn't support his agenda, he won in most of them so there continues to be changes in Bolivia.  Praise God that things are safe and stable for the majority of the people.

I have begun my ministry here in the home office.  The biggest part of my job right now is following up on potential missionaries and seeking new missionaries.

Please let us know how we can pray for you,

Kenny & Diane

July 10, 2008 - South Carolina

"In God We Trust"  That is South Carolina's moto on their license plates.  We are so grateful to God for His provisions. 

We are currently living in an apartment in Fort Mill, SC.  We initially helped in our candidate school for the new recruits and then we have been registering little Kenny for school and getting to know the city a bit.  We enjoyed 4th of July by going to the White Sox's AAA team's game, they are called the Charlotte Knights and their stadium is just 4 miles from where we live.

We continue to covet your prayes as we settle in and I begin my new ministry as Director of International Staff Development.

June 10, 2008  -  Chicago!!

Praise the Lord our transition back to the States went very well.  We are currently in our home church's house for 2 weeks then on June 21 we will be leaving for South Carolina.

We covet your prayers during these times.  The transition will require many changes in our lives, especially Little Kenny.

Also, please pray as Rachel continues to find a job, she has worked hard sending out resumes etc. but nothing has developed yet.  We rejoice with her as she purchased a car yesterday, her other car was on the brink of structural failure.

As a reminder we will continue to need your prayer and financial support in our new ministry, thanks for your faithfulness.

Kenny & Diane

Rachel's car.

Exciting New News...  

Ministry Change & Relocation:  God has been working in our lives these last several months in an incredible way.  Last year SAM moved their offices to South Carolina, just over the boarder from Charlotte in a town called Fort Mill.  Also, in recent months, the board of SAM has appointed a new General Director who takes over January 2009.  As a part of implementing a new leadership structure within SAM this new General Director has asked us to consider filling a senior leadership position "Director of International Staff Development."  After much prayer and counsel we have accepted this new call in our lives.  So what does this mean?  We have already been planning to be in the USA for 2 months this summer, we will now be leaving Bolivia, saying our goodbye's, and then moving to South Carolina.     

We are excited!  This new opportunity allows us to use our years of experience within SAM and Latin America to be able to continue to shape and accomplish SAM's mision of "Building Leaders to Build Churches" affecting all of the five countries we minister in, not just Bolivia.  What a great privilege it will be to continue to encourage the development and growth of the evangelical church in South America.  The ministry position includes recruitment, professional development of our missionaries, & project & ministry teams.   

Support:  We will continue to raise our own support and we need your continued generosity and faithfulness in our lives.  As you are aware the cost of living difference between Bolivia and the USA is large.  Please pray for us as you consider your continued partnership.  

A letter from the Director.............. April, 2008

Dear South America Mission Family,

"I write this letter encouraged by the fact that its readers will be spread across a continent in obedience to the King of Kings.  Our transition - in geography and in leadership - is built on the conviction that God yet has much to do in and through South America Mission.  The Board recently confirmed a new senior management structure that is designed to address present and future needs.  There will be four senior directors reporting to the Executive Director as follows: Operations, International Ministries, International Staff Development ,  and Partnership Development.  In addition, Bill Ogden will continue to provide invaluable help as a member of the senior leadership team. I have invited Kenny Krestan to take on the role of International Staff Development Director and am pleased that Kenny and Diane Krestan have sensed the Lord leading in this.  This is an important step in building a team that can serve and lead the mission now and into the future.  I know the Krestans will be strong advocates for our missionaries and ministries in South America.  They will leave Bolivia in early June and move to Fort Mill in order to begin in earnest late summer."

Solo Para Pastores - April 11, 2008

This months "Solo Para Pastores" was a discussion on some of the major religions here in Bolivia.  We asked three questions; What is a sect? What distinguishes evangelicals from the rest?  What is our responsibility in the world?

We had a good discussion and a good group of about 24 in total.

Pastors and their wives sitting at the tables.

Food & Cake

Kenny's game on April 1st.  To date they are 5-1 and will play next week in the championship game.

Iglesia Renacer - I continue to go through an 8 week series on Sundays here in the local church located in our neighborhood.  I have three more sessions to complete the booklet on "my mission" which is a study on our christian service and mission to the world.

The kid's school has gone through about 2 months of flooding.  This picture shows the entire inner court flooded and the kids having to use bricks to get into the classrooms and library.  Kenny is the 5th in line with the green shirt.  We have been trying to pump out the water but the school sits in a very low spot in the area, and the rains keep coming even now in March.

February 2008

Solo Para Pastores - Feb. 8

This month's topic was on "church traditions & practices."  We reviewed and discussed early Christian and modern practices and whether they were biblical and relevant for today.  The interaction and fellowship is always good.

Iglesia Renacer

Iglesia "Renacer" - This is the evangelical church in the neighborhood we live in.  This last week I began to teach an 8 week series on "Mi Mision" (My Mission).  They have begun a church construction project recently to expand the chapel and put in this new front gate.  Check the other photos in "Krestan pictures."

January 2008 - Happy New Year!

January is usually the month we hold our annual field conference and this year was no exception.  Diane and another missionary lady organized the whole conference in a hotel-resort about 2 hours outside of Santa Cruz.  We enjoyed the teaching of Dr. Ray Pritchard from "Keep Believing" ministries.  We also had two other couples join us and they taught the children during the week.

Picture of the current Bolivia field.

Diane and I were also honored during the week and given a certificate and plaque in appreciation for 20 years of service with SAM.

December 2007

Feliz Navidad! 

Solo Para Pastores - Dec. 21

This month's get together focused on Christ's birth and God's gift to each of us.  We had a time of reading the Christmas story, prayer, and a short devotional.  The pastors also recieved a nice Christmas basket which included a variety of items.  Christmas baskets are traditional Christmas gifts here in Bolivia.

December we also had the annual Christmas dinner for Diane's bible study group.  This year another missionary hosted the dinner in her home.  We had turkey, stuffing, and all the usual fixings and Kenny gave an evangelistic devotional.  Please continue to pray for this group and their husbands.

November News from the Krestans

This month has started off very busy.  Diane is back from her brief visit to the States to be with her sister who had cancer surgery.

Nov. 9th we held another Solo Para Pastores.

The theme this month was Legalism & Liberty, we had quite the discussion.  After I presented the topic and we had a time of discussion I was asked to give a conclusion to the topic.  The purpose of this ministry is not to tell the pastors what is good or not good but rather present a topic and provide the context for them to discuss it based on their own experiences.  My conlcusion to them was this: Be careful of the extremes.  Legalism is an extreme and we also can take Liberty to an extreme, I challenged them to consider a balance.  I also said that it was my desire to be a man of "grace," showing and living out the grace of God in my life towards those I come in contact with.  Keep praying for us.  In December we will have a time of celebration and gifts for the families.

Pray also for the political problems here.  We have a shortage of Diesel fuel and prices keep going up.

Solo Para Pastores - October 12, 2007

This month's ministry to pastors was focused on medical issues related to both men and women.  Dr. Placido & Dr. Toni, husband and wife doctors with SAM lead the discussions.  We had 12 pastors and their wives attend.  Please pray for these pastors and the unique challenges they face every day in their ministries.

December 11 was "Dia de la Mujer" (Day of the Woman)  During our time with the pastors we had a cake to celebrate this day for the pastor's wives.

Krestan's Prayer Letter - October 2007

Professional Class Ministry.  This is an area where we are definitely breaking new ground.  We have held several seminars and get togethers this year already.  We also are working to build relationships by meeting with people, having lunch or dinners, and even inviting them to church.  We are asking people to pray to bring nationals and missionaries to join us in this ministry.  We also desire to start a small group in our home, please pray for God to bring along the right people.  Also, pray for a Veterinarian  who I meet with a couple times a week.

 Bible Institute—C.I.E.T.   I have recently teamed up with the director of our bible institute Juan Medina to re-start a ministry to pastors, “Solo Para Pastores,” [Just for Pastors].  The ministry had ceased for some time and I felt God was prompting me to help get it going again.  We currently meet once a month with the pastors and their wives for a time of fellowship, encouragement, prayer, and teaching.  I have already presented two seminars on spiritual and physical rest, and also conflict management.   

 I am also helping Juan in starting a mentoring program for the institute, that will become a regular part of the curriculum.  I am helping edit and reprint some of the materials we currently use focusing on a basic discipleship booklet written by a former Moody Bible professor.   I am really enjoying working together with our bible institute.

Field Treasurer:  Diane is back in the ministry of field treasurer.  The former treasurer has left for furlough and they asked Diane to fill in for the year.  She has spent several months organizing and catching up with administration issues. She loves this ministry and spends three mornings a week in the office.

 Teams:  I am still working on planning teams for SAM. We do medical teams, construction, and ministry focused work, please check out our web page for opportunities you can participate in.  www.southamericamission.org  

 Aviation:  Yes I still do a flight now and then.  There are currently two other pilots so I am used as a back up.  SAMAIR still continues to minister in the rural areas, please pray for continued safety.

 Bolivia:  Bolivia is still in the midst of some changes both politically and socially.  One change is that beginning December 1st all Americans will have to have a traveling Visa  to come.  We hope this doesn’t affect visitors or tourists.

 P.S.  We want to hear from you.  Please send us  a note, or email, we would love to hear what is happening in your lives.  If you want to be added to our email update list please send us a request at the email address below.  Please check out our website for more up to date information: www.kennykrestan.com

God bless each of you for your partnership in this ministry!

 
Solo Para Pastores - Sept. 7

This was our second meeting.  As you can see we are enjoying some good food as part of the fellowship time.  This picture shows 6 of the pastors and 2 wives.  Please pray for these families and for God's blessing in their lives both spiritually and physically.

Rachel's August visit:

We were so grateful to have Rachel come and visit during the month of August.  she was here just over 2 weeks.  She was able to eat all her favorite foods during the visit as well.  :)

The pic is taken at a cabin in Samaipata, Bolivia, the place is called "La Vispera."  It is located in the mountains at about 6,000 ft. elevation.

Kendra also returned from her summer in the Chicago area.  Both girls worked at the same place.  School has resumed now and we are already planning our trip to Rachel's graduation May 3rd, 2008.

Solo para Pastores - Aug. 3rd

Solo para Pastores is an informal get together with pastors and their wives for the purpose of fellowship, prayer, and mutual support in the ministry.  I have recently come along side of the bible institute director to re-institute what we believe is a vital activity for the life of our pastors. 

I was able to present a talk on spiritual rest and physical rest.  We had 10 pastors and their wives attend.

Prayer request for June 2008:

• Kendra is in the Chicago area for the summer.  She is working and will return in Aug.
• Ministry direction.  We are still looking for some Bolivian co-workers.
• I am currently serving on the school board, we are looking for teachers.

June 8, 2007  Still Flying!  I occasionally still do a flight now and then.  This flight involved my English "mate."  Andy to my right is the Pastor of the English church here.  He and I have become good friends and we meet weekly for prayer.  It's been a little comical with the new vocab we are learning. 

May 13th - 5 Lenguajes del Amor Conference

On May 13th we held a Spanish conference on the 5 love languages.  We used the book by Gary Chapman in Spanish.  Our conference speakers were Dr. Placido and Dr. Toni as seen in the picture above.

We had a total of about 40 people which includes missionary couples that invited guests.  After hosting 3 seperate seminars we will review how they went and determine our next steps.  We are happy that two couples from these conferences are very interested in spiritual things.  One couple is already involved in a small group, and another couple is attending the English church on a regular basis.

One highlight of this conference was a Chocolate fountain, check the picture below.  You can see Kendra and Kenny in line to take advantage as well. :)

April 1st Celebration Service

On April 1st we held a Spanish service at the English church in the evening.  We had a small group of people but it was good.  We went with a theme of "Who is Jesus," and a talk on the Prodigal son and God's forgiveness to us.  We did two short devotional type talks with some other activities as well.  We are excited that one couple who came to the parenting seminar has joined a small group hosted by another missionary.

Professional Class Ministry Outreach Parenting Seminar - March 18, 2007

The conference went very well.  John & Kendra smiley were the guest speakers and we had translators for them.  There were a few church groups that came which ended up to be OK because it filled the place up and there was enough food for everyone.  We are hoping to make contacts with the professionals that came and eventually start small groups.  That night we also celebrated Bolivian Father's Day which is why there is a cake.  April 1 we will have a Spanish service as well.

Field Conference 2007

We enjoyed our annual field conference this year, as with all years.  We enjoyed the music team from Ada Bible Church, thanks Matt & Richard.  The picture is of all the missionaries here with SAM.

Bolivia House Pics:

This is a picture of the front of the house from the street.  You can't see much because of the walls all around the houses here in Bolivia.

This is a picture of the front entrance.

This is a shot of the back patio and our garage port.  We have two coconut trees and many palm trees on our lot.

This is a great home for us.  We are renting it at a great price of $400 a month.

Merry Christmas 2006!

We are enjoying having Rachel with us for this Christmas, God is so good.  We spent Christmas Eve at a local orphanage where I was invited to give a devotional.  We had a great time sharing in the kids lives and celebrating with them.

We will spend the remaining time with Rachel visiting some places here in Bolivia and she will be going to the markets with her sister and mother.

Trip to El Alto - October 2006 - I recently made a trip to El Alto which is at about 13,300 feet above see level and is Bolivia's 2nd largest city.

We investigated places to send work teams and decided on two locations.  One location, Ayahuaco was 3 hours into the mountains to a remote community in a valley.  It was a beautiful little town that grows fruit, vegggies, and has farm animals for meat and milk.

You can see a pic of a cute little girl and her father who is the pastor on the page of pictures.

October 2006 - President Morales has been in power now for about 8 months and he is wanting to change the country, even down to its Catholic traditions.

Recently the country voted on a constitutional body to draft amendments to their constitution.  This was 2 months ago and it has been a political nightmare ever since.  President Morales wants to nationalize all the natural resources of the country and get them back into the governments control.

 There is a shifting tide here in Bolivia and we need to take notice.  President Morales wants to change things both politically and religiously.  Many are in a process of introspection because the proposed changes are challenging the core beliefs of a nation.  He claims to be a part of the indigenous people groups and his group trace their roots back to pre Incas era to a group known as the Tiwanaku from 1000 A.D.  As you know the Indians from this time period  worshipped the sun, moon, and the mother earth.  The fight is not just over religion but also the form of government.  President Morales wants to reform the government into a quasi socialist/communist structure.

Bolivians are asking themselves questions like; “Should we return to the animistic and Inca religions of the past?  Should there be religious teaching in the public schools at all?  How much control should a religious system have in our government?”

 This is very challenging for us as missionaries.  We feel there will be even more opportunities to share Christ and plant seeds of God’s Word.

 How does it affect us?  The result has been a lot of political instability, but it really hasn’t reached the common person yet.  Although recently we are having blockades and city wide strikes.  These are usually peaceful and present no danger but they are a big inconvenience. 

 What can you do?  Pray.  Pray for the leaders.  Corruption is a big problem here and racism is the underlying motivation.  Also, there are some key freedoms that are being challenged and this concerns me the most.

 Professional class Ministry.  We are in the midst of some changes.  The couple who was going to partner with us have resigned, leaving us alone at this point.  We are asking people to pray to bring nationals and missionaries to join us in this ministry.  In the mean time we are gathering much needed information on current outreaches to this people group.  We are excited to see that other groups have similar visions as ours, now we just need to find our “nitch.”

 August 2006 - Kids are back in school and for the most part they are enjoying it.  Kenny is on the soccer team.  Kendra misses her friends in the Chicago area, and the fact is we all miss you very much.

I have had the opportunity to fly already, it was good to get back in the saddle.  I have to wait till my ID card gets renewed before I can get my Bolivian license again.  I will be filling in part time a a pilot and mechanic until the chief pilot returns from his stay in the US some time in December.

Diane has gotten back into the ladies bible study she was a part of for many years.  She isn't leading the group but wil fill in to teach now and then.  Diane also is helping with a MOPS group with the idea of building relationships with Bolivian women.

We have been visiting several works here in Santa Cruz related to the professional class.  I am going to be attending some seminars and group meetings as well.  Part of my responsibility is to develop a summary of what is currently happening here so SAM can find where we want to focus and put our efforts.

We need your prayers for our family and our ministry.  also, please don't forget to pray for Rachel.  She begins her Junior year the end of this month.

Back in Bolivia!  We made it safe and sound, praise God.  We are still waiting for kendra to arrive this Thursday.

We have settled into a home we are renting in the same neighborhood as before.  We even got a dog named Roxy. 

I will be updating this web site more often in the future, thanks for your prayers.

Krestans recent visit to the Home Office May 30, 31 & June 1:

We had a good visit to the home office.  We sat down with the Executive Director and the Field Director to discuss our future ministry in Bolivia.  It was exciting to see that we are envisioning the same goals and that we both recognize this is a huge undertaking and much bigger than just Diane and I.  We have been given the green light to begin by compiling some needed data on what is currently happening in the professional realm as far as ministry. 

Here is a letter from the Field Director:  "Dear SAM Bolivia Team,  As you may all know, Kenny and Diane Krestan were here in the SAM Home Office May 31 and June 1.  Their visit was to clarify their understanding of what we expect their ministry to be during this coming term.  The purpose of this note is to inform you all of our conclusions and help the Field understand how the Krestans will be fitting into the overall goals we've verbalized for the Bolivia Field.  First and foremost, Kenny and Diane will work for the establishing of a new church that will be independent of AIEO.  This does not mean that we are abandoning AIEO, but rather that SAM is planting a new church on our own.   We however understand that the target group of people is "professional".  This will require that the Krestans do a lot of survey work which may necessitate attending church plants and professional strata churches outside of our usual areas of ministry.  Let's all welcome the Krestans back and offer them any assistance they may need in re-settling into Santa Cruz.  Most of all, let's all pray for and with them in this new endeavor that, I believe, God wants us to undertake. "

We will also begin to formulate a team from Bolivian Nationals, other missionaries, and new recruits. 

I will also be involved in the aviation ministry as an extra pilot.  The current program manager will go on furlough for about 6 months and I will fill in during his absence as both a pilot and a mechanic.

The biggest thing we continue to realize is the need for total dependence on God.  This is a new direction for the Bolivian field and will require much prayer and perserverance.

Please pray for us!

Krestan's Plans for May & June 2006:

• Visit Home Office to meet with SAM Director and Associate Director - May 30-June 1
• Garage Sale at Krestan home - June 9 & 10
• Preach at LaGrange Bible - June 18 - 8:15 & 11 services.
• Reception at LaGrange Bible - June 18 @ 6pm.
• Leave for Bolivia - June 22

Family Updates:

• Rachel works for the Chicago Trolley Co.
• Kendra receives high academic award at Lyons Township High School

Happy New Year - 2006

2006 has brought some major changes to our household.  One of those is that our daughter Rachel is now a resident student at a university about 1 hour south of Chicago, please see her corner below.  

Another change is that we are now beginning to focus more on returning to Bolivia.  We have missed being there and Lord willing we hope to arrive some time this June, 2006 .  Target date to leave is June 22nd.  We need your continued prayers and additional support in order to make this happen. 

After we return to Bolivia our ministry is going to take a different course than in the past.  Yes, I will still be involved in aviation, but we will also be working in a new church plant.  On a side note I encourage you to go and see “End of the Spear,” the incredible story of Nate Saint and his co-workers in Ecuador. 

After 15 years of ministry in Bolivia, God has given us a vision to begin a ministry with the “professional class.” These are people who work in vocations that impact both the political and the spiritual realms of their society.  Today, in comparison, there is little ministry being done within this group.  They are a difficult class of people because they are educated and hard working, and their paradigm is that God is a crutch in times of crisis. 

Our Vision:  To see a sector of the professional class in Santa Cruz, Bolivia become fully devoted disciples of Christ that are impacting and transforming their communities and beyond. 

In the beginning, our strategy will focus on developing relationships and starting small group studies.  We will be forming a ministry team with other missionaries and Bolivian nationals who share the same compassionate vision.  We are beginning to work on our schedule for the upcoming months. 

We desire to visit our supporting churches and individuals. If you’d like for us to visit your church please let us know.  Also, I am still working on planning teams for 2006. 

Please check out our web page for opportunities you can participate in.  www.southamericamission.org 

P.S.  We want to hear from you.  Please send us  a note, or email, we would love to hear what is happening in your lives.  Please don’t forget, our target date to return to Bolivia is June 2006.  We need your prayers and support to make this happen.  

God bless each of you for your partnership in this ministry!

If you’d like to contact Rachel you can write her at:

ONU #7480
One University Ave. 
Bourbonnais, IL.  60914

Hola,

September 2005:  Church Teams and Target Date

It’s back to school time.  The summer months have gone by fast for us.  Rachel begins her second year of college.  During the summer Rachel has been active in our churches Junior high program as a leader.  Kendra begins her Sophomore year in high school.  She is a cheerleader this semester and hopes again to make the gymnastics team over the winter.  Kenny went to a camp this summer.  It was his first experience of being away from home for more than 1 night.  He did well and loved it, he wants to go back.  The picture here is from our trip to Maine.  We drove to and from Chicago.  It was a great time to see the East coast and visit friends.

This year already I have worked with 10 teams going to3 different countries.  Just recently I had the privilege of going to Peru with a team from a church in Pennsylvania.  This church sent an advanced team to set up the arrangements when the church sends the team early next year.  You may have recently heard of some news in Peru.  Recently there was an airline plane crash and two days later a very strong storm tore the roofs off of our Mission’s base which includes houses, dorms, and the SAM Academy school.  We are working on relief and looking for funds and possible teams willing to go and help.  If you could help please let me know:  teams@samlink.org 

September is the time for our annual SAM Mission’s conference near Tampa, Florida.  We will be there for about 5 days.

I am working already on planning teams for 2006.  Please check out our web page for opportunities you can participate in.  www.southamericamission.org

Also, please check out the prayer requests to the right.

P.S.  We want to hear from you.  Please send us  a note, or email, we would love to hear what is happening in your lives.  

Also, our target date to return to Bolivia is June 2006.  We need your prayers and support to make this happen.

God bless each of you for your partnership in this ministry.

February 2005: SAM's Project Teams Coordinator

“Will you stay for one more year?”

This is the question we have been asked by our Mission…to stay in the States for an additional year and coordinate the ministry of project teams to our different fields in South America.

We have answered with a “yes!”

Ministry and project teams are an important part of reaching the world for Christ. South America Mission’s desire is to develop partnerships with churches in the U.S.A., cooperating to realize the vision of discipling the nations for His glory.

As a mission we want to help churches have an exciting and positive overseas mission experience. We have opportunities to love and serve the people in a tangible way in Bolivia, Peru, Brazil, and Paraguay.

So our question to you is: “Will you continue to pray and support us?”

The Mission’s proposal is for us to finish our regular home ministry assignment by July 2005 and then continue in the States another year (until July 2006). After that time we plan to return to Bolivia.

We have wrestled and prayed much over this decision, and we believe God is leading us in this way. Our hearts are so grateful for your continued prayers and gifts to keep us serving the Lord.

Family News:
Our family is doing well. Kenny has already begun in the coordinating of the team ministry and is serving in our home church by teaching and working in men’s ministry. He also recently received a flight review in order to keep his license current.

Diane has been very busy in ministry in our home church and is helping in the area of youth and women’s ministry.

Rachel now works for an interior designer and is in her second semester at the College of DuPage.

Kendra made the high school gymnastic team and just loves the competition. She is staying on the honor roll as well.

Kenny is active in the Awana program at our church and does well in memorizing scripture. He is looking forward to Little League starting.

We would love to hear from you. Please send us a note or email to let us know what is happening
in your lives. Oh yeah, we will continue to live in the Chicago area. God bless each of you for your support and prayers.

Prayer Requests: Support $$ - We need to raise some financial support, as it has dropped over the last several years. Pray that God would provide about $600 a month in additional funds. Pray for our leadership training program. We desire to help train and prepare future leaders of Bolivia. There is a need for resources and more missionary teachers. Good health for our entire family. Diligence and discipline to continue in my studies through Trinity Theological Seminary. Would your church want to send a team?
Contact: Teams@southamericamission.org
Our phone number in Chicago:
(708) 352-6124

Kenny and Diane

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