The James Family
Kep & Debbie February 2026 Update
Good morning from cold and snowy Cleveland!
Debbie and I are wrapping up a refreshing time with our church and family before heading back to South America. This Sunday, February 1, we fly to Orlando to meet Brazilian church leaders who want to start ESI groups there. Then February 4 to San José, Costa Rica to help our ESI Central America leader (Jose Gutierrez) lead an ESI Facilitator Training with 80 pastors and church leaders. Then to Brazil to meet ESI leaders and groups in two places (Rio de Janeiro and Pantanal) -- in both places ESI is active and growing. Then back in Cleveland Lord willing on February 25.
I’ll do my best to keep you updated as the trip unfolds.
Please pray for…
* Pray for deep, vibrant gospel transformation throughout Latin America.
* Pray for our brothers and sisters in Costa Rica, that they would commit themselves to studying Romans with us and to participating in ESI’s three-year, mutual discipleship process. The church in Costa Rica followed prosperity heresy during the past 40 years, which of course has had a devastating effect on gospel integrity (2 Timothy 1:13-14).
* Pray for the church in Brazil, for believers to remain faithful to Jesus. Pray for the pastors and church leaders who are studying Romans with us, as they daily immerse themselves in His Word. Pray that daily they will draw their strength from the Lord, resist temptation, and honor Christ in their personal lives, marriages, families, and ministries.
* Pray for Debbie as she prepares to teach ESI women at a women’s conference in Bogota, Colombia March 12-16.
* Pray as we prepare for ministry in April visiting our ESI groups in Zimbabwe and Zambia, and working with Fulani church planters in Senegal.
* Pray for our church in La Paz, Bolivia as pastor Pepe invests time training new elders.
Thank you for standing with us in the gospel. May each of us, day by day, treasure Christ more deeply and experience His transforming power of the gospel in our lives (2 Timothy 2:1). We are grateful to God for you and confident of what HE will do!
With gratitude,
Kep and Debbie