27 May 2012 Update!

Hola from southern Mexico!

Thank you to all who pray faithfully for us, support us through the Cooperative Program and the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering, and come to southern Mexico to work among these precious people.  We are so thankful for you 'holding the rope' and enabling us to be here in southern Mexico.

We have had a good week.  Haylee and Jackson are busy getting ready for the end of their school year.  Haylee finishes up 9th grade and Jackson will say good-bye to 7th grade on Friday, June 1.  They are so ready for a break from school and a good summer vacation.  Haylee and Jackson will be spending a month in Mississippi this summer with family and friends and they are excited about that.

Liesa and Jeff have enjoyed a 'calm' week before a busy summer arrives.  Jeff's mom arrives on June 6 for a couple of weeks of life with us.  We will have two summer missionaries here during the months of June and July.  There is also a great deal of research that must be done and Liesa and Jeff will be traveling quite a bit to find info on some of the areas of southern Mexico.  We have three churches from the USA coming down in the next few weeks on Vision Trips to seek God's place of service for their churches.  We have much work to do to prepare for these big events.

We were blessed this week when the Father sent us a wonderful young lady to work with us this summer.  We have been praying that God would call out some Mexican Christians who would be willing to teach us about ministry here and allow us to teach them also.  We are excited about what God is doing here through us and the other missionaries who are working here.  We are convinced that this part of the world must be reached by our Mexican brothers and sisters.  Our role is to help them to do what God has given them to do.

You can join us this week in praying for:

1. The Right People, in the Right Places, doing the Right Things.  
2. For more opportunities to build 'discipleship' relationships.
3. For the villages of S.B.Y. and S.P.T. to have new churches soon.
4. For protection as we travel around southern Mexico conducting research.
5. For J and E who are coming to spend two months living in a remote village.
6. For Z, our new national partner who wants to serve the Lord with us this summer.
7. For God to guide our steps so that we are following Him every day.

Psalm 9:10 - And those who know your name put their trust in you, for you, O Lord, have not forsaken those who seek you.

Many blessings to you all!

Jeff, Liesa, Haylee, and Jackson

Pray for S.B.Y.

Yesterday we traveled to S.B.Y. to visit with some of the people there and to continue to make arrangements for some short-term missionaries to live in the village.  Please continue to pray for this village and the small group of believers there.

15 May 2012 Update!

Hello to all of you out there!

First, let us remind you of our Tuesday Evening Partner Connect Webinars for all of you to receive training.  Click Here for more info.

It has been a while since our last update.  We are so grateful to all of you who encourage us through your commitment to pray for us and, most importantly, the many here in southern Mexico whom the Father is bringing into the family of believers.  Your prayers are so important to the work here.  Thank you for the time you spend in prayer.

The Lord continues to open doors for ministry.  Liesa has found a children's home called Casa Hogar.  She is loving to be able to spend time with the children and with the workers.  Jeff is continuing to explore some of the communities around our area and spending time researching different people groups with whom we have responsibility.  We have several churches who are in the process of receiving Phase One training and will be traveling to Mexico in the near future.  

Our ministry assignment in Mexico is to work with Southern Baptist churches and our Great Commission Partners who are dedicated to the task of reaching the people groups of southern Mexico that do not have believers AND/OR the number of believers among the people group is very small.  You can go HERE to find out how your church can be a part of the work in Mexico and other parts of the world.

Please join us in praying for these requests:

• The Right People in the Right Places doing the Right Things.  This has been our prayer for the work here in southern Mexico for a long time.
• Pray for the village of S.B.Y. where doors are opening for ministry.  This is a village of approximately 600 people with no evangelical church.  We have found 4 believers in the village.  Pray for a new church in this village soon.
• Pray for the S.P.T. people.  The work is in the early stages with this people group.  There is a USA partner working with this group in Mexico and in the USA.  Excellent opportunities for ministry and missions.
• Pray for our USA churches who are praying about working in Mexico to be given wisdom.  It is so easy to think that ministry methods that work in the USA will work here in Mexico.  Pray for these USA churches to take seriously the training and research elements of mission work.

We have just returned from a week in Peru.  Jeff and Liesa were a part of training meetings in Lima and we were able to take Haylee and Jackson with us.  The training was really good and the opportunity to visit with our Peruvian and missionary friends just made it all much sweeter.  Haylee and Jackson were able to connect with many of their friends and we all had a great time.  Here are some photos:

Our sweet friends Clara, Gladys, and Anibal from Peru.  Sweet memories!

Haylee and Jackson were able to spend time with some of their friends in Peru.

Jackson and the guys.

Bredbenner's and Pennington's.  These folks are the greatest.
Proverbs 17:17 A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.

Anibal (A.K.A. Jungle Boy) is a part of our family.  He is a wonderful missionary.

Have you heard that Jackson is now 13 years old?

Jackson and one of his 'best buds' in Peru.

Lots of fun times with Christy and Mindy.  Wonderful friends whom we miss very much.

Kid Missionaries.  The best in the world.

Goofy Kid Missionaries.

Today is May 15 and this morning Southern Baptists put another paycheck in our checking account.  It just showed up...exactly as it has the other 55 months that we have served as missionaries.  We know that most of you make great sacrifices to give to the Cooperative Program and the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering.  Thank you for your giving.  We don't take for granted the churches in the USA that God uses to allow us to serve here.  Thank you for your faithfulness to the Gospel.

Please let us know if we can help you in any way.

Jeff, Liesa, Haylee, and Jackson Holeman

“Our vision is...

...A Rapid Heart-Language  Presentation Of The Gospel  used by the Holy Spirit to produce...

   ...a multitude of disciples among all peoples of Southern Mexico And the Americas...

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

        ...to the ends of the earth.”

18 April 2012 Update!

Thank you to all who pray for us.  We are so grateful for your investment in what God is doing here in southern Mexico.  We've had some busy times here over the past few weeks!

GREAT NEWS!  YOU can receive some important training that will help you understand how to be a better short-term missionary on Tuesday Evenings in May.  There is no cost and all that you need is your computer.  For more info please CLICK HERE!

Arnold and Marie

Liesa's folks came down for a week-long visit and we had a fun time with them.  We were able to hit all of the local tourist sites and show them a little about what our work involves.  Of course, the real reason they came is to see Haylee and Jackson and they enjoyed having Nana and Papaw around.  We enjoyed nightly games of Farkle and trying to get them to eat grasshoppers.

Our furniture arrived from Peru on April 4!  We are really enjoying having our furniture.  Three months on the air mattress was quickly forgotten when we were able to sleep in our own beds.  Amazon, the amazing Peruvian Dog, has loved having her normal perch back on the back of the big red chair in the den.  We still have a few boxes left to unpack but we are all enjoying life a little more with our 'stuff' around us.

Easter Sunrise in southern Mexico.

We spent Easter morning with a large group of our missionary friends.  We had a sunrise service at Oaxaca Christian School (where the kids go to school) and it was a meaningful time for all of us.  We rarely get the opportunity to worship and be taught in English so that was wonderful.  During Easter weekend we invited two of our missionary friends who live and work in a village to come and spend the weekend with us.  They are Journeygirls serving for two years here.  It was great to have them with us.

A team of two men came down from the Agricultural Development Foundation to look around our area to determine possible agriculture and human needs projects that USA partners might could be involved in.  Jeff had a great time traveling the back roads around southern Mexico looking for ways to help the people.  The team was able to meet with a trout farmer and a local greenhouse owner while they were here.  To learn more about the Agricultural Development Foundation click here.

We also had a visit from a few folks from First Baptist Church, Clinton, MS and Menchville Baptist Church, Newport News, Virginia who came down to look around Oaxaca and explore possible future ministry projects.  We were able to speak at FBC Clinton last fall and their folks have been very interested in southern Mexico since then.  We are always excited when Mississippi folks come down for a visit.

We've also had a visit (along with the FBC Clinton crew) from the Dr. Ramiro Marrero family.  The Marrero's are a Mexican family who are doing great things in Atlacomulco, Mexico.  They came down to learn more about southern Mexico and discover ways they can get involved.  We look forward to some shared ministry projects in the future.  You can discover more about their ministry by clicking here.

Our city is in a huge valley surrounded by the Sierra Madre mountains.

Here are some prayer requests that you can help us with:

1. Please continue to pray for open doors among the indigenous communities here.  Pray specifically for a village that we'll call 'S.B.Y.'   We are planning to place a small group of summer missionaries there this summer to build relationships and get some regular Bible studies going.  This village of around 600 people only has 4 known Christians.  
2. Pray for more open doors in other communities.  Pray for God to lead us to the right places.
3. Please pray for Jeff as he travels to Virginia for training meetings.  Pray for productive meetings.
4. Jeff has some upcoming training meetings in Lima, Peru so we're taking Haylee and Jackson along with us.  They are excited about returning to Peru and seeing their friends.
5. Pray with us as more churches in the USA express interest in engaging an unreached people group here in southern Mexico.  Pray that God would lead the right people to us who are committed to doing the right things.  For more info about YOUR CHURCH engaging an unreached people group please CLICK HERE!

Thank you for the way you bless our family through your prayers and your giving to the Cooperative Program and the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering.

Hasta luego!

Jeff, Liesa, Haylee, and Jackson

31 March 2012 Update!

Liesa, Haylee, Jackson and Jeff.  Heirve el Agua, Oaxaca, Mexico

Hello to all out there!

Thank you so much to all who pray regularly for us and the ministry work here in southern Mexico.  We wish all of you could see the way your prayers are used here every day.  You are a blessing to so many.

We are doing well.  Liesa's parents are here for a few days and we're enjoying our time with them.  Haylee and Jackson will be out of school for Holy Week.  We have a busy April coming up so we're muy contento about the few days of break from school and normal routines.

After three months of no rain it appears the rainy season has begun in southern Mexico.  We're enjoying  afternoon thunderstorms and rain.  After living in Lima for several years, rain is such a big deal to us...the smell, the sound, and thunder!  And since it has been so dry here we are thankful for it!

We are thankful for your prayers.  Please join us in praying for these requests:

1. Pray for those that lead the work here in southern Mexico.  Decisions are made and are being made that will affect what we are doing here.
2. Pray for the unreached people groups here in southern Mexico.  Please go to this LINK, find southern Mexico, and pray for the people groups here.
3. Pray for us as we continue to seek the Father's plan for our family.  Pray that we will be courageous, faithful, and wise.
4. Pray that your church will give more support to the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering and the Cooperative Program.  If you don't know what your church gives, ask your pastor.  If you think your church should give more, do something about it.  If you don't know how Southern Baptists support missions then go to this LINK.

Thank you for your prayer support and your financial support through the Cooperative Program and the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering.  All of you are always welcome here for a visit.  And, we love hearing from home folks.  Give us a call on our Mississippi number (601-914-6705) and let us hear from you.

Jeff, Liesa, Haylee, and Jackson

Field Day 2012

21 March 2012 Update!

We're safe here but pray for those towns and villages close to the epicenter.

The first day of Spring roared into southern Mexico with a 7.something earthquake.  Liesa and I were at our dining room table (which continues to be our only piece of real furniture) around noon when the room started shaking.  And, no, it wasn't because of the burrito. Earthquakes are common here and we've felt them before but this one was different.  It started out as a rumble and kept going...getting stronger...and we realized we might be in a little danger.  So we stepped out onto our back patio and watched our house, the trees, powerlines, and the ground jump up and down.  This lasted about 60 seconds but it seemed forever.  We realized that everything seemed to be OK and there was no damage around us so we went back in the house and called the school to check on the kids.  Amazingly, all  was good and we did not lose power, internet, or anything.  Your prayers are always important and the Lord listens to you all.  We see the evidence of your prayers daily.

I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for thou, LORD, only makes me dwell in safety.  Psalm 4:8

We have had a busy couple of weeks. We had an incredible 10 days of ministry and fun with the students from Mississippi College. Ben Maddox and his crew from Mississippi College were such a great group to work with (as we have found with all Mississippi College students!). We were able to partner with a local children's home here that ministers to children/teenagers from the surrounding indigenous villages. Several of these kids have no parents but most are from families where they cannot be cared for. Several of the kids have disabilities such as cerebral palsy, autism, deafness, muteness and other health challenges. The team from Mississippi College invested their hearts into these kids through Bible stories, games, painting bathrooms, cleaning the kitchen, and whatever else needed to be done. We are thankful for the MC team!  And, we're thankful for national partner Felipe Ortega who worked with us all week.

In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’  Acts 20:35

Haylee and Jackson continue to adjust well to their new home here in southern Mexico.  Oaxaca Christian School is a blessing and Haylee and Jackson are doing well in all of their classes (even their graduate level Old Testament class!).  We continue to pray for them as they develop meaningful friendships.

Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm.  Prov 13:20

We have some busy days coming up.  Please join us in praying for these opportunities:

• Liesa's parents are coming for visit March 28 to April 4.  It will be good to have them around to make fun of.
• In April we have a team from the Mississippi Baptist Convention Agricultural Missions Fellowship coming down to find out ways they can partner with communities in southern Mexico to provide agricultural training.  This could be a huge opportunity for ministry.
• In April, First Baptist Clinton, MS is sending down some folks to explore opportunities for partnership and ministry.  Pray for this church as they seek the Father's plan for mission involvement.
• In April, Jeff will be traveling to Virginia for a training meeting and will also be able to spend a few days in Mississippi.  
• In May, all of us will be traveling to Lima, Peru.  Jeff and Liesa have some training meetings to attend and Haylee and Jackson will be trying to see as many of their Peru friends as they can.  
• In May, we have Bethsaida Baptist Church from Mississippi coming down on a Vision Trip to look at some possible partnership and ministry opportunities.
• In the midst of all of this, we must continue to ride the roads and find the places that the Father wants us to work.  Our ministry assignment requires us to travel 3.5 to 4 hours away from Oaxaca city (and home.) to find communities in which to work.  So, travel safety on bumpy roads is always a prayer need.
• Finally, we sure would be happy if our furniture and household supplies from Peru would hurry up and get here!  :-)

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

Please let us hear from you at our email address:  wigtake@gmail.com.

14 March 2012 Update.

We're working with students from Mississippi College this week.  Liesa and Jeff served as Missionaries In Residence at M.C. during their stateside assignment last fall.  Here are some photos from today:

Mississippi College In Mexico

Take a look at some of today's events and pray for the kids in the photos.  We are having a blast working with some of the Father's most precious people here in southern Mexico.

Making Disciples...

Loving our neighbor...