26 February 2013 Update!

Greeting from a blizzard in Missouri!

Yep...that's right.  Liesa and I are on the 5th floor of a hotel in Missouri looking at the beautiful winter wonderland outside.  We're here for the 2013 World Mission Conference at Second Baptist Church in Springfield, Missouri.  We've had a great time with these folks and we're excited about what the future holds as we partner with this great group of believers to take the Gospel to southern Mexico.

We've had a busy couple of weeks.  After a spectacular Vision Trip with Urbancrest Baptist Church, we had to make a quick family trip to Mexico City to visit the friendly folks at the Immigration Office.  We gave them our fingerprints, got some paperwork done, enjoyed a meal at Chili's with our great friend Anthony Gillen and got on a bus back to Oaxaca.  A few days later Jeff made a trip to Lima, Peru for some meetings with our Affinity leadership team.  Then, it was a long day of travel to meet Liesa in Springfield, Missouri.

Liesa was busy getting our semester missionaries settled in to life in Oaxaca.  Anna, Natasha, Ellen, and Jennifer are here for several months to serve in a myriad of ways.  Teaching English, caring for indigenous children, ministering to missionary kids, and helping with teams from the USA are just a few of the things these ladies will be doing.  We are so thankful for them and their willingness to give up some time to help the people of southern Mexico.  Please pray for them.

Liesa boarded a plane to Springfield, Missouri but weather caused her to spend a night in Chicago.  Of course, as a missionary, she is able to roll with all the obstacles.  She was able to work out a way to get to northwest Arkansas where the Lord put her in the care of an adult missionary kid whose parents had served with some dear friends of ours.  He gave her a ride to Springfield and when I arrived Liesa was there at the airport to greet me!  Amazing!

Haylee and Jackson are doing very well and are very busy with school and their social life.  They are preparing for a mission trip to the Amazon jungle of Peru in June with some of their classmates.  Liesa will be helping to lead this team of Missionary Kids to a Yagua village.  Haylee and Jackson are doing great in school and are growing into faithful disciples with big hearts for ministry.

We are grateful for your partnership through prayer and through your financial support of the Cooperative Program and the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering.  You are a blessing!

Take a look at this video to see what one of our partner churches is doing in southern Mexico and in the USA!

Jeff, Liesa, Haylee, and Jackson Holeman

11 February 2013 Update!

Dear friends,

Feb 11, 2013  Petal, Mississippi

Thank you for your prayers.  You never know when they are needed.  On Sunday, Feb 10 a tornado roared through Petal, Mississippi and decided to visit the neighborhood where my mom lives.  The Father protected her from certain destruction.  To the right is a photo of her back yard from this morning.  A huge thank-you to Danny Forrest and the crew from First Baptist Richton, MS for helping her to get some trees cut today.

Last week was a busy week.  A Vision team from Urbancrest Baptist Church in Lebanon, OH visited southern Mexico for the purpose of seeking an unreached people group to explore.  

Yes!  The road and the river share the same spot.
I gotta say this was incredibly fun!

We traveled to some interesting  places over the span of four days.  Every community we entered was a blessing.  In every community there was a 'Person of Peace' waiting for us.  Your prayers are opening doors in southern Mexico for the Gospel to move forward.

Here are some more photos and prayer requests from last week:

Pray for this family of believers who are living for Christ
in a very difficult place.

Pray for Nicole.  Pray for a church to be established in her village
so that she will hear about a Father who loves her and has big
plans for her life.

Pray for teams of  Southern Baptists just like this one
who will answer the call of taking the Gospel to last
remaining unreached peoples of the world.

Your prayers are powerful.  James 5:16 reminds us that the prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.  Please don't stop praying for the people of southern Mexico.  Your prayers are making a difference here every day.

Blessings!

Jeff, Liesa, Haylee, and Jackson