15 September 2015 Update!

Greetings from Oxford, Mississippi!

We continue to enjoy our time of Stateside Assignment here in Oxford, Mississippi. The hot humid days of August have transitioned into cool nights of September and everyone is anticipating a fantastic fall in Mississippi. Friends, Family, Football, and First Baptist Oxford have dominated our time so far and we're having a great time.

Thank you all for praying. Even while away from Oaxaca, we continue to hear how the Father continues to work and is calling out more of our Mexican brothers and sisters into his harvest fields. Here in Oxford, our sending church, First Baptist Oxford, continues to amaze us as they touch the world every day. Haylee is doing great at Mississippi College and Jackson is adjusting well at Oxford High School. Liesa is volunteering at a local school helping immigrant kids transition to school life in Mississippi. Jeff is helping out at First Baptist Oxford in various ways. So, life is busy but good!

We have some upcoming events that you can join with us to pray for:

• September 16-17: Jeff will be visiting the church planters in New Orleans working with the North American Mission Board. Pray for good connections and for some opportunities for these new churches to be involved with the work in southern Mexico.
• September 27 to October 5: Jeff will be a part of a meeting in Mexico of IMB personnel in the region to plan a prepare for future work in the Americas.
• October 7: Liesa will be speaking to the WMU at First Baptist Clinton, MS.

I want to invite all of you to an upcoming training event in Virginia. The dates are January 11 to 16, 2016. The event is called "Missions College" and is for anyone and everyone who are interested in joining in the work going on in Mexico. Click HERE to get more information and/or register. We'd love to see you there!

Thank you for all who are a part of our team as you pray. We are so grateful for your prayer support and your financial support through the Cooperative Program and the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering!

Jeff, Liesa, Haylee, and Jackson

18 August 2015 Update!

Hello from Oxford, MS!

We are settling in to life in Mississippi. Jackson is immersed in life at Oxford High School and we're getting Haylee ready to move to Mississippi College this weekend. Liesa and Jeff are serving as Missionaries In Residence with our home, sending church, First Baptist Oxford. It was very difficult for us to leave behind our friends and family in Oaxaca but we are enjoying our time reconnecting with our friends and family in Mississippi. We are all having our 'culture re-entry' moments but all is going well. We are so grateful for your prayer support!

We'd love to have you join us in praying for these requests!

• Pray that our work with First Baptist Oxford would be an encouragement and would help reach the lost of our community.
• Pray for Jackson as he adjusts to life in Mississippi and at Oxford High School. LOTS of interesting conversations to come over these next few months.
• Pray for Haylee as she begins her college career at Mississippi College. Pray for her to find great friends, learn to discipline her time, and for the Father to direct her steps.

And, continue to pray for southern Mexico. Here are some links to some great stories about what the Father is doing through our amazing team and partners in Oaxaca. Just click the links:

• God Answers Prayers
• Praying Someone Will Come
• Ways to Pray

Thank you so much for your prayer support and your giving through the Cooperative Program and the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering!

You all are a blessing!

Jeff, Liesa, Haylee, and Jackson

Here are some photos of life in Mississippi...

It's a little toasty.

Yummy!

The Oxford Square. (aka, the center of the universe.)

Our sweet little neighborhood in Oxford.

I get to jog through the Ole Miss campus every day.
Somebody's gotta do it.

Jackson is in 11th Grade at Oxford High!

Our Football Americano player.

She got her license!

2015 Missionary Kid Re-Entry Retreat!

30 July 2015 Update!

STATESIDE ASSIGNMENT.

Those two words mean a lot to a missionary with the IMB. Every 3 to 4 years we are able to leave our field of service and travel to our USA homes for a time of reconnecting with family and friends. For the next few months we will be living in Oxford, Mississippi. We are very much looking forward to our time in the USA but we will miss our family here in Oaxaca very much. Such is the life of missionaries. Here are few prayer requests:

1. Pray for us as we adjust to life in Oxford, MS. Oxford is home and so is Oaxaca. Pray that we will be content wherever the Father places us.
2. Jackson will be attending Oxford High School this year. Pray for him as he adjusts to a new school and new friends.
3. Haylee is heading off to Mississippi College in August. Pray for her as she adjusts to a new season of life.
4. Liesa and Jeff will be serving as missionaries in residence at First Baptist Church, Oxford, MS. Pray for us to serve faithfully.
5. Most importantly, pray for Oaxaca. Pray for the team we are leaving behind. Pray for the untold thousands of villages in southern Mexico who are waiting for someone to bring a message of hope.

We are so grateful for your prayer support. If you're in the Oxford area please let us know. We'd love to see all of you.

Jeff, Liesa, Haylee and Jackson Holeman

20 July 2015 Update!

How did it get so late so soon? Its night before its afternoon. December is here before its June. My goodness how the time has flewn. How did it get so late so soon? -- Dr. Seuss

Wow. Time has certainly 'flewn' by for us in southern Mexico. Thank you so much to all of you who are so faithful to pray and encourage us in serving the Father down here in Oaxaca. You are so very important to the work that the Father is doing here. I agree with Tozer who said, 'Prayer is the most sacred occupation a person could engage in." Thank you for your partnership through prayer.

Let me give you some highlights of the last few weeks (You can click on the photo to enlarge):

Jeff's Mom came to visit. Here she is
standing in front of the ruins in Mitla. 

This is a group of our summer students teaching English
in a village. We use English as a way to share the Gospel.

Six Languages gathered in Oaxaca to translate
Bible Stories into the indigenous languages.

Training and Investing in students is a huge part of our work
in southern Mexico. Here is a photo of one of our training sessions
being led by Frank and Phoebe Harrison.

These ladies. AWESOMENESS. Great missionaries.

Many of the awesome Summer 2015 Student Team.

Lottie Moon likes to take people around in the back of her truck.

Liesa being Liesa.

The team from Springdale Baptist, Attala County, Mississippi did some
great work in Oaxaca while they were here.

Haylee, Jackson and a couple of their Mexican cousins.

We were able to get back to Costa Rica and visit
our old neighborhood. Our former house has had an upgrade!

Fun times in Costa Rica with the World's Best Missionary Kids!

If you can gather a crowd then tell them a story from God's Word.
It's just that simple!

Visiting folks in their home is a great honor. Here is our
friend Jasmine talking with a man in a village. He had
some AWESOME stories to tell about His life.

You gotta do whatcha gotta do.
Eating Tlayudas right off the comal is such a burden.

Sucking that Starbucks down at the Mexico City airport.

Emily being Emily. #JesusWithSkinOn

We work hard and then we play hard.

Listening to Ben. Anyone around Ben listens to Ben. A lot.
(Just picking on you, Ben.)

Mike 'Teddy Bear' Tomes loving on some kids.

This pretty much sums up how we all feel today after
an action-packed seven weeks!

These past few months have been great ones in Oaxaca. Over the past few months we have seen the Father open doors into new communities and relationships, bring new people to faith in Jesus, and call out more workers for the harvest. You are a part of that as you pray and give to the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering. We are so grateful for your support.

We'll be heading to the USA on July 31 for a time of Stateside Assignment. We'll be in Oxford, Mississippi until June of 2016. If you're in/around Oxford please let us know. We'd love to catch up with you.

Jeff, Liesa, Haylee and Jackson

21 June 2015 Update!

Greeting from Costa Rica!

No, you didn't slip back in time to 2008 when we were here to learn Spanish. We're here this week for the 2015 Missionary Kid Retreat. We are blessed to be a part of a team of Super Stars to love on and teach God's Word to over 40 kid missionaries from all over the Americas.

Please join us this week in praying for these requests:

1. Pray for the Missionary Kids to have life-changing experiences with our great God!
2. Pray for the team from Community Church Oxford, MS who are leading the teaching of God's Word this week.
3. Pray for our team in Oaxaca who so beautifully serve while we are away.
4. Pray for the people we encounter here at the hotel in Costa Rica to see Christ in us.

Thank you for your prayer support!

Jeff, Liesa, Haylee and Jackson

8 June 2015 Update!

Hola from Oaxaca!

We've had a busy couple of weeks! Here are some highlights:

• Haylee Graduated High School! Time surely does fly when you are having fun and these past 18 years with Haylee have been some great ones. Graduation Week was a blessing and we are so proud of the young woman Haylee has become. She spent the week after graduation in Mississippi attending orientation at Mississippi College. She'll be moving to Clinton, MS in late August!

Haylee is now a graduate of Oaxaca Christian School.

• Jackson finished 10th grade! No homework until August! Jackson finished another great year of school with tremendous grades and big plans to sleep late and not get dressed unless forced to do so.

Left to Right: Jackson, Aaron, and Haylee.

• Our 2015 Summer Student Team Arrived! We have 15 students from all over the USA who have come to Oaxaca to serve for 7 weeks. Pray for this great crew of students who will involved in a variety of ministries among several people groups.

The Summer 2015 Team.

• Plane tickets (and Ole Miss Season Football Tickets) are purchased for Stateside Assignment! Every few years we are able to come home to the USA for several months. We'll arrive in Oxford, MS on August 2 and we plan to be there until June 2016. We're excited to be serving as Missionaries-in-Residence at First Baptist, Oxford, our sending church.

Lots of W's headed our way.

Thank you for your prayer support!

Jeff, Liesa, Haylee and Jackson.

17 May 2015 Update!

A HUGE THANK YOU to all who are praying with us and for us. We are so grateful for your prayer support and you need to know that it makes a difference in the lives of many. Don't give up and/or let up! We are very dependent on your partnership though prayer.  Here are some updates:

• Your prayer support for the team retreat in early May was appreciated. We had a great time of training and fun with several of our teammates that we don't get to see very often. 
• Keep your prayer support going to Karen (Smith) Eaton and her team from Texas State University. They arrived last night and will be with us this week.
• Several of our USA Partners came to Oaxaca over the past few weeks. Urbancrest, Sonrise, and 2nd Baptist all sent teams who were able to see the Father working through them. These USA churches are committed to being THE MISSIONARY to their people groups. Continue to pray for them.

Remember to keep praying for our 2015 Summer Student Team. The majority of this crew arrives on June 1 and will serve until July 19. Please join us in praying for them by name as often as you can.

Orientation Helper: Jasmine (and her daddy!)

Zapotec Village Disciple Makers

1. Brooke
2. Tory
3. Devin

Chontal Village Disciple-Makers

1. Anna
2. Brittany
3. Kate

Disciple Making and Teaching English

1. Erika
2. Rachel
3. Lauren
4. Gabriella
5. Anna

Disciple Making and Sports Ministry

1. James
2. Matthew
3. Charlie
4. Emily
5. Josh

Endeavor Team  Will arrive June 20 and depart July 20.

1. Faith
2. Caroline
3. Hope
4. Mary
5. Sara
6. Rachel

Haylee is graduating on May 28! Here are some recent photos of some of the celebration. (You can click on the photos to enlarge them.)

On the way to the Class of 2015 Banquet.

They clean up well!

Oaxaca Christian School Class of 2015.

There is still a great opportunity for you to pray for the Unreached People of Southern Mexico. Please click HERE to visit the website or you can go HERE to the Facebook page. There is a new request each day during the month of May.

Thank you all for praying!

Jeff, Liesa, Haylee, and Jackson

26 April 2015 Update!

Thank you to all of you who are praying for the work going on southern Mexico. We are certainly aware of many of you 'holding the rope' so faithfully. Thank You!

**     **    **    **     **

This past week was simply amazing. We wish you could have been able to witness the gathering of several language groups as they worked together to craft God's Word in the languages of their people. As you know, southern Mexico has over a dozen language groups. Many of these people do not have access to God's Word in their heart language.

StoryTogether is a way to train people to translate God's Word into other languages. We were able to help offer a StoryTogether training in Oaxaca this past week. Eight language groups gathered for five days and worked together to get God's Word into their heart language. They also learned how to share these Bible Stories orally so that those who don't want to read or can't read can have access to God's Word. It was an amazing week. Your prayer support was a key part of the success.

Now, these people return to their communities with the task of sharing God's Word. This past week's training was just the beginning of a long process. We have three other trainings planned for the coming year. Please pray for God's Word to be shared in these communities.

**     **    **    **     **

Summer 2015 is quickly approaching. We LOVE summertime because we have the blessing of working with college students. We have a team of 22 students who will begin arriving in Oaxaca on June 1 and will serve until July 20. These students will be learning culture and language as well as doing what followers of Jesus do: Make disciples. Some will be living in indigenous villages, some will be leading sports camps and some will be teaching English. Will you join us in praying for our students by name? Here they are:

Orientation Helper: Jasmine

Zapotec Village Disciple Makers

1. Brooke
2. Tory
3. Devin

Chontal Village Disciple-Makers

1. Anna
2. Brittany
3. Kate

Disciple Making and Teaching English

1. Erika
2. Rachel
3. Lauren
4. Gabriella
5. Anna

Disciple Making and Sports Ministry

1. James
2. Matthew
3. Charlie
4. Emily
5. Josh

Endeavor Team  Will arrive June 20 and depart July 20.

1. Faith
2. Caroline
3. Hope
4. Mary
5. Sara

**     **    **    **     **

Please join us in praying for these additional requests:

• Our teammates who have children are having a time of retreat on April 30 to May 4. We'll be headed to the beach for some training and fun times! Please pray for safe travel and a great time together. These families face some tremendous challenges in their work. Pray for a time of rest and encouragement for them.
• Karen Smith Eaton and her team from Texas State University will be joining us May 16 to 26. Karen served on our Summer 2013 team and we are so thankful to have her coming back to Oaxaca. Pray for this team to have great opportunities for ministry.
• Urbancrest Baptist Church and Sonrise Baptist Church are in southern Mexico this week working among their people groups. Pray for their teams to find favor among the leaders of the communties and for them to continue to build deep relationships among their people. Pray for opportunities to share the Gospel in a way the people can understand and respond to.
• Second Baptist Church, Springfield, MO was here last week and were able to encourage and train pastors and leaders in three different locations in southern Mexico. Pray for the pastors and church leaders of southern Mexico as they work in difficult places with persecution and in, some cases, isolation.

Thank you all for your partnership in prayer. We also thank you for giving to the Cooperative Program and the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering.

Jeff, Liesa, Haylee, and Jackson

10 April 2015 Update!

Sunset from our neighborhood in Oaxaca, Mexico.

Hola! from southern Mexico.

Thank you for your prayer support over the past few weeks! Your prayers are a huge part of the work going on in southern Mexico.  Here are some updated prayer requests! (You can click on the photos to enlarge them.)

UPDATE! Thank you for praying for the team from a local church in Oaxaca who went to Guatemala last week. Liesa and Jeff assisted in training and sending this group and they had a great trip and were able to help a new church plant, see new believers, and train leaders. It was a great experience and we're excited about hearing from the team over the next few days.

New Prayer Requests:

• Pray for Second Baptist Springfield, MO as they send a team to provide some encouragement and training to pastors. They will be meeting with pastors in several different people groups: Chontal, Mixtec, and Zapotec. Pray for safe travel, good health, and the ability to communicate clearly across several language barriers.
• On April 20, at least six language groups will be meeting in Oaxaca for several days of crafting the Bible into oral story sets for each language group. This is a huge project that will enable the Gospel to begin to be heard and understood among people who speak different languages and do not read. The Bible stories will be recorded and leaders from each language group trained on how to get the Bible to everyone, everywhere. Obviously, there are lot of needs for prayer so please cover us as much as possible in prayer.
• Karen Eaton (formerly Karen Smith) will be bringing a group of students from Texas State University to Oaxaca in May. Karen served faithfully in Oaxaca a couple of summers ago and we are excited about her returning with friends. Karen made a huge impact on the lives of several families while she was here. Pray for a great time of ministry for her team.
• So far we have a team of 19 summer students coming to Oaxaca during June and July. Please pray that these students will be ready for the task to which the Father has planned for them. Pray for their personal preparation and that the financial resources will be available to each one so that they can come and minister in Oaxaca.
• On July 31 we will be headed to Oxford, MS for ten months of Stateside Assignment. There is so much to do before we re-locate. Pray for leadership to be in place so that the work here will not be delayed. Pray for a home in Oxford to be located that will be a good, temporary refuge for us.
• Haylee begins her Mississippi College career in late August. Pray for the financial resources to be provided and for the details to come together as Haylee begins this new chapter.

You all are a blessing! Thank you for your prayer support and your financial support to the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering and the Cooperative Program.

Jeff, Liesa, Haylee, and Jackson

Pray for villages like this in southern Mexico who need to hear
and understand the Gospel.

3 April 2014 Update!

Happy GREAT Friday!

1 John 5:14-15:   And this is the confidence we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us.  And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him.

The Lord is at work in southern Mexico.  So many of you are faithful to pray and you give sacrificially so that the message of hope can be proclaimed here.  Here's an update of the past few weeks (you can click directly on the photos to enlarge them.):

 This photo is of a village that is in the heart of a huge group of people who have very little access to the message of hope.  Several weeks ago a church in Florida began to sense the Father leading them to find some way to bring the Gospel to this area of southern Mexico.  Two weeks ago we visited this area and found some great open doors for future work.  Many of you have been praying for this people group.  The Father has responded by calling out a USA church and also a missionary family is planning to move to this area within the next year.  Keep praying!

 Mobilizing Students to be on mission with God has been a part of our calling for over 20 years.  A huge blessing this month was a visit by this group of Mexican students from another city in Mexico.  This was a group of city kids coming to work in indigenous southern Mexico.  The culture shock was real!  But this team offered themselves to the Father for the week and He used them mightily.  We're hoping they will return and continue investing in the people of Oaxaca.  Please keep praying that the Lord will send more workers into the harvest fields here.

Sending Missionaries is one of the important tasks the Lord gave the Church.  We have been so encouraged to be a part of sending a team from our church here in Oaxaca to Guatemala this week.  This is our church's first ever 'international' mission trip.  This team has prepared and are currently in the middle of their voyage to Guatemala where they are sharing the Gospel and leading out in disciple-making.  Please continue to pray for them!

We work in so many beautiful places.  Yet, in all of the overwhelming beauty there is an absence of the Light.  The village pictured here is a place where God is at work.  Please continue to pray for the hundreds of communities like this one in southern Mexico where the Gospel is beginning to take root.  Pray that the Enemy will not delay the opportunity for people to hear, understand, and respond to the Gospel.

Many of you have been praying for this special place over the past couple of years and some of you have invested time in working to establish the church here.  This group began by meeting in a home and now they have moved into a small building.  Our work here in southern Mexico is to make disciples that gather together to form churches.  Healthy churches are the best way to impact generations with the Gospel.  Join us in thanking the Lord for HIS work in establishing this new work and please pray for the group of believers working in a difficult place.

Haylee and a group of her friends traveled out into the mountains of southern Mexico last weekend to help a missionary family.  They were able to help out with some physical labor and also to encourage the teenage believers in the village.  We are thankful for the great work that the leaders of Oaxaca Christian School are doing.  Please continue to pray for Oaxaca Christian School.  We are still searching for teachers for the upcoming school year.  For more info click HERE.

You all are the BEST!  Thank you for your prayer support, your encouraging emails, and your financial support of the Cooperative Program and the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering.

He is RISEN!

Jeff, Liesa, Haylee, and Jackson Holeman