The Holmes Family: March/April '05

May 23, 2005

Hello…we must be going! I couldn’t wait to send out this update to let you know that we have our plane tickets in hand; our Nigerian visas are being processed, and, if the Lord allows, we are officially departing for Abuja on June 4! Though not everything has worked out as we’ve wanted it to, Sabrina and I are still very thankful to be headed for the place to which God has called us.

My wife and I, along with Joseph, are actually traveling on 90-day tourist visas. I received word recently that we would not be able to work on our resident visas until September. Since we do have the funds to go to the field, we are taking advantage of the opportunity to be in Nigeria and work with a veteran missionary, Bro. Ron Gensaw, and stay with his family for three months. Actually, the timing is perfect because we also learned last month that we are expecting our second child! Sabrina’s due date is December 16th, so she would not be able to travel past the middle of September. Because of the complications experienced when Joseph was born, we have been recommended by several missionaries to return home for this baby. Please pray for the health of my wife and our little one to come.

When we return at the end of August, I should know more about what my options are for staying in Nigeria more permanently. If I can secure an STR (subject to regularization) visa, then that would allow me access to work on resident visas in Nigeria for our family. Regardless, I will be home (Lord willing) for the birth of our baby.

Because of adjustments in our plans, we are delaying the shipment of our container until after the first of the year. Though this is disappointing, we can look forward to January when we will hopefully be able to make plans for years in Nigeria rather than a few months. Sabrina and I greatly appreciate all the responses we received and contributions that were sent after we made known our needs while preparing to move. We are planning to store all that we have packed for our container, so what has been donated will definitely be used. Thank you for your understanding during these many short-notice changes.

As for our travels, since Easter Sunday, we have not had a meeting where we needed to stay overnight except for a missions conference that turned into a mini-vacation, thanks to the First Baptist Church of South Brevard in Florida. During that four-day trip at the end of April, we left Joseph with some happy grandparents and received some rest and relaxation after several weeks of cleaning out and packing up. Practically the whole month of April was used to get prepared for our first term in Nigeria, and on the 10th, our home church planned a special commissioning service. On that Sunday night, I excitedly showed pictures of our survey trip, and Faith Baptist gave us many gifts, prayed over us, and voted to be the official sending agency for our work as missionaries. They are definitely looking forward to receiving a prayer letter from us soon that’s actually from Nigeria!

Who We Are

Mark Joseph Holmes was called to the ministry at the age of fifteen, five years after he was saved. He went to Hyles-Anderson College to receive his training and graduated summa cum laude in 2000 with a degree in Pastoral Theology. During Mark’s senior year, God placed on his heart the desire to reach the people of Nigeria, so he spent an extra year in preparation by taking missions courses. Mark served on the same bus route each college year, as captain for three years.

Sabrina Michelle (Hopkins) was saved at the age of eight and surrendered her life to God five years later. While at Hyles-Anderson College studying music education, she served in the Bible Club and deaf ministry and also traveled one summer with a tour group. After graduation with a Music Education degree, during the year before their wedding, Sabrina taught fourth grade at her home church’s Christian school—Central Baptist in Baton Rouge.

As newlyweds, Mark and Sabrina served at their sending church where Mark oversaw the bus ministry and helped in the youth department, Sunday schools, and junior churches. He was privileged to start a children's church and young adult class during his two years of service, and he also regularly preached at a prison ministry and taught for a local Bible institute. Sabrina taught private piano for two Christian schools; she played often in the church services and also taught the beginner Sunday school class. Mark and Sabrina started full-time deputation at the end of May, 2003. Mark Joseph, Junior was born on December 4th of the same year.

In June of 2005, the Holmes family began their first term as Fundamental Baptist Missions International missionaries in Nigeria. Soon, Truth Baptist Church along with Temple Baptist Institute was started, the church now averaging 220 on Sundays with 42 graduates from the ministry training school. Property with buildings was purchased, and Providence Baptist College & Seminary opened its doors in August 2009 and has now produced 30 graduates. 35 churches have been started by those who have been trained or ordained by their ministry, including one of the most recent, Grace & Glory Baptist Church in Abuja, in which the Holmes family is also involved. Mark and Sabrina have returned to the U.S. for the birth of: Victoria Noel 12/14/05
Brian Michael 8/20/07
Noah Preston 2/3/12

LaDonna Elizabeth 7/3/14
For nearly a decade, Truth Baptist Church has been the home of a national pastors' conference, an annual youth camp, a full curriculum DVD correspondence college, and the City of Refuge recently became their newest ministry.

Where We Are

The Niger River is Nigeria’s most remarkable physical feature, as well as the source of its name. Formerly a British colony, Nigeria gained its independence in 1960 and became an independent nation of three culturally distinctive regions and at least 250 different language groups—more than any other African country. Home of the world’s largest black population, it is estimated that almost one out of every six Africans resides in Nigeria.

Upon independence, Nigeria inherited a currency that was more valuable than the U.S. dollar at the time. Yet the country has consumed itself with the sell of oil and other natural resources and all but abandoned its agricultural sector, leading to Nigeria’s diminished currency value and heightened reliance upon imports and aide from other countries. Military coups, ethnic tensions, a thirty month “civil war” that claimed over a million lives, and economic corruption have been the driving forces behind Nigeria’s instability of the last forty years. In 1998 a democracy was established, ending fifteen years of military rule.

Baptists have enjoyed a presence in the country for over 150 years with the Southern Baptists growing their own national convention and an estimated Baptist population numbering more than 3.5 million people; the former President of Nigeria was a claimed Baptist. However, Muslim influences are growing greater, indigenous beliefs are still popular, and many existing Baptist churches have abandoned biblical doctrines. There is a great need to reach the rest of the more than 170 million people of Africa’s most populous and possibly most influential nation.

The Holmes Family

March/April '05

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