The Holmes Family: September/October '17

Good news has been relayed to us that the Bible Education And Missionary Service (BEAMS) wants to partner with us to send a container full of Bibles and “religious materials” to Nigeria. We share the same sending church with BEAMS and are happy they’ve chosen to help us; we’re also thankful for good contacts and co-laborers here in Nigeria that have already worked to make it possible on this end. We are asking prayer for three things: that we can raise the over $4800 for packing and shipping, plus about $1500 for clearing and delivery; that BEAMS has success in gathering the funds toward their goal of sending 5000 whole, hardback Bible for us (during the first few months of next year); and that you would consider sending any Christian books (for our seminary library in Nigeria) and songbooks (for national pastors) to include in the container. BEAMS requests for a detailed list of what is shipped to help with inventory; all such books can be sent to:
Mark Holmes, c/o BEAMS
15444 Duckworth Road
Gulfport, MS 39503 (phone 228.832.1096)

A special occasion in September allowed us to reflect on the unique ways that God has blessed our family with good relationships over these twelve-plus years in Nigeria. On the 2nd, I had the privilege of conducting a wedding for my longtime secretary, Christiana, someone who has also worked in our house on numerous occasions. Because she is very close to my wife and children and counts me as a spiritual “father,” I was asked to be the one to walk her down the aisle to begin the ceremony. Interestingly, the three ladies that Sabrina and I would also call our “daughters” [pictured below] were a part of the occasion in different ways. Mercy, who currently helps my wife in many ways, baked the official wedding cake; Joy, who will get married in December, was one of the bridesmaids; and Victoria, who was the first to “show my wife around” in Nigeria, is the wife of the preacher [pictured above with our ministers] who delivered the wedding sermon.

When visiting churches in the U.S., a question constantly asked is: “What kind of animals do you have there?” The assumption is that one can easily go on a safari in every African nation. Although there is a game park about six hours from us, tourism is not one of Nigeria’s strengths. For the first time during a term on the field, we took the opportunity to travel out of the country so that my family could see some aspects of Africa that many people believe we experience daily. On Tuesday, October 7th, we arrived in Durban, South Africa, and spent the next 11 days relaxing, sight-seeing, playing, touring, and then viewing zebras, giraffes [pictured right], lions, elephants, hippos, rhinos, and various other species of wildlife. Special thanks goes to our friends, the Nathan Owens family [pictured below with us], who setup many things beforehand, advised on the best places to go, and welcomed us to their young church.

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

September/October '17

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