tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-82514167079343528912024-03-14T09:01:35.246+01:00The Holmes FamilyInformation & Ministry Updates from Missionaries to NigeriaMark Holmeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08133922925705778450noreply@blogger.comBlogger131125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8251416707934352891.post-25007809707609534132023-07-25T23:24:00.003+01:002023-07-26T20:45:22.787+01:00May/June '23On the 14th of May, Truth Baptist Church celebrated an anniversary 17 years to the day that it was founded. It turned out to be our largest attendance on the property with about 400. We were glad to host Evangelist Doug Neary of A Look at the Book Ministries for the commemorative service, and I used the occasion to announce the rebirth of our bus ministry, as three buses were used that day. On Mark Holmeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08133922925705778450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8251416707934352891.post-52021507079141728392023-06-16T20:01:00.007+01:002023-07-25T23:31:49.092+01:00March/April '23In the middle of March, we received not only an amazing opportunity but also a well-timed answer to prayer. White Oak Baptist Church in Stratford, Connecticut, arranged for Sabrina and me to be their special guests during the church’s annual missions conference. I spoke six times in four days, met several new missionary and church friends, enjoyed the fellowship and activities, and was honored byMark Holmeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08133922925705778450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8251416707934352891.post-58025773407146816242023-06-16T20:00:00.003+01:002023-07-25T23:36:19.829+01:00January/February '23After a relaxing Christmas holiday, the year started busily and victoriously as we quickly realized that this would be a historic semester for our full-time ministry training school. Providence Baptist College & Seminary welcomed a record 13 new students for a total enrollment of 40 [pictured out soulwinning with intern, Katie Holt] for the first time ever. Our part-time ministry training Mark Holmeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08133922925705778450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8251416707934352891.post-47830202727801555272023-06-16T19:58:00.006+01:002023-07-26T22:37:04.967+01:00November/December '22In the history of our ministry, I don’t know that we have ever experienced a span of six weeks that was more packed with activity than the eleventh month of 2022 through the first twelve days of December. November 1st and 2nd were the closing services of another successful Missions & Leadership Conference at Independent Baptist Church of Port Harcourt [presentation from PBC&S graduates Mark Holmeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08133922925705778450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8251416707934352891.post-75599832903286317972022-12-18T23:31:00.001+01:002022-12-18T23:32:33.861+01:00September/October '22On the first weekend in September, I had the honor of preaching
in the church Missionary David Maskey [pictured with graduates from a previous SMITE] started nearly thirty years ago in the
southeast part of Nigeria. That Friday was the conclusion of our 7th Student
Missions Institute for Training in Evangelism for that church. 130 young people
from 16 churches enrolled to learn about how to Mark Holmeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08133922925705778450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8251416707934352891.post-79389867732579709122022-10-24T02:13:00.008+01:002022-10-24T02:20:05.124+01:00July/August '22On August 18th, we returned to the field to begin our 18th year as FBMI missionaries in Nigeria. For the first time as a family, we endured four flights, but everyone adjusted well, and God has kept us healthy. Missionaries Graham and Olivia Young were waiting for us in our home, having arrived about five days before; they quickly found a vehicle and place to stay, yet we were glad to have them Mark Holmeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08133922925705778450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8251416707934352891.post-52958927007946646832022-08-16T02:58:00.005+01:002022-08-16T03:14:52.382+01:00May/June '22The main reason for this furlough, Joseph’s high school graduations, took place during the third week of May after a brief “senior trip” in our nation’s capital upon our arrival from Nigeria. Mark Joseph, Jr. [pictured with our sending pastor] walked with Abeka Academy and also took part in our sending church’s school graduation. On the second day of May, I was happy to receive my Master of Mark Holmeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08133922925705778450noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8251416707934352891.post-56606499406932415102022-05-20T06:26:00.000+01:002022-05-20T06:26:08.483+01:00March/April '22We were truly privileged to help three new missionaries adjust to living and serving in Nigeria last year. In 2022, the Lord is adding a fourth couple, this time from Vision Baptist Missions. Graham and Olivia Young, along with their Africa field director [all 3 pictured at our Abuja airport], took their survey trip in early March, and they are planning to move here fully in July. They have been Mark Holmeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08133922925705778450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8251416707934352891.post-61075931886858255312022-05-12T11:10:00.006+01:002022-05-12T11:20:03.345+01:00January/February '22With this ministry update, I am completing 20 years of writing prayer letters; we sent out our first mailing four months before starting full time deputation. Throughout our initial two years of fundraising and communicating in the U.S., we made it clear that our goals were ministry training and church planting, but we certainly could not predict that we would be able to report that 47 churches Mark Holmeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08133922925705778450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8251416707934352891.post-27548187422484489962022-05-12T10:59:00.001+01:002022-05-12T10:59:09.852+01:00November/December '21As
is the case with many of our prayer letters, this one begins similarly with a
report of two successful Soul-Winning & Leadership Conferences in Port
Harcourt and Ibadan. Evangelist Jeff Walters flew directly to Port Harcourt and
preached for the Maskeys [pictured below] on the last Sunday of October, while Evangelist Craig
Bryan arrived in Abuja for his first visit to Nigeria. Bro. Bryan Mark Holmeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08133922925705778450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8251416707934352891.post-24804844084837149242022-05-10T19:25:00.009+01:002022-05-12T10:49:03.054+01:00September/October '21During our 17th year of service in Nigeria,
we continue to see encouraging firsts throughout our ministry. On September 16th,
25 pastors joined me to dedicate with prayer the first-ever fully equipped production
studio [ribbon for our independent Baptist churches in Africa’s most populous nation.
Christian Media International raised the funds and sent a representative for
the setup; then, a Mark Holmeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08133922925705778450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8251416707934352891.post-11935032895055814872021-09-19T00:37:00.001+01:002021-09-19T00:37:25.938+01:00July/August '21Miraculously, we are well on our way to pulling off six pastors’ conferences, three youth camps, and two seminary semesters in 2021. The fourth of our scheduled Soul-Winning & Leadership Conferences was successfully held during the second weekend of July. Our assistant pastor, a deacon, and Ms. Pat Hamburg joined my whole family and Missionary Evangelist Don Wattenbarger of Bibles Beyond Mark Holmeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08133922925705778450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8251416707934352891.post-11440661161980435662021-07-22T14:03:00.003+01:002021-07-22T14:03:38.867+01:00May/June '21The month of May allowed me the first opportunity to be a part of two of the six pastors’ conferences that we have planned for this year (I missed one in February before we returned to Nigeria). Truth Baptist Church hosted the 12th Soul Winning & Leadership Conference with nearly 35 pastors attending [pastors' wives session pictured at our home], many bringing workers and preachers from theirMark Holmeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08133922925705778450noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8251416707934352891.post-38243579923274738372021-05-07T22:12:00.005+01:002021-05-12T20:06:44.256+01:00March/April '21Our ministry was happy to welcome in March a guest preacher for the first time since January of last year. Pastor Dan Callaghan of First Baptist Church of Yuba City, California, preached Truth Baptist Church’s 6th Spirit Renewal Meeting. The revival services included a greatly needed and well-attended Saturday teaching, soul-winning, and testimony time; Grace & Glory Baptist hosted the SundayMark Holmeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08133922925705778450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8251416707934352891.post-78441323381940280782021-03-14T00:36:00.000+01:002021-03-14T00:36:14.495+01:00January/February '21 I am writing this letter having my whole family with me in Abuja. We had several delays in our return due to required tests for travel, but, thankfully, we finally arrived on February 19th. The longest furlough of our ministry was fruitful on both sides, with several goals accomplished in the U.S. and our work continuing to mature in Africa. On January 20th, the first day of class was Mark Holmeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08133922925705778450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8251416707934352891.post-25483913983395930862021-01-21T03:19:00.004+01:002021-01-21T03:19:59.616+01:00November/December '20The first three weeks of November were full of activity as I rounded up a month-long solo trip to Nigeria. On the 1st, I preached in special services at three churches in Ibadan for an ordination, an anniversary celebration, and the kickoff to a revival meeting. That Tuesday, a Pastors & Workers Fellowship was conducted, and over thirty preachers [pictured] each received boxes of John/Mark Holmeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08133922925705778450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8251416707934352891.post-24676265085106283212020-12-08T07:09:00.002+01:002020-12-08T07:09:20.194+01:00September/October '20This letter is being written during a month-long solo trip to Nigeria for the purpose of getting all our resident permits renewed (a process that, in previous years under normal circumstances, I would have been able to complete from the U.S.) so that we may be able to fully return as a family during the second week of January. While here, I’m conducting two Soul-Winning & Leadership Mark Holmeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08133922925705778450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8251416707934352891.post-15034229681836211112020-10-08T21:04:00.004+01:002020-12-08T06:37:26.596+01:00July/August '20Our family has been amazed at the opportunities we have had for both recreation and ministry during the recent nationwide lockdowns. At the beginning of July, it was miraculous that a family camp was able to be held in Branson, and our whole crew had a wonderful time. The remainder of our travels during these two months were all in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama, and mostly at supporting Mark Holmeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08133922925705778450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8251416707934352891.post-65322570985034959082020-09-14T03:40:00.000+01:002020-09-14T03:40:15.655+01:00May/June '20On Friday, May 8th, my family boarded (what has been up until now) the last flight out of Abuja, arranged by the United States embassy. There were stops in Togo and Liberia and an aircraft change in Dublin, making the trip duration a full twenty-four hours. Once we arrived in Washington, D.C., a rental vehicle was arranged, and we drove to Chattanooga, Tennessee, for two nights. Our family was Mark Holmeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08133922925705778450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8251416707934352891.post-11773870394342245552020-05-23T06:11:00.001+01:002020-05-23T06:21:14.250+01:00March/April '20The month of March was full of activity for all our ministries. We were able to complete the 20th semester of our Providence Baptist College & Seminary and conclude our Temple Baptist Institute course on Music & Song Leading, giving the exam on the last Saturday of the month. I preached a normal schedule of Sundays and Thursdays at Truth Baptist Church [pictured below], alternating Mark Holmeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08133922925705778450noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8251416707934352891.post-44445304877400670532020-03-29T19:20:00.000+01:002020-03-29T19:20:33.004+01:00January/February '20
In the last decade, Providence Baptist College & Seminary and Temple Baptist Institute have averaged conducting a graduation every two years. Another one of these special occasions occurred on the 11th of January, with twenty-one students from both schools [seminary staff and graduates pictured] receiving diplomas, degrees, and certificates. We were honored to have as the guest preacher, Mark Holmeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08133922925705778450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8251416707934352891.post-65799962760521252052020-03-02T13:41:00.003+01:002020-03-02T13:48:22.950+01:00November/December '19The biggest family activity of our year actually began at the end of October as Sabrina and all six of our kids had the chance to join me for our first Student Missions Institute for Training in Evangelism (S.M.I.T.E.) in Kenya [handbill pictured], hosted by Heritage Baptist Church of Lang’ata at Nairobi. The week before the S.M.I.T.E., our family toured Nairobi for a couple of days, stayed in a Mark Holmeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08133922925705778450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8251416707934352891.post-47806432371124403212019-12-17T11:12:00.000+01:002019-12-18T12:53:07.730+01:00September/October '19
The month of September brought about the third multi-week survey trip we hosted this year, the second time with a couple from our mission board. Daniel and Erin Lang, along with their baby boy Ezekiel, spent nineteen days with us after our busy August camp season. Daniel spoke in our college and in both churches in which we are involved, and both of them took part in soul-winning, visitation, Mark Holmeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08133922925705778450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8251416707934352891.post-58902624337453769732019-12-17T11:09:00.000+01:002019-12-18T11:37:54.593+01:00July/August '19
Our 100th prayer letter recaps a time full of activity and with the most visitors we’ve ever welcomed in the home that God allowed us to build over six years ago. The month of July began with an anticipated space of break time, as most our seminary students were serving in other churches until the first week of August. In addition, there were several days that we were advised to stay at home Mark Holmeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08133922925705778450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8251416707934352891.post-31469424765918757572019-07-14T00:27:00.002+01:002019-07-14T00:27:44.982+01:00May/June '19Over the last three months, Truth Baptist has witnessed several special events. On the first Saturday of April, one of our best ladies celebrated her marriage [pictured] to a church planter. The wedding was sentimental, as the bride was our faithful Sunday school teacher and institute student, but we know God is using them both in the Awka Independent Baptist Church. On the first Sunday of May, Mark Holmeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08133922925705778450noreply@blogger.com0