Wednesday, August 3, 2011 On The Road Again........
We moved out of our rental home in Wichita Falls on June 6th. After that, we hit the road in a big way. June & July took us through Florida, North Carolina, West Virginia, Mississippi, and Idaho.
In Florida, we got to share with a group of Air Force Pilots, how MAF uses airplanes around the world. We visited friends, family, and MAF collegues, and even took a little vacation time at Disney.
In Raleigh, North Carolina, we visited friends we hadn't seen in almost 10 years. We also got to share our minstry with some of our former church members. Jill and I lived in NC for a few years early in our marriage. Before leaving NC, I visited my former USGS co-workers, we met up with a JAARS pilot mechanic family we support, and got to see Jill's middle school Sunday School teacher.
From NC, we went north to West Virginia to visit with family and speak at a couple of churches. On our way back to Texas, we spent the night with friends in Mississippi. Back on Texas soil, we made a short stop in Wichita Falls before heading to Fort Worth to visit with family. We spoke at a church in Borger, where one of my former USGS collegues is the Pastor. While in the TX panhandle, we made a fun stop at the Texas Play in Palo Duro Canyon. Our next stop was San Antonio, where we spoke at a church that has commited to support our ministry. We fit in a quick flight to MAF headquarters in Idaho, to attend a three day safety training and speak at a church that is considering ministry support.
In the coming weeks, we will be in Bellville, TX, near Houston, where we have one more opportunity to share with a church before attending 2.5 months of training in Idaho. Wow, did I get it all in?
Thank you all for your continued prayers, encouragement, and support. If you have considered providing support to our ministry, you can go to the following link or call MAF donor services at (208)498-0800: http://www.maf.org/holmes
Tuesday, May 17, 2011 ACCELERATING DOWN THE RUNWAY
2011 Timeline as we prepare for departure to Mozambique.
Since we returned home from Idaho in mid February, we have had the privilege of sharing our call to this ministry at 21 different churches and meetings. Already, there are twelve more opportunities scheduled. With hundreds of folks hearing, around 80% of our needed ongoing funding has been met. We still have a ways to go, and will not depart for Mozambique without your help. If you feel led, but haven't made a commitment yet, you can go to www.maf.org/holmes. Our biggest need continues to be folks willing to commit to monthly or annual support. Thanks to one time donations of many, and a couple of excellent yard sales, we are about 90% on our outgoing fund. That fund provides for finish up training, language training, and moving overseas. With much of our funding in, MAF has scheduled us for standardization training to begin in August. Much of this training will prepare me for the challenging flight and maintenance conditions that will be encountered overseas. Jill will receive some training to help us prepare for cultural transition. Standardization will last through the end of October. We will have a short break before we attend a two week language training course in November. If we are 100% funded by the end of our training, we will probably be departing for Mozambique in December or January.
A significant life changing event will occur over the next few weeks. We will be moving once again. Since we are scheduled to be traveling out of state the entire month of June and in training from August to November, it didn't make much sense to keep paying rent in Wichita Falls. Jill and I will be staying with my mom and dad, in Ira, during the interim. It will be sad to leave the Wichita Falls area again, but we have had several folks offer us a room to come back for visits!
Upcoming events:
- June 7-17 Travel in Florida
- June 18-22 Travel in North Carolina
- June 19: Forest Hills Baptist Church - lunch presentation
- June 23-30 Travel in West Virginia
- June 26: Hurricane Baptist Church - evening presentation
- July 5-22 Back in Texas
- July 17: Central Baptist Church Borger - morning presentation
- July 23-27 Travel in Idaho
- July 24: Nampa First Southern Baptist Church - morning presentation
Thursday, March 10, 2011 I thought you were in Africa?
We have been getting several repeat questions from folks, so we thought we might try and answer some of them here:
Q: Why are you not already in Mozambique?A: We are still in Wichita Falls, TX. The timeline for reaching Africa is dependent on how quickly we can raise our ongoing ministry funding. Our goal is to have our funding raised by July. That would allow us to enter the Fall training schedule and depart for the field in January, 2012 or sooner.
Q: Will you have to learn a language?
A: We will spend a considerable amount of time learning Portuguese. We may do that in Portugal, Brazil, or go straight to Mozambique. The downside to going straight to Mozambique is there is great temptation to go work in the hangar rather than on language training. It is imperative for us to learn the language if we want to develop relationships with locals.
Q: How long will you do this mission work?
A: As long as we are physically able, and God has not called us to other service. MAF terms last 4 years, 3.5 in country, and 0.5 on furlough back home. After furlough we head back for another term, and so on.
Q: What is your biggest funding need?
A: Ongoing ministry support. Many folks are graciously willing to give a onetime donation, but it is more challenging to find those who are led to commit to ongoing support. If you feel led to provide ongoing ministry support, be sure to indicate your donation will be repetitive (monthly, annually, quarterly, etc…). Currently we have to raise the average of $6,500 of ongoing monthly support.
Q: $6,500 a month sounds like a lot. What does that cover?
A: First, this amount is not our salary, but is the average amount required to keep MAF families serving overseas. All career MAF families, overseas and stateside, raise this amount. 62% goes to salary and housing, 25% covers insurance, taxes, worker’s comp, etc., 11% goes to education, furlough travel, currency of visas, passports, immunization, etc., and 2% goes to ongoing ministry partnership, such as newsletters, prayer cards, etc.
Q: Will my donation go to you?
A: If you want your donation to go to our ministry, make sure you include our name (or code 9086) along 
with it. All donations designated to our specific ministry will count towards the funding goals we are required to meet before going overseas and are tax deductible. If you wish to give us a personal gift that will go directly to us for personal use, this is not considered a tax deductible gift. These gifts would likely be used for setting up our household when we get to Africa.
with it. All donations designated to our specific ministry will count towards the funding goals we are required to meet before going overseas and are tax deductible. If you wish to give us a personal gift that will go directly to us for personal use, this is not considered a tax deductible gift. These gifts would likely be used for setting up our household when we get to Africa.Q: I heard you sent out a newsletter and prayer card. Why didn't I get one?
A: Our database system requires a physical address even if you desire to only get our MAF newsletter by email. We would love to send one to everyone on our blog group. If you did not get one, please email us your physical address (please indicate if you want paper or electronic copy).
God has already been doing amazing things as we have began raising support for our ministry. When a door shuts, God opens two more! We can't tell you how much we appreciate your prayers and financial support that will enable us to serve in Mozambique. Jill and I have had the opportunity to speak in four churches thus far, including the one I grew up in. It is awesome, yet humbling, to share how God has worked in our lives and how He plans to use us. If you know of a group that would like to hear a missions presentation or if you have any specific questions, please feel free to send us an email (contact us).
Remembering the best doggone dog in the west! Miss Kitty!!
Tuesday morning we had to euthanize Miss Kitty. She had a spell over Christmas, where we thought we might lose her. She completely recovered, but had another spell on February 25. She lost all control of her legs, and therefore was unable to sit up or walk. We waited 11 days to see if she might show signs of recovery, but she never did. It was incredibly difficult because she was still alert and functional otherwise. We realized that to prolong the situation, as much as we wanted to, would have been unreasonable. For most of you, if you have known us as a couple, you have
known Miss Kitty. If you did know her, you knew she was a remarkable dog. She was born on the hunting lease in Kendalia, TX in October, 1996 and was part blue heeler and part Australian shepherd. We got her on January 4, 1997, the same day that I proposed to Jill.
known Miss Kitty. If you did know her, you knew she was a remarkable dog. She was born on the hunting lease in Kendalia, TX in October, 1996 and was part blue heeler and part Australian shepherd. We got her on January 4, 1997, the same day that I proposed to Jill. 
There is some speculation as to how Kitty got her name. Some say I named her Kitty because I had two wild kittens at the time and wanted to call all of my animals at once. But she was also called Miss Kitty, perhaps from the character on Gun Smoke. Which is true, I will never say. Her aliases, Death Breath and Ornery Paw, need no explanation.Kitty and I lived on the Texas Tech Ranch in Justiceburg, TX, for two years. During that time she 
displayed her natural instinct as a cattle dog. One of the Tech professors always took her when he needed to herd up the cows. He always boasted about what a good herding dog she was.
displayed her natural instinct as a cattle dog. One of the Tech professors always took her when he needed to herd up the cows. He always boasted about what a good herding dog she was. 
My last semester of graduate school, Kitty and I moved back to mom and dad’s place in Ira. One evening in the fall of 1999, Kitty hobbled up to the back door, then fell over in convulsions. She had been run over and was bleeding from her head. With her convulsing continuously for several minutes, I did not think there was any hope. I was about to put her down, when dad suggested I call the vet just to be sure. Giving her a chance, dad and I transported her 20 minutes away to the vet. She stayed for two weeks and they saved her life. Amazingly, about two weeks after she was home she had a litter of puppies. She was appropriately named Kitty, because she had nine lives. In addition to being run over, she was bitten by rattlesnakes at least twice. Kitty lived with her grandparents for three months when Jill and I first got married. As we moved 
from California to North Carolina in 1999, we took Kitty with us. She went from having acres of land to explore in Texas, to a one room apartment in North Carolina. It was tough for her to be cooped up at first, and until that time, she never had to be leashed. But as she got older she decided being an indoor dog wasn’t so bad, and we would catch her sneaking up on the couch for a nap.
from California to North Carolina in 1999, we took Kitty with us. She went from having acres of land to explore in Texas, to a one room apartment in North Carolina. It was tough for her to be cooped up at first, and until that time, she never had to be leashed. But as she got older she decided being an indoor dog wasn’t so bad, and we would catch her sneaking up on the couch for a nap.
We frequently took her out on hikes, which was one of her favorite past times. Over the years she hiked a portion of the Appalachian Trail and numerous state and local parks in North Carolina, Virginia, Texas, Oklahoma, and Michigan. Her all time favorite activity was swimming. She would swim nonstop great lengths of time. Kitty was also Jill’s best running buddy, and she would begin to zip around the house when Jill told her to “put her running shoes on” or “stretch her muscles”. She was an impressive jumper as a young dog. She could jump over the tailgate of my pickup, and loved riding in the back. She was also very smart and obedient. She would ride on the toolbox in the pickup, and as soon as she sensed the brakes, she would jump down in the bed for safety. She would sit and stay until you told her she could come, and with a few hard lessons, she stayed out of the trash after the first couple of years. Her only trick besides “sit” and “shake” was playing dead when you pretend shot her with your hand. She wouldn’t stay dead long though (tail always thumping while she was “dead”) as she was anxious for the treat. Kitty would play fight when she was young, but she was really more of a lover than a fighter and would give you the old wet nose if you tried to stop petting her. She was great on long trips, except for attacking the trucks that passed in the opposite direction, and she even seemed to enjoy plane rides.Kitty was a sweet hearted people dog. She loved being around people. When people spent the 
night at our house, she never wanted to go to bed if someone was still up. She would also lay next to a closed door waiting to see the people on the other side. If Jill and I were in separate rooms, she would lay somewhere between so she could keep tabs on both of us. She could tolerate a great deal of aggravation and pain from small children. Not until she was old, did she even bark at kids when they hurt her.
night at our house, she never wanted to go to bed if someone was still up. She would also lay next to a closed door waiting to see the people on the other side. If Jill and I were in separate rooms, she would lay somewhere between so she could keep tabs on both of us. She could tolerate a great deal of aggravation and pain from small children. Not until she was old, did she even bark at kids when they hurt her. 
Kitty was an exceptional guard dog. She frequently would get up and look out the blinds or bark at something when we didn’t hear anything. Moments later, someone would go by the house. The only times we knew of her to seem mean was on guard duty. Once we had an issue in the apartment in North Carolina. She was fine when the maintenance man came in invited, but when he came in on his own the second time, she went for him. Also one time we left her in the back yard for a few days when we traveled out of town. We had an invisible fence, and asked the neighbor’s son to keep her fed and watered. When the neighbor was on his side of the fence, Kitty was fine. As soon as he stepped into Kitty’s yard, she went for him. Fortunately we had asked some friends to check on her too. She trusted them a little better.She lost her right front leg due to an aggressive tumor about a year and half ago. She had the tumor removed twice before, but the last time it took over her entire leg. When I went to pick her up from the vet, the doctor was explaining that I would have to teach her to stand up using a towel under her. When the doc went to her cage to retrieve her, Kitty jumped right up and hopped into the waiting room to me. When she got home, she jumped up on the couch. Having three legs didn’t slow her down much at all. 
Kitty was loved by many friends and family. But no one loved her as much as Jill and I. It is hard to come home and not have her there to greet us, to not see her curled on the couch or a rug taking a nap, not there ready to snatch up whatever crumb we drop on the kitchen floor or remind us that it is suppertime, to not be there ready to catch the bites of pancake made just for her on Saturday morning. She has been a family member and best friend for 14 years and will be sorely missed.
Thursday, January 27, 2011 Mozambique
The day is just getting started in Africa as Jill and I are just about ready for bed here in Idaho. We just got a call from our regional director who is located in Kenya. The message: We are assigned to Mozambique.
What an awesome opportunity for us to serve. Just to give you an idea of why the plane is so vital to work in Mozambique:
Just under twice the size of California
2,000 miles of reasonably paved roads
1,500 miles of other roads, seriously undermined by potholes and huge washed out sections
In 2009, MAF saved Christian and Humanitarian organizations 1,374 days of travel time!!!
