TEEN MISSIONS INTERNATIONAL

Caleb & Karly Holschen Newsletter (Winter 2025)

Greetings Friends and Family!

This has been a season of great blessing for Karly and me, and we are very excited to share our joy with you.

The biggest blessing we have had in our lives and marriage is the arrival of our first daughter, Esther Alice Holschen. Esther was born on February 1st and weighed eight pounds and six ounces. Labor had begun the night before at 11:00 PM and lasted a mere 11 hours until our little girl was born at 10:07 AM. We went to the hospital at 6:00 AM and the labor progressed so fast that the birth ended up being completely natural with no medication. Both mother and child were healthy and thriving after, though Karly lost quite a bit of blood. We are so thankful for God’s blessing and protection in this fast-tracked baby delivery. Karly’s mom had come into town the week prior and was there to help with the birth and recovery. We were very encouraged when our pastor and a couple of friends came to visit us in the hospital and pray for our new family’s growth. We give God the glory for all of these things.

Karly’s dad came down to meet his granddaughter and help as well. Having photos of family and visitors is such a precious thing that we can share with Esther when she grows up. In addition to the help from family, Teen Missions put together a meal train among the staff to provide us with meals so we do not have to worry about cooking and dishes and the like while we learn to raise our daughter.

Esther’s long-awaited arrival was the most exciting thing about the past few months, but not the only thing. We stayed home for Christmas and had a great time with just the two (and a half) of us. We were invited to our pastor’s house for a big Christmas dinner. It was great to spend the morning celebrating our Savior’s birth with just us and also enjoy great food and fellowship in the evening. We are thinking that we will probably continue a tradition of staying home and having a small Christmas. Christmas with family is great, but having a slow holiday to enjoy each other’s company and rest was really nice. The start of our break was bittersweet, however, as it was also the beginning of Karly’s maternity leave. Teen Missions has a very generous maternity leave policy that allows mothers to stay home and care for their children without coming into the office until the children are school-age. We are very thankful for this blessing, but the office is not the same without Karly around.

Thank you for your prayers for and support of our ministry with Teen Missions. As said, Karly is no longer in the office on account of Esther, but I have been working on a lot to improve our website design and office efficiency. Our retreat center, Legacy Lakes, is undergoing a website remodel that I have been heading. It has been a long learning process, but God has equipped me with the skills and tools that I need as I have needed them. Our annual Tough Gator 5K Mud Run fundraiser is also going through some changes and I have been running point on implementing those as well. It is hard to believe that I have only been in the IT department since August. I have learned and grown so much since that transfer and I am very excited to see what God has in store for me as I return to the office after my paternity leave.

Our plans for the coming months are starting to flesh out. We are planning to take a trip to Houston, Texas this coming March to introduce Esther to some of her extended family and Karly’s friends. This trip will also help us introduce Esther to flying before our mission trip team this coming summer. Speaking of, Karly, Esther and I will be going to Australia this summer on a mission trip with Teen Missions. I will be the head leader of our team with Karly and Esther accompanying as family members. They will travel to and from the country with the team, but Karly will not have an official role as a leader of the trip. This will allow Karly to focus her energy on motherhood and Esther’s needs without also tending to the needs of the team. While I will not need to raise support for the team because I am the head leader, Karly and Esther have a cost associated with coming along. The cost includes basic essential costs such as airfare and infant travel fees. We are beginning to raise a total of $3,500 for mother and child. Pray and seek God in whether you are willing or able to help us raise this money to serve Him in Australia.

Some things to pray for:

Praises:

A safe delivery of baby Esther.

A smooth recovery for Karly.

Family and friends to support us.

Prayer Requests:

That Karly and I would stay rested and be able to do our tasks throughout the day.

For wisdom as we raise our first little one in the Lord.

Safety on our upcoming trip to Houston.

That we would raise the support we need for our summer team.

Thank you again for your prayers! None of what we do would be possible without them.

Praying for you as you for us,