ALuaas!Or)

1984

THE BILL HOFF FAMILYAPARTADO POSTAL NO. 57QUERETARO/ QRO. MEXICO

NEWS OFThe CHnilEnCE

THE NORM DUNGAN FAMILYAPARTADO POSTAL NO.QUERETARO, QRO. MEXICO

OF CHRIST IN CENTRAL MEXICO

Published Quarterly Vol. 15 No. 1 Spring 1984

Ctt "TH-cxCca

"Dearly beloved, we aregathered together today. . ."Thus begins a traditionalmarriage ceremony in Englishspeaking countries. But thereare as many traditions asthere are cultures in thisworld. Mexico's process forbinding a couple together isdifferent than that practicedin the United States.

In the years before theMexican revolution, theCatholic church and itspriesis held a stranglehold onthe population by refusing tomarry anyone who criticized their behaviour, andcharging very high fees for their service. This galledthe great men wdio wrote Mexico's constitutions.They resolved the problem by making marriage a civilcontract witnessed by a secular judge.But in spite of this, the custom of being marriedcivily and then having a religious ceremony hasbecome standard practice. But in recognition of thelaw, few would dare marry a couple who were notfirst married in a civil ceremony.

Sometimes a couple vrill be married several yearsbefore they can afford a religious ceremony with

all of the expenses thatimplies. (In the Catholicchurch it is essential that theyhave the ceremony beforetheir first child is bom or hemay not be baptized).

On December 24, Bill had hisfirst wedding in 11 years as amissionary. The couple hadbeen legally married andliving together for almost ayear. But they prepared amessage, Margy arranged for acake, and the couple madethe other necessary arrangements.

On the day before Christmas, Bill picked up a busloadof family and friends of the bride and bridegroom inthe village where they live, and brought them to thechurch building in Queretaro where the service washeld. The service was to ask God's blessing upon theirmarriage. They repeated their vows, exchanged rings(which they borrowed for the occasion), and werejoined by the traditional laso of crystal beads andflowers (also borrowed). It was a wedding of poorpeople, but it was not a poor wedding, because it wasgraced by the presence of God. May God continue tobless Alberto and Lupe.

love t|e one another"I'm dreaming of a profitable Christmas" seems to bethe theme song of the merchants in this world. I know itis in Mexico, where Christmas bonuses amounting to amonth's pay must be paid to workers. In years pastchildren were brought presents by the three kings on thesixth of January, but now advertising is attemptingto get the parents to give presents on Christmas and onthe sbcth both, and many are throwing away theirbonuses on what should be a time of meditation, not ofspending.

Probably the reader will agree with the anti-commercialism of the above paragraph, and will then consider thefollowing one to be a contradiction; but there should besome element of sacrifice in Christmas. After all Godsacrificed His own Son on our behalf.

This year the youth of the Queretaro church sacrificed some of their time to prepare some smallgifts forchildren who live in the mountains of the state of Queretaro. That area is the poorest in the whole state,and the people often lack the essentials for life. So Christmas there is a Weak and cold time. But in thosemountains we have a congregation, and in order to share with them the youth here made up 150 small bagsof peanuts, candy, oranges, and a small plastic toy.

Bob Wright, director of the orphanage in Queretaro, and Bill drove the three hours to deliver them on the23rd of December. It is not so much the cost, as the thought and the fact that the believers there know thatthe believers here are concerned.

The Queretaro congregation also pays the bus fare for two young men from the Bible Institute to go andpreach there every other week. So the bonds are strong which bind these two groups.

i

Prayer Brings FruitJovita vreis baptized into Christ about 10 years ago. At thattime she was a used-paper collector. Slowly she has foundemployment washing clotiies, caring for homes, etc. But hergreatest heartache and economic problem has been heralcoholic husband, Jose.

Through the years we have tried to help Jos6 physically andspiritually. But his life showed no change. Then a couple ofmonths ago his physical condition became critical, withT.B. and ulcers competing to be the cause of death. At thattime Bill took him to a doctor who said, "If you don'tchange your life style, you wiU surely die soon." With that,Bill preached "New Ufe" in Christ, and Jos^, for fear of

losing his life, listened. At one point he answered a question saying, "just like mysaintly wife." Jovita's lifewasa largepart of the reason that Bill could bringhim to makea decision for Christ.

In November Bill baptized Jose. Naturally, Josh's life will not instantly become problem free. But now,with the help of the Holy Spirit and prayers, he will have the resources to fightSatan'sattacks,and live auseful life, liie renewing power ofGod isunbelievable.

EXCERPTSAt the close of 1983, the Cultural Communications Center mailed out gift calendars to itscorrespondence school students. Also inclosed in the mailing were five tracts for them todistribute. They were asked the question, "How has C.C.C. helped you?" There were severalhundred responses from grateful students who are finding foundations for their spirituallives in the courses. Here are excerpts from a few:

You have helped me learn to appreciate life and to do works of faith inJesus Christ. And you have helpedme understand my friends and family.

C.J.

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I have found peace in body and heart.Above all I have formed the habit ofreading my Bible and praying daily.Beyond that you have made me consider what I will do with my life fromthis day forward in the Ugh t of Jesus'death. I am very grateful to you for allyour patience and labor. A.N.

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PERSONAL GLIMPSESI am here soaking in the sun while I know that many of you are suffering from the cold in the U.S. As weread of the snow and ice, we are reminded of six years ago when we were on furlough. The snow, (whichwas unusual for Cincinnati at that time), had the city almost paralyzed at times. We fell various times onthe slick ice and wished we were back in Queretaro.

We have enjoyed a nice holiday season. We shared in a typically American Thanksgiving dinner at theorphanage in Queretaro with several other missionary families. For Christmas dinner we had five guestsand I prepared a Mexican-American meal. Following dinner, we hurried to church and there enjoyed aChristmas program followed by a pinata party. It was a lovely way to share the remembrance of ourSavior's birth,

Mark continues in his studies at home. It is an advantage most of the time as it enables us to be moreflexible in our daily activities. Becky Ramirez helps him, along with Bill and I. Rebecca enjoys her timein kindergarten. She is now able to handle a conversation in Spanish. She is hard to comprehend as sheis either very shy or very outgoing, depending on her mood.

Once again I am spending time painting the interior of the house. I took a break in order to bake 1500cookies as gifts for Christmas. The kids enjoyed cutting out and decorating the sugar cookies.

Our carpenter has returned to build us a kitchen bar and cupboards. Following that, he will build ourbedroom closets and the framing for our three bedroom doors. It is always encouraging to see progressbeing made on the house. Wehave such little time each week to do things ourselves.

May the Lord give each one of you a very fruitful 1984.

FROM: NON-PROFITBAJIO CHRISTIAN MISSION U. S. POSTAGEC/0 GLENDALE CHRISTIAN CHURCH PERMIT'369661 NORTH 59th AVE.GLENDALE AZ 85302

ADDRESS CORRECTION REQUESTED

MI$SON SERVICESP U BOX 2427KNOX'/ILLE TN 37901 H X9/82

ALuaas! from ^ 7.-1- CrCENTRAL MEXICO

BILL HOFF and FAMILY

APARTADO POSTAL NO. 57QUERETARO, QRO. 76000 MEXICO

NORM DUNGAN and FAMILY

RT. 19, BOX 608KNOXVILLE.TN 37998

Published Quarterly Vol. 15 No. 2 Summer 1984

Too f9f A\iii9fj7In year's past the Bajio Christian Mission has resistedtemptations to work outside of the Central Mexicoarea. The reasons are basically due to time andcost-effectiveness. It takes time and money to traveland in some cases Centre Comunicaciones Cuiturales,A.C. (C.C.C.) would be entering someone else'sarea of work which might cause jealousy andproblems.

Zacatecas is the exception that proves the rule. Awhile back a letter arrived in the C.C.C. office thatwas extraordinary. It was from Apolonio Ramos, abank president living in Zacatecas. He asked someoneto visit him and help begin a church in his home. Itseems he had been a faithful member of a congregation in Northern Mexico before the bank transferred him. Now he wanted to bring Christ to his newhome. He already had invited some friends.

Zacatecas (5 hours northwest of Queretaro) wasfounded in 1546. It was a silver mining town nestledin the high mountains. It is the capital of the state bythe same name and an important commercial center.Its colonial architecture is renowned. But for Bill andFrancisco its interest is in the people. Francisco isparticulary concerned because his family lives thereand he wants to see them involved in an activeBiblical church.

They set a date to visit the new congregation andwere surprised to find 25 in attendance. They showeda movie, preached, and celebrated the Lord's Supper.As the services were closing, a missionary from SanLuis Potosi arrived. He had also received a letter fromApolonio who was trying desperately to find help.

Apolonio, Bill, Fancisco, and the missionary discussed what role each should take in nurturing thecongregation. The missionary thought he could goonce a month. Francisco and Bill offered to do thesame. On the weekends when reither was there,Apolonio would preach.

When Bill arrived the next month he found a slightlysmaller group but everyone was interested. Franciscovisited in July and the congregation was larger andfive people asked to be immersed into Christ. Thatevent took place in August. Bill and Margy were ableto attend as they went through Zacatecas on theirway to the border.

This congregation is a golden opportunity which mustnot be allowed to slip away. Bro. Apolonio willprobably be transferred again. By then the congregation must be strengthened so that it can growwithout his energy. Pray to that end.

C.C.C. UPDATEThe Cultural Communications Center hasmade some encouraging advances recently.One example is found in the family of astudent contacted last year. This Brother hasbecome a solid believer who is devoted toBible study and witnessing. Not long ago heinsisted that Franciscb accompany him on avisit to his family which lives near Leon,Guanajuato (3 hours west). Family ties arevery important in Mexico, and often becomethe "Bridges of God" for reaching new people.

As a result of these visits there have alreadybeen two baptisms. Six more of the familyhave confessed their faith and willbe immersed as soon as theportable bapistry becomes available. At the moment the bapistryis in San Felipe Pueble Nuevo (2hours southeast). It is a canvas bagwith a metal frame that holdsabout 100 gallons of water (that is8 burro loads). It is most helpfulin this arid land.

Another example of advancementis the number of students who areenrolled in the course and diligently studying God's Word. There are

over 1500 students presently enrolled in thecorrespondence course. The number studyingthrough the whole course without droppingout is at an all-time high.

One blessing is that Francisco is devotingmore time to the work and making morevisits. Naturally, the increased visitationis providing more opportunities for evangelism, and the number of new believers isbound to increase.

Please pray for the ongoing of this work.

WHAT A BLESSINGThis summer Norm and Mary Dungan, who arepresently ministering in Johnson Bible College, madea trip to Mexico. Their trip had its prime purposes;helping define the roles of different individuals,preparing reports for the supporting churches, andhelping make some difficult decisions about thefuture of the work. The secondary purpose wasencouraging the brethren who work in this area.

Norm is acting as a forwarding agent for part of thefunds which pay for the evangelistic efforts here. Forthis reason, he and Bill did a great deal of consultation concerning finances. He also communicatedwith all of the local evangelists and sought to discover

their needs and to help them plan for the future. Hetook 3 rolls of slide film and will be assemblying anew slide presentation of the work. He, Francisco,and Bill spent hours considering future courses ofaction for the Cultural Communications Center. Theirdiscussions led to a limiting of the geographicalscope of the work in order to help concentrateevangelism within an area of crono-economicpracticality.

Norm's presence was greatly appreciated by workersfrom all over the "Bajio." Pray for his ministry inKnoxville and for his continuing ministry here.

PERSONAL GLIMPSESToday ends the fourth week of summer camp.My intention was to spend the first week atcamp because Bill was the director and Markwas a camper, but plans were changed as theweekend before camp was to begin, Rebeccagot the chicken pox. I have visited the campthroughout the four weeks and everyoneseems to have enjoyed themselves and thespirit has been good. Mark thoroughlyenjoyed his first year at camp. But a shorttime after he came home, he began developingspots and came down with a worse case of thechicken pox than what his sister had.

Mother's Day was celebrated at Rebecca's kindergarten with a program of dancing. She and herpartner danced the "Mexican Hat Dance." A breakfast followed the program. A couple ofweeks later Bill and I were invited to an award's program. Each child was given 22 ribbons of1st, 2nd, and 3rd place. These were for various abilities in coloring, math, etc. The final eventof the year was the graduation. The second and third year students received diplomas. We haveenrolled Rebecca in the same kindergarten for next year.

Mark finished his studies in May. He will contiue in the same program next year but will bestudying with another fifth grader in the home of his former teacher. She has agreed to helpthe two boys through this school year. Mark is enrolled in Boy Scouts and enjoys his meetingseach Saturday as well as the various outings.

Progress on our house continues. The outside is almost finished at it it now being painted. Wehad a planter built outside of the front wrindow. Grass and plants should give it the "finishedlook." Much work has been done on the inside of the house but I hope to complete manyprojects during this next school year.

The ladies of the two Christian churches in Queretaro meet once a week for a time of prayer^ i;: and Bible study. Last March the group de

cided to take on the project of buying foamand covering it for eight church pews. (Thereare 4 in each building). It took longer than weanticipated, but we learned as we went along.The photo shows us hard at work!

We are looking forward to our trip to theStates and being able to attend the 37thNational Missionary Convention in Phoenix.It will be great seeing many of our friendsfrom the States as well as from countriesaround the world. 7n rC

PRAISE; Prayer & Praisefor the four weeks of camp in which 159 campers attended and 14 were baptized,for the Dungan's visit which was a blessing to the many people that know themthroughout the "Bajio."for the "Confraternidad" (The Mexican Convention) which brought together morethan a thousand Christians in San Luis Potosi (120 miles north of here) in August.for the new congregation that has been started in Zacatecas and the five baptisms thattook place in August.for the continued growth of the Ceiaya congregation and their plans to expand theirpresent facilities.for the new property that the Queretaro congregation is purchasing.for Antonio, a former Bible Institute student, who is leading the congregation anddirecting the construction of a building for the group of 35 meeting in San FelipePueblo Nuevo, Mexico.for the gifts of churches and friends which made the purchase of our new truck possible.

PRAY:

for a new meeting place for the Irapuato Christians.for the Lord's guidance on Hermilo Gasca as he seeks a new place in which to serveChrist.