UNITEDffATBSOimi AMERPublished QuarterlySALUDOS!fromBAJIO
CHRISTIAN MISSIONVol. 27, Number 1M/M Bill HoffApdo. 3166San Pedro
SulaHonduras, Central America504r56-3796Corporate OfficeP.O. Box
61013Las Vegas, NV89160-2013Spring 1996PERSONAL GLIMPSESAs 1sit in
our office (an upstairs bedroom) with the fanblowing on me,I
amremindedof howcool ourwinterhasbeen. Ourfirst
twoyearsinHonduraswe didn't evenconsiderwearinga sweater,
butthispastyearoccasionally a jacket has felt very comfortableOne
morning 1toldBill that1wanted to move to a warmer climatel He just
laughed at me, but Iwas reallycold. I never wanted to unpack
sweaters, sweatsuits, etc. because I alwaysthought that the next
day would be warmer. It is now March and this monthis normally
considered one of the hottest in San Pedro Sula, but last night
itrained again so it has been very comfortable today. Everyone
mentions thebeautiful climatethis year; we ail thinkabout
theyearthat we sufferedextreme heat with water and power rationing.
Praise the Lord forall things!1-ast November 1began praying about
an area of service that 1could beinvolved in. Rebecca is in school
amajor part of each day and Bill is goneto the institute on three
days a week so I was left alone more than 1liked. Asit turned out,
the Lord directed me to help in an English speaking Christianschool
that is located four blocks fromour house. I earn alittle money
formy work, but 1am basically doing it tohelp a friend and the
students of theschool. 1volunteered to work three hours a day and
1was assigned to helpin the 5th and 6th grade classroom with
41pupils. My job is toanswer thechildren's questions and correct
their sentences. 1have thoroughly enjoyedit from the first day of
work. The students all greet me with a smile. Everyonein the school
isvery loving so I feel really blessed.Rebeccawas challengedtomakea
"NewYear's Resolution" byherEnglish teacher. This lady is quite
heavy and her resolution was tolose weight before she got married.
As Beka sawher accomplish her goal, Beka decided to enter sports.
Some of Beka's friends were on the basketball team at schoolso she
decided to join. Although she isn't a real good player, she works
hard and enjoys it. She has been on two tripswith the team. The
last one took place a couple of weeks ago when she was able to go
toEl Salvador. Each studentwas assigned to stay with a family.
Beka's assignment wasin a pastor's home. One evening she attended a
churchservice until midnight. We had two praises for this trip: the
Christian family she stayed with, and the money that shereceived
fromthe rector of the school to help pay her way.It doesn't
seempossible, butonMay3rd Markwill
graduatefromJohnsonBibleCollegewithhis degreeinpreaching\youth
ministries. Bill, Beka, and 1willfiy fromhere to Knoxville on April
30th and return on May 7th. Bill'sparents and at least one of his
brothers will also be attending the ceremony, as will many friends.
Our long-time friendsand former co-workers. Norm and MaryDungan
will be hosting aparty in Mark's honor following the
graduation.Please pray for Mark as he is seeking the Lord's
direction following his graduation. He has considered workingin a
camp, or a children's home, or doing a year's internship with a
church. E-mail hasmade it possible for us tocorrespond with him
dailyand we are grateful for this.Mark preaching in San Pedro
Sula.BankingIn HondurasBill exchanges his dollar checks on
thefreemarketbecause it pays as much as ten percent more than the
official rate. Thefree market is fueled by businessmen who need to
importproducts,andcannot buyenoughdollars fromtheCentralBank
toruntheirbusinesses. Unfortunately, seldom do they maintain $1000
worth ofLempiras, (the national currency) in their cashbox; so they
write acheck which Bill must change at their bank.Bankingin the
third worldcanbe frustratingand intimidating.Outside the bank,
there are guards in army uniforms thoughtlesslypointing their
assault rifles in all directions. Inside, thereareprivateguards
withsawed-off shotguns. (Perhaps they protect the bank fromthe
guards outside?)Bill whispers a quick prayer that the bank won'tbe
held up while heis there and stands in line. When Bill's turn at
theteller's windowcomes, the girl counts out a stack of one hundred
andten bank notes, and checks her count twice. Bill alwayswishes
that thecountry had a bank note larger than nine dollars. Then
Billcounts themand sticks a half inch thick wad in each pocket.
After another prayerfor safety, heheadshome. He walks quickly
andcautiously to thepickup parked a couple of blocksaway. Oh!, the
exotic adventure ofbeinga missionary! It quickens the
heart!WordsmithingPerhaps you have watched a blacksmith forge out a
tool or knife.Itis a process that takes time and many precisely
controlled blowswitha hammer, each blowmakes a small change. The
man who coined theword
"wordsmithing"todescribethewriting-editingprocessunderstood that
fewpeople can make words flowbeautifully and intelligentiyonto
paper. Almost everyone else must slowly"forge" their v/riting
Intoshape byrewriting several times. The text ofthis newsletter isa
productof that process.Bill andMargysit down and"brainstorm"about
whichofthemission activities will be newsworthy, they build a list,
and then decidewhowill writewhicharticle. BothBill andMargyprefer
touse acomputer to write and edit the articles. But, it is not
unheard of for anarticle to originate on an old scrap of paper
whilewaitingfor someone.After the basic article is written, it is
"spell checked" andreread.Thespouse thencomments andmaymake some
changes. An article isusually set aside for a fewdays to be
reviewed later. Itis not uncommonfor an article to be rewritten or
corrected three or four times. The textisthen saved in"ASCII"
format on a diskette and mailed withthe photosandsome layout ideas
to Mission Services Association.Mission Services imports the files
into "Pagemaker" software fortypesetting. They then shoot the
half-tone negatives of the photos andpaste them up withthe text
negatives. Fromthose negatives they buma plate for theoffset
press.After MissionServices finishes printing, they ship the
newslettersto Darryl Olson who donates his time to address them and
do the bulkmailing. As youcansee, there areanumber of steps
involved, butthrough the efforts of many, you are able to read
about the ministry inHonduras.Required social work for
Rebeccaincludes planting 1,000 mahogany trees.E-mail - Too
Technical ?In thelast newsletter Bill publishedhisnewE-mail
address. Themissionhadcontracted with thetelephone company
toprovide connections with CompuServe. Amonthlater, the telephone
company announced thatthey wereraising the cost of access toover$45
a month. Bill thought that this was unreasonable and cancelled his
contract. Soonafterward, a private "internet provider"
beganoperating. Bill signed up andwas soon connected. Although he
sent out many messages, responses were few. People informedhim that
their mail was returned as undellver-able. Itseems that most
E-mailproviders haveasystemof"filters"that prevent poorlyaddressed
mail from clutteringupthe system.Most of these "filters"don't
recognize thesuffix for Honduras (.hn.) As a result, the mailis
returned. If yousend E-mail tothe newaddress:
[email protected] isreturned as undeliverable, please
consultyoursystem's postmaster or customer service andask them to
include the following directions:www.intertel.hn 206.48.107.1 and
simonintertel.hn 206.48.107.2Ifyou cannot resolve the problem,
pleasesend Billa copy of the error message to his oldCompuServe
box. Hecanthen report theproblem and, hopefully, have it resolved.
TheCompuServe address 103111,1515 is stillactive and checked
frequentiy. Drop us a linesoon.New Ministry for SchnellersTom and
Toni have received a challenge to enter into anew kind of
nnlnistry; one that will require their presence inthe U.S.A. This
article will be a condensationof sonnematerials that Tom has
written. "The church in San PedroSula is now ready tospread its
wings and reach out on herown. Our goaifromthe start was: toplant a
vibrant,indigenous church and equip it to continue reaching
lostsouls. Thetask has taken us almost six years, but God
hasfaithfully helped us carry out our calling. Just as He calledus
toMexico andthentoHonduras, Godhas givenusanother task. It is
acalling that requires an act of obedience. We must say, with
Isaiah, 'Here am I Lord, send me.'Thisfall, we willbe moving into
thegreater Cincinnati area.We are called toserve as mission
mobilizers. We willhelpchurches locateandadopt unreached
peoplewiththepurpose of evangelism and church planting."Tomtells of
the need for the work that he will do: "Jesustold his church to
make disciples, and teach the nations.That work is not yet done.
TheGospel has spread to mostgeographical parts of the world, but
many people groups/nations donot knowourLord! Most ofthe world's
unreachedpeople are living within an area that mlssiologlsts call
'the10/40 Window. 'It is a geographicalarea, locatedbetween
10degrees and40degreesnorthoftheequator, extendingfromWestern
Africa, throughthe Middle EasttoEastern Asia.Here, wefmd 97%of the
world's least evangelized nations.Within the 70/40 Window'thereare
1.1 billion Muslims, 800million Hindus, and300 million Buddhists.
This is the mostcriticalspiritualbattlerieldin the world today, yet
only l%ofall missionaries labor there. This failureis due to a lack
ofvision. We believe the Lord wants usto help supply thatvision to
his people. Wepropose that churches adopt one ofthese '10/40
Window'people groups and be responsible forplantinga vibrant,
indigenous church."Needless tosay, the Hoffs are
saddenedtosaygoodbyeto the Schneller familyonce again. The Lordhas
blessed thefriendshipfor over ten years (a large part of this time
as co-workers). Bill and Margy look forward to continue
communicating through E-mail. May the Lordrichly bless, Tom,Toni,
David, Daniel, and Rachel.The Bible Institute Receives aName and
Hosts First EventOn February 10 and 11 the San Pedro Sula church
hada one-dayretreat for twentyyouth and their sponsors. Theevent
might not have been newsworthy except that it washeld in the
facilities of the Bible institute. Bill worked hard
tohavethebuildings prepared for the occasion.He installeddoors and
frames, screens, electrical wiring, lights, toilets,sinks, and many
other things. The previous day he spentcollecting building debristo
make the place more attractiveand safe. Healso hauled three pickup
loads of rocks offthesoccer field so the campers couldenjoysports.
That provedunnecessary, because the young people spent all their
freetime climbing themountains behind theschool. Bill
wasveryconcerned because of the possibility of their
encounteringsnakes, but the Lord protects his children. When
eveningcame Bill litthe lanterns that serve as night-lights and
startedthe diesellightplant. Supper was typically Honduran:
blackbeans, fried plantain (cooking banana), cheese, and tortillas.
The main part of the devotional program was heldaround a campfire.
This was the first time many of thesepeoplehad seen a campfire.
T^is is not because they are sourban, but becausewood isscarce and
therefore expensive(60%ofall wood cutinHonduras isusedfor cooking,
andthevast majority of all Hondurans cook over wood fires).
Also,the hot climate means that there is no need for warmingoneself
bya fire. Every camperwasaskedtosuggest asongor chorus that was
then sung. Following the music, brotherJulio presented a message
from Paul's letter to Timothy:"Flee the evil desires of youth, and
pursue righteousness,faith, loveand peace, along with those whocall
on the Lordout of apure heart."Sixyoungmen broughttents and wanted
to "rough it."Theyset up the tents on the soccer field. "Lights
out" wassounded at ten o'clock.At one o'clock in the morning,
atropical shower broke loose, andthe soccer field
flooded.Thetenters were forced to retreat to one of
theclassroomsand tryto sleepunder wet blankets. Those sleeping
underroofs never knew about the tenters'misadventures.Breakfast was
delayed because the supplier got Bill's truck stuckin the mud as he
was going to town for eggs. The eggs,beans, andtortillas
tastedwonderful. Theonly strategic errorof the retreat was that the
morning devotional service washeld in thesun. The sun's rays
areintense by mid-moming,and everyone roasted.It was excitingto
participatewiththe youth on theirkneesinprayer. Itwasalsoa blessing
tothe youthandto Billto see somefruit fromhis efi^ort
intheconstruction of theinstitute. Bill could analyze and repair
some deficiencies thatappeared during this first event.Bill
hasbeentrying tocomeupwith anamefor theinstitute. Somenames he
thought ofwere already inusebyotherschools, while others didn't
seemtofit. Finally, he hastentatively decided tocall it,
"ElInstitute Biblico Cristiano"(TheChristian Bible Institute).
Ifany other school inHonduras hasthesamename, hewill simply extend
thelastparttoagree with thenational registration of thechurch which
islegally called, "La Iglesia CristianoCuerpo deCristo,"
(TheChristian Church - Body of Christ). Sotheschool will bereferred
to as l.B.C.ii Use it up"Use it up, wear it out, make it do, or
dowithout!"Perhaps you have heard this old saying.For some
missionaries this seems like a way of life.Afewweeks ago Bill found
a puddle of oil under thetruck. Inspection showed that the
hydraulic brakebooster had failed. The shop manual says that
theunit cannot be repaired. Bill discovered that areplacement
booster wasavailable, but thecostwasover $300, sohe
disassembledit.A simpleurethane seal like those used in hydraulic
cylindershadfailed. Thethreehydraulicsupplystoresintown were
unableto help. Bill located the part at thelocal Caterpillardealer.
Apparently it is a standardpart onsome tractors, and theywere kind
enoughtolookfor it without a part number. Thereassembled unit works
fine and cost only $10. IfyouaskBill why he does his own work, he
will tell youthat therearethreereasons: first, hesavestheLord's
money; second, he avoids incompetentmechanics; andthird,
hesaves"downtime." InLatin America, mechanics rarely return a
vehicle inless than three days.(Ifthey fixed it in one day
thecustomer would complain about the cost of labor,soif
theymakethecustomer suffer without avehicle for a few days then he
doesn't complain).Published bytheRossville Christian Church411
Spmce POB187Rossvilie, KS 66533FORWARD AND
RETURNPOSTAGEGUARANTEEDADDRESS CORRECTION REQUESTEDSummer TripIt
has been three years since the Hoffs have visited their
family,friends, and supporting churches in thewestem part of the
U.S.Theyarecurrentlyplanningaschedule, although thespeakingdates
are not yet confirmed. Bill has decided to drive to the
States,obviouslythroughMexico. His decisionwas
madeforvariousreasons: Beka would like to see Queretaro and her
friends there;Bill needstovisit theevangelistthat
BajioChristianMissionissupporting aswell ascheck on thehouse that
theHoffs own inQueretaro; driving will save the Hoffs money;andBill
will be abletobring back some thingsthat otherwisewould
beimpossible.Because Margyishelpingina school and won't be
finisheduntilthemiddlepart of June, she will not be leaving
withBill and Beka. Shewill wait until school is finishedand then
fly to Phoenix where shewill meet Bill. Beka is looking for a place
to stay and work duringher summer vacation.The tentative schedule
is as follows:June10 Bill and Beka leave San Pedro Sula14 -16 in
Queretaro18-19 Beka leaves from San Antonio, TX.Bill drives to
Phoenix21 Margyflies toPhoenix23 speak at Qlendale Christian in
AZ.24 - 28 in Phoenix area29 leave for Yuma, AZ.30 speak at First
Christian, YumaJulu1 to Wickenburg, AZ.4 to Las Vegas, tW.10 to
Springfield, OR.14 speak at Springfield Church of Christ17 to Morro
Bay, CA.21 speak at Atascadero Christian,CA.- leavefor Campo24 to
Wickenburg, AZ27 to Phoenix28 speak at Paradise Valley Christian30
Margy flies to San Pedro SulaBill begins driving back
homerSON-PROFIT ORG.a.S.POSTAGEPAIDROSSVILLE, KSPERMtT
NO.6UNITEDSTATSSALUDOS!fromBAJIO CHRISTIAN MISSIONM/M Bill
HoffApdo. 3166San Pedro SulaHonduras, Central
America504-56-5796Corporate OfficeP.O. Box 61013Las Vegas,
NV89160-2013SOUTHAMERPublished Quarterly Vol. 27, Number 2 Summer
1996AGood Friend Goes HomeSunday afternoon, June the16th,
Margyreceivedashockingphone call. RickJohnsonofLifeline
ChristianMission informed Margy that MyraHarrah haddiedthatmorning
of a massive heart attack. Myra was a missionary-nurse fromTerre
Haute, Indiana, who, sponsored byFAME, (Fellowship of Associates of
Medical Evangelism),had movedto Honduras in October of 1994.
Myra'sministry was in the Merendon mountains helping the
poorinaclinic which MadonnaSpratt hadestablished yearsbefore.Myra,
age 49, was always a fun person to be around.She enjoyed laughing
and having agood time. Her commitment was to spend the rest of her
life serving the Lordas a missionary. She had been widowed
since1982. Shehas two sons who are in their early twenties; one of
themis married. Please pray for family and friends. We willmissher,
as willthe impoverished people who depended on herfor medical help.
She indeed was able "to serve the rest ofmy life."Mark with
proudfamily.Mark GraduatesOn May 3rd Mark received his
bachelor'sdegree in the Youth Ministries-Preaching
programfromJohnsonBible College in Knox-ville, TIS. Those present
who had traveled inorder to witness this special occasion were
hisgrandparents' Hoffand his uncle and hisfriendfromLas Vegas, a
couplewhohavebeen long time friends of the family fromMemphis, TM,
and his sister and parents fromHonduras.Norm and Mary Dungan,
former co-workers ofthe Hoffs in Mexico, hosteda partyfollowing the
graduation for Mark, so that hisfamilyandfriends
couldcongratulatehim.Besides that, they opened their house to
Billand Margyandwereverygracioustothemduringthe weektheystayed at
thecollege.They even arranged a great picnic and otheractivities
for the entire Hoff clan and his friends.Markis currently working
for the GreenwoodChristianChurchin Greenwood, Indiana. He has a
year's internship working underthe supervision of the Youth
minister and theChildren's minister. He seems to be enjoyingIt
greatly.Mark with Grandparents'Hoff.Mark withJonathan Woof-gang,
his roommate for 4years.Spanish Church in New FacilitiesTomandToni
Schnellerhaveworkedhardduringtheir years in Honduras to build a
church following the NewTestament pattem. The Lord has blessed
their efforts withacongregation that averages between 80 and100
eachSunday. Two ministers work with this group, one of themisvery
talented inmusic. Thefirst elder was ordainedacouple ofmonths ago.
Last Januaryproperty waspurchasedfor thecongregation.
AworkteamcamefromIndiana and Kentucky to beginthe construction of
aparsonage. Thisbuildingwill soonbefinishedandwillhouse thetwo
pastors. Meanwhileanotherworkgrouparrived in June and put up a 30
by 60 foot circus tent underwhichthe congregation is currently
meeting. A wall hasWork teamfrom Indiana and Kentucky.Easter
Sunrise Service.been constructed around the property and a cement
floorunder the tent is being poured as this is being written.
Asunriseservice, a first forthechurch, washeldontheproperty on
Resurrection Sunday. On May 26 the congregation met at the beach to
hold a church service. It was thelast Sunday before the Schnellers
returned tothe States.Followingtheserviceeight
peoplefollowedtheLordinChristian baptism. One of these was the
pastor's motherwho is eighty years old. Another baptism was a lady
whohasbeenafaithful attendersincethebeginningofthechurch. Following
the baptisms the group enjoyed a picnicand swimming in the warm
Caribbean ocean.Parsonage construction.Baptisms in OcearLJudas hung
in effigy.English-speaking ChurchTheLord's
kingdomincreasedwiththebaptismoftwelve people from
theEnglish-speaking churchwherethe Hoffs attend on Sunday mornings.
Aneighbor of thepastor loaned her swimming pool for the baptisms.
TheAnthony - Age7.youngest person was seven years old and the
oldest wasseventyan ex-merchant marine. Praise the Lord for
thesedecisions following theteaching of theWord of God.Marion
-Age70.Institute UpdateSincethe last newsletter the
chapel-multi-purposebuilding at the institute has been roofed and
the cementfloor hasbeenpoured. TheHoffsarepreparingforthearrivalofa
work team of eleven fromthe LemonGroveChristian Church in southern
California on August 19th.This group will be helping in the
finalpreparations for theplanned opening of the institute on the
15thofSeptember.Tables need to be made, blackboards painted, doors
andwalls painted,apartition put in forakitchen, etc. Pleasepray for
Bill as he prepares curriculum and continues tolook for teachers
and students for the institute.Roof being put on chapel-multi
purpose building.Roof completed and cementfloor laid in
chapelSummer Trip EndsMargy, Bill and Rebecca ended their summer
trip thelatter part of July. While Bill and Beka were In Mexico,
Billspoke in a church in Queretaro. He was also able to takecare of
business there andvisit long-time friends. Billreported to six
churches within a four-state area about theministry in Honduras. He
especially emphasized the needsoftheBible institute. Bill and
Margyvisitedin Arizona,Nevada, Oregon, and California while Beka
spent her timeworking in Indiana. They were privileged to see
family andfriendsand to speak by phone tomany others. Bill wasable
to get new tires installed on the suburban.Later hesolicited the
help of Gordon Clifford to repair a
headgasketproblembeforeretumingtoHonduras. Beka joined herparents
in San Diego on July 23 and thus was able to seefamily members
living in Arizona. Margy flewfrom Phoenix on July 28th. The
following day Bill and Beka returnedtoCampo, Californiawhere
GordonandBill assembledthe truck's engine. This problemdelayed
their retum a fewdays. But parts are more available and less
expensive intheUSA than in Honduras.Beka inducted into
N.H.S.Personal Glimpses1don't believethat I could have received a
greater joy than to watchMarkwalk down the aisle and receive his
diploma as a minister of the gospelof Jesus Christ. This joy
continued tofill myheart ashe wasaccepted asan intern pastor for a
year at the Greenwood Christian Church. Theexperience he is
receiving working with the youth and children is invaluablein my
estimation. Aspecial thanks to all who prayedfor this decision.
Earlierin the year Bill and1werevery proud aswewatched
Rebeccareceiveacertificatestatingthat
shehadbeeninductedintotheNational HonorSociety. The school hada
very nice ceremonyandreceptionfor theinductees and their families.
Rebecca will soon be entering her senior yearof high school.Bill
and 1have enjoyed the summer traveling together. It was the
firsttime forus to be traveling without the children. The Lord
blessed this timewith the generosity of many friends and family
members. Beka joined usin CaliforniaonJuly23rd. She will have
theopportunity tovisit severalfamily members before she and Bill
begin their return trip toHonduras.Prayer-n-PraisePrau*for safe
return of Hoffs to Honduras*for completed buildings, students, and
teachers for theopening of Bibleinstitute on the15th of
September*for Rebecca during her senior year in high school*for
both theEnglishandSpanishspeakingcongregations*for the Schnelier
family and their adjustment to the States*for Markas heserves
withtheGreenwoodChristianChurch in IndianaPublished by theRossville
Christian Church411SpnjcePOB 187Rossville, KS 66533FORWARD AND
RETURNPOSTAGEGUARANTEEDADDRESS CORRECTIONREQUESTEDPraise* for work
team from Lemon Grove church that came inAugust to work on the
institute.* for family and friends that hosted the Hoffs during
theirsummer trip* for the help of GordonClifford repairing the
suburbanthat failed.NON-PROFIT ORG.U.S. POSTAGEPAIDROSSVILLE.
KSPERMIT NO. 6MISSION SERVICESPC BOX 2427KNOXVILLE TN
37901-2427UNIHDSTATESMEXICOSALUDOS!fromBAJIO CHRISTIAN MISSIONM/M
Bill HoffApdo. 3166San Pedro SulaHonduras, Central
America504-56-3796Corporate OfficeP.O. Box 61013Las Vegas,
NV89160-2013SOUTHAMEMPublished Quarterly Vol. 27, Number 3 Fall
1996The Dedication ServiceBill decidedtohold a
dedicationservicebeforetheopening of the Bible Institute.
Veryfewpeople had seen thefacilities, so the 14th of September was
chosen as the dayfor the service. The Lord had provided for the
constructionoftheschool'sfacilityinsuchanincrediblewaythat
itseemedappropriatethatthe whole Honduran church shouldcelebrate
the completion of the major buildings. Bill andMargy, therefore,
planned a service of praise, worship,
andthanksgiving.TheHoffsworkedhardinpreparingforadedicationservice.
Billfinished the wiring, connected plumbing, tookcare of other
details, and generally cleaned up the buildingsand grounds. He
purchased 40 chairs and borrowed 100more, printed announcements,
and visited churches, invitingthemto participate. Margyprepareda
menu, purchasedrefreshments, recruited helpers, and kept the
ongoing project on track.Onthe day of the event, both Bili and
Margywere upearly. Margy spent the first half hour praising the
Lord forHis institute. (Three and a half years ago the Hoffs came
toHonduras with no funds for the institute. At the present
time$35,000 has been put into the facilities. Ittruly is a
miraclefrom the Lord). Bill confessed that he felt very ill at
easebecause there were only a few people committed to attend.Onthe
other hand, Margyfretted that there would not beenough chairs and
food for those who wished tocome.Bill left for
theinstituteearlyinordertomakelastminute preparations. Margyand her
friend madethesandwiches and picked up the decorated cake. (Beka
hadbaked four cakes the previous evening.) Beka and Margythen
stopped at Subway for some sandwiches to eat on theway. By
thetimetheyarrivedat theinstitute, whichIsapproximatelyforty
minutes away, people hadalreadyarrived. Groups fromchurches
continued tocomeuntilthere was a total of 130 present. The service
was led by thepastor of the churchherein SanPedro. The music
wasdirected by Joaquin, the co-pastor of the same church.
AnAmerican visitor said that it was thebest
congregationalsinginghehadever heardinHonduras. It wassuch
anoutstandingworship and praise service that it will beremembered
for years to come. Bill planned the programso that someone from
every church represented would beable to participate in the
service. Bill introduced the visionof theBibleinstitute.
DeanCaryfromLifelineChristianMission had a message fromthe Word of
God aboutconsecration of the facilities tothe goal of preparing
individuals toproclaim the Good Mews.Following the service Margy
and Beka and their friendsserved refreshments. The Hoffs could feel
a spirit ofexcitement. There were several young men who
expressedgenuineinterest in attending theinstitute. The
Lordhadtruly blessed the day.Bill sharing his vision at the
dedication.Dean Cary speaking at the dedication.Joaquin directing
the music at the dedication.Afew of theattendees at
thededication.Refreshment line after the institute's
dedication.Bill and Margy at receptionfollowing the
dedication.%Work teamfrom San Diego, California.Work Team aGreat
BlessingBill and Margyhave never hosted a work teann on themission
field. They have helped teams that have come tothe fields, both in
Mexico and in Honduras, but last Augustwas the first time that they
took the total responsibility ofhaving a team workfor them. The
eleven member groupall stayed in the Hoffs' house. Fourteen people
in Bill andMargy's home was somewhat crowded, but everyone
cooperated greatly and had an enjoyable time.On August 18th, Gordon
Clifford arrived with ten members of the Lemon Grove Christian
Church from San Diego,California. Gordon's wife,
Carolyn(longtimefriend ofMargy's), came to help her. The other
members, both menand women, came to work at the institute. And work
theydidl For six days they worked at the institute preparing
thebuilding for the opening of classes. The ladies spent mostof
their timepainting doors, window frames, walls, tables,and shelves.
Themen did a varietyof projects frominstalling lights, to building
a partition in the chapel building, to building tables, to welding
bars for the windows, etc.Bill could not believe what they had
accomplished in theshort time that they were here.While
constructionwas continuing attheinstitute,Margy and Carolyn, kept
busy. They spent most of everydaywashing anddryingclothes. They
also preparednsnacks, breakfasts, andthe big meals on theweekends.
(The groupwent out to eat afterworking during theweek.) Margy also
kepttrack of the fundsandpurchased needed sup)-plies.Thegroupwas
inHonduras for twelvedays. When not working at the institute, they
were visitingthe various missionaries and Mayan Archeological
sightsand doing some souvenir shopping. Bill and Margy werekept
busy in transporting them, sometimes in twosuburbansandothertimes
in a borrowedchurchbus. Oneproblem resulted when someone shot three
tires out on thebus. The strange part was that, at the time, it was
parkedbeside theHoffs' house. Throughout thewhole processRebecca
was abig help.The next time that the Hoffs are in San Diego they
arelooking forward tovisiting the various members from thework
group. Somewant to
extendhospitalityintheirhomesandothershaveofferedtotakeBill, Margy,
andBeka sightseeing. Needless tosay, theHoffs are lookingforwardto
the next work team.RecruitmentAvery encouraging note is that
classes at The InstituteBiblico Macional are scheduled to begin on
January 13. Atthe current time it is impossible to say how many
studentswill attend. CurrentlyBill hasfiveapplications
inhisFilecabinet. Onethingthat issuretoaffect
thenumberofattendeesis recent weather.
TheHonduranpeoplearesuffering huge financial losses due to a month
and a half oftorrentialrainswhichhavewipedoutthebean cropanddamaged
the rice harvest. Those two foods are the staplesthat sustainlife
In this small country. At least one of ourpotential students gave
up the ideaof studying because,without acrop,hecould not repay a
debt heowed. AsaChristian, he felt that it was his duty to find
employment andpay hisdebt.All Holes BarredThe majority of buildings
in Central America have barson the windows. The Bible Institute is
no exception. TheftIs a way of life, and theleast valuable Item may
be stolenand resold. Billwanted to avoid having the school
resemblea prison, so the windowprotections on the chapel
buildingare in the formof decorative iron. There are six
windows:one has a cross and a crown, the second has an Alpha
andOmega, the third has a hillwith three crosses, the fourth hasa
cupandloaf, the fifth hasalion, and the sixthhas anichthus(fish).
Itseemedappropriate that protection againstloss of propertyshould
beIn remembrance ofHim whois ourRock and Protector
againstthewilesof theDevil. One of the window
protectors.Electrifying NewsAnother advancement at the institute is
the installationof electric power. Previously, obtaining
electricityhadseemed impractical, but nowthat has changed. The
schoolis located sothat only three poles, a transformer, and lotsof
wire are needed to bring power from the high tension line.Ifpermits
are forthcoming, the school could have power bythe start of
classes. Bill had assumed that power hookupwould cost a great deal,
but the owner of the surroundingland is helping. (Naturally it will
benefit himalso.)Bill had planned to use aDiesel generator a few
hourseach evening. He had also been prepared to purchase a
gasrefrigerator at acost of about ninehundred dollars.With
commercialpower, the schoolcan use an electricrefrigerator that
adeparting missionary left behind.SomedayBill andMargy hope that
astudent will be abletoglorifyGodbyplaying the electricorgan that
MyraHarrah donated tothe school beforeher death. Our
transformer.Personal GlimpsesAs 1sit at the computer pondering what
I should say toeach of you, Ithink about the many blessings that
the Lordhas given me. 1have a very loving and considerate
husbandwho cares about me and tries to keep me happy. 1have
abeautiful daughter who is quite intelligent and helpful in
thehouse. 1have a loving son who is very concemed about meandwrites
meoftenviae-mail. But better thanall thesequalities that 1havejust
mentioned is the fact that my familyloves the Lord. Bill has given
hislife to the Lord's work onforeign fields. Right now, in spite of
the fact that he doesn'tthinkthat hehastheabilitytodirect
aninstitute, he isworking and praying each day for the Bible
institute that IsscheduledtoopeninJanuary. Rebeccais
planningonattending JohnsonBibleCollege to get further training
intheBible. Mark, whoIsworkingina largechurch, hasdevoted his life
to theLord, currently withyoungpeople.What more could aperson ask
for?Along with my Immediate family is my extended family.Each
member loves me and would giveme anything that1need. As was
demonstrated by the 125 anniversary cardsthat Bill and 1received
ayear and ahalfago on our 25thwedding anniversary, 1have many many
friends. And theyare praying for me - both formy good health and
formywitness in the Lord's work here in Honduras.Asthe hymn writer,
Johnson Oatman, Jr. says in thechorus of Count Your Blessings:Count
your blessings, Name them one by one;Count your blessings, See what
God hath done;Count your blessings. Name them one by one;Count your
many blessings, See what Cod hath done.This is what 1amdoing today
and 1encourage each oneof you todo it also. - MargyAn OutreachThe
churchIn San Pedro Sula continues to reach outInto the community.
The fact that they hold services in atent seems to break down
barriersin the"colonia" wherePublished by theRossvllle Christian
Church411Spnjce POB 187Rossville, KS66533FORWARD AND
RETURNPOSTAGEGUARANTEEDADDRESS CORRECTIONREQUESTEDthey meet. Now
the tent has a cement floor and the lot isfenced. The latest
additionisa much neededbathroom.The provisional out-house was too
provisional.The congregation has been saving to finish the
parsorv-age. The last great advance was roofing it. They now planto
put in both the downstairs floor and the inter-floor in thetwo
story building. When they have made that investmentof labor and
cash the churchwill have toInstall theHnaldetails. This includes
the protection bars and windows, thedoors, stucco and paint. A $500
gift to the congregationfrom amember of aprevious work team is
going to be agreat help in getting the next phase started.The
congregation will have fewer expenses once theminister can live on
the church property. It will also simplifysecurity for the church's
bus and fumiture. Presently, themembersmustcollectall the equipment
and thefoldingchairs and load themin the bus. The bus is then
parked andlocked in a truck storage lot that has a full-time
watchman.Unfortunately, the parking arrangement will soon
end.Prayer 'n' PraisePrau for: r s o n n l and students for
theBible instituteRebecca'sunderstandingof calculus this school
year*the church's need tocomplete the parsonagefunding for the
operation of the institutechurch growthsafety inHondurasMark as he
willbe separated from his family for Christmasthe many floodvictims
in HondurasPraise for:Chris and Paul, young men who work with Bill
at theinstituteRebecca's part-time job in afriend's storeDedication
service and all those who participatedElectricity at
instituteBill's recovery from asevere infectionNON-PROFIT ORG.U.S.
POSTAGEPAIDROSSVILLE, KSPERMIT NO. 6
