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SALUDOS! M/M Bill Hoff Apdo. 3166 San Pedrg Sula Honduras, Central America 504-566-3796 e-mail: [email protected] Corporate Office P.O. Box 61013 Las Vegas, NV 89160-2013 MEXICO SOUTH AMERIC^ from BAJIO CHRISTIAN MISSION Published Quarterly Vol. 30, Number 1 Winter 1999 HURRICANE MITCH Last October 30th Hurricane Mitch hit Honduras. Although San Pedro Sula proper was not directly affected, it did devastate much of the country. The coastal cities were damaged, but the hardest hit areas were located in the interior due to flooding and mud slides. There are many rivers and small streams throughout the country. Fifty inches of rain or more raised their levels several feet higher than normal. They became raging bodies ofwater which totally destroyed anything in their paths; including bridges, trees, animals, houses and people. For the first few days after the hurricane, Bill used his amateur radio skills helping in the communication center of the Army base. The Army, firefighters and radio operators were quick to respond to the rescuing of people and providing help. Almost anyone who had a boat was out rescuing people fromtheir housetops or any spot of higher ground. Meanwhile, Margy spent her time in communication in the house. There were many telephone calls from friends and missionaries in Honduras along with concerned people in the States. Cellular phones were a real blessing at that time. They made it possible to know that our missionaries in remote areas were remaining safe. There were also many e-mails. Margy would no sooner answer an e-mail when several others would come in. A few days after the main storm had passed, the Hoffs' role changed to bagging food for relief Their dining room became a production line. Many people helped them as they purchased food by the tons and then converted it into twelve pound packages (rice, beans, tortilla flour, lard, spaghetti, sauce and salt) and distributed the bags. Shortly before Christmas, the remaining food was taken The raging waters took out one road between our home and downtown. out to the institute.Currently all the bagging is done there, utilizing the food that arrived in the four containers that were sent from Northern Kentucky. Many thanks to Mark and Shanda Oakley and Tom Schneller and the others who helped in the organizing and loading of the containers. The tortilla flour and salt are the only things that are presently being purchased to fill out the bags. The distribution of food and clothing is being done basically in the Santa Rita area. This town is only about 20 minutes from the Bible institute, but it takes several hours to drive the thirty miles back into the mountains where the need is the greatest. The bridge between Santa Rita and the Institute was badly damaged but has remained open thus far. It will take at least an hour and a half to take an alternate route to that area when the bridge falls in or the government finally decides to repair it. In the Municipal area (like a county), there are over 750 families that have lost their homes. The Hoffs and others are working to feed and reestablish some of them. THE HELPERS MARGARITA - worked in the house for Bill and Margy from September until December. She was the fastest in the bagging of food and rice from 100 pound sacks into 4 pound packages. THE GILENS - a Russian family the Hoffs are hiring part time to help in reliefwork. They are tireless in working to help the We used to drive across this dry creek.

Hoff William Margy 1999 Honduras

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SALUDOS!M/M Bill HoffApdo. 3166San Pedrg SulaHonduras, Central America504-566-3796e-mail: [email protected] OfficeP.O. Box 61013Las Vegas, NV89160-2013MEXICOSOUTHAMERIC^fromBAJIO CHRISTIAN MISSIONPublished Quarterly Vol. 30, Number1 Winter 1999HURRICANEMITCHLastOctober 30thHurricane Mitchhit Honduras. AlthoughSanPedro Sulaproper wasnot directly affected, it diddevastatemuch of thecountry. Thecoastal citiesweredamaged, butthehardesthit areaswerelocatedin the interior due to flooding andmud slides. There are many rivers and small streams throughoutthe country. Fifty inches of rain or more raised their levels severalfeet higher than normal. They became raging bodies ofwater whichtotally destroyed anything in their paths;including bridges, trees,animals, houses and people.For the first few days after the hurricane, Bill used his amateurradio skills helping in the communication center ofthe Army base.The Army, firefighters and radio operators were quick to respondto the rescuing of people and providing help. Almost anyone whohad a boat wasout rescuingpeople fromtheir housetopsor anyspotof higher ground. Meanwhile, Margy spent her time incommunication in thehouse. There were many telephone callsfrom friends and missionaries in Honduras along with concernedpeople in theStates. Cellular phones werea real blessing at thattime. They made it possible to knowthat our missionaries inremoteareas were remaining safe. Therewere also many e-mails. Margywould no sooner answer an e-mail when several others would comein.A few daysafter the main storm hadpassed, the Hoffs' rolechangedto baggingfoodfor reliefTheirdiningroombecame aproduction line. Manypeople helpedthemas theypurchasedfoodbythe tons and then converted it intotwelve poundpackages (rice,beans, tortilla flour, lard, spaghetti, sauce and salt) and distributedthe bags. Shortly before Christmas, the remaining food was takenThe raging waters took out one road between our homeanddowntown.out tothe institute.Currentlyall the bagging isdone there, utilizingthefoodthat arrivedinthefour containersthat weresent fromNorthern Kentucky. Manythanks to Markand Shanda OakleyandTomSchnellerand the otherswho helpedin the organizing andloading of the containers. Thetortillaflour and saltare the onlythings that are presently being purchased to fill out the bags.The distribution of foodand clothing is being donebasicallyin the Santa Rita area. This town is only about 20 minutes from theBible institute, but it takes several hours to drive the thirty milesback into the mountains where the need is the greatest. The bridgebetween SantaRita and the Institute was badly damagedbut hasremained open thus far. It will take at least an hour and a halfto takeanalternate routetothat areawhenthebridge falls inor thegovernment finally decides to repair it. In the Municipal area (likea county), thereare over 750families that havelost theirhomes.The Hoffs and others are working to feed and reestablish some ofthem.THEHELPERSMARGARITA- worked in the house for Bill and Margy fromSeptember until December. She was thefastest in thebagging offood and rice from 100 pound sacksinto 4 poundpackages.THEGILENS - a Russianfamily the Hoffsarehiringparttime to help in reliefwork. They are tireless in working to help theWe usedto drive across this dry creek.Many ofthesuburbs ofSanPedro Sulafilledupwithmudandtvater.people of HondurasTOBIN&AMYHILL- arefairlynewmissionarieswhohavea ministry in the Merendon mountains about halfan hour from SanPedro. Theyare contributingfunds,their4-wheel drivepickup, andmanyhours of labor in Hurricane reliefKATHYBUTLER- isa friendofMargy who lives inTexas.She and her family were in San Pedro for a few months severalyearsago. Through e-mails she realized that Margyneeded someencouragement, so spent a week doing just that and also physicallyhelping in the work.GROUP FROM HAZELWOOD - Sevenmembers of theHazelwoodChristian Churchin Clayton, Indiana,came to help.They were ajoy to have around and were veryhard and ingeniousworkers. They built a box onthe back of Tobin's pickupand a rackon the back of Bill's Chevy pickupso that more supplies could behauled per trip. They unloaded two containers, bagged clothing,drove vehicles and distributed food and clothing.FAME work group - Kevin Dooleybrought a group to visitTobin and Amy Hill. Since they all met in the Hoffs' house, the\'were willing to spend a few hours in the bagging of food.THE STUDENTS - Thefour students at theBibleinstitutehelped unload the first two containers andmoved many boxes.Now there areeight students and they are rapidly finishing thebagging of beans andricethatweresent in the containers.Thefood bagging beingmovedto theInstitute.Right: TheHoff'sdiningroom becamean assembly line.HOFF'S FAMILY- Rebecca, Mark and JoyHoff, andRickand BeckyRowan(Joy's parents) spent a coupleofdays inbaggingfood and also two long days in helping with distribution while theywereinHonduras.JOHNAND MADONNA SPRATT- aremissionaries inLas Brisas deChamelecon. Their areabecamean islandformany days. Bill and Margy prepared food for them shortly afterthe hurricane. Bill deliveredit as far as he could drive and thenit was takenby boat to their house. Theywerein town early inJanuary witha couple of visitorsfrom theStates sotheyspentseveral hourspreparing 270 bags of foodat the institute. Theywere grateful that theycould help theHoffs since theHoffs hadhelped thempreviously.Muchworkisyet tobedonein Honduras. Last report has8,058mi$sing(probahlydeadby now), 5,657dead, 1,482,659without homes, and 12,272hurt. Aspecialthanks toeveryoneinthe States andHonduras that havehelped thus farinalleviating the painof the peopleinHonduras. BillandMargy continue toprayfor wisdom in using thefunds andsuppliesthat are sent their way. Theydesire to usetheir timewisely inrelief work, theinstitute, the church, and otherareas of their ministry.It tookafour-wheel drivetractor toget thefirst container out ofthe mudRight toleft: Aleck Gilen, BillHoJf,TohinHill, CongressmanAntonio Galvez, and Tod Field.BABY DEDICATION SERVICETheEnglishspeaking congregationin San Pedro Sulahasexperienced much change in membership during its two years ofexistence. Themusic directorhasreturnedtothe States alongwith a former pastor fromthe States whodid most of thepreaching. But just when it seems like thereis no one to fulfillthenecessary positions,someone newcomes andis willing tohelp, or one ofthe current members makes known that they haveabilitiesreadytobeused for theLord. Rebecca Hoff toldhermother, "Don't worryMom, God has taken care ofthe church inthepast and hewill continue todoso." Thisis true.Thegroup will alwaysbe very transient, but thechurchisavailablefor those whowant to hear God'sWordandreceivethe Lord's Supper. The Hoffs' desire is for the people ofthe SanPedro area andthemanyvisitors that come toHonduras tobeblessed. Arecordattendanceof ninety-threewasreachedonNovember 24th. This daywasdesignated as "Baby DedicationDay." Five babies or small children were dedicated to theLord.This wasalso theSunday that thechurch enjoyed their sharedThanksgiving dinner. It truly was a day ofworship and fellowshipfor everyone.One ofthe babies dedicated.THEINSTITUTELast yearwhen Bill set thestart up dateforthisyear'sclasses, he could not have dreamed how the school year wouldbeaffectedbyclimaticconditions. Classes started on September19, eleven days before the hurricane, and there were fourstudents. A1Young hadflown downfrom SanDiego, CA toteachthebook of Hebrews. A weeklater a bridge between theschool and SanPedro washed out in a freak storm. The highwayauthoritiesquicklymadetemporaryrepairs, but a weeklaterBill saw that the temporary bridge was caving in. He announceda school vacation and sent the students home. That proved to beagooddecision. (Hurricane Mitch wasstill off the coast.)Mitch did not turn North as predicted, but South, and the rest ishistory.When the Hoffsreceivedwordthat theyweretoreceivesome relief containers, theybegan to search forstorage space.When no warehouse space was avai lable, they decided to use theInstitute buildings. It was a good decision, but there weredrawbacks. One is that the school sits on ahill and whenit rainstheroadbecomessomuddythat onlyafour wheel drivewillclimb it. The first container up couldn't be removed because thetractorcouldn't get upthemuddyhill tohookup. Bill hadtoborrowa four wheel drive agricultural tractor to pull thesemi-tractor up the hill. The next container had to be unloaded belowand shuttled up in pickups, and the followingtwo were maroonedup at thetopfor a weekin bad weather.In spite of theseproblems, thedecision to use theinstituteforstoragespacewas ablessing. Whenthe workteamfromHazelwood Christian Church came, they were able to stay in theboy's dorm. It was alsopossible to store all fourcontainersinthe facilities ofthe institute until distribution could be effected.Unfortunately, the church services in the chapel had to besuspendedfor lackof space. Churchserviceswill returntonormalwithina week.As of January11th classesare back in sessionwith Bill asthe teacher and eight students ready to learn. The students spendfreetimehelpingbagfoodand clothingfor distribution. Billforesees aneedfor morebedsfortheschool beforetheyearends. The 18th of Januaryanother visitingProfessorwill bearrivingtohelpwiththeworkload. Oh! About that muddyroad: Bill is bringingin aload of gravel eachday tomakeitpassablein all kinds of weather.Aclass at the Bible Institute.HOLYLANDSeptember29thBillandMargy leftKnoxville, Tennessee, forNewYorkwhere theyjoined49others inatriptoJordan andIsrael.Arefuelingstop was made in Amsterdambefore arrivinginAmman, Jordan, at5;30p.m. theirtime. The 11 daytripwasoneoflittlerest butincredible excitement astheyvisited place afterplacethat is mentionedintheBible.This trip was sponsoredby JohnsonBibleCollege. Jerr>'Mattingly, the archeologyprofessor, arrangedthe trip andwasbasicallytheguide. Dr. DavidEubanks, president ofJBC.accompanied the groupandgave much spiritual insight intowhatwas being seen. It was dry season so the weather was beautifulthroughout the tripandit waslate in theseasonso themassivecrowds of tourists were gone.Jerash, Madaba, Petra and Mt. Nebo were all exciting placesto visit in Jordan. Jerash is a Graeco-Roman city and very wellpreserved. Thiscitybelonged to the DECAPOLIS. Bill andMargystood on the crossroads (paved with stones) which was the centerof the city. Jerash had beenlaid outin an east to west and north tosouthsystemwhich must have facilitatedtravel. Madabahadachurch withthemost incrediblemosaic floor; it was amaprepresenting the entire Holy land for the benefit of pilgrims. Billcould evenread theGreek names of thecities. Mount Nebo wasspectacular; the view of the Promised Land was a little obscured bydust andsmog, but Mosesmust havebeenoverwhelmedby it. Petra(Sela) was as breath-taking as anyone can imagine. There are nowords to describe the site.IncomparisontoJordan, thearcheological sites inIsraelseemed rather mundane, until one realized their implicationto theChristian Faith. What impressed Bill and Margyin Israel was notthe stones and buildings but the geographical realities that theywere in the very place where the Bible Narratives were lived. Billhatedthecommercialism that seemedsopervasive, but lovedseeingtheplaces. Masadawas impressive in asomberway.QumranremindedBill of theveracityof theSacredBook. TheJordan river was less polluted inJesus' time. Galilee was beautiful;Jesusmust havelovedtoreturn"home"from dusty, crowdedJerusalem. Billsays that he was most moved by thetown ofCapernaum. Somehow he felt that the ruins of the forth centur>'synagogue helpedhim get morein touch with the Lord's life andtimes than anyother place. InJerusalemthe Domeof the RockwasA tourist map oftheHoly Land in Madaba.overwhelming. Itreminded the Hoffs ofhowfirm anadversary wehave in ourbattle for the souls of the nations and how improbableit is that peace will never reign in Palestine. It is unfortunate thatBill and Margy have nothad any time to"process" the trip. Infact,because ofthehurricane, they haven't even viewed thevideo theytook. But they will always begrateful forBill'sfamily for providingthemthe opportunity to visit the Holy Land.JerashPetra Dome of theRockMosqueCapernaumUnloadingtwocontainers at once.Awork teamfromtheHazelwoodChristianChurch. Mar^andherfriend,Kathy.Getting there is half thefun. A chain andfour-wheel drive Thiswasoncea cornfield, hut thecreektookout all thesoilandvehicle help. manyhouses.Aboveandright: Ourson,Mark, anddaughter,Rebecca, helpeddistributetothevictimsof "Mitch."Multitudes waitingfor distribution offood and clothes.These menfrom Hazelwood rodethirtymiles out to theInstituteon topofdonatedbalesofclothes.Aleck Gilen handingoutfood in"Jesus' name."PERSONAL GLIMPSES --CHRISTMAS WITH FAMILYBill andI havebeenexcitedfor several monthsknowingthat our children(RebeccaandMarkandJoy) andJoy's parents(Rick and Becky Rowan) would be coming for Christmas. Thereunion finally tookplaceon December 19that theairport. 1wasconfused about the arrival time, but I'm sure I made record timein getting there onceRebecca called.The two-weekvisit wasa combinationofwork and pleasure,but it all seemed fun withfamily. Twodifferent days were spentinbaggingfoodand twodays indistribution. Acouple of timesMark also delivered food to areas nearby. On December 23rdweall enjoyed a dayatthebeach. Wehaddecidedthat onthefirst sunnyday, wewouldgo. Thewaveswerehigh-justthewayMark, Beka, andBillenjoy it.The Christmas Eve service was very uplifting. Following ahalfhour of reading scripture interspersedwithChristmassongs, Bill hadthe groupforma circle andeveryone participatedinthe Lord's Supper. Snacks and drinks werethen served bythehotel. Our family returnedhome and unwrapped gifts and thenwe visited a friend's house for a big turkey dinner. The traditionhereis toshoot off fireworks at midnight soMark andBekabought their share andhadfunmakingalot of noise. OnChristmas daywe inviteda Taiwanese familyand A1 Young(theprofessor at theBibleinstitute) toshare our turkey and hamdinner. It was interesting to try and conversein three differentlanguages.I made reservationsin October for allof us to spendtwonights in cabins in a resort near the Copan Ruins. FollowingChristmas we went on our mini-vacation. The time spent at theMark, Joyand RebeccaRuinsand surrounding area wasverybeautifulandrelaxing.Theweathercooperatedandit wasquitecomfortable. Ourfamily enjoyed playing games inthe evening. Another specialday was December 31st. We visitedthe waterfalls which Isaboutan hour fromour home. Followingthisawe-inspiringsight we drove to our friends'home near beautiful Lake Yojoawhere we enjoyeda barbecue chickensupper. We then hurriedback to attendthe New Year Eve's servicein Spanish. TomSchneller, our former coworker preached.It was sad tosay goodbyetoMark andJoyandRick andBecky Rowan on January 3rd. Rebecca was able to spend fourmoredayswithusandwemadeuseof our timetogether. Wefeltvery blessed to have had our family here for the holidays.Tno-o26z,eNX arnAxoN^iniaxoaojSaOIA^3S NOISSMzz "ON iiN-and'HniASSoyaivdHOVlSOd"STl'D^O Ild0>ld-N0Maiismbi}! loiA ss3mavZi99 s:^'3!I!ASS0>{I St'Jiog odoui 'uoissji^iUB|jsuq3oifegXq paqsnqnjBAJIO CIIRISTIAN MISSIONiswiilimi^Mends.^:-.-:v>:(.)nce again we wouldlike to report on our minisirv- andhow we arc still involved in the Huhicanei'iifiefsr.'-'work. -^ --" -V-'-v.-, "VV- The Bible institute continues with eight students. The teachers thas far have been Young. "".^myself, TimThomas, andcurrently Richard Gring. Richard reportsthat it is difficult to teachstudentswith sucha wide range of education. Onestudent has only finishedsecond gradeandanother has :completed two years in the university', butthe moreknowledgeable students are encouraged to help the-^r- ;oihers. Richard istr> ing to also teachthemself-disciplineand theolder onesreally appreciatethis. \Distribution of foodandclothing continues about oncea week. As theneed arises theseitems arebaggedby Marg>\ the Gilens(a Russianfamily whohas helpedgreatlyin the relief work)andthe -students atthe institutealong with Richard and Danielhis son. Slowly but surelythe relief suppliesthatweresent in thefour containershavebeen withdrawn fromthe institutewheretheyhavebeen storedsince ihey anived. Medicines aredistiibuted as needed. N'owwe haveonly one room full of food andclotliing. In fact, we have been buvingbeansat the local market forthe latest distributions.Theproto-t>pe house/shelter forthe Santa Ritaareahasbeen completed. TlielO'X 20' structurewas built by Richard and DanielGring. Thestudentshelpedlay the cement floor. Thepostswereput up,then the lamina roof was put on and then the floor laid. The stnicture is wrapped in plastic until theownersare able to fill in the walls with blockor adobebiick. Approximate cost forthese houses areS400. Richard and Daniel hopeto usethe students in the afternoons to continue ontliis project. Ourfellowmissionary- friends, Todd and LynnellFields, are ha\ingtheir workteams build these houses also.Tlietruck thatF. A.M.E. senttoHonduras hasanived and is currently beingused tohaul woodand other materials to the construction site. My impression is tl\at it will take you any where you need togo, but deafen you in the process.At least it hauls a good size load.Many have asked if there is epidemics or many diseases since the hurricane. We are happy to.report that the answer is "no." Many medical teams from churchesand foreign countries (Cubandoet(have really made an impact) continue to come and help those in need. It continues to rain off and on iiHonduras which is a blessing for some and a problemfor others. Some are waiting for the soil in thefields to diy so they can sow, others are using the rain water as their only source fordrinking.We appreciate your continued supportthrough prayers and fmances for relief work. Ourintention was to send this to you before Sunday, but we had telephone line complications on Saturday; ;:;and were ver\' busy on Sunday. Marg\' and I will be gone from Tuesday morning until Friday morning\ mini \'acation. Wewill lr\- toanswer all e-mailsnext weekend.tMIServing in Honduras^^Billa^^-Sg-pi"UNnB> STATESpXSALUDOSCM/MBill Hoffg.l66MEXICO^SOinHAMERICA^Published QuarterlyfromBAJIO CHRISTIAN MISSIONVol. 30, Number 2SanPedro SulaHonduras, Central America504-566-3796e-mail: [email protected]. Box61013Las Vegas, NV89160-2013Summer 1999A Proud Mother - Personal GlimpsesExcitement began buildingwithin Bill andmewhen we received a phonecall from Mark andJoy last March stating that they were trying towork it outsothatwe couldattend Mark's ordination service duringthetime that we werein the States. We never considered thisas a possibility.As missionaries weoften have tomiss events thatwewould liketoattend butdistance prohibitsus from doing so. We trynot to complain but accept thisas part of being amissionary ona foreign field.When wearrivedinIndianawetalked withJoy'sdad,Rick Rowan, aboutthedates that we hadavailable fortheordination. After speaking with SteveRanson, theminister oftheHazelwood Christian Church, Mark andJoywerecontacted and a Sanirday evening, April 24thwasscheduled.I don'tthink a mother canbeanyprouderthantohave hersonordainedas a ministerin the church of the LordJesus Christ. (I knowthat Bill felt thesame way). Bill was asked tosay a few words, aswas Joy's father during theservice. The Hazelwood churchhadplanned a lovely service andit was wellattended, Mark and Joy were then commissioned to the missionfield. Areception followed theservice.This Hazelwood church hasaccepted Bill and me aspartoftheir family.We arethankful foralltheydoonourbehalf andofcourse, we arehappy thatthey oversee Mark andJoy.The following is part of theprinted program for Mark's ordination.Mark was bornto Bill andMargyHoff September 29, 1974, inQueretaro, Mexico. During his 17yearsin Queretaro, his parents taughthim theskills necessary for ministry.He choseJohnson Bible College asa stepping stonetoafutureministry. While in Knoxville, hehelpedrestoreaSpanish-speakingcongregation andfoundhimself helpingothermissionarykids adjust to life in the states using his ownexperiences.Followinghis junior year in college, he took a summeryouthinternposition atClear Creek Church ofChrist inAshland, Ohio. After graduatingin May of 1996, heworked a yearat Greenwood Christian Church as theyouth intern under Lee Faust. On July 26, 1997, he was married toJoyRowanwhomhe met at JohnsonBibleCollege. They currentlylive inKnoxville, Tennessee. Markis working as an electrician's apprentice asJoycompletes her Master's yearineducation. They planto move toCostaRica in August of thisyear.They willbeserving as teachersat theSojournAcademy inthecapital city ofSanJose.This school is designed toeducatemissionary childrenas their parents learn Spanish and the Latin culture.Please prayfor them as they prepareto serve God in this capacity.Mark's OrdinationMark&Joy at reception.HoffandRowanfamilies.Seven Week TripBill hasalways wanted totakeaspeaking triptotheStates during thespringor in the fall. But, because of the children's schooling, thish;isnever beenpossible. After Rebecca left home, Margy helped ina schoolfora couple ofyears andwas only available toleave during thesummer.But this year, a tripin the spring became a reality, When theplans wereflrst made, the Hoffs did not realize that Hurricane Mitchwould hit beforethe scheduled trip, andthat they would really needthistime away.Bill andMargy Qew intoIndianapolis where Madonna Spratt's sisterandbrother-in-law (Dan andMarilyn Nash) were waiting with a car fordieHoffs touse. John and Madonna had purchased this car,even thoughthey hadnever seenit. Bill repaired thebrakes andthus, it was histousethroughout the trip,which amounted to almost 7,000 miles. Rick andBecky Rowan (Joy's parents) werealso attheairportwaiting toescortBillandMargy totheirhouse. The Hoffs would enjoy theirhospitalityvarioustimes throughout theirstay in theStates.After spending adaywith theRowans, theHoffs visitedDebi andRickyOliva in Springfleld, Missouri. The Oliva family were formerlyof SanPedro Sula and are close friends of Bill andMargy. Five days were thenspentinJoplinwherethepersonnelat Good News Productions produceda video oftheHoffs' workinHonduras. After another day anda halfwiththe Olivas,Bill andMargy returned to Indiana wherethey showed thevideo various times to churches and friends.The highlight of thetripwas Mark's ordination service, which tookplace onApril 24th. (Please seearticle ofPersonal Glimpses.) Rebeccacame from Knoxville toattend theceremony, soitwas anexciting time tobe with the children.The following week. Bill andMargy drove toAlexandria, KY whereMarg\' on old Trout homestead.Nathan Dungan, Bill&Mark discussing engine reassembly.they stayed with theSchneller family. This close friendship has lastedmany years. Duringthis six-day visit, the Hoffs visited various friendsthroughout the area. They traveled toGncinnati several times. Followinga speaking engagement in Ohio, Bill and Margy drove to Pennsylvaniawhere they spokein threechurches. All of these churches were onesinwhichMargy's grandfather hadformerly preached, so they heldmanymemories for her. TheHoffsenjoyed a couple of daysof relaxationbetween engagements.After another day with the Schnellers,Bill and Margy drove toKnoxville wheretheyspent almosttwelve days with Rebecca andMarkandJoy. They alsovisited many of their friends on theJohnsonBibleCollege campusandat theSeymour Christian Church wheretheyonceattended. It was aver\' busy time, but oneofgreatfun andfellowship.Margy's birthdaytookplaceduringthistime, soa barbecuepicnicwasheld in her honorwith her family andfriends. Bill spentseveral daysoverhaulingthe engineonRebecca's car. Marg>' was verybusytransportingthe family becauseof a limited number of vehicles. Butthe Lord wasgood in allowing the car to be finished beforeBill had10 leave. Rebecca wasa "happy camper"when she drove it toworkina newly repairedcondition.Sixo'clock on Sundaymorning. May23rd, Bill and MargyleftKnoxville fora speaking engagement inKennicky. Following theserviceandlunch with some friends, they returned toIndiana andthefollowingday relumedthecar toJohnandMadonna, who werethenintheStates.The Rowans took theHoffs to theairport for a 6 a.m. fUght onTuesdaymorning, May 25th. They hadan uneventful triphome.Many thanks toeveryone who made thetripvery enjoyable.OldPennsylvania TollHouse.Loanedvehiclefrom the Spratts.2 Ver/ Imeortjint Unnwincements!New VideoThe Hoffs have a new video oftheirwork inHonduras. You may borrowa copybywriting to Mission Services, Box 13111, Knoxville, TN 37920-0111or Darryi Olson, Box451, Rossville, Ks 66533or [email protected] on Hurricane ReliefAleckandHelen Gilen, theHoffs Russian friends who helped duringtheflooding, are administering the remainingfundingfor hurricanerelief.While Bill and Margv' were in the States, the Gilens handled thefunds anddelivered supplies. They alsopaidtheconstruction workers who built theshelter/houses forthose needing them intheSanta Rita areawhere most oftherelief was sent. The Gilens will continue tohelp until theneeded housesarefinished. There arecurrently 107 houses constructed. The need forthistype of relief intheSanta Rita areais drawing toa close.The students arebagging theremaining clothing (about one quarter ofacontainer) fordistribution. There arepeople living invillages very close totheinstitutewhoneedadditional clothing. Alargedistributionof food (whichbasically finished all ofthefood that was sent theHoffs) andclothing, was madeby Bill andthestudents thesecondweekofJune. The remainingclothingwill bedistributed before this letter goes topress.Many thanksto all thosewhomadethe reliefworkpossibleeither byproviding ftmding, helping with thecontainers, or coming to Honduras tohelpin thedistribution. The people of Honduras will forever be grateful.Housingfor hurricane victims.Carolyn &GordonClifford whohelpedinhurricane relief.New VehicleThe Hoffs urgendy needa new vehicle! Maintenance and down time oncurrentvehicles isexcessive. The Mission isseekingspecial contributionstotaling $20,000. Please send your contribution to themission office.The Tyson Chastain FamilyI InJune of 2000 the Chastain family plans to join Bill and Margy in-)^Jthe work of the Bible Institute in Honduras. They will become schoolladministrators andwill bethefirst non-students tolive attheinstitute.Specificdutieswill includemaintenance, purchasing, andcoordinationof thestudent work program, coordination ofchapel services, someleaching, aswell aspromotion ofandrecruitment fortheschool. Theirparticipation in thisministry will allow Bill Hoff, founder, todedicatemoreof his time to teaching.Tyson iscurrently a student atJohnson Bible College inKnoxville,TN andis planning tograduate intheyear2000 with a degree in BibleandMissions. HeandBetsy were married September 15,1991 andarethe parents of three children:Drew, Skyler and Briscoe. (Excerptsfromthe February1999 issue of the Horizonsmagazine printed inKnoxville, Tennessee).Needless to say, the Hoffs are very excited abouttheir future co-workers andenjoyed spending some time widi them during theirvisitin Knoxville.TCanJohnsonBible College student workteam.Getting to Know ThemTheCurrent classof studentshas beenstudying at the BibleInstitutesincelateSeptember of last year. Nanirally, there was a large break during the disaster caused byHurricane Mitch. But inthattime, we have hadtwo visiting professors. Richard Gring whotaught anddesigned, and(with thehelp ofstudent labor,) built thefirst ten houses that wereerected for thehomeless from thestorm. The next professor was Al Young.AI hastaughtmoreclassesthanhe originallyintended. Hewas marooned in HondurasduringtheHurricane. Healsohaspersonal commitments thathave kepthim hereforseveral months.His presence made possible theHoffs triptotheStates thisspring. Hetaught during theirabsence. He hasalso served by preaching at theInternational Christian Fellowship.Each newsletter will give a briefautobiography ofoneofthesix students currently attheinstitute. The first featured student is Emilio Aldona. He is a native ofa small village inthe Merendon Mountains (which sit to the west of San Pedro Sula.) He entered school atseven years ofage andstudied four years. He says that by thelime hewas fourteen hehadbegun awild life that lead toabusing alcohol andwasting himself onprostitutes. At twenty-five years ofage hemarried andsettled down some, He relates that thebirthofhischildwasthehappiest day inhis life. But soon doctors discovered abone cancer inhis wife's leg. Themedics wanted toamputate, butfear oflosing herleg, drove herfrom tiie hospital. MadonnaBurget Sprattwenttotheir housetovisit andconvinced themthattheonlyhopefor hiswife'srecovery wasin theoperation. After diesurgery, sherecovered ina relatives' house inSanPedro. While there she went to a church and became convinced of her need forsalvation.She tried toinvite her husband tovisit thechurch widi her, but he refused andcontinued inseveral vices. When hiswife returned to themountain,Madonna helped the family inmany ways. She was overjoyed to hear that the lady had accepted the Lord. Madonna asked Emilio when he was goingtoaccept the Lord also. Emilio's wife pointed out tohim that Madonna was aChristian, and tried toconvince him Uiat heneededJesus. Then one eveningatadance, Emilio was drinkingwith afriend and hesaid Iam going toaccept Christ tomorrow. The next morning heand his drinking buddy both madeadecision inchurch andthenext week they were baptized. He said that hecouldn't return totheoldlife style, sowhen hiswife died ofthebone cancerfour months later, hecontinued going to church. In 1998 when the preacher ofthe church which hewas attending accepted another ministry, heleftEmilio in chaise ofthe church. Later, missionaries offered to send him tothe Bible Institute and he decided to attend. Emilio says diat his goal istolearn the Word so that hecan bethe fountain through which people can find salvation. He goes home twice aweek topreach and be wiUi his son.ZZOMlIWHSdSM 'anussoaaivdaovisod s noao lUOHdA'ON\\\O-0Z6Lt MlaniAXGNraTTiei XOQOdSH01A^3S NOISSMEmilioAldonaammdMniAmsssuaav^599SM 'aniASSoa15^xog od3UI 'uoissiwuBijsuq^ oftegXq paqsqqndUNrnOSTATESMEXICOSOUTHAMERICAPublishedQuarterlySALUDOS!fromBAJIO CHRISTIAN MISSIONVol. 30, Number 3M/M BUI HoffApdo. 3166San Pedro SulaHonduras, Central America504-566-3^96e-mail: [email protected] OfficeP.O. Box 61013Las\'egas,NV 89160-2013FaU1999Joys and TearsrrvnTi [DDC3SS wunmcniiDDQDuringthelasttwoandahalfyears wehavebeenblessed bybeingableto minister to the English speakingcommunity here inSanPedro Sula.TheMinistryisa people experience. 1remember someone saving,"The Churchwould be perfect if it were not for all the people." W'e know that the word"church" means, "called out ones." What wouldthe "called out ones"bewithout the "ones"? The church exists to nurture people: justified peoplebeingsanctified andbound for heaven. Unfortunatelv, thepeopleare intheprocess of becomingsaintsand are lessthan perfect. In the congregation toofrequentlythere is friction and strife, The potential for those problems ismultiplied in a multicultural congregation, so we have totrv to help thebelievers to overcome the old personality traits that Paul mentions in theGaiatians' letter, and to be transformed. \X'cthen have to teach that, "each istoconsiderothersbetterthanhimself." Ineverv voluntarvorganization thereexistthe rootsof self-destruction. Soministering tothe InternationalChristianFellowshipis an experienceindiplomacyand loveand forgiveness.Preaching is a lesser part of the ministry-. Thepreaching is sharedbetween severalmen in the congregation on a rotational basis; likewise, themeditationsfor the Lord'sSupper, theworshipleaderand children'steachers.The real ministry- isencouragingpeople to work together and to growin theLord. Marg)- and I spend several hours a week organizing the sen'ices,producing bulletins, and locatingteachers and other volunteers. The churchrelieson participation of manvpeople each Lord's dav.Thejoys of the ministn" are in the ",-\h!" moments. Thev are thosemoments when someone suddenlydiscovers a great spiritual truth for theirlife. Thereisthe joy of seeing thechildrengrowin theirunderstandingoftheLord. Andnothingcomparestoseeingsomeonecommit theirlifeto theLord.This ministry- is not without tears.Just recendyone of the families inthechurch losttheirson. As acongregation andindividually, we hadbeeninearnestpraver forhishealing for overtwovears. The Lord didnotheal himand it pains us to see the sufferingin the livesofones wecarefor. Because of thevaried churchbackgrounds ofourcongregation, wefrequendy heartheverse, "bvHisstripes wearehealed," andI wonderedwhy God did not heal him. I began to doubt that we had all done ourpart. I struggled withthe question until I wasstudying in Peter's firstepisde (2:20-24) where he explains the proper use of that verse fromIsaiah.Hesaysthat the "HealingPowerofChrist'swounds"isinrelationto our sins, (not our phvsical bodies.)The International ChristianFellowship isanexcitingadventurein anon-homogeneouscongregation. Needs are being met in theEnglish speakingcommunitybecause thechurchisgrowinginnumbersand in the participation ofthe members. The attendance is80or abovemost Sundays. Thechurchis lookingforward tocontinuedgrowthandto becominga positiveforce for evangelismin the community. Pravforthe ministr\'. Spechr/pivgnvi/ ofn/nsic, puppds und tvstin/onks.Uonhplfa