SALUDOS!CENTRAL MEXICO &BAJIO CHRISTIAN MISSIONfrom355-5BILL HOFFandFAMILYAPARTADO POSTAL 57QUERETARO, QRO. 76000 MEXICOPublished Quarterly Volume21, Number1 Winter 1990CONSTRUCTION BEGINSThe decade of the 80's ended with a joyful note for the churchin Queretaro. Just before the government offices closed for theholidays, a permit for the church'sconstructionwasgranted.After the holidays, Bill sought a contract toexcavatethefoundation. OnJanuary16th, the 90thandlast truckloadofearth was removed. January 22nd thestonemason beganmeasuring for the footer. The next day he laid the first stone andworkbeganinearnest.Bill is nowverybusytryingtocoordinate the purchase anddeliveryof materials to the constructionsite so thatwork canadvance without delay. Every morning he delivers about a tonof cement andlimetothe site and every eveningpicks up anyremaining materials (so they don't change owners) and gets theorderfor thefollowingday.WhileBill coordinates the construction, Alberto Gonzalezisjust as busy trying to keep the job legal. He got the water connected, investigated the relations with the tabor union, and hasbeenhandlingthe Social SecurityInsurance ontheworkers.At the very moment that this isbeing written, a dump truck iscarryingloadafterloadof awaterproofdirt to the foundationandrefillingit togroundlevel. This earthisthencompactedlayer uponlayerbydroppingasteel weight onit. There are atotal of six men at the construction site: three spreading the fillandpoundingitinplace, and three laying the last of the stonework. Thenext stage of construction will be to put up the one-room house for the Christianlady who serves as a caretaker forthe church. Thenworkwill beginonthe Christian-Educationsection.It isurgent that the church be into thebuilding(evenunfinished)by the first of May so that they do not have to sign anotheryear's contract. The $250 amonthrent could thenbe used onconstruction. If you can contribute toward this goal, it would begreatly appreciated. BillmUPDATE ON CHRISTIAN YOUTHSeeingtheneedfor some Christianactivity for the youngeryouthof the church, two anda half years agoBill andMargybegan holdingmonthly youth meetings in their home for thosefrom ages 10 to 13. Atthattime Mark was a part of the group, butRebecca was too young. NowRebecca participates while Markattends the older youthmeetingsat the church. Someof theyoung people are faithful church attenders and others never gotochurch. Sometimes the group is small; othertimes it isquitelarge.At the Februarymeetingtherewasarecordnumberof 16present. Other congregations in the area have now decided tosend theiryouth to these meetings. Thetwo-hourtimetogetherincludes a Bible story, a craft, a time of recreation and a refreshment. As you can see in the photo, hearts were madeduring thecraft time at thelast meeting.In Mexico,a girl's 15th birthday is cause for a big celebration.LastFall, EricaMartinez, afaithful member of the youth group,celebratedher15thbirthday. Followingthe SundaymorningYouthinHoff's homeHugo's partychurch service, thecongregationshared ineatingthelargecake that her parentshadprovidedfor the occasion.The last issue of "Saludos" included the article "Youth Alive"which gave the story of Hugo Castaneda and his rededication totheLord. Thispast January, Hugoreceivedhisdegree as anaccountant. His mother and sisters had a celebration party forhimandinvitedthe church members. Everyone enjoyed cakeand jello anda time of fellowship. Mostof the youth group werepresent.Thelast Saturdayof January thearea-wideyouthmeetingwas held at the church in Queretaro. The youth workeddiligently preparing the service, practicing their special music,preparing the Bible games, renting a Christian film, andpreparing the main dish for the meal. Approximately 75peoplewere jammed into the current building. It will be nice to have alarge building with adequate facilities toentertain such a largegroup. MargyErica's15thbirthdayArea-wide youthmeetingLADIES MEET AGAINAftera break of several months, the ladies of the congregationhavereturned toholding weekly meetings. Actually, theyhave a Bible study and prayer meeting every other week and thealternatingweektheygovisiting. Visitsincludeprospectivemembers, thosewhoaresickinthecongregation, or elderlythat are unable to attend. It has been a blessing to the visitors aswell as to the ladies that do the visiting. Because of a visit madeacouple ofweeks ago. Bill isnowholding aBible study with ayoung couple who werebaptizedseveral months ago, but forvariousreasonshave not been attendingchurch.Theladiesarealsoactive intryingto raisemoneyfor theconstructionfund. MargyVISITORS FROMVEGASTheHoffs wereblessedlastFall with three visitors fromLas work andvisit the country. While here he built the stand that theVegas, Nevada. They were Juan and Sharon Cuellar, and DaveBrown. JuanandSharonwere missionaries in Michoacan,Mexicomanyyears ago andarewanting toreturntoMexico.They hope to come to Queretaro andhelpin any way possiblewith the church here. Dave accompanied them to look over theCasio(electricpiano)sits on.Phyllis Obregon is our regular pianist. She and MaryGonzalez, the evangelist's wife, sang "Amazing Grace" inEnglishandSpanish one Sundaymorning. MargyPERSONAL GLIMPSESI wouldlike you tomeet my four "Favorite Little People." Onthe far left is Erica Calderon. She is in first grade and the eldestdaughter of DebbieandGil Calderonwhoministerwith thechurchintheMilitaryCampabout sixmilesfromhere. Thisfamilylivesafewblocks fromus and we rent anoffice behindtheir house, so we see Erica fairly often. She has always wantedtobewithme. Next is CalebRamirez. As I writethis, heIssuffering froma case of the chicken pox. His parents are BeckyandHumbertoRamirezwhoworkin a churchinSantaRosaJauregui whichis about twelve miles away. Mark studies withBecky three hours each morning so he "plays" with Caleb on his"breaks." Caleb adores Mark andis always anxious to come to"our"house. When he rolls his big browneyes, your heartmelts. Next isAmy, Caleb's sister. She isin the same class asErica at school. She has beautiful light brown hair. Shethoroughlyenjoys visitinghere, also. Last isMeganwhoisayounger sister of Erica. Sheis in kindergartenandbeamsallover when she looks at you. I babysit these children once inawhile andenjoy their zestforlife.The holidays seemed to pass quickly here inQueretaro. Wehada couple ofdays ofcold weather in December but nothinglike most of you suffered in the United States. The weather wasbeautiful during our short stay in Texas after Christmas, but welearned that it was 15 degrees Fahrenheit there beforeChristmas. The citrusdidn't lookgoodatall.January was a busy and frustrating month for variousreasons. It took over two weeks, with much help from anothermissionary, torepair thepickup. Bill hadplannedtospend acouple of days onit. As the church construction began, so didvariousproblemsthat wehadnot anticipated. Itis alsoverytime-consuming. Then Rebecca hadnewteachersafter theholidays and her grades, along with the grades oftherestof herSpanishclass, fell quitelow. Since thedirectorof the schoolwas her new teacher, it was hard to say a lot. But we did visit thedirector following semester exams and after averaging hergrades, thereport sent to the Secretary of Education was quitegood. Wedebatedabout changingschools, butafter muchprayerhave decided toleaveherinher current school.We thankyou for your prayersonour behalf. If wecanpromote missions in your church in anyway, please let us know.MargyWHERETHEWORDSPEAKS MEXICANEVANGELISMNOWJesus commissioned us to disciple the nations, baptize them,andcontinuetoteachthem. For this reason Bill teaches anumber of Bible studies eachweek. Some are for people whohavenot beenbaptized, andsome for those whohave.Heholds three orfour"evangelistic" studies weekly. Often heuses A Peace Treaty with God for his study. If, in a reasonabletime, theydonot choosetoacceptthelordshipof Jesus, helooksfor anothercandidate andbeginsagain. Thiswasthecase a few weeks ago when four brothers near the BibleInstitute decided not to become Christians because of pressurefromneighbors. Bill began a new study withanother prospect.Those who have been baptized need nurturing. In one nearbyvillage. Bill is teachinga couplesufferingpersecution. Thestudyisfromthebookof I Peter, aletter writtentoachurch"under fire."He continues theBible studywith the upper classladies asshownin thephoto. Alsoheteaches anadult Bible study onSunday, and once a month holds a church service in San Miguelde Allende. In the middle of February he was able to turn overthemid-week service and study to someone else.Naturally, Bill is forced to spend a great deal of time preparinglessons, but whenpossible, heusesthematerial morethanonce. BillIBDisclaimer Bill is distributing"El Pacto deRazconDios"(APeaceTreatywith God) freeoutsideoftheUnitedStates, inorder tonot violate anagreementwiththe copyrightholder.Publishedby theRossville ChristianChurch411 SprucePOB187Rossville, KS 66533ADDRESS CORRECTION REQUESTEDJimViersandRichardGa-mindemade theHoffs' housetheir headquarters as theyvisited the National evangelists supportedbyMexicanEvangelismNow. They cameto access the programandreceivereportsfrom themen.Jimhasdirectedthis supportorganization for nearly 20years. BillPRAYER -n- PRAISEPlease |oin withusin praise to Godfor: the foundation of the church building which is nearingcompletion. HugoCastaneda'snewjobas an accountant followinghisgraduationinDecember. thegrowthofthemonthlymeetingsofyounger youththatmeet intheHoffs' home. the recovery of Rodney Northrup. He is a veteran missionarywhobrokehishiplast September.Please joinwithusInprayer to Godfor: Gretchen Winters of Las Cruces, New Mexico who haspancreatis and is very ill in a hospital. She is a formermissionary toMexico. theMissionary Reunion which will be held fromMarch 18-22inQueretaro. 144peoplehaveregistered. Areli Castaneda who is taking chemotherapy treatmentsfollowingher cancer operationlast October. Juanand Sharon Cuellar asthey make planstomovetoQueretaro. fundsfor the churchconstruction. Rosaeliaandherdaughter, Margarita. Theyplanon beingbaptizedonMarch3rd. the variouspeople withwhomBill is holdingBible studies. Rebecca'sschoolingexperience.NON-PROFIT ORG.U.S. POSTAGEPAIDROSSVILLE. KSPERMIT NO. 6PublishedQuarterlySALuaas!CENTRAL MEXICO &BAJIO CHRISTIAN MISSIONBILL HOFFandFAMILYAPARTADO POSTAL 57QUERETARO, QRO. 76000 MEXICOVolume21, Number23555fromSpring1990SPRING BREAK FOR CHRISTIANSMexico enjoystwoweeksofvacation during Easter. Thefirst week many peopletravel to beaches becauseoftheextremeheat;some visittheir relatives throughout the country; and stilt others visit cities where special religious activities are taking place. OnThursday many people celebrate with "Judas" dolls. These are papier-mache dolls filled with explosives whichare blown up torepresent God's power over Satan. These activities culminate on Good Friday where passionplays are held, or in watching"Parades of Silence." In theseparades the onlysounds arethose of drums beating out a slow thump, andthe sound of chainsdragging fromthe legs of the penitents who, hoping to please God by good works, make up the procession. These peoplearecelebrating the death of Christ on the cross, but on Resurrection Daythere are no activities as the Catholicspopularly believe thatChrist isdeadandMarylives.This year one of the evangelists inthe area decided to hold a"Family Camp" in the campfacilities. This was during "SemanaSanta" (Holy Week) which is the week before Resurrection Sunday. The camp began on Wednesday evening and ended onSaturday morning. Therewereabout 90campers presentfrom babiestoa lady that wasin her70's. Thehighlight wasthe baptismsof a couple from Salvatierra, Guanajuato. The husband was baptized first, then helpedthe evangelist baptize his wife. It was abeautiful sight. Weall enjoyed the fellowship, time of recreation and the studies and messages brought byWayne Hayes, a longtime missionary in SanLuis Potosi (north of Queretaro). He gave thoughtful andinspiring messages on the family.Swimming duringFamily Camp.Wayne Hayes baptizing couple fromSalvatierra during Family Camp.Sunday morning at6 a.m. the combined churches of the area met at the Bible Institute for the Resurrectionmorning service. Itwas rather surprisingtohaveanattendanceof 125. Eachchurchparticipated. Theyouthfrom the "Jardines de la Hacienda"congregationsangtwospecials andBill was in charge of the communionmeditation. Followingtheservice everyone enjoyedsweetbreadwithhot chocolate or coffee. Ittruly wasamorningto rejoicem theLord'sresurrection.Bill givingcommunionmeditationat the Sunrise Service-Youthat Sunrise Service.CHURCH ON THE MOVEPackingSunday School materialsYouth Car WashEducational buildingand apartment.Pouringconcreteroof.Last SundayinRentedBuildingOnMay13th. the Queretaro congregationmadeagreat step forward. Theyheld theirlast serviceinthe apartment theyhadbeenrentingfor sixandahalf years. Two weekspreviouslytheyhadpackedall theSundayschool supplies andstoredthem. Onthe15th,theymovedJovita, the caretaker, intothe small newefficiencyapartment at thechurch property. Inordertoaccomplishthis,theHofffamilyandothers spent twowholedays preparing the apartment. Electrical wiring was installed, walls were painted, the window and door were painted and glass installed,andthebathroomfixtureswereplumbed.Thechurchcurrentlymeets intheHoff'shome. By the time this newsletter ismailed,constructionwill have advanced to the pointthat the meetings will be in the new building.The reinforced concrete roof for the first sectionof the educational building was poured June 1st. Shoring timbers andformsare now beingremoved. After windows anddoors areinstalled andtheinterior stuccoed, the congregationwill beassemblingthere.Theyouth of the churchhavebeen working as well. In order to financesome projects they had inmind, they held a car wash. What a sight! Theystoodat the speedbump in front of our house and yelled for the people topull their dirty cars over. They washed theexterior, cleaned and vacuumedtheinteriorforonly$1.80.Theyouth planned the whole church service for Mother's Day. They sangthree special songsdedicatedto their mothers and then they presented aredrose to each mother present. They also planned a meal after church sothat the mothers wouldnot have togo home and work in the kitchen. Withthe remaining funds from the car wash, they purchased devotional literatureandinvited theyouthgroup fromanother churchtoafellowshipmeal.Mother s Day'sScssj Carrying cement totheroof.PERSONAL GLIMPSESBill andMargy's20thAnniversaryCocker PuppiesOnMarch 21st,Bill andI celebrated our 20th anniversary. Asusual, we werein themiddle of the annualmissionary reunion,so didn't celebrate on the exact day. We had planned a two-daytrip followingthe reunion, but were both sickat the scheduledtime toleave. We settled for eating out ata later date. Maybe atafuturetime wewill getourmini-retreat.OnSaturday. March24th, weawakenedlatetodiscover thatBlondiewas intheprocessofgivingbirth. Shehadfour rat-sized Cocker puppies and as the morning progressed, she hadthreemore. They were adorable and the whole familyhada lotof fun withthem. Four of the puppies were sold, two were givenaway, andone diedwhen he was five days old. After they wereallgone, wecontinuedtoreceivecallsaskingif we still hadCockers. There wasa sad ending to the story asthe evening ofmy birthday. May16th, while Bill was taking Blondie for a walk,she washit by a car and killed instantly. Our former joy hadnowturned to grief. This reminded me of our own livesthat could bewipedout in an instant. Weneedtobepreparedtomeet ourLordat anytime.The second w/eek of Easter vacation, our fannily visitedVeracruz. It wasacombined business-vacation trip. Blil spenttimewiththe evangelist (JonasCordova),our familiesate outtogether andweattended a prayer meeting service with them.Thevacationpart of thetripwas swimming inthebeautifulocean, visitingafamousfort andalsovisitingamuseum. Wetrulyhadanenjoyable time together.Our familyplansonmakinga short trip tothe Texas borderthelatterpart of Junetorenewvisas. DuringJulywe will beinvolved in the three weeks of camp. In August we plan on usingabout two weeks to travel to Honduras. The Schnellers will bemovingthereand we hopeto takethethingsthat theyhavestored in Queretaro to them. As you can see, our summer will bebusy.BeachinVeracruzSan JuanUlvaFortYEARLY BLESSINGFor the second year, the AnnualMissionary Reunion was held in Queretaro.There wasa recordattendanceof150missionariesandguestswithvisitorsfromthelocal churchesinthe eveningsessions.JimPierson. directorof theChristianChurchFoundationfor theHandicapped, wastheguestspeaker. Hebroughtstimulatingmessages fromhisexperiencesinworkingwithpeoplewithspecial needs. Jim'swife, Norma,wasalsoa blessingtothereunion.Theyouth were taught by various membersfromOperationEvangelizeofChesapeake, Ohio. Thechildrenhadsessionsundertheleadership ofDr.EleanorDaniel, fronCincinnati. Ohio, andherhelpers.Thenextreunionwill beheldinabeautiful resort area in southern Mexico.Carl Andersonof BoiseChristianCollegewill be the guest speaker.JimandNormaPiersonat SanMiguel deAllende.Baptismof RosaElla Castrejon andthe youngman from Cerrito Colorado.NEWCHRISTIANSIN QUERETAROThe churches of Queretaro have witnessed threebaptismsthisspring. Thefirst was thatof RosaEliaCastrejon. AladyfromtheQueretaro churchbeganwitnessing to her twenty years ago. Last October,Alberto Gonzalezwas abletoarrange Biblestudieswithher. She was baptized on fy^archSrd. On the samedaythat she was baptized,ayoungmanfromCerritoColorado (a preaching point for the Bible Institute) wasalso baptized. The third baptismwas that of LuisBernardo Cardenas. He andhis family are Methodists,but Luis, 18 yearsold, decided that he shouldbeimmersed. Hispreacherdidnot opposehim, but wouldnot immerse him. Bill heldaseries of studies withhimbeforebaptizinghimonMarch11th.Luis CardenasPRAYER -n- PRAISEPraisethat the first section of the Christian education building of thechurchnowhas a cement roof. ThecongregationplansonmovinginduringJuly.forthe special gifts that Bajio Christian Mission has receivedfor the churchconstruction.for theactive youthgroupoftheQueretaro congregation.for thethreeyoungmenthat graduatedfromtheNationalBibleInstituteonMay26th.for Adie1 Canizales, a youngman from the Bible institute thathas been working withthe Queretaro church for the past schoolyear.for the churchinMorelia, Michoacan, which poured the roofontheirownhouseof worship thefirst partof June.PrayerforAreli Castaneda who continues with chemotherapy treatments followingher cancer operation last October. She is thedirector of theolder youthat churchandteachestheBibleschoolclassfor childrenfromages9-13.for LorenaCoronel, ayounglady that wants tobe baptized.She has had alot of health problems. Her family is currently attendingchurchservices.for the three weeksof summer camp.for theHoffs duringtheir travelsthissummer.forgrowthofthe church.forthe National BibleInstitute andrecruitment of new students during the summer.for fundsfor the construction.Publishedby theRossville ChristianChurch411SprucePOB187Rossville, KS 66533ADDRESS CORRECTION REQUESTEDENCOURAGEDOne evening the telephone rang at the Hoffs' residence. Theywerepleasantlysurprisedwhenthepersonon theotherendidentifiedhimself as Dick Apple, the missions chairman of NewHope Christian Churchin Columbus, Indiana. He and his wife,Carolyn, wantedtovisit. He was going to take advantage of abusinesstrip to Central Mexico.The latter part ofApril,Bill andMargy met them at the airportinMexicoCity anddrove themtoQueretaro. The three-hourdrive was a good opportunity to get acquainted. On theSaturdaytheyarrived, theAppleswereableto visit theBibleInstitute, wheretheareayouthrallywas beingheld, andthechurch construction. On Sunday after church, everyone visitedtheorphanage inthe afternoon, andthenfollowingeveningchurch had a quick lookat the sights of Queretaro.DickhadtoleaveMonday morning for his meetings with Cummins' personnel. Carolyn spenttwo more days helping(especially packing at thechurch, then repairinghymn books) and learningmore about the work.They were anencouragement to the Hoffs,who enjoy visitors. If youwould like to arrange avisit, writeto theHoffs orcall. Their phone number Dickand Carolyn Appleis (463)6-41-27. fromColumbus. Indiana.NON-PROFIT ORG.U.S. POSTAGEPAIDROSSVILLE, KSPERMIT NO. 6SALUDOS!fromCENTRAL MEXICO&BAJIO CHRISTIAN MISSIONBILL HOFF and FAMILYAPARTADOPOSTAL 57QGERETARO, QRO. 76000 MEXICOPublished QuarterlyVolume 21, Number 3Traveling in Central AmericaBill and Margy met and fell in love ona trip to CentralAmericatwenty-oneyears ago. Their tripthis past Augustwasnot intended asasecondhoneymoon. Its purpose wasnot avacation, rather it was todeliver asmallmountainofboxestotheSchnellers in SanPedroSula,Honduras. The boxes containedthe Schnellers' libraryandsomehouseholdeffects (about a toninall), whichthey had anticipated picking up before they had achange of plans. As Bill, Margy, Mark, and Rebeccadrovesouth, theroadsdeteriorated. Ontheseconddayof thetrip, therewasasectionofroadthathadpotholes12 inches deep.Alongthe waytheystayedinthreemotels, noneofwhichhadhotwater, andateina varietyof restaurants.Themorningof the third day, they facedthe Guatemalanborder. Bill andMargy usedtothinkthat the Mexicanborder was time-consuming to cross, but the CentralAmerican borders make Mexico's seemvery uncomplicated, or, as Bill would say, "like a picnic." Naturally,adding to the difficulty was the fact that they had atruckloadofboxes. As a result, eachborder requiredacoupleofhours. AttheGuatemalanborder, onebeginsand ends by paying taxes; but the people were veryhelpful andpolite. At the Honduranborder, thereare7officestocheckintoandpayvarioustaxes; thentherewere5 checkpoints. When they finallyarrivedin SanPedro Sula, they celebrated byeating at PizzaHut.Theyspent an enjoyable week withthe Schnellers,iialhuIncxxtecu'if'- 'andwereabletoencouragethemduringa difficult time.Bill helpedTomput upceilingfans, fixed plumbing, repairedTom's truck, anddidseveral other projects.Margy assisted Toni In unpacking andsetting upthekitchen. Sunday everyoneloaded into the Suburbanand drove to John andMadonna Spratt's house(about 3000feet aboveandhalf anhour west of San PedroSula). Bill preachedatLaguna Timbladora (thirtyminutes farther on), whileTom preached at theSpratts' house. Both ofthe groups were around40.pressedbytheopenness to theGospel andtheneedsofthe group that they are reaching with the Good News.Central Americais without a doubt oneofthemostbeautifulplaces onearth. Everywhere oneturns, thereisa potential photo for a travel poster, especially in themountains. Theyoungmembersof the family madetheobservations that thephotographs don't show the heat orthe insects. Mark, especially, had troublewiththe almostinvisible mosquitoes whichseemedto prefer his exoticblood.3555Fall 1990Tom, Toni and DavidSchneller, San Pedro SulainAugust 1990.Bill and Margy were im-i.Ruins of Capan, August 1990Guatamala City, August 1990Undera RoofThe church in Queretaro has several times approached a membership of eighty, only to fall again.Now, the goal of Bill and Margyistoadd thepermanencyandstability to the congregation that can only be obtainedbyhaving abuildingof itsown.Inthefirst daysof thisyear, thefoundations forthechurch building were laid. However, by the middle ofMay, funds hadrun out. itwasobvious that thelargeexpenditures for rent andconstruction could not be sustainedsimultaneously. Thecongregationtook animportant step onfaith. Theymoved out ofthe apartment theyhad rented for six and ahalf years. Jovita, thecaretaker,was moved into her efficiency apartment (behind theconstruction) which the church members prepared.Church services were held In the Hoffs' home whilepreparation for the pouring of the cement roof on thefirsthalf of the educational building wasmade.The church began holding servicesin thebuilding onJuly 8th. Conditions were not ideal: the floor waspacked dirt, the walls were bare brick, and there wasneither door nor windows. However, thecongregation'sofferingswerenearlythreehundreddollars a month, sowithout theburdenofrent(andwiththehelpof afewofferingsfromtheG.S.), the buildingfund begantogrow.Finally, themenof thechurchcalculatedthereweresufficient funds tocontinue the project. Slowly the windows,doors, floors,stucco, and paint were in place.IIChurch construction - Christian Ed.Building in Queretaro.It isnowajoytoreport thattherest oftheChristianEducationbuildingisunderroof. The secondhalf of theroof was poured on October 25th. Bill put in the conduitsfor theelectrical Installation, anda crewhand-mixedandcarried the cement to the roof. Thus, the churchpresently has more than 1000square feet under roof.Theauditoriumwill havetowait a while, but in thepresent building there Is roomto seat about 100 personsand hold three separate Sunday school classes at thesametime. Consequently, growthwill notbeheldupbylackof space. Constructionandfinishingworkwill continueastheLord'speopleprovidewiththeirgifts andofferings.The Party That Changed Things"We never doanything that Isfun anymore." 'Themeetings are boring." These comments last summerwere from some of the youth who were now out of schoolwithverylittleto doduringthe summer. Itisalmostimpossible for a young person to find a summer job inMexico.With thesethoughts being expressedby the youth,theHoffs decided tohave aparty. It was determined thatit wouldbea"backwards"party. Everyonewouldcomedressedbackwards. HumbertoRamirez, a local evangelist, was chosentolead the games. Bill andMargyspentthedaypreparing foodsoeveryonewouldhave plenty.The first young people to arrive helpedMargy turningYouthBackwards Party at the Hoffs, July1990things backwards.It turned out to bea greatevening. Thehousewasfull, thegameswereextremelyfunny, andthefoodwasnearly gone. For those who wanted to stay longer, acomical videowas shown. This partyseemedtoupliftthe spirits of the youth forthe comingmonths.For several weeks the youth were very busy withcamps andDallyVacationBibleSchool.In October the Queretaro churchhostedthemonthlyarea-wideyouthmeeting. Eachfamily preparedpart ofthemeal. Markandhisfriend, Antonio, spent hours cuttinglettuce and tomatoes andmakingtheir share of jellofor the meal. Tostadas, beans, rice, jello, and a drinkwere served.Onthe secondofNovember, a Halloweenpartywascelebrated. Theyouth director invited everyoneto herhome. Eachpersoncamein costume. Thefoodconsistedofsandwiches, chips, popcorn, andpunch. I wastoldthat the fruit punchwas delicious. Thegames included asingingcontest, racingtoaccomplish ataskandreturning, andmoviecharades. Thebest costume wasaveryyoungladydressedas a baby. Everyoneleft tired,but happy.As December 23rd will be the annual Christmasgatheringof thechurchofQueretaro, theyoung peopleare currently preparing a drama entitled, "In Caesar'sHouse". The churchisgratefultohavetheir youth active.Personal GlimpsesLast June, Rebecca's Englishclass presenteda Nobel Peaceprogramfor theparents. Thechildren dressedup to represent the countryinwhich the personlived thatreceived the peace prize. Rebecca represented JeanHenri Dunant from Switzerland who founded the RedCross and organized the Geneva Convention. Eachyoungperson then explained whythe award was given tothat particular personandinwhat year. Followingthepresentations the class sang "Gp, Gp withPeople."The last weekof June we made our border tripto DelRio, Texas, sothat wecouldspenda fewdays withmyparents. TheyliveIn Arizonabut offeredtodrive that farinorder toseeus. Weenjoyedthetimetogether. Theystayed In acampground and weate breakfast and supperwith them. Inthe heat of the day we shoppedIn air-conditioned buildings or relaxed in our motel. Theswimming pool provided relaxation for Mark and Rebecca.Markdid notwant a big partyfor his 16thbirthday.Theonlygift that interestedhimwas a driver's license.Thatday, hecompletedhisschoolworkveryquicklysothat his Dadwouldtake himdowntownfor the license.He invitedhis twoclosest friends (andallowedRebeccato go along)toplayminiaturegolf. Following some cakeandjello, theyenjoyedplayinggamesonthecomputer.He said that he hada funtime.In our18 yearsinMexicowehave not had manyvisitors fromthe G.S. Sowe were quite happythat Bill'sparents. Bill andDorothyHoff, arecomingin Decemberand will be spending19 dayswith us. It isalwaysabusytime of year for our family. We look forward to theirsharing the activities withus.One of our annual Christmasactivitiesisbuyingandpreparing bags of toiletry Items for the students oftheNational Bible Institute. Theseincludeshampoo, soap,hair conditioner, toothbrush, toothpaste, etc. Theladiesof thechurchdeliver theseitems. Theysharewith thestudents in singing choruses and a Bible reading andthen wish themaMerry Christmas.Anothergestureof goodwill is to deliverfood, usedclothing, and bags of "goodies" to the people In themountains. We have onlymetafewofthesepeople, butthere are various Christian families who do not havemany worldly goods, so we try to give thema littleChristmas cheer each year.Anotheritemthat gives usgreat pleasureis togiveout plates ofChristmas cookies. This year it won't becookies, but it will be about 25 plates of some bakedgoodies to our friends. The wholefamilygetsinvolvedinthis project. Ittrulyis more blessedto give thantoreceive.December is also a time of parties and programs.Rebecca's school has a "kermesse" each year. Familyand friends visit the school and buythe various foodsthat each classprepares for the occasion. The traditionalMexicanfoods giveeveryonea widevarietyfromwhichtochoose. TheChristmasstoryis presentedduringthe&Nobel Peace Prize Programi.Mark & RebeccawithGrandparents TroutMark's 16th Birthday - playing games on the computer,September1990evening. Rebecca'stroopof Girl Scoutsalsohasa program each year.The largest program-party is the combined annualchurch gathering. The Christian churches in the areaunitetopresent a program of singing, special music, poems and dramas. Following this, everyone enjoys"tamales" anda hotcornstarchdrinkcalled"atole." Thechildrenthenbreaktwo"pinatas"full ofcandyandnuts.Asthepeopleleave, theyarepresented" withalittlebagof candy, nuts,an orange and apiece of sugar cane.Are youplanning on demonstrating the loveofChristduringthisholidayseason? Pleaseshareyourtimeandtalents with someone less fortunatethan you.Prayer PraisePRAY. ..... for increasedattendancein theQueretarocongregation.. . . that thesecondsectionoftheChristianeducationbuildingwill soon be useable for classrooms.... for thehealthofLorenaCoronel andWillieGonzalez. Theyaretwoyoung peopleofthecongregation whosuffer from epilepsy.... for Roger Ramirez, a young manwho is seekingemployment.PRAiSE. . .. . . that thechurchinQueretarohad anattendanceofeightychildrenduringtheir DailyVacationBibleSchool inAugust.. . . that the Hoff familyhada safeandfruitful trip toHonduras last summer.. . . that the first section of the Christian educationbuilding nowhas a floor, the walls have beenstuccoed andpainted, andthenew windowsanddoor have been Installed. The roof has beenpoured onthe second section of the building.. . . that special gifts have been sent for the churchconstruction. The local church members haveprovided therest.. . . that Lorena Coronel hasbeenbaptized. Sheis ayoungperson of thecongregation with epilepsy.. . . that Areli, theyoungladywithcancer,ismuchimJoy Trek - Viaje de uozoDVBS August 1990 - Youngest agePublished by theRossville Christian Church411Spruce POB187Rossville, KS 66533ADDRESS CORRECTION REQUESTEDproved.that Rebecca was onthehonorroll inbothEnglishand Spanish in her bi-lingualschool.that Bill'sparentsarevisiting theHoffsinDecember.Daily Vacation Bible SchoolLast summer was a busytime for the youth of thechurch here in Queretaro. Following three weeks ofsummercamp(most of themattendedthethirdweek),the youngpeople spent two afternoonspassing out literatureadvertisingthe Daily VacationBible School. Whiletheywere trying to handout the material, it began torain. Realizingthat theyouthwere all out inthe downpour, MargyleftwiththeSuburbandrivingup anddownthe streets trying to find them. However, it wasraining sohardthat by the time she got to them, eachone wasdrippingwet. Theyweregrateful to get intoa shelteredarea.The next day the same youth came prepared toteachandassist at theVBS. Therewere36students inthreeclasses thefirst day. Twoof theclasseswereheldoutside under tarpaulins. Eachdayattendance increaseduntil the last daythere were 80 children. TheHoff familywas kept busy providing the needed supplies for the largecrowd. But it waswell worththetimeasonecouldseetheexcitement onthe children'sfaces astheysangthe"action" songs each day.Outside ClassDVBSAugust 1990 - MiddleClassrnors-pROFrr orq.U.S. POSTAGEPAIDROSSVILLE, KSPERMITNO. 63555TheBill HoffFamilyevangelizing among the people ofCENTRALMEXICOwithBAJIOCHRISTIANMISSIONTheFamilyBill andMargyHoff came toMexico in 1972 and havebeen living in the city of Queretaro ever since. Bill's v/orkhas varied greatly. He came toCentralMexico primarilyto produce a Christian radio program; but whentheMexican government banned all religious programming,he changed his emphasistoteachingat a local Bibleinstitute,workingwithtwo different churches, personalevangelism, and the development ofa film ministry. Heis also a skilled electronics technician and automechanic, so he has been called upon to assistuncounted numbers of Christian workers with theirautomotive and electronics problems. Margy's ministryintheworkhas included teachingvariousBible schoolclasses, helpingwithaweeklyladies' meeting, helpingvarioustimes at campsand retreats, andentertainingguestsin thehome thatshe andBill built in1983.MarkGabriel wasbornonSeptember 29, 1974, andRebecca Mariewas bornonJuly18, 1979, bothinthecityof Queretaro.TheWorkTheBajio ChristianMission has as its objective to seeviable self-perpetuating churches plantedin all of the 7majorcities, inthedozencities withless than500,000population, as well as in the hundreds of ranches,villages, and towns that comprise the Bajio. This goal isbeingpursuedthroughthefollowingsteps.1. Initial contactwithindividuals, throughA. Literature -- thousands of tracts,both locally-produced and commerciallyprepared aredistributedannually;B. Newspaper announcements attractive,thought-provoking ads in Bajio papersdrawmanyrequestsfor Bible studies;C. Movies a mobile theater takes religiousfilms and gospel preaching tocities, towns,villages andranches; andD. Door-to-door canvassing.2. Evangelization, throughA. An excellent Bible-study-by-correspondencecourse. (Afull-time Mexican evangelistoversees the school), andB. Personal studies with all correspondencestudents3. ChurchPlantingA. Personal contactslead tobaptisms;B. Newconvertsaretaught;C. A building-loan fund helps congregationsbuilda meetingplace; andD. Mexicanevangelistsare subsidizeduntil thecongregation is abletosustaintheirownpreacher.4. Nurture, throughA. Continuedvisits by the missionary and/orMexicanevangelists;B. Help with evangelistic programs andcampaigns:C. Conferences concerning areas of spiritualneed;0. Continuing education for adults and youthinretreatsandcampsThe Progress HowAreWeDoing?1. 1500 active correspondence students;2. Moviesprojectedin50 locationsperyear;3. Newspaper adsinmost of thepapersoftheBajio;4. Morethan15congregationsof Christians Only nowactive;5. Camping program for all ages, with annualattendanceof over300;6. Two congregationshavebuilt, and3 more have purchasedlandfor a building;7. TheBajioChristian Missionalsoworks closely withthepersonnel of theNational BibleInstitute andofthe Mexico Christian Children's Home, aswell aswiththe2other missionaryfamiliesand7Mexicanevangelists whoarelaboringin theBajio.o) ssau)tjepluoijluaqiujn) pue sdAa J[d.|| lado O)'' *a3!\auiJO3dOH3H1Bill andMargeHoffBAJIO CHRISTIAN MISSIONField Address:Apdo. Postal 57Queretaro, Qro., MexicoU.S. AddressBajioChristianMission%Mr. Darryl Olson3908W. WindsorPhoenix, AZ 85009TheFieldiiTheBajiois Mexico's 200-mile-longhigh central plateau, encompassing the states of Queretaro. Guanajuato, and parts of Jalisco. Theland lies at 6000feet elevation and is quite arid, except for a short rainyseasoninthesummer. Thesoil is fertile, and alonggrowingseasonpermits two or three crops if irrigation water is available. Where there is noirrigation, desert plants such as cactus and mesquitegrow, andpoor farmersplantin hopes that therainy seasonwill bringupenoughcornto feedtheirfamiliesfor anotheryear.Central Mexicois, however, becoming veryindustrialized, as businesses andfactoriesseet< to move away from the over-crowding and pollution of the nation'scapital and world's largest city, Mexico City, which lies only 120 miles to the south. Inthe Bajio, the combination of newsources of employment and an extended droughthasfosteredamass migrationfrom village to city. In theBajio's industrial centers.people seekabetter life; andalong with their physical search, they often seek a betterspiritual relationship. Thismakesevangelismmore feasiblethaneverbefore.The population of theBajioof Mexicosurpasses 10millionand ninety percent of these donot yet knowJesus Christ personally: it is the goal of theBill Hoff family and of the BajioChristianMissionof which they are a part -- toreach these multitudes in Central Mexico withHis gospel.ftl592S}ovTheBajio