UNITEDSTATISSALUDOS!M/M BiU HofApdo. 3166San Pedro SulaHonduras, Central America504-566-3796e-mail: bilIhoff@simon.intertel.hnCorporate OfficeP.O.Box61013Las Vegas, NV 89160-2013MEXCOfromSOUTHAMERCABAJIO CHRISTIAN MISSIONPublished Quarterly Vol. 32, Number 1 Spring2001Sharing, Caring, and Praying an experience in fellowshipWhen Bill andMargj^'s friends, theFields, askedthemwhat theythought about starting amissionaryreunion, the Hoffs immediatelyrespondedthat theirexperienceinMexicohad beenverypositive. ToddFields also had fond memories of missionar)' reunions inIsrael when he was a child, and he wanted to provide hischildren with a similar opportunity forfellowship. Billand Marg)' offeredtouse their E-Mail for the project.(Todd and his wife Lynnell live in a rural setting and donot havea telephoneline.) Theysent out e-mails andmade phone calls until they had arranged for the event.On Februar)' 22"'' 24'^, the reunion was held in aretreat center in Siguatepeque, a city in the highlands ofHonduras (and therefore cool.) There were about 50 inattendance: their ministries ranged from medical tomusical. There was a largegroup of childrenof all ages.TheFields purchasedthefood and arranged for cooksso themeals were excellent.The keynote devotional speaker was EddieHammond, (Lynnell's brother-in-law) fromMt. VernonChristian Churchin Kentucky. For workshops, Todd'sparents. BobandEddieFields, presentedaseries oncommunications, particularlyaimed at spouses, butapplicable to all interpersonal relationships. Theadultsenjoyedthe fellowshipand the opportunit}' to share ideasandresourcesandtoprayfor co-laborerswhomtheyhadnotknownbefore.Todd and Lynnell delegated the work of preparinga series of special sessionsforthechildrentoa youngHonduranwoman, a member of theEnglish-speakingcongregation in San Pedro Sula, and a young man fromthe States. They did a great job and the children had awonderful time.The consensus was that the group would liketo meetagain nextyear andtheFields are already developing aprogram.Parlidpeiuts inconferenceCoDii/inmcatioiis SmiuarChildren'ssessionsAn Active ChurchThe Lordcontinues to bless the International ChristianFellowship (English-speakingcongregation). Attendancenow averages about 95 each Sunday. Theparticipator}'church has invitedseveral visiting pastors to speak andtheyhave brought newinsight and thoughts into areas ofScripture. The fellowshipofthe church's members withworkteamsandother visitorsfollowing theworshipservice has been exciting. The members care about eachother deeply and do whatever is necessaryto help whenthereis aneed.There have been several ver)' important events in thechurch's life inthepast fewmonths. One wasthepotluckheld tocelebrate Thanksgiving. Onehundredand seven people gatheredto share in the dinner. ThecongregationalsocelebratedtheLord's Birthwithaspecial program. One hundred andeighteenpeoplecrowded intothe rented facilitj' to watch the children present aprogram of Christmas drama, music, and poetr)'.Another eventthat brought thechurch body togetherwas the baptismoftwosouls. One wasalong timemis^onar}- Jand wonderfulbrother intheLord.His tradition does notplace much emphasison Immersion and hebelieved that hewastollowing theLordfaithfully, but whenhevisited hisdaughterwhois studying Greek, slie explainedthe word "Baptizcf^ as "plunging under water andswishing arounda little." That broughthim totheconvictionthatheneededtobebaptized. Bill was privileged to helphimobeythe Lord's desire for hisbelievers. Alongwith his immersion Bill also had the privilege of baptizingIsabel Young, whom Marg)'and Bill haddiscipled. Thanksgiving DinnerBap/ifwsilfChildrenrccitctheirlines.AChristmasPagent"Paso aPaso"(Step-by-Step)Thebuilding for the institute's new home has been a ver}'daunting task, but the Lord's ministry has beenblessed by thelabors of several groups of Christians fromtheUnited Stateswhohave givenuptheir timeandmoney toassist. The firstteam this year came inJanuary and was fromKokomo,Indiana. The ten menandwomanwhocamewere able toerect the walls on the 30x50 footchapel building. In fact, theycompletelyfinished thebasicstructure. (They laid overtwothousandblocks.)Rejoice that the first building at the Bible institute now hasa roof. WhenBill heardthatPhil Zook andDonDickinsonfromJohnson BibleCollege and the Gap Creek ChristianChurch wanted to come to Honduras and help with thebuilding program, he knewthat they would be ideal to put onthe galvanized roof of the building that will serve as Chastains'house. Layingzinc has to be done with great attention to detailiftheroof istobeleakproof andlookgood.Duetounforeseendelays, theroofing structure wasnotcompleted when they arrived. Even with that delay, Phil, Don,Tyson and Bill were able to attach approximately 2,400 feet ofroofingtothestructuralsteel witha thousand screws.The last work team was from Central Christian Church inBryan, Texas. Theyconsisted of four youngpeople andtwocouples. Theyworkedfor four days(in extreme heat)andwereabletofinishlaying theblockforthekitchen diningroombuilding. Everyone felt goodwhen the project wascompleted.Tyson and a Honduran worker will now continue workingontheinterior of thehouse, whileBillarranges for power,water,andseptic systems. Pray that within a reasonable timetheChastainswill beabletomovetotheir newhouse.ki1LONGtime friendsMargy with iie' pickupJim and DorisLong are long time friends of oursfromMexico. We met them about twenty years ago. Jim workedat (CAVE) Centro Audio Visual Educadvo, and rented visualequipment toBill. The Longs' mainministry, whichtheycontinue doing, is holdingMarriageEnrichment Seminarsforcouples. We pardcipatcd in one in 1980 and another in 1998and were gready blessed bothtimes.JimandDoris desiredtomoveout of MexicoCity forthe twoand a half yearsbefore their retirement. Upon hearingthat we were leavingQueretaro, they asked if they could rentour house. We were happy to have them care for it.The Longs "retired" to Phoenix, AZ. Retirement has notslowedthemdown. Theycontinue to holdthecouple'sseminars throughout LatinAmerica. Threeyears agoweinvited them to Honduras. Their church decided to come toHonduras inMarch and workinan area that was affected bvHurricanePMtl^'rr'e'k1t'^a{t'ra^were willing tocomcearly andhelpcouplesinthelocalchurches. Wehave beenblessedbytheir presence in our homeonceagain.Only theLordknowshowmany marriages have beenhelped by the Longs' ministry. Thank youJim and Doris forcaring and workingfortheKingdom.PRAY ^n'PRAISEPraise for:First annual missionary' confercnce held in Honduras inFebruary.Work teams who have constructed buildings at theinstitute. The administrator's house, chapel, anddining room - kitchen complex now have walls.The Chastainswho host the work teams andhelp inthe other areas of the ministry.The growth of the English speaking congregation,both physically and spiritually.Prayfor:Bill's Father(Bill Sr.) who has been experiencingkidney insufficiency.Bill and Marg}''s trip to Costa Rica on April 23"' inorderto move Markand JoytoHonduras sothatthey can help with the ministry'.I '~s-f r!x".P./*R'ebe'tCjC^she continues in her junior year in thenursing program at theUniversity of Tennessee.Miguel Gomez,whoneeds a lung transplant.Margy and Bill's proposed plans for a furlough to theStates at the end of the year.ino'ozeit HIHTHAxoN^iiiiei xoQOdS3DL\^HS NOISSB'MZZ ONXIJV>IHdSM "miASSO^laivdHovisod'S'a0>I0 XHOHd-NONanis'nn^H^eeS99S>l'3II!Asso>ilet^ogoclDUi 'uo!SSTj\[ uBpsnq^ oilugXq paqsnqnjbill hoff, p2:04 PiyU/ie/O^-pSOO, From the HoffsDeli\ered-To: mlssionz@usit.netFrom; "bill hofP' To: "Hoff, Mark"Subject: From theHoffeDate; Mon, 16 Apr 200114:04:18-0500X-MailenMicrosoft OutlookExpress5.00.2615.200DearE-mail Friends,Once againour server is workingin SanPedro Sula and we are able toreceive and send mail. Ifyouhavesentmail it was probably retumed with a fetal error. This is because our ser>er'ssatelite link hasbeendown., please tryus again.Weretumedhome from Las VegaslastThursday. It was difficult to say goodbye, especially toBill's Dad,but wehad to do it. The last reportIs that he Is sleeping most of the time-onlyawake about 3 1/2 hoursperday. It isexpected that hewill gointoacoma soon.We havebeenbusy since returning and had aniceEaster-Resun^ctionDay. We praythat youdid also.Please write when youhave time. Godbless, Bill andMargyPrinted for Mission Services Association fromSOimi AMERICABAJIO CHRISTIAN MISSIONPublished QuarterlyAnother Church SentIts BestTheHoffshavejustsaidgoodbyetotenmembersoftheFarragutChristianChurchinTennessee.Theycameas awork team andlaidmosaictileintheChastains' house.This wasno easytaskasthe tilewashexagonal. The slightest error(suchastheHonduranbricklayercommitted in layingout the initiallines)compounded and caused great grief to those whowereworking. The group was unbelievablypatientand diligent. They set out to do the whole job andbasically finishedit before theyleft.Puttinghexagonal tilesin a square houseguarantees that everyedgepiecewillhave to be cut.Andcuttingthis concretebasedtilerequires adiamondsaw. Blessedly, theworkteamfromMacedoniaChristian Church left us a two-hundred-dollardiamond wheel, and Billbuilt a chop sawto use it.The Farragut teamincluded acouple offriendsof both Hoffs and Chastains. It was lead by theirminister Tommy Smithwho is alsoa professor ofhistory and philosophy at Johnson Bible College.DougKameswhoisthephysical educationprofessoratJBC, and an accomplished builder, reallyadded tothe project.Please Note!TheHoffshavea new e-mailaddress:billhoff@sulanet.netVol. 32, Number 2Above: The teamfromFarragut ChristianChurchBaght: mark cutting tileBelow: Patient, hard workIM/M BiU HoffApdo. 3166San Pedro SulaHonduras, Central America504-566-3796e-mail:billhoff@sulanet.netCorporate OfQceP.O.Box61013Las Vegas, NV89160-2013Summer 2001ProgressTheBible institute continues to be the mainthrust ofBaji'oChristianMission's ministry. Sincelosingtheleaseon the previous facilit)', Bill andMargyhavebeenanxiousto reopen andresumeclasses. For this reason Tyson, Mark, and Billinvest largeamounts ofenergyinto the buildingproject, but likethe sayinggoes, "Rome wasn'tbuilt in a day." BecauseTyson (whowill be thedean of student affairs) and his family will belivingat the school, their house has been the firstbuilding built. The current status of theconstructionis as follows:Thewell is finished! Bill, Mark and Gordoninstalledaone-halfhorsepowersubmersiblepumpon galvanized pipe. It provides 18 gallons perminute. A500-foot waterline nowconnects thewell andtheinstitutewaterdistributionsystemtothenewly built concrete tankthat holds 3,500gallons. The tankwasamajor difficulty becauseallthecement,sand,gravel, reinforcingsteelandblockhad to be carriedon workers' backs up tothe construction site,(becauseofthe steep rockyterrain). It took a couple of days just to hack apath through the bush andanother to clearabigenough spacebetween the boulders for the tank.A bulldozer did grading to make the creek(drymost ofthe year) straighter,and reduce thebreedinggroundformosquitoes. Ahardpackeddrivewayhasbeenlaidso that vehicles won't getstuckinrainyseason. Several drainageditches forrunoff weredug.The sewersystem is nowfunctional (including the septic tank and theartificial wetland). The stuccoon the house isfinished. Windowprotection barsaremade, butneedtobepaintedandinstalled. Thehigh-tensionlines are in place, but no transformer has beenpurchasedyet.The work attheinstitutehasfocused onmaltingthe Chastain'shouselivable, but therearetwootherbuildingsinconstruction. It isurgenttoroofand securethechapel,so that it canserveastemporarystorage forthebuilding materialssalvagedfrom the old institute buildings as theyaredismantied.The goalistohavethe Chastainsmoved into their house by a work team that iscominginAugust,andbeginmovingfurnishingand building materials from the old site.Ifi77/t' n'^fer tank is way up here. I'hat is theBible institute hchiv.SIbi// atidGordon installtljepump.It works!Family NewsBill's father, Bill Hoff, Sr.,went to bewiththeLordon April28'*". Sixteendays previous to thisBillandI left LasVegas after spendingtwoweekswithhisparents. Weknewthat wewouldneverseehimagain. But Bill hadsomewonderful talkswithhisfatherandweencouragedhismother asshewasstrugglingover losinga mateof56years. Weweretold that manyfamily members and friendscameto offercondolences at thememorial service that washeldon May 6th.The groupthengatheredtospend the afternoon with Bill'smother at her house.Pleaseprayfor BiU's mother, Dorothy, assheadjuststolivingalone.Her youngestsonandhiswifeareabighelp toher. Theironeandahalfyear olddaughter provides enjoyment forhergrandmother.Wil! HoffSr. and DorothyWeareproudofRebecca; shewill beenteringher senioryearofnursinginAugustat theUniversityof TennesseeinKnoxville. Sheiscurrendyworkingat abloodbank.OnApril 23"' Bill andMargy, andtheirfriends (Todd,Lynnell, Savannah, andSophia Fields) leftforSanJose,CostaRica. Theirmissionwas tohave avacation, helpMark andJoypackandclean andmove thembacktoSanPedroSula. Thetripwas long(twodays of drivingbutenj oyable. Theeveningafterwearrivedwewere invitedtospendwith friends, (MarkandShandaOakleyandtheirthreechildren) wholive inSanJose. The followingdaytheeightof uspackedintoour suburban,whichisnow17years old,andheaded forthebeach. Wehadreservations atanice hotel onthesouthwest coastofCostaRica. Wespenttwodays swimmingin the ocean and the pool, relaxing, andwalkingin the littletown nearby.Sundayweenjoyed the fellowship of achurchinwhichMarkandj oyhadbeenattending. Theyhadpurchasedanoverheadprojector for thissmall congregation, whichtheypresentedto themastheysaidtheirgoodbyes. It wasanemotionaltime.ThefoUowingweekwe plannedonvisitingvolcanointhehighlands thatFieldshadneverseen.Buttheweatherdidnotpermit.Althoughdisappointed, wealldecided to returnto the beachandenjoyanother dayand ahalfbeforeweheadedto theborder.We allhelped Mark andJoy pack and clean their littie house in order to leaveas scheduled.The border crossings werewithoutproblemsandtherewerenoextracharges forthethings thatwewerecarrying. God trulyblessedusduringthe trip.It has not been easyto turn 60 this year. But the day, May16, was made enjoyablebecauselong time friends, CarolynandGordon Clifford, cameto celebratewithme. Carolynbrought myfavoritedinner allthe wayfromNewMexico. The Chastains,ayoungladyfromchurch, and usHoffs allgatheredon mybirthday. Gordon had threatened mewithmanycandles.I wasafraidthat hewouldruinthecherrypiesbyputtingsomanycandles on them,but thenI sawthat hehadbeenkind. Thepiehadanumber6and anumber0andthe thirdcandleplayed HappyBirthday. I received calls, e-mails, andcardsinthe mailwhichallmadeit aspecialday.Mysistersaidthat I wasjust one dayolder than the daybefore and, ofcourse, that istrue. The Lord has trulyblessedme with good health, a beautiful family, and friends from around the world.MargyOnthe beach Birthday DinnerSkyler ChastainThe Englishspeakingchurchisdoingvery well. Skyler Chastain,one of the sons of our co-workers, was baptized in May, and nextSunday, June 24, another candidate is scheduled for baptism.Attendancehasbeenincreasingin thelastfewmonths. LastSunda}'thetotal was 103. Normally, thesummer months havethe lowestattendanceandalthoughmanypeoplehavemoved, othershavebeencoming. The church is activewith special events. Tomorrow eachfather willreceiveapen and pencOset on their specialday.zz 'ONSM 'HllIASSO^laivciITDVXSOcl "STlD>IO.LHO>lcl-NONPRAYV PRAISEPraisefor: FarragutChristianChurchworkteam Gordon and Carolyn Cliffords' visit Mark and Joy'smove to San Pedro Sula tohelp in the work SkylerChastains' baptism Safet}'intravelingPrayfor: Safetyin construction ofchapel roof Wisdom inleadingEnglish speakingchurch Bill'smother as she adjusts to livingalone Safetyin HondurasaniS9n^3^ HDM'dHS sy3}iaaveGS99SN'3TnAsso>i[si'^aod3UI 'uoissijAjUBijsuq^ oi(BgXqpo^STiqnjhoff, Al^S^a^i^SOO, Anews-mail for friends and familyDelivered-To: missronz@usit.netFnDm: "bill hoff' To: "hoff, bill" Subject:Anews-mail for friendsand familyDate: Tue, 12 Jun200102:44:13 -0500X-MailenMicrosoft OutlookExpress5.00.2615.200June16, 2001Dear Family andFriends,Once againit is our privilegetoupdate youon whatis happeningin thework of the Bible institute andthechurchin which we ministerin Honduras.The Englishspeaking church is doing very well. Skyler Chastain, one of the sons of our co-workers, wasbaptized in May, andnextSunday, June 24, another candidate is scheduled for baptism. Attendance hasbeenincreasing in the last few months. Last Sunday the total was 103. Normally, the summer monthsha>ethe lowest attendance and although manypeople havemo\ed, others ha\e been coming. The churchisactive with special events. Tomorrow each fether will receive apenand pencil set ontheirspecial day.The main thrust of Bajio ChristiansMission sministryhas beenandwill continue to be the Bible institute.Weare anxiousto reopenandresume classes. Tyson, Mark, andBill continue putting large amountsofenergyinto theproject, but like the sayinggoes, Rome wasnt built In a day. Because Tyson (whowill bethe deanof student affairs) andhis familywill be living at the school, their house hasbeen the first buildingbuilt. The cun^nt status of the constnjctionIsas follows:The well is finished andprovides 18 gpm. The 500-foot waterilne to the tank on thehill Is nowin place andthe work hasbegun on the tankitself. The tank was amajor difficulty because all the cement,sand, gravelandblockhad tobe earned onworkersbacksup to the construction site, (fc>ecause of the steep rockyten^in). Mark hascontracted and arranged the whole project.A bulldozer did the grade work to make the creek(dry mostof the year) straighter, and reduce thebreedingground for mosquitoes. At the same time, ahard packed drivewayIntotheinstitute hasbeenlaid so thatvehicles won t get stuck in rainy season.Several drainageditchesfor runoff were dug. The sewer systemisalmost fijnctional(including the septic tank and the artificial wetland). The stucco on thehouse is finished.Printed for Mission Services Association qperience! We receivethesmiles and handshakes; the songs and the proclamation ofthe Gospel, which gives hope anddiThis would not be possible were it not for the event that occurredlong ago in a remot^omeroftmomentous event: thefocal point ofall history is thebirth ofa child in thehun^lest othe "sine qua non" (the indispensable), the source ofall truth and civilization. Honoringangel'swords, "Donot be afraid;for behold, I bringyou good news ofgreat joy whichtoday in the city ofDavid therehas beenbom foryou a Savior, \n^o is Qirist theyou will find a baby wrappedin cloths andlying in a manger." JOYTO THE WORLD!Mar^y andI have many reasons forgiving thanks this past year,in both the work andin ourpersonaf Iqyear began the Bible institute consisted ofa fewlayers ofblockon the foundations ofthe Chastains' hfour buildings have been erected and the foundations oftwo moreare finished. The Chastains resideina beautifully finished house.The church has witnessed four baptisms this past year and attendance hasteady (near 100)even though several familieshave returnedto the States.I had to say goodbye to n^ father last March. After suffering fbr almost a year, the Lordtook himhometo beHim.thOnSeptendjer 27 Rebecca and Alfredo Mireles wereunited inholymatrimony ina civil ceremony in Knoxville.We rejoice withtheirdecisionand lookforward to a formal wedding next summer. Wewill visit Rebecca andthAlfredo inJanuary. Mai^y and I will leaveHonduras on December 26 fora seven-month furlough.Markand Joyjoinedthe work here last April. Ourfriends, the Fields, drove with us to Costa Rica for a shortvacation,and then we packed Markand Joy's belongings in our two vehicles and drove backto Honduras.Ourworkin Honduras over the past eight and one halfyears would not have been possiblewithoutyour friendship.Printed for Mission Services Association