SALUDOS!

M/M Bill Hoff

Apdo. 3166
from
BAJIO CHRISTIAN MISSION

San Pedro Sula

Honduras, Central America

Corporate Office
P.O. Box 61013

Las Vegas. NV 89160-2013

^hesit^of mrangeab^ean^ westofSan^ T^ie

Published Quarterly

Vol. 25, Number 1

Spring 1994

Las Brisas

One of Bill's ministries is teaching in Las Brisas. Las Brisas is a squatter connmunity

Christmasgifts and thosewho prepared

tfiem.

pr^^ching.

Rebecca
Rebecca holds
holds teacher's
teacher's son.
son.

When the Hoifs arrived last August,

Las Brisashad just been leveledby the authorities inan attempt to preserve

the mountains as a watershed andsave the rain forest. Only a few houses around the school survived, but now building has
accelerated and there are morethan eighty elementary grade students inthe school. The villagers live inconstant fearthat
at any time their houses may be demolished, and they will be homeless.

Thecommunity had electricity until February when a national shortage causedthe electric company to cut their lines.
(The power was being stolen.) Services are conducted by flashlights and candles. Bible readings are difficult because of
the darkness, but Bill takes the Bible text printed in very large type so that he canteach. The singing isvery joyful; one of
the believers plays a guitar and his wife leads singing. Just last week a young lady was baptized. She isthe first in her family.
The Schnellers and Hoffs took up a Christmas gift for every family in thevillage. It consisted ofapproximately twentyfive pounds ofrice, beans, corn, sugar, shortening, and some candy anda plastic toy for eachchild. These people were very
grateful because they live in abject poverty.

Class at school.

Baptism

Site Chosen for Bible Institute

~ .

,.,. -^1

Vj ' M\ . , V-'' ^
^

1_A

Some of you will remember that one of the chief reasons that
Hoffs were going to Honduras was to establish a Bible institute.

inonths have passed, how are they doing?

Because funding for institute property is not at present avail-

uB-

able, Bill has been forced to consider some alternatives. After

much deliberation, he has chosen an unusual concept for the

=^. -, :|B|H

t,

campus. He has decided to lease property, in the last few years

mm

land prices in Honduras have skyrocketed, so a long term lease

seems to offer the best alternative to purchasing. Billexplains that
a lease goes contrary to all of his preconceived ideas about Bible
colleges because: he attended Pacific Christian College where his

C'

Jk>' ; j l l i

grandfather had attended before him, andhe taught at Johnson

Bible College, a century-old institution. But after much prayer, it

BuUdozer
BuUdozer leveling
leveling land.
land.

became apparent that if a school were to beestablished, it would

have to follow a different pattern. Because of Bill's experience in

Mexico, he believes that para<hurch organizations need to be short term so that they continually re-affirm their worth or
cease to exist.

At the present, an agreement has been reached with a wealthy rancher friend of Madonna Spratt (longtime medical
missionary to Africa, India, and Honduras) to lease a site about thirty minutes from San Pedro Sula. The location willprovide
good access and give the students a place where they will be able
to work and help support themselves.

The construction site has been leveled by a caterpillar tractor

and Bill is working on a master plan for the construction. The
buildings will be presentable but inexpensive. They will take into

" "- ' ^

'ii

r.

account the prevailing breeze and will require very low maintenance. In essence, they willbe little more than three foot high walls

V
~

toppedbyscreensandlouversandaroofmadeofcorrugatedsteel

c.

or asbestos-cement roofing. As soon as the first students are

recruited a garden and an orchard will be planted.

%" ~
^^

The planned facility will also serve as a Christian Service camp

during vacations. Your prayers are very much needed.

v ~

\ ~-i
- .-k-.'-

Driving stakes.

Mexico Trip
Hallelujah! Praise the Lord! Bill and Margy sighed upon returning from Mexico on February 26th after having traveled
for 13 days and 2,800 miles on some of the roughest roads in the world. (At least it seemed that way to them.) They rode
in their little Isuzu pickup traveling for at least 11 hours each day. They were stopped 12 times by the police on their way
to Queretaro.

In Quer6taro Bill and Margy sorted and packed their things left in a storeroom there; they visited and had many friends
visit them; those they could not visit they spoke to on the phone; they bought things to bring back to Honduras (particularly
Hot Sauce); they took care of some business; and Bill

was for a paper check in Guatemala. So even though

The pickup at Guatemala/Honduras border.

very tired, they praised the Lord upon their return.

Progress in the Church

The church in San Pedro Sula has come a long way since its
beginning in March of 1992. At that time a Bible school was held on
Sunday mornings for the few children in attendance. The church met
in the patio of a small house where the heat and mosquitoes made it
very uncomfortable.
Last

November

'P

f " 'J

the

eventsdrawacrowdofeighty

Baptism ofJorge and Sofia.

or more. The Christmas program with all the children in costume was loved by their
parents and friends. Bible school is now held for all age groups (Bill teaches the
adults) followed by a praise and worship service. Mark brought an overhead
projector with him from the States when he came last December so now the
choruses and hymns are projected on a large screen during the service. Margy
leads the craft project for the children while the youth and adults listen to the
sermon.

The

jm

first

baptisms since
the Hoffs arrived

Overhead projectorin use.

were held inFeb

ruary. Jorge, 15

years of age, and Sofia, about thirty-five years old were

baptized In a beautiful stream about an hour and a half
from San Pedro Sula.

Another exciting aspect of the church Is the newly

organized ladies group. The first meeting was held in
March at Toni Schneller's home with seven ladles in

attendance. They plan to meet monthly.

Children working on craft.

Prayer 'n' Praise

funding and guidance for Bill as the construction of the institute begins.
the church in Las Brisas as the government may evict them from their homes.
the new Christians in the area churches Marilyn, Sofia, and Jorge.
Tom, Julio, and Bill as they guide the churches in San Pedro Sula and Las Brisas.

Mark as he finishes his sophomore year at Johnson Bible College.

political stability for Mexico in the wake of the assassination of their presidential candidate.
Praise Ood for:

Bill and Margy's successful trip to Mexico in February.

* Bill's parents' visit in Honduras from March 22nd through April 10th. Their help was appreciated.
* the contract that is in process to lease property for the Bible institute and camp facility.
*

the three people recently baptized into Christ.

Personal Glimpses
Lifein the heat has taken on a new dimension with the power shortage
in Honduras. The government decided to rotate cutting the electricity
throughout the country. Our house is without electricity for at least twelve
hours a week, which, of course, means that we have no air conditioning
not even a fan. This is quite uncomfortable as the hottest time of the year
is approaching. As almost all stoves here are electric, one has to either plan
and cook meals in advance, eat late, or go out to eat. Other inconveniences
are the inability to use any power tools, appliances, or computers. Much of
our normal work, including office work, is at a stand still during this time. As
difficult as it is for the families, it is much more difficult for the businesses

in the city. The larger places have all purchased generators, but the smaller
businesses are basically shut down without power.
Bill has done a very respectable job of building furniture for us. The
latest project was a small computer cabinet. 1am very pleased with our bed

The Hoff Family

which has a headboard and four drawers in the base. A desk for the office

and end tables for the livingroom are the only furniture left to build. Soon
Bill will be very occupied with the construction of the Bible institute which
is located 30 miles from our house.

Rebecca is adjusting to a new country. She is picking up the customs

and language of Honduras which are somewhat different from Mexico, She
has various friends with whom she socializes. She appears to do better in
the hot weather than either her mother or father.

Her classrooms have

ceiling fans but they are cut off during the power outages. Her school will
let out an hour eariier than it has been after the Easter holiday. For the most
part, Rebecca does well in school. She will be pleased to have some new
teachers next year.
Mark is doing well at Johnson Bible College. 1am glad that the soccer
season is over. His grades seem to have improved since he finished playing,
and he has enjoyed his classes this semester. We look forward to seeing him
for a couple of weeks this summer.
Bill and 1have taken on the responsibility of teaching a children's class
on Sunday mornings. This class is made up of very poor Honduran children.
They live at the bottom ofthe mountain, close to the house where an English
church service is held. There are currently about twelve children who come
each Sunday. We all meet in the patio of the house. They have such a desire
to leam and participate that they arrive an hour before the class begins.
Following the lesson in Spanish, our family attends the English church

Rebecca's school

Hojfs' house

Published by the

NOM-PROFIT ORG.

Rossville Christian Church

a.S. POSTAGE

411 Spruce POB 187

Rossville, KS 66533

ROSSVILLE, KS

PAID
PERMIT NO. 6

ADDRESS CORRECTION REQUESTED

mission services

InOXVIu"TN 37901-2427

SALUDOS!

M/M Bill Hoff

Apdo. 3166
from

San Pedro Sula

BAJIO CHRISTIAN MISSION

Honduras, Central America

Corporate Office
P.O. Box 61013

Las Vegas, NV 89160-2013

Published Quarterly

Vol. 25 Number 2

Summer 1994

They Helped Evangelize The City

March 26th

arrived. Margy, Rebecca,

Bill, Bill's mother, and

Lois Davis spent a day

and a half preparing two
large meals for twentynine people.
Tom
Schneller spent two
weeks remodeling a

storeroom behind his

house into a dormitory.

Bill and his father helped
to get it finished in time.
Toni spent endless hours

shopping and planning

meals. The ladies of the

church prepared to wel

come the special guests
into their homes.

lady

decorated

One

the

church with the names

of each guest What was

the occasion?

Studentsfrom Johnson Bible College.

The occasion was the arrival of fifteen students from

Johnson Bible College in Knoxville, Tennessee. Accom

panying them was the father of one of the students. They
flew to San Pedro Sula during Easter week to help
evangelize the city. Tom picked them up with the church
bus on Saturday afternoon. They were all welcomed at

the Schnellers' home where they ate supper with the

leaders of the church and their families. They then
received Instructions for the week and their housing
assignments.

Sunday morning many of the students dressed as

clowns. The group went throughout the neighborhoods
surrounding the church, handing out announcements
about the D.V.B.S. that would be held in the afternoons.

Following this, they returned to the Schnellers for dinner

which was served by the Hoffs. The J.B.C. group directed
the evening worship service. They presented a drama on
the life of Christ. This was the first of four times that they
would present this drama during the week.

During the mornings, the group handed out Bibles

and witnessed downtown. In the afternoons, they pre
pared and held a D.V.B.S. On two different occasions,
they presented the drama at Las Brisas (the church In the
mountains). Friday was scheduled to be a day of relax
ation, but the group was asked to present the drama at a
newly-established church not far from the ocean. They
(continued on page 2)

They Helped Evangelize The City

did so, and afterwards they en

joyed a couple of hours swim
ming in the ocean.

(continuedfrom page 1)

Bill, Margy, and Rebecca

were gone with Bill's parents dur

ing part of Easter week. They

were able to sit in on the testi

mony session with the J.B.Q.

group and the leaders of the

church on Friday evening. It was

a very moving experience to hear
them relate of how the Lord had

blessed them during their stay.

They had given their ail for a
week, but the Lord had given
them much in return. They left
on the Saturday morning before
Easter. Itwas during the evening
service on Easter (Resurrection
Day) that nine people went for
ward In church. Undoubtedly,
several of the decisions were cul

minated because of the testimony

of these young people.

Classes held during D.V.B.S.

Water of Life - How to Grow a Bible Institute

One of the first needs for developing the physical
plant of the Bible Institute is water. It will be needed for the
students, and It is necessary for all areas of construction,
especially mixing cement. For this reason, the first effort
at the site was directed at obtaining water. In the future,
rain water collected from the roofs of the buildings can be
stored to meet some of the school's needs. At the present

power poles and a transformer as the next priority in

preparing the school property. Installing electricity has
become less important at the present time because of the
electrical shortage and rationing cuts of 72 hours or more
a week. In any case, the electrical contractor has been so
busy installing diesel generators that he has not been able
to make an estimate for the Bible Institute.

time, there are no roofs, so water has to be piped in from

a distant source.

Bill had a ditch dug, and he laid a half mile of pipe In

order to conduct water to the property. Then he had a

brick-mason build a 400-gallon water tank on the hillside
below the construction site. From that point the water will
have to be pumped up fifty feet to a higher tank. From the
upper tank the water will flow down to the buildings by
gravity.
Soon after Bill and Margy return from the States on
August 14, construction should begin on the first building
(a combination storeroom for construction materials and
watchman's house). Billhas scheduled the installation of

The Hoffs have received news that there are various

work groups that want to come and help. This is really

exciting as you can well imagine. To date, most of the
construction expenses are being paid for by another
Christian church mission. The Lord's provision for His
work is so incredible, or, in modem terms, "awesome." He
always provides more abundantly than His people can
foresee or dream.

FLASH - As of the middle of July, electricity

cuts for all of Honduras total almost 80 hours a

week. There is also water rationing in various

parts of San Pedro Sula.

was in Mexico, so Julio, the evangelist, and Bill led the

worship service. The Lord's Supper was delayed until after
the baptism so that Rebecca could participate also. It was
a very windy day so the waves were high. The water was
shallow so Bill and Rebecca had to walk out into the ocean

approximately fifty yards. They could not be heard; but

what a beautiful sight it was to see Rebecca baptized with
the immense ocean behind her. It was an extra thrill for Bill

and Margy to have Bill's parents witness the occasion also.

However, the Lord wasn't finished blessing the church
yet. The following Sunday, April 17th, nine more people
went forward. The leaders were thrilled with this response.
The spirit of God is moving in the hearts of those who sit
and listen to His Word Sunday after Sunday.

Tom held a special class on baptism for those who

wanted to attend. One young lady wanted to be baptized
on her 21st birthday, May 15th. She desired to be
Immersed in "Las Gradas," a small river, where the church
had gathered for the two baptisms held earlier in the year.
So this "outing" was arranged with the congregation.
Each person brought a picnic lunch and their swimming
suit. The worship service was held first. During the
invitation, Tom asked how many wanted to be baptized

thatday. Nooneknewwhowouldgoforward. Theleaders

had been praying for this day, but God only knew what was
in the hearts of these people. A couple of people who were
expected to be baptized went forward, but then others
began to come until nine people stood with Tom. The
excitement and praising was almost overwhelming in the
hearts of the believers. Margy commented that she had
never attended a baptism where nine people had been
baptized at the same time. On this day. May 15th, the
Schnellers celebrated their tenth wedding anniversary.

Nine of the twenty believers.

What a celebration it wasi

Three weeks later, the invitation was extended follow

ing the worship service. It seemed to Tom, Julio, and Bill
that everyone was a believer by now, but five people
responded to the invitation. One person was rededicating
his life to the Lord, but the others were searching. A
nineteen-year-old girl with AIDS was one of those who
responded. Her uncle and his family are faithful members.
As the uncle suggested. Billand he visited the young lady
several times and talked to her about baptism. On July
3rd, at 10 a.m., Bill immersed Waldina into Christ in a
cistern in her mother's home. On July 5th at 4:30 a.m. she
went home to be with the Lord. Praise God that Waldina
made her decision in time.

Please pray for the congregation in San Pedro Sula.

The devil is sure to attack a church that Is being so
responsive to the Gospel.

A Special
Vacation
What better way to spend a vaca
tion than with your son. On July
20th, Bill, Rebecca, and Iwill be fiying
to Miami and the next day on to
Knoxviile. For two weeks we will be

staying on the campus of Johnson

Bible College with the Norm Dungan
family. (Norm is spending two
months in China so we won't be see

ing him.) Mark has been living with

(continued on page 5)

Mayan city of Copan.

special Vacation
(continuedfrom page 4)

the Dungans since school ended the middle part of May.

Rebecca will beenjoying herself bystaying with a couple ofher
former friends who live in the area.

During our stay we will be quite busy visiting friends,

making telephone calls, and shopping. Bill and Mark will be
putting an engine in a used car Mark purchased several
months ago.

Then on the sixth of August, Bill, Margy, Mark and Re

becca fly to Miami. From there they travel to Fort Lauderdale
where theywill meet Bill's parents and histwobrothers, sister,

andsister-in-law. Thetenofthemwill board a cruise shipwhere

they will spend a week in the Bahamas. This Is a celebration

of Bill's parents' 50th wedding anniversary. We are really

looking forward to a relaxing and fun-filled trip. On August
13thwedisembark the shipand spendthe night inMiami. The
following day we fly back to San Pedro Sula In time for the
Spanish church service.

Needless to say, we are all looking forward to this trip.

Mr. and Mrs, BiU Hoff, Sr.

A Second Chance
Four months ago, Bill asked the congregation in Las

Brisas (in themountains above SanPedro Sula) for prayer

requests. One of the ladles asked for prayer for her
brother, Marco, who had been hit by a car. The doctors
told her he would not live. He did survive. His encounter
with the car left Marco with various cuts and abrasions and

at least three broken bones; the worst injury was the

broken leg. The General Hospital asked the family to
purchase a pin to align the bone In the upper part of his

used.

Bill begantofeel convicted thathe should help Marco.

He asked Madonna Spratt tocheck andseeifher orthope

dicsurgeon would look atMarco. Madonna explained the
situationto the doctor and he agreed to operate on Marco
without charging. The operation would still be expensive

because ofthe cost ofthe hospital, the anesthesiologist,

and the other doctor who would assist.

right leg. The fifty dollar expense was far more than the

family could gather, so theyasked Bill to help In purchas

ing the gleaming metal rod.

Marco, forty-three years of age, was operatedon and

sent home. The leg became severely infected and re
quired antibiotic treatments. Now the leg was six inches
shorter thantheotherandvery crooked. Thepeople in the
area commented that the doctors had made a beggar out

ofhim! (That was all thathecould hope todofor a living.)

His family took him back to the hospital to see ifhe could
be helped, but all recordsof his previous stay had conve
niently been lost, so they refused to attend him. Later, x-

After much praying on Bill and Margy's part and

inquiring about the financial situation of Bajio Christian
Mission, theyfelt ledto pay forMarco's operation. (Some
special offerings had been sent to B.C.M. so the Hoffs felt

thatitwas a sign to help him.) Itwas very difficult to bring

him down from the mountains. He had to be carried in a
hammock slung on a pole between two bearers. Blood

tests were done on Tuesday, June 21st. He then spent a

day with the Hoffs. On Wednesday afternoon he was

admitted to the hospital and operated onThursday morrv

ing. He was in intense pain following the operation
because the bone had to be rebroken and reset, and

rays showed that the bone had never been set and the

ends lapped over each other. Naturally the pinwas never

(continued on page 6)

In Response to the Invitation

And the Lord gave the in
crease . . . .

The Hoffs' last

newsletter mentioned that two

people from the San Pedro Sula

church were baptized into Christ.
Since that time, twenty-one
people have gone forward to
make decisions and eleven of

TfttU.

them have been baptized.

Resurrection Day (Easter)

nine people responded to the in
vitation during the service in San
Pedro Sula. It was during the
singing that Rebecca whispered
to her mother that she wanted to

..

be baptized. Her parents did not

know of this decision prior to this
time. Many people had talked to
her about baptism, but the Lord

-'s-

Rebecca is baptized far out at sea.

convicted her that Sunday. Bill's

parents were visiting from California,
so were able to witness their only
granddaughter make her confession
of faith.

One young lady had called Tom

Schneller on Saturday evening and
said that she would be going forward
during the service. No one knew that
there were others ready to make their

A family photo after

Rebecca's "NewBirth."

m
decisions. Nine people went
forward when the invitation

was given.

The following Sunday,

April 10th, Bill drove the
church bus whileMargy drove
the Suburban to a beautiful

beach located in Omoa, an

hour and a half away. There

were approximately 55
They came forward.

people in attendance. Tom

A Second Chance
(continuedp'om page 5)

Unrest in Honduras
The people in Honduras are facing some very
difficult times. There are many companies on strike

because the muscles and tendons had shrunk. The doctor

said that the three-hour surgery was one of the most intense
that he had ever performed.

Marco is not a Christian. Bill has been witnessing to him

daily. A sister of Marco's visited him once while he was in the

hospital, but other than that he had no visitors. Heis currently

spending six days with the Hoffs until his next doctor's appoint
ment. Please pray for a rapid healing of both body and soul.

and much unrest among the workers. Often major

highways are blocked to protest one thing or another.
(Bill wasunableto gothe institute fora coupleofdays
last week because protestors blocked the highway to
the capitol.) Thereismuch robbery and manykillings
taking place at this time ofyear. The biggest problem,
which affects everyone, is the shortage of electricity
and water. Due to incompetence and poor planning,
the country has run out of water both for household
use and in the hydroelectric dams. This is hard to
believe in the tropicsl
In order to conserve what little water and electric

Prayer and Praise

Prav fon

the family of Waldina, the young lady who was baptized

the rapid healing of Marco's leg following his operation.

Also pray that he will accept the Lord soon.
the country of Honduras. Pray that it will receive sufficient
rain to eliminate the water shortage.
the new Christians in the San Pedro Sula congregation.

two days before she died of A.I.D.S.

Praise for;

ity is left in the country, each neighborhood has

certain times of the week that their power is cut, and
most areas are also under water rationing programs.
The Hoffs are scheduled to be without power for 29
hours this week. Most of this time, they will have
water, unless the city makes a change. Many of their
friends are without power and water for 63 hours a
week. Why are they being blessed over others in the
city? The Lord only knows. The Schnellers have the
same schedule as the Hoffs. They are without water
whenever the power is offbecause their neighborhood
has a well, whereas Bill and Margy get their water from
a small dam in the mountains above where they live.
Following heavy rains, the water is turned off in their

*
*

the Johnson Bible College students who came here to

help evangelize the city.
the people who were recently baptized.
the opportunity the Hoffs have to take a cruise in August
They are very grateful that they can spend two weeks with
Mark in Knoxville prior to the cruise.

the water that is now available for construction at the Bible

in remote areas of Mexico. He never guessed that it

would be used to provide fans and the computer for
everybody living here. It makes staying in the house
bearable in this extreme heat. Unfortunately, itwill not

institute.

run a refrigerator or stove.

Published by the
Rossville Christian Church

neighborhood so that the pipes do not fill up withmud.

Billbrought a light plant with him that he had used

NON-PROFIT ORG.
U.S. POSTAGE

411 Spruce POB 187

PAID

Rossville, KS 66533

ROSSVILLE. KS
PERMIT NO. 6

ADDRESS CORRECTION REQUESTED

SALUDOS!
from

M/M BiU Hoff

Apdo. 3166
San Pedro Sula

BAJIO CHRISTIAN MISSION

Honduras, Central America

Corporate Office
P.O. Box 61013

Las Vegas, NV 89160-2013

Published Quarterly

Vol. 25, Number 3

Winter 1994

Bible Institute Progress

The construction at the institute site is advancing well. At
the present time most of the basic water system is installed and
the warehouse and watchman's room have been roofed. This

building is finished except for installing the plumbing fixtures,

doors and windows. Three-fourths of the building is ware
house. That part has no windows and its steel doors are in place
and secured by a pair of locks. Itis comforting to know that the
construction supplies (especially the bags of cement) are safe
from thief and protected from the tropical showers that are
frequent at this time of year. Welding the steel structure that
supports the roofwould have been considerably delayed ifDon
Jose Canauate, the owner of the ranch where the school is

leasing, had not been willingto lend his arc welder. May God
bless his generosity.
The brick masons have already erected the walls of the
next stmcture. Before the newyear begins Bill will be preparing
thetmsses and installing the roofing. This second constnjction
is one wing of the main building. The wing will house an office
and two classrooms. The other sections of the main building
will contain the chapel, kitchen, library, guest housing and

bined workload of managing the school, of overseeing the

building program, and of administering the academics would

be overwhelming. Billrecognizes that when classes begin, he
will be in a real need of assistance, esp>ecially that of an
academic dean. Please join him in praying for help.
The Lord has provided for the institute in some special
ways. Margy received a phone call a couple of months ago
from our mission treasurer. She said that a letter had arrived

from a legal firm in Memphis, Tennessee, and wanted to know

if she should open it. Inside was a letter informing Bajio
Christian Mission that Mary Grinter had remembered the
ministiy in her will. The mission will eventually be receiving

$10,000. Needlessto say, Bill and Margy and alltheirfriends

be housed but, after consultation with co-workers, it has been

decided that it would be best if the main p>ortion of the
construction is completed before opening classes. The com

wereexcited. ThefijndswillgotowardstheBibleinstitute. Mary

was a long time supporter of B.C.M. after having supp>orted
Norm and Mary Dungan for many years. The Hoffs had only
met her once whilethey were inMemphis a year ago last March.
Mary was 100 years and 5 months old when she went to be with
Jesus. Praise the Lord for her generosity.
One very positive note is that Billhas some of his work load
reduced by the arrival of Loren Wight (see article on page 3),
who is assisting in the project He is delivering some of the loads
of materials and helping with the work. He has proved willing
to work in any capacity. As his command of the language
improves, he will be given more responsibility.

WarehoxLse and watchman's room.

Bill welding, with second building in the background.

classrooms.

Bill had wanted to start classes as soon as students could

The Increase
The congregation in San Pedro Sula has experienced remarkable growth
this past year. What once started as a Daily Vacation Bible School, developed
into a Sunday school for children, and now has become a church with 100 in
attendance. The children, youth, and adults come and invite their friends.
Because this church was started in another neighborhood, most of the people
are transported on the church bus or in a pickup tmck. Now the church is
reaching out into its own neighborhood so more and more people are coming
locally. The adult class has doubled since the beginning of the year. Most of
the new onesare young

couples. The firstSun

day in November the
church celebrated their

first anniversary in the

present building. The
group enjoyed a Chris
tian film followed by a
potluck supper. Ittruly
was a time of rejoicing.
The growth has
been both physical and
spiritual in the congre-

Jvlio presenting baptismal certificates.

Tom baptizing his son, David, and a boy

named Claudia.

gation. As of this writing, twenty-two people have accepted the Lordand

been obedient in baptism this year. The Hoffs and Schnellers have had
reasons to rejoice: each family has seen one of their children accept the
Lord. Rebecca was baptized in Apriland David Schneller in September.

The baptisms
have been held In various locations: the ocean, a beautiful river, and a new

baptistiy recently builtby LIFELINE CHRISTIAN MISSION.

Church-related activities have bonded the people together. Each
month the ladies meet at Toni's house to plan special events for the
church. The youth fellowship together on Monday nights while playing
basketball. The youth also participatein area-wide youth meetings and
have special projects.

The members are also being trained to take leadership roles in the
church. The pre-school children have had a new teacher since last
September. Variousyouth are helpingthe childrendo theircraft projects
during the worship hour. A recently baptized lady is leading the "praise

Tom presenting baptismal certificates.

and prayer" time. Two men who

were baptized this past year have
becometralnedbusdrivers. (That
has relieved Tom of so much

work on Sundays.) Othersvwllbe

incorp>orated into leadership po
sitions as they show interest
The main need of the corv

gregation Is a piece of property

on which to build. The church is

currenUy meeting in a building

which Is rented for Sundays. Dur
ing the week it is rented out for
parties. The facility Is, of course,
more crowded as the group
grows.

Swiday school teachers are honored.

A Special Bulletin from Bill and Margy

Our Lord is so good and He is so faithfulto meet our needs, often times before we even
Itnow we have them! As Bill's work at the institute is progressing, and there is more and
more to do, God has provided Bill witha helf>er, Loren Wight He and his family have come
to Honduras as volunteer missionaries. As we have come to know and love the Wights, it
has become clear to all of us that God is leading the Wights to full-time ministry with Bajio
Christian Mission.

We are, of course, oveijoyed to have the help and fellowship of this family, and thank
our dear Lordfor giving us an opfjortunity to serve him together. We are excited to see what
good things God has in store for us as our ministries blend and complement one another.
Loren has been woiWngfor the past twenty years as an ophthalmic technician, and he
owned a contact lens finishinglab inWashington state before he began to lose central vision
inhiseyes fouryears ago. Thisironiceye malady forced himto retireearlyfromhis practice.
Heand hisfamily then moved to northern Idahowhere they werebusy ranching and raising
cattie and horses when God called them to Honduras.

For Loren this was the culmination of a call to missions that he had received as a

teenager. For his wife, Nancy, this adjustment was more complex as she had grown up
in the same ranching community, and felt a very distinct and powerful bond to her home,
family, and fnends. But God in Hiswisdom had prepared the entire famDy for "such a time
as this," and all the family members are adjusting well to the climate, culture, and work in

Vie Wight family: Nancy,

Loren, Jennifer (in the U.S.),
Jamin, Jael and Jacob.

Honduras.

In addition to his medical background, Loren has carpentiy, building, and mechanical experience. He was a deacon in the
local church before moving here. Loren loves anything to do withwater and "lovessufferingforthe Lord,"living nearthe Caribbean.
Nancy has previously worked in prison ministriesas a counselor in juvenile detention. She is an avid spinner and weaver,
and in the Gnited States trained and showed dogs withtheir two boys, Jamin, 17, and Jacob, 12, who are also animal lovers. Both
boys are passionately involved in soccer and have found it an avenue for ftiendship in "ftjtbol crazy" Honduras.
The Wights have a twenty-one year old daughter, Jennifer, who is at home in the States with her husband, Tony; and Jael,
a busy two-year-old daughter who keeps them on the run.
Loren, Nancy, and their children, are people who have a great love for the Lord and for people. This family is also very furv
loving and we enjoy their companionship. We ask that you keep them and us in your prayers as we join our hearts and hands
in serving our Saviour here.

Las Brisas
The people inthe mountains where Bill has been preaching
every Monday evening have had a moving experience. In an
attempt to save what little rain forest is left in the area and
recover the watershed for the city of San Pedro Sula, the
municipality mandated that their squatter colony be moved to
a new neighborhood that was being develop>ed for them. Ifthey

were unwillingto cooperate their houses would be demolished

and bumed. Only people with more than six years tenure were
p>ermittedto continue living in the area. Last September, tmcks

rented by the municipal govemment moved p>ossessions and

the materials from their houses to the new neighborhood.
We were informed that the school-church building also had
to be moved. When Tom and Bill saw how the Army was taking
down buildings, they decided that it would be profitable to
dismantie it themselves in order to salvage as much material
as possible for rebuilding. The project took all day. Tom, Bill,
Caesar (the teacher), and even some of the students worked
hard to disassemble the building. The soldiers carried the
boards down the mountain and loaded them on trucks. Tom,

the professor, and some of the parents worked to reassemble

the building in the new location.
A prime concem was how to avoid the loss of the school
year which the students had nearly completed. (The Honduran
school year runs from February to November with the vacation
in the winter.) By holding classes in both the old and new
locations, it was possible to salvage the school year for all the
students involved. Classes for those few remaining In the
mountains were held under a tarp that Billloaned them. Only
a week of classes were lost and all the students were promoted
or graduated on schedule. The rebuilt school willreopen next
year under the direction and support of LIFELINE CHRISTIAN

MISSION which will build improved and enlarged facilities.

This will allow Tom Schneller to devote more time to the

development of the church. In the meanwhile, Tito, a preacher

who works for LIFELINE, reports that the congregation meet
ing in the school has doubled, and Bill continues to hold
services with the Christians who remain in the mountains.

Personal Glimpses
The highlight of this past year was the opp>ortunity our
family (allfourofus) had to spend a week ona Caribbean cruise
withthe Hofffamily. We disembarked from Ft Lauderdale on
August 6th and returned on August 13th. The ten of us, Bill's
two brothers, his sister and sister-in-law, his parents, and our
family enjoyed fellowshipping together, eating the delicious
and bountiful food, attending the entertainment shows and
sptecial classes offered, taking the various excursions on the
four islands that we visited, and marveling at God's beautiful
creation, the ocean. Ittruly was a once^rM-lifetimeexperience
for us. It was a needed break from the heat and shortage of
water and electricity in Honduras. We returned home ready to
settle in and serve the Lord. We truly thank Bill's parents for
p>aying all the exp>enses related to the trip and cruise.
James 4:14 states that, "You are just a vapor that appears

for a little while then vanishes away." As 1lay in bed thinking

about my heart problem last September, 1reflected on how
short life reallyis and how we can never be sure when ours will
end. 1must admit I was a littleafraid, especially for the first few
days; but my greatest concern was the pwDssibility that 1might
have to go to the States. Most Americans in Honduras would
love to go to the States. Rebecca has wanted to return since our

the States; and the least excuse was that I didn't feel well
enough to travel.

For six days, whilefamily and friends were praying for me

in three different countries: Mexico, Honduras, and the Gnited

States, I was fighting to stay in Honduras. I remember on a

Wednesday evening while I continued to lie in bed that sud
denly a real peace came over me. Ifeltthe presence ofthe Lord
and said, "O.K. Ifyou want me to go to the States, then I will
go. Idon't understand why, but Iwill go." The following Friday
the doctor asked me how I felt, and I replied, 'Terrible." After
a careful examination, he said that he thought my heart

problem was stress and didn't feela need forfijrther tests. Itwas
hard to believe him. I left his office on "cloud 9." I wanted to

jump up and down. 1told Bill that it is just like the Lord to give
you what you want after you submitto Him. Areyou submitting
to the Lord's \wll in your life today?

I would appreciate your continued prayers on my behalf.

Ido feel much better, but there are times that physical work or
stress make me very tired. 1need to rest in order to feel well
again.

-Margy

vacation ended last August But I had many reasons not to

want to go for ftirther testing on my heart

The diagnosis of my problem began when I visited the

doctor on September 19th. He checked my blood pressure
and it was very high. He also gave me an ELK.Q. test and

diagnosed a possible scar tissue from a former heart attack. I

followed withan ecocardiogram and then a treadmill test 1was
now taking four medicines a day and resting. I began arguing
withGod about going to the States. Itold him that Bill was busy
with the construction ofthe institute and it wasn't convenient for

him to leave; I told him that Rebecca was in the middle of the

semester and trying to adjust to this school and itwould be very

inconvenient to change schools at this time; 1told God that we
didn't have any medical insurance so couldn't afford to go to

Published by the
Rossville Christian Church

411 Spruce POB 187

Rossville, KS 66533
FORWARD AND RETURN
POSTAGE GUARANTEED

ADDRESS CORRECTION REQUESTED

Hofffamily on cruise.

NON-PROFIT ORG.
U.S. POSTAGE
PAID

ROSSVILLE, KS
PERMIT NO. 6