San Juan is about an hours drive so travel time
cuts severely into time for visitation. Another
is a personal hatred by the chief of police towards Vicente and I. Athird problem has presented itself in the decision of Vicente to take
a secular job and go back to school. A decision
partially spurred on by the brethren saying "you
are paid
to visit
our neighbors
J||||SHK
JHt , M
||H^,
1
flV
the
services
'
and tell them
Juan both in the "Casa del Carpintero" (the cofand in
•
^
about Jesus," when he knew it was their duty.
Vicente had been a great deal of help in San
fee house)
^
and
ERMILO AND MARTA GASCA
ERMILO
AND MARTA GASCA
calling.
Vicente still gives much of his time to the Lord's service but his working hours prevent
helping as much as he used to.
-
,
•
-b'ut-
Because of these problems, I was pleased to learn that a young graduate of Golegio^Biblico
was interested in working in the area. _^.lrmilo Gasc.^ and his newl.^.ed wife, Marta, visited
with us and the church in San Juan.
conferred with Norm'and with everyone in accord; we
now have a new evangelist working with us.
It took several days to find an apartment.
After driving up and down on every street in
the city (in the rain), we found one just a few steps from the mercado.
The next day Margy
and I helped them move into their new apartment.
Ermilo is now doing all the preaching and is also doing the calling for the correspondence
school in that area. He has begun Sunday morning Bible school, something we have been un
able to do because of two services in Queretaro in the morning. He is also opening the cof
fee house three days a week.
^
t
-t-Kic
we feel that this young man and his wife-will be valuable to the work of the Lord in this
area.
Please undergird their ministry with your prayers.
FAITHFUL
It was a year and a half ago (see newsletter of June 1973) that we first visited Viborillas, a small coop farm. At that time there was one baptism, later two more were baptize .
For almost a year we have been unable to visit these new converts due to the poor roa
conditions. But in December the roads were finally repaired and passable so Tomas and I
went to visit them. Then again in January we visited twice and to our 3oy we found that
three baptized had remained faithful.
others there.
It is now our privilege to proclaim the gospel to
We asked one man why he didn't become a Christian and his reply was
in a blood feud and might have to kill someone.
Please pray with us
that he was involved
for the soul of this
man and those of his neighbors.
OUR CHRISTMAS
Christmas is an exciting time of year for children in all jj^H
parts of the world.
Mexican children celebrate Christmas |HB
by enjoying posadas, fiestas, and pifiatas.
BB
The Christmas program here in Queretaro had over 90 in MM
attendance. Vicente directed a program of music and dramas. Sh
The children then broke two pifiatas and refreshments were Hji
served to all.
The same program was presented in San Juan HH
del Rio that evening. There were about 50 in attendance. |h|
Mark slept through both programs.
j^B
Mark enjoyed his first Christmas.
It was 10:00 a.m. be—
fore he was ready to have his gifts opened.
His Daddy
helped him open them as his Mommy took pictures.
^ |H
'^After "this we "met the Bartletts at-the bus -stationr-SM
George and Mary Bartlett and their daughter, Sherrie, from jlK
Celaya enjoyed Christmas dinner with us. That evening we |
all visited
with the Wrights and were treated
to a cream-
filled cake topped with whipped cream, and eggnog.
This picture
of Mark was taken
at 4 months of age.
He
now weighs 14 lbs. 10 ozs. and is 25 inches long. He does- ||||
n't have much more hair but does have two new teeth.
The first part of January we all had the flu.
fered
'
CONTRIBUTORS (NOVEMBER-DECEMBER)
M/M W. T^ Merrick
Avondale, Ariz.
M/M Richard Shine
Las Vegas, Nev.
M/M Ralph Suiter
Parker, Ariz.
Mrs. Lizzie McCreary
M/M Robert Legg
Mrs.
Mark suf- gH
the worse.
Pleasantview Christian
Women's Council, Dominguez—
Long Beach, Ca.
--Lemon Grove, Ca.
G. W. Brandon
At^iens, Ga.
M/M Ben Hoff, Jr.
M/M Richard Baker
M/M nnrdon Clifford
Miss Marge Phipps
Atascadero, Ca..
Goodyear, Tiriz.
Long Beach, Ca.
Long Beach, Ca-
Mr. Ben Hoff, Sr.
Mrs. Zella Adams
Atascadero, Ca.
Fowler, Ind.
M/M Ralph Waltemire
Indiana, Pa.
Mi
South Gate, Ca.
. E. J. Prentice
Christian Church of HopwoodLake Mount Church of ChristCentral Chr. Church of RenoChurch of Christ
Buckeye Christian
First Church of Christ
The Christian Church
-Lisbon, Ohio
-Long Beach, Ca.
-Hopwood, Pa.
-Rogers, Ohio
-Reno, Nev.
-Vanderbilt, Pa.
-Buckeye, Ariz.
-Flagstaff, Ariz
-Atascadero, Ca.
'Vegas""Valley "Christian
New Hope Christian
F^rst Christian
The Spanish phrase which is equivalent to "the Lord willing"is very much overworked here
in Mexico.
People say "Lord willing I will come to church" or they say "Lord willing !
baptized."
They often don't have the slightest intention of doing those things.
Now, clearly, the Lord is willing that they be in church or are baptized.
Peter tells us
that the Lord is "not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repent
ance."
I hear the phrase used so often that when Jovita told me she would like to be baptized,
I was sceptical.
But this lady, about 60 years of age,
was being honest and so she made
the good confession and was baptized in February.
Her acceptance of salvation was wonderful for us.
We visit and talk with many about the
Lord but ve^ few have shown the hunger for righteousness that she has.
poor woman.
can find.
Jovita is a very
She earns a few pesos daily by collecting used paper from every trash can she
One morning
she was cleaning
out the can
in front of our house when Vicente
talked to her about coming to church services.
She came, timidly at first, and then
eagerly.
Although she doesn't know how to read and although she doesn't know the name of
the street on which she lives, she came to know something far more wonderful; the Lord
Jesus.
In the time of Jesus, the well-educated and the rich scoffed at the message of the Lord,
but those of the lowest classes gladly received the Redeemer. The story is often repeated
today.
AS
ELIJAH
In I Kings chapter 18 we read of the great contest that Elijah had with the 450 prophets
of Baal and the 400 prophets of Asherah which Jezebel had hired and brought to the land of
Israel.
The 850 false prophets prepared a sacrifice and prayed for fire from their god
but the offering
was not consumed.
Then Elijah did the same
and fire fell and consiimed
everything, even the rocks.
When the people saw this they fell down and worshipped Jeho
vah. At Elijah's command the false prophets were slain.
Jezebel was angered by this and
threatened to kill Elijah and he fled for fear of her and asked God that he might die.
After so great a victory for God he became depressed by one threat.
From my own life and from talking with others, I find that depression
attack which Satan uses very frequently on those who would serve the Lord.
pression hits us,
of God.
how do we fight back?
is a method of
When such de
Elijah was strengthened when he heard the voice
We also must hear the voice of the Lord in order to combat Satan.
With the idea of providing for our spiritual needs, of providing fellowship,^I^d of pro
viding a platform for new ideas, the missionaries of Mexico have organized a reuni.on_where
w we jcommune anc^ study the Word.
This year's reunion was held in Saltillo
and was planned
and organized by Delbert Wilson and Mark Northrup. The year before we had voted to invite
. Brant Doty to speak to us.
He is from Great Lakes Bible College and specializes in Old
~Tes'tamentr"
The messages were a study of the Ten Commandments.
Each commandment was discussed in
relation to its historical background, in relation to what the Jew believed about it, in
relation to what Christ taught about it, and in relation to how it pertains to the Chris
tian today.
I wish that each of you had been able to hear these studies.
This reunion was special in that we have never had so many children in attendance—25
this year.
We thank Mazel Northrup who planned and executed the sessions for children.
There was even a kite flying session for fathers and sons.
This father enjoyed it but
Mark wasn't too interested—in a couple more years.
Because the reunion was held in Saltillo (400 miles north of Queretaro), we decided to
continue to the border in order to receive new tourist papers.
Our new papers permit us
to stay through the summer.
We want to be here for the youth camp which will be held in
July.
We then plan to go on a speaking tour through Arizona, Nevada, and California.
During our few days in Texas we stayed with the Clinton Looney family.
They wfere very
hospitable to us. Our stay was short as we desired to be back for services on Easter Sun
day.
We once again welcomed our home in Queretaro when we arrived back on Good Friday.
WE GIVE THANKS:
because the new camp"isnjhder oDhstructioh ^dTs^^hedur^ to^be finished on^ime.
for the planned return of the Dungans in June.
for the recent baptisms in Celaya, San Miguel de Allende, and San Juan del Rio.
for the 200,000 feet of new recording tape donated to the work. This tape was badly
needed.
for
the increased church attendance in San Juan del Rio.
for the prospect of putting "Dulces Momentos" on another radio station.
for our family and friends who pray for us and the work here in Mexico.
CONTRIBUTORS
(JANUARY-FEBRUARY)
M/M Richard Baker
M/M Gordon Clifford
Goodyear, Ariz.
Long Beach, Ca.
First Church of Christ
Flagstaff, Ariz.
The Christian Church
Atascadero, Ca.
Miss Marge Phipps
Long Beach, Ca.
Mr.
Atascadero, Ca.
Vegas Valley Christian
New Hope Christian
Las Vegas, Nev.
Columbus, Ind.
First Christian
Glendale Christian
First Christian
Pleasantview Christian
Phoenix, Ariz.
Glendale, Ariz.
Westminster, Ca.
Lisbon, Ohio
Long Beach, Ca.
Hopwood, Pa.
Rogers, Ohio
Buckeye, Ariz.
Vanderbilt, Pa.
Mrs.
Ben Hoff, Sr.
E. J. Prentice
South Gate, Ca.
M/M Robert Hoff
Rome, Ga.
Mrs.
Long Beach, Ca.
Golda Wolford
M/M W. T. Merrick
Buckeye, Ariz.
M/M Richard Shine
Las Vegas, Nev.
M/M Ralph Suiter
Parker, Ariz.
Mrs. Lizzie McCreary
Ti/m Kobert Legg
Long Beach, Ca.
jjemon urove, ua.
Women's Council, Dominguez
Christian Church of Hopwood
Lake Mount Church of Christ
Buckeye Christian—
FORWARDING AGENTS ADDRESS
Mr. & Mrs. Richard Baker
P. 0. Box 489
Goodyear, Ariz. 85338
Mdi\0
PIBLISHED
JUNE 1975
BI-MONTHLY
A
DONATION
Our regular readers know that we hold a summer camp each year. The time for camp is once
again drawing near and the camp committee is meeting regularly.
The committee composed of
Tomas de la Cruz, Arturo Ramirez, Juan Avina, Hermilio Gasca, and myself have been concerned
with the program of the camp.
I have had another concern;
three years ago the wal^s began
to fall in where we had been holding camp.
Last year Bob Wright was kind enough to permit
us the use of a structure on the orphanage property, but that is now occupied so it bt^e
necessary to find or build a camp.
Bob Wright has donated part of the orphanage property
for a new campsite.
tion o^ abujjldirig 15 feet by 150 feet-- began about 4 months ago.
The construc
The building will have a
kitchefT, two -Borms, ' and two shower rooms.
The construction has a concrete floor and block
walls.
The roof is unfinished at the time of writing but will be corrugated, asbestos on
wooden trusses.
Generally speaking a roof here costs as much as the floor and walls put to
gether,
so in Mexico
there are many buildings that lack roofs.
We are praying that funds
will be provided to finish the roof on time.
Additional improvements will be added each year.
The plan is to add doors, windows, and
bunk beds and a large roofed assembly area.
Between camps the facilities will be used for
the orphanage church services and weekend retreats.
Please be in prayer for the spiritual atmosphere of camp.
baptized and this year through your prayers
we hope that
Last year six young people were
there will be more.
Camp begins
the 14th of July.
FIRST AIRPLANE RIDE
Mark took his first airplane ride at the age of 7 1/2 months.
see my grandmother who is in very poor health.
family too.
He and I flew to Arizona to
We, of course, saw the other members of the
Bill's mother spent three days with us enjoying her grandson.
Although both Mark and I were sick during part of the two-week visit, I was able to help
care for my grandfather and visit my grandmother several times in the hospital.
It wasn't quite
so easy to re-enter Mexico as we had hoped.
We discovered
that it is
necessary for both parents to give permission in order for a minor to enter the country.
were thankful that Bill's telegram giving this permission arrived in one day.
imagine we were happy to return to Bill.
crawl while in Arizona.
As
you
We
can
Mark had surprised his daddy by learning how to
Bill was amazed at how much Mark had progressed in only two weeks.
PRACTICE ON AN ORANGE
One Sunday in April
evangelist there,
When I arrived,
I went to San Juan del Rio early in the afternoon.
had asked me to take
Hermilio, the
the church group to a nearby lake for a baptism.
it was obvious that Hermilio
was in no condition
to perform the ceremony.
He had a fever and headache and was beginning to break out in a rash.
When we arrived at the lake, I took off my shoes; and the young man who was to be baptized
and I entered the cold, muddy water. As we walked out I stepped on a broken bottle. I pro
ceeded to baptize him as the-people sang a hi-mn "En las aguas del baptismo" (in the baptis^mal waters). When I got out I found I had a deep cut in my right heel but it wasn't bleed
ing. Because I hadn't prepared for the baptism, I had no 'dry clothes.
Monday evening I received a phone call from Hermilio saying that the doctors in San Juan
hadn't been able to diagnose his problem. Re asked about doctors in Queretaro. I took him
to our doctor who prescribed lots of antibiotics and a pain killer.
(By now Hermilio was
suffering terribly). I had never given an injection before but with a little practice on an
orange under the watchful eye of a neighbor who is a nurse, I became pretty good. Hermilio
and" his~wife stayed with us.- During-the week - I gave him-a-totaO^of-20-injections but by.
Saturday there was no noticeable improvement. Our doctor recommended another, a skin spe
cialist who was able to diagnose the problem;
a virus infection which is untreatable.
He
prescribed drugs to relieve the pain and explained the sit||fion. He said the infection it
self is not dangerous but very painful and that
to get relief, have committed
suicide. It usually subsides in three weeks. HenfffKFfelt much better knowing what it was.
I ask your continued prayers for Hermilio because the infection which began on his head is
now healed there but is working downward on his arms and chest. The pain is not so great
but he still needs the Lord's healing hand upon him.
CONTRIBUTORS (t4ARCH-APRIL)
M/M W. T. Merrick
Buckeye, Ariz.
M/M Dave King
Eugene, Ore.
Mrs. E. J. Prentice
South Gate, Ca.
Miss Marge Phipps
Long Beach, Ca.
M/M Robert Legg
M/M Ben Hoff, Jr.
•Lemon Grove, Ca.
•Atascadero, Ca.
Mrs
Mrs
G. W. Brandon—
Lizzie McCreary-
Mr. Ben Hoff, Sr.
M/M Richard Shine
M/M Richard Baker
M/M
-Athens, Ga.
-Long Beach, Ca.
-Atascadero, Ca.
-iLas Vegas", Nev.
-Goodyear, Ariz.
Ralph Suiter
First Christian
Lemon Grove Christian
Parker, Ariz.
Westminster, Ca.
Lemon Grove, Ca.
Pleasantview Christian
Lisbon, Ohio
New Hope Christian
Columbus, Ind.
;
Parkcrest Church of Christ
Grindstone Christian
Long Beach, Ca
Grindstone, Pa
Lake Mount Church of Christ
Women's Council-Dominguez
Rogers, Ohio
Long Beach, Ca
First Church of Christ
The Christian Church
Christian Church of Hopwood
-vanderbxrt Church- o£-Chri&fe
Flagstaff, Az.
Atascadero, Ca
Hopwood, PaVanderbilt, -J^a
First Christian
Phoenix, Ariz.
Vegas Valley Christian
Fowler Christian
Las Vegas, Nv.
Fowler, 1^-_
Buckeye Christian
Glendale Christian Church
Buckeye, Ariz.
DULK HAVE
U.S. Pottage
P.O. Box 415
PAID
Glendale, Arizona 85311
Pormlt #36
Address Correction Requested
Glendale, Ariz.
Kission Services
Box 177
Kompton, Ind. 460^9
•4|fi75
THE
FIELD ADDRESS
Mr. & Mrs. William Hoff
Apdo. Postal 57
Queretaro, Qro., Mexico
CHALLENGE
70
FORWARDING AGENTS ADDRESS
Mr. & Mrs. Richard Baker
'PnaeiHeUm
P. 0. Box 489
Goodyear, Ariz. 85338
,iC-
CC: ?
• AUGUST 1975
PUBLISHED BI-MONTHLY
NEW LOCATION FOR CAMP '75
Cajnp "began on Monday,
the evening meal.
July l^th,
with
The attendance was ave
rage, about 100 people.
Everyone slept on
concrete dormitory floors which seemed
extra hard and cold on this rainy ni^t,
I had Just fallen asleep when more than 20
young people arrived from Mexico City.
Everyone was awakened by the confusion.
When they were settled, we all tried to go
back to sleep.
In the morning we made a
count and found that there were _135 in
atten(^ce, much larger than any pre^ous
~^ear.
Our days began at 6 a.m. with
spiritual
growth as the main objective. First there were devotions and
^ayer circles. This was followed by the line-up for breakfast
(the crookedest line washed dishes). After eating, the campers
attended classes.
The last class of the morning
"Passtimes for Christian youth." It was different th^ the 3
previous classes in that all campers attended one single ses
sion, whereas, the other classes were divided by the student s
#
ability and Bible toowledge.
The afternoon was a time of
competition in the various sports, basketball, volleyball,
and soccer (boys only).
The young people also had the
opportunity to swim each day.
The evening service was designed for growing in the faith.
There were dramas and talent shows.
Bro. Woo(^ Philips of
/^an Jose Bible College delivered some or the finest youth-
f( oriented messages I have ever heard. ..Deaii Gary translated
^ them into Spanish.
We truly enjoyed and marveled at the
spiritual growth of our youth,
Praise the Lord for this ex-
perience in faith.
Glendale Christian Church
P.O. Box 415
BULK RATE
U.S. Pottage
PAID
Glendale, Arizona 85311
Permit #36
Address Correction Requested
Glendale, Ariz.
Kission Services"
Box 177
Kempton, Ind.
THE
FIELD ADDRESS
Mr. & Mrs. William Hoff
CHALLENGE
Apdo. Postal 57
Queretaro, Qro., Mexico
no
FORWARDING AGENTS ADDRESS-
^taciicUm
•
/ a
' V
Mr. & Mrs. Richard Baker
P. 0. OuA IW
(lIjulIji. Ill, iliiiii 'Ifilin
^ MaxiS
iVlR. & MRS. RICHARD BAKER
STAR RT. BOX 909E
BUCKEYE, ARIZONA 85326
DECEMBER 1975
PUBLISHED BI-MONTHLY
THE CAMP GROWS
On October 13,
work was begun on the second bui.ldinh
just
of the Campamento del Bajio,
outside Queretaro, on the grounds of the Christian orphanaqe.
Designed to accomodate 150 people the buildlmr vjill serve as both dininq hall and chapel.
Dimensions are 8 by 15 meters (about 25 by 4,8 ft;et) .
Basic design will be identical to the
original, dormitory building—coi?crete floor, cement-block walls, and v/ooden trusses sup
porting a double-slope roof.
The major difference will be,
sheet roofing, in contrast to the tarpaper roof of the dorm.
porated into the building;
lord providing,
the asbestos-
A raised stage will be incor
and portable chairs and tables wilt serve to keep the building
extremely versatile.
Total cost will probably be about $3000.00 fully done.
But wc expect to wait at least
a
year to lay the floor and put up all 4 walls-we'li be using concrete pillars to support
the roof anyway, so the blocks will just be to keep out the elenonts.
Bro. Steve Shold, missionary in the state of Hidalgo, has been directing
work
on
the
"BSfl^ing, ' wit^Norm serving as assistant.
In addition to the v;ork done so far on the new
building, finishing touches have been added to the kitchen in the first building; two doors
have been bought and installed, two windows made and fitted; and a ceiling laid in.
These
improvements should make the work of the cooks, if no easier, at least more pleasant.
Additional minor projects for the year include laying a sidc-w»ilk along the front of the
dorm, putting lights in the outhouses, improving the drainage system, and upgrading the
sports facilities. (The preceding article was written by Norm. Our funds are also being
used in this camp construction).
,
.—.r
DISCIPLTMG
In the 28th chapter of Matthew we find the cjreat corrjnission in which the Lord tells us
that we should make disciples of all nations.
In our work here we have worked with Indians
who speak Mazahua and Otome and with people of Spanish decent.
But about two years ago, due to a spiritual need, a work beqzn here among the Englishspeaking community. At that time several women began to ir.eet tooether for Bible studies.
As time passed we formed a Sunday worship r.ervice which met at the American school. Then
suddenly about four families who had been attending moved away.
We decided that the school library was too large for the small group v.-e were having.
vices moved into a Christian woman's home.
Ser
For a year we continued mc-etinas altaough often
we would have but five people in attendance. Then the Lord answered our prayers anci several
American families moved into pueretaro. Thev are from diverse church backgrounds but have
a common desire to study the Bible.
fortunately,
Our Enaiish service has an attendance of 15 to 30.
very few men are attendin-::.
f.ost of them pl^iy qolf on Sundays.
Un
Perhapo a
men's fellowship can be arranged to develop an interest in the Word.
Norm has been able to start a program for the English-speaking youth.
These young people
need to Know the Lord. They have been more hardened by the materiaiis:r. around then than I
thought possible.
Please pray that we can lead tliem to the abundant life.
REJOICE WITH US THAT:
Chuck and Sylvia Ciangura and their two children have arrived in the neighboring state of
Michoacan.
Sylvia will be running the correspondence school and Chuck will be evangelizing
contacts made through the radio work.
lege together.
We have known this couple since we were in Bible col
They bring 5 years of experience to Central Mexico having previously
worked
in Baja California.
Alberto and Mary Gonzalez and their 3 children have decided to locate here in Queretaro.
Alberto will be working as an evangelist holding meetings throughout Mexico.
The Gonzalez*
were missionaries in Chile for 7 years before health problems forced their return to the US.
FAMILY
LIFE
We were all glad to move into our new house the last part of October.
to
set a
routine with Mark once we were settled,
wasn't too sure about the electric
It was much easier
He had his first haircut at 13 months.
He
clippers,
couple weeks later he began walking.
Bill auid I
enjoy our new home.
It is centrally located and
we finally have a telephone which we have desired
since coming to Mexico. I also rejoice that I am
getting
some new curtains and a
new livingroom
set.
We have already done quite a bit of enter
taining in our house. We enjoy people
stopping
in for a few minutes, or for a meal, or to spend
the night. We enjoyed a delicious
Thanksgiving
dinner at the Beeman's orphanage in Mexico City.
We had a turkey with all the trimmings. The fel
lowship with various missionaries in Mexico made
the day a real treat.
CONTRIBUTORS
(SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER)
M/M Richard Baker
Buckeye, Ariz.
Mrs. G. W. Brandon
Athens, Ga.
M/M B. W. Ellis—
Long Beach, Ca.
Mrs. Thomas Gallagher—-Palm Desert, Ca.
Mr. Ben Hoff, Sr.-—
Atascadero, Ca.
M/M Ben Hoff, Jr.——
Atascadero, Ca.
M/M Robert Legg—-—
Lemon Grove, Ca.
Miss Marge Phipps——
Long Beach, Ca.
Mrs.
The Christian Church
——Atascadero, Ca.
Buckeye Christian—
—Buckeye, Ariz.
Dominguez First Christian
—Long Beach^ Ca.
First Church of Christ
——Flagstaff, Az,
Christian Church of Hopwood—Hopwood, Pa.
Lake Mount Church of Christ
Itogers, Ohio
New Hope Christian
Colombus^
First Christian
Phoenix, Ariz.
Pleasantview Christian
—Lisbon, Ohio
Vegas "Valley Christ^an-——-•=Las "VegaTi^
E. J. Prentice——South Gate, Ca.
Richard Shine
----^lias Vegas", Nev.
M/M Ralph Suiter
Parker, Ariz.
M,/M Wesley Tottingham
Atascadero, Ca.
Westside Church of ChristLong Beach, Ca,
First Chr .-Missionary Society-Canadiarj, Tex,Women's Council-Dominguez——Long Beach, Ca,
First Christian
-Westminster, Ca.
Christian Women's Fellowship- -Tolleson Christian—Tolleson, Ariz.