Hoff William Margy 2000 Honduras

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SALUDOS!

UNTTEO STATES

M/M Bill Hoff

Apdo. 3166
San Pedro Sula

Honduras, Central America

from
BAJIO CHRISTIAN MISSION
SOUTH AMEHI

504-566-3796

e-mail: [email protected]
Corporate Oflice
P.O.Box61013

Las Vegas, NV 89160-2013

Published Quarterly

Vol. 31, Number 1

Winter 2000

December Activities
The month of December was the busiest month of this past year
for the Hoffs. It included weddings, programs and parties along with their
regular work. Billand Margy returned home from Costa Rica on November
30th. SinceMargyhad been awayfor six weeks (three in the States and three
in Costa Rica), and Billhad been away for three weeks, there was a lot of
"catching up" to do and a lot of preparations to make relating to
Christmas. Margy had purchased most of the gifts that she needed in
Knoxville and in San Jose so only a litde shopping had to be done.
The Hoffs were invited to two weddings in the Spanish
congregation in December. Julio Corea, the pastor, was married on
December 11th. It was referred to as "the wedding of the century."Julio
had been looking for a wife for many years, and praise the Lord he found a
good Christian mate. Tom Schneller, the founder of the church, came with
his wife,Toni, from Kentucky to perform the ceremony. The church was
packed for the special occasion. One week later, another member, Dalila
who had been praying for a Christian mate, was married. Her wedding was
very beautiful and weU attended.
On December 10th, the English-speakingcongregation sponsored a
program, which took place at a large auditorium in town. A missionary
that attends the church produced and helped sing in. The Toy Story, with
the children of the church. There were about 150 people in attendance.
Refreshments followed the program. It has been suggested that this

The MqffFamily

become an annual event.

On December 17th Mark andjoy arrived from Costa Rica. It took
them two long daysofdriving.Then on December 20th Rebecca flewin
from Knoxville. It was sure nice having the whole family here for
Christmas.

The English church's Christmas Eve service was held at the hotel in
the same room where services are held each Sunday. The room was

Rebecca with her dad

decorated and set up with tables and chairs. Following the program, which
was a story with Christmas carols, refreshments were served. It truly was a
lovely time of rejoicing and fellowship for all. After opening a few
Christmas gifts, the Hoff family was invited to a turkey supper. The
traditional fireworks were shot off at midnight and then everyone returned
home.

Christmas day was a time of opening gifts and then hosting a
dinner for a missionary couple and aTaiwanese family. Everyone seemed
to enjoy themselves and there was plenty to eat.
The last big event of the year 1999 was the New Year's Eve party
that Billand Margy hosted. Two televisions were set up so that everj'one
could see the New Year as it took place around the world. There was a
tremendous amount of food and a lot of fireworks to help usher in the
New Year. What a joyit is to have fellowshipwith Christian friends.

Victoria andJulio Corea

A Thanksgiving Visit
This past November we decided to talce a short break from our
roudne and enjoyThanksgiving at our son and daughter-in-law's house in
SanJose, CostaRica. MarkandJoy are teachingat the SojournAcademy
there.The school is associated with the Spanish Language Insdtutc and
meets the needs of children of future missionaries. Mark teaches five classes

injunior and Senior high andJoy is teachingthe fifth and sixthgrades.
Theyarealsoseeking opportunities to serveinanevangelistic capacity.
The trip required two days (about 18 hours.) The distance is not
quite 700miles but the border crossings into Nicaragua and Costa llicaare
slow. At one point a landslide delayed us. Nicaragua's highways have not
yetrecoveredfrom hurricanedamages. Welost alot of timedodging
potholes and washed out sections of road. Neither of the countries'
highways comparc to those in Honduras.
We found the country of Costa Rica to be beautiful. The most
pleasant surprise was how fewguns there were. (In Honduras there are an
Volcano Arenal

estimated half million
firearms for six million

LakeArenal

inhabitants, so automatic weapons are commonplace.) In many ways the nation is more
advanced than the rest of Central America, probably because they do not spend huge amounts
sustaining an army (they have none). Costa Rican prices are high compared to Honduras, but
people earn more so it balances out. It is easy to see why in the past so many missionaries
went to CostaRicafor language studyand neverleft.Because of that the countryis heavily
evangelized.
Our children showed us some of the natural wonders of the country. The livevolcano,
Arenal, was especiaUy interesting. At night the glowing ballsof lava rolling and bouncing
down the sloping face ofthe volcano are particularlyimpressive.We also drove to the top of
Irazu, a slumbering volcanicgiant that is 11,000 feet high. From the top, we could look down
on the clouds and down into the crater at a bright green lake.
We had trouble findingall the ingredients for our Thanksgiving dinner. Wewere
unprepared to find that things easilyobtainable in Honduras are not available there. "After
all,"we thought, "it is all Central America!" Mark and Joy invited another couple to help us
eat the magnificent mrkey.
We were doubly blessed to get home when we did, because the next day the border
between Nicaragua and Honduras was closed due to a dispute over territorialwaters. The
drive is challenging, maybe the next time we willvisit by air.

Preacher Training
DonJose, the owner of the property the institute leases,
hasreceived averygood offer to buynearly 1200acresof hisranch
for buildingan industrial complex. He has already solda very
large tract,and the purchaserhas askedto buy the property on the
other side of the highwaywhere the institute sits.This has caused
Billdeep concern. But DonJose has informed Bill that: because
the U.S. based underwearmanufacturerforwhichthe complexis
beingbuiltisin chapter11,nothingis likely to happen for at least
a year, and that the new buyerwill honor the leaseor compensate
the value of the buildings. This doesn't mean that the problem is
resolved, but it gives more timeto explore optionsif the institute
should have to move.

C'^son ChastaiK^ljmgiQri bringing asmaU group to help
prepareForliis family VriTove i^Cl^orJune[^Hginally, itwas
planned that this group would beginthe construction of a house
for the Chastainson the instituteproperty, but becauseof the
uncertain future, they willbe making modifications to the current

facilitiesto accommodate his family.
The four students returned from the holiday break with
glowing reports. Jose, a married student from a very poor village,
reported that he is doing all the preaching in his local
congregation. Besides that, he was able to purchase a small tract of
land, which is planted in coffee. There he willbe building his own
house (something every Honduran dreams about.) Santos,
another student, has been recognized for his teaching skillsand
asked to preach at a Catholic church. In his own congregation, he
usually preaches on Sunday morning. Miguel is not able to travel
to his home congregation each weekend because of the distance,
but he has been adopted by a congregation in San Pedro and we
have been told that he is doing a tremendous job. Manuel is the
youngest and most introverted of our students, but he is
working with his local congregation, which already has a full-time
preacher.

Getting to Know the Students —Jose Aguilar
I was in born in San Luis, Santa Barbara, the 28th of March 1966. They tell me that

I was a very sickly child and was not expected to live.As I grew older, I thought I would
dedicate myself to subsistence agriculture, like my father had done, but he wanted me to
study instead. I managed to study through 6th grade.
Later, 1 became involved in a gang with my friends. TTiey taught me many vices
that led me to destruction. All of my earnings were thrown away on supporting my vices.
Eventually I lost my job, and I was left penniless. I remember thinking, "My God, when
am 1going to escape from these afflictions?" 1 found a new job, but as soon as I had
money, I returned to my vices.
Even then God helped me. As I looked at my life He helped me realize that it was
complete vanity. At that point, I thought about joining the church to serve Christ, to see
if I could change my lifestyle. And for a few days, I did walk in the path of the Lord. But
afterward I returned to the same weaknesses of my former life.Later on I began to attend
church again for about a year. During that dme I got married. Having a wife, I abandoned
the church and returned to my old way oflife.
Before very long, I had children and began to understand that I couldn't continue
walking in the desires of the flesh. I pulled myself together and said, "Lord, you know
that J have played games with Your name and Your church, but I want You to be the one who will restore my life and my home." From the
moment that I humbled myselfin God's presence. He gave my wife and me the power to change our lives.Our lives are much better now.
I am preparing myself to teach others. I recognize that 1have been given marvelous help from God. I want to motivate others to join
the Way ofJesus Christ.

Margy's Trip in October
One of the hardest things about being a missionary is being separated from your children. In October Billand Margj' received a phone
callfrom Rebecca.Shewas depressed over various circumstances in her life.She wasn't wellphysically, her car wasn't running properly, her
microwave had died, etc. A friend ofMargysuggested that she should offer to go visit Rebecca.The followingday Rebeccaconfirmed that she
would really like her mother to visitand the same day Bill purchased a ticket for Margy.
Rebecca rents an apartment about ten minutes from the university ofTennessee. Margytook care of some of the problems while she
was there. Most importantly, there was plenty ofprivacy and time for Margy and Rebecca
to talk. They spent dme taking a trip to Missouri to visit friends, one to Kentucky to
•mm
meet and enjoy lunch with Joy's parents and the better part of an afternoon driving in the
beautiful Smoky Mountains.
Margyhad the privilegeofvisiting friends and attending the area-wideladies
meeting in the Woodlawn Christian Church only a short distance from where Rebecca
lives.

The flight home was rather adventurous. It took two days and three flights on the
second day,before the airline found an airplane that was able to fly to San Pedro Sula
without problems. The
first plane had landing
gear that wouldn't go
up and the second
plane had smoke in the
cabin. Margypraised
the Lord that she could

be reunited with Bill

once again. Unfortun
ately, a couple ofdays
before Margyreturned
home, Rebecca's

computer quit working,
so E-mail has been

Pe^ ^levins <& Bonita Ptyor

sparse between Rebecca
and her parents.

Rebecca in the Smokies

Mark's Bible Study Group

We love ourguests. Seever children helping Bill with breakfast.

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Bajio Christian Mission Inc. Honduras
Dear friends and supporters of this ministry,
Receive our greetings in the name of Jesus.
I know that most of us struggle with sin that easily beset us. I believe that at one time or another
one of my worst may be my pride, especially in my ability to trouble shoot and repair my automobiles.

Now as the years go by, I am discovering that our sixteen-year-old Chevrolet Suburban is beginning to
have problems that I have never heard of anyone experiencing before. The three hundred thousand
miles on the odometer may be a contributing factor. Some of the problems are doubtlessly associated
with the rough roads in Mexico and Central America. I will not mention the occasional overload; like the
twenty-seven people in it at one time, or the two tons of hurricane relief supplies. To make a long story
short, the truck is beginning to show the effects of the general wear and tear.
Another realityfaces me. The Suburban is an orphan here in Honduras. There are not a dozen

such trucks in the whole nation, and parts are difficult to obtain. I have now come to the point of having
parts made at the local machine shop. My Pride says, "prove to the world you can drive it another ten
years and reach half a million miles." Deep inside a small voice says, "Sure you can do it, but how much
time will it take and will it be cost effective?"

I admit that the best days of the Suburban are past and that we no longer need a largevehicle:
We have no family and the ministry does not involve transporting people. The current fuel consumption

is iift>' pei'cent higher than itneeds to be. I project savings ofabout a^ousand dollars ayear in fuel and
maintenance on a smaller Japanese pickup. More importantly, because I cannot find competent
mechanics, I do all my own work. With the demands the Bibleinstitute and the church place on my time,
I do not have time to be continuall)'repairing the vehicle. And I can't have it broken down on the side of
the road, because I would miss classes.

For those reasons, I am considering the purchase of a double cab Isuzu pickup to replace the
present auto. It should save quite a bit of money over the years, and parts are readily available. I will
keep the 3/4-ton pickup that has an almost new engine and transmission for a work truck for the Bible
institute construction. We will sell the suburban, plus the other one that I acquired for parts (It is
cuirently on loan to our new co-workere, the Chastain family.) but the sales are not going to bring a
more than a few thousand dollars for the above stated reasons. Therefore, we need a number of people
who will contribute a little extraso that we can raise the $6,000 that we lack to make the purchase price.
Some may ask why an Isuzu the answer is; the track record of their small diesel engines is outstanding.
(Operating costs for diesels is half as much as for gasoline engines here.) Moreover, Isuzus are not as
prone to carjacking or theft as the Toyotas and other small trucks.
I know that those of you who receive this letter have demonstrated your interest in this ministry

for yeare so I am asking that, if the Lord makes it possible, you manifest that interest by sending an
additional special offering to make the purchase of the truck a reality. Your gif^ would be a real blessing
to us and to the Bible institute. I want to thank you beforehand for your prayers and gifts.
Bill and Margy Hoff
Send gifts to: Bajio Christian Mission Inc. (truck fund)
PO Box 61013

Las Vegas Nv. 89160

jioju^ &o - 7-12 I©52

Bajio Christian Mission
William and Margy Ho
San Pedro Sula Honduras
who bdevts h Me.

Fran his nncnnxt beng w31

flowriversrffiving water."
Jota738

Dear Friends at Horizons,

I have a short news article that I would like to have included in the Horizons.

The International Christian Fellowship (an English-speaking congregation) in San Pedro
Sula, Honduras, had its first four baptisms on February 13th. Bill Hoff, missionary, per
formed the ceremony in a member's swimming pool following the worship service. The serv
ice had a record attendance of 129.

Thank you so much for your attention. May God bless your minsitry.
In Christ,

Bill and Margy Hoff

SALUDOS!

UwrEDSTATB

M/M BiU Hoflf

Apdo. 3166
San Pedro Sola

Honduras, Central America

KEX^CO

504-566-3796

from

e-mail: [email protected]

BAJIO CHRISTIAN MISSION
SOUTM AMERtCA

Coiporate Office
P.O.Box61013

LasVegas,NV 89160-2013

Published Quarterly

Spring 2000

Vol. 31, Number 2

The Angels Rejoiced
Februarj' 13thwasa day of rejoicing. The Angels in
heaven rejoiced alongwith theEnglish-speaking congregation.
This was a wonderful and ven' rewarding day for BiU and
Marg)'. Afterthree years of ministering with the church,four
of its members made the confession of faith and were

obedientto theLordin Christian baptism. Thisservice took
place in a swimming pool at one of the member's home.
There wasa recordattendanceof 129in theworship
service that morning. That provided much excitement in
itself. Following churchmost ofthegroup joinedthe caravan
of vehicles that went to the baptisms. Two of the ladies
baptized have young children whomtheyfaithfully bringto
church each Sunday. Even though the spouses do not

normally attend, these ladies are active in the church. The

other two baptized were an older couple from Germany
that are now retired and have returned to Germany. The
Hoffs aregratefulthat theymadethisdecisionwhileattending
the church and that now they are currendy looking for a
church similarto this stj'le of worship.
Following the baptisms, the group enjoyed pizza
and a time of fun and fellowship. Later that day, the Hoffs
hosted a going away part}' for a lady and her son who were
returning to the States.The church group isalways fluctuating
as its members come and go, but Bill and Margj' are happy
that they are available to provide a worship service that,
hopefully, meets the needs of those who attend.

P

L^'/ida being bapti:^d

Cokesfor everyone

New Christians

Students from Two Colleges
Last March, Tyson Chastain came with four other students

from Johnson Bible College to work at the institute. Tyson and his
family are new co-workers of Bill and Margj'who arrived on May 17*
to help at the institute. The original plan was for a large work group to
begin the construction of a house for the Chastain family, but because
the institutewill soon be moving, it wasnot practical to buildfurther on
the current property.One wingofthe mainbuilding neededconversion
into living quarters for the Chastains. The men fromJohnson knocked
out walls to put in interior doors and cemented in windows to make
them smaller. Then Bill installed glass, screens, and protective bars.
Marg}' and BiU have painted the walls and doors in order to make it look
more attractive. Until the institute moves, this will be home for Tyson,
Betsy, and their children. Drew, Skyler, and Briscoe.
The students from Johnson also spent time with the students
of the institute. Bill helped in translation as the two groups of men
enjoyed devotionstogether. Theyalsospent timeearingand com^ersing

Students from Jo/jiison

together.
The Hoffs are saddened by the fact that the institute must

relocate. When theyleased the property' five years ago, it did not seem
probable that the School would ever be forced to move. Now, the
owner has contracted to sell the land, something that only the Lord
could have foreseen. Therefore, it is only a matter of time until the
institute must move.

The rocky hillside where the school sits became valuable when

a large textilefirm began buildinga factor}' across the highway. Because
the factor}' sits on low ground, the new owners are cutting down the
mountain behind the institute for fill. Moving 185,000 cubic meters of
earth is a real job. Currentiy, Caterpillars are cutting the hill behind the
institute away and front-end loaders dump the dirt into trucks. Large

dump trucks then haul the earthacross the highway and dump it. This
has caused various problems and continuous noise and dirt for Billand
the students. There is a constant stream of Caterpillars, front loaders,
and dump trucks running around the buildings and racing to cross the
highway in order to fulfill their quotas. When they are working right
behind the buildings. Billmust hold classesin an air-conditioned room.
Bill is negotiating to purchase a piece of propert}' onl\- two
miles from the institute. Lord willingconstruction can begin soon. The
owner of the current propert}' has promisedcompensationfor the cost
of the new land and buildings. Even though it will be a lot of work to
construct another institute, Billbelieves that he can make the buildings

Eating out together.

more adaptable to the needs in Honduras, and that there will be fewer
problems with lackof water and electricity. It is hard to understand why
there is so much work ahead for the Hoffs, but they know that God is
in control.

Many work teams are needed for the new construction. If you
know of a group that is willingto help, please contact the Hoffs by email at [email protected] or call them at 011-504-566-3796.
Their publicit}' agent Darr}'l Olson may also be contacted in Kansas at
785-584-6800.

Mountain behind institute

Sarah Arrives
LastOctoberwhileI,Marg)', wasvisitingRebecca inKnoxville, I received
a phone call from mycousin,Clara Foxwho lives in Cleveland, Ohio. Duringthe
conversation, Clara mentionedthat her daughter Sarah, age21,wassearching for
a mission field for an internship. She asked ifwe coulduseher in anyway. I knew
that our work was not conducive to a younglady, but Rebecca remembered that
our friends, Todd andLynnell Fields werewanting someone to home schooltheir
daughters. Planswere made and manye-mails sent backand forth arranging for
The Fields andMargfmeet Sarah.
Sarah to come to Honduras for a four-month stay.
Saraharrived onJanuarj'25'''. Since that timeshehas taughtSavannah
who is 11 and Sophia8. The whole family loves her and the girls are responding well to her teaching. The Fields live about an
hour and twent}' minutes outside of San Pedro Sula. Their house is in a beautiful location. Sarah teaches Monday through
Wednesdayand then the family comes into San Pedro Sulaon Thursdays. They joinwith a group of children that study at home.
They and their mothers share crafts, take field trips, and do other things together.
Sarah stays with Billand I from Thursday afternoon until Sunday following the worship service. Sarah has also been a
great asset to the church with her beautiful voice. She is part of the musicalteam, so is busy practicingand singingwith the group
during the weekends.She has been helpfulin decoratingour livingroom and doingotherthingsforus. Bysplittingher timebetween
the village life and the cit}* life, she is better able to comprehend various aspects of missionary' work.

Candida and her Seven Children
Most members of the English-speaking congregationwere veryactive
duringMitch (hurricane) relief. Several of them havebeen involved in helping
other peoplein benevolent related projects since that time. One couple,which
has since returnedto the States, befriended a lady who has sevenchildren. Her
husbandoften got drunk and attemptedto kill her various rimes. He succeeded
in cuttingoff her left hand and several fingers and her thumb on her righthand
with a machete. Candida used to work washing clothesat an orphanagefor a
living. Afterthe injuries ofcourse,she couldnot takecareof herself, much less
her sevenchildren. Heryoungestwasa baby.Several members of the churchgot
involved inhelping. One family tookcareof thebab}' forawhile, one coupletook
Candidain their home and did everything for her, others provided funds and
saw that her other children were temporaril}' taken care of
Volunteer surgeons from the USA performed several operations;one
of them replaced her thumb withher bigtoe giving her the ability' to grip things
between it and the remainingfingeron her right hand. Several times she almost
lost the hand to infections but throughthe prayers andcareof the believers, she
is finally able to do some simple things for herself
Injanuary of thisyear, a caravan of vehicles movedCandida, her seven
children, and her householdgoods to her newlitde house.It trulywasa timeof
rejoicing and celebration. Church funds, along witli personal funds, and
household contributions, made it possible for them to set up housekeeping in
a village outside of San Pedro Sula. Lifeline Ministries, a Christian Church ChurchofChristorganization, accepted the schoolagechildren into theirschool

Candida and children receiving title to house

not far from Candida's house.

Candida is nowselling usedclothing, and is trying to open a littie store
in order to support her family. Praise the Lord for all the church members
involved in keeping this family toother after such a tragedy.

Candida

Jackie Baker's Memorial

Prayer-n-Praise

Service

For the four baptisms that took place on Februarj' 13*.

On February 18th, Margy received word that her
sister,JackieBaker, had gone home to be withthe Lord. Thus,

she ended her twent)'-year batde with lupus. Margj' flew to
Phoenix the following day where she met her sister, Dianne

Hardic. The following day they flew to Portland, Oregon.

For Sarah Fox and her helpfulness in Honduras.
For the students fromJohnson Bible College who came
to help at the institute.

Their brother-in-law, Dick, and his brother. Bob, who resides

in Southern California, picked them up at the airport andthey
drove the two hours to Otis, Oregon. Mark Hoff arrived
from Costa Rica at 5:00 a.m. on Monday morning.
A memorial service was held forJackie on Monday,
February 21. Her son and daughter and theirfamilies alllive
close by. The service was one of praise and testimony to a life
that loved children, complained littie and had to suffer a lot.
Margjf's friends from Honduras sent flowers. Jackie was
cremated and her ashes spread on the beach of the Pacific

For the new house for Candida and her children.

For Mark and Joy Hoff who have come for the
summer.

For Rebecca's acceptance into nursingschool at the
Universit}' ofTennessee.

For the Dick Baker family with their loss of Jackie.

Ocean.

Diane and Marg\' spent the ten days in Oregon
preparing meals, cleaning the house and helping the family

For propert)' and the personnel to build a new institute.

through the difficult time.

For the TysonChastain family as theysettie here.

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To: billho^^on.intertel.hn
Dear E-mail Friends.

It is with great joy that we announce that the papers ha\« been signed for
the new institute property and we are now the proud owners. A new gate was
put on the property, and the foundations for the Chastain's house and the
chapel have been built. "Hie property has been surveyed and the boundary
markers are now in place.

1

A wori< team from Hazelwood Christian Church in Clayton, Indiana will be
arriving on Tuesday to begin the construction of the wails for the house.
In preparation fbr the group, the building materials have been purchased
and the food will be bought on Monday. They will be staying in the existing
school facility.

The constnjction of the basic buildings is an important step, but more than
that is needed before classes can be resumed. Seven power poles with the

associated high-tension lines and a transformer need to be installed. A
water well and septic system are needed. All these represent major
expenditures and will require time. But we believe God will pro^de in both
manpower and funds in order to make this become a reality.
Miguel Gomez Is slowly recovering. His doctor said it might take between
nine months and a year fbr his lung tissues to regenerate. Blessedly, he
gave up smoking several years ago. Bill's father is currently in Arizona
and is vastly improved. He will be operated on Monday and we desire your
prayers on his behalf. E)octors hope to reconnect the large and small
intestines.

Thank you fbr your prayers. We are physically doing well and being blessed.
Bill and Margy

Printed for Mission Services Association <msa@niissionservice.

SALUDOS!

UNTTED STATS

M/M BiUHoff

Apdo. 3166
San Pedro Sula

Honduras, Central America

MEXICO

from
BAJIO CHRISTIAN MISSION
SOUTH AMERICA

504-566-3796

e-mail: [email protected]
Corporate Office
P.O.Box61013

Las Vegas,NV 89160-2013

Published Quarterly

Vol. 31, Number 3

FaU2000

Work Team from Hazelwood
On September 7th, an 8-member team (6
men and 2 ladies) arrived from the Hazelwood
Christian Church in Clayton, Indiana. The Hoffs
knew all of them except the new music minister who
was well known by the Chastain family. Tyson and
Terry had studied together at Johnson. The group
had either worked with the Hoffs in Mexico or had

come two yearsago to work in hurricane relief. Joy's
parents, Rick and Becky Rowan, were part of the
group.

The men were housed in the boys' dorm of
the current institute and the ladies stayed in the
apartment behind the warehouse which was originally
built for couples. The cooking was done in the
kitchen and everj^one ate in the chapel, so the facilities
of the former institute were well used. Betsy was the
head cook while Marg)'bought the provisions needed
each day. She traveled from the Hoffs home in San
Pedro Sula which is almost an hour away.
It is approximately two miles from the old

Thegroup in airport

institute to the new construction. The weather was

hot, so it took some time for the group to get
acclimatized. Billand Margj' prayed that it wouldn't
rain, and it didn't. The team, along with Bill,Tyson,
and a Honduran worker, were able to lay 1,225

They laid 1,225 block

blocks in five and a halfdays. The blocks are laid one
block above the lower window level of the house

that is being built for the Chastain family.
The group also blessed the English-speaking
congregation on November 12th by using their
talents to lead the singing, give a communion
meditation, preach, and hold classes for the children.
The Hoffs "robbed" the Rowans for half a day so
they could enjoy some fellowship together.
Thank you, Hazelwood, for contributing to
the work in Honduras.

P
Mealtime in oldchapel

The Chastain Family
Betsyand Tyson camewith a "mind to work," and
they aredoing justthat. They arrivedthe first part ofMayand
have been busy since that time. Tyson has been helping Bill
in whatever needs done at the old institute and at the
construction site of the new one. He also takes his turn in

preaching and givingcommunion meditations at the church.
Betsywas invaluablewhile the work team was in Honduras.
She did most of the cooking and washed clothes for the
group. She is a real "uplifting" person. Drew, who just had

his 17th birthday, runs the sound equipment at the church. He
also helps out with the many things that he is asked to do.
Skyler is six years old. He is very lovable and is full of
questions. Briscoe will have his 3rd birthday in December.
He always wants to go to "Margy's house" and greets her
with a big smile.
It is wonderful for Bill and Margy to have some
"young blood" and enthusiasm in the mission work. Thank
you, Tyson, Betsy, Drew, Skyler, and Briscoe, for coming.

M

muTkn^,

TheChastainFami^

S^'ler helps in construction

Drew operating the sound ^stem

Good-byes
Our English-speakingcongregation hasahugeinflow
and outflow of people. Many come for only a few months
or a year and then are transferred to some other job. We are

frequentiy having "good-bye parties." But this yearwe have
had two ver)' sad partings.
The first was Finis Cross. He and his wife, Volene,

lived in San Pedro Sula for several years. Finis had been a
United States Army Air Corps bomber pilot with 35
missions over Germany during WWII. In Honduras he
mined antimony. His wife became a faithful member of the
congregation and, after seeing the support and love that the
believers demonstrated, he was moved to renew his

commitment to God. In May, Finis went to the VA hospital
in Houston for a checkup and while he was there, died of
heart failure. The church held a memorial service for him and

helped Volene move back to Houston to live with family.
Recentiy, the church lost another dearly loved

member. Dr. Doug Perr\' came to Honduras to begin a
clinicto provide eyecare for the poorest of Honduras' poor.
Even though the clinic was thirt}' miles from San Pedro, he
and his wife, Maxine, were always in services. He frequentiy
participated in giving insightful meditations for the Lord's
Supper. His gentie, yet firm, spirit was loved by all, and the
clinicwas a great success. Thousands were able to have their
sight restored by his team of surgeons, and many more
received free glasses to improve their vision. In February', he
and Maxinereturned to Floridato attend their son's wedding,
and at that time he discovered a lump behind his knee. He
fought an eight-month battle with bone cancer. They tell us
that through the strugglehe maintained his witness and gentie
spirit. Nowheishomewith the Lord. And we,deeplysaddened
at losing him, are facing another memorial service. We are
waiting for the Great Day in which death will be no more and
there will be no more partings nor sorrow nor tears.

Emergency trip to U.S. ~ Personal Glimpses
The latterpart of August, Bill and I flew to Las Vegas, NV to bewithBill's parents. Bill's Dad had
an operation and was not recovering well, so we decided to make a trip and see if we could be of anyhelp
to the family. Mark andJoy were in Honduras when we decided to go, so they decided to drive home to
Costa Rica and then fly to visit Mark's grandparents also.
When we arrived, Bill Sr. was home, but not feeling well. Bill's mother was very stressed out and

forgetful. Wewere glad thatwehadgone. Mark andJoystayed with Mark's oldroommate from Bible college,
JonathanWoofgang, andhiswife, Lori. Jonathaniscurrendy apastor at Central Christian ChurchinLasVegas.
The onlydifficult^' was that theylive 50 minutes from the Hoff Sr.'s. Dave Brown,a minister and usedcar
dealer, loaned Bill a car to drive during the two-week stay. So,on most days, we picked up Mark andJoy
in the mornings and returned themin theevenings. The days were busyhelping Bill's parents and shopping.
Bill's youngest brother,David,and hiswife, Becky, and theirlitde girl, Adelia, also live in LasVegas.
Davidspentmany hours caring forhis parents. Hewas glad thatBill hadcome.

hill's niece Adelia

It was a real]oyfor Bill and I to meet Adelia, who was one yearold. She is the
onlycousin that Markand Rebecca have on that sideof the family.
On Thursday, August 24th, the four Hoffs drove to Wickenburg,
Arizona, to visitm)'stepmother. Joy had nevermet her and it had been a long
timesince Markhad seenhisgrandmother. Dianne,my sister, drove fromher
homein northern Arizona to spendtime with thefamily. Later in theday, Bill's
brother and sister-in-law, Carl and Ellen, drove from Phoenix to be with the

family. What a fun celebration it was. The following day, Dianne went with
The ladies enjoying themselves

us to visit her sons and some of their families, and then we delivered her home.

We made a quick stop to see the HooverDam and then returned to Vegas.
On Saturday, August 26th, Bill's parents had their 56th wedding
anniversar)'. They wereunable to celebrate it, but Mother took the rest of the
family out to eat. The following daj'Dadwasreadmitted to thehospital because
hewas not eating and not getting enough fluids. Mark andJoy flew home that
evening, but Bill and I stayed for another week to help.
Bill conversed with his brothers about taking their Dad to the Mayo
Clinic in Scottsdale. After we left, he was taken there and, on November 6th,

hewas operated onagain andisrecoveringnicelj'. Bill wishes tothank hissiblings
for taking care of hisparents while heis so faraway. Wethank youfor praying
forBill Sr. and praise the Lord forhis being in the process of recover)'.

B///

Mark &Joj

Carl

Ellen

Property Transferred
Assoon as the Hoffs werenotifiedthat theywerelosing
the lease on the previous institute propert}', theybeganto search
for land for another institute facilit\\ Eventually, a piece ofland
was found that was adequate in size and location (within two
miles of the present propert)'). But, for some time, signing the
contract wasin limbo due to the owner's health. Now Billreports
that the propert)'tideisin the government registr)' and withintwo
months he should have the official documents in hand.

Bill and Marg)' wereand areverj'concernedbecause of
the poor healthof the owner, Miguel Gomez. He is currendyin

the USA with severe loss of lung function. If he hadn'tmade a
special trip down to sign the papers, the future of the institute
construction would be in serious doubt. Rightnow the doctors

are ver}'worried aboutMiguel's rapid decline and have mentioned
a lung transplant for him. Please pray for Miguel.
While Miguel was inHonduras, heobtained a permitto
connectelectric powerto thepropert)'. Bill andTysonwill set the
poles, but they will have to decide how much of the actual
stretchingof the high-tensionlinesto contract out.

Prayer 'n' Praise
Praise for:

Bill's father who is recuperating nicely.
The property title that is assured.
Mar^ with newpickup

The Chastains who are integrating well
into the work.

The great work that the Hazelwood
group accomplished.
The new pickup the Hoffs were able to
purchase.

Pray for:

Rebecca as she studies a difficult nursing
program in the Universit)' of
Tyson distributing school supplies on Children's Day

Tennessee.

Mark and Joy as they minister in Costa
Rica.

Comfort for Volene and Maxine who

recently lost their husbands.

Miguel Gomez, previous owner of the
propert)', who is suffering lung

a

failure.

Ronwis <& Hoffs

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December 2000

Dear Family and Friends,

Once again it is time to send greetings in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. We have been richly
blessed this past year and hope that you have been also. God helps us through the difficult times
as well as the good times and we praise His name for that. We have been privileged to serve our
Lord for over 28 years in Latin America. This has been made possible because of you.
Some of the highlights of the year were as follows. Margy's sister, Jackie Baker passed away in
February. We rejoice that she is no longer suffering, for we know she is with the Lord. Margy
and her other sister, Dianne attended the memorial service. We pray comfort for all those who
suffer her loss.

In March a work team came from Johnson Bible College to convert three classrooms into living
quarters for the Chastain family. Mark and Joy helped us finish the project before Tyson, Betsy
and their sons arrived in May. We truly rejoice that once again we have co-workers in the
ministry.

Bill made a hurried trip to the States in May in order to talk with our daughter Beka. She is in her
third year in the University of Tennessee in the nursing program. We rejoice that she will be able
to spend Christmas with us.

Mark and Joy spent most of the summer with us helping at the institute, in the church, or
wherever we needed them. The last day of May was graduation for the students of the Bible

institute. Over two hundred people attended and watched as these four young men received their
diplomas. What a time of celebration that was.

In the last part of August we made an emergency trip to the Las Vegas to visit Bill's dad who
was critically ill. Blessedly, he has been recovering howbeit slowly.

After the final payment was made on the new institute property, foundations were laid for the
Chastains' house and the chapel. In November a work team came fi*om the Hazelwood Christian
Church in Indiana and laid 1,225 blocks on the house. That was a tremendous help. Currently,

Tysonand a paid worker are continuing on that project. In Januarywe anticipate anotherwork
team that will begin laying block for the chapel.

As we write this, we are thinking how richly the Lord has blessed us and taken care of us this
past year. We urge you to count your blessings and name them one by one.
We love you in the name of the Lord and wish you Happy Holidays.

Bill and Margy / '

I

~OO

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