Hoff William Margy 2010 Honduras
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SOUTH AMERICA
BAJIO CHRISTIAN MISSION
Bill and Margy Hoff
2227 N.W. 79th Ave. Box P2025
DoraJ, FL 33122-1615
Phone (Honduras): 011-504-566-2440
e-mail: [email protected]
website: bajiochristian.org
Bajio Christian Mission
Attn: Lyn Mclntyre
34428 YucaipaBlvd. E-192
Yucaipa, CA 92399
Phone: 909-797-4628
Missionaries Since 1972
Vol. 41, Number 1
March 2010
Bible Institute .. . Students and Classes
By the time you receive this, the Bible institute will be well into a new semester.
Classes began on February 1, 2010. There are four students: Donaldo and Jairo
completed two semesters last year and have returned for their second year of
classes. Donaldo brought his wife, Trinidad, and their three girls: Yesi, Isis, and
Debi with him. Debi was bom just a week after classes ended last
year. Guillermo completed one semester last year but then took a
semester off to finish his diploma in business administration:
now, he has retumed for the second year of classes. Henry
studied in 2007 but dropped out. But he is now determined to
finish what he started. While each of these students come from
very different backgrounds, they are united by the desire to know
more of God's Word and to spread the Good News of Jesus Christ
to their world.
This semester, Bill is teaching Major and Minor Prophets, ChurchHistory, and
Wisdom and Poetry. Two local pastors volunteer their time to teach at the institute
each week.
Amable Rivera is teaching the Epistles of Paul andAntonio Orellana is teaching Evangelism. Antonio is making the class
in evangelism very practical: He is taking the students one day a week to help him establish a new church inTela.
I
m
A view of the Institute from the hiU.
Bible Institute . . . Work Study and Construction Projects
Mark continues to oversee the work-study program as well as con
struction projects at the Bible Institute. It has been exciting lo see the
finishing touches be put on the new office and computer lab/library.
The electrical, plumbing, the drop ceiling, and air conditioning units
were installed. Bill has now moved into his new office that also in
1
cludes accommodations for Mark and/or Bill to stay the niglit. (They
each spend one night a week at the Bible Institute). The computer lab/
library still needs to be painted and furnished. It seems strange to Bill
to have a dust firee environment, one where you can leave a computer
uncovered and the next day not have it covered with a thick layer of
grime. Bill reflected that for most of forty years he and Margy have
lived on or near dirt or cobble stone roads. Without air conditioning,
they have always lived with dust.
For a number of years, the churches in Honduras have been using the institute for a camp facility. The institute has suf
ficient beds for its students but the campers have had to bring iheir own foam mattresses and sleep on the floor. Last year
the camp committee determined that they would like to spend their surplus fiinds on purchasing a few bunk-beds. Be
cause no commercial beds seemed to meet the stringent requirements, Mark decided to build them. They had to be strong
and have interchangeable parts for easy disassembly and transportation. The funds available were greatly increased by a
special VBS offering from Joy's home church, so Mark, who is the camp treasurer, hired two men and oversaw the project.
He had a steel frame built as a jig in order to make all of the beds identical. Then they proceeded to build 20 beds. The jigs
will be saved to be used in building future beds as finances permit, that way, all the parts will interchange.
Politics
As many of you know the political situation in Honduras lasi year deteriorated considerably. The congress and supreme
court had deposed the president and the world community was almost unanimously opposed. But the interim govern
ment was convinced that they had taken the right and legal course and maintained their position. Meanwhile, a small
group of fanatics rioted in the streets and the government was forced to declare martial law and curfews. Living in these
circumstances was less than comfortable, and ministry was all but impossible. Never the less, the Hoffs persevered and
eventually the government gained the upper hand against violence. After calm was restored, the Bible institute classes and
regular church services continued. With the inauguration of the new, duly elected president in February, the world commu
nity, (except for those nations led by Hugo Chavez) was calmed. Perhaps some world leaders opposed the ouster of Mel
Zeleya, because they also feared being deposed for violating their constitutional mandate.
December in Honduras
Rebecca and Zach came to Honduras in De
cember to spend Christmas with us. It was a
busy time of year with both family and church
activities. The day after they arrived us Hoffs
went to Pizza Hut with 10 children from an
orphanage. These children attend our church
and are cared for by an American couple. We
wanted to give these houseparents a break
and allow them to buy gifts, etc. It was tir
ing but we all had fun. Pizza Hut has a nice
playground where we all stayed for about four
hours. Rebecca brought little bags of gifts for
each of the children.
Joy directed a children's Christmas program
and the Christmas Eve service. Both of them
7
Orphans receiving gifts
were very meaningful. Our Russian
friends invited us a couple of times
for delicious meals. We had Christ
mas dinner at Lynnell Fields' home.
It was a beautiful day at her prop
erty and we had delicious food.
Zach wanted to go to the ocean
while he was here. He brought some
sand toys so we chose what we
thought was the best day, weather
wise. Part of the time was spent in
the ocean and part building a sand
Children's Christmas program
castle. And then the rain came. It
was not a little rain, but a downpour.
We ate our lunch under a covered
area and then headed home, but we
all had fun.
It was a delight spending time with
Zach. His favorite thing was playing
out in the dirt. He and Mark deco
rated a gingerbread house, he had
fun riding the bumper cars, enjoyed
his Christmas gifts, and played with
Brisa. (Brisa is Mark's Christmas
gift to Joy - a miniature Schnauzer).
On the beach
Zach finding water pipes
i-vrfiiur.
Bumper cars
Bill with new hair
Helping grandpa with pancakes
Joy with Brisa
Rebecca and Zach
Mission Services
2004 E. MagnoliaAve.
I<noxville,TN 37917
Non Profit Org.
U.S. Postage Paid
Knoxville, TN
Permit #374
RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED
Praises:
We thank God for Mark and Joy who work
hard for the institute and the church.
-We praise God for the 4 students who are
currently studying at the Bible Institute.
-We praise God for his help in all the con
struction projects at the Bible Institute.
-We praise God for the faithful workers at the
English speaking church.
Prayer Requests:
-We pray for our alumni as they seek to serve God throughout Honduras.
-We pray for Bill, Antonio, and Amable as they teach the Word to the four students.
-We pray for our students - Donaldo, Jairo. Guillermo, and Henry. We pray they will learn, understand, apply and
share the Word of God.
-We pray God will raise up more students who would come and prepare for further ministry throughout Honduras.
Georgia Sharpe
From:
Sent:
Bill and Margy Hoff [[email protected]
Thursday. April22. 2010 2:23 PM
To:
Undisclosed-Recipient;;
Subject:
a great need
Dear Family and Friends,
Each year the missionaries in Honduras have a missionary conference
which is held in a beautiful location about two and a half hours east
of San Pedro Sula. Last year the conference was cancelled because of
the unrest in the country and we were all very sad.
This year the planning committee is working again to make it a
wonderful time for everyone. The conference is made up of an
interdenominational group of people. The young people look forward to
the conference as much as the adults, but this year the committee has
not been able to find those who would be willing to come to work with
the children and youth. I guarantee that if you are able to come, you
will be greatly blessed.
The dates for the conference are Sept. 30-0ct. 2. There are 3
sessions (90 minutes each) for the youth and child workers to plan.
Those working with children age 0-5 will have 2 additional sessions
(1 hour each) on Friday morning. Those working with kids age 6 and
older will accompany the young people to a small waterpark and have a
time of recreation for much of the day on Friday. We split the kids
into 3 groups - Age 0-5, Age 6-12, and Age 13 and older. There are
usually about 5-10 little ones and 20-25 in each of the other two
groups.
Your room and board will be provided at the conference. Your only
costs would be airline tickets and the instructional material that
you are willing to bring. Bill and I would be glad to host you for a
day or two before or after the conference if you would like to shop
or visit our city.
If you have any questions or can help with any of the groups, please
let us know as soon as possible. We thank you very much and God bless.
Georgia Sharpe
From:
Sent:
Bill and Margy Hoff[[email protected]]
Wednesday, June 02, 2010 7:13 PM
To:
Undisclosed-Recipient:;
Subject:
News from the Hoffs
May 31,2010
Dear Family and Friends,
It is a beautiful day in San Pedro Sula after several days of rain. Much of Central America has suffered with so much
rain in so short of time.
It Is past time for us to send out news about Honduras and our families. Many of you have been praying for my
sister, Dianne, who was in the hospital five times in the last two months. The doctors were unable to determine her
problem and what medication to give her. The last time, which was about a month ago, the infectious disease doctor
gave her a new antibioticjust before he released her. She didn't know that the medicine would cost $500 a week for
4-weeks. We prayed that the insurance would cover it and the Lord answered our prayers just in time. The Lord is
faithful in His timing. Since that time she has felt much better, but still has problems with a hip. She has a therapist
coming twice a week to help her gain more strength.
Dianne is currently using a walker so needs help in going to the second floor of her apartment because she can't
carry the walker up the stairs. I spent two weeks with her the first part of May. She was slowly regaining her strength
while I was there. Her family is good to her and was good to me. Her oldest grandson cooked us a delicious
Mother's Day meal. The second Sunday was my birthday and Dianne made Ita special day for me. She and two of
her grandsons accompanied me to church. I made many trips to Wal-Mart for groceries and other things. Not
knowing my way around was very interesting. I praise God for the strength to make the trip, for my nephew and his
wife who transported me to and from the Las Vegas airport, and for my husband who allowed me to go. Also thank
you for praying for Dianne and me. She still needs your prayers.
The Bible Institute has less than two weeks of classes before semester break. The students are doing well and the
grounds of the Institute look beautiful with all the rain. The national churches' annual family camp will be held at the
Bible Institute the end of June. We are pleased to be able to host this camp and pray many lives will be touched.
This year's guest speaker is Joel Augustus, fonner missionary in Honduras.
The Lord continues to bless the English-speaking church. There were four young people baptized the latter part of
April. We pray for their continued growth in the Lord.
We are anxiously anticipating our upcoming family vacation. Bill and I will be celebrating 40 years of
marriage and will be joined by Mark and Joy, Rebecca and Alfredo and Zach, and Joy's parents. We
will be leaving June 13th and returning June 20th. We know it will be a wonderful and relaxing time
with family.
We pray that you will all have a wonderful summer, keep safe, and remain true to God,
God bless, Margy and Bill
Georgia Sharpe
From:
Sent:
Bill and Margy HofF [[email protected]]
Wednesday, July 07, 2010 12:50 PM
To:
Subject:
Undisclosed-Recipient:;
Latest news
July 5. 2010
Dear Family and Friends,
"I will never leave you nor forsake you." Hebrews 13:5 - what a great promise to hold onto in this troublesome world.
Today Bill began teaching the second semester of classes at the Bible institute. The first semester the three teachers
taught the Poetic books of the Bible, Old Testament Prophets, Evangelism, Pauline Epistles, and Church History with
emphasis on the need for the Restoration Plea. This semester Bill will be teaching Theology and Hebrews and the other
two teachers have classes in pastoral duties, pastoral counseling and General Epistles..
The latter weekend of June the annual Family Camp was held at the institute facilities. Early rains with a lot of mowing
(Bill was busy keeping the mowers repaired) made the grounds look beautiful. Members came from various Christian
Churches throughout Honduras, including three new churches planted by former and current students. There were about
130 In attendance during the weekend. Mark, who Is the camp treasurer, was asked to purchase mattresses and fans to
accommodate the crowd. It was a busy time for the Hoffe; they helped purchase food, organized registration, opened the
little store, organized the sleeping facilities, did repair work, set up sport events, etc. A donated swimming pool, a
homemade slip and slide, and a soccer game were some of the afternoon highlights. Joel Augustus, a fomrier missionary
in Honduras, was the guest speaker. He demonstrated how the unity of the "Body of Chrisf is a Biblical mandate, and
offered practical help in achieving it. The weather cooperated nicely and everyone felt like the camp was a success.
Last Sunday a special service took place at the English-speaking church. Bill preached comparing the Prayer of Jabez to
the Lord's Prayer. The service was one of our quarterly prayer emphasis times. Throughout the service, people were
asked to pray for specific praises and needs. Following the service, four young people were baptized into Christ. Please
pray for them as they begin their new walk with the Lord.
On June 13"* we went onour 40*'' anniversary vacation. We wanted tocelebrate with our family. Joy was able tofind a
reasonable cruise thatleft Manhattan on June 14th and retumed on the IQ"'. So after much preparation and many
decisions, we all began our travels to NY. There were nine of us. Joy's parents, and Beka and family planned on flying
from Indianapolis and the four of us were to fly to Miami and then on to NY. We had rooms reserved so that we could ail
be together in NY the night before we boarded the cruise ship. But the Lord had other plans for us. We got as far as Miami
before we were told that the La Guardia airport was closed. The other five members of our party received the same
Information when they arrived In Indianapolis. After checking various options, their only choice was to drive to NY. Sixteen
hours later they met us in the Kennedy airport. Alfredo had done most of the driving, but they all took a tum. In Miami,
Mark was able to book us on a flight the following morning and was able to obtain a discount ticket for a room at a nearby
hotel. Our checked luggage wasn't transferred from one flight to the other so itdidn't arrive with us in NY. But the Lord
answered our prayers and itawaited us when we arrived at the ship. Our family was so happy to be together after our
experiences of the past night.
We had a great time on the cruise. Itwas a real thrill passing the Statue of Liberty as we headed out to sea. We had all
that we could eat, with pizza and ice cream available 24 hours a day. The evening meals were delicious and the waiters
were very entertaining. The ship stopped at St John's, New Brunswick, where the Reversing Falls and double decker
buses are famous. Our other stop was in Halifax, Nova Scotia. The city has experienced tragedies over the years: 121
people from the Titanticship are buried there; two ships collided in the harbor, one filled with explosives, drifted Into the
city and exploded killing many people; and then in 1946 many soldiers celebrated the end of World War II and destroyed
much of the city.
After the five day cruise, we spent a day in New York. We had very nice accommodations and were able to see some
sights of the city. Sunday morning we were shuttled to the airport. Mark went to check us in but the flight had been
canceled. I thought, here we go again. But since we had arrived early, we were able to get four seats on an earlier flight
into Miami. Needless to say, we were all tired but happy to be home once again. All nine of us am'ved home well and safe.
For those of you who knew my step-mother, Lila Trout, she passed away the first part of June. She was 88 years old and
ready to be with the Lord. There was no service for her, only prayers at the burial.
Please continue to pray for our health and safety here. My sister. Dianne, is doing much better but would appreciate your
continued prayers.
May God bless you and thank you for your financial help and prayers on our behalf.
Bill and Margy
Georgia Sharpe
From:
Sent:
To:
Subject:
Bill and Margy Hoff [[email protected]]
Saturday, August 07,2010 10:48 PM
Undisclosed-Recipient:;
Breaking News from Bill and Margy
August 7,2010
Dear Family and Friends,
'God is good all the time." This is my favorite chorus.
Last Sunday afternoon I received word that my sister, Dianne Hardie, had been rushed to a local hospital in
JCingman, Arizona, and my nephew was awaiting a helicopter to take her to Las Vegas, NV. She had bleeding
on the brain and needed to be operated on by a neurosurgeon. Las Vegas supposedly had some of the best in the
West.. She was operated on Monday morning.
Dianne was in LC.U. for several days. I was really shocked to hear her voice Wednesday afternoon. She was not
totally coherent at that time but she told me not to come and see her. I wasn't needed. So I unpacked my bags
and awaited further word from her. The next day she called and said that she really needed me. Bill took out the
bags again and we began to think about traveling to Las Vegas.
We began to check on airline fares and Bill made plans to go with me and also visit his mother in Las Vegas
who is in a special home for Alzheimer and dementia patients. I reserved tickets, but still wasn't sure which day
we should go and for how long. My oldest nephew called me yesterday and said that he thought his mother
would leave the hospital on Monday or Tuesday. We went ahead and purchased tickets believing that God
would work out our trip.
The phone rang this afternoon after we returned from a baptism and it was Dianne. She said that she had good
news. She had convinced the doctor to release her on Thursday morning which was the time that we had
planned on leaving Las Vegas and driving to Kingman. Also the therapist told Dianne that if her sister was there
to help her, she didn't think that she would need to go to a rehab home for therapy. God's timing is always
perfect.
We are preparingto leave on Tuesday morning and making all the necessary arrangementhere in Honduras
during Ihe time that we are gone.
Please pray for Dianne and her quick healing. Pray for our safetyin traveling and that we will be helpful during
our stay in the States.
God bless all of you.
Margy with Bill
MEXICO I
Bill and Margy Hoff
SALUDOS!
IMTED STATES
.2227 N.W. 79th Ave. Box P2025
Doral, FL 33122-1615
Phone (Honduras): 011-504-566-2440
\ •
e-mail: [email protected]
website: bajiochtistian.org
from
Bajio Christian Mission
SOt/TH AMERICA
Attn: Lvn Mclnc\Te
BAJIO CHRISTIAN MISSION
34428 Yucaipa Blvd. E-192
Yucaipa, CA 92399
Phone: 909-797-4628
Missionaries Since 1972
September 2010
Vol. 41, Number 2
At the Bible Institute .. .
The students are now in their fourth semester of classes. Bill is teaching Theology
and Hebrews while our two pastor volunteers are covering classes in pastoral duties,
pastoral counseling, and general epistles. Please pray for Heniy, Jairo, Guillermo,
and Donaldo as they finish the course and seek to follow God's will for their lives.
A highlight for the local churches each year is Family Camp. Due to the heat during
the last camp held at the Bible Institute, we worked to make camp as pleasant as
possible. Over the past year or so, we have added some insulation and air condition
ing to the chapel (enough to cut the humidity). We also had 20 bunk beds built and
purchased 65 mattresses with the help of Joy's home church VBS funds. In addition
to these, the camp account purchased 35 more mattresses and ten fans.
We prayed and prepared and God multiplied the efforts. More than 130 campers
airived at the Bible Institute on Friday, June 25th. Church leaders were well prepared
for activities, small group times, and lessons. Joel Augustus, a former missionary in
Honduras, was the guest speaker. He demonstrated how the unity of the "Body of
Christ" is a Biblical mandate, and offered practical help in achieving it. God even
provided a tropical storm to our north, which allowed for overcast days and cool
evening rains so that all were more comfortable. Joy
T
ir
Work to be done.
,
ir
One of those "spare time" projects that Bill has been working on at the institute was rebuild
ing the light plant. He was able to save money by finding an identical diesel engine to
supply some of the expensive parts. Power failures arc less frequent now days, but a failure
^
k
'.y
during camp or another special event can be a real problem.
During the rainy season in the tropics, plants grow at phenomenal rates. Grass can grow
ten inches in a week, fresh cut brush or jungle can become impassable in one season. So
one of the students' constant jobs at the institute is mowing. Much of the work is done with
machetes. But the lawn requires a mower, which means maintenance. Bill finally replaced a
rider salvaged fi-om the junk yard 6 years ago; it required too many repairs. There is a twelve year old rider that works well. The old walkbehind bush-hog has constant belt troubles but will cut one inch trees. Also the school has two conventional mowers and a weed eater.
Thirty some years ago Bill worked m a mower shop while he took his mastersprogram.That experience has been helpful. Bill
rt?:
Practice baptisms.
One of thethings Bill tries to do with every class is to take tliem to thewaterfalls at Pulhapanzak and practice baptizing. It is an ideal set
ting, There is a river with both still pools, and swift flowing water. Thestudents need to learn to be comfortable inbothsettings because
churches here do nothave baptisteries. This yearthe combined baptism class and picnic wasvery enjoyable. Inspite of the fact that the
waterwasvery deep and some whatcold, they learned the essentials of performing baptisms. Theyalso enjoyed the hiking,the waterfall,
and the barbecue. Bill
International Christian Fellowship , . .
We have been overjoyed to seeseveral young people accept Jesus Christ as their Lord andSavior andbe baptized at the English speaking
church. As mentioned in our lastnewsletter, a couple in ourchurch iscaring for 10Honduran orphans. Seven of these young people have
been baptized over the last few months.
We were also blessed to go with Bill and Margy
and the Bustamante family to the beach to baptize
their daughter, Alyssa. We have had great rejoicing
to see all these young people give their lives to the
Lord.
On September 4th we hosted seven young people
from an orphanage. They attend the church regu
larly and the American couple who care of them
need a break once in awhile. It was a lot of fun but
they kept us busy for three houre. Mark and Joy
came by part of the time to help, especially at meal
time. The girls and I (Margy) made a double batch
of chocolate chip cookies. The others played on the
computer, played with Lego blocks and watched a
video.
September 14th was Joy's birthday. Since that date
fell on Tuesday, the church family shared a cake
with her following the weekly Bible study. We all
ill i-\\ mI ^
had a lot of fun. Margy
Family Activities
March 21st of this year was our 40th wedding anniversary. We thought
about vacationing in a bcach resort with all the family. Joy checked into
this possibility when she found a reasonable 5-day cruise from Manhattan
on the Carnival Glory.. The family got excited about this possibility and ar
rangements were made. On June 13th, nine of us; Rick and Becky Rowan;
Beka, Alfredo, and Zach; Mark and Joy and Bill and I left our homes for
New York. The plan was for all of us to spend the night in New York and
then board the cruise the next morning. But the Lord had other plans for that
day. Our flights were to take us to La Guardia airport in New York but it was
closed that day. We all had to make different arrangements, but the Lord
guided us to arrive in time to board the ship. God is good all the time.
-A I
.
,
~
fj
We had a great week on the cruise. It was a real thrill passing the Statue of
Liberty as we headed out to sea. We had all that we could eat and a great vari
ety of foods. The evening meals were delicious and the waiters were very en
tertaining. The ship stopped at St. John's, New Brunswick, where the Revers
ing Falls and double decker buses are famous. Our other stop was in Halifax,
June14..20iq^
T
«"5"
Non Profit Org.
U.S. Postage Paid
Mission Services
2004 E. Magnolia Ave.
Knoxville, TN
Kjioxville, TN 37917
Permit #374
RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED
Nova Scotia. The city has experienced tragedies over the years:
121 people from the ocean liner, the Titanic, are buried there; dur
ing World War I, two ships collided in the harbor, one was filled
with explosives and it drifted into the city and exploded, killing
thousands of people;, And then in 1946, many soldiers celebrating
the end of World War II destroyed much of the city. But the city is
beautiful with so many trees.
After the five day cruise, we spent a day in New York. We had very
nice accommodations and were able to see some famous sights of
the city. Sunday morning we all partook of the Lord's Supper with
Rick officiating That evening we were in our own comfortable
beds once again and praising God for our safety and the beauty of
God's creation. Margy
Prayer n Praise
Praises:
~ For a successful camp at the Bible Institute.
—For a safe trip to and from Canada for the whole family.
—For our health. Bill was able to narrow down his allergy
problems.
~ For the young people who were baptized.
" For the faithful who attend the Tuesday night Bible study.
Prayer Requests:
—For Margy's sister's health.
—For the up coming graduation of the students in Novem
ber.
~ For the Thanksgiving and Christmas festivities at church.
—For those who were recently baptized.
—For new students in the upcoming year.
Merry
Christmas
From
Bill and Margy
As we read the story of Simeon and Anna in the second chapter of Luke's gospel, we see people
who were especially gifted to see the Baby Jesus for who He really was. They recognized Him
as the Redeemer and consolation of Israel. I have always supposed that they were chosen
because of their Holy lives. Contemplating the Scripture, it seems to me, another aspect is that
they lived in constant expectation. Their hearts were ready to receive Him.
That leads me to the question, "Am I eagerly awaiting the Lord's return: His second coming?"
When He comes the next time it will be much more spectacular than His first coming. Will we
be taken by surprise? Jesus says we are to watch. Will we be watching and ready like the five
virgms who received the bridegroom, or will we find our lamps going out? Anna and Simeon
were ready and His coming brought them great joy. I pray we will also be expectantly
watching.
Christmas is a busy time for all Christian workers. It requires that we prepare special messages,
meditations, and programs, but it also requires preparing our hearts. Many activities have
occupied our time. The 12th of December the church held a special children's Christmas
program. After a 25-minute program, where the children recognized the meaning of Christmas,
I gave a short devotional. Margy has made dozens of cookies; some in preparation for the
cookie exchange, some for distribution to prisoners at the youth correction's facility, and some
for a street-people ministry that some of our church members have. Currently, I am preparing
for our Christmas Eve service.
Another important event in December was the Bible Institute's graduation. Three young men
walked down the isle and received their diplomas and a small addition to their library (a Bible
dictionary, commentaries of both Old and New Testaments, a concordance, and a Study Bible)
to facilitate their ministries. About one hundred and twenty people were present to share in the
celebration.
We pray that you will have a joyftil Christmas.
With our Love.
UNtrcOCTATES
MEXICO/
%•
from
<5
SOUTH AMERICA
BAJIO CHRISTIAN MISSION
Bill and Margy Hoff
2227 N.W. 79th Ave. Box P2025
DoraJ, FL 33122-1615
Phone (Honduras): 011-504-566-2440
e-mail: [email protected]
website: bajiochristian.org
Bajio Christian Mission
Attn: Lyn Mclntyre
34428 YucaipaBlvd. E-192
Yucaipa, CA 92399
Phone: 909-797-4628
Missionaries Since 1972
Vol. 41, Number 1
March 2010
Bible Institute .. . Students and Classes
By the time you receive this, the Bible institute will be well into a new semester.
Classes began on February 1, 2010. There are four students: Donaldo and Jairo
completed two semesters last year and have returned for their second year of
classes. Donaldo brought his wife, Trinidad, and their three girls: Yesi, Isis, and
Debi with him. Debi was bom just a week after classes ended last
year. Guillermo completed one semester last year but then took a
semester off to finish his diploma in business administration:
now, he has retumed for the second year of classes. Henry
studied in 2007 but dropped out. But he is now determined to
finish what he started. While each of these students come from
very different backgrounds, they are united by the desire to know
more of God's Word and to spread the Good News of Jesus Christ
to their world.
This semester, Bill is teaching Major and Minor Prophets, ChurchHistory, and
Wisdom and Poetry. Two local pastors volunteer their time to teach at the institute
each week.
Amable Rivera is teaching the Epistles of Paul andAntonio Orellana is teaching Evangelism. Antonio is making the class
in evangelism very practical: He is taking the students one day a week to help him establish a new church inTela.
I
m
A view of the Institute from the hiU.
Bible Institute . . . Work Study and Construction Projects
Mark continues to oversee the work-study program as well as con
struction projects at the Bible Institute. It has been exciting lo see the
finishing touches be put on the new office and computer lab/library.
The electrical, plumbing, the drop ceiling, and air conditioning units
were installed. Bill has now moved into his new office that also in
1
cludes accommodations for Mark and/or Bill to stay the niglit. (They
each spend one night a week at the Bible Institute). The computer lab/
library still needs to be painted and furnished. It seems strange to Bill
to have a dust firee environment, one where you can leave a computer
uncovered and the next day not have it covered with a thick layer of
grime. Bill reflected that for most of forty years he and Margy have
lived on or near dirt or cobble stone roads. Without air conditioning,
they have always lived with dust.
For a number of years, the churches in Honduras have been using the institute for a camp facility. The institute has suf
ficient beds for its students but the campers have had to bring iheir own foam mattresses and sleep on the floor. Last year
the camp committee determined that they would like to spend their surplus fiinds on purchasing a few bunk-beds. Be
cause no commercial beds seemed to meet the stringent requirements, Mark decided to build them. They had to be strong
and have interchangeable parts for easy disassembly and transportation. The funds available were greatly increased by a
special VBS offering from Joy's home church, so Mark, who is the camp treasurer, hired two men and oversaw the project.
He had a steel frame built as a jig in order to make all of the beds identical. Then they proceeded to build 20 beds. The jigs
will be saved to be used in building future beds as finances permit, that way, all the parts will interchange.
Politics
As many of you know the political situation in Honduras lasi year deteriorated considerably. The congress and supreme
court had deposed the president and the world community was almost unanimously opposed. But the interim govern
ment was convinced that they had taken the right and legal course and maintained their position. Meanwhile, a small
group of fanatics rioted in the streets and the government was forced to declare martial law and curfews. Living in these
circumstances was less than comfortable, and ministry was all but impossible. Never the less, the Hoffs persevered and
eventually the government gained the upper hand against violence. After calm was restored, the Bible institute classes and
regular church services continued. With the inauguration of the new, duly elected president in February, the world commu
nity, (except for those nations led by Hugo Chavez) was calmed. Perhaps some world leaders opposed the ouster of Mel
Zeleya, because they also feared being deposed for violating their constitutional mandate.
December in Honduras
Rebecca and Zach came to Honduras in De
cember to spend Christmas with us. It was a
busy time of year with both family and church
activities. The day after they arrived us Hoffs
went to Pizza Hut with 10 children from an
orphanage. These children attend our church
and are cared for by an American couple. We
wanted to give these houseparents a break
and allow them to buy gifts, etc. It was tir
ing but we all had fun. Pizza Hut has a nice
playground where we all stayed for about four
hours. Rebecca brought little bags of gifts for
each of the children.
Joy directed a children's Christmas program
and the Christmas Eve service. Both of them
7
Orphans receiving gifts
were very meaningful. Our Russian
friends invited us a couple of times
for delicious meals. We had Christ
mas dinner at Lynnell Fields' home.
It was a beautiful day at her prop
erty and we had delicious food.
Zach wanted to go to the ocean
while he was here. He brought some
sand toys so we chose what we
thought was the best day, weather
wise. Part of the time was spent in
the ocean and part building a sand
Children's Christmas program
castle. And then the rain came. It
was not a little rain, but a downpour.
We ate our lunch under a covered
area and then headed home, but we
all had fun.
It was a delight spending time with
Zach. His favorite thing was playing
out in the dirt. He and Mark deco
rated a gingerbread house, he had
fun riding the bumper cars, enjoyed
his Christmas gifts, and played with
Brisa. (Brisa is Mark's Christmas
gift to Joy - a miniature Schnauzer).
On the beach
Zach finding water pipes
i-vrfiiur.
Bumper cars
Bill with new hair
Helping grandpa with pancakes
Joy with Brisa
Rebecca and Zach
Mission Services
2004 E. MagnoliaAve.
I<noxville,TN 37917
Non Profit Org.
U.S. Postage Paid
Knoxville, TN
Permit #374
RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED
Praises:
We thank God for Mark and Joy who work
hard for the institute and the church.
-We praise God for the 4 students who are
currently studying at the Bible Institute.
-We praise God for his help in all the con
struction projects at the Bible Institute.
-We praise God for the faithful workers at the
English speaking church.
Prayer Requests:
-We pray for our alumni as they seek to serve God throughout Honduras.
-We pray for Bill, Antonio, and Amable as they teach the Word to the four students.
-We pray for our students - Donaldo, Jairo. Guillermo, and Henry. We pray they will learn, understand, apply and
share the Word of God.
-We pray God will raise up more students who would come and prepare for further ministry throughout Honduras.
Georgia Sharpe
From:
Sent:
Bill and Margy Hoff [[email protected]
Thursday. April22. 2010 2:23 PM
To:
Undisclosed-Recipient;;
Subject:
a great need
Dear Family and Friends,
Each year the missionaries in Honduras have a missionary conference
which is held in a beautiful location about two and a half hours east
of San Pedro Sula. Last year the conference was cancelled because of
the unrest in the country and we were all very sad.
This year the planning committee is working again to make it a
wonderful time for everyone. The conference is made up of an
interdenominational group of people. The young people look forward to
the conference as much as the adults, but this year the committee has
not been able to find those who would be willing to come to work with
the children and youth. I guarantee that if you are able to come, you
will be greatly blessed.
The dates for the conference are Sept. 30-0ct. 2. There are 3
sessions (90 minutes each) for the youth and child workers to plan.
Those working with children age 0-5 will have 2 additional sessions
(1 hour each) on Friday morning. Those working with kids age 6 and
older will accompany the young people to a small waterpark and have a
time of recreation for much of the day on Friday. We split the kids
into 3 groups - Age 0-5, Age 6-12, and Age 13 and older. There are
usually about 5-10 little ones and 20-25 in each of the other two
groups.
Your room and board will be provided at the conference. Your only
costs would be airline tickets and the instructional material that
you are willing to bring. Bill and I would be glad to host you for a
day or two before or after the conference if you would like to shop
or visit our city.
If you have any questions or can help with any of the groups, please
let us know as soon as possible. We thank you very much and God bless.
Georgia Sharpe
From:
Sent:
Bill and Margy Hoff[[email protected]]
Wednesday, June 02, 2010 7:13 PM
To:
Undisclosed-Recipient:;
Subject:
News from the Hoffs
May 31,2010
Dear Family and Friends,
It is a beautiful day in San Pedro Sula after several days of rain. Much of Central America has suffered with so much
rain in so short of time.
It Is past time for us to send out news about Honduras and our families. Many of you have been praying for my
sister, Dianne, who was in the hospital five times in the last two months. The doctors were unable to determine her
problem and what medication to give her. The last time, which was about a month ago, the infectious disease doctor
gave her a new antibioticjust before he released her. She didn't know that the medicine would cost $500 a week for
4-weeks. We prayed that the insurance would cover it and the Lord answered our prayers just in time. The Lord is
faithful in His timing. Since that time she has felt much better, but still has problems with a hip. She has a therapist
coming twice a week to help her gain more strength.
Dianne is currently using a walker so needs help in going to the second floor of her apartment because she can't
carry the walker up the stairs. I spent two weeks with her the first part of May. She was slowly regaining her strength
while I was there. Her family is good to her and was good to me. Her oldest grandson cooked us a delicious
Mother's Day meal. The second Sunday was my birthday and Dianne made Ita special day for me. She and two of
her grandsons accompanied me to church. I made many trips to Wal-Mart for groceries and other things. Not
knowing my way around was very interesting. I praise God for the strength to make the trip, for my nephew and his
wife who transported me to and from the Las Vegas airport, and for my husband who allowed me to go. Also thank
you for praying for Dianne and me. She still needs your prayers.
The Bible Institute has less than two weeks of classes before semester break. The students are doing well and the
grounds of the Institute look beautiful with all the rain. The national churches' annual family camp will be held at the
Bible Institute the end of June. We are pleased to be able to host this camp and pray many lives will be touched.
This year's guest speaker is Joel Augustus, fonner missionary in Honduras.
The Lord continues to bless the English-speaking church. There were four young people baptized the latter part of
April. We pray for their continued growth in the Lord.
We are anxiously anticipating our upcoming family vacation. Bill and I will be celebrating 40 years of
marriage and will be joined by Mark and Joy, Rebecca and Alfredo and Zach, and Joy's parents. We
will be leaving June 13th and returning June 20th. We know it will be a wonderful and relaxing time
with family.
We pray that you will all have a wonderful summer, keep safe, and remain true to God,
God bless, Margy and Bill
Georgia Sharpe
From:
Sent:
Bill and Margy HofF [[email protected]]
Wednesday, July 07, 2010 12:50 PM
To:
Subject:
Undisclosed-Recipient:;
Latest news
July 5. 2010
Dear Family and Friends,
"I will never leave you nor forsake you." Hebrews 13:5 - what a great promise to hold onto in this troublesome world.
Today Bill began teaching the second semester of classes at the Bible institute. The first semester the three teachers
taught the Poetic books of the Bible, Old Testament Prophets, Evangelism, Pauline Epistles, and Church History with
emphasis on the need for the Restoration Plea. This semester Bill will be teaching Theology and Hebrews and the other
two teachers have classes in pastoral duties, pastoral counseling and General Epistles..
The latter weekend of June the annual Family Camp was held at the institute facilities. Early rains with a lot of mowing
(Bill was busy keeping the mowers repaired) made the grounds look beautiful. Members came from various Christian
Churches throughout Honduras, including three new churches planted by former and current students. There were about
130 In attendance during the weekend. Mark, who Is the camp treasurer, was asked to purchase mattresses and fans to
accommodate the crowd. It was a busy time for the Hoffe; they helped purchase food, organized registration, opened the
little store, organized the sleeping facilities, did repair work, set up sport events, etc. A donated swimming pool, a
homemade slip and slide, and a soccer game were some of the afternoon highlights. Joel Augustus, a fomrier missionary
in Honduras, was the guest speaker. He demonstrated how the unity of the "Body of Chrisf is a Biblical mandate, and
offered practical help in achieving it. The weather cooperated nicely and everyone felt like the camp was a success.
Last Sunday a special service took place at the English-speaking church. Bill preached comparing the Prayer of Jabez to
the Lord's Prayer. The service was one of our quarterly prayer emphasis times. Throughout the service, people were
asked to pray for specific praises and needs. Following the service, four young people were baptized into Christ. Please
pray for them as they begin their new walk with the Lord.
On June 13"* we went onour 40*'' anniversary vacation. We wanted tocelebrate with our family. Joy was able tofind a
reasonable cruise thatleft Manhattan on June 14th and retumed on the IQ"'. So after much preparation and many
decisions, we all began our travels to NY. There were nine of us. Joy's parents, and Beka and family planned on flying
from Indianapolis and the four of us were to fly to Miami and then on to NY. We had rooms reserved so that we could ail
be together in NY the night before we boarded the cruise ship. But the Lord had other plans for us. We got as far as Miami
before we were told that the La Guardia airport was closed. The other five members of our party received the same
Information when they arrived In Indianapolis. After checking various options, their only choice was to drive to NY. Sixteen
hours later they met us in the Kennedy airport. Alfredo had done most of the driving, but they all took a tum. In Miami,
Mark was able to book us on a flight the following morning and was able to obtain a discount ticket for a room at a nearby
hotel. Our checked luggage wasn't transferred from one flight to the other so itdidn't arrive with us in NY. But the Lord
answered our prayers and itawaited us when we arrived at the ship. Our family was so happy to be together after our
experiences of the past night.
We had a great time on the cruise. Itwas a real thrill passing the Statue of Liberty as we headed out to sea. We had all
that we could eat, with pizza and ice cream available 24 hours a day. The evening meals were delicious and the waiters
were very entertaining. The ship stopped at St John's, New Brunswick, where the Reversing Falls and double decker
buses are famous. Our other stop was in Halifax, Nova Scotia. The city has experienced tragedies over the years: 121
people from the Titanticship are buried there; two ships collided in the harbor, one filled with explosives, drifted Into the
city and exploded killing many people; and then in 1946 many soldiers celebrated the end of World War II and destroyed
much of the city.
After the five day cruise, we spent a day in New York. We had very nice accommodations and were able to see some
sights of the city. Sunday morning we were shuttled to the airport. Mark went to check us in but the flight had been
canceled. I thought, here we go again. But since we had arrived early, we were able to get four seats on an earlier flight
into Miami. Needless to say, we were all tired but happy to be home once again. All nine of us am'ved home well and safe.
For those of you who knew my step-mother, Lila Trout, she passed away the first part of June. She was 88 years old and
ready to be with the Lord. There was no service for her, only prayers at the burial.
Please continue to pray for our health and safety here. My sister. Dianne, is doing much better but would appreciate your
continued prayers.
May God bless you and thank you for your financial help and prayers on our behalf.
Bill and Margy
Georgia Sharpe
From:
Sent:
To:
Subject:
Bill and Margy Hoff [[email protected]]
Saturday, August 07,2010 10:48 PM
Undisclosed-Recipient:;
Breaking News from Bill and Margy
August 7,2010
Dear Family and Friends,
'God is good all the time." This is my favorite chorus.
Last Sunday afternoon I received word that my sister, Dianne Hardie, had been rushed to a local hospital in
JCingman, Arizona, and my nephew was awaiting a helicopter to take her to Las Vegas, NV. She had bleeding
on the brain and needed to be operated on by a neurosurgeon. Las Vegas supposedly had some of the best in the
West.. She was operated on Monday morning.
Dianne was in LC.U. for several days. I was really shocked to hear her voice Wednesday afternoon. She was not
totally coherent at that time but she told me not to come and see her. I wasn't needed. So I unpacked my bags
and awaited further word from her. The next day she called and said that she really needed me. Bill took out the
bags again and we began to think about traveling to Las Vegas.
We began to check on airline fares and Bill made plans to go with me and also visit his mother in Las Vegas
who is in a special home for Alzheimer and dementia patients. I reserved tickets, but still wasn't sure which day
we should go and for how long. My oldest nephew called me yesterday and said that he thought his mother
would leave the hospital on Monday or Tuesday. We went ahead and purchased tickets believing that God
would work out our trip.
The phone rang this afternoon after we returned from a baptism and it was Dianne. She said that she had good
news. She had convinced the doctor to release her on Thursday morning which was the time that we had
planned on leaving Las Vegas and driving to Kingman. Also the therapist told Dianne that if her sister was there
to help her, she didn't think that she would need to go to a rehab home for therapy. God's timing is always
perfect.
We are preparingto leave on Tuesday morning and making all the necessary arrangementhere in Honduras
during Ihe time that we are gone.
Please pray for Dianne and her quick healing. Pray for our safetyin traveling and that we will be helpful during
our stay in the States.
God bless all of you.
Margy with Bill
MEXICO I
Bill and Margy Hoff
SALUDOS!
IMTED STATES
.2227 N.W. 79th Ave. Box P2025
Doral, FL 33122-1615
Phone (Honduras): 011-504-566-2440
\ •
e-mail: [email protected]
website: bajiochtistian.org
from
Bajio Christian Mission
SOt/TH AMERICA
Attn: Lvn Mclnc\Te
BAJIO CHRISTIAN MISSION
34428 Yucaipa Blvd. E-192
Yucaipa, CA 92399
Phone: 909-797-4628
Missionaries Since 1972
September 2010
Vol. 41, Number 2
At the Bible Institute .. .
The students are now in their fourth semester of classes. Bill is teaching Theology
and Hebrews while our two pastor volunteers are covering classes in pastoral duties,
pastoral counseling, and general epistles. Please pray for Heniy, Jairo, Guillermo,
and Donaldo as they finish the course and seek to follow God's will for their lives.
A highlight for the local churches each year is Family Camp. Due to the heat during
the last camp held at the Bible Institute, we worked to make camp as pleasant as
possible. Over the past year or so, we have added some insulation and air condition
ing to the chapel (enough to cut the humidity). We also had 20 bunk beds built and
purchased 65 mattresses with the help of Joy's home church VBS funds. In addition
to these, the camp account purchased 35 more mattresses and ten fans.
We prayed and prepared and God multiplied the efforts. More than 130 campers
airived at the Bible Institute on Friday, June 25th. Church leaders were well prepared
for activities, small group times, and lessons. Joel Augustus, a former missionary in
Honduras, was the guest speaker. He demonstrated how the unity of the "Body of
Christ" is a Biblical mandate, and offered practical help in achieving it. God even
provided a tropical storm to our north, which allowed for overcast days and cool
evening rains so that all were more comfortable. Joy
T
ir
Work to be done.
,
ir
One of those "spare time" projects that Bill has been working on at the institute was rebuild
ing the light plant. He was able to save money by finding an identical diesel engine to
supply some of the expensive parts. Power failures arc less frequent now days, but a failure
^
k
'.y
during camp or another special event can be a real problem.
During the rainy season in the tropics, plants grow at phenomenal rates. Grass can grow
ten inches in a week, fresh cut brush or jungle can become impassable in one season. So
one of the students' constant jobs at the institute is mowing. Much of the work is done with
machetes. But the lawn requires a mower, which means maintenance. Bill finally replaced a
rider salvaged fi-om the junk yard 6 years ago; it required too many repairs. There is a twelve year old rider that works well. The old walkbehind bush-hog has constant belt troubles but will cut one inch trees. Also the school has two conventional mowers and a weed eater.
Thirty some years ago Bill worked m a mower shop while he took his mastersprogram.That experience has been helpful. Bill
rt?:
Practice baptisms.
One of thethings Bill tries to do with every class is to take tliem to thewaterfalls at Pulhapanzak and practice baptizing. It is an ideal set
ting, There is a river with both still pools, and swift flowing water. Thestudents need to learn to be comfortable inbothsettings because
churches here do nothave baptisteries. This yearthe combined baptism class and picnic wasvery enjoyable. Inspite of the fact that the
waterwasvery deep and some whatcold, they learned the essentials of performing baptisms. Theyalso enjoyed the hiking,the waterfall,
and the barbecue. Bill
International Christian Fellowship , . .
We have been overjoyed to seeseveral young people accept Jesus Christ as their Lord andSavior andbe baptized at the English speaking
church. As mentioned in our lastnewsletter, a couple in ourchurch iscaring for 10Honduran orphans. Seven of these young people have
been baptized over the last few months.
We were also blessed to go with Bill and Margy
and the Bustamante family to the beach to baptize
their daughter, Alyssa. We have had great rejoicing
to see all these young people give their lives to the
Lord.
On September 4th we hosted seven young people
from an orphanage. They attend the church regu
larly and the American couple who care of them
need a break once in awhile. It was a lot of fun but
they kept us busy for three houre. Mark and Joy
came by part of the time to help, especially at meal
time. The girls and I (Margy) made a double batch
of chocolate chip cookies. The others played on the
computer, played with Lego blocks and watched a
video.
September 14th was Joy's birthday. Since that date
fell on Tuesday, the church family shared a cake
with her following the weekly Bible study. We all
ill i-\\ mI ^
had a lot of fun. Margy
Family Activities
March 21st of this year was our 40th wedding anniversary. We thought
about vacationing in a bcach resort with all the family. Joy checked into
this possibility when she found a reasonable 5-day cruise from Manhattan
on the Carnival Glory.. The family got excited about this possibility and ar
rangements were made. On June 13th, nine of us; Rick and Becky Rowan;
Beka, Alfredo, and Zach; Mark and Joy and Bill and I left our homes for
New York. The plan was for all of us to spend the night in New York and
then board the cruise the next morning. But the Lord had other plans for that
day. Our flights were to take us to La Guardia airport in New York but it was
closed that day. We all had to make different arrangements, but the Lord
guided us to arrive in time to board the ship. God is good all the time.
-A I
.
,
~
fj
We had a great week on the cruise. It was a real thrill passing the Statue of
Liberty as we headed out to sea. We had all that we could eat and a great vari
ety of foods. The evening meals were delicious and the waiters were very en
tertaining. The ship stopped at St. John's, New Brunswick, where the Revers
ing Falls and double decker buses are famous. Our other stop was in Halifax,
June14..20iq^
T
«"5"
Non Profit Org.
U.S. Postage Paid
Mission Services
2004 E. Magnolia Ave.
Knoxville, TN
Kjioxville, TN 37917
Permit #374
RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED
Nova Scotia. The city has experienced tragedies over the years:
121 people from the ocean liner, the Titanic, are buried there; dur
ing World War I, two ships collided in the harbor, one was filled
with explosives and it drifted into the city and exploded, killing
thousands of people;, And then in 1946, many soldiers celebrating
the end of World War II destroyed much of the city. But the city is
beautiful with so many trees.
After the five day cruise, we spent a day in New York. We had very
nice accommodations and were able to see some famous sights of
the city. Sunday morning we all partook of the Lord's Supper with
Rick officiating That evening we were in our own comfortable
beds once again and praising God for our safety and the beauty of
God's creation. Margy
Prayer n Praise
Praises:
~ For a successful camp at the Bible Institute.
—For a safe trip to and from Canada for the whole family.
—For our health. Bill was able to narrow down his allergy
problems.
~ For the young people who were baptized.
" For the faithful who attend the Tuesday night Bible study.
Prayer Requests:
—For Margy's sister's health.
—For the up coming graduation of the students in Novem
ber.
~ For the Thanksgiving and Christmas festivities at church.
—For those who were recently baptized.
—For new students in the upcoming year.
Merry
Christmas
From
Bill and Margy
As we read the story of Simeon and Anna in the second chapter of Luke's gospel, we see people
who were especially gifted to see the Baby Jesus for who He really was. They recognized Him
as the Redeemer and consolation of Israel. I have always supposed that they were chosen
because of their Holy lives. Contemplating the Scripture, it seems to me, another aspect is that
they lived in constant expectation. Their hearts were ready to receive Him.
That leads me to the question, "Am I eagerly awaiting the Lord's return: His second coming?"
When He comes the next time it will be much more spectacular than His first coming. Will we
be taken by surprise? Jesus says we are to watch. Will we be watching and ready like the five
virgms who received the bridegroom, or will we find our lamps going out? Anna and Simeon
were ready and His coming brought them great joy. I pray we will also be expectantly
watching.
Christmas is a busy time for all Christian workers. It requires that we prepare special messages,
meditations, and programs, but it also requires preparing our hearts. Many activities have
occupied our time. The 12th of December the church held a special children's Christmas
program. After a 25-minute program, where the children recognized the meaning of Christmas,
I gave a short devotional. Margy has made dozens of cookies; some in preparation for the
cookie exchange, some for distribution to prisoners at the youth correction's facility, and some
for a street-people ministry that some of our church members have. Currently, I am preparing
for our Christmas Eve service.
Another important event in December was the Bible Institute's graduation. Three young men
walked down the isle and received their diplomas and a small addition to their library (a Bible
dictionary, commentaries of both Old and New Testaments, a concordance, and a Study Bible)
to facilitate their ministries. About one hundred and twenty people were present to share in the
celebration.
We pray that you will have a joyftil Christmas.
With our Love.
