SALUDOS!

from

CENTRAL MEXICO &

BAJIO CHRISTIAN MISSION

BILL HOFF and FAMILY
APARTADO POSTAL 57

QUERETARO, QRO. 76000 MEXICO

Spring 1991

Volume 22, Number 1

Published Quarterly

Growing A Church
When the Jardines de la Hacienda church began its

building program. It anticipated constructing the Chris

tian education building in three phases. The major job of
constructing the auditorium would come later. Now the
finishing touches are being put on the second phase of
the project. A couple of months ago, the youth of the
church spent a day working on the new section. They
brought in dozens of wheelbarrow loads of earth, then
leveled and packed it so that the concrete sub-floor could
be poured. Bill then chiseled grooves in the red brick
walls and installed the electrical conduits and boxes.
Youth bringing in dirt

After all this, the building was stuccoed inside and out.
Church members have contributed their labor, and as

Sunday morning services are led by men of the con

gregation with Alberto Gonzalez preaching. Adiel, a Bible

college student, handles the adult Bible school class.
Margy holds a class for the small children during the wor

2=:^ 1

ship hour.

Margy also organizes a meeting each month for the

youth from ages 9 to 13 from the area churches. These
meetings are held in the Hoffs house.

Bill is currently teaching a series of lessons from the

correspondence school on Sunday evenings. The series
is designed to create a closer communion between the
believer and Christ. On Thursday evenings. Bill Is teach

ing from the book of Revelation. This class requires a lot

of preparation, but because of the unstable world condi
Youth leueUng floor.

tions, several requests for such a study have been

made.

Paul says, "they gave . . . even beyond their ability" to fi

nance the project. Now the only things lacking are bath
room fixtures, electrical wiring, and the marble flooring.

The church will be using the completed classrooms In

March.

Bill and Margy are naturally joyful about the church's

building. However, they recognize that spiritual growth
and numerical growth are even more important to their
goal of seeing the church solidly established. In some re
spects, the congregation is flourishing; for example, In
the power of intercessary prayer and witnessing. A few
people who used to attend have fallen away, but new
faces are more than filling the gap.

2nd phase nearly cx)mpieted.

More Blessed To Give Than To Receive

It truly is more blessed to give than to receive. The

tains of Queretaro is shared by someone who has never

Christians in Queretaro demonstrated this various times

gone before. This year Bill's parents, along with Steve

during the month of December.

Decorated bags filled with toiletry items were given to

Keim, and his daughter, Stephanie (missionaries near

Queretaro), were first-time visitors. Although the trip Is

each student at the National Bible Institute.

always long and tiring, the beauty of the area and the

The ladies

from the Jardines de la Hacienda church delivered these

love of the people that receive us more than compensate

bags along with some food items. They shared with the
students and faculty in singing Christmas choruses, lis
tening to a devotion prepared by the boys' dean and then

for the inconveniences.

having a time of prayer and thanksgiving.

Almost every year the Christmas trip to the moun-

taken for them and their fellow Christians.

Mountain scene.

Chiistlans In mountains

Another highlight of the season is the joint church

celebration of the Lord's birth.

As usual, the event was

held at the camp's chapel building. All of the area

churches participated. Every year they have different re
sponsibilities. This year the Jardines de la Hacienda
church was responsible for the communion service, filling
the pinatas provided by another congregation, and for
obtaining the tamales for the meal. Bill purchased the
pinata fillings and fruit for the program at the same time
as he purchased the candy, oranges, and sugar cane for
distribution in the mountains.

It Is customary for the churches to present dramas at

the program; this year there were two outstanding ex
amples. The youth from the Jardines de la Hacienda
church worked hard on their staging of a production
about a Jewish girl in Caesar's household. The Santa

A meal with delicious home

made tortillas was prepared for us. The family there lives
in very humble circumstances and was very appreciative
of the used clothing and Christmas "goodies" that were

Rosa church did a novel presentation of 'The Evening

News, live from Jerusalem" with such feature stories as
"Caesar's decree causes hotel room shortages,"

mas.

The non-Christians present were impressed by the

fun and fellowship Christians can have and by the total

lack of alcoholic beverages. They do not know that we
are to "rejoice In the Lord always." This year's celebra
tion broke all previous records with 190 in attendance - a
good indication that the area churches are growing.

'sm

Hoffs filling bags for Chrlstn\as program.

"A

strange astronomical phenomena," and advertisements

from A Donkey Rental Company for "when you've got to
get there." The dramas were preceded by a lively song
service, special music, and the Lord's Supper and fol
lowed by a short meditation on the meaning of Christ

Drama: 'In Caesar's House' (Mark at left).

Personal Glimpses
As ! write this article, Valentine's Day has just passed.
As I think about love In the world today, I realize there are

so many people without love in their hearts. Must there

be a war? Why do people want to rule over other peo
ple? I guess only God knows the answer to all of this. As
Christians, we must demonstrate God's love daily and try
to bring others to the saving knowledge of Him.
December was as busy as 1 wrote it would be in the
last newsletter. On December first, we joined three other

families in a garage sale. We thought our newspaper ad

Rebecca and Mark welcoming grandmother.

vertisements would bring a big crowd. As It turned out,

the newspaper computer lost our classified ad for that
day, so very few people came. We tried again the follow
ing Saturday with greater success.
December 8th, the same day as the second garage
sale, Mark took the exam for his black belt in Karate, it
was a very cold day as Bill accompanied him to a large
unheated auditorium downtown. The test took six hours

for all to finish and, during that time, Mark had to sit
barefoot either on cement bleachers or on the wooden

floor while everyone performed. It truly was an en

durance test and the 120 participants had no food or
Bill's mother's birthday party.

water during that time. The latter part of January Mark

knew that he had passed. He is supposed to officially re
ceive his black belt In a special ceremony during March.
He has a new uniform with a black collar which he will
wear when he receives his black belt.

A couple of hours after the Karate exam. Bill left for

the airport in Mexico City where his parents arrived at 1
a.m. on Sunday morning. During their stay of two and a
half weeks, we all had a very busy, but enjoyable time.
Bad colds, which we passed around to one another, kept
us out of the night air during the first part of their visit,
but otherwise our activities proceeded as planned. Re
becca missed a couple days of school because she was
so sick. Fortunately, she recovered just in time to take
part in her school play. She had practiced for many
weeks, so we were all pleased that she was able to partic

Rebecca tn school drama.

ipate.

Both of Bill's parents have birthdays in December.

We had a surprise party for each of them. A corsage was
made for Bill's mother which she was able to wear on a

couple of special occasions. They said they hadn't cele

brated their birthdays in many years. We also enjoyed
one evening at the State Fair. Bill's father used to be an
agriculture Inspector, so he enjoyed all the animals. We
attended various parties and special events related to

A UtUe glri and lamb at Scout program.

Christmas.

It was a big surprise for us adults to come downstairs

Christmas morning and discover that we had stockings
hung in the living room with each of our names on them.
Rebecca had made them In her Sunday School class and
she and Mark had filled the stocking at 1:30 a.m. Christ
mas morning. Consequently, they were not up as early
as usual to open their gifts.

We thank each one of you for your prayers, financial

gifts, and p>ersonal gifts during this past year.

i
Stockings for each member of the Hoff family.

Prayer 'n' Praise

PRAISE:

for a new family in the congregation. Their last name is

Bellozo.

The mother is a Christian and the father and

teenage son are very interested and faithful in attendance.

that Mark passed his black belt exam in Karate and will re
ceive his new belt the middle of March.

that church construction is continuing. The teachers are

anxiously awaiting the use of their new classrooms.

that Margy's nephew, Roy Baker of Springfield, Oregon, is
recuperating from an arm that was badly broken in an ac

cident just before Christmas. He will not have full strength

In it for about a year, but it is out of a cast.

that Bill's parents were able to visit the Hoffs in December.

that there was a record attendance of about 190 at the an

nual Christmas program of the combined churches.

SEE YOU AT THE

NORTH AMERICAN

CHRISTIAN CONVENTION

that a church building Is currently being constructed in Salvatierra, a town almost two hours to the west. A work crew
of nine from northern Mexico donated their time this week
to help.

that Margy's father, who had both knees replaced during

November, Is now walking very well and is no longer In

IN DENVER

JULY 9-12, 1991

pain.
PRAY:

for the church in Celaya. This congregation is located

about 30 miles west of Queretaro. The young minister and
the elders of the church have had some real problems
communicating and figuring out their job descriptions.
for increased attendance In the Jardlnes de la Hacienda

IMPORTANT DATA:
Postage rates to Mexico from the U.S.
are now 35C for V2 oz. and 45C for 1 oz.

church in Queretaro.

for the Gary Martin family. Gary is the president of Bajio

Christian Mission. He Is In the Air Force Reserves. His fa
ther has Parkinson's disease and his mother passed away
on the 19th of February.

for the Persian Gulf war and all the leaders that must make
important decisions.

The Hoffs* telephone number has been

changed. The area code Is (42) and the

for Margy's sister's mother-in-law. She lives In Southern

California and is dying of cancer. She and her husband

number If 16-41-27.

have been long-time friends of Bill and Margy.

Published by the
Rossville Christian Church

411 Spruce POB 187

Rossville, KS 66533

ADDRESS CORRECTION REQUESTED

NON-PROFIT ORQ.
U.S. POSTAGE
PAID

ROSSVILLE, KS
PERMIT NO. 6

SALUDOS!

3 5^5

from
CENTRAL MEXICO &
BAJIO CHRISTIAN MISSION
BILL HOFF and FAMILY
APARTADO POSTAL 57

QUERETARO, QRO. MEXICO

telephone (42)-16-41-27
Published Quarterly

Summer 1991

Vol. 22, Number 2

SPECIAL CONVENTION ISSUE

A Brief History
Bill and Margy HofF will begin twenty years
of missionary service in August 1991. They
have lived in Queretaro, Mexico (120 miles
north of Mexico City), during this time working

with the people of "the Bajio" (high plateau)

that includes a 200 mile area of which Quere
taro is at the far east.
Bill

was first attracted to Queretaro be

cause of a radio program that was being pro

duced by another missionary. With his elec
tronic skills. Bill felt that he could upgrade the
program. Thus, Bill and Margy came to work
with Norm and Mary Dungan in 1971. New
equipment was added so that at the height of
production, twenty stations aired the program
"Dulces Momentos" (Sweet Moments) five days
a week. Through this program thousands of
contacts were made and many wrote in for the
free Bibles courses that were offered. Mary
Dungan and Margy kept the files and mailed
out the courses.

Bill and Norm visited and

baptized many students.

However, in 1981 religious broadcasting
was taken off the air by the Mexican
government. By this time Bill was involved In
many other areas of service: church work.
camp programs, teaching at the Bible Institute, visitation, etc.
The Bible-by-correspondence school continued by means of
newspaper advertisements, tracts and contacts through
friends.

In 1983 the Dungans returned to the U.S. to work at John

son Bible College. Norm has been a teacher (with emphasis
on missions) since that time. Mary has been the faculty secre
tary. The Lord continues to bless them there as He did here in
Mexico. Two years later they were influential in sending Tom
and Toni Schneller to Queretaro. For four years the Schnellers
co-labored with the Hoffs and worked excellently with the youth
of the church. They now live in San Pedro Sula, Honduras,
where they are working with a church and helping in the cor>struction of their building.

Bill, Margy. Mark and Rebecca

In 1965 Bajio Christian Mission became incorporated as a

non-profit organization in the state of Nevada. Federal non
profit status followed, although it was not easily obtained.
In 1988 Bill gave up teaching at the Bible Institute in order
to devote more time to the work of the church. Along with this
Bill and Margy cooperate and provide services for other mis
sionaries and evangelists in the area.
Mark Gabriel Hoff is sixteen years old and plans to enter
Johnson Bible College In Knoxville, TN in the fall of 1992. He
is active in the church youth group and received his black belt
in Karate this past April. Rebecca Marie Is twelve years old.

She graduated from the sixth grade of a bi-lingual school in

June. She takes swimming lessons two days a week and Is
active in Clrl Scouts.

Buildings are Important

time the church changed buildings, a loss of attendance re
sulted. When the church tried to meet in the homes of the be

lievers, attendance fell greatly.

In 1984 Bill and the believers determined to take their

savings and purchase a property for the church. This came

from the realization that the "house church" concept is not
culturally applicable in Mexico. However, the church's hopes
were dashed as it turned out that the seller of the property had
defrauded them.

Finally in 1989 Bill and Alberto Gonzalez, the minister,

found another lot. The cost strained Bajio Christian Mission

Rear view of Christian Education building (looking across fu

ture audltorlunx site).

The Christian Church of Queretaro has been in existence

for the past 22 years, but it has never grown as one might have
expected. In fact, statistical analysis shows that it has never
exceeded about eighty and usually has limped along at about
half of that. Bill believes that the most important reason for
this has been the lack of a building.

The congregation has always met in less-than-suitable

rented facilities. Once it was even located in a building where a
street market was held on Sundays. As a result, the believers

had to step over the vegetable vendors on the front step. Each

(the prime contributor this time), but the property was pur
chased and as soon as possible construction began. In July of
1990 the church held the first service in its own building. Since
then, the floor space has doubled to almost 1000 square feet.
The new classrooms are greatly appreciated by the teachers
and students. Bill has just finished the electrical wiring, and
Alberto is in the process of putting in the bathrooms. That,
and the installation of doors, will just about complete the pro
cess. A group from the (J.S. will be doing the painting this
summer.

Things are changing as the believers begin to see the im

provements, mostly financed by their own offerings. They are
taking pride in the work and praying for numerical growth so
that the present section will be filled and the auditorium con
struction can be begun.

Extraordinary
The Queretaro church Is blessed with an extraordinary

youth group. They often plan and execute difficult projects.

One example would be their hosting the area wide youth rally
with an attendance of more than 70. They planned and Fi
nanced it from A to T (activities to tacos). Another example
demonstrating the special nature of this group is that for
Mother's Day fifteen of them went out all night to serenade the
mothers of the church and present each with a rose.
Mexico's society is protective of its youth. How could they
get permission to be out all night? The answer Is in the com
position of the youth group itself. Its members range from
thirteen to thirty years of age (to be a youth you need only be
unmarried). The older youth do most of the planning and di
rection of the group. They are, in fact, both members and
sponsors. This blend gives the parents confidence. The group

Youth doing dishes following areawlde rally.

is also very special because the majority of the church's new

members have come through their witness. Contacts In school
and work permit them to share their faith.
While the previously mentioned group is made up of teens
and older youth, there is also a pre-teen group that meets once
a month in the Hoffs' home.

Attendance is from Jardines de la

Hacienda and two sister congregations. The meeting com

bines Bible lessons, sports, crafts and snacks. In April there
was a record attendance of fourteen. For many this is the first
time they have heard Bible stories.
In both cases it is a great joy to see the church of the 21st
century emerge to take its rightful place in leadership and spiri
tual power. Continue to pray for the future of the Lord's
church.

April youth meeting In Hops' home.

Christian Camping
When the Hoffs arrived In Centra! Mexico in August of
1972, there was already an active Christian camping program.

Their first year in camp proved unforgettable as the walls of the

old hacienda, on an island near San Miguel de Allende (40
miles northwest of Queretaro), began to fall during the night. It
became obvious to them and to Norm and Mary Dungan, with

whom they were working, that a different arrangement would

have to be made.

The following year the camp was held in a half-finished

house on the orphanage property just outside of Queretaro.
That year the orphanage gave about seven acres to the camp
so that a permanent facility could be constructed.
The first building constructed was a 175 foot by 20 foot
building which housed two dormitories and a kitchen. It was a
rustic block building with a tarpaper roof. Outhouses were
used for sanitary facilities. There were no sidewalks, so mud
became an omnipresent reality. (Camp is held during the
rainy season). But, as the years advanced there were contin

Bill teaching In camp.

have begun their Christian walk or committed themselves to

Christian service. Bill is frequently asked by an adult in one of
the churches if he remembers when they attended camp or
when they were baptized in camp.

Another great change is that instead of the camp being led

ued improvements.

The last of the tarpaper roof was replaced this year with
galvanized roofing. Over the years the most important of the
improvements that have been made include: the addition of a
chapel which can seat over 200 people, the making of benches
for the chapel, the erection of a small store building, the pour
ing of cement sidewalks and a basketball court, and last but

and subsidized by missionaries, the camp is now an effective

Mexican organization that operates on funds from church do
nations and inscription fees (this year about ten dollars a
week). A board of representatives from the churches that use
the camp operates the facility.

not least, the installation of indoor plumbing.

expected in the three weeks of camp. Besides the drier roof,

they will probably enjoy the refurbished basketball goals, and
the fact that rat poison has been set out early so as to reduce
the pitter-patter of little feet in the night.

But much more important than the physical improvements

are the changes that camp has made in the lives of the youth
who have attended. Through classes, drama, music and the
examples of counselors and teachers, many young people

This summer at least two hundred and thirty campers are

The Future Church

ELICIDflOEB

The new location was in a rented house in Colonia Zapata.

Bill began to teach more hours and added an auto-electric

shop.

In 1982, following the death of his wife and son, the

school's director left. The faculty took over administration of
the school during the six month period before another director
could be found. In this period Bill assisted in many capacities.
The first priority of the new director was to organize a
Board of Directors and to purchase property on which to build
a campus. The purchasing of land and the building of a cam
pus became a reality, but the country's economy worsened so
the national churches could no longer support the school. At

that time Bajio Christian Mission began supporting the Institute

Bible Institute students.

(as it does to the present).

Bill continued to enjoy teaching, but three years ago he
had to make a decision. He felt that if the Queretaro congre

Fourteen years ago Bill attended the graduation of a new

Bible Institute in San Luis Potosi.

At that time the school's di

rector explained that the purpose of the National Bible Institute

was to have a preacher training school supported by the na
tional churches. That concept was such an improvement over
the existing method of sending students to the United States to
study and having them never return to Mexico, that Bill soon
found himself participating.
Each Tuesday morning at 4:30 Bill boarded a bus in
Queretaro in order to arrive in San Luis Potosi for his 8 a.m.

class (120 miles north). He taught Old Testament Prophets

and Church History.
Three years later, the school moved to a village Just west
of Queretaro to take advantage of a pool of volunteer teachers.

gation was to grow strong enough to stand on its own, he

would have to put more hours into both the evangelistic and
building programs. So he asked not to be included in the
faculty for the following year. It was not an easy decision after
having put so many years in the school, but the local church is
God's priority. On the other hand, the school has never had
more people who are willing to teach, so his absence has not
been as critical as it might have been previously.
Bill has watched almost sixty young people graduate dur
ing the past fourteen years. Some have become effective
Christian leaders while others have found that the Lord has

called them to other forms of service, and, sadly, a few have

shipwrecked In their faith. But it is a great source of joy to

have been a part of the formation of the church of the future.

Personal Glimpses
shipped with the Dick Gring family in Pearsall, TX on Sunday.
After enjoying dinner with them, we travelled on to visit Barney
and Evelyn Fero in Buda, TX. They were once residents of
Queretaro and while here they opened their home each Sun
day for an English-speaking service. !t is always fun reliving
past events with them. Two days later we were in the new
home of Dick and Carolyn Apple in Memphis, TM. This couple
is very interested in missions and supports our work. We took
a walk together to see the cherry blossoms in bloom. They
invited George Bartlett, Jr. and his wife for dinner. George
Bartlett, Sr. and his wife, Mary, were missionaries in Mexico for
several years. It was good to meet their son and daughter-inlaw.

Mark trying on Ms black belt.

During March our family once again enjoyed the annual

Mexican Missionary Reunion. It was held in Metepec, Puebia,
about a five hour drive south of Queretaro. The children's and

youth's sessions were excellent. As Mark and Rebecca related

the discussions, I realized that God truly had sent these young
leaders to inspire our youth here in Mexico. I am sure that the
young people have grown in the faith because of their time
spent there. The adults were enriched by the Bible studies on
the book of I John presented by Carl Anderson, academic
dean of Boise Bible College.
One day following the reunion, our family left to visit
Johnson Bible College in Knoxville, TfS. The trip was long, but
we were blessed by the visits we made along the way. We wor

Five days from the time we left Queretaro, we arrived at

the home of Norm and Mary Dungan on the Johnson Bible
College campus. What a welcome we received from them and
all our other friends there! It was truly a time of great rejoicing
to visit with these people. We also had a warm welcome at the
Seymour church on Easter Sunday. This is where we had wor
shipped during our last furlough. Our family was given a spe
cial tour of the college campus because Mark plans to enroll
there for the 1992-93 school year. It is a beautiful place.
Because of the missionary reunion, Mark had missed the
official ceremony to receive his black belt. On April 11th our
family went to the Karate studio where his teacher presented
the black belt to him.

He also received four certificates.

We

were all very proud of Mark. He is spending the summer in

Oregon trying to earn some money for college. Rebecca grad
uated from the sixth grade at Colegio Charles Dickens (a bi
lingual school) on June 14th. Next year she will be attending a
private Christian school.
We look forward to seeing many of you during the sum
mer. Thank you for remaining faithful in your prayers and
support.

Prayer 'n' Praise

PRAYER:

for continued recovery of Chon Avalos' grandsons. One

was severely burned when a pot of boiling water fell on
him.

The other suffered minor face burns.

Chon is an

old son recently passed away following a dentist visit.

They also have a three year old who is unable to walk or
talk.

. . . for the continuing witness of the church youth

evangelist in Salvatierra (a town located two hours west

of Queretaro).

PRAISE:

for increased attendance in the Queretaro church,

. . . for the continued construction of the Queretaro church.

for those who graduated last May from the three Spanish-speaking Bible Colleges with which we are ac

. . . for Mark's decision to attend Johnson Bible College in

quainted.
for the directors and workers of the summer camps.
for the Hoffs during their travels this summer.
for the Marcelino Jose Cruz family. Their eleven year

. . . for the Mexican family that is coming to help in the

1992.

Queretaro church.

. . . for the youth of the church who are active in witnessing,

planning special programs, parties, etc.

Published by the
Rossville Christian Church

411 Spruce ROB 187

Rossville, KS 66533

NON-PROFIT ORQ.
U.S. POSTAGE

PAID

ROSSVILLE, KS
PERMIT NO. 6

ADDRESS CORRECTION REQUESTED

3 ss 5

SALUDOS!
from

CENTRAL MEXICO &

BAJIO CHRISTIAN MISSION

BILL HOFF and FAMILY
APARTADO POSTAL 57

QOERETARO, QRO. MEXICO

telephone (42)-16-41-27
Published Quarterly

Vol. 22, Number 3

Fall 1991

MOMENTOaS EVENTS
The Hoffs are back in Queretaro after a long summer trip. They greatly enjoyed the North American Christian Convention

in Denver. Unfortunately they were unable to attend as many of the workshops as they would have liked. There were so many
worthwhile seminars that it was impossible to attend them all. The main worship sessions were great and the preaching was
inspiring.

Besides having a booth at the convention, the Hoffs visited a number of churches on their trip. In all, the display was
assembled eleven times. Bill preached three times and showed slidesabout the work nine times. The trip took the family through
nine states and a total of slightly more than ten thousand miles.
After two months in the GSA, the Hoffs were concerned about how Hilario Rosas, who had just come to serve as co-minister
with Alberto Gonzalez, would work out. They found that Hilario's servant-like attitude quickly endeared him to the congrega
tion. Another concern was to see a calling program put into effect in the church. Hilarioand Bill have begun a program of calling
door-to-door in the area around the church building. So far a number of people have shown interest, and nearly every Sunday
a visitor attends church. Hilario is developing a program to help the youth reach their friends for the Lord. This is particularly
important because more than half of the congregation are young people.

The congregation in Jardines de la Hacienda has just received notificationthat it is being required to nationalizeits building.
(Mexico's constitution requires that all buildings used for public worship be donated to the government which in turn gives the
church permission to use the facility.) The church had hoped to delay that step until the main auditorium was completed,
because it is easier to get permission to make any necessary modifications in building permits from the city than from the federal
government. Normally,the government takes no interest in nationalizing a church untilthe building is finished. But in this case,
the lawyerthat has defrauded the church ofItsland works inanother branch ofthe secretariat that is Incharge ofchurch buildings.
Nowthat she is being accused of criminal fraud, she has reported the church building, hoping to make things more difficult.
The church will naturally comply withthe law,and it appears that the government is willing to accept the existing building permits
and allow construction to continue.

Planning for Church Groiath.

A SERVANT'S HEART

THANKS

The Hoffs have been blessed with loving and caring co-workers in the past,

When the Hoffs arrived back in

so it is not surprising that when they were searching for a co-pastor for the

Queretaro after their summer trip, they

Jardines de la Hacienda church, the Lord led them to the Rosas family.
Hilario, Graciela, and their fifteen year-old daughter, Nellie, are from
Salvatierra, Guanajuato, which is about an hour and a half west of Quer6taro.
They have spent the last four years on the O.S. side of the border in Eagle Pass,
Texas, where Hilario attended Colegio Biblico. They are all gifted in music; both
Hilario and Nellie play the guitar.
The Rosas are all very humble and their love of the Lord is seen in their
willingness to serve, doing whatever is asked of them. Hilario is active in the
calling program. Is the teacher of the adult Bible class, preaches in the Sunday
evening service, and holds Bible studies for the weekly youth meetings.
Graciela is active in the ladles' meetings and supports her husband in all areas
of his work. She is also the camp secretary which involves taking minutes at
the bi-monthly meetings and sending out Information to the churches in

were pleasantly surprised to see the

church building painted. A youth group

Mexico.

We are thankful to have the Rosas family as part of the church family in
Queretaro.

from the Elm Street Christian Church in

Olney, Illinois, came to help beautify the

building. The group consisted of eight
young people and three sponsors. After
painting the building in Jardines de la
Hacienda, they leveled the fill dirt where
the church in Colonia Militar will build an

addition, and painted the church build

ing In Santa Rosa Jauregui. They not
only came with a real willingness to
work, but they also brought funds to pay
for all the materials used. The congrega
tions cannot adequately express their
appreciation.

PHYSICAL AND SPIRITUAL EXERCISE

"May the youth come and wash cars at your house next Saturday?" This was a request the youth director of the church
madeof Bill following the worship service one Sunday morning inSeptember. Receiving an affirmative answer, Saturdayfound
the young people arriving at 9 a.m. with their buckets, rags, soaps, signs, and lunches.
After putting up signs In the area announcing the car wash, the youth returned and waited for the first car. It did not take

long before business was booming. While some were cleaning the insideof cars using vacuum cleaners, others were hosing
off the cars, soaping them down, washing the windows or drying the cars. This process continued until about 3 p.m. when ev
eryone sat down in the median of the street to eat their lunches. After this small break, work continued.

The purpose of the car wash was to raise money for a weekend retreat at the camp facilities over the MexicanIndependene
Day holiday. Deciding that they needed more money, the youth washed cars the following Saturday, also.
The retreat began on Saturday afternoon, September 14th. Two ladies from the church cooked for the young people, and

Hilario (the new co-pastor of the church) held Bible studies. The hard rain on Saturday evening did not dampen the spirits of
the campers.

On Sunday evening our regular church service was cancelled so that all could go to camp and attend a special program.
A young minister from the area preached and Bill had a special communion service. Then everyone In attendance was invited
to eat a Mexican meal. About 10:30 p.m. the group began singing Mexican folkloric songs. At 11:00 tradition dictates that some
one must give the grito (a brief resume of the history of Mexico's fight for independence which ends with "Viua Mexico" long
live Mexico). Alberto gave the grito and the young people yelled "Viua" and waved their Mexican flags of green, white, and red
and cheered. It was a very inspiring time. The youth returned home the following day with a renewed Christian spirit.

FIFTH ANNIVERSARY

PERSONAL GLIMPSES

October 12th was the fifth anniversary of the completion

of the church building in San Felipe Pueblo Nuevo, a Mazahua
Indian village in the mountains of the state of Mexico. The
minister, Antonio Eusebio Maxlmlliano, made a special point
of inviting the Hoff family and the members of the Jardines de

The time left is so short. In just a few months Mark will be

leaving home. We have had him under our care and guidance
for seventeen years, and now in just a few months, he will be
on his own. Bill has taught him how to drive, how to repair
many parts on a car, and how to repair various items. I have
taught him how to wash dishes, how to sweep the floors and
do many things In the house.
There are the little things to think about. Will Mark brush
his teeth often? (We have spent hundreds of dollars at an
orthodontist to make his teeth look good). Will he get his hair
cut when needed? Will he get enough rest? The list could go
on. But more important is, will Mark read his Bible and pray
daily? Will he, In a new culture, stand up and be counted as

la Hacienda church.

Antonio was a student of Bill's at the National Bible

Institute and graduated In 1983. He had a great deal of

difficulty with his classes because he was not fluent in Spanish
(Mazahua is his native tongue), but he was determined to bring
the Gospel to his people.

a Christian when the devil attacks him?

;jLjUl O

Our family has tried to have Bible devotions daily, we have

attended church regulariy; we have hosted many people In
our home and tried to be generous to those in need. We have
taught Mark the Bible, and we all rejoiced the day he decided
to follow the Lord In baptism.

Antonio welcoming everyone.

When he graduated he returned home and began preach

ing the message of salvation. Those were perilous times.
There were persecutions and stonings. One time when Bill
was there for baptisms, someone tried to burn down the house
where they were meeting with Bill inside. Another time they
punctured all the tires on a van and stoned Its occupants. But
slowly Antonio began to win family members and others.

Mark attended Roy's graduation.

This past summer was a good experience for Mark. He

lived with his aunt and her family in Oregon and worked parttime at a fast food restaurant. He did have some adjustments
to make. In August of 1992 he will enter Johnson Bible
College in Knoxville, Tennessee. What greater choice could a
young person make? 1am proud of him. Won't you join me
in praying for Mark.

One of three baptisms.

About eight years ago Antonio approached Bill about a

building. Bill agreed that the mission would pay for all the
cement and reinforcing steel if they would provide sand,
continued next page

The Hoff family.

(Mark and his Uncle David not shown.)

PRAYER 'N' PRAISE

Fifth Anniversary
continued from page 3

Please PRAY for:

gravel, and labor. Building was a slow process, both in terms

of paperwork and construction. Foundations were dug in
volcanic rock, concrete was poured, and block walls raised.
But the nnost difficult part of the construction was the roof. The
men cut shoring lumber on the local mountain and hauled it
back. Then they wove the reinforcing bars and hand mixed the
concrete and carried it to the roof. Billarranged for one of his
Bible institute students to do the electrical wiring, then the

village people installed the windows. Finally, they celebrated

their first worship service. They still remember the date and
rejoice. Things have changed greatly. Bill can now visit with
no fear for his life, and the church is respected and continues

. . . Areli Castaneda (who was operated on for cancer three

years ago), the young lady who has been teaching
Rebecca in Bible school and who has directed the youth

for several years. She has recently moved to Pledras

Negras, Coahuila, Mexico. The congregation will miss
her.

. . . the nationalization of the church building.

. . . the visitation program open hearts of those who are

receiving the invitations to attend church.
. . . the church property that is In litigation. An auditorium
can be built with the funds received from selling the
property after we win the case.

to grow.

Please PRAISE the Lord for:

The fifthanniversary service was a very special event. The

main message was preached by Jose Manuel Cortez, a co-

. . . the willingness of the young people of the church to

wash cars for two days in order to attend a spiritual

stdent of Antonio's at the Bible Institute. Antonio officiated in

three baptisms, and Alberto Gonzalez performed a wedding.

This all took place In the same 4-hour service. By the end,
there were as many people outside the church as Inside. (The
church seats about 130 people.)
After the service, the women of the church served a great

meal of chicken in mole (a chill sauce), beans, tamales, and

tortillas. Everyone enjoyed the unparalleled fellowship and
love that was demonstrated there.

retreat

. . . for Antonio Eusebio's work with the Mazahua people in

the state of Mexico.

. . . for the young people from Illinois who came to Queretaro

to paint the church building here and help with two other
churches.

. . . the camps which were held last summer and the young
people that made decisions.
. . . the safety of the Hoffs during their travels this past
summer.

. . . the decision of Mark to attend Johnson Bible College

next fall.

Published by the

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Rossvllle Christian Church

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Rossvllle, KS 66533

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