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ALuaas!fiPR 15 1535
from
CENTRAL MEXICOBILL HOFF and FAMILYAPARTADO POSTAL NO.
57QUERETARO, QRO. 76000 MEXICO
NORM DUNGAN and FAMILYRT. 19, BOX 608KNOXVILLE,TN 37998
Published Quarterly Vol. 15 No. 4 Winter 1985
cZwic:a Ln
Perhaps, once in a lifetime, onehas the privilege of working
withthe "ideal" couple. We felt thisway about Norm and MaryDungan.
For 11 years we sharedour lives together, whether it wasin joy or
sorrow. We still missthem very much and uphold themin our prayers
daily.
Last fall Norm told us about acouple who were interested in
thework in Mexico. After two
telephone calls, we arranged forthem to visit us over the
Christ
mas v&cation. They sent us a picture of themselves and we
beganpraying for them nightly.
Because of many Christmas activities we did notknow how our
visitors would fit into the schedule,but we had nothing to fear. On
December 16th wepicked up Tom and Toni Schneller at the Mexico
Cityairport. They proved to be a very sweet couple. For12 days we
"ran" from one place to another in anattempt to get everything done
for Christmas. Theyaccompanied us to a graduation ceremony,
home
%
Bible studies, Church services,Christmas parties, a
hospitalvisit, a trip to a remote area inthe mountains, and on
thedelivery of many plates ofhomemade cookies and candies.They were
willing to help inanyway possible and we needed it, especially at
that time.
Tom and Toni are currendystudying at Johnson BibleCollege.
Through the manyphotos that Tom took duringtheir stay here, they
arepresenting the work andhoping to raise enough supportto be here
in August. They aretalented in music, art, and arestudying
computers.
We believe that they will be of invaluable help in
thecorrespondence school along with special projectswhere their
artistic and musical talent will be useful.
As we anxiously await their arrival, we believe thatonce again
we will have the opportunity of workingwith the "ideal" couple.
MH
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All About MEN"Mexican Evangelism Now" (M.E.N. for short) is ihe
dream of Jim Viers, a minister-capenter in WesternVirginia. He
believed that Mexican nationals should take an active role in
evangelism in their country, buthe saw that in order for them to
preach full-time, they would need financial support which the
newlyfounded churches could not supply. Therefore, he sou^t means
to provide a few evangelists with fundsgathered from United States
churches. The end result was M.E.N. The organization raises and
administersfunds. It also provides guidance and prayer support for
the evangelists. The eldership of the Church ofChrist in Haysi,
Virginia, exercises oversight, making the evangelists scripturally
responsible.
Because the nationals are not hired by a missionary, many of the
traditional motives for strife betweenforeign and Mexican workers
are eliminated. For many years the system has proved effective.
In January Jim and Jerry Edwards (an elder) visited the seven
employees of M.E.N. Bill accompanied themas translator and guide.
In order to visit all of the evangelists, they traveled more than
2,000 miles. Thatincluded a trip to Veracruz to visit two young
evangelists who they would like to help. These young menwere
supported by a missionary who had to return home and could no
longer pay them. M.E.N. would liketo see the church-planting effort
in Veracruz continue.
Please lift up M.E.N. and Jim Viers with your prayers, BH
New lyork New RewardsIn the previous issue of "Saludos" some
modification of the program of the Cultural CommunicationsCenter
were outlined. Now, in just a few months, there have been other
major changes. Perhaps the mostnoteworthy was the sudden departure
of Francisco, the young man who ran the office. This left Bill
andMargy with a considerable workload. Bill now grades all of the
courses and writes the letters, while Margymails courses and
maintains the fQing system. Bill now finds it easier to detennine
which students needspecial visitation. His intimate contact with a
student's response on a course helps him be better preparedfor each
call.
Calling is an important aspect of C.C.C.'s general program. It
provides for personal contact which confrontsthe student wiA
Christ's claim on his life. When a student lives in a city where
there is a church, thepreacher is asked to make the visit. There
are, of coull^e, many cities and towns where there is no
church.Then Bill must make the calls.
Recency Bill has made two trips eastward to the state of Hidalgo
and one westward to Celaya. The visit toCelaya proved to be very
fruitful. The family he visited was eager to accept the Lord and to
be baptizedinto Him. As a result there is rejoicing at the addition
of five new Christians to the Celaya congregation.
Correspondence school students write many letters to C.C.C.
Years ago it was realized that a great majorityof the letters that
ask questions could be answered with a few form letters. A
memographed form letter,however, is very impersonal and cannot
answer more than one question. Now, through the efforts of aleader
in the Vegas Valley Christian Church, the ofi^ce has a small
computer. This permits the instantproduction of "personalized" form
letters which can answer the most frequently asked questions. It
alsosaves hours of typing the customary "greeting paragraph" which
accompanies other correspondence. As theoffice workers b^ome better
acquainted with the computer, it will also replace the student
card-file systemand facilitate other jobs. BH
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PSKSOMAt eUMPSSS
As many of our friends are digging their way out ofthe deep
snow, we are sitting here enjoying the warmsun in the "Bajio." But
God's creation is beautiful inall its aspects.
It doesn't seem possible that it is February already.December
was a month in which we were extremelybusy. We expected to slow
down a little in Januarybut that wasn't meant to be. We aren't
predictingabout February.
During the past severalyears Mark has frequently beensick with
tonsilitis. His pediatrician was hesitantabout removing his tonsils
so we took him to a highlyrecommended doctor in Mexico City. He
agreed to dothe tonsillectomy so on Thanksgiving day (it isn't
aholiday here), the operation was performed. As amember of the
family is expected to stay with thechild in the hospital, I went
prepared with snackfood, warm clothing (no heat in the hospitals
here),a Uanket, and a pillow. We both made it through thenight and
the following morning he was released. Wetried to feed Mark the
usual foods: jello, pudding, icecream, etc., but he wanted "real"
food. The secondday he was eating mashed potatoes, mashed beans,and
rice and crying for meat. He recuperated rapidly.
During the month of December we were involved inmany Christmas
activities. I made 25 plates ofcookies and candy for friends. The
ladies' groupprepared 7 boxes of food and homemade items forthe
poorer families of the local churches. TheQueretaro church also
prepared 300 bags of"goodies." Half of these were taken to the
momitainarea where various Christians picked them up. Theother half
were distributed to those who attended the
Christmas program and party. On December 23rd,100 people from
four area churches were transportedto the camp facilities where
they enjoyed a 2 1/2hour program of music, recitations, and dramas
inthe chapel. Following this there was a baptism andthen the
breaking of two pinatas. The eveningendedwith refreshments of
tamales, hot chocolate, and abirthday cake.
Bill had been traveling a lot during the month ofJanuary. He
spent three days getting an evangelistmoved to Zacatecas, which is
six hours north ofwhere he previously worked. Bill also made a trip
toVeracruz which involved another three days. LastFriday he and
Mark went visiting in the city ofPachuca. They had a good day
together and it was alearning experience for Mark.
Since the installation of an accordion curtain whichnow closes
off the T.V. room, we have been able toentertain overnight guests
more easily. Other improvements on the house have included: the
tiling ofa bathroom, the installation of the bathtub, thepainting
of the livingroom ceiling, and the preparingof the front yard to
plant grass.
Mark is doing very well in his studies. This month hemust learn
the capital of each of the 50 states.Rebecca is learning to read in
Spanish. She ^endsmuch of her time with a pencil or crayon in her
hand.We are trying to decide which school she will attendnext
year.
My prayer is that 1985 may be a fulfilling year foreach of you
and may Christ's kingdon increasebecause of you.
r
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Prayer & PraiseJoin with us in Praising God for:* the 5
baptisms in Celaya that brought a family into the Lord's church.*
the gift of a computer which facilitates the office work.* the
Bajio Christian Mission, Inc. being accepted as a non-profit
corporation by the State
of Nevada.* the concern of the Queretaro church in donating 150
bags of "goodies" for poor
children.* Tom and Toni Schneller who plan on coming to work
with us this year.* the sale of properties in Queretaro which will
enable the church to begin building,
perhaps by Fall.Join with us in Praying for:* Antonio, the
preacher in San Felipe, who has begun construction of a buildingbut
needs
patience in working out the "red tape."* Higenio Carrion who is
beginning a church in a different part of Irapuato.* Chon Avalos,
whose church is involved in difficulties over ownership of a
building that
church built.
* Chon's daughter, Bette, who just began married life at age 16
in February.* Huberto and Becky, whose car was involved in an
accident and is impounded while
waiting judgment.
FROM;NON-PROFITBAJIO CHRISTIAN MISSION pn^TArF
.'0 GLENDALE CHRISTIAN CHURCHPERMIT '36
9661 MORTH 59th AVE.GLENDALE AZ 85302
ADDRESS CORRECTION REQUESTED
HISSICS SERVICESP 0 BGX 2427KNOXVILLE TN 37901 H X9/32
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^5" 3-5-
SALUaOS! fromCENTRAL MEXICO &
BAJIO CHRISTIAN MISSIONBILL HOFF and FAMILYAPARTADO POSTAL NO.
57OUERETARO. QRO. 76000 MEXICO
NORM DUNGAN and FAMILYRT. 19, BOX 608KNOXVILLE.TN 37998
Published Quarterly Vol. 16 No. 1 Summer 1985
Never Too OldAmong the many courses which arrived in the postbox
of the Bible correspondence school was one froma village in the
state of Hidalgo. The course entitled,"How Can A Man Respond To The
Grace Of God"teaches about Biblical conversion and
Christianobedience in baptism. The student had answered thecourse
well and very positively. Bill, however, couldnot find the village
on a map, so he did not immediately visit. The graded course was
returned by mailwith the next one in the series. When it was
mailedback it was obvious that the student, Alonso Arriaga,was
really desirious of being immersed into Christ.
Bill had a number of calls to make in the capital ofthe state of
Hidalgo, Pachuca, so he decided to visitand stje if he might also
locate Zempoala whereAlonso lives. The calls in Pachuca ranged in
qualityfrom "not home" to "very encouraging." In theprocess of
arriving in Pachuca, Bill had driven threehours and in every town
asked if someone had heardof Zempoala. Finally, a delivery truck
driver wasable to explain how to find it. Bill left Pachuca in
adriving rain and 30 minutes later was in the village.The street
address was no great problem becausethe town has only nine streets.
Bill knocked on thedoor. He was greatly surprised to meet Alonso
whoturned out to be a 70-year-old short, round, baldman. It is
unusual for older people to be willing to
change their faith.
Visiting until late at night, Alonso and Bill madeplans for his
baptism. There are no Christianchurches in the state of Hidalgo so
Bill arranged tobaptize him in the nearest church, in
Texcoco,Mexico on the 2nd of June. June 1st the whole Hofffamily
traveled from Queretaro to Zempoala toconfirm the arrangements.
They spent the night atNiftos de Mexico, the orphanage near
Texcoco, and inthe morning returned to take Alonso to the
service.Services in the Texcoco church are well attended(over 150
people). After church Alonso, thoughelderly, was reborn in Christ.
The directors of theorphanage invited Alonso and the Hoff family to
stayfor dinner. Then they began the 5-hour drive back toQueretaro
via Zempoala where they left a happy, newbrother in the Lord.
The next time Bill was calling in the area, Alonsoasked him how
he was to answer the latest correspondence course which asks for
Old Testamentinformation, when he had only a paperback NewTestament
that the correspondence school hadgiven him. Bill was amazed for he
supposed that theknowledge and spiritual growth of Alonso
impliedreading the whole Bible. Alonso was sent a Bible
thefollowing week.
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Growing RoomThe Queretaro congregation has, in the past 15
years, met in at least six different locations. At times itcame
together in missionaries' homes, at times in rented facilities, and
at the worst it rotated from onemember's home to another making it
impossible for visitors to find it. That has'been one of the
greatestfactors in limiting the growth of the church.
Now the church has met two years in a rented apartment in
"Jardines de la Hacienda." But it has reachedthe growth limit
imposed by the size of its facility. It is physically impossible to
seat more than 70 peoplein the space available. For these reasons
the church decided to purchase property to build.
Previously, the church had two small lots in an area which, as
it developed, became largely warehouses andlight industry, instead
of residencial (no zoning laws). Those lots were sold and a lot in
the "colonia" wherethe church presently meets was purchased.
The property is well located on a main boulevard, one block from
the end of the bus line. It has an area of2800 square feet. The
building code will permit construction to the property linesand two
stories high sothat limited space will not present a problem. It is
hoped to have the architectural drawings done by mid-September so
that construction can be well under way by December when prices for
materials usually goup.
The real problem will be funding the construction. The local
church simply cannot do it by itself. It isdifficult to estimate
the cost of the structure because of high inflation (70 percent)
and changing exchangerates, but it will be less expensive than a
comparable building in the United States.
Holy Week"Semana Santa" (Holy Week, the week before Resurrection
Sunday) is an important holiday in Mexico.Trying to utilize the
religious interest invoked by this time of year. Bill arranged to
hold a week-longcampaign in Zacatecas where Hermilo Gasca is trying
to establish a congregation. The Hoff family leftSunday afternoon
traveling to Zacatecaswhere they stayed with the Gascas for the
week.
There was a great deal of work to be done. There were tracts to
be rubber stamped, there were invitationsto be prepared, there was
calling to be done, and sermon outlines to polish. The afternoons
were particularly hectic as Hermilo and Bill, in order to assure
good attendance, would go and pick up interested individuals.
Immediately after dinner Bill would leave for Calera (30 miles) to
pick up believers there, whileHermilo would make several trips with
his VW picking up people in the city.
During the services Bill showed films related to the crucifixion
and resurrection of the Lord. Then therewas a preaching service.
Bill preached three nights while Apolinar and Hermilo preached the
remainingevenings. Afterward the people were delivered home and the
Gasca and Hoff families would eat a snack.
The calling was an interesting experience for Bill. "There was
none of the hostility, suspicion or door-slamming we associate with
house to house evangelismin the Bajio," he explained.The actual
meetings were held in the home of Apobnar Ramos. He has a large
livingroom which is quitesuitable. Attendance was between 35 to 40
people a night.
There were two lessons learned during the campaign firstly. Holy
Week is a poor time to plan a campaignbecause so many people are
out of town or have guests; and secondly, door to door evangelism
is veryeffective in the northern city and may be the key to its
evangelism.
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'But God 6flve The Increase'Two years ago Bill asked Francisco,
theworker in the correspondence school, fornames of students in
Queretaro. He was giventhe names of a couple that lives only
fiveminutes from our house.
Bill was warmly welcomed by Humberto; apoet, teacher, and
lawyer, and his wife, MariaEsther. They asked Bill to return and
bring hisfamily. Thus began a weekly, Saturdaymorning Bible study
at their home. Bill wasamazed at Humberto's knowledge and interest,
but Humberto was reluctant to bebaptized. It seems that during this
time, thefamily was also being visited by a member ofanother church
who put less emphasis onbaptism. Because of his influence, they
choseto become members of that congregation, butthe Bible studies
had their effect in that theylater asked to be baptized.
We are disappointed that they are not members of the Queretaro
church, but MariaEsther is a faithful attender of our ladies'weekly
Bible study. Humberto's brother'sfamily has just moved to
Queretaro, and weare hoping that they will become part of
ourSaturday morning study which Humbertoand Maria Esther with to
continue.
New WorkersIt is v/ith great delight that we announce thatTom
and Toni Schneller will be accompanying us back to Mexico the last
week ofAugust. They graduated from Johnson BibleCollege in May and
have been speakingin churches and preparing to come to Mexicosince
that time.
We anticipate a much larger correspondenceschool as we have
their help in operating thecomputer and planning ways to expand
theprogram. Their talents and support will be agreat encouragement
to us. Please pray for allof us as we strive to work together to
increasethe kingdom in "the Bajio."
12th YearThe "Christian Camp of the Bajio" has justcompleted its
12th year of camp in Tiacoteel Bajo, Queretaro. The camp facilities
havebeen improved each year. This year's mainimprovement was the
addition of flush toiletsto replace the "little houses" out back.
Theproject was barely finished in time.This year there were three
different weeks ofcamp with a total attendance of about 140.The
estimate based on last year was that theremight be more than 200
campers, but specialexams for admission to high school andcollege
kept many from attending.
Even though the total numbers were down,the camps showed a great
spirit. Many ofthe campers were obviously devoting greateffort in
learning memory work, in preparingfor classes, and in sharing their
faith. Therewere three baptisms. As exciting as the newbirths was
the obvious spiritual growth shownby the campers who have
participated severalyears in the program.
Studying For The LordAn important event in June was the
graduation of the National Bible Institute. Therewere three
graduates this year. The youngman will continue his education while
servinga church. The young ladies are both excellentBible school
teachers and will work in theirhome congregations.
This year's graduating class was small, evenfor a school with an
enrollment of 20, butnext year there should be 9 graduates.
Theschool has now provided 40 workers for theLord's church in 12
graduating classes.
The graduation ceremony was attended byabout 250 persons. They
came from aU overMexico to attend this important event.The building
borrowed for the occasion waspacked to overflowing. A supper was
servedat the institute following the graduation.
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PERSONAL GLIMPSESIt is a warm semi-overcast day in Queretaro. I
am grateful that my clothes are dryingbecause there were several
days in June and the first part of July that this was impossibledue
to so much rain. The rains are making possible a record harvest so
we are grateful forthat. It is also causing the grass to grow that
was planted in our front yard, and thus makingour house look more
beautiful.
Mark finished his studies in May so will enter sixth grade in
September. Besides being inScouts, he is now enrolled in Karate
classes. On the 6th of August he has an opportunityto receive his
yellow belt. Rebecca graduated from kindergarten and is now
enrolled in abi-lingual school. She would like to enter Karate but
we are waiting to see what her schedulewill be in the Fall.
Some improvements have been made on our house since my last
letter. Rebecca's room isnow finished and includes a new carpet.
The T.V. room and stairway are now painted andwe have ordered a rug
for that area. Our next project is to paint the ceilings and walls
of theliving room and diningroom.
Bill and I are trying to finish many projects as we prepare to
leavefor the States. We will begone almost three weeks as we visit
friends; Bill's sister; and our former co-workers, theNorm Dungan
family. BiU will also be flying to Las Vegas to visit the church
there. And weare anxiously waiting to bring Tom and Toni Schneller,
our new co-workers, back toMexico.
May the Lord enrich your lives in your service for Him.
FROM;
GLENDALE CHRISTIAN CHURCH
9661 NORTH 59th AVE.GLENDALE AZ 85302
ADDRESS CORRECTION REQUESTED
MISSION SERVICESPO BOX 2427KNOXVILLE TN 37901
NON-PROFITU. S. POSTAGE
PERMIT '36
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SMLmUS! fromCENTRAL MEXICO &
BAJIO CHRISTIAN MISSIONBILL HOFFand FAMILYAPARTADO POSTAL NO.
57QUERETARO, QRO. 76000 MEXICO
TOM and TONI SCHNELLER
APARTADO POSTAL NO, 57
QUERETARO, QRO. 76000 MEXICOPublished Quarterly Vol. 16 No. 2
Fall 1985
Reaching OutThe house in which Toni and I live sits high upon
ahill that overlooks the city of Queretaro. In the evening, one can
look out and see the entire metropolislit up like a Christmas tree.
Several times I havelooked out of our upstairs bay window and
marveledat this beautiful sight Although this scenery isbeautiful,
I can not help from being saddened.Saddened because I know that the
majority of the1/2 million plus people that walk the streets do
notpersonally know Jesus Christ.
Looking out over the city, I am reminded of Jesus'words as He
overlooked the city of Jerusalem, "OJerusalem, Jerusalem, you who
kill the prophetsand stone those sent to you, how often I have
longedto gather your children together, as a hen gathersher chicks
under her wings, but you were not willing."Althou^ Queretaro is not
in the stage of stoning theprophets, it is longed after by our
Lord. I am certainthat He wants to shelter this city under the
shadowof His wings. Even thou^ there are those who arenot willing
to be in the providential care of our Lord,there are still many who
do.
It is the purpose of the Bajio Christian Mission toreach out to
the masses of people in this dty and tothe surrounding cities in
central Mexico with the"GOOD NEWS" of Jesus Christ. One method
inachieving this goal has been the Bible-by-correspond
ence-lessons. Here at B.C.M., we believe that this isone of the
best ways in reaching the multitudes.Hundreds of people have come
to know our Lordpersonally through this ministry (not to mentionthe
number of seeds that have been planted that arenot evident to us).
In the past, enrollment has been ashigh as 1500 students. However,
due to la*. . of helpwith this ministry, enrollment has dropped to
500students.
We are now in the finishing process of computerizingthe
correspondence ministry. Over the Halloweenweekend we passed out
several hundred tracts tothose wrtio "trick-or-treated." Also, in
the cities ofGuanajuata, Celaya, and Salvatierra over 4000
tractswere passed out in conjunction with the showing ofthe film
series "The Life of Christ." One newspaperadvertisement is now
being placed in 7 area newspapers. The ad will appear in all of the
newspapersduring the second week of December. We have alsojust
completed another advertisement that vnll comeout at the beginning
of next year. We hope that all ofthese tracts and advertisements
will reach manyhomes, and we hope that many will respond to thefree
correspondence courses. Please pray for theresults of these
efforts. We anticipate reaching morehomes than ever with this
ministry! Also, pray thatmany will come to know Christ and be
gatheredunder His wings! Tom
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.. . And The Lord Gave The Increase
As 1985 draws to a close, it is a good time to examinethe mgor
congregations in the Bajio.
The church in Guanajuato (88 miles northwest ofQueret^o) is the
youngest congretation in the area.It began two years ago through
contacts made by theBible correspondence school. Soon after its
inception,Jos6 Manud Cortez was sent firom the Bible instituteas
its weekend minister. He arranged for the loan ofthe Methodist's
church building for Sunday services.The handful of believers began
to multiply. Jos^graduated from Ae institute and was married
toPatty Pacheco. They returned to minister to thecongregation. Soon
tiie group felt under pressure toobtain their own building. They
wanted to remain inthe old downtown but that seemed impossible
dueto the high prices of land. Then one day Jos6 Manueland his
&ther-in-law, Lonnie Pacheco, were in anotary public's oMce and
the notary, -jokingly,asked if they would like to buy a house.
Before theyknew what had happened, they had bought one. It isa
large old colonial house that was reasonably priced.They stepped
out on faith in purchasing it Now withtiieir own building, they are
experiencing growth, andsoon will have to knock out a wall between
tworooms to accommodate the people.
The Celaya church (30 miles west of us) has grown toover 100
believers in attendance. November 17represented a milestone as the
church ordained itsfirst elders and deacons. Celaya is then the
firstchurch in the Bajio to have reached the point ofBiblical
organization. May the Lord be praised. Thechurch has a large
building planned, but temporarilywill remove a wall to enlarge
their present auditorium. This next year they hope to begin
constructionof a building which will seat 250 people.
BajioChristian Mission has helped &iancially with theirpresent
building and hopes to help furtiier as the
need arises.
Fifty-five miles southvrast of Queretaro is Salva-tierra. It is
a large marketing center for the farmcommunities around it. The
church started in theranches, but Chon Avalos, the minister,
decided thatfor die sake of communication he would live in thecity.
His witness there was effective and now there isa good-sized group
meeting in a rented house. However, as with most of the Bajio
churches, they canonly seat about 80 people, so very soon they
willhave to buy or build. Chon preaches to about 280people each
week in four different places.
The Queretaro chuch has grown until it has reachedthe limits
impeded by available space. The group isin the process of having
plans drawn for a newbuilding. This is "the Lord's Store" to which
anumber of_.you^have contributed. The foundationshould be laid in
January.
Another church (not in the Bajio proper) is thechurch in San
Felipe Pueblo Nuevo. This villageis 90 miles southeast of
Queretaro. This, group hasbeen meeting in the homes of believers.
The MazahuaIndians who belong to the church are building theirown
building, but the progress is slow because theyonly have funds when
they sell a harvest BajioChristian Mission has made several cash
donations tohelp. Just recently the church has fallen prey to
problems caused by their nei^bors who oppose theGospel. Please
remember this congregation in yourprayers. Ask that the Lord will
strengthen theirwitness and give them patience.
lliere are still other cities in the Bajio which lack
aneffective witness for the Lord. Bajio ChristianMission's goal is
that a strong church will be established in each of them.
Bill
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An Inside ViewWe have received several cards and letters asking,
"What's it like to live in Mexico? " People want toknow what we
eat, where we live, what our house is like, and many other aspects
of life here. In the nextcouple of newsletters, I'd like to ^are
some of these answers with you. The truth is, before we arrived,we
had the same questions!
Two things that are a little different Here are the food, and
the door-to-door service.Weadjusted easilyto the food in Mexico.
Every dish is composed of a combination of very b^sic ingredients.
(We don'thave to worry about receiving something that we aren't
accustomed to eating.) We eat tor^as, rice,finjoles, fruit, and
vegetables frequently. We also eat basic meats such as hamburger,
chicken, and othercuts of beef. Since I am the cook, I tend to
Americanize most of our dishes. I am learning new recipes allthe
time though. Just yesterday, our Spanish teacher tau^t me how to
make three different types ofenchiladas! Delicious!
Another unusual aspect of life in Mexico is the wide number of
products and services you can receivewithout ever leaving your
house. Every day we hear various whistles, buzzes^ and honks that
tell ussomeone is selling Aeir wares. One man comes regularly to
sharpen knives. A truck comes through inthe early evening with
fresh milk from nearby ranches. Afew times a week, a carcomes down
thestreetblaring its horn to let us know soon a truck will come
selling propane. A man comes to cut our grass andtrim our flowers.
Young boys come daily with offers to wash our car. We can even buy
&e^ bakedpastries and tortillas at our door. Since a majority
of people in Mexico do not have phones or cars, theseservices are
greatly needed and appreciated. We've come to appreciate them
too!
TomX
PEnsoMAL euMPses"Rejoice in the Lord always, and again I say
rejoice." We are happy to be here in Mexico serving theLord of the
universe. It is also a real joy having Tom and Toni sharing in the
work in Queretaro. Theyare very willing and enthusiastic
workers.Another school year is well under way. Sxth grade has
proven to be quite difficult in the "Alpha-Omega" program for Mark.
This is especially true in the Bible and Social Studies books. Most
afternoonsare spent with "the family" doing homework. Rebecca has
homework Monday through Thursdays eventhou^ ^e is only in the first
grade. Sie really enjoys studying, for which we are thankful,
because herspelling words include hippopotamus, rhinoceros,
etc.
The latest form of exercise and entertainment for the Schneller
and Hoff families is bowling. EachFriday afternoon we meet at the
bowling alley where we pay 10 cents each to rent a pair of shoes
and40 cents each to bowl a game. Some of the lanes are a little
cracked and the shoes and balls aren't thebest, but at that price,
we really don't complain. Rebecca can even bowl a 26 without help.
She throwsa 10-pound ball, ^e smallest they have here.Please allow
me to describe a typical Wednesday afternoon and evening at the
Hoff household. Thishappens to be our busiest day each week, for it
is the day of the ladies' meeting at the church. Markand Rebecca
arrive home at 2 p.m. and we hurridly eat and do dishes. Then the
homework begins, andhopefully, most of it is finished hetote 4 p.m.
I must leave the house a little before 4 o'clock in order toopen
the church. I carry two thermos' fiill of boiling water for coffee
or tea. At about this same timetwo babysitters and 13 children
tegin to arrive. Because we have a large house with many toys and
liveclose to the church, for 2 1/2 hours the children play here
while the ladies have their meeting. Bill isnormally here in case
of an emergency. The meeting is over at about 6:30 p.m. and each
lady hurrieshere to pick up her children. I cheerfully say
"goodbye" to all and then take a look at my house. Bill,meanwhile,
is driving several of the ladies and Aeir children home. After
feeding Mark and Rebecca Isit down, thankful that another Wednesday
is over. Praise the Lord for a large house and children vdioare
willing to share Aeir toys.
Merry Christmas to all of you.
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A Daily Reminder of Prayer & Praise
Please Pray for:
* many responses from newspaper advertisements and tracts
distributed during the showing of films.
* the churches in Central Mexico, especially the Celaya and
Queretaro congregations thatare in the process of building.
* those who are suffering from the after effects of the
earthquake.* Tom and Toni as they continue in language study.* the
witness to our surrounding neighbors.* the ministry of a new
medical missionary who is working in Santa Rosa (a nearby
town).* the church in Irapuato which is lacking in enthusiasm
and weak in leadership.
Praise God for:
? I SAID A PRAYER >FOR YOU TODAY
I said a prayer for you todayAnd Know God must have heard
I felt the answer in my heart|AJthough He spoke no word.I didn't
ask for wealth or fame,
yl knew you wouldn't mind.I asked Him to send treasures
pa far more lasting kind. II asked that He'd be near you
At the start of each new day.To grant you health and
blessings
And friends to share your way.I asked for happiness for
yoif\
In all things great and smaU.^But it was for His
loviri^carets?^
I prayed themost of all. A ^^Dicksons.Ai^-Wvi
the approval of Bajio ChristianMission, Inc. as a tax exempt
non-profit corporation bythe I.R.S.
the ordination of deacons and elders in Celaya.the new addition
that will be coming to the Schneller family next July.the three
young people baptized in Queretaro recently.the help received from
two dedicated Christian men, Gordon Clifford and Mike Diskin.
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More than a year ago Gordon Clifford of CHRISTIAN MISSION PRESS
was sqpeaking with Bill abouthow to make Christian films more
effective. Gordondecided to attempt the production of
literaturewhich would allow the viewers to take the messagehome.
The result was a series of 12 tracts toaccompany the 12 films on
the "life of Christ" byCatherdral Films. The tracts are large and
wellwritten; the illustrations correspond to the scenes inthe
movies.
The first attempts at using the films proved unfruitful After
much consideration, Bill decided thattiie problem was, in part,
that they were shown inareas where there was no church to help
follow upthe results. In fact, it was the first time the Gospelhad
ever been announced in those areas.
Gordon and BiU decided to try again,but this timein areas where
a local church could help follow upcontacts. In November, Gordon
bonrowed thefilms and brought them and a supply of literature
toQueretaro. He was accompanied by Mike Diskinfrom El Paso Schod of
Missions. Mike was formerlya missionary to Antigua. He came along
as anobserver, but proved to be very helpful.
In advance, three churches in the area were asked toarrange
showings. Different approaches wereattempted in each city. In
Guanajuato, the filmswere to be shown in ifae church; in Celaya,
theywere to be outside the church building; and inSalvatierra, the
showing was to be in the marketsquare.
In Guanajuato, the church members were askedto invite guests to'
see the films. The first of fourni^ts looked like a total failure
with only 20 inattendance; but by the last night there were over
70people and most of them were guests.
In Celaya, the films were scheduled to be shown outof doors.
Thefirst ni^t was disrupted by a politicalrally which was held on
the same comer. Thatforced the church to meet in their small
buildingwhere there is little room for guests. The secondnight the
films were shown outside and more than250 people attended. In fact,
the Catholic churchnearby was almost empty in spite of their
bellringing.
In Salvatierra, the Mnicipal Presid^t delayed fourdays before
making a decision about the request forpermission to show the
movies in the square. Hedenied the request one hour before show
time. Thenext night the equipment wasset up in a union hall,but
just as it was time to begin, the electricity wentoff. After
waiting 35 minutes the crowd left, andpredictably, the power came
back onl The followingevening Mike, Gordon, Bill, and Tom
arriv^with alight plant (just in case). They showed sbc films
tomore than 270 people. The next evening the crowdwas about the
same with the films and literaturebeing well received.
Only time will tell Ae total impact that this seriesof films
will have on the people who saw them. Anaddress for a free
correspondence course was put oneach tract so hopefully, there will
be a largeresponse. Bill
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On Die RoadIn the last B.C.M. newsletter, it was mentioned that
we, Tom and Toni Schneller, would becoming to work in central
Mexico. We would like to share a little about the trip on the
waydown, so that you can feel the excitement we felt.
Our trip was not a really hurried one. We took six days to reach
our destination in the Bajio.The first four days of driving were
spent crossing all of the states that lie in the path
betweenTennesee and the border of Mexico. We traveled like many
families do. We ate cheaply andstayed in Motel 6 for $23.93 a
night. The Lord blessed us abundantly with good health andcars that
ran well.
The most tense moments we experienced came when we crossed the
Mexican border. We hadtwo obviously over-loaded vehicles that
suggested we had come for more than a short visit. Wealso had a lot
of electronic equipment that is often refused passage by border
officials. Again,the Lord blessed, despite some obvious blunders
that we made. For instance, Tom was leftspeechless when a border
official asked what his occupation was. We're missionaries, but
toopenly admit this would mean an almost automatic refusal of
entry. In the heat of the moment, Tom blurted, "I'm whatever he
said he is," referring to Bill Hoff who had just finishedthe
questioning. The official laughed out loud at that answer and
then-handed us our paperswith the word "minister" filled in. God is
so good!
The remaining two days on the road we spent learning the
unwritten rules that govern Mexicandrivers, but we had excellent
teachers (the Hoffs), and the best Co-Pilot!
FROM:
BAJIO CHRISTIAN MISSION, INC.c/o DON & PAT KING
ALEXANDRIA, KY 41001
ADDRESS CORRECTION REQUESTED