SALUOaS! fromCENTRAL MEXICO &BAJIO CHRISTIAN MISSIONBl LL
HOFF andFAMILY TOM and TONI SCHNELLERAPARTADO POSTALNO. 57 APARTADO
POSTAL NO. 853QUERETARO, QRO. 76000 MEXICO QUERETARO, ORO. 76000
MEXICOPublished Quarterly Vol. 17 No. 1 Spring 1986NEW
DEVELOPMENTSIn ourlast newsletter, you read about the
Bibie-by-correspondence ministrythat we
haveattheBajioChristianMission. Sincethat timemanydevelopments have
come about with this ministry. We havehad very pleasing results
with the newspaper advertisements thatwereplacedinthe sevenarea
newspapers around the beginning of the new year. Ninetynew students
enrolled in the course during that time.The location of
theseresponses rangedfrom the cityof Queretaro to other cities some
225miles away. Itappearstousthatthesenewstudentsare very interested
in what these courses have to say. Just thispast week,
fifty-ninecoursesweregradedandsentback, and many of these courses
belonged to the newgroup of students! We have been placing
tracts(which includefree couponsfor enrollment in thecorrespondence
program) in the envelopes that contain the graded courses. The new
students have beenpassing these tracts out to their friends, and we
haverecievedseveral studentsas a result of thesenewstudents. We
praise God for the interest that isdeveloping among all of the
students.In working with the correspondence ministry, we
areconstantlythinkingof ways inwhichwe canincreasetheenrollment of
students(not for animpressive number, but rather to reach as
manyaspossible and share with themthe GOOD NEWS ofJesusChrist).
"Promotion"for theBible-by-corres-pondence course has taken place
primarily throughtracts and advertisements. Tracts are distributed;
inevangelisticcampaigns, after Christianmovies, byMexican
evangelists, along with correspondencecourses, to those we come in
contact with each day,etc. Likewise, advertisements are placedin
newspapers throughout theBajioarea. Recently we havebeen developing
such advertisements and tractsusing the computer. It is our
expectation thatthecomputer graphics and lettering will catch the
attention of many people. (It may not sound like anythingexciting
to those in the U.S.A., however, the era ofcomputers andelectronics
is relatively new to mostof the people in Mexico.) Contacting the
multitudeswiththeGospel is ourhope, andwe pray that thisnew "twist"
will be beneficial to the
correspondenceministry.Therewereadditionaldevelopmentstothecorrespondence
ministry after we took ashort excursion toMexicoCity. There, we
visitedacorrespondenceministry that is organized by another
Christian missionary. Wewereshown beneficial forms, letters,and
courses which we have already incorporated intothe ministry here in
Queretaro.Wewouldlikeyoutoprayfor theeffectiveness
ofthisministry!TOMTHE SPIRIT'S MOVINGThe pathway which leads to
knowledge of andobediencetotheLord's commands is walkedbymany, but
thepathdiffers dependingonwhereonebegins. The stories behind two
baptisms willhelp illustrate.Oneexampleisthat ofAna
MariaGutierrez.She and her husband are "well-to-do." They havetwo
sons and live in a beautiful house. Because ofthe efforts of the
youth in the Queretaro church,their sons were baptized in September
of last year.They have been active in witnessing of their
newfoundfaith. They have visited thejail, spokentoschoolmates, and
taught athome. The result hasbeen that they convinced their mother
of her needtoaccept Jesus asLord. So inFebruaryshewasimmersed in
the Name.While the first example demonstrates thepower of personal
witness, the second, the case ofGemma Hernandez, isthe story of the
Spirit'swork apart fromthe personal influence. Gemmateaches primary
school in Jacala, Hidalgo, a townCOMING TOGETHERWithinthe
greaterQueretaroarea, thereareatleast seven men who are serving the
Lord (excludingothers fromdifferent "denominations") that areeither
missionaries or Mexican evangelists. There isamedical evangelist,
abible institutepresident, achildren'shomeadministrator,two Mexican
evan-gehst's, and the two of us working with BajioChristian
Mission. Although all of us do not have the sameministry, we are
all serving thesamepurpose. Sincethebeginning of February, the
menhavegottentogether anddecidedto form a men's meeting thatwould
meet onSaturday mornings. The meeting iscomposed of these
missionaries and Mexican evangelists. Thepurposeofthismeetingisfor
mentomeet together to pray, to study fromGod's word, tofellowship
and to share with the others about what istaking place ineach of
the specific ministries thateach of us areinvolvediiL TOMabout 150
miles from Queretaro. Six years ago shefounda discarded portion of
a tract which advertized a Bible correspondence course. She wrote
forit andbegan tostudy. Then
aftertwoyearsthecoursesmysteriouslystopped. It wasfour yearslater,
as she cleaned her father-in-law's house, thatshe found the mislaid
course and began studyingagain. The course, "El Comienzo de la
VidaEspiritual" (TheBegginingof the Spritual Life)was foundjust as
she was ina crisis andshe discoveredinit theanswer toher
personalneed: anewlife inChrist. Gemmaanswered thecourseand addeda
postscript askingto be baptized. Billsought her out and restudied
thenewbirth withher and her family. Then, convinced that she
wasfully aware of the step she hadasked to take, hebaptized her
into the Lord.Gemma's caseprovesthat theSpirit movesininfathomable
ways to prepare hearts to accept theGospel, and that a personal
contact is not alwaysthe deciding factor.CAMP NEWSDuring the Easter
week, the youug people in Mexicopack up their toothbrushes towels,
soccer balls, andBiblesand head for the city of Saltillo for a
four-dayEaster camp. All of the schools are closed during
thisspecial holidayand it isagoodopportunityfor acamping retreat to
take place. There were well overseventy-five "jovenes"(young
people)fromseveralstates that attend this camp. It turned out to be
a veryrewarding week for alLTomworked as sports/-activities
director while Toni worked in thekitchen. She worked with four
other Mexicans andlearned how to cook Mexican style....beans,
chilies, andtortillas! TOMPERSONAL GLIMPSESAs I sit here to write a
fewlines to all of you, it is7:15p.m. and veryhot inQueretaro. Our
ceilingfan makes it bearable, but it will be several hoursbefore
the inside of our house cools down. Bill andI prefer theheatto the
coldso wehave arewishduring themonths of Apriland May.(We're
gladthe Lord didn't call us to be missionaries toAlaska)!It isonly
two months beforeweleaveforouryear'sfurloughandwe feel somewhat
pressuredwith the work that must still be done. We have setwork and
personal goals and each item seems to becrossed off very slowly. We
look forward to seeingmanyof youat the conventionor
duringourtravels throughout the year.Our familyis happyandthankful
to feel wellright now. We were all sick for a couple of
weekswhichmadeit hardtoaccomplishmuch. Markvisits the dentist
everythird weektoget newapparatus put inhismouth or
tohavehisbandstightened. Often he comes home in pain, but he isquit
brave about havingtohave braces onhisteeth.Rebecca continues
toamaze us. She is either as"quiet as a mouse" or as "talkative as
100 hens puttogether." Her brother constantly tease% herwhich keeps
her yelhng--a normal siblingrelationship.Let us remember the words
of James from chapter 1, verse 22, "But be ye doers of the word and
nothearers only."FURLOUGHIt has been nine years since the Hoff
family hashad a furlough.At that time we spent the schoolyear in
Cincinnati where Bill took the neccessar^^studies for his M.A.
degree. The latter part of Junewe will be leaving for our second
furloughin14years. After attending the North American
ChristianConventionwewill bevisitingsupportingchurches from
Illinois to Pennsylvania. The middle part of August we will go
toJohnstonBibleCollege whereBill will be
teachingmissionsfortheschool year. BajioChristian Mission will
continue supporting uswhile weare in the States.AN INSIDE VIEWLast
newsletter, I began to share with you "what it is Uketolive
inMexico". I want toshareanother aspect oftheMexican
lifestylethathasquicklybecomeenjoyabletoTom andI.Most everyone, no
matter where they live, enjoys "eatingout". When we first came to
Mexico, one of thethings wemissed most about the U.S. was the
opportunity to devour aMcDonald'sQuarter Pounderwithcheese;
however, wesoon found Mexico had much to offer that the States
didnot. Onalmost every corner we could find"snack food", atype of
"fastfood" restaurant, or a somewhat nicereatingestablishment
offering all the courses. Snack foods sold onthestreet included:
freshpineapple, melon, orcoconut,candy-coated nuts similar to
peanut brittle, roast pump kinand sunflower seeds, popsicles of
every imaginableflavor,and the traditional candybar. Fast
foodrestaurantssellevery thing fromtacos, to tortas, to an American
favoritepizza. The more traditional restaurant offers a"comida
corrida" whichconsists of Icttuce or fruit salad, soup,andamain
dish often accompanied by refried beans, potatoes, orrice. The best
part of "eating out"in Mexico is the price. Afamily can eat out on
just a fraction of the cost they wouldhaveintheU.S. Whether I live
inMcxico or theU.S., I'llalwaysloveto hear Tom say, "Toni, don't
worry about fixinganything toeat. Let'seat out."!REUNION OF
MISSIONARIESThe third week in March, the staff of B.C.M. packed
upandheaded forOaxtepec, Mexicoand theannual missionary reunion.
All went with high expectations and werenot disappointed.
Thereunion held an edifying combination of fellowship, relaxation
and teaching.Missionaries and their families came from as farnorth
as El Paso, TX, andas far south as Honduras. Theycomparedideaswith
others involvedin simular ministries,renewed old friendships, and
shared future goals anddreams. The fellowship was like that found
at a family reunion (God'sfamily).Each dayheldtwoor
threehoursof"free-time"tobespent as desired. In Oaxetpec, there are
Olympicsized pools,a rainbow assortment of flowers and birds, and
deep bluesulfur springs. Many missionaries here sharetheopinionthat
thereis no prettier spotin God's creation to relax.The most
beneficial aspect of the reunion was the teaching. DonRichardson,
authorof the bookand later filmentitled Peace Child, sharedmany
enlightning thoughts. Hiscentral thought touched the heart of
everyperson present;God has prepared a message(the Gospel) for
every"peoplegroup", and He has prepared every "people group" for
thatmessage. It is the task of everyChristian to watch, pray,
andseek the Lord's guidance in order to discover the "key"
orpreparation, that God has given to thosewhomtheyseekto
minister.PRAYERN' PRAISEPraythat the church in Queretaro might soon
get the property that they paid for.about the Hoffs upcoming
furlough.for the Schnellers as they will be operating Bajio
Christian Mission.that a Mexican workermight be foundtohelpinthe
Bible correspondence,school and visitation.for two churches in
theBajio that ai^e working on constructing a building.Praisefor the
recent new births into Christ.for the increased growth in the
church in Celaya.for the10 students that are graduating from the
BibleInstitute in June.for the enthusiasm of the new students in
the correspondence school.for the progressionof Tom arid Toni in
language study. They have completedthree-fifths of their
studies.for two healthy babies born to Christian workers serving in
the Bajio.for the increased attendence in the ladies' weekly prayer
meetings inQueretaro.FROM:BAJIO CHRISTIAN MISSION, INC.c/o DON&
PATKING5886 SouthU.S. 27ALEXANDRIA, KY41001ADDRESS CORRECTION
REQUESTED3^A--5770/SALUUaS!CENTRAL MEXICO3 yromBAJIO CHRISTIAN
MISSIONBILLHOFF^.rf FAMILYAPARTADOPOSTAL 57QUERETARO, QRO.
76000MEXICOTOMSCHNELLER.rf FAMILYAPARTADOPOSTAL 853QUERETARO, QRO.
76000MEXICOPublished Quarterly Volume 17,Number 2 Fain 986TWO NEW
BIRTHSOver this past summer, there have been two newbirths
inQueretaro. Oneof thetwonewbabesbelong to Toni and I. On June 7,
Toni left the Mexico CityAirport onan airplane headedtotheGreater
Cincinnati Airport. There she wasgreetedby our families who had
been anxiouslyawaitingher arrival. Tonihad flown to the Statesto
await theday when our newlittlebaby wouldcome into the world. Later
in the summer (beginning of July), I drove Up from Queretaro
planningIN QUERETARO!She wasinIndianapolis andhad just visited
thedoctor who would deliver our baby. She told me,"Tom, you
havetoget up here as soon as you can!I have just been to the
doctror and she told me thebably would come within the next 24
hours. If thebaby doesn't comebytomorrowmorning, we'rescheduled to
have a cesarean. I'm to be admittedat 11:00. The babyis breech." As
quicklyas Icould, I ate the mealmymother prepared.I practically
said "hi" and "goodbye" to my familyin thesame breath. Iarrived in
Indianapolis that night tofindTonidoingwell. Thenextafternoon,
July2,1986 at 2:21 our new son Thomas DavidSchneller entered
theworld. We are thankfultotheLordfor the magnificent gift of this
baby.The secondnewbabeinQueretarobelongstoourLord. In f\/larchof
thisyear,a weddingtookplacein Queretaro. The youngman's name
wasLupe(loo-pay), hiswife's namewas Luz (luce).Lupe had accepted
Christ several years ago;however, Luzwas RomanCatholic. Inorder
toavoidstrongconflicts with her family, thetwowere married in the
Catholic Church. Luz' motherhadtoldher if shewasmarriedin
theCatholicChurch, shewouldhaveherblessing. After thetwowere
married, theyaskedToni and I if wewould begin aBible study with
them. Luz was veryinterested in what God had to say and wanted
tolearn more about His word. As time progressed inourstudies,
weexaminedthethingstaught inGod's Word in connectionwith salvation.
Luzknewthat shehadto make a decisionastoTHOMASDAVID
SCHNELLERtomeetToni two weeksbefore thedue dateinIndianapolis.
Inosooner steppedthroughthedoor of my parents house in
northernKentucky,when 5 minutes later the phone rang. It was
Toni.whether or not she should accept Jesus
asher"Salvador"(Savior).Shestated that she wantedtobe buried with
Christ in a watery grave in order toliveanewlife. However,
nothingmore was said.Weeks passed by and still no decision was
made.Toni and I did not want to pressure her as this wasadecision
that she had to make herself. We justcontinued topray and study
withher. Later, webegan to see the reason why she had not
alreadygiven her life over to Christ. In Mexico, if one turnsfrom
the faithoftheir ancestors (RomanCatholicism) they aremany
timeslooked upon as turning away from their family. This was the
case withLuz. Her family told herthat ifshe accepted Christshe
wouldnolonger be acceptedby them. Aftermuch time, thought, study,
and prayer Luzfinallymadethedecision and gave her life over to
Christ,inspiteof howherfamilymight react. We werethrilled and full
of joy as this new babe came intoANEW BIRTHChrist. Even though she
is now going through persecution with some family members, she
says, "Iwill never give up the faith that I
haveinChrist!"WegivethankstotheLordforthesetwonew-births.
TOMJOHNSON BIBLE COLLEGE RECEIVESABLESSINGThis fall, our co-workers
Bill and Margy Hoffbegan their year's furloughin theU.S. Bill
beganteaching at JohnsonBible CollegeinKnoxville,TN, while
Margybeganlearningnew computerskills that would help her in the
work of theBajioChristianMission.Arecentletterreceivedfromthem
shared with us "news" of their new environment and activities. Bill
is teaching four coursesatJ.B.C. andheadingupthestudent
mission'sgroup. Included in the courses he is teachingis
acourseinadvancedSpanish, a coursein EarlyHebrew History, and a
mission's course. Margy isenrolled in a word processing course and
activelyInvolvedinthefacultywives' fellowshipgroup.Mark and Rebecca
are enjoying their newschools and adjustingwell to theU.S.culture.
Aroomyhome wasprovided for theHoff family. Ithasa finished basement
servingas a secondstory. They are all pleased with the
accommodations provided to them by the college. Fromthe moment our
two families began workingtogether here in Mexico, the Hoffs became
a trueblessing to us. Now, we are thrilled that JohnsonBible
College (the finest college that we, her prejudiced
alumni,know)hasreceived the blessingof their presence and sen/ice.
We are praying thatthey will have apleasant, fruitful year a
J.B.C.!A "Timothy" Preparing?There was a newface at Johnson
BibleCollege this fall. Aface alittle different fromthe rest of the
eager newstudents enrolling.It was the dark-skinned, smiling face
of JoseLuis Gutierrez. Joseleft
hisfamilyandhischurchfamilyinQueretaro andheadedforKnoxville, TN to
seriously study God's Word.He tookwithhimeveryone'sblessingandhigh
hopes that the Lord would prepare himto be usedin aspecial
way.Already we have witnessed the Lord at workin this young man's
life. Jose and his brotherAlejandro werebaptized only a year ago,
buttheir growthandinfluenceare alreadyevident in the lives of their
family. Three monthsafter Jose and Alejandro were baptized,their
mother, AnaMaria, decided to acceptChrist as her Savior.
Shesharedwiththewomenin the church one Wednesday that Itwas the
change she saw in Jose and Alejandro that made her see the need she
hadInher life. Jose's motherthen began to witness; toother
membersof thefamily. Her sister,: Marta, has begun attending church
and has^ already admitted that she needs to becomea Christian.
(Weareprayingfor MartaandJose's father, Jose Luis Sr., to have
thecouragetomakepersonal decisionsforChrist.) Just recently, Jose
andhis decisionto attend aBible college has influenced theyouthin
thelocal congregation. Evennow,there are two more young people
hoping toattendBible colleges next fall.We feel certain that we
will see the Lord useJose in the days to come as well. Jose
admittedthat he had nodefinite plans for thefuture. He plans to
study diligently and awaittheLord's guidance.He has confided,
however, that he has ruled out no possibilities.He said he may
return to work with thechurchherein Queretaro, or maybe he
willserve theLordin another part of Mexico, orfor that matter, he
may be led to carry to Gospel to another country. The future is
exciting!We don't know what it will hold for Jose, if theLord
tarries. We do know that he has chosento walk the way ofFaith. We
alsoknow thatChrist, living through him, will makea differenceinthe
lives aroundhim.Youth in Action!Aswehave statedInthepast,
oneofthegoals we have had at Bajlo Christian
MissionIstohelptheyoungpeopl:ein Queretarodevelop their
fullestpotential, especiallyinthe area of Christian service. During
our stayIn the United States this summer (attendingtheNACC/NMC
andawaitingthearrival ofour son), we were able topurchase necessary
supplies for two ministries for the youthtoundertake. Oneof
theseministriesis apuppet ministry. Tompurchased kits andmade
several puppets, whileI recuperatedfrom David's delivery. Then, at
the first youthgathering this Fall, each of the young peopleset
toworkmakingclothesandpropsfortheir newpuppet friends. They had
beenwaiting for us to bringthe"muppet-type"puppets for several
months and were eagerto begin preparations to use them. Now,most of
theclothes andhair necessary forthefirst four
skitsweplantopresentarecompleted. (Next comes themakingof thestage
and scenery.) Each of the four skits tobe acted out presents a
biblical message in ahumorousway. Thefinal skit presents themost
beautiful messageof all-theGospelmessage. Thegoalofthe youth
groupIs tobegin ministering in this waythe first ofDecember.
Already, they have invitationsfromtwocongregations intheBajio.
Theyalso plan to take the gospel, via the puppets,outside thelocal
churches. The wholeprogram lendsitself toapresentationIn parksand
town squares where people congregatein the evenings. We are praying
the Lord willdo a mightyworkthroughtheyouth andtheir puppets.A
sfecondministry for which the youthhavebegunpreparationisa
musicministry. Theybungpeoplein the
congregationareverytalentedinthis area, andwewant
tohelpthemdevelopandusethis talent toGod'sglory. Before, theyhada
problemwithaccompaniment music. Pianos and organs arevery scarce in
church buildings here inMexico. Andalthougha fewof theyoungmenplay
guitar, there was alimited type ofmusicthat
couldbesungwiththistypeofaccompaniment. We purchased accompaniment
tapesinthe U.S. that seemtobeananswer to this complication. These
tapes aremusicfrompopular, Christian songsintheU.S., but withthe
helpof a fewbl-lingualyoungladies,
weareabletotranslatethelyricsinto Spanish and use themusic.
LastSunday, thenew youth "choir" presented asongusing
thesebackgroundmusic tapes.And a very appropriate message it
contained. "Mas que maravilloso" theysang."More that marvelous" {or
wonderful, as youmay have heard inEnglish.) And that is whatJesus
Christ is to His children, whether theyare serving Him herein
Mexico, in the States,or in other countries throughout theworld.
TONIYouthBusy Making Costumes and Writing SkitsABROADER VIEWFrom
time to time you may have noticed thevarious churches we have
mentioned in theBajioof IVIexico. Wewouldlil