SALUDOS!

UNITED STATES

M/M BiU Hoff

Apdo. 3166
San Pedro Sula

Honduras, Central America

MEXICO

504-566-3796

from

e-mail:billhofr@sulanet.net

BAJIO CHRISTIAN MISSION

SOUTH AMERI

Corporate Office
P.O.Box61013

LasVegas,NV 89160-2013

Published Quarterly

Vol. 36, Number 1

Winter 2005

Bible Institute Graduation...

On October 30th, 315 people gathered to celebrate the graduation of nine young men. These men have dedicated themselves
to the study of scripmre over the last two years. They have made sacrifices to be able to attend classes and have worked hard to
put the Word of God in their minds and hearts. They have studied each book of the Bible as well as ministerial skills. We pray
that these men will be faithful to their railing in the fiirthering of the Gospel.

The graduates are (from left to right) Reyno, Antonio Paz, Leonel, Elvin, Henr}% Emilio, Mauricio, Sergio, and Antonio Ruby.
We were honored to have Dennis Weaver fromJoplin, Missouri, share some words of encouragementwith the graduates. Local
minister and teacher, Amable Rivera, also presented them with a charge.

Amable preaching

Mark translatingfor 'Dennis

Billpresenting a diploma

Graduates

Graduation attendance

Children's
Carnival...
We had a very fun day for the children of ICF on
October 23rd. Bill and Margy hosted us on their carport
aswe set up carnival gamesand snacksfor kidspreschool
through 6th grade. The youth and ladies of the church
were a great help in providing booths Uke a beanbag
toss, matchbox car race, musical feet, and face painting.
Everyone had a great time.

Christmas in Honduras
The Christmas season is a special time to reflect on the precious birth ofour Lord and Savior and to share His love to those around
us. We do this through various cultural and family traditions that are dear to each of us personally. In Honduras, Christmas looks
both similar and different to Christmas in the U.S.

As we look around we see Christmaslightsand trees, figurines in j ards,nativities, stockings, and poinsettias. The streets and stores
are crowded with holiday shoppers. Gift baskets are handed to those less fortunate. Tables are filled with goodies, and families
and friends gather.
Much of this seems likewhat happens in the U.S. However, we are not wearing our winter coats as temperatures are in the 70s
and 80s (and even in the 90s). Some of the Christmas lights are hung on palm trees. The big celebration for most Hondurans is
on Christmas Eve. Honduran families will stay up very late and eat a Christmas dinner at midnight. Dinner may include some
delicious tamales. They normally open all of their gifts on Christmas Eve.
The Church's Children's Christmas program was held during the morning service on December 12. The children and youth did
a beautiful job of sharing the story of Christ's birth through drama, song, bells, and recitations.
On Christmas Eve the church held its annual

servicewith about 85 people in attendance. This

was a special time of reflection, praise and
communion. Following the service, the hotel
catered a special plate of hors d'oeuvre, which
are traditional for this time of year. Everyone
enjoyed the fellowship with both members and
visitors.

After the service, us Hoffs shared a time of

opening one of our Christmas gifts and then

visiting our Russian friends for more celebration
and food. We arrived home before midnight.
Christmas day we Hoffs hosted 30 people for
Christmas dinner with turkeys and all the
trimmings. We always try to invite those who do
not have family here in Honduras. The gathering
included Russians, Filipinos, Finns, Americans,
and Latins with various church backgrounds.

Work team
They came from Kokomo, Indiana. Seven men and one woman: diey
came with a will to help and they were needed. The prospect is that the
new classat the Institute willhave more married students than the previous
one, so another married student's dormitory is in construction. And it
must be finishedbefore the middle of February. Billand Markhoped that
the teammightget the concretefloors poured and do a few odd jobs,but
just in case they ran out of work, they contacted a man with a backhoe to
dig a hole for a septic tank. They tried to have plenty of materials ready
for their projects.
While the team worked Bill and Mark tried

to finish the roof (a project long delayed by

unceasing rains.) By the end of the first day
it was obvious that a lot more work would

be done than was anticipated, they had

poured and finished one fifth of the floors.
Soon they were doing the septic tank and
dicing ditches and lading pipe to connect
it.They alsoput gutters to collectthe rain so
that it will not form a swamp. Because of
their hard work, it now seems that the

married students apartment willbe finished

on time. They are greatly appreciated.

Five week trip in the U.S

On November 2"*^, shortly after
graduation,Billand I flew to Indianapolis
to visit with familyand a few friends. We
chose to spend a day with our long time
friends of Mexico, Becky and Humberto
Ramirez. They took us to their weekly
Hispanic children's club meeting. That
was areal experience withover60children

present. The following day we flew to

Las Vegas. In order to save time and
avoid vvear and tear on our bodies, we

chose not to drivethis part ofthe trip.We

had a good time visiting both
sides of our families. After a
week's visit in Arizona we

returned to Las Vegas and then

flew back to Indianapolis
where the Rowans (Joy's
parents) pickedus up. We took
Mark's car in order to finish the

rest of the trip on the road. Our

travels took us to Alexandria

and Mt. Vernon, KY and then

Prayer *n' Praise

Praise

III

That Mark and Joy got their residency for Honduras

For the 9 men who graduated from the Bible institute

For the 315 people who came to support the graduates

For the new building and the prospective students for next year
Fr)r Noe, a Christian teacher from Mexico, who will be at the institute

ro teach February through May

For the Macedonia work team from Indiana who worked hard on the
construction of the new dorm

on to Knoxville for Thanksgiving. We enjoyed

Zachariah and parents alongwith with other friends
at Johnson Bible College.

For our church family at the International Christian Fellowship

For Bernie, a young man from Las Vegas who stayed with us for a
couple of months in 2004, and was in Honduras for a year and a half.
He received his passport and visa and was able to return home
For God's protection and grace.

The last section of our trip took us to Springfield,

MO in order to spend the weekend with friends. On
our return to Indiana, we stopped to see former
missionariesin Honduras, Danilo and Chrisdne Vijil.
Christine's parents. Chuck and Carol Kelley enjoyed
our visitation with them also.

We arrived home on December 7^^. It was a rushed

time to prepare for the Christmas season with

church activities, dinners, etc. but we wereglad that

we had this opportunitj' to visit and share with our
loved ones. To God be the ^lor)'.

Pray
For the graduates as they seek to follow God's calling in their lives
For the work team that is coming from the Hazelwood Christian

Church in Indiana from the 27''^ of January' until the

VC'ord

For the new students as they prepare to begin their studies in Febmary
For the members of the English church as they face many trials on
a daily basis
For Rebecca and Zachariahas they prepare a week's trip to Honduras
in February

asfxs'^nd'3}!
ZZ ON XINH3d

SN 'HTIIASSO^
aivd
aovxsoci s n

'O^O XIJO>Id-NON

of February

For Bill, Noe, and the other teachers as they prepare to teach the

syanooi^
599 S>I

ISi'Xog od

Dui 'uoissij>j UBpsijq^ oi(Bg

Xq paqsnqnj

William Hoff, 10:54 AM 1/19/2005 -0600, Wrapping up the old year beginning another

Page 1 of 2

Date: Wed, 19 Jan 2005 10:54:29 -0600

From: William Hoff <billhoff@sulanet.net>

Subject; Wrapping up the old year beginning another

To: "Langford, Bill" <langfordl2@verizon.net>
Reply-to: William Hoff <biUhoffisulanet.net>
X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 6.00.2900.2180

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Dear friends,

We wrapped up the old year with a wonderful children's Christmas program at the
English speaking church and a Christmas Eve service. The children gave us a drama of
Christ's birth based on interviews with eyewitnesses. It was fun and it was thought
provoking. The Christmas Eve service brought together most of the church members and a

number of former members who were visiting in Honduras. It was a great homecoming
celebration with Christmas Carols and readings followed by the Lord's Supper. Following
the service, the hotel catered a special plate of hors d'oeuvres, which are traditional for
this time of year.
Margy and Joy prepared dinner Christmas day for thirty people. Each year they try to
invite those who have no families here so that their Christmas will be more joyful. We had
turkey and the trimmings,
Another new year passed with us fast asleep. I figure that I celebrated New Year's on
Greenland time (3 hours early). Funny how, as we get older, things like that mean less.
We only thank God that we got to see another year pass.
Yesterday we bid farewell to a great group of people from The Macedonia Christian church
near Kokomo, Indiana. They came to help with the construction of a married students
dorm. These seven men poured the concrete floors, help put on a roof, built a septic tank
and installed a drainage system to get rain water out of the low-lying areas of the institute
so there will be fewer mosquitoes, and installed rain gutters on one of the buildings. Mark
and I estimate that they did about twice the work we had believed possible. Margy and
Joy greatly appreciated Ada Johnson who came to help cook and clean. The group also
visited the Copan Ruins and the church where John and Madonna Spratt minister to
about an hour and a half away. In nine days another eight people will be coming from the
Hazelwood Christian Church in Clayton, Indiana to continue the work on the dorm.
Meanwhile, we are all busy catching up on office work and buying materials for the next
team.

Classes begin the middle of February. Rebecca and Zachariah are planning a week's visit

on the 18^^ ofFebruary. We look forward to that visit.

Please pray for us at this busy time. Also pray for Noe Soriano who is coming to teach at the institute for 3
months. He is from Mexico. Last but not least, pray for the prospective students.

Printed for Mission Services Association <msa@missionservices.org>

William Hoff, 03:54 PM 2/16/2005 -0600, The latest on the Bible Institute

Page 1of 1

-y

Date: Wed, 16 Feb 2005 15:54:24 -0600

From: William Hoff <billhoff@sulanet.net>

Subject: The latest on the Bible Institute

To: Byron Paddock <Bypad56@comcast.net>
Reply-to: William Hoff <billhoff@sulanet.net>
X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 6.00.2900.2180

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Latest on the Bible Institute in Honduras

The Hoff family is doing well in Honduras. We hosted two work teams, each with 8
people from Indiana during the month ofJanuary and first part ofFebruary. They were
able to finish the second married student dorm, dig a septic tank, put in gutters, clean the
othertwo dorms, etc. It was a very profitable time for us and we are very grateful.

Yesterday, ten men registered at the school. They are older than the previous group and
we look forward to a very educational and productive school year. Three wives came
along with four little girls. The visiting professor from Mexico arrived and seems very
enthusiastic and willing to work. He plans on staying until June.

On a personal note we anxiously await the arrival of Rebecca and Zachariah on the 18 .

They plan on staying one week. On Sunday, the 20^*^, abaptism is planned in amember's
swimming pool.

God is good and faithful as always. Thanks you for your prayers for our health and safety
and for the Lord's work in this country.
We love you.

Bill and Margy

Printed for Georgia Sharpe <gsharpe@missionservices.org>

2/17/2005

William HofF, 03:46 PM 4/23/2005 -0600, A short trip to the USA

Page 1 of 1

Date: Sat, 23 Apr 2005 15:46:33 -0600

From: William Hof <billhofigsulanet.net>

Subject: A short trip to the USA

To: Bob Keesee <bob@raincatchers.org>
Reply-to: William Hoff <billho^sulanet.net>
X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 6.00.2900.2527
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Dear Friends of the Ministry:

We need to send you a quick note. We are going to make a month-long trip to the USA. As the years go by, we need to
visit our mothers more frequently, and Margy "needs" to visit grandson Zach. We leave April, 26th and will return

May, 25*We are leaving the ministry in Mark and Joy's capable hands, and Noe is doing the teaching at the Institute.
We want to inform you of our states-side phone number and E-mail address.
To contact us:

Telephone: 317-374-1298
E-mail: BillandMargy@juno.com

I am currently downloading our Juno accountthrough my pop3 accountand you can use it at anytime. (Previously I only checked it while we
were traveling in the US.) Using my prophetic gifts, (Ha!) I foresee a change in our Internet Provider in Honduras and therefore e-address in
the next few months. I will inform you in advance, but the Juno address will continue to be good in any case.
The telephone is courtesy of our co-in-laws the Rowans, they lend it to us when we are in the USA.

Bythe way, didyou read that, "Happy people mayhave better prospects forgood health," In a recent study doctors found happier people had
lower (better) levels of cortisol, a stress hormone, andfibrinogen, a marker of hearthealth. They found thatthe happiest people hadreducedstress hormones, stronger immune systems and more robust cardiovascular systems. Science is confirming the Word: Proverbs 17:22, A merry
heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones.
May God pour out his richest blessings on you.
We love you.

Bill and Margy

Printed for Mission Services Association <msa@missionservices.org>

5/2/2005

SALUDOS!

UNfTED STATES

Cm/M Bm Hoff^
Apdo. 3166
San Pedro Sula

Honduras, Central America

MEXICO

from

504-566-3796

e-mail: billhoff@sulanet.net
website: bajiochristian.org

BAJIO CHRISTIAN MISSION

enimi

ft^ealr'A'

SOITTH AMER CA

Corporate Office
P.O.Box61013

Las Vegas, NV 89160-2013

Published Quarterly

Vol. 36, Number 2

Summer 2005

Bagope...

Baptism

Each year, the Christian Churches come together for a weekend camp at the Bagope
Camp Center. It is a time for renewing friendships, but more importandy, renewing one's
relationship with God. There are great times of worship, preaching, teaching, and
sharing. Bill gaveone of the sermons and Noe gaveone of the classes. This yearthe Bible
Institute was responsible for the recreation. Mark and Noe headed this up as each of the
students led a different station of fun. It was a great time with water balloons and

The angels rejoiced with us on

February 20th as we welcomed

watermelons. Joy

Catalina Fuentes as our new sister

in Christ.

CataHna has been

attending International Christian

Fellowship for several months
now. Sheisafaithfulprayerwarrior
and shares the Good News of

Christ each day as she rides the bus.

She is making a difference in many
lives.

Willpreaching

Madomia receives a plaquefor 45years ofmissionary

senice.

Enjoyingfellomhip at the camp

baptism at church member's swimming

pool

Institute Notes
A group of 8 came from the Hazelwood Christian Church (Joy's home church) januarj' 27th - February' 6th. Thej' installed
electrical,plumbing, doors, and windows in the new married student apartment building. They also cleaned the existingapartments
and dorms, installed gutters, and built a storage cabinet for the kitchen. It was Ha5?:elwood's fourth dme to send a team to serve
this ministT)'.
We are blessed to have a visidng professor from Mexico Cit)'. Noe Soriano is a graduate of Colegio Biblico and has come to
the BibleInstitute to teach for about four months. It iswonderful to have him at the Institute to disciple,teach, and train the students.
He is also helping develop a more formal curriculum. Mark and Noe have represented the Bible Institute to the congregations
on the weekends. He is a great blessing to the Bible Institute and to us.

Classes began again at the BibleInstitute on Februar}' 14th. Ten new students arrived to begin their studiesand prepare to preach
the Word. The men come from fivedifferent areas of the countr)'. In general, they are an older group of students than the previous
one; several of them are in their 30's. Four of the students are at the Bible Institute with their wives and children. You can meet

the students on the internet by going to www.bajiochristian.org, click on "Bible Institute," and "Students," then scroll down to
the current class. Joy.

Married student housing

New students

Wives working at the Institute

Noe teaching

Visit in February
Rebecca and Zach visited for a week in February. Unfortunately,
Alfredo'swork did not permit a vacation at that time, but he promises
to return with the family next time. The week was packed with funfilled acd\aties. Us Hoffs visited friends, went to the beach, went out

to eat, and enjoyeda bapdsm-picnicwith the English-speaking church

group. Everj'one loved Zach and was so happy to visit with Rebecca.
She is truly a "people-person."
Zach was unafraid of the large dogs. He offered a corn chip to Baxter
(Nlark and Joy's 100-pound dog) who gently bit off a small portion
and then Zach put the rest in this mouth. We laughed until we cried.
We pray that the next visit will happen soon. Margy

Rebecca and Zach i

n
Zach enjoying the goats at l^nnellField's house

Zach offering a com chip to haxttr

Family together

ew House
We, Billand Marg^', have purchased a house in San Pedro Sula. After
almost twelve years of renting,we are now the owners of a 2-story,
3-bedroom house. It is located about five minutes from where we

currendy live and is in the location that we have been praying for.

The search for a new home has been in the process for several
months. Then, following a Bible study the last day of May, our
hostess mentioned that their neighbor was trying to sell their house.
We visited the ladyand she waswillingto show us the house without
previous notice. The following morning Mark and Joy joined us to
look at it in the daylight. We were all pleased with it and that
afternoon Bill made an offer to the owners. The followingmorning
the pricewas agreedupon. Bill has signedall the papers and the title
will be in our hands at the end of June. In July we willpaint the house and move in. Our neighbors are church members from
the Philippines. The sale of our house in Mexico has made this all possible.

Many people have asked us if we plan on retiring in Honduras. As long as it is the Lx)rd*s will, we will remain here. We feel it
wise to make an investment and not continue to pay rent. Our current house has served us well. Margy
3

One Month in the States

Bill and I spent most of the month of May in the States. The 4-week trip
took us from Las Vegas to Kxioxville and then to Indiana where we got
a flight back to Honduras. We purchased a pick-up in Las Vegas and
drove it across countr}'. The truck remains in Indiana and will be used by
Mark and Joy and ourselves during our visits to the States.
Most of the time in tlie U.S. was with family members, but we did enjoy
special times with former friends of Mexico and Honduras. Time would
not permit us to see everj'one w^e would have liked to visit. It is always

a blessingto talk on the telephone during our travels. What a joyto keep
updated with our children on what is happening in Honduras or in
Knoxville! A special thanks to Joy's parents, Rick and Becky Rowan, for
providing a cellular phone for our use.
In Albuquerque we spoke with the mission team of die First Christian
Church and in I'Cnoxville we spoke at the Gap Creek Christian Church. I
got to enjoymy birthday with Rebecca and family. It is always a blessing
to spend time with Zach and see how he has grown from the last dme we
saw him. We call him our "little guy." Although small in stature, he has
a big heart and is loving to everyone. Margy

Give me "5" Dad

Teacups at Dollymod

Dad and Zach - recreation

Ferris Whee/ at Dol/ymod

Zach and Granma

Fun with Friends

We always feel it important to have special activities for our English-speaking friends at the church. Currently, four events are

planned annually to make this possible. There is a springbanquet,a "day at the beach," a Thanksgiving dinner, and a Christmas
Eve service.

The spring banquet was held in a rented room at the Princess hotel in San Pedro duringApril. It was a success in spite of the fact
that our speaker became ill two days before he was supposed to speak. Unable to find another speaker, joy suggested that we
have a couple litde skitswith a spiritual message. Several members participated and everj'one enjoj'ed it. The mealwas delicious
which was an added blessing.
The "day at the beach" was held in May. There were over fort)' people in attendance. Even though Billand I were not able to
attend, we heard that it was very successfial and many got sunburned. Is that being successful!!!! Joy.

\^(/e amichildren ofInstitute students

Joy leading worship

Children ofInstitute students

High schoolgraduate receives g^tj'rom the church

Prayer 'n' Praise

Prayer Praises ...
We praise God for ten new students and their families.

We praise God for the work teams and their help in finishing the new building and preparing for classes to begin.

We praise God for Noe, a Christian teacher from Mexico, who is teaching at the Insdmte untilJune 20th.
We praise God for safety in travel around the country.

We praise God for a great time of camp for the national churches.
We praise God for His protection and His grace.
We praise God for our church family at the International C'hristian Fellowship.
We praise God that we were able to purchase a house.

Prayer Concerns ...

Please pray for the graduates as they seek to follow God's calling in their lives.
Please pray that the squatters' attempt to overtake the adjacent land will be unsuccessful.
Please pray for Bill, Noe, and the other teachers as they teach die Word.

Please pray for the new students as they study and prepare for ministry.

njiA-sns sss^aav
ZZ ON JUVHHd

s>i 'aniAssoi
aivd
aovxsoci 's n

O^O lIJO>Id-NON

999

'3ITP-ssoy

Duj 'uoissipj irensiJij^ orlcg

Xq poqsnqrm

In

Page 1 of 1

To: "Allison Raney" <pianogirl@reilsoft.com>

Subject: Update on Laborday In Honduras

September Update

It is Labor Day in the U.S. and we have been laboring. It is hot and humid here: this
part of the country has only been getting sprinkles of rain in the afternoon.
We are enjoying our new house. Almost every day something is done to make it
look more like a home. We are grateful for a friend who came and gave us some

hints on decorating. Currently, there is a carpenter working on new cabinets for the
kitchen. It will be nice when it is finished.

The church continues with a good attendance throughout the summer. Various
visiting work teams came, that helped while some of our regular members were

away, but now the teams have left and the members are back. The Christian
Education department had a children's carnival at our house last Saturday. There
were teenagers here helping and adults enjoying the fellowship also. It was a great
time for everyone. The Fellowship team of the church is now planning the annual
Thanksgiving dinner.

The institute has encountered a few difficulties in the past couple of months, but

currently everything is running smoothly with nine students and one cook with her

daughter. Asecond cook had a baby on August 26^*^ and she will be returning when
the second year of classes begin in February.

One thing about the educational ministry is that there are not too many great new
breakthroughs to report. We plod along teaching and instilling in the students their
duty to serve the Lord. But overthe weekend Iwent to the quarterly preachers
meeting. Wow! Icould really see growth and maturity in former students. It was so

impressive that I had to mention it. The Lord is working through them and making
them useful tools in his hand.

We covet your prayers and thank you for your financial support as we continue
ministering in this part of the world.
God bless, Bill

Printed for Georgia Sharpe <gsharpe@missionservices.org>

9/6/2005

Page 1 of 1

Date: TIKl 24 Nov2005ji)8:04:22 -0600

From: WilliSim-Hon <Billhofi@amnethn.com>

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Happy Thanksgiving
God put the most beautiful rainbow that I have ever seen in the sky this morning. Bill saw it about 6:15, but when I went
walking a little later I saw a full rainbow with the brightest colors that I have ever seen. A lush green mountain back
dropped it. The sun shone on the mountain interspersed with the shadows of clouds. I walked and walked so that I could
continue watching it. What a time to praise God for his handiwork.

Last Sunday was the church's annual Thanksgiving dinner. It is always a highlight of the year. The location we rented was
absolutely beautiful; it had separate areas for serving food and for setting up tables to seat 170 people. We also had the use
of an auditorium for our worship service. Preparing for the Thanksgiving meal was a lot of work, but it was worth it,
because of the fellowship and the number of non-church members who were invited.

The weather has been affecting many people's travel plans in Honduras. About thirty inches of rain in less than four days
has caused extensive flooding and many bridges have washed out. We were asked to go to the airport on two different
occasions to pick up people who could not get to their destination. A nurse practitioner from the States was headed to La

Ceiba when the rains became so severe and the flooding of the airport made it impossible for the plane to land. They
returned to San Pedro Sula where she spent the night in the airport. We were called the following morning to pick her up
and she spent a day and a half with us before she could continue on to her destination. Later, a family that was going to go
by road to La Ceiba could not be picked up as scheduled, so we rescued them.

Yesterday Bill helped in the buying and delivering of supplies for families in an area of flooding. He is awaiting word on how
he can be of further help in another location. The scope of the flooding doesn't compare to Hurricane Mitch, but for some
people it is just as bad.

On December 4''th the church is having a going-away party for two veteran missionary couples. We will miss them greatly.
The men were faithful preachers for the congregation. December ll^th is the children's Christmas program.
On December 15^th Bill and I fly to Indianapolis to spend Christmas with Alfredo, Beka, and Zach. Preparing for this trip
by buying Christmas gifts from Honduras will keep me busy after Thanksgiving.
Tomorrow we are preparing for sixteen people to eat their Thanksgiving meal in our new house. We look forward to a
blessed time together and rejoice that we have a lovely comfortable house in which to Hve while we serve the Lord in this
country.

Thank you for being part of this ministry.

In His Love, Bill and Margy Hoff

PS. If you would rather not get messages from us. Please let me know. I am about to reorganize our e-address Hst that was
messed up when I imported it from Outlook Express to Mozilla Thunderbird. Also please notify me of any corrections.
BiU

file://C:\DOCUME~l\STEVES~l\LOCALS~l\Temp\eud22.htm

11/29/2005

HoH^:33 AM 12/10/2005 -0600, [Norton AntiSpam] Christmas Letter

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Date: Sat, 10 Dec 2005 11:33:20 -0600

From: William Hoff <billhoff@amnethn.com>

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Dear Friends,

While driving through town last night, I was impressed by the Christmas lights. Lighted palm trees were in vivid contrast
with the American ideal of a perfect spruce or fur. As I pondered that, I remembered while there were no pine trees in
Bethlehem; Jericho was known as the city of palms (date not coconut), and Jesus would be more at home here in Honduras

than in New York. Another thought came to me: "What is a giant inflated Santa doing over-shadowing a manger scene?"
Unfortunately, that seemed symbolic of how secularism has advanced over faith in the world today. No longer do the three
kings bring presents to the children of Latin America: the mythical, jolly, old fat man does it all. What a loss!

Christmas vacation at the institute has come and we are looking forward to a two week trip to the U.S. to visit our grandson
and family. I had a few things to do during the vacation but tropical storm Gamma changed some of them. Honduras was
hit hard by this little "almost hurricane:" it dumped nearly 30 inches of rain in four days. Chiquita lost a quarter of its

banana production. Some towns were severely hit and had all their crops wiped out. I spent three days distributing food
provided by the International Christan Fellowship. Lifeline Christian Mission provided me with clothes and Bibles for the
town which was hardest hit. Naturally, I had lots of help bagging the supplies.
2Y

Our ministry at the Bible Institute has been blessed during this past year. Nine men have completed their first year of

studies. (February through November) And if the Lord permits, they will graduate next fall. Various national evangelists
have helped by teaching. Two students' wives have done most of the cooking.
In August we made the "big move" into our new house. After eleven years of renting, the Lord provided an opportunity for

us to purchase a house near our previous one. We are truly blessed and are trying to make it a home, not just for ourselves,
but for all who need our hospitality.

The EngUsh speaking church has done exceptionally well this year with attendance of over 100 most Sundays. We have seen
a few new families come, but tragically we are losing two couples who have been very important to the ministry. The nature
of the expatriate community is such that we can never say that anyone is permanent. But God has provided and will
continue to provide the key people who are needed to continue the ministry. Our only regret is not being able to devote more
time to these fine people.

Remember, we are aU expatriates in this world. But one day we will go home to our true country and King.
Pray for the ministry here.
Bill and Margy Hoff

Printed for Mission Services Association <msa{%missionservices.org>

12/29/2005