Missions - Keith & Wendy, Elizabeth, Matthew, David, Timothy and Samuel Hock

Wendy was born in International Falls, Minnesota and is the second of four girls. She remembers going to Sunday School and church ever since she was a little girl. When she was in 4th grade she received Jesus Christ as her Saviour. There had been a Release Time Bible class during school which she attended. After hearing of God’s gift of eternal life through Jesus Christ, she desired to accept that gift by placing her faith in Jesus Christ.

During her senior year of high school she was challenged by the youth pastor of her home church to go to a “mission field”. He had visited Bolivia, South America one summer. Telling his experiences to his church, he shared of the need for Christian workers and how the Bolivian people wanted him to “come back and bring other missionaries with you”.

Wendy went on to Citadel Bible College (which was absorbed by Calvary Bible College in the fall of 1987), in the fall of 1983. Her desire was to go to South America as a missionary. When a visiting missionary shared of the work and needs in Uruguay, South America, she knew that this was the place to where God was leading. She graduated in May 1987 with a BRE, majoring in Bible, Missions and Elementary Education.

Keith was born in Normal, Illinois. He has one sister who is 18 months older. He remembers going to church infrequently - usually on special occasions while growing up. It was on July 8, 1972 that he called upon the Lord Jesus Christ to save him from his sins after hearing the Gospel.

After graduation from high school, Keith served the United States Navy for 5½ years. During this time he met many other Christians and received good Bible teaching while attending a sound, Bible-believing church. The pastor’s life challenged Keith to give his life for missions. Having plans to be a missionary in the Philippines, he went to a Bible Institute there after being honorably discharged from the Navy. While in the Philippines he heard of Citadel Bible College and followed the Lord’s leading to this college after completing one year in the Philippines.

When at Citadel, Keith again wanted to pursue studies in missions with hopes to return to the Philippines. He sought the Lord’s direction in choosing a mission board and became acquainted with WEF Ministries (which merged in 1988 with United Missionary Fellowship to make what is now Biblical Ministries Worldwide). Since the mission didn’t have a work in the Philippines, he then looked to the Lord for guidance to the field of His choice. With counsel, getting a good look at the work, seeing who was there, who was going and how he could best fit in, he believed Uruguay was the place where God would have him minister.

Keith and Wendy met at Citadel during Keith’s second year and Wendy’s first. They see it as special planning of the Lord that they had separately decided their field of service before they were brought together in a dating relationship. Keith graduated with a combined Bible-Missions and Pastoral Studies major in 1986. He worked until Wendy graduated in 1987. On May 30, 1987 they were married.

Their pursuits then took them to Candidate School with WEF (BMW), a year’s internship at Mesa Hills Bible Church in Colorado, a year of deputation and a year of Spanish language studies at Rio Grande Bible Institute.

On September 7, 1990 Keith and Wendy stepped off the plane in Montevideo, Uruguay, South America. They were used of the Lord to minister in “Christ is the Way” Church until furlough time in August of 1993. At “Christ is the Way” Church they got better adjusted to the new culture and language. By being better equipped for their next term of ministry, they hoped to be used of the Lord to win others to Him and help build up the church in any way they could.

Since July of 1994, the Hocks have been ministering in the neighborhood of Parque Batlle in Montevideo. This area of the city has around 50,000 inhabitants and NO Bible-believing church. They are working with veteran missionaries, Jerry and Linda Glass to establish “The Bible Church in Parque Batlle”. Our responsibilities in accomplishing this include; various forms of outreach and evangelization, teaching, preaching and discipleship.

The Hocks came to know of Grace Bible Chapel through the IFCA and through Wendy having grown up in Northern Minnesota. She attended Miracle Bible Camp as a child.

Since we first arrived in Uruguay, we’ve had some additions to our family:

Elizabeth Jane - - - born 02/05/92
Matthew Keith - - - born 06/01/93
David Lloyd - - - - - born 02/01/95
Timothy Andrew - - born 07/30/96
Samuel Isaac - - - - born 12/11/99

Wendy’s birthday -- 4/1
Keith’s birthday -- 8/21
Our Anniversary -- 5/30/87