Susan Hoover

Hi!

It’s already December! Sometimes it’s hard to tell here.. I don’t know if there’s snow in Canada now or not.. but for sure there’s no snow here! Haha..

 

I have some very exciting news! A few months ago someone encouraged me to buy a sound system and things to make the work here more effective. I’ve been thinking about that a lot.. this is my 5^th year here. And I know I’m going to be here a lot longer.. so instead of always renting things I should plan better for the future! The 1^st thing we invested in was for the band.. instruments and a place to practice. Then we realized if we had gone that far we could open it up as a music studio.. a great place, not to make money, but to reach out to the young people in our town! Those who would never come to a church.. we can build relationships with and bring them to Jesus! We plan to open this in December or January! Next…I have looked into buying a sound system. Not a huge one. But one big enough for all of our village outreaches. We go into the villages at least once a month.. If we didn’t have to rent a sound system or transportation we could do it so much more often!! Buying a sound system and possibly later a van would make the work here so much more efficient! I thank God for the way He’s been providing so far.. It’s making me much bolder to ask and my dreams are growing bigger and bigger each day because of Him! Because He makes it possible! And He makes it possible through you!

 

But I’m not just going to write you about what will happen.. but about what did happen this month too! We started off the month on the island of Papua. We were helping Pastor Peter Youngren to do a gospel festival there! Wow! It was sooo amazing! Every time that I stand on the stage in one of these festivals and look out at the 1,000’s of people receiving the gospel.. gives me goose bumps! I will just share one story. The last night I was working on the side of the stage testing all those who came to testify about what Jesus had done. There was a man who came with his mother. He was 30 years old but had been deaf since he was 1. At first it was hard to test his hearing because everyone around us was celebrating so loudly already! But when this man stood on the stage and showed how he could now hear.. the crowd celebrated even louder than before!! He was the famous volleyball player of the town so everyone knew him! It was like a big balloon full of joy was burst in the place! Incredible! The next day we went to visit this man. His name was Franky. It was so amazing to actually have a conversation with him! The day after that we were going to leave and he and his family came to meet us at the airport. Smiling.. their whole lives had been changed. (pic below) And even to this day his wife text messages me saying how thankful she is to Jesus or doing such a great work in her family!

 

While in Papua with Pastor Peter I had a great opportunity to go the village with him one day. This was no ordinary village. To get there we took a small 8 seater plane. And landed on the local river there. We were expecting a few people there.. but when we got there it was already a big crowd! Ready for a mini festival! They were all excited to ehar the gospel! And since there was no one else there I turned into the interpreter. I stood up on the stage and looked down and to my surprise the front row was naked people! Not kidding.. haha. They were a tribe from very far away. The Karoway people. They live up in the trees. Naked. And are known to have been cannibals. What an amazing experience to meet them! (pic below – don’t worry just a head shot! Haha)

 

After Papua I returned home for a week before traveling to some smaller islands, where I’m writing this now! During my week at home I had a great time.. Catching up on all the ministries I used to go to on a weekly basis: The prison, some poor villages, the rehab center, the prostitution village, etc. And also got to go to some ministries I’d never been to before: a university campus cell group, and a special study to reach the Filipino people in Medan! (pic below)

 

When I returned to the prison I recognized many faces. But some were gone. Later that day I heard from a friend that one of the women who we had ministered to in the prison had already been set free. She had been sentenced to serve 6 years. But after only 11 months a miracle took place and she was set free! She immediately came to the local church and testified about how she met Jesus in the prison and how he changed her life! Before going to prison she was a Muslim woman who was known for drug trafficking and much more.. but after she got out.. she really was a new creation! A brand new person who wants to use their life to serve Jesus!!

 

Our lives changed by Jesus is the most beautiful thing ever!!

Lives are changed when they hear the gospel..

Thanks for helping to bring the gospel so that lives can be changed here in Indonesia!

 

All Glory to God!!

Susan Joy

 

Pictures:

 

Me and Franky and his family in the airport before we left Papua.

 

The chief warrior of the Karoway tribe that we met in the village.

 

The beautiful view while walking through the village of Ketangkuan, where I spent a weekend.

 

Here I am in the village telling this chicken..’I just saved your life little buddy’.. cuz I convinced them we didn’t need to eat him that night for dinner!

 

With the Filipino Bible Study group

 

Preaching in a youth meeting in PadangSidempuan

This past month we were able to take part in some really amazing opportunities!One of them was in the city of Siantar. We were asked to speak in a seminar called. “Save One More for Jesus”. Teaching how each one of us in our busy lifestyle can take the time out to reach out to one person to bring them to Jesus.. and how precious and effective that is! At the end of the day I asked those who were willing to make a commitment for the gospel to come to the front to pray together.. It was an absolutely beautiful moment to stand with all those who came to the front. They were singing from their hearts.. and tears running down their faces.

 

 

 

I listened to them sing a song about how our desire is for the world to experience this love that we have in Jesus.. I was so touched and so full of joy to see to be a part of that!!

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