Susan Hoover

DID YOU KNOW???

• Indonesia has the most unreached people groups (tribes who have never been reached with the gospel) in the world!
• There are an estimated over 100 groups totaling over 100 million people that are recorded as ‘unreached’ in Indonesia!
• 50 of those groups are on our island of Sumatera!
• I got to go with local missionaries to one of these tribes last week!

 

I just got home yesterday. So I still feel exhausted and my body is still sore and bruised. It was the experience of a lifetime! Although there are many unreached tribes to chose from we chose the “Suku Pindah” (Moving Tribe). They are mostly animists who have never heard of the gospel. They are rejected by most of society because they live very primatively out in the jungle. Barely clothed, if not completely naked, and living under little shelters, not homes. They rarely bathe. They move from place to place, never settling, because they live off of the wildlife and fruits of the jungle. Because of the nakedness of the tribe, and others misusing this, there is no cameras allowed in. So I’m sorry.. there’s not many pictures to help describe this to you.

 

To visit this tribe is extra special (difficult) because of the way they live. When arriving in the area we met a missionary who has dedicated his life to reaching this tribe! It was absolutely amazing! He had already reached many small groups within this tribe in the past 5 years! There is only 4 people working towards reaching this whole tribe! Everyday they sacrifice their lives, trekking into the jungle. Listening to their stories was absolutely incredible! One of the chiefs of the tribe in the very primitive area had tried to chop off on these men’s head because he wouldn’t stop preaching the gospel! The Chief tried to kill him 3times! But each time the axe stopped inches away from his neck! But it did not cause the man to stop reaching this tribe.. he continues to go into the jungle and minister to the people each week!! We were among history makers!! The great martyars of this generation!

 

These missionaries took us to many different places were we could find the tribe. Each time we would usually get on the motorcycle for a few hours! And on trails that were so ruined it was hard just to stay on the bike.. to make it even more interesting it was raining a lot so the clay trails turned into pure slipperyness! We became pretty good at bailing off the back of a falling bike without getting hurt! Haha..  one time my bike almost wiped out.. not because of the mud or the horrible road conditions.. but because a large poisonous snake hurled itself at us to bite us!

 

One day we had been on the motorcycle on these jungle trails for about 6 hours. Taking every thought and strength to keep our bodies on the bike. But when we got to the final stage the trail was the absolute epitimy of slippery. So we had to walk. It was already dark. In the midst of the jungle this turns into pitch black. And then a huge thunderstorm and rain started! It was such an adventure as we slid/fell/walked down this treacherous, slippery mountain in the dark of the jungle night! Only the gospel is a good enough motivation to do this!! Haha..

 

And of course I did many embarrassing things during this trip. I’ll just share one. The last day there we were riding motorcycles into an area. But it had rained too much so we started hiking on foot to go through the water. We started out on a bunch of planks that was supposed to be a bridge. I was leading the way. And when I got to the last planks I started walking down them.. but they weren’t attached to anything and flipped over! I did something like the splitz and landed on them and in the water! I didn’t even realize what had happened to me.. I just knew I felt wet and was confused.. but…the boys laughing their heads off behind me brought me back to reality pretty quick! haha.

 

But all the hiking, riding, falling down, sleeping in the jungle, all of it was worth it. I learned so much about reaching the unreached! It was an unforgettable week. Just to be able to sit and talk with these beautiful people who now believed in Jesus..  just to hear all the stories.. ..just to be able to pray with them and show them love. .. just to take a walk along the path of those changing history.. incredible!! One moment that was so touching to me was when we were visiting one of the groups of this tribe. A little boy was sick.. so I was praying for him. I was kneeling beside him and had my arm around his mother. She was barely clothed and obviously hadn’t bathed in a very long time. After I finished praying she turned to me.. she spoke out of lips oozing with something black and barely any teeth… “thank you for coming to bless my son”, She said and hugged me. It was true genuine gratitude. And it made my heart melt with compassion for them.

 

Please continue to pray for the ‘Suku Pindah’ and for Pak Ronald, Pak Tarigan and their wives that continue to live there to reach them. I truly desire to reach more of these groups.. bring the gospel to those who have never heard it.. how beautiful! But it is not easy.. so please continue to pray for us to have wisdom and boldness to know how to enter these areas!

 

There’s so much more that happened this month.. but I don’t want to write too much more..

 

Oh.. and before I forget… merry Christmas!!!!

I hope you have an absolutely fantastic time celebrating our Jesus!!

 

And …a happy new year too!!

I am soooooooo excited for all that 2008 holds for us!

 

I just finished a meeting tonight with my local team and band.. praying together for our plans and visions for the next year.. it’s going to be awesome!!

 

Thank you for making 2007 such an amazing year!!

It has been 12 full months in Indonesia.. It’s been more incredible than an email can express! I thank God for every person, every miracle, every moment here.. It’s all because of Him!!

 

Remember what the angels said… “Bring you good tidings of great joy”.. Jesus came to save us!! How amazing! And now we can spread that good news.. that great joy to others!!

  

Celebrating Jesus with You,

Susan Joy

  

There are a few pictures: (enjoy!)

 

With the local team!

 

In one of the communities are more civilized (where we were allowed to take pictures) and actually live in little ‘houses’. This is us in front of one of these houses with this family who lived there.

 

Catching the kids in the village laughing..

 

Having more fun with the kids there..

 

The kids when they realized they could see themselves in the screen on the camera…

 

Another example of the houses in the ‘civilized area’.

 

Steve shows how it’s not fun to have to walk after your motorcycle in the mud…

  

If you would like to support this ministry in Indonesia. Please make your cheques out to: CJI-Susan Hoover and send them to: Celebrate Jesus International, Box 986, St. Catharines, ON L2R 6Z4. Or you can call 905-646-0970 if you’d like to give through other ways.

 

I thought that title would grab your attention!.. I just returned from that trip. What an honor and a great opportunity. I live among the ‘batak’ tribe here in Sumatra. Up until about 100 years ago they were cannibals. Which makes me thank God that He sent me now and not then! Hahaha.. When the 1^st missionaries came to Sumatra, Indonesia they were killed and eaten by part of this Batak tribe. There is a local pastor with this village on his heart. That village, even to this day, feels like they are living under a curse because of what their grandfathers did. So they gathered the village together for a service and then for dinner.. and invited me as the guest speaker! As a missionary today.. it was so great to share God’s grace with them! I stood out in that village and told the people how God freed them from their sins, their sicknesses, their curses, all through what Jesus did on the cross! (pics below) They received it so well!

 

One man representing the village stood up and thanked me. He had a huge smile and tears in his eyes.. he said what I had spoken was something that they realized they needed to learn: What Jesus had really done for them! Many of the elders came up to hug me and thank me. And in the end we even had a little ceremony in the head elder’s house of them letting go of the past and how they can work together with missionaries of today. (pic below) This head elder received the message so well that night that he got healed! He had been suffering for so long with rheumatism in his legs. But that night he stood in front of the village and shared how Jesus had healed him that night! It was such a beautiful night! Praise God! No matter what we, or our past generations have done, we are new in Christ Jesus! Forgiven, healed, blessed, and set free!

 

I experienced one of the most amazing crowds while preaching the gospel this month. In the Prostitution Rehabilitation Centre. After teaching an English class we gathered with the girls. (pic below) I made it very clear that anyone could leave. But almost all them, about 20 girls, chose to stay. I shared the gospel.. just so simply. What Jesus had done for them. And how each and every one of them, even though many of them are from other religions, could call out to Jesus and He would answer them. All of these young women just sat in awe. Hanging on every word that I said. It was so beautiful. How awesome it is to share Jesus with those who have never heard it before! How simple but how powerful is the gospel!! Nothing else could ever even come close to comparing to it!

 

It has been a great start to the new year! God has been sooooo good to us! Wow. Even in this first month so much has come together! We’ve gotten a new place and all the instruments for the band and to start a studio. We bought a bus.. and already use it on a daily basis! Now we can reach villages we could never have reached before! And we’d been praying for a small sound system at a good price.. God did even more than that.. we have use of one for free now! Everything we need for a village outreach: sound system, bus, keyboard, sound system, projector, etc.. Before it would be so expensive and sometimes difficult to get it all together.. But now I own it all! God is so good to provide for all the needs here.. and He does it through you!!

 

Recently we’ve been visiting the women in the prison a lot more often. (pics below) Last week one of the women decided she wanted to receive Jesus into her life. So we prayed with her. And when we came back a week later it was amazing.. she was like a completely different person! She greeted us at the door and brought us into the room setting up the room and just bubbling over with joy! She looked radiant, like a whole new person! It was sooooo incredible to see the amazing change that takes place in us when we receive our new life in Jesus! How precious is each and every one to Him!!

 

In the next few months I will be focusing on a few things. One of them will be on doing large youth outreaches. God has put some cities on my heart. I have started visiting the cities. They are as big as 300,000 in population and even in hard Muslim areas. Nothing like this has ever been done before! We are making history!! Thanks for joining with me to make this all possible!! We are not afraid to step out and do this, because our Jesus is not just big.. he is huge!! He is Everything!! Haha.. Thank you for your prayers and support.. The young people of Indonesia will hear about Jesus through us!!

 

In a few days one of our team members, Eva May, will heading back to Canada. Eva May has been a great example to all the Indonesians and to all of us Canadians. Her coming to do missions at the age of 71 reminds us all there are NO excuses. With Christ as our strength we really can do anything! We will miss our ‘team grandma’ so much here.

 

Last night I was sitting listening to my band worship God. I was looking at how much their lives have changed! Looking at all that God has done! Looking at all we have! Looking at all the new ones who have recently decided to come back to God and join us! Looking ahead to the future and how God will use us….

Wow…..  

I just felt so thankful and blessed!

Thank you for being a part of it all through your prayers and support.. I am truly so thankful!

 

One night earlier this month I was walking home and I was thinking about my life. And I think this statement pretty much sums it up:

 

WITHOUT JESUS we are NOTHING. But WITH JESUS we have EVERYTHING!!!

 Susan Joy 

Pictures:

 

Preaching in the village festival.

 

Some of the people who received healing in that festival came up to testify. This woman with the mike is telling everyone how she could feel that she was healed of her heart condition!!

 

These are 3 beautiful grandma’s who are eating the dinner together after the village festival. When the event was over they all came up and gave me big hugs sincerely thanking me for coming to bring them the good news.

 

In the village with the head elder. Shaking hands to show the past has already been forgiven and now we continue on together to a better future, together, with Jesus!

 

Teaching English in the Prostitution Rehab Centre

 

The next two pictures are Eva May and I sharing with a  small group of women in prison.

 

Eva May and I gather for a group pic with some of the women in prison. The one below us is the who had just received Jesus into her life about 20 min beforehand.

 

This is our CJI team for 2007-2008.. woah! Goodlooking bunch! Hahaha..

Me keeping the team in line.. hahaha.. kind of a team joke.
www.susanhoover.org

This month God has continued to give me great opportunities going into villages. It started by going into ‘salabulan’ village. It was a great day! We started out pretty early and to get there. And to get there we had to get on these old, big jeeps because the road was so rough. I climbed up on the top of the roof with the locals… it was an adventure just getting there! Banging around on top of that old roof! Haha.. I could barely sit down for 2 days after the trip! Hehehe.. The adventures continued when we got there. We were to do a baptism in the river.. Getting to the river was fun too.. Hiking through rice paddies and up and down mountains. And when we got to the river we had work to do before the baptism.. Catching fish .. With our bare hands! Haha. It was fun! That night we had an outreach in the local gathering place. I was shocked when I entered and two Muslim were sitting there waiting for it to start! It was a great night! Jesus was lifted high in that village!This month I spent a lot of time helping my team with different events: a children’s festival. A village outreach. A youth drama. Every event was a great success. At one of these events we were out in a village that is a pretty hard one.. Full of gangs and violence. But suprisingly when at the end we offered to pray for the people they all came up! There was a huge amount of them. So we all began praying for them. I was praying for an old grandma who had a very bad pain in her legs.. It hurt so bad that it gave her trouble walking. Sometimes her eyes would tear up because it hurt so bad. But after we prayed something awesome happened.. She began to walk and move without pain! She was smiling sooooo big! So I asked her to testify and we began to show the people what God had done! I saw she was walking so good so I grabbed her by the arm and we began to run! I heard the gasp of the crowd and their shocked faces! At the time I was thinking it was because they were just so suprised by what God had done for this grandma. But later when I thought about it. I realized maybed they were just so suprised by the weird white girl who was making old grandmas run! Hahahaha…

I’ve been having such a great time ministering to the women in the prison here. One week I was sharing God’s grace with them.. They really need to learn about God’s grace.. About how they can receive and enjoy what they are not worthy to.. Like us all! That day all the women were there crying and thanking God for His grace. It was soooo beautiful. Then one of the young girls asked us to pray. She was going to receive her sentence that day. It was supposed to be 15 years for murder! I can’t even believe this girl could murder someone.. God has changed her so much she is the sweetest little thing! That day we prayed.. And I came back the next week and she had good news. God had done a miracle! Her sentence was already down to 3 years! And could even be only half of that!! Wow!! How miraculous! After hearing that we all started to celebrate! Joy broke out in that prison cell!! We began to sing, clapping our hands, and rejoicing!

You’ve probably heard me talk about Herman before. He is a young guy here who I have taken in like my brother. He has become like my right hand man. Becoming an awesome leader! About a year ago he and I were talking about a dream we had to own a home where we could take in young people that have nowhere to go. At the time it didn’t seem possible.. But because we have already rented a place as a studio Herman has moved in and without even realizing it our dream started becoming reality! We have already taken in 2 young guys! One of them had a heavy drug addiction but has been set free! Jesus working in them is so beautiful! It is awesome to see such big changes in such a short amount of time! Now they are working along with me. Driving the bus, setting up the sound system.. taking part in every outreach! This is not easy work.. but already I see them sharing their testimony with others and I can see that it is sooo worth it! It reminds me of the story of the prodigal son. It is a joy to be like that father.. And just accept them all back in. When others, like the big brother reject them, we can be like Jesus and accept them in. And rejoice that they have come back… it doesn’t matter what they have done.. With the love and grace of God we embrace them in and bring them back home to their daddy, Abba Father!

One afternoon I was sharing that story at a high school. I was speaking to hundreds of young people. And I told them about their loving father.. At the end I just kept saying ‘pulanglah’ which means. ‘come back home’. Come back to their heavenly father who is waiting for them with open arms! The presence of God was awesome.. so still.. many of the young people began to cry as they experienced God’s awesome love touching them! Our Father is soooo good to us!

We started off this month by giving out food to a local area that is very poor. It was a great experience. We’ve done it before in that area. So they people recognize us and accept it well. It was so much fun climbing around with all the local children as they lead us to homes we never would have found without them! The sick even came out and asked for prayer! Even though we could just give a little food.. We knew we were sowing seeds to reach them with something so much greater.. Eternal life! Even while we were there radical Islam teachers came into the area warning the people not to accept us.. But the people still readily accept us.. Not because of us! But because the love of Christ is in us and touches them!

Please pray for us! Tomorrow we are leaving to go into Aceh, the Muslim province above us. The last time I went to this part of it we ventured into areas where no white man had ever gone before! It is sooo exciting to be able to take the gospel there! We plan to reach 4 villages next week! Thanks for keeping us in your prayers each day.. we’re expecting something awesome!

And… it’s not too early to start praying.. Mid April we are planning a huge youth outreach! In the city of Balige. This city has the 2nd highest drug useage and recently had some horrible events with youth.. including 7 youth dying after running from the police. Although the area is called ‘christian’ there are few who really believe in Jesus. Most of the population is still animists. They need a drastic change in the young people there.. only one can do that.. Jesus!! We are planning on at least 5,000 young people attending our music concert where they will hear the gospel! It’s going to be amazing.. you will make it possible!!

To end this email off: a little Indonesian humor! Indonesians have a weird sickness they call ‘masuk angin’. I might have written about this before. It actually means. ‘enter wind’. Bascially they believe that when they are hot their pores open and that the wind can enter their body and make them sick! And so often if you are feeling sick people will tell you it is because you had the bus window open or some other way the ‘wind entered you’. This month I went to go visit a young man in the hospital. He was rolling around in his bed writhing in pain, tears streaming down his face. Immediately I asked what was wrong. Their answer: ‘masuk angin’. Not kidding! So I asked what the doctor said. ‘masuk angin’. He sat too long and the wind entered him. Even after being here for over 4 years I couldn’t believe it.. oh well. I thought. Jesus heals us from every disease.. even the weirdest things we’ve ever heard of. Haha. So we prayed.. and by the time we left him he was sitting up doing fine!

This month I had a little incident.. most of my stuff was stolen. Including my camera, which I haven’t been able to replace yet. So I included some pictures. But I apologize some are quite old because most of my events this month weren’t captured.

Thanks so much for all your prayers and support that this month so great.. March is guaranteed to be another amazing month here!

SEMUANYA KARENA JESUS!! (All because of Jesus!!) Susan Joy

Pictures:

The local girls lead me on muddy path amounst rice fields to find more needy families that we could give food to.

This is one of the families we met there.. I was spending some time sharing with her. .that we brought food because we cared.. not because of us. But because God cared for this family.

Standing with the children there in that poor area.. you can tell by how the houses on the right are built how the living standards are there.

With friends at a special night to reach out and show love to our neighbours!

Infront of one of the houses we visit often in the prostitution village, with some of the girls there.

Team Fun Day. Our team, with some of our close workers and the boys in my home, take a day to enjoy beautiful lake toba.

This is ‘Biring’. She is an elderly woman who was a Muslim. But after receiving healing at one of our meetings she got saved.. that was 4 years ago!! and to this day she attends church! I met her one on the street one day. It was a happy reunion! And such an encouragement to see fruit from something 4 years ago!

Our team gathered around our pathetic attempt at celebrating Christmas Canadian style! Hahaha. (I said some of these pics were old! Hehe)

If you’d like to support Susan in Indonesia you can makes cheques payable to : CJI-Susan Hoover.

And send them to:

Celebrate Jesus International

Box 968

St. Catharines, ON

L2R 6Z4

Or you can call 905-646-0790 for more options.

www.susanhoover.org

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