Susan Hoover

April 14, 2011

Hi there!

I wrote 3 weeks ago and said I was taking my 2^nd year class on a mission trip… so maybe you’re waiting to hear the news…

I have to say.. it was awesome!

We gathered early morning at the train station. Took the train for 4 hours. Got off the train and travelled on rickshaws to the small port where we got on boat that we took for another 4 hours. We arrived in our destination and had time to get ready and eat before leaving for our first ministry!

Every night during our stay we visited and ministered to one of the local churches there. It was great to meet and encourage local believers.

We got up at 6am each morning to pray together. Had breakfast and broke into teams of 3 people each. We walked around the small city.. and went from house to house building relationships and sharing the gospel with them! We would gather back at our base for lunch.. a quick rest.. and then back out for a few hours of more house visits!

Everyday the students would come back to our base with great testimonies of what had happened that day! They showered tremendous boldness praying for the sick and sharing Jesus with all people of all religions!

Our last day there we decided to walk out to the villages.. even though the heat was incredible during our long trek I did not even hear one complain. And again we went from house to house sharing the good news with the people there!

I couldn’t believe how open and warm the people there were! Most of the houses we entered were Muslim families but they readily accepted us and I don’t think I have ever been given so much food from going house to house!

It was incredible to see how God has prepared this place for the gospel! Hearts have been softened.. just waiting for us to come in with the good news!

Please pray for us! We are hoping to send some of students there as long term missionaries after their graduation in June! We can already picture how effective a long term work there would be! Pray for our students who are called there.. this could change the history of such an area!!

Some pics below (if you like pictures you can always find more on facebook: Susan’s Indonesian Adventures)

Thank you for your participation!!
Susan Joy Hoover

And…. Our next big youth event to reach 1,000’s is in exactly one month!! Wow!! This means the billboards will be put up next week! Your participation is greatly appreciated! And your prayers can start… now! J

And.. the building of our youth home has begun… pics and update to come soon…

March 18, 2011

Hi There!

I’d like to start this email off by just assuring everyone that Indonesia is very far from Japan so we have not been affected whatsoever by the Tsunami and radiation leaks.

And… also want to tell you that… The past month has been great!!!
Here is a few of the things I’ve been up to…

Week in Thailand -
This was such a great experience! I visited Marvin and Anna Enos who have been running the Bible College there for 15 years. Although I did some teaching as well, I learned so much more! Their students were so teachable… I felt such a calling on their lives! I was really touched when all the students gathered around me and prayed for me! (pic below) It was really just such a joy to be there! And I had some fun enjoying some “Thai” things… like elephants. Haha (pics below)

Event in Malaysia -
This 2 day “shine like stars” event in Kuching, Malaysia was so much fun! I had to laugh as the first night there I was a Canadian preaching in the Indonesian language in the country of Malaysia. It seemed so wacky.. but it worked! They understood! Haha. The people there have such great hearts! It was great to be able to encourage them even more…

Outreach in High school-
Our youth team also had an awesome opportunity to do an event right in the field of a public high school. We were able to reach a few hundred students once they came out of class last Friday afternoon. I shared the simple, but powerful, gospel of God’s love for them. I explained, with the help of a drama, what Jesus had done for them.. and how the relationship with their creator is what they are really searching for in this world. When I asked who wanted to receive Jesus almost every hand went up! I asked them to come forward.. we began to pray for them one by one.. (pics below) and right there in the school yard God’s love was so tangible many began to cry as their hearts were touched! After this we began to sing again.. and joy broke out in the place!

Village Pastors in Jawa-
I just returned home from a week in Surabaya, Jawa. I really enjoyed preaching there, especially to the young people.. I felt such eagerness from them! I believe great things are going to take place! One day I travelled 2 hours out of the city to minister to a group of pastors who all have churches in the small villages. I was shocked as almost 150 pastors had gathered to hear me! And.. even more wonderful was their hunger… I shared about letting Jesus take the burden of our ministry. How it’s not what we do.. but all about allowing Jesus to do it all through us. I asked who felt burdened and tired in their ministry to come forward for prayer… so many of them came to the front and the Spirit moved in beautiful ways releasing so many burdens and giving new freedom and joy to so many hearts!

So… that’s just a part (there has been much more) of what has happened….
What is going to happen is just as exciting…!

On Tuesday morning I will be taking all twelve of my 2^nd year Students and a staff member on a mission trip! We are travelling quite far into the area of Riau to share the gospel and plan our long term missions there!

We appreciate your prayers so much as we go along that trip!

Thank you so much for having a heart for the lost! May God continue to use us all more and more each day to reach this world that needs Him so badly…

Susan Joy