Too late to wish you a Merry Christmas… but I do hope you had a wonderful one!

December was a busy month! I was teaching both of my classes in the Bible College all day everyday while preaching in numerous Christmas services at night.  I really enjoyed the opportunities that I did get this month! One of them was preaching in the large field right in the middle of our city to a crowd of youth. This was the Christmas service provided by the government. I was really honored to be chosen as the speaker! Also.. I was so blessed to speak to 100’s of university students in some of the events this month. And I was amazed at how captivated they were by the message! And so many of them made the decision to do more than just listen.. but to accept Jesus into their hearts!

On December 30^th I had had enough of the holidays and catching up on work and felt I had to do something for the lost.  So I messaged some of the students and announced I was going to the hospital tomorrow to pray for the sick and they were welcome to join me, a few of them did. We arrived at the hospital not knowing anyone in particular. So we just walked into whatever rooms we wanted to and begin to meet the people, sharing love and hope from Jesus with them!

I was going from room to room in the lung section of the hospital when I saw a group of people all sitting outside one room. So many families who couldn’t celebrate the New Year at home because of loved ones in the hospital. I felt a boldness stir up inside me and I called them all together… and I preached the gospel to them! I spoke loud enough so that the patients inside could hear me too! Then, I went in and started to pray for them one by one.

The first patient was a 23^rd year old guy, Andy. The doctors told him they couldn’t do anything more for him. He had been sick for 4 years. They said he had to go to Jakarta (the capital city) for treatment. His family didn’t have money for that and was in a desperate situation. After I shared Jesus with him and his mom I could see they were both really touched. I asked them “have you ever asked Jesus into your heart?” Even though they were from the Christian religion both said they hadn’t.. but wanted to. So I lead them to receive Jesus! It was beautifu and so I stayed to talk with them a few minutes. While I was still talking to them Andy took of his oxygen. “Why did you take that off?”  I asked surprised. “It’s not hard to breathe anymore” He answered matter of fact. I realized.. the miracle was already taking place! Praise God!

So.. I continued on to the other patients. So many of them not only wanted healing prayer but also to receive salvation through Jesus! Even the Muslim families too! We even got to share Jesus with a couple from the province of Aceh (where it is against the Muslim law to preach the gospel to them)!

As we went out to the parking lot I spent a few minutes reminding my students that anytime they want to they can do this kind of thing. There is a huge building right there, just full of people without hope we need us! It is so easy to bring hope to the hopeless… if we will just take a bit of time to do it.

Well… that was the end to 2011! And.. I am even more excited about 2012!! So many amazing plans! I’ll be sharing some of those with you next time..

For now I’ll leave you with this video… a look back at some of the highlights of 2011. God really did so much!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oAJk8lVvIuM

And.. I’m thankful for each and every one of you that also took part in all that we did here this past year.

Rejoice with me as you watch this video…!

Susan Joy

oh! and for Facebook users:

Hope this email finds you well!

Sorry it has been a while without an update. I just returned back to Indonesia after spending just over 2 weeks in Canada. It was a lot packed into a few weeks and a great time! I taught Book of Acts and Evangelism in World Impact Bible Institute in Toronto.. and enjoyed it thoroughly! The students there were amazing! They came back everyday with testimonies of how they had shared Jesus and prayed with their families, co-workers, people they met on the bus, in hospitals, etc.

Now I am back and today started teaching my own students here in Indonesia! This year God sent us just over 30 full time students.. and I couldn’t ask for any better ones! All of second year students continued on and are as excited as ever! And I can already see the potential in our first year students!

Coming back from Canada I am excited to get to train these new disciples even more as I teach in the school. I am also really excited about the many other areas of ministry we are planning before 2011 comes to an end!

Instead of me writing all of this update I thought I’d include 2 stories from 2 of our 2^nd year students:

Tiominar Manullang:

One day when I went back from SAC, one of my neighbor waited for me because we had an appointment to pray for a friend of her in Marta Friska Hospital. When we arrived there, I saw that lady was laying on her bed and her husband sat next to her, she just finished heart surgery and I also saw another lady on the other bed (there were two patients in that room), we started talking and I started tell them about the Gospel of Jesus, then we prayed together. Praise God just few days after, they both were allowed to go home even until now I still visit my neighbor’s friend regularly to share about Jesus, while the other lady already went back to her home town, and we just know that she already spent 1 month in that hospital but after she heard the Gospel of Jesus she got healed even she went back home earlier than my neighbor’s friend. Praise God.

Florita Marpaung:

A friend of mine in boarding house was sick hepatitis (caused by liver problem), she already stayed at home for 3 days, could not go for work or anything. Then i felt compassion of God came into my heart, i said to my friend to pray together, she was a bit curious to me because she saw that I’m not kind of religious person then i said “don’t look at me, just trust Jesus the healer”. We started singing then I laid my hand on her and pray, I said “all kind of sicknesses leave from this body, by Jesus stripes you have been healed”. Tomorrow morning my friend already woke up from her bed, she looks so good and ready to work again, while before she only stayed on bed and she planned if until 1 week she could not get healed, she will come back to her village, but praise God, Jesus show us His miracle.

Also.. I made an appearance on the tv show Encounter while I was in Canada. On this program I preach for 20 minutes on something interesting God revealed to me about the older son in the prodigal son story.

You can watch it on your Grace TV channel at these times:

Friday, Nov 11th          9:00PM

Saturday, Nov 12th      8:00AM

Sunday, Nov 13th        5:00AM

On online anytime:

http://gracetelevision.net/watch/55220

Be blessed always!!

susan joy

Last time I wrote I was just about to head out on a tour with some of my students… wow! So much happened on that.. and since that time! If I wrote about all that happened on tour alone… I could fill pages…

So… I will save your eyes and your time and just believe me when I tell you I can sum it all up in one word: AMAZING!

This past week could have also been described as that as well as I took a large step in taking our ministry further than ever before… by multiplying it!

I don’t think I will ever forget how I felt as I stood on the boat, waving goodbye, as we pulled away from the dock where my 6 graduates were standing (waving their hands off) as I leav them there to be missionaries for the year. I cannot even explain how happy, sad, excited, proud, wondering, and elated my heartfelt at that moment.

I was looking over the city as we sailed by.. I know it is a place that needs the gospel so badly. There is no doubt in my mind that those 6 new missionaries will make a great impact there! (in fact they have already begun to do so in their first 3 days there!)

I looked at that city and knew it was a place I could ordinarily never reach. Travel by train for 5 hours than another 4 by boat. How could I do anything long term and lasting there? But now.. there are 6 of me there.. well. Even better than me. There are 6 of Jesus’ disciples there now… bringing impact and the light where we never could have before!

As I stood in the doorway of the boat looking at their dock until I couldn’t see them anymore I knew in my heart this was the first time.. but I would do this many times again.. this is the first team of many!

I feel this may be one of the most effective things I have ever done here in Indonesia… and … I get to do it all over again as on Monday we will receive our new students!!  It is an amazing feeling to take this step.. but also a great responsibility. Your prayers and financial support are what we enable me to be able to keep this team going… and continue to prepare others to go out as well!

It’s time for the world to be saved… so.. what are we waiting for?? Let’s do it!!

Susan Joy Hoover

Pics below!
Nikmati! (enjoy!)

p.s. .. entering a very very busy time and big decisions… extra prayers appreciated! Thanks! J

moreeffectivethanever___2

It was great to see family and friends in North America (and all of you that I was able to meet). I am always amazed at how God supplies so many people who have a hear t to be a part of what we are doing here in Indonesia! Thank you!!

There are so many things planned for the next few months it is crazy!! Thankful that there is never a dull moment or nothing to do here.. There is a nation to be saved and God is providing lots of ways to do that!!

Right now I am at my school office to meet with a group of my students who will leave tomorrow to do a tour for a week around Sumatra with me! How exciting!! Please pray for us as we travel around the next week… and for even more of those who are called by God to come and join us at the school!

Here is a link of me being a guest on the talk show Encounter while I was in Canada. Enjoy more stories of some of the things I experienced in Indonesia this past year:

http://gracetelevision.net/watch/51177

Going on with Him,
Susan Joy

And so.. as my 11 second year students were ready to graduate and be sent out God reminded me not to think of them as being too small… because 11 graduates allowing God’s grace and limitless power (just as it was 2,000 years ago) work through them will have the same astonishing and incredible results!

I believe the workers we are training up in this Bible College are world changers… as I look on these 11 graduates I now no longer see them as my students. But I see them as co-labourers in the gospel work. Each one of them is involved in ministry and has found God’s calling on their life.. even some will be sent out as missionaries to start up new work in unreached areas!

God actually spoke to me during our school prayer day last month and reminded me that these were not my disciples, but His. And it was not me sending them out, but Him. Just as He sent out disciples to do great things 2,000 years ago… He also sends out these students!

I am incredibly excited for our graduates as they step out into all the things God has prepared for them. But also I am sad to see them go.. I will miss them very much as I’ve grown very close to them.

Pouring everything I am and have into these students on a daily basis has not always been easy. But seeing their lives change and knowing that they will bring a change to this nation that I never could, makes it so worthwhile.

I remember asking you to pray for some of them when they first started school 2 years ago.. like Mariani, who sold her possessions to come. God took care of her and she was able to stay the full two years. She has become quite a saleswoman and plans to use that to help her get into areas to do missions! Or do you remember Wiwin?  She came from a Muslim family that locked her in a room for two weeks so she couldn’t attend the school. Not only did she graduate, but her family was there to attend the service!

Thank you for your prayers and supports!! These “heroes” I wrote about two years ago… are now the new leaders of Indonesia!!

Below are some quotes of the students and pictures of our graduation last week… enjoy!

And…..
in case you haven’t heard…
I’m coming back to Canada… in 2 days!! (it really snuck up on me!)

If you’d like to meet me or speak at your church, etc. just let me know!

My schedule looks like this:

June 30^th – July 5^th: Rockford, Michigan Area
July 3^rd – preaching @ Bridgeway Community Church

July 6^th – July 11^th: St. Joseph’s Island Area
July 10^th – preaching @ Bruce Mines’s Weslyn Church

July 12^th- July 25^th: St. Catharines/Toronto Area
July 17^th – preaching @ Toronto International Celebration Church
July 24^th – visiting @ Niagara Celebration Church

July 26^th – Aug 1^st: Knoxville, NB Area

Very excited to visit and share all that God has been doing here that can never fit in these emails..!! haha..

Blessings overflowing and abounding in Christ,
Susan Joy

Yong An:

“It has been a tremendous year for me studying at SAC!… Yeah. I love this SAC! … You changed my life for sure.”

Samuel:

“SAC membuatku meninggalkan masa lalu dan berlari-lari pada panggilanNya.”

SAC (Celebration Bible College) made me leave my past and run towards His calling.

Felix:

“Pertama tama saya sangat bersyukur bisa sekolah di sac. Saya percaya bahwasanya sekolah ini dapat memberikan terobosan di dalam negeri ini. Banyak hal yang mengubahkan kehidupan saya.”

First of all I am so thankful I could go to school in SAC. I believe that this school will bring a breakthrough in this nation. So many things changed my life.

sendingoutdisciples____andwhatillbedoingin2days