August 20, 2025
Susan Hoover
Dear family and friends,
Greetings again in the Name of our Redeemer, Jesus Christ.
In my morning quiet times I've been doing a study of Psalm 139, with some guidance from an online Bible app with study plans. I am enjoying it so much, and it has really increased my awe and wonder of who God really is! His wisdom, understanding, and foreknowledge are incomprehensible! How can we help but fall at His feet and worship Him for His greatness, glory, and majesty, and say with the multitudes in the heavenlies, "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come!" Who can compare to Him? None, of course.
We continue to work here at the Hogar Esperanza on a daily basis. And are enjoying it, even though it makes us weary by evening! The physical is a bit difficult at times, but the mental and emotional also enters in and adds to the stress. But God's grace is always sufficient for every need! He has been faithful. The idea was, when we were asked to come, that we would spend five days a week here, and two days a week we would be free to go spend the day with our children. But since that has not happened, we are basically just here every day, since we live right here. We do go away on Sundays, and even if we are at home Sunday afternoon, we keep to ourselves most of the time. We need the break! We enjoy spending time together too. There is always plenty to discuss, and lots to pray about. It is a time of deep reflection, and of drawing closer to the Lord. We love Him, trust Him, and believe in Him, and we know He loves us and cares for us. He has, after all, promised never to leave us nor forsake us.
We enjoy when visitors come. Hein and Tina returned from Bolivia on Saturday, and on Sunday afternoon they showed up here to visit! Also Hein's sister Betty Janzen, who is 93 years old and still fairly spry (she lives at Tres Palmas), was here, along with her son Johnny and his wife, and another couple, from Asuncion. We enjoyed them all immensely, and it was a pleasant change of routine!
Monday it was good to have Hein and Tina here again to work. Things go better when Hein is here to oversee things.
One day Ramona, one of the newer residents, ran away. How she managed it, no one knows, but by the time anyone knew she was missing, she was already in Campo 9, at the house of a niece of hers. She could not possibly have walked that far, so we figure someone picked her up, somehow. Peter and I were in town that day running errands, and we got a message from Joel, a nurse here, that Ramona was gone and could we please pick her up and bring her back? Supposedly she was in such and such a house. Well, we sought in that area, but no one knew anything of her whereabouts. Roberto and the nurse, Angelica, came to help in the search, but we got no results. We all came back home without her. Somehow there was some contact with her, and we made plans to bring her back on Monday. However, this has been over a week ago, and she is still not here. She did not want to be here, so I imagine she will not be back. Her clothes are still here. I guess they are replaceable!
Elsa has also gone back to her home -- she was not happy here and so her son came and picked her up again. So right now we have 23 residents here. Five ladies, and 18 men.
Carmen spent most of the past week in the hospital (Vida Sana.) She has a skin problem on her legs and feet, it seemed to be infected, scaly, bleeding, and one foot was quite swollen. We are thankful to have her back with us again! Peter and I were happy for the opportunity to visit her one day when she was in the hospital, when we were in town anyway.
Peter has been losing his eyesight lately. Five years ago, he had laser surgery on both eyes, the way they do cataract surgery nowadays. They actually took out the natural lens of the eye, and put in an artificial lens. (The wonders of modern technology!) It worked really well and he could see super well, didn't even need glasses anymore except for reading and other close-up things. It was fine until just recently he remarked that he isn't seeing things clearly anymore. It so happens that on Friday of this week, a team of specialists from a program called Vision, from Asuncion, is coming to a local hospital here to check the eyes of the elderly. Joel, a nurse from here at the Home, has made arrangements for Peter to go and have his eyes checked, to see if the problem can be remedied. (They do eye surgeries of the same type, apparently.) Francisco Gil, one of the residents here (81 years old) is going with us to be checked as well. We've been really praying about this problem with Peter's eyes, and if anyone of you finds it in your heart to join us in praying for this need, we bless you in doing so! All things work together for good to those who love God, and He knows all about this, including the outcome. May His will be done.
Last week, on our daughter Stefania's birthday, Peter and I surprised her at the coffee shop and brought her a bouquet of flowers! We had a nice little visit, and had delicious coffee and hot chocolate, and even some apple pie bar. Special moments!
Today dear brother Antonio, one of our residents, was weeping when he brought his clothes to the laundry after his shower. He clasped my hand and told me he was able to talk to his daughter on the phone, for the first time in 40 years! He used to be a very wicked man, but has gotten converted and baptized since he is here at the Home. But his family still rejected him and refused to have contact with him. Until today! I couldn't help but weep with him! Sometimes life seems just too painful, but then God in His mercy sends a ray of joy from somewhere ... and we gather fresh courage and go on! "The joy of the Lord is your strength"!
This afternoon Peter and I drove to the Sommerfeld co-op store. It was a nice little drive together. Then we came home and folded all the laundry that we had hung on the lines this morning. And so that was our day! We had some rain yesterday and during the night as well.
And that is the end of the story for this time. Let's keep our eyes fixed on Jesus!
Because of Him,
Susan for the Hoovers