October 21, 2025
Susan Hoover
Dear family and friends,
Writing the date on the subject line -- October 21. From now on, every year we will have a birthday in our family on this date! Our son Stanley and Sara were blessed with a baby boy this morning. His name is Jonathan Wesley and he weighed 8 lb 1 oz. Just one ounce less than his daddy weighed at birth! We now have 16 grandchildren -- seven girls and nine boys. What a gift -- a heritage from the Lord! This is Stanley and Sara's fourth child, third son.
Peter and I had another trip to Villarrica today. We left here around 7:00 and once again, enjoyed the drive. Doing the little bit of business didn't take long. Then we drove around town a bit, to the old train station, which is no longer in use, but the historic buildings are still there, as well as an old sugar mill and other interesting, ancient buildings. Peter went off exploring for awhile, while I sat in the car relaxing, meditating, and listening to music. Enjoying the swaying of the tall trees in the wind, the pretty wispy clouds in the blue sky, and just creation in general. Evidences of God and His wondrous design in creation, everywhere one turns his eyes, call for worship!
We got home again exactly in time for lunch here at the Home. We had a delicious dinner of roast chicken and potatoes, and salad. We were glad we had made it back in time! Hein and Tina were here as well, and Tina had done the daily laundry since I was gone all morning. She was also very busy finding clothes for a new resident that just arrived here yesterday, and marking them with his name. They left for home around mid-afternoon. I folded all the laundry, plus did our own laundry yet too. It was windy and sunny, and everything dried fast.
We needed to go to the hospital and pick up a document there, so I got to have a peek at our new grandson! And hold him, too! So new and precious, fresh from the hand of God. Our daughter Maria happened to be in the room to visit as well, so I also got to see and hold our granddaughter Abigail who is six months old. She is a petite little miss, so cute and sweet too!
Needless to say that was the highlight of the day for me! What a joy it brought to my heart.
We've been pretty busy here at the Home. Seems there is always something to do. Helping the old people, or just simply talking with them or listening to them. Helping them to bed in the evenings. Since we know them better and they know us too, they love it when we take time to tuck them in at night and pray with them. It makes them feel loved and cared for. I've come to really enjoy "my ladies" as I call them! Tonight Nancy said she was feeling pretty bad, something about her chest. So I prayed with her, then Librada, who was sitting nearby, said, "Pray with me, too." So of course, I did. Nancy used to really giggle when she saw me praying with Carmen and Neka, but she doesn't anymore. She likes it now. She has really changed since she came here. The abuse she has suffered caused her to not talk, when she first came. Now she is friendly and talkative. She is actually quite young, not even 40 yet, and very fit. She loves to work. In the evenings she'll take the broom and sweep the whole huge area where the residents eat their meals. Sometimes she washes her clothes by hand, just because she wants to. Her bed is always very nicely and neatly in order.
We enjoyed helping Billy and Christina Buehler celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary on Saturday evening, Oct 11. We had received a formal invitation -- they make it a big deal almost like the wedding itself! When we got to the church house, there were already quite a few people milling around. There were lots of tables set up on the church lawn, where supper would be eaten later. Round tables that seat six people, and all the tables covered with white tablecloths. It was all very attractively set up! The service consisted of singing, a short sermon by Bennie Bergen (elder) and then some special singing by a few groups. One group was the Buehler daughters and daughters-in-law (they have three married children already). Billy is a teacher at the Missionsgemeinde school, and his class of children (5th and 6th graders) sang a song as well. It was all very well done and enjoyable! Afterwards, we all had a delicious supper, outside. It was such a beautiful evening -- warm and with a soft breeze.
The very next morning we were back at the same meeting house, and it was literally pouring rain! The lawn where we had sat the evening before, enjoying our supper, had turned into a lake. What a blessing to have had a dry evening the night before!
Oct 22. Today is another windy day! I hadn't realized that Paraguay has so much wind. The sheets and blankets that we've hung out to dry, are straining at the pegs and threatening to fly away! At least they will dry fast and won't need to be out there very long.
Just a few fun facts, or interesting ones anyway, about the elder Bennie Bergen of the Missionsgemeinde. He is my second cousin, on the Wiebe side. We enjoyed a visit in their home a few weeks ago. We got to talking about our parents and he mentioned that his mother had died two years ago in June. I said my mother also died two years ago in June. It so happened that his mother and my mother passed away the very same day! June 19, 2023.
Now for a health report. I've been writing about my knees and how we had the MRI done about two weeks ago, etc. The scan showed torn ligaments and torn meniscus, on both knees. The torn meniscus is what causes that sharp, needle-like pain. Fortunately I don't have it all the time, but when I do, it makes walking very difficult. I maneuver my knee around and try to shift the position of whatever is poking, and it works sometimes. Anyway, the upshot of it all is that I am to have surgery on both knees. Not replacement surgery, thank God!! But they will remove the torn meniscus. Dr Heinrichs said that once a mensicus is no longer doing its job, it may as well come out. Apparently they've often done this with professional football players, who have damaged knees and a torn meniscus because of their playing. We have met with the surgeon, Dr Carlos Wiens, and his helper will be our own doctor Franz Heinrichs. I am scheduled for surgery on November 11, for my right knee which is the one that has been bothering a lot lately. A month or six weeks later, the other one will be done. I am so thankful that this surgery can be done right here in Luz y Vida, our local hospital in Campo 9. And, of course, I am also looking forward to, hopefully, having less pain in my knees! I know I will still have to deal with the arthritis, but if we can at least eliminate a great part of the pain, I will be so grateful.
Well here it is several days later. It is the 23rd now, and since our wifi was again off for more than a day, I have not been able to send any mail. But now today it is working again! So I will try to get this done and sent off.
God continues to care for us in ways that we cannot explain or imagine. He has kept all His promises! Never to leave us alone or to fail us. We have never walked this path of life alone. Humans have failed us, some majorly, but God never has. Never once, as the song says! I love that song, it is so true. "You are faithful, God, You are faithful!!"
And God uses people. People who have a willing spirit and a caring heart, and an obedient attitude. Can God use you, and me? Let's strive to be the kind of people that will answer "Here I am, Lord. What can I do for You?"
With that, I will close. May God's blessing rest upon each one.
Because He lives,
Susan for the Hoovers