The past year
has been a huge blessing. Upon entering the doors of The Center Church PR, in
Dorado, PR, we knew that the Lord had led us there. The Holy Spirit filled us
and we knew that CCPR was to be our church home while on the island. As we continued
to attend service and serve in multiple areas we were asked to join the
leadership team at CCPR. After praying about this and seeking what the Lord
would have us do we accepted the invitation. Over the past year we have been
blessed to serve in multiple avenues at CCPR. Our family has helped host a 70
person mission team from Tennessee, served at outreach events, served in
children’s ministry, served Pastor Efren in facilities duties and we have
worked with Pastor Efren and Monica to implement a duplicatable leadership and
discipleship process at CCPR. We are
very excited that on Saturday January 23rd I will be facilitating
the leadership team at CCPR through a course called Rooted. This is a program
that Jennifer and I have gone through and led at Ridge Point Community Church.
Which was our home church for 12 years in Michigan. It had such an impact in
our lives we had the desire to see others experience what the Lord does through
this course. Rooted PR will be an 8 week course based on leadership and
discipleship. The goal is to duplicate this into multiple small groups. There
is much more that CCPR will be doing over the next year to focus on
discipleship and spreading the gospel message. Rooted is just the beginning of
an amazing 2016 year at CCPR. Both Jennifer and myself feel extremely blessed
to be entrusted with the leadership of CCPR as we take them through Rooted, and
we are excited to see God do amazing things through them.
With all this
being said, the Lord has been speaking to Jennifer and myself and has opened
doors for us that we have been praying for over the past year. Over the past year the Lord has allowed us to
build relationships with many people. We knew when we moved here that
discipleship was our main focus but we did not know exactly what this looked
like. Do we work exclusively with one
church? Do we work with multiple churches? Do we even work with a church? Do we
start our own ministry? These are all questions and prayers that we have had
over the past year. During the past 5 months or so the vision of what the Lord
has called us to do has gotten clearer and clearer almost by the day. It all
goes back to what the Lord spoke to me while I was here in Puerto Rico in July
of 2014. I was asking God what our ministry was to look like here. His answer
was that we were to do ministry just as Jesus did ministry. Jesus did not have
a ministry. He WAS the ministry. Jesus walked this earth and taught his
disciples that their life was to be their ministry. Not ministry their life. At
first this was hard for us to understand. But, as time has gone by we are
seeing what that really means. When Jesus is your all, your life is a
reflection of Jesus all the time. Not just in “ministry” but in everyday life.
But what did this mean for us? We are
still not fully clear as I do not think we ever will be, and that’s not a bad
thing. We started to realize that the type of ministry the Lord had called us
to did not allow for us to be doing ministry under only one roof or under only
one church. We have been called not only to serve our local church body, but to
also reach out to those in other churches and those not even going to church.
To build relationships and do ministry with people from multiple bodies for the
purpose of what Jesus prays in John 17. This was a difficult concept to take
in, but we could already see how God was allowing us to do this. Who are we to help create unity among the
Church? But, if God has called us then we will listen knowing He will equip us.
So, after much prayer, conversations and counseling we have made the decision to
open up a spot on the Leadership team at CCPR for someone who has been called
to specifically help CCPR fulfill their mission that the Lord has given
them. By our stepping down this will
allow us not only to minister and serve at CCPR, but this will open up new
doors for us to minister in ways that CCPR has not been called to do. Doors
have already started to open and we are so excited to see God move and change
lives. As for who we will be held accountable to, that will be “In His Presence
Worship Center”. This is the church and Pastor that I am ordained under and
have been counseling with over the past year. When we left Michigan we technically
were not under an sort of accountability. We had the Support of Seven Hills
church, but that was about all. As we got more involved with CCPR they became our
accountability by default. By coming fully under In His Presence Worship, they will become the
church we are help accountable to as well as the church we will represent as
missionaries. Pastor Georges calling gives us the freedom to do what we have
been called to do in fulfilling the Great Commissions. We feel this is a huge
step in the right direction as God continues to lead us.
The girl’s
home we have been working with will open back up in February and we will start
working there as soon as they open. There has been a lot of work done there
over the past couple months and we are praying that the home will gain
occupancy very soon. We have recently had conversations with Danica from 4 HEARTS,
which is the organization we’re working with at the home, about what a
partnership with them may look like concerning having a discipleship training
through the 4 HEARTS ministry. We also have been helping them put together
their missions, vision and purpose statements.
We now have
had two house gatherings at a family’s home that we met through Blake’s
football team. Jacob, a young man I have been mentoring has also been coming with
us. We have been studying and learning from Pastor Britton from Moran Park
Church in Michigan. It’s a concept for spreading the gospel through house
gatherings/house churches. These are not intended to lead people away from
their church gathering but actually just the opposite. These are intended to
lead people to Jesus and train them how to disciple, so in whatever church body
they belong to they will be equipped to go and make disciples. The fruit we
have seen over the past couple weeks is astonishing! The Holy Spirit is working
in many lives!
With the
coming of this change also comes the necessity to change our support avenue.
Currently all tax deductible support is sent to CCPR, as Pastor Efren and his
leadership has been gracious in allowing us to use CCPR as our support avenue
thus far.
As of March 1st 2016 all tax deductible
support should be sent to:
(PLEASE DO NOT
SEND SUPPORT TO THIS ADDRESS PRIOR TO MARCH 1ST.
YOU CAN CONTIUE TO
SEND TO CCPR UP UNTIL MARCH 1ST)
In His Presence Worship Center
134 Zachary DR.
Carrollton, GA. 30117
Checks should be made out to:
In His Presence Worship Center
In the memo line write: John Hoogeveen/Puerto Rico
On a more
personal note. The kids are getting involved with so much here. Blake has
started his second season of American Football, he is starting on the varsity
team at Defensive Back and Tight End. Dallas
is starting her second play at the theater class at the local library and Bridger
has joined Boy Scouts and loves it. We have also joined a new homeschool group
which the kids really enjoy. They are doing a play through the homeschool group
as well as helping out at a farm. Blake and Dallas continue to be involved with
the Youth Group at CCPR. All three are making new friends and are being invited
over to their homes and vice versa. They all have adjusted very well and are
enjoying their island life.
Jennifer has
also been busy. She continues to run and has joined a running group with some
friends. This a great time for her just to hang out and be with the girls. She
is training for the San Juan Marathon in March. The Lord has given Jennifer a
nitch, and that is watching over children. She is a nanny for a family, who believe
it or not is from Holland, MI. She also babysits for several other families and
continues to clean a couple homes. I graduated from Liberty University this
past December with my AA in Religion and have started my BS in Evangelism/Church
Planting. We also have the island guiding that we do as a small income. We
recently took a family from Canada to the Indian Caves and some waterfalls. This not only gives us an opportunity to do
fun things while making a little money, it gives us the opportunity to share
why we are here and about Jesus. People always ask why we are here.
We thank you
for all you support and constant prayers as we could not do this without them.
Please follow us on our Facebook page, Matthew 28 Missions. As this is where
the most frequent updates are given. You can also follow our blog at, www.matthew28missions.blogspot.com.
In Christ,
John, Jennifer, Blake, Dallas and Bridger Hoogeveen
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