[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd I heard the voice of the Lord saying, \u2018Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?\u2019 Then I said, \u2018Here I am! Send me.\u2019\u201d<\/b> \u2014\u00a0Isaiah 6:8 (ESV)<\/span> If you grab a coffee with David and Donna Hoover and hear their testimony, you might find yourself booking a mission trip flight before the conversation\u2019s over. The Hoovers\u2019 story is defined by the Lord\u2019s faithfulness and provision amid intense struggle, and consequently their trust and willingness to go where He leads.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Donna and David have been married for 19 years. Donna is a former technologist who performed and oversaw CTs and MRIs for Arkansas Children\u2019s Hospital, and David is a 767 Captain at FedEx. They met at a hot air balloon festival in Taylor, Mississippi, where they\u2019d attended separately with their respective groups of friends. David made his move and asked if she wanted to go on a motorcycle ride. Later, numbers were exchanged, and the rest is history\u2026in the making!<\/span><\/p>\n One of their favorite activities they used to do together was sailing. Many a time they\u2019d fly on down and rent a boat in the British Virgin Islands, which Donna dubs the \u201cDisneyland of sailing.\u201d The two have been attending Fellowship Bible Church together for roughly three years.<\/span><\/p>\n After nearly two decades of marriage, David reflects on what he admires about Donna. \u201cShe\u2019s funny, beautiful, a good friend, and she\u2019s been willing to follow me in things she wouldn\u2019t have necessarily chosen to do on her own.\u201d What he values most, though, is her presence. \u201cIf you\u2019ve been married for very long,\u201d he says, \u201cyou learn that it\u2019s not just one thing that makes a person special to you. It\u2019s a lot of little things put together. And over 20 years, that becomes, you know, the presence of the other person.\u201d The Hoovers\u2019 lives changed dramatically and permanently on November 18, 2020. Donna suffered a hemorrhagic stroke of the Middle Cerebral Artery (MCA), leaving her wheelchair-bound. Due to Covid restrictions, that meant there was a period\u00a0when he was not allowed to be with her in the hospital for large pockets of time \u2014\u00a0so, her presence is not something he ever takes for granted.<\/span><\/p>\n Coincidentally, the attribute of God dearest to Donna is <\/span>His<\/span><\/i> presence, \u201cthat He\u2019s always there\u2026 Like, in the morning, I wake up, I could talk to Him; or when I\u2019m [stressed out] or something, I can always talk to Him. He\u2019s always there.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n As for David, Donna says she most admires his courage and patience. \u201cI was always scared of anything. You know, \u2018I can\u2019t do that. I\u2019m too scared of that.\u2019 Scared of hot air balloons. Scared to sail. Scared of everything, I was scared of everything. I still am. I\u2019m scared of a lot of things. David\u2019s not scared of anything, or, that he doesn\u2019t show. So his courage to go do things; he kinda, he brought me out of \u2014 he brought me out of being scared\u2026 \u2018You can do it.\u2019… I started doing a lot of things I never would have done before.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Too, Donna is grateful for how David\u2019s commitment to her reminds her of the Gospel. \u201cI really never knew somebody that loved me, loved me just for me. And my parents loved me because they had to, they\u2019re my parents, you know\u2026 but David loved me just \u2018cause he chose to. So it kinda reminded me, it actually taught me a little bit more about the love of Christ, because He loved me, loved me no matter what. And even though I made some mistakes, He still loved me even after those mistakes.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_gallery gallery_ids=”27718,27717,27720,27719″ fullwidth=”on” module_class=”lwp-arrow-color” _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” width=”70%” max_width=”70%” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_gallery][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n Speaking of God\u2019s love, that\u2019s what resonates most with David about Him. \u201cWell, if it weren\u2019t for God\u2019s love, we would all fall short and have to pay the price of our lives. You know, our sins. Evil is born int<\/span>o the heart of man, unfortunately. And if you read the Bible as just a continuous letter, it\u2019s basically a description of how man falls short continuously. But God\u2019s grace, love, and mercy, is everlasting. His desire is for us to repent so that we can have eternal life with Him. So naturally, that\u2019s my favorite piece of it, because without His love, I\u2019m nothing.\u201d<\/p>\n It took maturing in his faith to come to that realization. David says he\u2019s been \u201cimmersed\u201d in the church his whole life. His grandfather was an elder in Tennessee, and his Christian high school actually met in a church when it first started out. He says that over time, though, he became distracted \u2014\u00a0consumed with his career. Unfortunately, that meant he\u2019d left his time at church and his walk with the Lord on the backburner.<\/span><\/p>\n God, in His mercy, brought David back to Himself soon after he married Donna. \u201c… I would say that that\u2019s when I really started, you know, a personal looking in and developing a real relationship, you know, with the Lord,\u201d he says. \u201cI feel very, you know, strongly that Fellowship has helped, you know, cultivate my relationship with the Lord.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Donna\u2019s faith journey shares similarities with her husband\u2019s. She grew up going to church with her family as well. When she was on her own, though, she found herself wandering in life.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n It wasn\u2019t until a providential encounter with a stranger that she was reminded of church. One day, she went to get the newspaper in her apartment complex. At the mailbox, she saw a gentleman in a suit and tie. She asked where he\u2019d been, and he replied: church. \u201cAnd I was like, \u2018Oh, yeah, I hadn\u2019t been to church in forever. I think I\u2019ll start going to church again.\u2019\u201d So began her return journey; and although she describes that later on she would experience another wayward period (as many of us do) where she treated her faith like a checklist and wasn\u2019t making the best choices, God in His grace continuously pursued her throughout her life.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n One of the ways He did so was by stirring her affections for missions.<\/span><\/p>\n Donna recalls the story of when a few of her good friends had gone to Guatemala. There, they met a woman whose hands were dry and brittle. She\u2019d never had lotion before. They told Donna that when they gave the woman lotion to try for the first time, she cried. That moved Donna and sparked a desire. Too, she\u2019d always loved the song \u201cHere I am, Lord,\u201d which was inspired by Isaiah 6:8. Donna says, \u201cThat always touched my heart to think, maybe, \u2018is it me?\u2019 That\u2019s actually what led me to want to do missions.\u201d She was willing and ready for whenever the time should come. \u201cI\u2019d always hear it and think, you know, I\u2019d always think, \u2018I\u2019ll go Lord, if you lead me\u2026\u2019\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n David\u2019s first brush with missions in 2016 \u2014 which led him to do several short-term trips in subsequent years \u2014\u00a0was the result of a simple invitation. A few of his coworkers at FedEx knew a woman who\u2019d saved up money to buy land and open a girls\u2019 home in Haiti. The home was facing some infrastructure issues, and his coworkers told her that Hoover was the man for the job. \u201cI\u2019ve always been the person that fixes things. I kind of grew up doing that. And, uh, put myself through college and flight training, doing construction work.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n He added that the request really opened his eyes to what the Lord might have for him. \u201cSo when they approached me about going, it really made me kind of look around and go, \u2018Hey, am I being called by God to go do something?\u2019 So naturally I was like, you know, ecstatic, because it was the first time that I\u2019d felt called.\u201d He says joining someone\u2019s effort to \u201cbe a light in the world\u201d was \u201ca real inspiration.\u201d He was blown away by the founder\u2019s vision and commitment, and He\u2019s since completed various projects for the campus as needed.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Once at Fellowship, David learned about a construction mission trip to Belize with World Gospel Outreach (WGO), an organization that facilitates medical, construction, and feeding outreaches, as well as the spreading of the Gospel, in both Belize and Honduras. <\/span>David says that Belize has now \u201cbecome, you know, what I feel like is my personal mission.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n But life as they knew it was harshly interrupted in 2020. After the stroke, the doctors had to temporarily remove 50% of Donna\u2019s skull, as well as keep her sedated for approximately a month and a half, to prevent her brain from swelling and bursting against it. They would wake her once a day for tests. In total, Donna was in the hospital for three months for recovery.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n For the first month and a half, David was only allowed in for two hours a day. Morning or afternoon visitation. \u201cIt was awful,\u201d Donna says. The recovery and physical therapy process was long and grueling. Meanwhile, David hit the ground running on remodeling the home to be accessible for Donna for when she returned. His skills as a handyman were an extension of God\u2019s provision, since they\u2019d lost all of Donna\u2019s income, plus half of his. You see, David dropped flying trips in order to spend more time with Donna. Not only that, but also, they eventually hired a full-time caregiver, Alana, to assist David.<\/span><\/p>\n Even still, the Lord continuously provided.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201c… there\u2019s been a couple of times when I didn\u2019t know how I was going to pay a bill, and the money would show up,\u201d David says. One example comes from when he was able to buy back his vacation time at <\/span>a 1.5 rate<\/span>. Another occurred after the Little Rock tornado in March of 2023. Since it proved difficult to get ahold of his insurance provider during that time, David wasted no time. He got right to work sawing and removing a tree from his roof \u2014\u00a0and then began repairing it! Not only that, he also cleared the street of a tree that had taken out a telephone poll. Once the adjuster came out, David ended up receiving compensation for the work he completed on his house.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The Hoovers also describe Alana as a \u201ctotal God-send.\u201d If Donna can\u2019t find Alana, she knows where she is \u2014\u00a0back in her room, reading the Bible. Donna says she\u2019s a wise sounding board who always points her back to the Lord whenever she gets stressed or anxious. \u201cShe\u2019s been really good to me.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Three years post-stroke, the Hoovers have found a new normal and rhythm for their lives, and Donna revisited the topic of missions. The couple approached Fellowship\u2019s missions team about their desire, as well as their concerns, for Donna to go. Since the Belize trip\u2019s purpose was construction, she asked, \u201c\u2018what in the world can I do for construction?\u2019\u201d Pastor of Missions Rick Everswick replied, \u201c\u2018Well just pray, Donna. Pray and talk to people.\u2019\u201d Donna thought, \u201c\u2018Well, I can do that!\u2019\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Against the odds, in May of 2023, the Hoovers went to Belize.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Even though Alana was unable to accompany them, they decided that since the Lord had been so faithful to provide throughout Donna\u2019s recovery, they would just go and trust Him. Donna had fears and concerns, to be sure, but in spite of all that, they went.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n David says that the trip down there showed him how much progress Donna had made since 2020. \u201cDonna has flown three times since the stroke. And it was a real, you know, refresher for me, because I\u2019ve been with her each time. Things that you see each day, you don\u2019t notice as much progress,\u201d he explains. \u201cBut when you do something once a year or once every six months, you can see a difference in the amount of strength and speed, you know, the ease at which it happens. So she was able to, you know, get on and off the airplane pretty easy this time, which was really, really nice.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n The Hoovers were also touched by the servant-heartedness of their trip companions to help Donna maneuver the city, carrying her in her wheelchair up staircases and the like. \u201cWithout the Lord and those people, the Lord working through those people, I couldn\u2019t have made it,\u201d Donna says.<\/span><\/p>\n The trip itself was lifegiving. For Donna, one highlight was sitting and talking with the kiddos who would come up to her and eat their lunch at recess. A moment that stood out in particular happened during a classroom visit. She recited Psalm 118:24, \u201cThis is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.\u201d Without skipping a beat, the teacher snapped, and the children started singing \u201cThis Is the Day That the Lord Has Made\u201d in unison.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Donna also experienced a shift in her walk with the Lord. It was, of course, no coincidence that this occurred in an area known as the Valley of Peace. \u201cWe had a service there at their church one night\u2026 I hate to say it, but\u2026 I don\u2019t think that I felt the Holy Spirit in a long time. I really felt when we were in that service, and the people were singing and dancing and, you know, clapping their hands. And I really felt the Holy Spirit in that building.\u201d The fact that that service helped his wife\u2019s faith feel \u201cfilled\u201d when it had been \u201crunning low\u201d was incredibly uplifting and encouraging for David as well.<\/span><\/p>\n For his part, he was able to continue using his construction skills and expertise to bless the people there. The work primarily consisted of pouring and building concrete sidewalks for a local elementary school, which has several hundred students. Without sidewalks and proper shoes, it becomes difficult for the students to walk to their different buildings during the rainy season.<\/span><\/p>\n On David\u2019s first trip to Belize in 2018, he and his team began construction work on a church in the Valley of Peace. Five years later, in May of 2023, the Hoovers and the team led vacation Bible school in that very same church. In spite of COVID and other difficulties, it was completed. \u201cAnd that was the highlight for me, you know,\u201d David recalls.<\/span><\/p>\n Of course, meeting those physical needs is critically important, as emphasized in James 2:16\u201317 (ESV): \u201cIf a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, \u2018Go in peace, be warmed and filled,\u2019 without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that?\u201d Of paramount importance, though \u2014\u00a0and what meeting felt needs is meant to pave the way for \u2014\u00a0is sharing the Gospel. \u201cIt is our goal for everything we do to be done with the objective of building the Kingdom,\u201d says <\/span>Mike Ferguson, Executive Director and Chair of the WGO Board<\/span>. \u201cAlthough we are still re-building our teams from the devastating impact of Covid, we have seen our Serve Teams begin to grow back. In both Honduras and Belize, we saw over 1,000 first-time decisions for Christ.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_gallery gallery_ids=”27736,27737,27738,27739,27740,27741,27742,27743,27744,27745″ fullwidth=”on” module_class=”lwp-arrow-color” _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” width=”70%” max_width=”70%” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_gallery][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]Donna says that after coming home, she\u2019s felt much better in the day-to-day. Between the enormous blessing of her full-time caretaker and profound impact of the Belize mission trip, she says her relationship with the Lord has been made stronger. \u201cSeeing how faithful they are with the little that they have, seeing how faithful they are. It\u2019s encouraged me to remind me what I do have.\u201d She adds, \u201cI might not be able to walk, but I have a whole lot of other things to be thankful for.\u201d God willing, the Hoovers plan to be back in Belize in May of next year. As David puts it, \u201cthe Lord is at work in Belize. There\u2019s no doubt.<\/span><\/p>\n In light of her experience, Donna offers a word of encouragement to believers who may be reticent about mission trips or are putting the idea off in their minds: \u201cDo it now. Don\u2019t wait and think, \u2018I\u2019ll do it next year.\u2019 That\u2019s what I found with this stroke, if you think, because I was laying on my couch that afternoon, and I thought, \u2018I\u2019ll go walk the dog, as soon as…\u2019 \u2014 I\u2019d had a headache, and I thought \u2014 \u2018As soon as this headache goes away, I\u2019m gonna go walk the dog.\u2019 That never happened. Don\u2019t think, \u2018I\u2019ll go on a mission trip next year.\u2019 \u2018I’ll go on a mission trip in two years,\u2019 because you never know if you\u2019re going to have a year or two years. You never know what\u2019s going to happen.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI remember when Donna came in and mentioned she wanted to go. I was truly humbled by her obedience and trusting the Lord to use her,\u201d Rick says. \u201cIt\u2019s easy to find reasons we can\u2019t go, but Donna\u2019s story reminded me what God can do with someone surrendered to Him.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cAnd I heard the voice of the Lord saying, \u2018Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?\u2019 Then I said, \u2018Here I am! Send me.\u2019\u201d<\/b> \u2014\u00a0Isaiah 6:8 (ESV)<\/span>[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section]<\/p>\n","protected":false,"gt_translate_keys":[{"key":"rendered","format":"html"}]},"excerpt":{"rendered":" \u201cAnd I heard the voice of the Lord saying, \u2018Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?\u2019 Then I said, \u2018Here I am! Send me.\u2019\u201d \u2014\u00a0Isaiah 6:8 (ESV) If you grab a coffee with David and Donna Hoover and hear their testimony, you might find yourself booking a mission trip flight before the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false,"gt_translate_keys":[{"key":"rendered","format":"html"}]},"author":16,"featured_media":27721,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","wds_primary_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[494],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-27714","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-written"],"acf":[],"gt_translate_keys":[{"key":"link","format":"url"}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fellowshipar.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27714","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fellowshipar.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fellowshipar.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fellowshipar.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/16"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fellowshipar.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=27714"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.fellowshipar.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27714\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fellowshipar.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/27721"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fellowshipar.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=27714"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fellowshipar.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=27714"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fellowshipar.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=27714"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
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