September 2025 life and ministry update

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The past few months have brought many challenges for our family, but through the difficulties, God's love, grace and provision has been ever present and a true source of comfort. We are so grateful for all the
support and encouragement we have been receiving over the weeks from our sweet family in Christ both near and far. 
One of Brandon's doctors from San Jose 
came to visit our church this month







In the month of June we had an emergency hospital visit for Samantha, and as many of you know, In the month of July, while finishing his sermon preparation, Brandon felt a pain in his neck that quickly escalated to unbearable. After a few weeks of pain management and doctor visits as we sorted things out with our insurance, he had a cervical fusion surgery done on August 6th. The herniated disk had been pinching a nerve in his left arm, and he is continuing to regain his strength and mobility since the operation. We are happy to report a great follow-up appointment with Brandon's surgeons! They are very happy with his progress so far and he is feeling better every day as he continues to heal and recover. We were also relieved to hear from our insurance that operation and hospital costs will be covered/refunded. Thank you to everyone who so generously helped financially as we navigated these costs along with travel, lodging and other expenses over his hospital visits. As we reflect back on the health struggles we have both faced over the last few months, we continue to be blown away by the love and support we have received from so many people who love us so well - Thank you! 


One of the many lessons that we have been reminded of over the past few months is that God truly is in control of everything. It can be easy to put life on cruise-control and find our dependency in ourselves and our abilities (that have been given to us by God). In the midst of these difficult times, He has never left our side. The Lord used a handful of people to be reminded of these truths during these trials, and we continue to praise him for the community around us. Psalm 46 is one of the passages that has been of great comfort in the last few months.

Mars Hill Community church group with the men's Bible study group

We have also been reflecting on all that we have been able to be a part of recently here at Semillas de Vida, and are so excited to see all the growth that is happening within the ministry! The month of June was especially encouraging as two different groups from churches in the States came eager to serve the church and share Christ's love through their service. A team from Mars Hill Community Church in Georgia, and a team from Berean Baptist Church in Michigan came to serve through work projects, sharing testimonies, children's activities, and more. It is always a privilege to welcome and interact with those with a common passion for the Gospel and a willingness to serve the global church through these missions trips. We praise God for the opportunity to host these teams at our church, and for their encouragement to us and the ministry! 

We are so grateful for our faithful and generous team of supporters. If you are interested in learning more about giving financially to our ministry, please feel free to contact us at bhoover18@gmail.com. Or visit this link to give online.

Samantha's parents visited for a week in August

Samantha's sister LeAnn and friend Emma 
came to visit in August

Our friend Adolfo was Married in 
July!




Preschool Sunday school class

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