Community send-off planned for Hovda family

photo by Karen Donato
LEAVING FOR SERBIA — Paul and Jody Hovda and their children will be guests at a Commissioning Service, Saturday, Feb. 4 at 3 p.m. at the Littleton Baptist Church. They leave for Serbia the following day to minister and give support to an existing Protestant Church. From left, seated, Paul and son, Donovan. Standing, Catherine with her mother, Jody.
By Karen Donato
Special to the Pioneer Times
    LITTLETON — Paul and Jody Miller Hovda and their children, Catherine and Donovan will be guests at the Littleton Baptist Church on Saturday, Feb. 4 at a Commissioning Service at 3 p.m. with a reception to follow. The event is open to the public and everyone is welcome. The Hovdas will leave the following day for Serbia, a country located at the crossroads of central and southern Europe. They are affiliated with Church Resource Ministries based in Anaheim, Calif. and act as a resource for existing churches by lending support in a variety of ways.
    Jody grew up in Littleton, the daughter of Gerry and Becky Miller. After graduating from Houlton High School, she furthered her education at Gordon College in Massachusetts. In 1988, during her sophomore year, she traveled to Santa Barbara, Calif. as an exchange student for a semester at Westmont College. It was there she met her future husband, Paul. They laugh as they recall their initial meeting at ‘the bar’; salad bar that is, in the school cafeteria. Jody kept looking at Paul who reminded her of her younger brother, Matthew. She finally had to explain to him why she kept staring and that was the beginning of their life together.
    The couple became engaged that summer and married a year later. With a degree in physics Paul made the move to the East Coast, working as an information technologist, assisting companies with their computer systems, while Jody completed her last two years of college.
    Although ministry was not part of his college focus it was becoming very prominent in Paul’s life. He had participated in several mission trips to foreign countries as a member of school soccer teams and it was through those experiences that he realized he was being drawn in that direction and with his marriage to Jody it seemed the pieces for the future were being put in place.
    Paul also has musical talent. His mother, Maureen began teaching him to play the piano at age 3 and he later added guitar and bass to the list. He is also a vocalist.
    Following Jody’s graduation their careers took them to San Diego where they welcomed their first child, Benjamin. After a short time they moved on to Nashville, where they were instrumental in the building of a new church. While living in the South they welcomed a daughter, Catherine.
    In 2000, they accepted their first calling beyond the borders of the United States and moved to Caracas, Venezuela.
    “It was an overwhelming move,” said Paul, “especially for Jody who had grown up in a small community of less than 1,000 residents. We were thrust into a city of six million people, who spoke a foreign language and we had so much to learn.”
    The Hovdas spent eight years there and added another son, Donovan, who is now 6. While living in Venezuela, Jody supported Paul with church activities and also home-schooled their children.
    During their time in South America, Paul noted how much Jody missed this area and her family. When their mission was completed they decided to take a break and come home to Littleton. During their three years in the greater Houlton community, they have either lived with Jody’s parents or house sat several properties.
    Paul said, “We feel like the luckiest homeless people anywhere.”
    “It has been wonderful for our children to have the gift of knowing their great-grandparents, Nan and Arnold Miller, both Paul’s and my parents and extended family members,” said Jody. “Upon arriving here in October of 2008, we celebrated four family birthdays, Thanksgiving and Christmas.” she said. “It was so much fun. I got to make birthday cakes; we took our kids out to cut a Christmas tree and made our traditional oyster stew on Christmas Eve.”
    Paul, too, agreed that being here at this time has been very special.
    “Many families who are in the ministry and living in foreign countries,” said Paul, “miss out on building a relationship with their relatives. Our move here was a perfect opportunity for our three children to develop that special bond with two generations of grandparents. They also cultivated new friendships while attending Greater Houlton Christian Academy. Our daughter, Catherine has participated in three Houlton Star Bright Theatre productions, which was a great experience for her.”
    “I feel more a part of this area now,” said Paul, “and I have met and made many friends since I have been here. We are so thankful that the community welcomed us in.”
    Paul grew up in the suburbs of Santa Barbara, which is nothing like Aroostook County. Since he left California, his parents have moved to Indiana, so he did not have a familiar home to go back to. His ties now with the Houlton area have become even more significant.
    Jody said that now, rather than Paul being connected through the Millers, he has his own identity. Since he has been here, he took a pastorate at the Oakfield Baptist Church for a year and a half, worked at Aroostook Produce and taught Spanish at the GHCA.
    The Hovdas knew in time they would leave again to minister to others. In the winter of 2009 they traveled to Scotland thinking that may be their next home, but even though they loved the area something did not seem right. Then in the summer of 2010 while at a conference in Malaysia they reconnected with some Serbian pastors and the seed was planted that has led them to their next home.
    The Hovdas visited their new community of Novi Sad which means ‘new plantation’ earlier this year. Jody described the landscape as agricultural, similar to Maine, but with large fields of sunflowers and other crops. The soil is rich and dark.
    While Paul is focusing on the Serbian church ministry Jody will be home-schooling Catherine and Donovan and continuing her role as a representative who supports women who serve overseas that are from the C.R.M. ministry. She supervises one such group in South Africa. Having the availability to ‘skype’, she can keep abreast of their needs without traveling as often. She has had the opportunity to visit the country which she describes as very humbling for a girl from a little Maine town.
    The challenges ahead are many, including leaving their son, Ben at LeTourneau University in Texas; learning a new language, new customs, and being thrust into a foreign land without family and familiar friends, but through their faith they know things will fall into place with God’s help. They look forward to partnering with the Serbian pastors and their new congregation while linking their faith, love and the support of people from home.
    The Hovdas receive support for their work from many individuals, several Maine churches and Paul’s home church in Santa Barbara. If you would like to help assist this family and their mission, please make your check payable to C.R.M. with the Paul Hovda family noted in the memo line and send your donation to: C.R.M. 1240 N. Lakeview Avenue, Suite 120, Anaheim, CA 92807.