Transforming Lives for His Glory in a Nation
Traditionally Closed to the Gospel
More than a quarter century ago, God brought Jacob Bloemberg (SBL ’08) and Linda Bloemberg (SOE ’05) to Vietnam’s capital city of Hanoi to launch a ministry that is transforming lives and culture in the name of Jesus Christ.
“We felt called to serve in a country where almost no missionary could go,” Jacob explained.
As lead pastor of Hanoi International Fellowship and a middle school counselor at Concordia International School, Jacob and Linda play a major role in Hanoi’s transformation into a city that has become more welcoming to Christians. The Bloembergs have been living and working in the Southeast Asian nation since 1997.
“It was like an answer to our prayers, to find a place to serve where we could use our professional skills,” Jacob said.
Linda was the first Bloemberg to graduate from Regent University, earning a Master of Arts from the School of Education in 2005. Jacob followed three years later (2008) with a Master of Arts in Organizational Leadership from the School of Business & Leadership.
Thanks to the generosity of Regent donors, both Bloembergs received scholarships that allowed them to graduate debt free. As a result, they credit the university for much of their success in Hanoi.
“The decision to get our master’s really set us up professionally for the paradigm shift that has taken place here,” Jacob insisted. “For Linda to become a teacher and then a counselor at an international school and for me to lead the congregation through the various stages of growth, I still fall back on a lot of the concepts that have been taught at Regent. It definitely was a turning point.”
Linda added, “The degree you get at Regent is what is going to open the door. These countries aren’t accessible without it.”
The Bloembergs are serving God and working to “seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile” (Jeremiah 29:7, NIV). Your gifts to Regent University make it possible for alumni, like Jacob and Linda, to fulfill their calling to become Christian leaders who change the world.
To learn more about their current church project, visit freedom.hif.vn.
