“Love (Your City)”
By Jacob Bloemberg
Summary of the Introduction
Introduction
Jacob Bloemberg, a Dutch missionary in Vietnam, wrote Love (Your City) to tell the story of how
the Hanoi International Fellowship (HIF) became a missional church. In the introduction,
Bloemberg traces the journey from his home in Holland to Hanoi, including his marriage to an
American social worker and their preparation for mission at Elim Bible Institute in the United
States. He first went to Hanoi with his family in 1997 to teach computer skills and graphic
design at Friendship House, a center for orphans and addicts. When he became interim pastor
at HIF in 2005, the church was in a financial and identity crisis: was it only for expatriates or did
God want it to serve the international community and the city?
In 2003, Bloemberg traveled in Cambodia and Laos. He saw Christians integrating business
and mission. He concluded that the role of the church is to equip believers for ministry outside of
the church and in their places of work. For two years, he prayed and fasted with HIF members.
Eventually, HIF felt a call to become a more outwardly focused international church. In 2005, he
was appointed interim pastor for six months to implement the vision. He is still there. His book
details the process that HIF followed to fulfill this vision and the steps that other churches might
take if they want to love their cities.
*Next chapter: Chapter 1: Love Hanoi – The Journey