“Praise the LORD! I will give thanks to the LORD with my whole heart, in the company of the upright, in the congregation.”
Psalm 111:1
As the month of February was approaching, we greatly anticipated all of the church body being back from vacation to be under the roof together again, worshiping our God! This summer break (December-Januaray) gave me a real appreciation for the unity of the body. Back at home it is normal for people to travel during the summer season, but having over 80% of the church missing from Sunday services was a real change. We are thankful now that school is started back up to have the church body back together starting another new year.
With a new year comes new opportunities. Before Pastor Juan Carlos left for vacation he asked if I would consider getting my Biblical Counseling Certificate with the long-term goal of being able to help Pastors in Paraguay learn to counsel their flocks Biblically. With this in mind I began doing some research and have already started doing some reading toward a certificate in Biblical Counseling. We think that this will be a great tool to be used in two direct forms. First off in discipling men and women for future ministry. Helping them develop the mindset of the sufficiency of Scripture will go a long way in preparing for future ministry. Secondly, we think this will be a great tool to connect and aid other pastors in Paraguay as they tend their flocks.
The kids got a few weeks off for Summer but most of them were antsy to get back to it again. They surpassed day 100 and are all doing well in their studies. Now that we have established a routine it is easier to keep up with each of them and their needs as the continue to study. Also, this week they started tutoring again. Their tutor Noelia took some time off to spend Christmas with family but then also to help out at a Christian camp for a month. We look forward to hearing all her fun stories as we have time.
They kids are also doing a great job making friends. They have all made connections with at least one kid their age. It is great to see them use their Spanish in communicating, but an added blessing is that many of the kids in the church speak English. While we would like to see the kids continue advancing and using Spanish, it is a blessing to see them have connections in the church.
February always brings us to remember the road God used to bring us to Paraguay. Those of you who have followed the journey remember that we sold our home in February 2020 that would allow us to pay off all our debts and prepare for the mission field.
You also recall that LuVerna was born just two weeks before we had to move out of our home. While we take time this month to reflect on all that God has done, it was a great joy to take time to celebrate our LuVerna too. She just loves a little extra attention!
With most of the church family back and schools starting back up we will be ready to kick off into another year of ministry. This year we are hoping to continue being part of some previous ministry projects, but also to start working more focused on leadership development. After meeting with Pastor Juan Carlos and Pastor Sergio and seeing their vision for the church body, we can start to map out some goals for this year and maybe even the following year. But as we know Proverbs 16:9 states, “The heart of man plans his way, but the LORD establishes his steps.” and we put our full confidence in this truth.
Once again, we want to thank you all for your faithfulness in Love and Support. God has truly blessed us with a great cloud of support around us in the ministry and we are blessed. Now how can we pray for you?
Jaha Paraguay Pe!
The Loucks Family
Loucks 2 Paraguay 