And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ,
Ephesians 4:11-12
As the Lord gives us opportunities to minister to the people of Paraguay, we are reminded that in all forms it is for the glory of God by the working of God in our lives. It is God who has purposed us to service and we are charged with faithfulness in the service. We are so thankful to reflect upon a busy two months and see the hand of the Lord using us to impact lives for His kingdom. We pray that this ministry update is an encouragement to you to remain faithful in the calling to which He has called you.
To start the month Kathleen was blessed to be part of the leadership team that organized the 10th anniversary Counter Culture ladies conference. This year there were over 200 ladies from all throughout Paraguay who were able to attend the conference. It was a day filled with the Word of God, prayer and fellowship. One of the special prayer requests going into the conference was that it would be used as an evangelistic ministry, and we are thankful for those who came and heard the gospel. We continue to pray for their hearts to be impacted by the message of Jesus Christ.
Many of you were praying for us as we stepped into October knowing that it was going to be an unusually busy month and a half. God has opened a lot of doors for extra service this month with Pastor Juan Carlos Escobar and Alejandra being in the United States. As we have been blessed to fill the extra roles and responsibilities we have felt your prayers along the way. Added to our month was the delivery of a container of materials to be shared throughout churches in Paraguay, as well as an extra trip to Asuncion (the capital) to pick up the last of our identification documents. We thank you for your prayers along the way.
A huge thank you to our team at Iglesia Bautista Biblica Jerovia for always being on guard to help us along the way. When I got the call from my lawyer that the identifications office would not allow them to receive our documents, Felix was first in line ready for another road trip. It was great to spend time with him in the office of our SUV and to hear his heart for future ministry. Also it was a great blessing to work alongside our church family in many different ways. Each of them plays a special part in our lives and ministry.
As we shared in our last ministry update we are working with two other couples to form a ministry called “Manos que Edifican” (Hands that Edify). This ministry is focused on being hands that extend from Iglesia Bautista Biblica Jerovia into the lives of others offering sound doctrinal teaching, biblical training, and ministry helps. This month we were able to go south to a town near Encarnacion to share in a married couples conference, but then also to go share with a group of men at Pastor Juan Carlos Mancuellos church. It was a great weekend of ministry that kept us busy and blessed!
It was a great time in the Word of God and encouraging these couples and men in their roles in their relationships. One young man approached me and wanted to give a testimony as to a follow-up from the last conference we did in that area. He mentioned that his family had been struggling with idolizing money and things. His wife and him had barely spent any time together and their kids were obsessed with always having the latest and greatest. Last time we were in Encarnacion we spent one evening focused on having a budget and living controlled by the Spirit. Since that conference his family has made a lot of changes to their personal lives, but more so to their spiritual lives. They are more available, involved, and desirous to be part of the local body, because of their choice to talk through the hard issues of finances.
We are so thankful to be a small part in the lives of these people, and to have the opportunity to invest in them. As God continues to open up doors of ministry opportunities, would you please continue to pray for our faithfulness to walk through them with confidence.
Prayer Requests:
October brought flooding to Paraguay and many throughout the country were affected. Would you pray for those who have suffered great loss in this time and for us to be faithful to sharing the Love of Christ in the midst of suffering.
Political unrest has also recently struck the country as a bank folded and the president has resigned. We have not been affected by this and have been checked on by our agency to confirm our safety and access to needs. While we have not been affected, many we are connected with are. Would you pray that assets would be released and for peace as a resolution is purposed.
Pray as we continue to have a busy schedule through the month of November and bring about a closure to many ministries for the summer. The Lord is our strength through these busy seasons.
Thank you for taking time to read our ministry update and staying current with things that are going on in Paraguay. Do not forget however, to let us know how we can pray for you. Send us an email or text message and let us know what is going on your lives!
Jaha Paraguay Pe/Let’s go to Paraguay,
The Loucks
Kids Corner:
This month we also went on a little field trip to see the Jesuit Ruins near Encarnacion. It was a wonderful time learning a little of the history of early missions in Paraguay. However, some of the birds are territorial and LuVerna had a close encounter with one.
Nobody was harmed, but it gave us all a little scare!
What a blessing to see how God is using your sweet family for eternity. I add my prayers from Kentucky with all the saints at large on behalf of your work in Paraguay. Thank you for faithfully sharing. I just smiled all the way thru it praising God for so many souls and sanctifications. He is faithful.
LikeLike