Author Archives: missionarytoparaguay

“Now the Lord said to Moses, “One more plague I will bring on Pharaoh and on Egypt; after that he will let you go from here. When he lets you go, he will surely drive you out from here completely”

Exodus 11:1

When the Lord sets forth a plan of action, He is faithful to complete it. The real question then is are we ready for what He has for us? One of the joys to serving as a missionary is learning to lean on God and trust that He is preparing the way. This can be even more eventful when we work to train our kids to have the same understanding. When you pray as a family to reach a goal by a certain date, but the support doesn’t come in. We pray to teach the kids what it means that God has a plan and we must not lose hope. What a blessing it is to have the Word of God as our guide in helping us to understand just how great He is. We pray to take steps of faith and trust Him to be faithful in completing the work in our lives. This month was no different!

We have booked a couple more meetings as we attempt to close out our time in deputation ministry. And for some exciting news we wrapped up the month at just over 85% funded! That’s right we are less than 15% away from our monthly support goal!!! Would you pray with us that we could finish closing the gap by this fall? We need about $775/month in support to be at 100%. We know that God is doing some wonderful things and is preparing the way for us to get to Texas for language training. Don’t stop praying!

Are you thinking of joining our ministry as a support partner? We would love to connect with you about how you too can be part of our team in helping reach the people of Paraguay, South America with the gospel message Jesus Christ!

This month I have begun to read through the book of Exodus. I must be honest in that I am not in a hurry to read through it. I have chosen rather to read one chapter several times over the course of the week. In reading the first few chapters I have been greatly encouraged by how when God sets out a task, He is faithful to complete it. As the nation of Israel suffered under the Egyptian rule, God was bringing forth His perfect plan. While Israel was not prepared for what was about to happen, God was shaping and sharpening His people. How often did Israel cry out against God wanting relief from their captors? God heard them, but it is always in His time and according to His perfect will.

I recently began conversing with a young gentleman in Paraguay who is working with our partners and preparing for possible fulltime ministry. He was amazed that it has now been almost 17 years since my first time in Paraguay. God has used these years to shape and sharpen His tools for the task ahead of us. I am thankful for the 17 years of learning and growing. I am thankful for the people who God brought into my life to help in the process over the last 17 years. Every step in the path has been worth it!

On to some other exciting news, the kids wrapped up their school year. This was a tough year as we spent so much time on the road, but they have done very well! Educating children in the Tahoe and hotel rooms is not an easy task. I am continually thankful for Kathleen and her hard work with the kids. We allowed them a couple weeks off before starting their next year’s material, and they will have some more time off as we have time on the road and some vacation this summer.

If you remember last month, we began the process of applying for language school. Looking through the material we decided it was in our kids’ best interest to get as much schooling done prior to getting to Texas. This will keep them on track, but also lighten the load while Kathleen and I are busy studying Spanish. Using the program we use, allows us a lot of flexibility. We are moving in the right direction and praying that we continue to trust the Lord as we make decisions moving forward.

The journey of deputation allows us to see the hand of God in a whole new way. The other evening during our Proverb and Prayer time with the kids we shared what it means to have so many people faithfully praying for us and supporting us. Because of you, we are able to serve the Lord in fulltime ministry! That brought tears to our eyes that night. God has continued to bless us with a great support system and we honestly could not do it without you.

“I will give thanks to the LORD with all my heart; I will tell of all Your wonders. I will be glad and exult in You; I will sing praise to Your name, O Most High”

Psalm 9:1-2

Ten weeks on the road was a long time to be away! However, we got to see God faithfully provide as His Word promises. It is hard to find the words to share how much this month has meant to us in creating new friends, gaining more prayer warriors and taking on more financial support. Closing it out on such a busy note, we have some exciting news to share!

The last 30 minutes of our drive home we began to ask the kids what they liked about the trip, what they learned while on the road and to even share some of their dislikes. Many of the kids highlighted how they enjoyed making new friends. These friends come in different ways, different backgrounds and, for a short time, leave a big impact on our lives. We would love to be able to write every one of them, but it simply isn’t possible. Please allow this ministry update to be a very big THANK YOU, from our family to yours. If you met with us, if you fellowshipped with us, if you played with us, with you laughed with us, cried with us and spoke truth into our lives, THANK YOU! We could not do this without you!

We were home for a week and a half before Kathleen and I took off again for a conference in Boise, ID. This time we left the kids with Nana (and she wasn’t complaining about that at all). This allowed for Kathleen and me to get connected and be on the same page. A lot goes on in a Tahoe filled with 5 kids over 8,000 miles that allows for a disconnect to happen but being away for a few days allowed us to get caught up.

While wrapping up our time in Boise we were blessed to stay at Notus Baptist Church missionary house. We love the church body at Notus and their heart for ministry and missions. They have been a huge blessing to our family. Pastor Clancy and Myndii are a wealth of knowledge when it comes to missions and national partnerships. It was a great blessing to pick their brains and to have them as a long-term resource for our family.

And for some excitement…

We have been greatly blessed and joined the mini-van club a couple weeks ago. While we will still drive the Tahoe for some trips, it is nice to have a vehicle that is ready just in case we need it.

Closing out the month of April we are excited to announce that we are over 80% funded! That’s right; God brought on two new supporting churches to our ministry, and we could not be more excited for how HE is working. Thank you to First Baptist Church of Quincy, WA and Grandview Baptist Church of Estherville, IA for joining our support team. This means that we are in the process of applying for language school with the desired start date of January 2023.

Please Keep Praying!

Over the next couple months, we are working to make several new connections. We just wrapped up a conference in Boise and have another opportunity to connect with a group of Pastors in Montana. Please pray that these connections would open more doors of opportunity for ministry. We have a few new meetings lined up but are also double backing to some of our supporting churches to give an update on our ministry.

Our ministry partners in Paraguay have a lot going on also. Please pray as they begin new ministries and trust God to open up new areas. They are scoping out an opportunity in Tobati (near the capital city). Pastor Juan Carlos Escobar has also begun training up two men for ministry and is excited for the Lord’s leading. We cannot wait to get to Paraguay to partner with these ministries.

“The heart of man plans His ways, but the LORD establishes his steps.” Proverbs 16:9

The Lord has blessed us with making a few connections in the Mid-West and the original plan was to fly to those meetings and connect with the churches. Figuring it would just be myself and Kathleen going. Then the Lord began bridging the weekends between those meetings. We had already been offered to stay at the Missionary House offered by Berea Baptist Church of Steven’s Point, WI so it was easier to say let’s just make a 6-week trip to Wisconsin. Little did we know that it would turn into 8-weeks just prior to leaving and then into 10-weeks while we were here. Being charged to just go and be faithful we couldn’t say “no” to any of the opportunities. While we prepare for the last couple meetings of this trip, we must look back in thanks to all that the Lord has done, and we are excited to share some of that with you.

You may be wondering how the kids are doing with all the traveling, and I could give a generic answer and say everyone is great, but truth be told, they are ready to be home. Kathleen and I were speaking not long ago and were greatly blessed to have such an amazing team with us. Yes, they want to be back in their own beds, and I cannot blame them for that. However, they have been doing really well adapting to life on the road.

We got spend some time with our friends, the Chapins, in northern Iowa again! While it was cold outside, we were still able to get out for some fun. Not everyone is so adventures to ride the quad with daddy. Those ones you have to spoil in their own way!

We really have spent a month making memories. We have connected with friends that are faithfully serving in Asia and others serving in Europe. Both of which invited us to join them. We grew in our love for family and were encouraged by growth in their spiritual walks. We made new friends and connected in ways we never could have imagined. I cannot even write this update without tears of thanks to God for all He has done.

“For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted; a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; a time to weep, and a time to laugh;”

Ecclesiastes 3:1-4

We get to be part of people’s lives and ministries for such a short time. Often it is just a weekend here and an email there. However, for a time we get to be part of a life and we pray regularly to be sensitive to how the Lord will use us in that time. Many of you get to be part of our lives for a time and we are so thankful that you have chosen to be used by God in those times. You have allowed us to share our testimony and our ministry, but more importantly you have allowed us to just be us. This month the Lord used a situation to shed my coat and express a need to someone like I never have before. That man understood, he was sensitive to my need, and he offered to help. I pray that we embrace the season God has us in to learn, to grow, and to lean on the everlasting arms of God.

Where do we go from here? Currently we are just shy of 73% and praying to end this trip at 75% or more. We wrap up this weekend and begin the drive home on April 5th. Praying to be back at Grace Baptist Church of Kennewick on April 10th. Once we are at 75% we will apply for language school with a goal of being 100% this fall and head to language school in January. Language school details are being worked out and we are excited for how the Lord is leading, but we need your continued prayers.

Deputation: a group of people appointed to undertake a mission or take part in a formal process on behalf of a larger group.

As God has continued to work in our lives, we begin to see piece by piece the fullness of the other side of the relationship. We have been commissioned by Grace Baptist Church of Kennewick, WA into deputation ministry. The Ministry that God has called us to is just an arm of the Local Church. That can easily be forgotten while you are traveling some 1,700 miles away from home. How sweet it is though when God brings simple reminders that we are not alone. Unable to count the dozens of people who are praying for our ministry, we have 7 faithful churches behind us in support, we have 16 faithful families helping propel us in support and how blessed we feel.

Deputation at times seems impossible. We spend countless hours making connections with churches and praying that they may have us in to share our ministry. We spend days preparing for what will take place during those times of ministry. We (Kathleen) packs the bags, we load up the Tahoe and we set out on the road. If you follow us on social media, you have seen how it can look inside our car as we hit the road for a meeting. We often do not know what all to expect, we sometimes are in the dark until arrival and have to simply trust that God will take care of us (He promises to do so).

Kathleen said when you look at it, it is all impossible like the task is too great. The reward however is far greater. When you step in faith to areas of discomfort you get to see God provide. While we say that we are humbly blessed often in our letters there are really no other words to describe how we feel. Humbled because God is using you to fulfill a mighty work in our lives. Blessed because we are the recipients of God’s love and mercy being poured out through YOU. We cannot express enough our thanks for what God is doing and your willingness to be used.

Jonah 4:2 is the revealing of Jonah’s heart and his desire for the people of Nineveh. Jonah did not want to go to Nineveh because God would have mercy and forgive them. If you knew that God was going to save a nation through you, would you not want to go? How about if God was going to use you to save a family, would you not be willing to go? How about if God was going to use you to save a grocery store clerk, would you not be willing to go? So, let’s go! Let’s go together into all the world and preach the gospel to every people, because God wants to use us!

As we end this month’s ministry update, we cannot hold back some exciting news. This month we added 2 new churches to our monthly support team as well as a family bringing our promised monthly support to 72%. Would you praise the Lord with us today at this exciting news? After you do, would you please send us an email letting us know you did and also letting us know how we can pray for you! We look forward to reading your emails with the kids. jared.loucks@hotmail.com

I guess we have to post this a little early it will be hard to do while we spend the next 6 days on the road. Wrapping up January, we have been blessed to do three ministry updates and begin creating relationships with two new churches. We have built up more faithful prayer warriors and seen our financial support increase more than 10% in the last month. As of now, Kathleen is busy packing bags for our journey to the Mid-West!

In the middle of December we began to pray to raise up $500 more in monthly support by the middle of January. This would help us as we make the adjustment into fulltime ministry, especially over the next several weeks as we travel full-time. God blessed and brought in $800 more in monthly support in just a few short weeks. Between faithful individuals that support our ministry and churches who have come alongside our ministry we are now funded at 65% in monthly support! Will you praise the Lord with us today for how He has continued to provide for our ministry?

I have been spending some time reading through the book of Jonah. I find the picture of events in chapter 1 fascinating. Jonah has been called to go to a wicked people. Rather than crying out to God verbally, Jonah’s reaction was to run! God knew what Jonah’s heart was saying before his action of running, even before his crying out. This highlighted two things for me as I have studied, the first is that God knows the plans He has for us (Jerimiah 29:11) and the good work He has designed for us to complete. The second, is that our actions of obedience speak as to who we believe God to be.

Thank you for our continued faithful prayers. As we follow God we are thankful to have such a faithful crowd at our sides!

Jaha Paraguay Pe,

The Loucks Family

What a year a growth and change, and a blessed year it was! As we have had time to reflect on 2021, we are humbled at what the Lord has accomplished through us. God used so many faithful servants to accomplish His work in our lives. We are beyond thankful for the path He has placed us on and for the task which lies ahead.

God blessed us with the opportunity to minister in over 20 churches our first year on Deputation ministry. This included churches in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Wisconsin, and Iowa! We are very thankful for those who opened their doors and hearts. What a true joy it has been to be among so many faithful servants of the Lord.

While we look back at all that God has provided in 2021 we look forward to carrying all these things with us into 2022. January has started off cold and has allowed us some time ramping up for upcoming ministries. We will be at five churches in three weekends in January. We leave the end of the month for the Mid-West and will be on the road for a couple months. This brings us to some pretty big prayer requests.

The end of November we as a family have been praying that we would raise $500 more in monthly support by the middle of January. We have been greatly blessed and some of that has already come in. With our long trip ahead, we are taking a step of faith. Many of you know that I am still working fulltime and that much of our support has been going into our outfit and passage fund. I am going to be taking a Leave of Absence from work and trust that God will provide the remainder amount we need as we serve Him. We have several meetings lined up for our time in the Midwest and the remainder time will be spent making more connections for when we return. Would you please pray with us that God would open more opportunities to share our ministry? Would you also consider becoming part of our support team?

Want a quick view of what God did in our 2021? Watch the video below!!!

Thank you for your faithful prayers. We are confident that God is using you to accomplish great things!

Jaha Paraguay Pe!

The Loucks

Wrapping up November we have spent much time reflecting on all the things we have to give thanks for. While taking time to remember all that God has done, I have been spending time reading the book of Isaiah. I am very thankful that we serve a God who not only highlights a problem but offers to us a solution. In Chapter 1 of Isaiah God acknowledges the rebellion of the people of Israel. While one might conclude that at this time, He would turn His back and walk away God provides a solution to the problem of sin. The solution is found in Verses 18-19 when God calls them to “consent and obey”. He wishes to wash sins that they may “be like wool.” We are thankful for a God who has provided a solution to our problem of sin by offering His son Jesus as the sacrifice.

The month of November was spent as a family. We took the month off from traveling to catch up on medical appointments, time as a family and ministry at our home church. The month went too fast but we are thankful for the time we were able to spend and to see God work. We went from a family of 1 pair of glasses to a family of 5. Jedidiah was baptized and joined Grace Baptist Church of Kennewick, WA all while our family celebrated 35 years of attending Grace Baptist Church. We also got to share a ministry update with our ministry partners during their mission’s conference. We thank the Lord for Iglesia Bautista Biblica Jerovia for their love and support.

We have also spent time setting up a game plan for 2022 and making plans for what God has ahead. Being at 51% is such a huge blessing and while we did not spend time traveling this month, we have worked to make some good connections and expand our ministry plans into next spring. It has also been a great time for us to connect with our Pastor and Director as we prepare for what lies ahead.

Again, thank you for your love and support. We are anxious to get back on the road and share what God has called us to do.

October was a wild ride and we are so thankful for the amazing time it was. Over the course of the last six weeks we saw family, made friends and were used in new ways. We hope that this letter wraps up not just the ministry, but the joy in serving the Lord.

If you recall we wrapped up September in Wisconsin for ten days with family and friends. Our time was very profitable as it allowed for connecting with family, friends, and sharing our desire to serve the Lord with the people of Paraguay. Since our return from Wisconsin we are excited to announce that Brookridge Church of Plover, WI has joined our support team. We are very thankful for this church body and what the Lord is doing in their lives. Stay tuned if you want to know where we are at in monthly financial support…

The first two weekends of October we spent at a few amazing churches in Oregon. We are very thankful for the prayer warriors at both Ukiah and Long Creek that we were able to make. These two churches were such a great blessing to us. Then we spent an amazing couple days in Salem connecting with Missionaries Steve and Mendi Everett where we were able to share our ministry with their home church. Faith Baptist Church was a joy to minister with and we are excited for the connections we made and to see how the Lord might work our ministries together.

After wrapping up two weekends in Oregon I, Jared, hopped on a plane and headed to Iowa. While in Iowa I was able to stay with Michael Fowler (my brother-in-law) and his family. I spent the week at Faith Baptist Bible College encouraging the students on campus at the Global Reach Conference. I was also blessed to make great contacts with different missionaries and ministries around the world. I am thankful for the staff and students at FBBC. What a true blessing it was to be back on campus after 11 years.

The end of the trip I was able to share what God has called us to in partnering with nationals in theological training and church planting with Anchor Baptist Church in Des Moines, IA and then with Altoona Regular Baptist Church in Altoona, IA. The pastors of both of these churches are great encouragement to me as we prepare for full-time ministry. I was blessed by the people who took time to engage in conversation after the presentations to know more about what God has called us to. Thank you Pastor Capon and Pastor Robinson for the opportunity.

Are you ready for the NEWS?!?

Wrapping up the month of October we are so thankful for the many who have joined our team in praying for us regularly. It is amazing to see how the Lord has brought together so many faithful people to partner with us in ministry. We are also very excited to announce that we are now 51% in monthly support partners. We are making plans for entering ministry full-time and already booking a very busy schedule for 2022.

Please Praise the Lord with us as He has blessed us with another fruitful month of ministry. Also please pray as we continue to be steadfast in service. We are taking the month to connect and nail down some meetings for 2022. Look forward to seeing YOU!

Thank you for taking a moment to stop by and read out ministry update. We appreciate the time you all spend in keeping current on events in our lives as well as praying for us continually. September seemed to go too fast, but we are thankful for the wonderful connections made and time spent with family. We also look forward to what the Lord has planned ahead.

The month began with allowing us opportunity to worship in our home church which is always a treat. We are very thankful for the support we have received from Grace Baptist Church of Kennewick, WA. They have been faithful at checking in on us regularly to make sure we are doing alright while in pre-field ministry. It often makes it difficult being away, but we are confident that the Lord has not only called us to go but GBC to send.

The last two weeks of the month were spent in Wisconsin at the two churches that Kathleen attended while growing up. It was a blessing to be with both Brookridge Church and Providence and to share our burden for the people of Paraguay. The pastors of these churches have been aware of God’s calling in our lives and have been a great source of encouragement through each step of the process. A special pray request for Pastor Steve Svendsen as he currently ministers in Haiti with Bible Students.

Our time in Wisconsin went too fast. While away I was able to spend lots of time studying and preparing for upcoming meetings, the kids got to bond with cousins, and we got to explore the wonders of God’s creation. I also made a few additional contacts with area churches and am excited for the opportunity to connect further!

The coming weeks are keeping us busy. We are excited to be sharing our ministry at two churches this coming Sunday just south a couple hours. God has blessed us in allowing us this time to continue building prayer warriors. We are also scheduled to be in Salem, OR on October 10th. Kathleen and I will travel over together on the 9th and spend some time celebrating our anniversary on the way.

I will be traveling to Faith Baptist Bible College of Ankeny, IA on October 15th. I have been asked to co-teach a module with our Director Shawn Haynie. While some of the plans for this trip have changed I will be sharing our ministry plans at a couple churches. While there I will also be able to connect with fellow missionaries, area pastors, and friends from our time as students at FBBC.

Let’s go to Paraguay!

The Loucks Family