Uncategorized – Page 2 – Loucks 2 Paraguay

January 2025

“The Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.”

Luke 19:10

As we consider the birth of Jesus Christ we also consider the reason for his coming. The Son of God, born in flesh, laid in a manger, was on a rescue mission for the souls of the lost. We have such a great reason to remember the birth of Christ, not just on the 25th of December, but on every day of the year. I once was lost, but praise God I have been found.

We did not really know what to expect for our first Christmas in Paraguay. Over the last several years our Christmas traditions have had to be flexible due to traveling for deputation and our time in language school. We looked forward to this Christmas season and the opportunity to incorporate some of our new culture into our celebration.

We traded in winter coats and snow caps for Flip flops and Sunscreen. We forgot about a turkey or ham and went right for some beef and pork. Instead of sitting by the fire to stay warm, we turned up the A/C to cool off. A Subtropical Christmas was going to be just a little different.

We were warned that it was summer, and this is the season for vacations. Before everyone else hit the road we were blessed to get away for a few days to just put up our feet and relax. Shortly after arriving back at home everyone else took off for their vacations, and most of them will be gone for a couple weeks. Things slow down at church, because most of the church body travel back to home (wherever that might be) for Christmas and New Years.

While some of the ministries slowed down, we got a little busier. One of the things that has helped keep us busy is being able to socialize with new people. On a few occasions we have had some new faces come to the door which has added to our cultural adaption. I was also asked to help fill in with preaching for a couple weeks in January so that Pastors could travel for some family time. You can find that video below. Note: I did preach in Spanish.

As we have begun into the New Year, we are looking forward to what God has in plans for us. We plan to meet with Pastor Juan Carlos and Pastor Sergio about what is next on the radar for ministry. In the meantime, we will continue working with men in the church and helping prepare them for ministries in the church. The discipleship of men into leadership rolls has been a focus point for us and our time here in Paraguay.

We are very thankful for your faithfulness in praying for us as we serve the people of Paraguay. As we progress in language and culture we look back and are reminded to give thanks. Hard to believe that we set out for deputation ministry in January 2021 and how quickly time has passed. Daily we are reminded of the great cloud of people that hold us up in prayers and are humbled by this truth. We pray for you also and would ask that you send us a note and let us know how we can pray for you.

Let’s go to Paraguay!

The Loucks Family

Merry Christmas 2024

“The shepherds came to worship the Prince of Peace, who came to finally bridge the separation between God and mankind and purchase peace.”

Paul David Tripp, Come Let Us Adore Him

This is a quote from Paul David Tripp’s advent book, Come Let Us Adore Him. It is a quote that has stuck out to me over the last few days. The world around us is struggling to find peace. They look for it in obscure ways of momentary pleasures. How easy it is for us, as Christians, to get caught up in the same things. The shepherds came to worship the one who brought peace. The good news that they went about sharing in Luke 2:17-18 even made Mary ponder in her heart the good news. My prayer this Christmas season is that we take time to have peace in the Good News that “God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through Him.” John 3:17

We wanted to take a quick moment and wish you all a Very Merry Christmas and pray that your hearts would be filled with the Peace of God through the saving power of the Prince of Peace. We thank you all for your faithfulness in prayers as we adjust to a tropical Christmas and look forward to sharing just a little bit about Christmas in Paraguay in our next update.

Merry Christmas!

The Loucks Family!

November 2024, Giving Thanks

“Oh sing to the LORD a new song; sing to the LORD, all the earth! Sing to the LORD, bless his name; tell of his salvation from day to day.

Psalm 96:1-2

What is it like to be in November approaching the heat of summer? Our minds are all a little confused. We have the Air Conditioner running while we have apple pie in the oven and are preparing to cook turkey for Thanksgiving. In all of this we give thanks. We sing praise to the Lord and tell of His salvation from day to day. We reflect on the goodness and grace and have reason to praise him in song. Frederick M. Lehman Put it wonderfully in his song, Oh Love of God…

“Could we with ink the ocean fill,
And were the skies of parchment made,
Were every stalk on earth a quill,
And every man a scribe by trade;
To write the love of God above
Would drain the ocean dry;
Nor could the scroll contain the whole,
Though stretched from sky to sky.”

November has been a busy month of serving in different ministries. Many of you know that we have been asked to help with the kids club and it has been a blast getting to know the kids from the community. The end of November ministries close down for the summer and will begin again in February. Will you please continue to pray for the kids that attend the club? We will miss our Saturday mornings with them! Also, I have been asked to help out on the occasional Friday night passing out tracks and cocido at the hospital. This has been a great way to work with fellow missionary Felix and many of the young adults from the church. Please pray for continued relationships with hospital staff.

This month we were also asked to help fill different teaching rolls at the church. Kathleen did a great job giving a devotion to the ladies group for a baby shower. The theme was changed last minute but we have received great feedback from the devotional both on her speaking and the message that was given. I was also asked to help fill in with the youth and young adults for several ministries. We praise the Lord for opportunities to serve, connect and share the truth from God’s word.

Family time has continued to be filled with many wonderful opportunities to make memories. Hard to believe that we have been in Paraguay for 5 months, but it has been a great joy each step of the way. As a family I can say we are adjusting well. The kids are learning Spanish, making friends and becoming involved. This warms our hearts as we see the Lord working in their lives. If only I could be a fly on the wall of conversations to hear them using their Spanish, but we have heard great things. We have also hired a tutor to work with the kids on being confident in speaking. It has also helped Kathleen and I learn some more common phrases in Guarani!

As summer sets in and the school year comes to a close here in Paraguay, we have been warned about how quiet the city gets. Major stores will remain open, but the family-owned places will be scarce. People start to travel and thus ministries slow down. The Saturday kids club will continue just at a very relaxed pace, the same with youth and young adults. While things will slow down for ministries, we ask that you pray for continued connections into the lives of youth and young adults in the church and community.

As we prepare for our Thanksgiving Day, we want to take a moment to express our thanks for you! We are thankful for you and your part in serving the people of Paraguay. Your prayers, your love and support continue to allow us to serve the Lord in this great country and we know we could not do it without you. We give thanks to the Lord for the great cloud he has placed around us in this ministry.

We pray that your Thanksgiving is filled with a time of reflection on the goodness and greatness of our God. His love has been poured out upon us giving believers in Jesus Christ a true reason to give thanks. Psalm 100:3 “Know that the LORD, he is God! It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.” Praise the Lord for these great truths!

Prayer requests and praises: 1) for opportunity to share Christ with the young lady at the ice-cream shop (Luana) 2) for continued relationship building with people in the community 3) that God would continue to be glorified. Praise the Lord for continued growth in our language and opportunities to serve. Now how can we pray for you!

Jaha Paraguay Pe/ Let’s go to Paraguay!

The Loucks Family

Kids corner:

This month one of the workers at Hope Christian School was wanting a cup of coffee but wasn’t able to leave work to get one. No problem we said, Lulu and I packed up and went and made coffee for all the teachers. It was a great way to show our willingness to serve and be part. Lulu got to surprise some of her favorite people and bring a little light to a crazy morning.

October 2024

OCTOBER 2024

“It is good to give thanks to the LORD, to sing praises to your name, O Most High”

Psalm 92:1

Over the weeks I usually choose one Psalm to reflect upon and to pray through for the week. Recently Psalm 92 has been playing through my mind as I have had the opportunity to study. Our reason to give thanks is not always found in the ease of situations, but in the God of those situations. We live in a world where wickedness often seems to prevail, but the truth of God’s word remains the same. These truths from the Psalms reminding me of the greatness of the works of God is a true encouragement and motivation to keep focused and moving in faithfulness.

At the end of September we were given the opportunity to get away for a couple days and just enjoy some time together. We went about 20km away to a nice quiet piece of property with some cabins and a swimming pool. It was a great time to just be away and soak up the outdoors. We are very thankful for family who invites us along to outings like this. It was good for all of us! The kids got an extra day off from school so that they could enjoy hours of time in the swimming pool. This was a treat much needed!

Many of you have been praying for us in regards to the completion of our documents and obtaining a vehicle. Our documents have arrived, and we were able to purchase a vehicle! We thank the Lord for providing this for us and for how He worked all the details together. We had someone approach us with the desire to help us in the process and it was greatly appreciated as the market in Paraguay can be tricky to navigate. I have my international driving permit but am working toward my licenses and hope to have that by the end of next month. We want to thank you for your part in praying and giving toward this. We pray that our vehicle is tool used to honor the name of Jesus Christ here in Paraguay and wherever else He might take us in it.

The second week of October we were able to host our first guests from the United States. Many of you are aware that Jaha Paraguay Pe was our theme and our desire in it was that people would consider coming to see the ministry here in Paraguay. Our guests are in training for missionary work and on the recommendation of their pastor they were sent to learn what it looks like to be new on the field. They brough with them a list of questions about ourselves, our family life and the process of adjustment. It was a great time for us to reflect on all that the Lord has done in our lives to bring us to the field and what He has used us for on the field in just these first four months.

We would love to be part in helping others get to the mission field and so if you have anyone that is interested in missions, please let us know. If we can answer any questions you may have or be used as a tool and resource, we are glad to share.

As October comes to an end we are looking forward to several ministry opportunities. Pastor J.C. Escobar and Alejandra have gone to Chile to be with her mom in her last few days. The Lord called her to glory about two weeks after they arrived and now they are helping the family in Chile through this time of adjustment. Please pray for the family and many are unsaved and lacking the hope found in Jesus Christ. While they are away, I will be helping fill vacant spots as I am asked, and Kathleen has also been asked to teach a devotional to the ladies group. Lots of opportunities to practice and be used.

Kids Corner:

This month the kids want to say a huge thank you to the churches that have sent packages for us. This month was almost like Christmas in October and the kids got to enjoy an evening with American snacks and lots of activities!

Yes! We have a mailing address and it has been updated on the contact portion of our website.

Now how can we pray for you?

We want to stay connected and part of being connected is knowing what is going on in your lives. Please, send us an email or a message and let us know how we can pray for what God is doing in your lives!

Thank you for your faithfulness in joining us on this journey. We are beyond blessed to serve the Lord in this way!

Jaha Paraguay Pe,

The Loucks Family

September 2024 Ministry Update

I will give thanks to you, O Lord, among the peoples; I will sing praises to you among the nations. For your steadfast love is great to the heavens, your faithfulness to the clouds. Psalm 57:9-10

As I sit to write this ministry update, I am reminded of the abundant mercy of God. It was a lesson I taught a couple weeks ago to the young adults of the church. I was nervous to share that night because it would be my first time teaching in Spanish, but I was amongst friends. The thing that made it even easier was that the mercy of God was present in the moment I would share. I knew it was with me and the Spirit was guiding me as we opened the Word of God together. What a blessing it was to have that time exploring the greatness of God’s mercy and being able to reflect on how that mercy is portrayed in our lives. We have the opportunity to live out our lives sharing and reflecting that mercy amongst the world. It is a great responsibility we bear but one that honors our God.

This month I had the amazing opportunity of joining a group of guys to go help secure a church building down south in Encarnacion. The testimony of Pastor Juan Carlos Mancuello was of huge impact in my life my first trip in Paraguay. In 2005 he was serving as a deacon in the church and in 2007 the church sent him to plant a church in Encarnacion. A lot has happened over those years and they were finally able to purchase property and begin working on the building. The first phase is about complete and the men from Ciudad del Este took up offerings and raised some funds to put bars up around the windows and doors.

The first wave of the team left on Friday and began setting up and getting organized. The others left early Saturday morning and upon arrival we got right to work. It was a long day but all to the glory of God!

It was really amazing to watch as a group of guys gathered around each other for this project. We prayed together, we laughed together, and we worked hard together. The following weekend a few of the guys were given the opportunity to share of their experience with the church. One of which is a new believer and is growing spiritually. He remarked how the unity is something he had never experienced before. The other man mentioned that it was humbling to be around a group of guys and to be able to serve the Lord in this way.

The testimony of this ministry opportunity impacted many people. Men from the group that went, men from the church we went to serve alongside, and also men from another area church that came to see what was going on. They all exclaimed how they wish that the men in their church would get together for something like this.

This month I was also given the opportunity to share from the Word of God with the youth and young adults. As I mentioned one evening I was able to do it in Spanish which was one of the most difficult things I have done to date, as I shared 99% in Spanish and 1% in Guarani. While learning Guarani is not the focus, we have picked up a few words here and there and as we pick up more it will help in communication. I know the time will come when I will be able to preach in Spanish, but baby steps are very important for right now.

Pictured above was from the youth and young adult camp that I was asked to speak at. It was a busy few days but the Lord was good and provided for a great time of serving together. I shared 2 messages with both groups and then we did a question answer time. Our theme was “Our Purpose in God’s Plan” looking at 1st Corinthians 6:19-20. Please pray for these students as they learn to lay aside the old nature and put on Christlikeness.

Mommy and the kids do not just sit around while Daddy is away. They get treated with the best care and were blessed to go do some exploring in the city center. They were gifted some money to go by something and they were eager to go see what there was. Tia Lillian and Tia Julia take the greatest care of us and are always there to help out while I am away! Lots of smiles and lots of memories!

Other Ministry opportunities include helping with the Saturday morning kids club and Kathleen has been asked to make some goodies to help raise funds for the upcoming ladies conference. All of these things add up to keeping us pretty busy, but the Lord is good, and our hearts are very full. We continue to be amazed that the Lord would call us here to serve amongst such a great group of people and we thank God for each of you for your part in this ministry.

Prayer Requests: 1) Please pray for all of us that we would stay healthy. 2) Pray that we would maintain a good healthy balance of priorities. 3) Pray for the response of the men to opportunities to serve within the church as we develop leadership.

It has been just over three months since arriving in Paraguay and it has been a blessing to watch our kids thrive in their new environment. Temperance has been working hard on practicing her Spanish and trying to connect with more young ladies. She is very thankful for all the people she has brought into our lives to help care for us during this time! Would you please pray for her to make more friends and for her to really connect with the young ladies.

Thank you for being part of the ministry in Paraguay and for your love, encouragement and support that allows us to be here. Please continue to pray as we seek to serve the Lord as under rowers in ministry! Now, how can we pray for you?

Jaha Paraguay Pe!

The Loucks Family

August 2024 Ministry Update

“The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.”

Genesis 1:2

The group that meets Wednesday nights for prayer meeting has been discussing Genesis Chapters 1 and 2. It has been great to sit with a couple different groups and to hear their perspective on Creation. This last week the group of guys and I look at chapter 2 verse 18 at the one unique thing that the Lord declared as not good. “It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him.”

The imagery we find in this passage at the creation of Woman and the unity between the two has been greatly impactful in my life. Then we also observe what was said in Ephesians 5:28-29. As a leader of the family, I have the responsibility to learn my wife, to love my wife and thus to lead my wife. I have been thankful for the opportunity to reflect and think on how I can do better in these areas of ministering within the home.

As the month of July came to a close, things started slowing down a little bit and we began to see into a routine. August started by celebrating Adara-Dasha’s birthday, friendship day, and the first day of school and we end this update just having celebrated Jedidiah’s Birthday. With the kids now in school it means that I will begin with special projects for the church. Starting school has helped in many ways, and we are continually thankful for the opportunity to homeschool our kids.

This month I sat down with both Pastor Juan Carlos Escobar and Pastor Sergio and we began to discuss ministry. As you are aware we were sent to partner with our brothers in Christ in 1) Discipleship 2) Church Planting and 3) Bible Training. Now that we are getting into a routine it is time to jump into some work. While most of this first year will be focused on making sure that the family adapts well within the culture there is still plenty of time to get ministry moving forward. I have been asked to help in a few different ways that I am excited to share. The first is that I have been asked to be on rotation for speaking with the young adult group on Saturday evenings. Secondly, I have been asked to help in the process of re-writing the churches doctrinal statement (not making major changes, but making it more useful and understandable for the church body). Thirdly, I have been asked to help in creating a roadmap to church leadership. The church has a short format for church membership but often people get lots in the leadership development of those within the church.

Adara-Dasha turned 9 this month and Jedidiah Turned 11! It was fun to have people who love and care for the kids around to enjoy the time with. We are also excited to see how the Lord uses them and their personalities to serve the people of Paraguay.

Kids Corner:

Birthdays are always a great time to bring people together and nobody in Paraguay goes unnoticed on their Birthday. Adara-Dasha has made some great friends in Paraguay and it has been a blessing to see her shine. We pray that she would shine for Jesus among all the friends she makes here in Paraguay.

Praise and Prayer Requests:

Praise that we have our Temporary Residency! This process went very quickly and we are thankful for the agency we hired to help us. They are working now on our Cedulas!
Praise for great neighbors, Cristian and Evelin that have helped get us healthy through times of being sick.
Pray as we continue the process of getting a car. We need to wait until we get our Cedulas before we can purchase
Pray we would continue to recover from the cold that has struck our home. Elijah has had it the worse and we are trying another medication to help him.
Pray for Carlos, the man who sells ready to eat chicken, and for opportunities to share Christ with him and his family. This last Sunday we gave him and his wife banana muffins, and they were thrilled!

Thank you for your continued love and support. As we serve the Lord as under rowers in ministry, we do not do it alone. We would love to hear from you. If you haven’t connected with us yet, please do so: jared.loucks@hotmail.com, let us know how we can be praying for you!

Jaha Paraguay Pe!

The Loucks Family

July 2024

“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,”

Matthew 28:19

The great commission is a calling for all Christians to service. This was the theme of the missionary training camp that we were blessed to be part of this month. The focus was on training up youth and young adults for the ministry of Evangelism as it falls under the umbrella of Discipleship. While we would agree that some are called to be Evangelists, we know that all are commanded to “being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you”. This means that you and I are called to be ready to share the gospel. I challenged the group with being able to share your testimony in three minutes. We have a lot of three minute opportunities, but what would we say given the opportunity? I challenge you to do the same, take a few minutes and think through and put to mind what would you say given a three-minute opportunity with a clerk at the grocery store.

Missionary Training Camp:

Winter has set in here in Paraguay and just like in the states they had a couple weeks off from school. Imagine taking your break from homework or even asking for time off from work to spend 3 days sitting in classes on evangelism and then spending the remainder of your break applying what you have learned in service. I think in total there were over 70 that took part at the camp this year and it was a great joy to be part of. I was able to share from the Word of God on 1) Defining Evangelism 2) Looking at Persecution and 3) What Motivates us to Evangelism. The students were then encouraged in practical application through other classes: Apologetics, Personal Evangelism, Discipleship and Counseling, Painting Evangelism, and Puppets and Skits. It was a packed three days of learning but still many opportunities for fun!

Following the three days we then went back home and took part in a really great ministry opportunity at our home church. Vista Missions is an agency focused on providing humanitarian services in partnership with local churches to help spread the gospel through providing medical services. Vista Missions is not a stranger here in Ciudad del Este they have had a long-standing relationship with our ministry partners for many years and have made several trips to Paraguay. It was an amazing opportunity to see the youth and young adults apply what they learned by sharing the gospel with individuals before they were permitted to attend the vision clinic.

The impact of this ministry is long lasting as many souls from the community professed faith in Jesus Christ. Not all who heard the gospel received the good news, but we do have great contact information for theme and will continue to till the ground. For those that professed faith in Jesus Christ, please pray that we would be faithful in making disciples.

We are now wrapping up our month with time at home getting caught up on emails and preparing for what is next. Now that things are slowing down we are going to be able to focus more time on emails, preparing to purchase a vehicle, and planning for future ministry. We look forward to sitting down with our ministry partners and start drawing up a plan to restart the Bible Institue and start looking through material. Exciting things on the horizon!

“I love this place! It has all the things I like.” LuVerna went with me to the open market of fresh fruits and vegetables the other day and her words made me laugh. She was so excited to see carrots, cauliflower, and then she saw the watermelon! It was a special treat and she cannot wait to get her first bite!

Praise and Prayer: Please praise the Lord for a successful camp. We will be posting a couple of videos about the camp and then about the vista missions ministry. Again, it was a great time of serving the Lord and affecting lives with the gospel of Jesus Christ. Please pray for us in our faithfulness to continue to make contact with those who professed faith in Jesus Christ. We have a great opportunity but also responsibility. Please pray for the man at the roasted chicken stand. I do not know his name yet, but we have been purchasing one chicken every Sunday after church. We walk by his shop almost daily and he greets these foreigners with a great smile! We have begun to pray for how we can share Christ with him. Also, please pray for us as we begin the process of looking for a car. It can be a long process and we are not in a big hurry, but it would be a blessing to have a vehicle of our own.

We have changed our phone numbers and would love to stay in contact with you! For Kathleens number just send us an email or by messaging Jared.

Jared +595 983 952699

We have Whatsapp, Messenger, Telegram and Signal and can be contact via these without any problem.

Now how can we pray for you? We love to hear from you all and to pray for you. So please feel free to let us know.

Jaha Paraguay Pe!

The Loucks Family

June 2024, We made it!

“And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

Philippians 4:7

Paul writes this letter to the church at Phillipi and in many ways it is a very encouraging letter. However, when he gets to the end of the letter he is led to write about the need for unity among the whole body and the responsibility of the church to aid in relationships. In the midst of dealing with complicated issues, we are to bath them in prayer, casting our cares unto the Lord and finding the peace of God to guard our hearts and minds. We have not been dealing with any interpersonal conflicts, but each season of change can bring its own anxiety and as we bath the newness in prayer God has been very faithful in providing an amazing peace in our lives.

POR FIN! POR FIN! POR FIN!

These words were said over and over again as we exited the bus and gave hugs entering our new hometown of Ciudad del Este. Words that express the long-awaited arrival as missionaries. Words that express their anticipation of our coming and their faithfulness in praying for us as we prepared for this step in our lives. Words that will forever be etched in our brains. Finally! POR FIN!

We left the Pasco, Washington at 5:30am on Monday the 10th and arrived in Asuncion, Paraguay on Tuesday afternoon/evening. After getting our visas and hulling all of our luggage through security (this is a story for a different day) we were greeted by a great brother in Christ, Jim Showers. They allowed us to call their place home for the two nights while we were in Asuncion. Wednesday, we got up and at it with getting to the immigration office to begin our temporary residency process. Things went smoothly as we have hired a great team to help us with the process. Until it got to my (Jared’s) paperwork. We left that day with everyone else’s papers being sent off for residency and a peace knowing that it was God who had brought us this far and it would be God who would sustain us here. After looking into several options, we submitted some papers and finally got approval to move forward with the residency process! Praise the Lord for all of you who have been praying for this. I will head back to the capital and meet up again at immigration and move forward for my temporary residency.

After 4 airplanes, and two bus rides, we were ready to be home! In all we slept one night on a plane, two nights in the capital and one night at a hotel. After all of that we were excited to just be home. Our family and friends at Iglesia Bautista Jerovia have done an amazing job in seeking a home for us, getting it cleaned up, and setting up furniture for our arrival! We cannot thank them enough for all of their hard work! We have a beautiful home, with lots of space and only need a few more things to make it complete.

As we are getting settled in, we are also getting to work. Thats right the ministry moves forward and we are excited for that. We have friends to meet up with, lessons to write and memories to make. July is a very busy month for the ministry here and we would ask for prayer as we get busy with serving the Lord. There will be a group coming from Vista Mission to do a vision clinic as well as preparing for the missions training camp. I have been asked to teach a few lessons during the camp and am blessed by the opportunity.

We continue in confidence knowing that it is the Lord who has prepared the work for us and that it is God’s people who send us into the field. Your prayers have been such a great encouragement to us as we make the adjustment onto the foreign field. It is a blessing to report that aside from a little sickness the kids have been adjusting well and are making great connections and strides in relationships. While the language barrier may seem like a big one, their ability to communicate has been such a great encouragement. We pray that our kids would not only make good friends but that they would be good friends to those in the church.

Elijah can make friends just about anywhere He goes. And it was one of the things he was most excited about in coming to Paraguay. He is off to a great start! These boys have been waiting to meet each other and we are excited for the friendship that has already begun!

There are so many stories we could share already but for now we will leave it at this. We look forward to sharing all the fun and exciting things along the journey!

Please continue to pray as we get settled in. I will travel to the capital the beginning of the next week to continue my residency process. Please also pray as we look at vehicles, we have one on our minds, but we can only pull a little cash out every day and we are praying it will be available when the time comes. Thirdly, please pray for our health. Adjusting to a new culture can be tough on the body. Fourth, pray that we are found faithful.

Now how can we pray for you? It encourages us to pray for others! Let us know by sending an email to jared.loucks@hotmail.com

Jaha Paraguay Pe!

The Loucks Family

The Countdown has begun!

“Then after fasting and praying they laid their hands on them and sent them off.” Acts 13:3

Reviewing what Acts 13 states about the commissioning of Barnabas and Saul has been a real comfort for Kathleen and I. To think that it was not up to these two men to make the decision to go, but that God had moved in the life of the Church to send them out. They acknowledged the calling in their lives to fulfill the ministry, but it was and is God’s body who sends out missionaries into the world. What a joy and reassurance to know that we don’t do this alone!

Today, May 10th, wraps up my studies at Rio Grande Bible Institute, completing the Intercultural Studies Program! Just one month away from our departure date. Thats right, in just one month, June 10th, we will be boarding our flights to make the 31 hour journey to Paraguay! What lies ahead as we prepare for the move and how can you pray for us?

Heading to Texas: Thats right the first thing on the list is that Kathleen and I will be flying out to Texas on the 13th for graduation. We will be in Texas for just a few short days, but we are excited to have the time to fellowship with the students that have helped us through the process of learning Spanish.

Then it is time to start packing… Well, we have started doing some of this as we have had time, but yes it will be all hands on deck as we organize our bags and totes and prepare for the move. A lot has gone into this already over the last several years but it is finally time.

Making our lists and checking them twice…

And last but surely not least, making memories together. One of the things that many have recommended is that we take every moment possible to engage the kids and to make memories with them. Kathleen and I have made some plans to have family times as well as some focused one-on-one time with the kids prior to the move.

Before we close, let us share a little of our last month with you. We were blessed to see Adara-Dasha take a step of obedience and be baptized. It was really a joy to see her walk through this process. We also had some special visitors from Wisconsin and it was a blast to see the kids make memories with their cousins. Family is at the top of the list of things we will miss while we are away. We also got to Celebrate Temperance’s 12th Birthday. Hard to see our oldest become a young lady, but thankful for the lady she is becoming and pray she continues to desire to serve the Lord.

Prayer and Praise!

We have a home waiting for us!!! That’s right we have a home and a deposit has been made. PRAISE THE LORD!
Pray for safety while we travel to graduation.
Pray for us as we continue the process of packing and saying our goodbyes.

Thank you for your faithfulness in praying for us and joining us along the journey. We honestly are humbled at all that the Lord is doing and has allowed us to complete through you. Now, how can we pray for you?

Jaha Paraguay Pe!

The Loucks Family

March and April 2024

“…Arise, and anoint him, for this is he. Then Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the midst of his brother. And the Spirit of the LORD rushed upon David from that day forward…”
1 Samuel 16:12b-13a

Samuel had been given the responsibility of anointing the king who would lead over the nation of Israel. This came with the great responsibility of walking close to God and listening when He called. Saul had failed and in chapter 15 we see where he sinned in fearing the People rather than the Lord. It was now time for a new king and Samuel had to be listening for God’s instructions. When studying how God appoints men for service it is humbling to know that He desires to use all of us in ministry. We all have a crucial role that God has appointed us to, and we are responsible to respond to that calling in our lives.

The month of March flew by and gave us many wonderful opportunities to make memories. We began the month with an overnight get away and had a great time of fellowship With Pastor Fodge and First Baptist Church of Quincy. Following that we began preparing for the kid’s pine car derby. I am not much of a woodworker, but it is always a joy to sit and envision with the kids and to attempt to create their idea.

A huge thank you goes out to Mr. Young! He has been part of the Loucks family pine car making since I (Jared) was a kid. Always fun to have the kids work with him on shaping their cars. Temperance made a globe and added an airplane from Washington to Paraguay. Adara-Dasha said she wanted her car to be the “Salt of the Earth” and so we had fun adding a saltshaker to the top of it. Jedidiah wanted a red-white-and blue car to represent both the United State and Paraguay.

As mentioned in our last update, we were also blessed in March to have Pastor Juan Carlos Escobar and Alejandra visit for a week. It is always a blessing to have Pastor J.C. at Grace Baptist Church and to hear what the Lord is doing in life and ministry. It was also great to have them around and to share some time together. We even got to celebrate Abuela Alejandra’s birthday with a special dinner and dessert.

One of the things that was on the agenda of conversations was when do we depart for Paraguay. We are excited to announce that we have purchased tickets and fly out to Paraguay on June 10th. A few things that we ask for you to pray for us concerning are one for housing in Paraguay. We were informed there are options for housing, but they are waiting for something more ideal to arise. Please pray that we can find a home near Pastor Sergio Escobar and his family. This would put us close to fellow laborers as well as to the local church. Another thing is that we are in the process of getting our Apostils on our background checks. Pray that these would get returned quickly in the mail so that we will be ready for the residency process.

The Kids made a short video answering some questions about what lies ahead for them. If you have a few minutes we think you will enjoy it.

The things the kids will miss most about going to Paraguay is their family and friends. It has been a journey through deputation and language school but being home around the people that for lack of a better term, “smell like you” just feels right. Temperance grew up with some of these gals, and others she has gotten to know over the last few months. She will begin youth group the beginning of May and move to Paraguay a month later. One of the things that keeps her excited about the next step in our lives is the encouragement that these girls are to her.

Prayer Requests:

Pray for housing to be secured in Paraguay.
Pray as I (Jared) finish classes at Rio Grande Bible Institute
Pray as we pack our bags and prepare to say our goodbyes.

Thank you for taking a moment to follow us along this journey. We serve a great God and understand that we cannot do it alone. Your prayers have truly encouraged us along the way! Now, how can we pray for you?

Jaha Paraguay Pe!

The Loucks Family