Category Archives: Uncategorized

February 2021

                                                                     

The Second Update!

Well, we have stuck it out to write a second letter!  We have survived the first few months of deputation ministry and what a blessing it has been.  We hope that in reading this letter you will be blessed as well.  

Current Ministry:

Currently Kathleen and I when we are not on the road sharing what God has called us to, we are busy serving in the local church.  God has blessed me with many service opportunities as a deacon, in worship ministry and other great opportunities.  Kathleen is busy with Children’s ministries from Master Clubs, a special Wednesday evening kid’s program, and scheduling nursery workers and helping keep it all sanitized.  She is also active in worship many weeks singing for special music.  We love our home church, and the opportunities God allows us to be used for His glory to the people of Grace Baptist Church.

What about the Kids?

Life for our 5 amazing kids has been uneventful, just kidding.  The kids are active in ministry right along side us.  Our oldest three are homeschooled so most mornings they are busy with getting lessons done while Kathleen chases the other two around the house.  

We are blessed in that we serve in a local body that wants to educate our children anytime the doors are open, so when Kathleen and I are there, the kids are with us serving along side us.  We have been warned that deputation with 5 kids can be a challenge and we have gone to great lengths to prepare ourselves for this.  We have a great support team of family and friends who have offered to help with the kids so that we do not burn them out.  The kids really do not mind an extra night with Nana and Papa, especially if Uncle David is around to play with them!

While making appointments for deputation we take all of this into consideration, but also know you want to see them and get to know them.  We hope that our youtube channel (loucks2paraguay) will be a great help in allowing you to see them and what mission’s life is like for them.  

Upcoming Plans:

Our current appointments have us busy and we are super excited for this!  February, we have a little down time and coming in March we have lined up 3 meetings that we are very excited for!  Followed by the first of April where we will start the month of recovering together and end it traveling.  We will share more details as these visits come about on our Facebook (JahaParaguayPe)!

We are so excited to share that we are already at 15% of our monthly support goal!  We can not thank those who have come along side us enough.  We are so thankful for the opportunity

God allowed us to share our ministry at First Baptist Church of Boardman, OR the end of December and for the great fellowship with the body there.  It was great to worship with them again after several years of not being there.  We were also blessed to share our ministry with First Baptist Church of Burbank, WA.  We visited with them not long ago and were so thankful for the invite back and for their great encouragement as we move forward.  

Prayer Requests:

  1. Please pray as we continue to set up meetings and build our support team.  We have been so blessed up to this point and are excited for what the Lord is doing for His kingdom through so many people.  
  2. Pray for Temperance as she will be being baptized soon.  What a blessing to see her desire to follow the Lord in such a way!
  3. Please pray for Kathleen’s Dad.  He has many health issues and if facing some tough times.  Pray also for her Mom that she would find comfort in the Lord and strength to meet each new trial.

           Jaha Paraguay Pe!

December 2020

Our First Prayer Letter!

To those of you who have not followed along on our journey over the course of the last year, you have missed out on a lot.  In January of this year we found a buyer for our home, while it was not even on the market.  In February we sold our home, had baby #5, moved into a rental, and became 100% debt free (and yes, it all happened in a 6-week window of time)! 

Being debt free meant we could finally move forward with our desire to serve the Lord in fulltime missionary service.  We were so excited to walk into the office of Pastor Dupignac and report the news as God had been working these details out for some time now.  However, something strange happened, March.

Not Holding Us Back

Who knew that while a lot of things came to a halt we would be progressing toward service?  We had already created a relationship with Adelphos-USA and it seemed like a natural fit for us.  Adelphos is a Chilean mission agency whom I have a strong tie through several connections with.  Adelphos began in 1992 by a group of fundamental churches of Chile with a passion for the great commission.  They believed that missions is for all churches, and that Chile should be no different. 

This ministry continues to grow throughout South and Central America and has expanded to Europe, Africa and the United States.  In June of 2017

Adelphos-USA was begun to help serve in the vision of Adelphos of Chile. 

Joining the Team

From March through September we (Kathleen and I) began the training process with Adelphos-USA.  This was a truly unique time of reading, writing, and meeting with Director Shawn Haynie.  We were blessed to be on this journey and so thankful for the opportunity.  However, September came too quickly, and we were boarding a plane heading to Illinois for a week of training and the big interview. 

On September 20, 2020 we met with the board of Adelphos-USA for a time of testimony, review of our calling and doctrinal examination.  That day we were voted on and were unanimously accepted as Vocational Missionaries with Adelphos-USA. 

This was not the end though, we returned to Grace Baptist Church of Kennewick, Washington and still had to wait on one more vote.  This was a little difficult because we were still on modified services due to state mandates.  However, on October 18, 2020 we were commissioned by Grace Baptist Church of Kennewick into the deputation ministry! 

Can I Share a Little Story?

I (Jared) grew up attending Grace Baptist Church.  It was through the faithful members of this body that I received the free gift of Salvation at the age of 5.  It was these same people that witnessed my baptism at the age of 6.  Many of the same men that I sat before for church membership still fill the pews.

These faithful people never gave up on me.  I was not always the perfect child, but that did not mean they discarded me and gave up.  I will save time and refrain from adding the names and illustrations as to how they impacted my life, but without their surrender to the Spirit I would not be here today.  I am humbled by the membership of Grace. 

Where are We Now?

Since our approval in October we have been actively engaging into this new ministry.  What does that look like?  Well, we have had several zoom meetings with family and friends who are interested in our ministry plans.  Added to that have been the occasional coffee with friends who have been so faithful in praying for our ministry, and phone calls to Pastors. 

I can honestly say that this has been a busy time, but also a very exciting time for our family. 

We have chosen Philippians 1:6 as our theme verse.

“For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.”

These words that Paul wrote to the church at Philippi seemed very fitting for us as a family, knowing that there is nothing to difficult for our Lord! 

Current Prayer Requests

  1. Pray for Paraguay as they face many of the same restrictions as the state of Washington.  It has had a great and lasting effect on many.
  2. Pray for our family as we continue to make connections with churches and individuals who would consider joining our team.
  3. Pray for how you can join our ministry to Paraguay?  Have you considered being a monthly support partner?  If you can’t do that, can you promise to pray for us regularly?

Thank you for taking time to read this, we hope it is a blessing and an encouragement to you! 

Jaha Paraguay Pe!

                           The Loucks Family 

Follow Us:

On Facebook: JahaParaguayPE

On Youtube: Loucks2Paraguay

On the Web: Loucks2Paraguay.org

Wait, now what?

Many of you have seen the video that we posted on facebook, youtube and instragram last night and have already asked the two word question, “now what?”

Kathleen, Jared and Pastor William Dupignac

On September 20th, 2020 we were approved by Adelphos-USA for missionary partnership and were sent back to the local church (Grace Baptist Church of Kennewick, WA) for the next step. Last night, October 18th, 2020 Grace Baptist Church voted to send us into the deputation ministry! What a blessing and honor it is to have such a faithful church family backing us as we move forward toward Paraguay, South America.

This next step is a hard one, but it is one that you play a key roll in! We are now actively looking for ministry partners who will join our team into ministry service. Yes, I said you have the opportunity to partner with ministry in Paraguay! How?

  1. Praying for Paraguay! We are attempting to advance the gospel message of Jesus Christ to a people who need to hear the truth.
  2. Pray for Us! We desire to be a light to a lost world, but the process to get there is not simple.
  3. Pray for how you can serve with us! We are now beginning the process where we build up a support team and you can be part of that! We are looking for Churches and Individuals that will support us through prayer and financial support. Will you join our team?

We would love to connect with you and share our testimonies, calling, and ministry desires. Would you bless us with this opportunity to meet?

Jaha Paraguay Pe/Let’s go to Paraguay

Why Paraguay

In 2005 God impressed upon my heart the calling to full-time foreign missions. It was at this time that I began a relationship with Pastor Juan Carlos Escobar of Ciudad del Este, Paraguay. Through this relationship I have been so greatly encouraged to continue to follow the Lord’s leading wherever that might be to.

While attending Faith Baptist Bible College we were required to fulfill an internship and while plans fell through to partner with a ministry in Kenya, the Lord opened up for ministry in Paraguay. That internship consisted of seven weeks of hands on ministry training. Through this seven week adventure I was encouraged that Paraguay could be where God was leading full-time. I have never stopped praying for the Holy Spirit’s leading, it has always seemed that Paraguay was the destination he had for me.

In 2015 God blessed our family to adventure to Paraguay on a trip we called “Connections”. The goal of this mission was to see how Kathleen and our two children at the time would connect and adapt within a new country. This trip was nothing but amazing! Not only did it open connections into our lives, but it created many good connections into the lives of the people of Paraguay. Temperance and Jedidiah both did such an amazing job! While not understanding the language of Spanish, they understood the language of childhood laughter and play. On this trip we were blessed to have opportunities to serve with kids ministries, a time of testimony in Hope Christian School, and I was able to preach to the church and encourage them to keep growing and pressing forward.

At the close of this trip we asked the hard questions, “Does Paraguay even need us in the ministry?” When I sat down with Pastor Juan Carlos Escobar and asked this question, he answered with a tear in his eye, “YES!”

Pastor Juan Carlos Escobar has had a growing ministry since 1994. This ministry has grown into several church plants and even a Christian school for ages K-12. However, Pastor has bigger plans for Paraguay! The next step is to begin a Bible institute to help men and women of South America prepare for ministry service. We are excited to help in this next step of ministry with the church of Paraguay. Our prayer is to partner with nationals in church planting, discipleship and assisting with Theological training within the Bible institute.

How will you join in the ministry of Paraguay, South America?

Jaha Paraguay Pe!