christianity – Page 2 – Loucks 2 Paraguay

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

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

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

February 2024

“Then Job answered the LORD and said: “I know that you can do all things, and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted.”
Job 42:1-2

As part of my homework, I have read through the book of Job in three different translations. Each time I read through it I was reminded to give thanks for the godly people that have been placed in my life. Those people that God has used to shape us, to mold us, and make us stronger. Those who have walked with us through the good and bad times and to know that it is God who has placed them into our lives that His work could be completed in our lives. What beautiful truths to reflect upon and encourage us along the way.

With all the changes that were made to our plans we felt such great peace knowing that it is God who is directing our steps. I (Jared) have been taking classes online at Rio Grande Bible Institute and am in over my head. Classes are Monday, Wednesday and Friday and I spend Tuesday and Thursday reading, writing and making sure I am understanding. It is a full load of classes with a full load of homework, but God has been blessing in each step of the process.

As explained in the last email the program changes at Rio Grande Bible Institute were developed for helping missionaries that are aiming toward Preaching and Teaching ministries. Taking the classes allows me the opportunity to learn how to teach in a Latino culture. Already, it has been a great help in things to do and not do in teaching Latinos. I am thankful for the men that God has placed as Professors in the classes and am already looking forward to using what I am learning.

The time here in Washington continues allow us plenty of time for the kids to get school done, enjoy time with family, and make great memories. Kathleen and the kids keep busy each morning while I am doing school with their own school tasks. We celebrated not long ago that the kids finished their 100th day of school for the year. Elijah is catching up on schooling and LuVerna is reaping many of those benefits as she sits and takes in what mommy is teaching.

Commissioning Service February 11^th ,2024 at 10:45am! That’s right, we are just a couple weeks away from our commissioning service and are excited for all that the Lord is preparing for that weekend. Friday Night, February 9^th, we will be having a Commissioning Service Dinner at Grace Baptist Church in Kennewick, WA starting at 6pm. We want to make sure you know that you are all invited to join us for this special time of fellowship! Our guest speaker for the evening will be President of Adelphos-Chile, Patricio Oliva.

Prayer and Praise:

Pray as I study that the Lord would continue to give me the necessary strength and understanding
Pray for safety as representation of Adelphos-Chile and Adelphos-USA travel to Washington to be with us during the commissioning service.
Pray for family and friends as they travel for the commissioning service also.
Continue to pray as our Ministry Partners in Paraguay continue looking for us a home.
Praise that the first couple weeks of classes have gone well.
Praise that Kathleen and the kids are enjoying having her back teaching them and being together in the home.

Thank you to the many of you who reach out with prayer requests. It is a true joy to take those requests to the kids and to be praying for you all. If you have any requests, you know how to get ahold of us! Thank you for your faithfulness in praying for us and the ministry that God has called us to.

Jaha Paraguay Pe!

The Loucks Family

December 2023…

“I thank God whom I serve, as did my ancestors, with a clear conscience, as I remember you constantly in my prayers night and day. As I remember your tears, I love to see you, that I may be filled with joy.”
2 Timothy 1:3-4

The life of the missionary is full of goodbyes. We spent two years on deputation meeting people for short times and having to say goodbye. We spent the last year at Rio Grande Bible Institue, studying a language, learning a culture, but most importantly connecting with people, and now we have said our goodbyes. As I sit in our temporary apartment and reflect on the fast trip to get home, I cannot help but think of the powerful words that Paul wrote to Timothy. We have so many wonderful memories of great people at RGBI and I pray that they continue to “fan into flame the gift of God” (2nd Timothy 1:6).

We left campus at 3:30am on Tuesday, December 12th, and arrived in Washington at 12:30pm on Thursday, December 14th! At just shy of 2200 miles we drove 17 hours the first day, 16 hours the second day, and finished with just a 4-hour drive from Notus, ID on our last day. It was great to stop the last night to stay with Pastor Sparky Clancy and his family Wednesday night. We consider them part of our team of mentors in the ministry process and were greatly blessed to share and reflect on God’s goodness through the process of language school.

When we arrived at home, we had a couple of surprises as we were not expected until Friday. It was great to share in the moments of surprise but really, we just cannot wait for Sunday to come so we can get all the hugs! Our home church has done a great job preparing for our arrival. Kathleen, just commented that she needed some facial tissue (I think we all do) only to turn around and find a box sitting on the shelf. We have food in the pantry, beds in the rooms, and love from all around! We are blessed! Thank you, Grace Baptist Church, for welcoming us home and reminding us of the great God we serve together.

We expect the remainder of December to go quickly. The kids have some fun activities to be part of at church, we have friends to connect with and Christmas just around the corner. We are looking forward to the moments of family time as we prepare for the adjustment to the mission field.

What lies ahead? The end of November we finally received the final passports in the mail. The beginning of December we purchased our official tickets for the move to Paraguay! We will have our commissioning service on February 11th at Grace Baptist Church and then begin the move to Paraguay on February 13th. We have arranged a stay in the capitol with some friends while we work with a lawyer to get documentation in order and submitted for our residency. This will also give us a little time to get adjusted after jetlag. Our plan would be to arrive in Ciudad del Este, Paraguay on February 19th.

How you can pray: 1)Please pray for our time in Washington that we would enjoy the moments as a family. 2)Secondly, please pray that we would get all necessary documents in order, we think we have everything we need but we will check the list and maybe twice. 3)Third, please pray for our partners in Paraguay as they look for a place for us to rent upon arrival. 4) Fourth, we have been in contact with a missionary in Paraguay that is looking to sell his mini-van which would be a good fit for our family. We are waiting on some details but please pray for wisdom as we take these steps.

We want to wish you all a Very Merry Christmas! May your hearts and homes be filled with the joy that filled that stable that silent night in Bethlehem.

Jaha Paraguay Pe!

The Loucks Family