Anjo kinya udi si (Happy New Year)!
We are not usually this fancy, but this was a
gift photo shoot from new friends in OH
I am blessed to be able to greet you in the year of Our
Lord, 2018! So many blessings, challenges, lessons, and experiences of God’s
Grace and Faithfulness in this past year. Joyce
and I are free to come and share about God’s past and present faithfulness, as
well as the more that we are praying for in this new year. If you are locally
in the New England area, please let us know if you want us to come to your
church, bible study, or even a small group of interested people gathered at
your home. As Joyce is experiencing winter cold for the first time, any
opportunity to share in the deep south sometime this winter may be a welcome
respite😊.
To see a review of the blessings at Operation Nehemiah Missions,
check out Williams update here: https://www.operationsnehemiah.org/single-post/2017/12/21/Highlights-of-2017-Merry-Christmas-and-prosperous-2108
.
My family
and I personally have seen God’s mighty hand work on our behalf in 2017 and much
to thank God for:
 |
Arriving in the USA
on June 6, 2017 with warm greetings
|
~A miraculous
intervention in my wife’s visa process so that we were able to fly to the USA
on June 6th, the first day of Joyce’s 37th week of
pregnancy.
 |
Our dear midwife,
Shivani
|
~A Godsent Midwife
who donated her time and selfless care to Joyce through the last month of the
pregnancy and the birth. We love and miss you Shivani!
 |
| Patience at 3 weeks |
 |
| Patience at 4 months (she now is 6 1/2 months, 16 lbs. and 26 inches) |
~One of our greatest
gifts, Patience Rozana Lueken, born 6 lbs. 13 oz. and 19 3/4 inches om July 8th, 2017. She is a joy
and also greatly being used by the Lord to teach us, her parents, the real
meaning of her name. 😊 Patience is a precocious and verbal little
girl who loves teething on carrots, making Razzberries, and has a fascination
with her newfound ability to shake her head no (we are working on teaching her
to nod yes).
~I (Jonathan)
completed an intensive online course in International Public Health through
INMED, August to September. I learned a lot about supporting general body
and community health, as well as disease prevention. These are all things I
hope to bring back to S. Sudan and teach there.
~God’s Grace in our
transition from Maplewood B&B in Otis to staying with and renting from dear
friends in Lee, MA, who also do ministry work in East Africa. We moved 2
months after Patience was born and God directed us to our new home within a
week of finding out we had to relocate.
 |
Our family in front
of the Grand Canyon of the East
|
~Few weeks after being in our new home, The African Luekens trio (with my Dad and Mom) set out on a 3 week, 10
state, 4,200 mile trip to visit family and friends. We were greatly blessed
and encouraged as we had opportunity to see my Dad’s family, share, meet new
friends (through Candle in the Window Hospitality Network), and fellowship with
brothers and sisters in Christ. Stops included PA, IL, MN, MO, KY, and OH.
Thanks to all who opened their homes and hearts to us!
 |
| First snow. "Somehow good, but scary!" -Joyce |
-Pray for the Church
of Christ in S. Sudan and for the S. Sudanese people scattered throughout
Uganda, to truly grasp the Gospel and for it to transform their lives from
the inside out.
-Joyce and I are
continuing to seek the Lord in raising our monthly support in order to help
us with the more expensive cost of living here in the USA and the constant need
in South Sudan as well..
-Through the winter, my
wife and I want to take an online course in wholistic nutrition (Any suggestions or recommendations are
welcome) to better equip
us to help our own family and the South Sudanese in preventing disease and
strengthening the immune system.
We are looking at a medical missions equipping course this April in Kansas city, MO, (https://inmedevents.org/event/2018hhc/) that we hope to both attend, Please pray for the needed resources for us to go.
We are looking at a medical missions equipping course this April in Kansas city, MO, (https://inmedevents.org/event/2018hhc/) that we hope to both attend, Please pray for the needed resources for us to go.
-I have discovered an
Intensive Wilderness EMT Course and Geo Medic (third world medicine) course taught by SOLO Schools in Conway, NH, which I
hope to take in May and then August. Appreciate your prayers for the
tuition cost (food, board, and certifications included in the tuition fee).
-God’s Guidance as we
try to use our time wisely in sharing and building relationships with all of
you, our dear brothers and sisters in Christ, here in the USA until we head
back to Africa by the end of the year.
- Nile Beth Israel Congregation
working among the refugees in Uganda, which is asking God to provide more seating for the congregation that is
rapidly growing.
 |
Nile Beth Israel Messianic
Congregation, Bibia, Uganda
|
There is much to thank God for in this past year, especially
the many trials and challenges that He was faithful to bring us through and the
spiritual growth that came through it all. In the words of a worship song by
Matt Redman:
“Never once did we ever walk alone
Never once did you leave us on our own
Never once did you leave us on our own
You are
faithful, God, You are faithful”
Rubanga Kolu
Anyito! (God be with you all)
Jonathan, Joyce,
and Patience
New Phone #: 774-203-8308
To Donate on the website scroll to the bottom - Choose option #2
Then choose PayPal or Credit card
Note: one time or recurring/monthly option.
PayPal onlighthouse@gmail.com (we get 96.8% of your donation through PayPal)
Mail checks to Operation Nehemiah c/o Herring 23 Tyringham Rd. Lee MA 01238
Operation Nehemiah Missions - Headquarters:
PO Box 563 Lanesborough, MA, 01267 413-770-4711
