Many reasons to PRAISE our God and to PRAY to see Him provide as the countdown begins.

Greetings and giving thanks for all that God is doing here for the people of South Sudan! 

PRAISE God with us for:

Everywhere we have gone to share about Operation Nehemiah, we have shared the story about a young friend of Jon's named Wani, whose family did not have the money to pay to have his sickness diagnosed, so they treated him for malaria, but he died days later of Yellow Fever… a treatable disease.  Our goal on our trip has been to raise funds for Rapid diagnostic tests & treatment of various disease in order to reopen the FREE Medical Clinic in the village and Praise God, the entire $5000 was provided to reopen our MEDICAL CLINIC with needed medicines & supplies.  The money has been sent to our ground team and they are so excited to once again give FREE medical care to our village and the surrounding community. PRAY for the ongoing need to continue to be supplied in the future.

In addition, the ministry has just received a donation of a complete DENTAL OFFICE to be shipped over in the spring of 2015. This can be set up in the village and a dentist from another area could come periodically to serve the people until someone in the village can be trained in dentistry.

As Assistant Coordinator for Sustainable Development, Jon’s primary focus for this trip will be to help to BUILD A FARMHOUSE at the Beth Israel Farmland

William Levi shares about The Beth Israel Farmhouse Project : 

The time has finally come to build a home & storage warehouse in the Beth Israel farmland beginning in the later part of 2014! Our vision is to be able to accommodate both our family & an additional 3 - 4 families, including missionaries, visitors, & the families of our ground staff to allow for full time engagement in farm operations. Please keep this exciting development in prayer.

I will be leaving for South Sudan with my eldest daughter, Abijah, & Jonathan Lueken on Dec. 8th for 10 days. Mr. Lueken will be staying in the field for six months. The scope of this shorter trip is to hold a two day leadership training with the church & to begin construction of the Beth Israel farmhouse. Hannah & five of our children will not be joining us this time because of the short duration of this trip.  We plan to travel back as a family in March 2015 for 2-3 months.

Needs:

Funds stand at $40,000.00 & $46,000 more is needed to complete the Farm House. To donate to  online, visit www.operationsnehemiah.org.

Thank you for standing with as we rebuild the wall in the Republic of South Sudan.  

May God bless you in His service. William Levi

For more detailed information about the Farmhouse go to this link: http://www.operationsnehemiah.org/#!on-matching-fund-drive/c19uv

Jon will be working along side his adopted brothers in helping with the building of the farmhouse, which is 5 miles on a bush road from the village. Thus far they have had to trek by foot or by tractor or other vehicle back and forth each day because there is no housing there on the farm thus, the needfor the farmhouse. 
Jon recently spoke with a seasoned traveller to Africa and he suggested Jon get a Paratrooper Folding Bike that he could take with him on the plane and a jungle hammock with mosquito netting & rain protection as his housing during the construction away from the village, so he could stay overnight out in the bush for a longer period of time.

So far, God has provided enough for Jon to get his round trip airfare, immunizations, some of the needed food & supplies, but there are some things that we are still praying in. 

PRAY for provision of:

~ Additional food & supplies & travel expenses. $500 needed & more for his 6 month stay ... DEC. 8 to May 28, 2015

~ A Hennesey Deep Jungle Asym HAMMOCK (with mosquito netting & extra thick bottom that does not allow mosquito’s to bite through the bottom of the hammock) $200

~ A Montague Paratrooper Pro Folding Bike - that he can take on the plane. Someone suggested that we have contact Montague Bikes in Boston asking if they would discount  or donate a bike, if we give pictures and report back of its usefulness in South Sudan. Regular price $945. Pray they call us back. 

~ Jon is also earnestly working on an audio recording of THE BIBLE OR THE AXE, Williams story of his escape from south Sudan as a teenager. Jon gets up at 4am to avoid too much traffic noise & hopes to finish before he heads to Africa.  Not sure how many Cd’s will be needed for each copy of the book, but hoping that sales will make it more affordable so we can share it with others, especially elderly folks who cannot read, for family’s to listen to, and to air on Nehemiah Trumpet Call Radio Station in Borongole, South Sudan!

~ Funds needed for the extra checked bags on the plane that are filled with donations of clothing, sewing, school & first aid supplies. PRAY for the $400 needed for extra bag fees, or better, yet, for favor with the authorities that they wave the fee.

Thank you for sending Jonathan off with your prayerful support. Jon could not be there without it. Please be praying for those in the village of Borongole, as well, who are hard at work year round, to rebuild their nation and share the Lord's bounty with others around them.

Operation Nehemiah Mission focuses on the Great Commission in the South Sudan sharing the Hope of Salvation in Jesus the Messiah for the redemption of mankind from their sin. It focuses on rebuilding the Family, the Church and Community from the ashes of war. This is done through establishing genuine long term indigenous leadership among the South Sudanese nationals & pastors through family discipleship and sustainable living. Our objective is to reduce the resources coming from USA and other countries by increasing the resources within the country. Our success will be measured by communicating the biblical framework of the family and the church.  Along with that comes the local pastoral leadership, in conducting workshops on the sufficiency of scripture; Christ centered worship, and biblical peacemaking and a work ethic to deal with physical need of their flock in society. We encourage men, women and children to play their proper roles in the home, church  and community by working with their own hands. New believers are exhorted to make their calling and election sure, putting on the new life and identity in Christ. ” For more  information on Operation Nehemiah please visit our main website at www.operationsnehemiah.org    

We, as a family, are available to come to your home, church, small group, homeschool or Christian school to share Jon’s slides and tell of the work being done and the needs over in South Sudan. 

Blessed to be His,  The Lueken family

To Donate on the website scroll to the bottom - Choose option #2 

Then choose PayPal (we get 97%) or Credit card (we get 100%)

(one time or recurring/monthly option)

PayPal onlighthouse@gmail.com (we get 97%)

Mail checks to Operation Nehemiah PO Box 2401, Plainville, MA 02762 (we get 100%)

Thankful for the generosity of God's people & evidence of His hand on our fall trip!

November 2014

We are so thankful for the generosity of God’s people, who prayed, gave and those who graciously opened their homes to us wandering travelers. Whenever we were thirsty (spiritually or physically) God used you to minister a cool cup of water to refresh us. 

First praise report is that we even did the trip! We set out with enough funds to get us to Minnesota w/ no planned speaking till 9 days later, but God had other plans & beautifully filled in housing, when friends got sick & could not house us; also financially, when an online order for my mom’s health needs accidently took the remaining money out of our account rather than hers.  God knew & had plans for Jon to share at our very first stop, that neither we, nor our hosts knew about! 

The trip continued to be filled with unexpected provision, divine appointments & wonderful fellowship with God’s people. 

This was our first real adventure on our own to share about Operation Nehemiah Missions. It gave us courage to venture forth yet again and this has confirmed our calling as a family. It will not be the last trip that we will make and we look forward to future connections with you and others that God will bring across our path. 

JON WILL BE HEADING BACK TO SOUTH SUDAN ON DEC. 8TH & will be traveling with William Levi. William intends to supervise the beginning of construction on the Beth Israel Farm house (a place where families can stay, as right now there is no housing available) William will head home in a couple weeks once the preliminaries have been set. Jon will stay on the ground working with the ground crew and will stay through William and Hannah’s Feb-May family trip. He will return with them in May. He’ll be there 6 months!!

Please pray:   

~For the next few weeks preparations & needed provision for both Jon & WIlliam on this trip, scheduled for Dec 8!! 
Jon hopes to get his South Sudanese permanent residency while he is over there and prayer for wisdom to navigate the red tape and governmental corruption would be much much appreciated!

~For increased monthly support. Thankful for $505 committed monthly support for our family. God faithfully provided for every step of this trip & is providing our daily bread. He has proven again & again that He sees & knows our need! 

~for a computer & hard drive that can handle programs needed to keep track of donations and other necessary systems to help this office with paperwork, as right now we are doing everything by hand.

~For a family vehicle that will take us where we need to go as a family to share about Operation Nehemiah.

~For more local opportunities to share about Operation Nehemiah in homes, churches, homeschool groups, Christian schools.

We will do our best to keep you updated on all that is going on in South Sudan and future ministry work here in the States. We are in awe of His faithfulness and rejoice in being a part of God’s family!    Thank you all so much,   

Roger, Patty, Jon & Emma

Lueken's Perigrinations Our Trip Update Part 3 & 4

Perigrinations? Jon's favorite word which means to travel from one place to another, a course of travel.

OUR ZIG ZAG THROUGH MISSOURI: Our Travel update Part 3

There's so much that we can't see in the days ahead, but what we have seen God do on this trip has been overwhelming and has far surpassed our expectations in many ways, especially in rekindling relationships and building new ones. We arrived home this past weekend and thank God for His grace that carried us. 

We did not have much internet the last week so this is one of two updates about the last few weeks of our travels.

Oct. 1 - We dropped from MN to Kansas City, MO.  Stayed with new friends, the Pentimone’s. What a blessings to get to know their family.  Thankful to stay so close to the Family Economics Conference where we had a vendor booth to share about Operation Nehemiah.  What a wonderful time connecting with others from all over the country over that 3 days. 

There we got our first donation toward the medical clinic from a young boy of about 8 years old!! 

Thank you to the Pentimone's, who welcomed us into their home, so we could have a table at a conference in Kansas City, MO

Oct. 4 - traveled east to St. Louis, MO where we were to stay with my niece Bekah Thomas's family in one of the vacant apartments they are working on.  But an inquiry through A CANDLE IN THE WINDOW Hospitality Network, we got to stay 3 1/2 miles away with a dear new friend in the Lord for all 4 days!  Thank you, Sandie!!!

Jon shared at the Church of the Word, and it happened to be the weekend all our dear Thomases AND Robert & Jill Andrews were in attendance.  What a great audience! Pastor Matt Sheffer’s message was full of light to our souls bringing welcome conviction and hope in our Savior alone.

Though this was not a sight seeing trip, we could not pass up a visit to the St. Louis Zoo when it was free and we got to be with Bekah & her boys!

Blessed reunions with our dear Thomases in St. Louis, MO

Oct. 8 - 11 travelled westward again toward Springfield, MO to meet our friends, Melissa & Jordan for dinner and to share at their church... We ended up with FOUR opportunities to share in 4 days and had wonderful times of fellowship. God used our visit to connect us with dear folks from their area & to give us wise & proven counsel concerning Roger's health issues. 

An added blessing is that the day after we left, little Marian broken out in a rash which proved she was contagious while we were there.  Since returning home we have not had contact with family on either side in order to prevent sharing this with other.  A blessing? you ask! Yes, we have so much ministry follow up to do in the days ahead, that having these focused days is a real gift. God knew.

Special times with the Niednagel clan, refreshed and encouraged!

Oct. 11 - We traveled east to TN ... (to be continued in part 3 of our updates)…

As we look ahead, we are still praying about raising monthly support… We are hoping and praying that as folks we know support us even $10 or $25 a month, that the majority of the money raised as we share at churches and in homes will go toward the needs in South Sudan,  so far we have about $450 per month. 

[FYI: recurring credit card or PayPal withdrawal options available online OPTION 2, so nothing added to your to do list each month!]

We raised $500 for the Medical Clinic, $4500 more is needed to order the rapid diagnostic tests and treatment so that it can be re-open to serve the people. A recent inquiry about the medical clinic from someone we met a few weeks ago, gives us hope that God can move on hearts, far better than we can to fund this need.

Jon also has part of his travel expenses for his next trip to South Sudan which is slated for the end of November or early December and he may stay for 6 months!! 

We are available to share in your home or church in New England, just as we had done on this trip… 

HOMEWARD PERIGRINATIONS!!  Our Trip Update Part 4

The last week of our trip (Oct. 11 - 18) eastward was spent with dear friends with no speaking engagements planned ahead. But, God kindly rounded out our trip with several opportunities to casually share stories and pictures with handfuls of folks in our friend’s living rooms. We enjoyed sweet fellowship, catching up, and even did some sight seeing!

Tennessee Oct. 11- 15 - Thomson's Station > Nashville > Pikeville, TN

Sweet Reunion with YWAM friends, Buddy & Eileen Zegel

Reunion with YWAM friend, Carol Thomas  --  Precious time with Jonathan & Monique Einwechter & family

Virginia Oct. 15 - 17 - Charlottesville, VA

                                    

                                    

A lovely visit with the Dumaresq's who treated us to a visit to Monticello!!

Pennsylvania Oct. 17 - 18 - Ephrata > Lehighton, PA > HOME!!

 Met the whole Einwechter clan & Jackie Siegal Moeller (YWAM) stopped in & a lovely overnite with the Charters 

10/18 Groceries purchased and we're set for HOME!
WE TRAVELED OVER 5400 MILES!!

As we look back on this trip, we are so thankful for the grace of God poured out to make this month, long trip not only possible, but a joy!  There was so much that was not set in stone or planned out ahead, but, whenever we had a need, He provided at the perfect time. Daily we could see His hand guiding, providing, orchestrating, and knitting our hearts with others.  It’s what He does in our midst that is profoundly needed, felt and lasting.  So we praise Him & are overwhelmed by what we can see and thank Him for all that we cannot see!

  We look forward to reconnect with those that we met when we do another future trip & 

we want to continue to share in New England 

among friends and churches here. 

We will come to your living room.

 Just invite a few friends & we'll enjoy sweet fellowship! 

Have a homeschool co-op or know of a christian school that would want to see Jon's pictures & hear about God's work in South Sudan? Let us know!

Jon is available for the next month or so, 

before he returns to South Sudan in Dec. for about 6 months. Fortunately, we have memorized his presentation, so we can come anytime thru May to share in your home or church.

PRAISE GOD…

~ for the generosity of God's people who gave toward the medical clinic, Jon's travel expenses, our needs on the trip, and beyond!!!

~ that having left home with only enough funds to get us to MN, God saw us home!

~ for the $500 collected for the medical clinic 

~ for unexpected speaking engagements, last minute housing & new friends!.

~ for rekindling of old relationships & the making of new ones!

~ for gifts toward Jon's travel expenses 

~ that we have $450 monthly support & how He has creatively provided & cared for us! We cannot begin to tell all He has done… ask and we'll recall with thanks!!

PRAY... 

~ for the $4500 more needed for the medical clinic to be reopened 

~ for arrangements for the upcoming trip and all that has to be done on the ground to be ready for their arrival.
~ for God's just-in-time provision of supplies & additional airfare needed for Jon's trip
~ for the means to get thru cheaply all the material donations to the people of S. Sudan.

~ for peace in S. Sudan b/c the Prince of Peace has come to reign in people's hearts!!

Thank you for your precious time and for your prayers for all!!

Check out the new website www.operationsnehemiah.org (still being updated)

To donate on the website you have to go to the very bottom blue bar to option 2

You can click on that button & it brings you to  a new page that lets you donate thru Pay Pal   OR at the very bottom left it says:

"Don't have a PayPal account? 

Use your credit card or bank account (where available). Continue"

and if you click on "continue" it brings you to a new page that says

"Pay with Credit Card or Log In" 

NOTE: There is a one time or recurring/monthly option, so you don't have to remember to send monthly donations!

Mail checks to Operation Nehemiah PO Box 2401, Plainville, MA 02762 (we get 100% with check or credit card)

PayPal onlighthouse@gmail.com (we get 97%)

His Banner over us is FAITHFUL!! Trip Update Part 1 & 2

Well, we came to PA simply to see our dear friends, the Polczynski's, on route to MN and we have had unexpected blessed opportunities… First, Dave asked if Jon could share at their church… not realizing that they had 3 weeks of missionaries lined up to share that past two weeks and next week, so the pastor felt it was too much and said maybe another time. Then Carin started inviting friends to come over Sat. night to their house, not remembering that they had a church function that night, so they had to cancel, and we went with them to that dinner and met some sweet people from the church. Later, the pastor felt convicted that he was getting in God's way and that he should have Jon share for 15 minutes during the service and when we arrived early this morning, he asked Jon to share with the youth Sunday School class as well. 

Jon did amazingly well in his sharing (I cried as I was so amazed that he expressed himself so well, it just flowed with no notes).  It was God's blessing as he shared,  and I cried at many other points and I have heard him share a dozen times before, but this time (and when he shared on PEI) it was actually very emotional at certain points. And people's responses were tremendous… many were really blessed. God even reached out to Emma in very tangible ways through a number of people there… she was really aware of how God led folks to talk to her and ask her about herself and one sweet women had tears in her eyes and expressed some really tender caring words to Emma.  It has been an unexpected joy to be here, beyond getting sweet time with Carin and Dave.

Though our housing with an old friend enroute to MN had to be cancelled… we got absolute perfect housing for tomorrow night through A CANDLE IN THE WINDOW Hospitality Network  (check it out www.acandleinthewindow.com ) What a blessing and what a wonderful ministry! We have a great story of how things worked out!  We will be staying with complete strangers in the Body of Christ who are welcoming us into their home tomorrow night and the location is exactly 8 1/2 hours from here and 8 1/2 hours to the Twin cities in Minnesota!! Actually a shorter route than then one I had chosen because there's less construction.

So much to be thankful for and we have only been on the road two days!!

Wow! God is not only good… He IS our GOOD SHEPHERD… leading us step by step.

Operation Nehemiah has a new website and we were able just yesterday to create a page that has ours and William's speaking schedule, so folks can see where we will be when. Check out the website.. it's still being worked on but it is much better to navigate and easier for us to update. www.operationsnehemiah.org

Love and blessings to all!

In Him Who keeps us,  Roger & Patty Lueken & family

It’s not possible to sum up all the many ways we have seen the Lord direct our steps... It is truly overwhelming!! Every step of the way we have been blessed and cared for... Several times errors in directions were averted at the last minute; visits with friends & no plans of sharing where doors opened up; housing that fell through was so wonderfully replaced with unexpected treats; the overwhelming generosity of God’s people has wonderfully provided for our needs as we travel! Our hearts rejoice at His faithful provision of our daily bread!!

After leaving PA, we had the pleasure of meeting a family in Indiana who took us in, fed us well and shared a love of missions and a secret room behind a small bookcase that you had to crawl to and slide into. That was a real treat for Emma! Thank you, Hennings!! ​ ​

 Arriving in Minnesota, Roger’s sister who works in Minneapolis, got permission that we stay in a newly renovated house while in the city... what a huge blessing!

 Another unexpected treat for Jon was a divine appointment with Uncle Kwasi, (born in Ghana, Africa) who has been a doctor here and has in the past given himself, much like William Levi, for his people in Togo. He has more energy than all of us, has a passion for people, and at 75 years old is volunteering to teach African Drum lessons to former inmates (we even got to participate in a lesson!!). He is always teaching about life as he shares and he also cares for metal health patients and is just an all around dear man. He has many connections to medical resources that could be a blessing to Operation Nehemiah. ​ ​

Our few days up north with Roger’s older siblings and his mom, was not long enough, but very sweet with gifts and giving flowing back and forth and sweet fellowship was enjoyed. Jon shared his photos with them all and the cousins had a grand time together with talks of returning sooner than later. ​​

ROGER & HIS MOM 

 The last three days in Minneapolis, MN included a wedding & 8 visits with friends and family: Drum lesson & lunch with Uncle Kwasi, a blessed time of sharing at a dear old friends bible study, a reunion with one of Jon’s ALERT buddies after 4 years; a wonderful overnight reunion with a dear old friend of 35 years originally from Plainville, and 3 more visits with more dear Lueken’s. ​

​ ​ So much has been out of our control & could not be arranged before we left on this trip, so we had to trust the Lord to order our steps and provided, & He has so beautifully filled in the vacancies of housing, speaking and other provision. As an encouraging friend recently shared:

 "They who place everything in the Hand of God, 

will see the Hand of God in everything." 

 Our God is showing Himself to be more faithful than we have ever experienced before!! Overwhelmed by His amazing love and care!
Thanks for your prayers,
In Him Who keeps us, Roger & Patty Lueken & family

Read all of Jon's South Sudan Adventures: fromjoninafrica.blogspot.com

To Donate: If you need a Tax receipt: PayPal onlighthouse@gmail.com
Mail checks to Operation Nehemiah PO Box 2401, Plainville, MA 02762
Donate on the website at the bottom OPTION #2 Operation Nehemiah Missions website www.operationsnehemiah.org
If you do not need a tax receipt: PayPal plueken55@gmail.com

Quick update about our upcoming ministry trip - Click on pictures for better view

Our Two Sons Home!!!!! Many Adventures Ahead!!

Since Josh's return from Afghanistan to US soil <YAY!!> we have been pretty busy with traveling to see him at Fort Drum, NY a month ago; orchestrating a yard sale for Operation Nehemiah two weeks later;  and the following weekend welcoming Josh HOME on Aug. 15th for his leave.  In the midst of this past month my sister, Cari, when out to Calif. to donate her kidney to my brother, John, who has been desperately in need and that finally happened the day before Josh's return! It has been very emotional week!

​

We are now praying and preparing to leave this weekend to be a part of our former PEI (Canada)  church for a week long camp. They have made Operation Nehemiah the camp missions project and we are very excited to be able to go and share what God is doing in South Sudan.  It's hard to leave while Josh is here,  as he will stay back to continue to visit with family and friends here in MA. But we will have another two weeks with him when we return. 

We would ask for your prayers for this trip and a longer midwest/southwest trip in late Sept./October.  We are stepping out in faith believing that as He guides, He will provide! Already we are excited to see some things fall into place as we try to hammer out this longer trip!!  We have many challenges ahead logistically, and are also praying through many other things as we endeavor to move forward. Your prayers and support are so precious to us!!

If you have not had a chance to read our latest newsletter, here is a shorter version. 

(Roger's my editor  )​

 Lueken's News abridged 8:14.pdf

​
This will fill you in on our new venture  to volunteer full-time with Operation Nehemiah and what our role will be. 

If you are interested in having us come to your home, or church to share what God is doing in South Sudan…. let us know! 

(few more pics of our reunion with Josh below)

In Him Who keeps us,  Roger & Patty Lueken & family

R  (774) 210-2800  P & Op N  (774) 254-4336 Email: plueken55@gmail.com

New blog: Glorious Things He Has Done! theluekens.blogspot.com 

Read all of Jon's South Sudan Adventures:  fromjoninafrica.blogspot.com

Donate on our webpage here Nehemiah Light House &  scroll past all the pictures to the DONATE button at the bottom.

Mail a checks to 

Operation Nehemiah PO Box 2401, Plainville, MA 02762

or PayPal plueken55@gmail.com (if you do not need a tax receipt)

​

​

​

			Nehemiah Light House

Operation Nehemiah Missions Main website www.operationsnehemiah.org

Main Mission headquarters: PO Box 563 Lanesborough, MA 01237