Amazed at what God has done that we can see in 2017!! Praise Him for all He is doing that we cannot see in 2018!!

What an eventful, prayer-filled year!!  So eventful that we couldn’t take the time to keep you informed. Our  updates were spotty at best. I can honestly say that April to November felt like the busiest 8 months of my life! A year of crying out to God for so much +seeing His hand, even in little things, that gave us the faith to believe for greater things than we could ask or imagine…

^“Now to HIM WHO IS ABLE to carry out HIS PURPOSES

superabundantly MORE than all that we dare ask or think

[infinitely beyond our greatest prayers, hopes, or dreams],

according to His power that is at work within us,

to Him be the glory in the church in Christ Jesus

throughout all generations forever +ever. Eph. 3:20-21

Looking back on 2017 with tremendous gratitude !!!

A quieter winter & spring of B&B guests about one week a month which freed  me (Patty) up to spend hours on the phone with Jon, constantly praying as we tried to maneuver the visa process. Joyce didn’t get the copy of her 3rd corrected passport until March 23^rd,  leaving us 2 ½ months before Joyce would be at the end of her 8th month + unable to fly. For the next 2 months, we spent more than 2200 minutes each month on the phone, talking, working on paperwork & praying for God to direct the next step.

^“A man’s mind plans his way,

but the Lord directs his steps and makes them sure.”

Proverbs 16:9

 First, Jon’s Petition to request approval for Joyce to even apply for a visa usually takes 5 months + each of the 3 embassies we contacted told us to go to the other + we did not know what to do. Then out of the blue on May 9^th, we got an email from an embassy worker who asked us to send our request to have the Petition expedited and she saw to it that our request made it to Nairobi, Kenya the next day!! It was expedited & approved in one week on May 17^th!

I cried! but it left me with a SURE HOPE that God was with us!

Less than 3 weeks remained... After filling out Joyce’s visa application, we spent days securing proof of everything, even a financial sponsor. Then on Tues May 23 we secured the ONLY VISA APPTMNT AVAILABLE, so Jon & Joyce packed THAT night + left Wed. morning to drive 10 hours to the airport to fly to Nairobi Kenya at 2 am Thurs. for a 7am, 2 day health assessment. They stayed in Nairobi (GOD PROVIDED FREE HOUSING!) until the day after her Tues. May 30 appoitment. + her VISA WAS APPROVED!

Wed. May 31, they flew back to Uganda via GOD’S MIRACULOUS PROVISION as they had run out of funds (a missionary friend from another country felt led to wire them money). Then they traveled 10 hours back up north to the So Sudan border on Thurs night.; packed & said goodbye to family & friends Fri & Sat + traveled back 10 hours south back to the airport on Sunday.  They flew to the US on Monday, the first day of her 37^th week.  AND even with her visa in hand they almost did not let her board the plane!!!!!!!!!!!

An entire year process was accomplished in one month! Every step of the way we witnessed God’s miraculous intervention overcoming obstacle after obstacle.

So amazing, but it kept us on our knees! 

They arrived in Boston June 6^th!

The high that day was 48 degrees!!

Longed for family reunion! 

Josh, Em, Mary, Rog, Patty, Joyce, Jon 

God connected us with a wonderful midwife & after countless doctors appointments & lots of testing through the month of June...  

PATIENCE ROZANA arrived on July 8th weighing 6 lbs. 13 oz & 19 3/4 in.

Then we found out the cloud was moving!! Just as the children of Israel, God was moving us on + we had no idea where. We were confident that HE HAD A PLAN, so after a busy summer at Maplewood, we moved in with friends who had planned to use their newly renovated space for AirB+B in order to have income for their ministry & travels to Kenya Africa. So our rent helps them as they have a ministry to children & families there.

Packing to move was difficult b/c we now had this cute little distraction + her first few months were colicky, so it was wonderful that Auntie Em was there to share the “burden” of jiggling the little munchin” she affectionately named Pookie, before Emma moved out to eastern MA in early October.

Auntie Em and Pookie 

Four weeks after moving, we had a planned ministry trip to the Midwest to introduce Joyce to family + supportive friends/churches.  I was so overwhelmed at the thought of a trip after moving (w/my compromised brain issues – see Health Update post) that I cried out to the Lord over & over one night, + woke with the thought, STOP UNPACKING. So I had Roger take all the boxes back to storage + they are still there! When we finally returned to our new home in early Nov, we just needed to have a season of rest since moving + traveling, especially for Jon + Joyce! Since they got married their life had been so intensely difficult in so many ways. When I think back, I almost can't believe it myself all that they went through. How soon we forget all the amazing things that God did to protect them + part the Red Sea to get them here! We are just like the children of Israel, we forget + yet, our wondrous Father + precious Saviour never give up on us.

Over the holidays it was so nice to just stay home; be a family in our new place; reflect on God's goodness + focus more fully on what the season is about.  Having Joyce here makes everything special (like homeschooling again)  We explain more about the Scriptures; the message of the carols; view more things that have to do with Christ's birth + the Gospel !!!

Our lives are never in a vacuum, as you well know, concerns for family & friends, circumstances + emotions swirl around + force us to trust that God is with them + us.  You have been a huge part of this adventure as you have prayed. So we rejoice together! His faithfulness through it all is wonderfully overwhelming! I can't thank Him enough!! So much is out of our control in this life, but God is so faithful to hear our cries + answer according to His great wisdom + power for our good + His glory!                                                                                           

  In 2018, we hope to visit many churches & friends, old & new.
We will go wherever invited, if at all possible, as the Lord provides. Just call us 774-254-4336 or email plueken55@gmail.com or jonlueken@gmail.com   

New address:

c/o Herring 23 TYRINGHAM RD, LEE MA

01238

Abi (grandpa) + Patience at 6 mos

The Difficulty & Blessedness of Waiting

Be strong & let your heart take courage, all you who wait for & hope for & expect the Lord! Ps 31:24

Times of waiting & need, when things are completely out of our control, bring us to the Lord & keep us looking to Him, building our faith like nothing else. That has been the story of our lives this past year or more.

I would have despaired had I not believed 

that I would see the goodness of the Lord 
In the land of the living.

Wait for the Lord; 
Be strong & let your heart take courage;  
Yes, wait for & confidently expect the Lord. 

Ps 27:13-14

Things have not yet stabilized in So Sudan, but the longing to return to their homes is strong & we pray earnestly with those of Borongole, that God would build their faith in the waiting & ready them to return when He opens the door.  

Jon & Joyce are also longing & have done a great deal of waiting to finally make it  to the US.

These times of delay & waiting force us to consider our God & ask ourselves … Does He see?  Is He able? Does He have a plan? YES, YES, YES!!!! He is more than able & cares more than we can imagine, but He also knows so much that we do not know & cares so much for us that He desires to do MORE than we are asking. So he calls us to “walk by “faith” & trust His timing & to wait on Him!!

As Jon’s friend and fellow radio presenter, Andama, said to encourage Jon when he was very down: 

 “If God was not there, there would be reason to be discouraged… God will delay for a specific purpose.”  

As they always say,“Rubanga a a” = God is there!

Waiting is a blessing b/c of Whom we wait upon. Our Father by his Spirit builds our  “faith in Christ Jesus [that leaning of your entire human personality on Him in absolute trust & 
confidence in His power, wisdom & goodness.]” 
 Col 1:4 AMP  Col 1:4 AMP. 

When we consider what He has already done for us, [by becoming one of us & giving His life for us; that “He Who knew no sin became sin for us” & gave us His righteousness] we can rest assured that He hears our cry & is more than able to intervene in all that concerns us. We are finding that times of waiting on Him, though hard, are precious times that we come to know Him more, as we believe for His purposes to be accomplished in our hearts as we wait on Him!!

Behold, the Lord’s eye is upon those who fear Him, 

who wait for Him & hope in His mercy & loving-kindness Psalm 33:18

Jon & Joyce have spent a lot of time praying & waiting on the Lord with so much out of their control. They've been in training to run to Him. This has drawn them closer to God & each other. 

Mid-Dec., Jon & Joyce flew to the capitol of Juba, So Sudan, for her passport, b/c it was too dangerous to make the 2 hr trip by road. BUT there was an error in her passport & then the passport machine broke, so they had to return home & wait. Once the new copy was available, they prayed for weeks for a way to get the passport, so Jon would not have to fly back again to Juba & repeat all that risk & expense. With no mail service in the country, they have had to trust that God's timing is perfect & if He parted the Red Sea, He could deliver her passport at the time HE KNOWS BEST! Believing HE IS DOING FAR MORE AS WE WAIT!!!

I waited patiently & expectantly for the Lord; & He inclined to me & heard my cry. Ps 40:1

Finally, on Jan. 20th Joyce's "corrected" passport was hand delivered to them. 

It was scanned and sent to William to get the VISA PROCESS underway... 

BUT Feb. 1 receiving the copy of her passport, we realized there is still a major error as her name was not correctly changed to Gune (Goonay) Joyce Lueken, so 

THEY MUST TRAVEL TO JUBA ONCE AGAIN 

& b/c of court involvement to change the name  it will COST $1000 for a new passport.

Feb. 6, Jon had to go 8 hrs. to the Embassy in Kampala in southern Uganda while he is fighting malaria, in order to get himself a new passport b/c when he goes into So Sudan he pays $100 for a visa & each time they cover a page w/ the visa, so all pages of his passport are used up.

But the Embassy turned him away and he had to wait for an appointment, in order to travel back to South Sudan. Finally, He got an emergency passport on 2/17 & the day he got back, he had to take Joyce to the nearest hospital 2 hrs. away b/c of serious abdominal pain that returned. An ultrasound showed the baby is fine, but her kidney is inflamed & she is being treated for kidney infection. 

So as they face yet MORE delays,

WE ASK YOU TO JOIN IN PRAYER for MORE 

than we could hope or imagine 

as we WAIT ON HIM!! 

”Now to Him Who, by His power that is at work within us, is able to carry out His purpose & do superabundantly MORE, 

far over & above all that we [dare] ask or think 

[infinitely beyond our highest prayers, desires, thoughts, hopes, or dreams]— TO HIM BE THE GLORY in the church & in Christ Jesus throughout all generations forever and ever. Amen” 

Eph. 3:20-21

Join us as we pray for the MORE...

provision of an extended visa 

(a year or more, not just the usual 3 months) 

that allows them to stay as long as God knows they need to be here to get: 

desperately needed  medical training for Jon,

for rest & restoration of health

 provision to travel to meet many of you 
who have been praying for them

 & to have their baby here in June/July 

& any other WONDERFUL PLANS HE HAS in store!!

 Christmas 2016 [married for 6 months]

PRAY for the hearts of the people of South Sudan who have waited for years to have a normal, stable life that they have never known. 

Also God seems to be opening 
an unprecedented door of opportunity 
to make a huge difference in the country... 
beyond belief!  [stay tuned] 

PRAISE OUR MIGHTY & WONDROUS GOD!! 

"For a wide door of opportunity for effectual service has opened to me there, [a great and promising one], and [there are] many adversaries. 

1 Corinthians 16:9Amplified Bible, Classic Edition (AMPC)

Meanwhile, we are soaking in the wonder of the blessing & privilege of living here at Maplewood Lodging & 1850 B&B! We so enjoy meeting & serving the B&B guests and have been delighted to have friends come to stay with us as our personal guests!! We love it out here & can’t wait to share it with you!!

Many of you know, Roger had a pacemaker heart implant in mid-November. He definitely has more energy & does not sleep as long, but we find he still needs naps. When he thinks he’s the bionic man and neglects that fact, we still deal with some of the same issues as before though not as frequently. Prayerfully, thankful!

I expectantly wait for the Lord, & in His word do I hope. Psalm 130:5

And I, too, am starting to have a few of the same issues as Roger, so we are earnestly praying and asking God to direct & provide so that we can see a local Osteopath, who has helped some friends here, to get to the root of the cause of various physical, mental & emotional symptoms. Meanwhile, God is working in me personally, some needed compassion that I was lacking for Roger through the years.  He uses all things for good.
  

Be still & rest in the Lord; wait for Him & 
patiently lean yourself upon Him; 
Ps 37:7a

Emma got her driver’s license & is taking online art classes. Projects from Lesson 1 & 2

   

We have been w/o a 2^nd vehicle that Emma can drive since Oct, so we’ve prayed & waited & recently we were offered a car, a gift from the Lord, through friends. This is very timely, as Emma just last week started 2 more part time jobs, one as a nanny & the other at an afterschool program.  She needs wheels to get to her multiple jobs each week & we need more than a 3-seater truck for when Jon & Joyce come. God knew.

Josh & Mary have a new puppy that is growing very quickly & the new love of their lives.  Josh’s love of the quiet, peacefulness of fishing, has him traveling to find ice fishing spots as he is able & the weather cooperates & he is enjoying creating videos of his adventures on his Youtube channel “Fin Slayer”… takes after Papa Flynn & Uncle Dan L.

Your love, support & prayers 

have been such a great source of encouragement. 

We appreciate so much you praying with us as we look to the One Who works in our hearts & the hearts of others as we all look to Him for what ONLY HE CAN DO.

There is much to look to Him for in own our personal lives, concerning South Sudan & here in this Nation. Believing that His Kingdom has come & His will is being done in so many ways that we cannot see!!

And therefore the Lord waits to be gracious to you;

& He lifts Himself up [on the cross],

that He may have mercy on you & show loving-kindness to you.

For the Lord is a God of justice.

Blessed are all those who earnestly wait for Him, who expect and look and long for Him

[for His victory, His favor, His love, His peace, His joy, 

& His matchless, unbroken companionship] Isaiah 30:18 AMP

Waiting on the Lord for this grand reunion with much Grace and Gratitude,
Roger & Patty, & Emma                                                            

Operation Nehemiah Missions website www.operationsnehemiah.org  Choose "option #2 " PayPal onlighthouse@gmail.com
Mail checks to Operation Nehemiah PO Box 502, Otis, MA 01253    

                              

VISIT us at: Maplewood B&B 266 North Main Rd  Otis MA 01253 

MAILING address: PO BOX 502 OTIS, MA 01253

A Note from Jonathan!!

Dictated over the phone Oct. 25, 2016        

To my faithful friends and family,

 

I want to thank you all so much for your thoughts and prayers for Joyce and I, especially since we were married here in So. Sudan.

So. Sudan is going thru a very difficult time, but in the midst of this trial God’s grace is there. Fear and war have chased a lot of people from their homes, but God’s faithful love is pursuing them.

The work is going forward and the Gospel is continuing to be preached as God helps the staff of Operation Nehemiah here on the ground. There have been times where myself and other staff have been in danger, but God has kept us in the shadow of His wings.

I have been blessed to have been able to preach on the radio regularly and my hope is that God will open people’s hearts to the Gospel of Jesus Christ by His Spirit.

Joyce and I are doing well, but continue to pray for Joyce’s health. Her health has improved, but she is still not at 100% yet. Also, be praying for us that Joyce can get her passport and visa in this time of government upheaval, so we can come to see all of you. There are 2 different roads to take for the paper work process.  Both need God's intervening hand, so we’re seeking the Lord to lead us in the way we should go.

We appreciate your prayers for all the staff here, that God would give us courage and confident trust in Him to protect us and to advance His work.

We are really missing all of you and are hoping to come as soon as God makes a way. I’ve been sharing with my wife,  Joyce, of the many friends and family who’ve been supporting us in many ways. I am really excited for her to meet all of you!

Rubanga tutu koco anya ruga     God bless you all!
Amande anyi America ga si.      We will see you from America.
Nyolu Okpwo Yesu to!                  Stay strong in Jesus!           

  Jonathan and Joyce Lueken

Lueken Family Update - October 2016

As I (Roger) look out the windows of the front parlor of Maplewood B&B  in Otis, MA our new (1850) home,  I can see the wind blowing the leaves that have fallen in a frantic dance upon the wind. The leaves are changing colors... beautiful  reds, pinks, yellows, the colors ranging from subdued to vivid, almost fluorescent shades that grab your attention. The air is cold & crisp on this October day,  as I ponder the question, How did we get here? And how could so much happen in such a short time? It can only be by God’s hand & faithful direction of our steps even when we were not aware of it.

It’s been a busy season of packing to move after returning from Africa & unpacking while also setting up the B&B which opened in June. Right as we were expecting our first guests, Roger’s dear sister, Nancy, suddenly passed into eternity with Jesus & we travelled  to Minnesota. Her departure has left a huge hole in many hearts, as Nancy was like a 2^nd mother to Roger & caretaker for their mom & helped out many in the family in many ways. She is greatly missed!

The B&B was busy most of the summer, but since fall, we’ve had guests here & there.      

SO COME VISIT US!  

We are open year round & since it’s our home we can welcome friends & family to stay with us as long as we do not bump out paying guests.   Our schedule is wide open, so this slower season is the perfect time to come, catch up, enjoy some R &R & sweet fellowship.  Check out the new updated website:  www.maplewoodlodging.com

We have talked and prayed with Jonathan almost daily since late June. Then on July 8^th civil war broke out in the capitol of Juba (60 miles NW of Borongole). Jon & Joyce had hoped to go to Juba on July 10^th to get Joyce a passport.  We have been on our knees crying out to our Father on behalf of the dear people of South Sudan.  We have never in our lives prayed as much as we have in the past months, on so many levels, since our return from Africa!

Later in July, most of the women and children had fled from that area of So. Sudan to Uganda to stay with relatives or to refugee camps, while a dozen men, including Jon, stayed on in the village & William Levi & family remained on the farmland working the fields and meeting with local officials until their departure to the states Aug. 1.

[See the CBN report from the village after civil war broke out
http://www1.cbn.com/cbnnews/world/2016/september/in-this-war-torn-nation-meet-the-brave-souls-returning-to-rebuild
 & be sure to view the VIDEO report from Borongole during this time]

In late July,  Joyce bravely returned to South Sudan to join Jon in Borongole,  as it became clear that a union sooner than November was best. 
A week later, Jon & Joyce were married on July 30^th with only a few family members &  friends  present, so we are looking forward to their home coming to the US when we can really celebrate their marriage.

Jon & Joyce left So Sudan with the Levi’s as they departed Africa & they were dropped off with family in northern Uganda where God provided an abandoned “fixer-upper” hut for them to stay in so they can be together while Jon is there in Uganda. Their hoped for honeymoon was interrupted by Joyce having a serious bout with malaria that put her down for days. When she finally came through & felt strong enough to travel, they spent a few days in Gulu, Uganda where she had a thorough medical exam and has been on several medicines since then and is slowly feeling “somehow” better, as they say in So. Sudan.

During that time, the fighting in the area around the village escalated & for a time all have left Boronogle . We are praying for peace so that people can return soon before all is lost.

Meanwhile, some staff men, including Jonathan, have gone back into So. Sudan to stay on Gordon Mountain radio station south of the fighting,  in order to continue broadcasting the Gospel  to those remaining in So Sudan & in Refugee Camps in Uganda.

Jon preached daily for a few weeks on the book of Nehemiah, then returned to be with Joyce in Uganda for a time,  taking her back for a medical re-check to find that her presenting symptoms require a little more time & medicine.  They were blessed to have that time back together, but he recently returned to be on the radio. It is very hard for them to be apart.

Talking & praying with Jon has been so fruitful, as he & we see our daily need for His grace to have hearts that recognize our need for the Father of tender mercy for ourselves,  in order to extend mercy & grace to others. Many times Jon confesses his own weakness, & we encourage him to hold onto the truth that we ARE weak, but our God is strong.

Very often Jon says, “But God is there!” & “All I can do is pray.” 

What better place to be, than to be hemmed in where our only source of help is God.

Thankful that He forgives us when we fail, believing that God’s power is perfected in our weakness.  Those who are forgiven much, love much.  Asking Him to make us a people after His own heart.

Joshua finished his 3 years serving in the Army from Fort Drum, NY and moved back to eastern MA in May, just a week before we moved to western MA! He and his girlfriend Mary are doing well.

 God has been very good to Josh, as he got back the same job he had before he enlisted. He is looking into schooling in 2017. Meanwhile, he takes every chance he can to enjoy his love of fishing as he reaches out to veterans through Fishing Buddies for Veterans.

 Emma is finding that the Berkshires is a great area to pursue her love of art illustration & writing. She is the resident baker for the B&B guests & everyone loves her cinnamon swirl bread.

She is seeking Nannying jobs to fill her time while the B&B has slowed down and to save money toward courses and a car to get her there. Our Honda is no longer road worthy so we only have our 3 seater manual truck.  We definitely need a car for when Jon & Joyce return so we can travel together and Emma can get herself to work & classes. PRAYING about our need for a second vehicle?

PLEASE PRAY for South Sudan especially for those displaced from their homes with family elsewhere or in Refugee Camps.  Asking the Lord to shine His light in their hearts and minds, bringing them closer to Himself, leading them to pray, just as we need to gather to pray for our nation.

Pray also for the staff men of Operation  Nehemiah, as they camp out at the radio station. Pray also for the needed funds to put in a well at the radio station & better housing. They are currently hand digging a latrine, as things are right now, water & food has to be brought to the men who stay in two rooms on Gordon Mountain along with all the radio equipment.  Asking the Lord to knit their hearts together in Him as they proclaim together the Good News. & pray together!

Pray for Roger who was on a heart monitor b/c his EKG showed his heart rate was 39 beats per minute (normal is 60-100 & his normal is in the 50’s) The results showed his heart rate was from 37 bpm to 75 bpm. So they are doing a stress test to confirm ROGER’S NEED FOR A PACEMAKER.  This is actually good news, if this helps Roger’s exhaustion problem as his need for sleep has increased to needing 12 to 13 hours of sleep a day.

Also, OUR ROLE WITH OPERATION NEHEMIAH has been scaled back so that we will not be traveling extensively as we had been and will not be putting out updates, but instead focusing on PRAYER & SUPPORTING JON & JOYCE UNDER THE MEDICAL DEPARTMENT of Operation Nehemiah.  If Roger’s health improves, our hope is that he could get a part time job that could supply what we need to live on and then the $800 of monthly support that we share with Jonathan, could go exclusively to Jon & Joyce and needs in So. Sudan.

Praying for Jon & Joyce believing that God is ordering their steps, so that JON & JOYCE CAN COME HERE TO THE U.S. FOR MEDICAL TRAINING & for rest and for us to celebrate with them their union as man & wife! Jon looks forward to introducing Joyce to you! They just found out that they can apply for a passport in Uganda instead of risking a trip to Juba, So Sudan, but it takes 2 to 3 months to get it, whereas in Juba it takes a week. It is the only door open to them right now, so we are praying for a miracle intervention to get her passport & visa soon.

We also feel an urgency  to gather together with others to pray for our nation!!!

We are so thankful for all of you who have come along side us & continue to remember us, Jon & Joyce, as well as, the dear people who do the majority of the work on the ground in South Sudan. We really do need each other in the Body of Christ.  We/they could not do what we do without your loving support & prayers.

Praying that God will continue to stoke the fire that is being fanned through trials, with an increasing awareness of our great need for Him, giving us a listening ear, an honest voice, a child’s simple trust & love.

Much Grace & Gratitude, Roger, Patty & Emma

To Donate to help Jon & Joyce come here for Medical Training and R&R

www.operationsnehemiah.org Scroll to the bottom & CHOOSE OPTION #2
PayPal onlighthouse@gmail.com
Mail checks to Operation Nehemiah PO BOX 502, Otis, MA 01253 (They get 100% of donations by mail, PayPal takes 3%)
COME VISIT US AT Maplewood B&B  266 North Main Road  Otis, MA 01253
(Next to Brother Darryl's FISH MARKET)