Dear Friends and Fellow Laborers, December / 2023
Merry Christmas every one! What a busy month had! A visiting intern and Thanksgiving, invitations to preach in Indonesian, and the final evaluations coming up in the next week. With so much going on, I’ll try to keep each thing short and simple so you can know what’s been happening in our lives.
We have our third and final evaluations in language school next week, Monday the 11th, and Tuesday the 12th. There are still a few things Gina and I are struggling to wrap our mind around that will be on the tests. But we are confident to score well enough to pass and proceed on to the next phase of language school. To help us make up the difference, in between this semester and the next, we plan on hiring a language tutor to focus on what we’ve been struggling with. Please pray for our continued growth in the Indonesian language.
Back just before celebrating Thanksgiving with many other missionaries here in Indonesia, an intern with a missionary in Taiwan had to make a visa run. To reset his Taiwanese visa, Matt decided to come visit us here in Indonesia. I first met Matt in America and then we met again in Thailand back for the VBM Regional Conference. It was really great to see a friend from the states again, and I had the privilege of introducing him to several of my Indonesian friends. At one service we attended, I had the opportunity to translate for him to the church! First time speaking before a church congregation in Indonesian.
Speaking of speaking, I have been invited to preach at two separate churches on Sunday, December 31st, to close out the year. I am really excited for the opportunity, because it will be the first time I preach in Indonesian! Please pray for me as I prepare that God would give me the word to speak to His people as we close out one year and welcome another.
Thalia gave us a real big scare this past Sunday. She was running a fever of 104.5F while on a full dose of children’s Tylenol. We brought her to the hospital where she spent 3 nights on fever medicine and antibiotics. She’s home now and is feeling much better. Thanks to the fact that you pray for our family regularly. I am so thankful that God answers our prayers! Please keep the health of our family in your prayers. I would ask that you keep Thalia’s health in special prayers.
Thank you for being faithful to pray for us, and for our prayer requests. Pray for us to have patience and wisdom to deal with the trials that God allows to come our way. Pray for our children that we may teach them about the Lord so that they may one day have a personal relationship with Him. Lastly, pray for us as we continue to grow together as a family.
With Love in Our Hearts,
In Service to the King,
Jens, Gina, Thalia & Inara Looney
Your Missionaries to Indonesia