jonesjournal.org > newsletters >  e-Mailer for 12/04

Dear Friends,

Greetings in Jesus! If you'd like to read this e-Mailer with photos, just keep reading. Or to see past issues, click on "Newsletter" at www.jonesjournal.org. This monthly e-Mailer includes updates on ministry, family, praise and prayer.

MINISTRY

Since summer is coming soon for us--last half of December through February--we used November's Children's Ministries Leaders seminar to promote the use of AGWM's Resource and Development Ministries Vacation Bible School (VBS) curriculum. Plus we gave away 35 complete packs--several with the student handbooks. I believe you can see the appreciation on the faces of the blessed teachers who now have excellent material to use to reach and disciple the children of their communities this summer. Your contributions to Light-for-the-Lost made this give-away possible. Thanks!

"Getting there is half the fun," right? Well, not always. We took a team across the Bridge of the Americas for an all-night vigil celebrating and praying for the Kuna Indian Children's Ministries at the Arraijan church. The mud was slipperier than _____ (you fill in the blank with your favorite saying). The Speed-the-Light van had to be pushed by some youth to reach the second to last hill. We walked over the last hill the rest of the way in the rain.

You've heard Isaiah 52:7: How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of the messenger bringing good news, Breaking the news that all's well, proclaiming good times, announcing salvation, telling Zion, "Your God reigns!"

Well, we brought good news, all right. After trudging through mud that stuck to my wingtip shoes and gave me about 3 inches more height, I'm pretty sure it's not the shoes that are beautiful. I could still preach that "Our God reigns!" even after I fell down in that slippery mud.

Please pray for the next KidsQuest Crusade on 4 December with a Christmas flavor at Centro Misionero Cristiano, home church to our secretary, Carolina Canto. Pray that many children will receive the “Best Gift of All!” -- salvation in Jesus Christ!

Also, in January the AG in Panamá celebrates the Annual Business Session. Since it's summer vacation, many children will come with their parents. Our team gets to minister with them. Please pray for life-changing encounters with Jesus for these precious PKs and MKs.

FAMILY

Here you see Celina as Pettle Grindstone (the miller's daughter who spins gold from straw and then marries the prince) in an adaptation of the play Rumplestiltskin. Anthony played Osgood Grindstone, her father. Their hard work paid off and they did a fantastic job with all their classmates. The rehearsal parties and the final cast pool party were a lot of fun too!

We figured it was time to update the family picture. So we created a bookmark. I guess you could call it a stretched-out prayer card. We included it in the December newsletter to express our thanks for all of our friend's and supporter's financial and prayer support--and to humbly request more of both!

If you would like to receive one, or should have received one but didn't, just send us your mailing address. See Contact Us.

This picture is from Family Fun Night at the Central American missionary retreat last week. The theme was 60's gospel, so that's why we're in tie-die t-shirts & headbands.

Last month I thanked a church for their recent, generous contribution, which equaled a full year's worth of pledge support. I also wrote:

"I'm going to make a couple of assumptions: that this is a sacrificial gift on the part of the church, and that it represents God's blessing (past and future!). We deeply appreciate your commitment to world missions and especially to our part in reaching the children of Panamá.

That is very encouraging, especially in light of the 30 goose eggs ($0) on that same monthly report representing $1290 lacking in monthly pledges."

That was a bad month for us. We trust that giving will balance out for us before year-end. If you have been considering a one-time donation or an increased pledge to our ministry, now would be a great time. See Contact Us for a link to AGWM's secure donation page, or how to make an ongoing monthly contribution.

Let me close by saying "Thanks!" once more for standing with us in ways seen and unseen!

There has never been the slightest doubt in my mind

that the God who started this great work in you

would keep at it

and bring it to a flourishing finish

on the very day Christ Jesus appears.

Phil. 1:6 The Message

Yours for Them,

Kirk for all