Dear Friends,

Greetings in Jesus! If you'd like to read past issues, click on "Newsletter" at jonesjournal.org. This monthly e-Mailer includes updates on ministry, family, praise and prayer.

This year our vision statement is:

To reach, disciple, and train the children of Panama

to be faithful, Pentecostal followers of Jesus Christ.

For training our leaders, I’ve been impressed by the Lord to emphasize the power of the Holy Spirit in their lives and the lives of the children with whom we all minister. Last month’s seminar topic I passed on was: “Helping a child receive the baptism in the Holy Spirit.” I’m indebted to author Lorraine Mastrorio and Rev. David Boyd of AG’s National Children's Ministries Agency. We also shared the workshop at the Bocas del Toro seminar I’ll mention in a minute.

We’ve created a hybrid ministry tool that we call “KidsQuest Lite.” I understand the folks at KidsQuest Int’l are developing a new series called something like that too. Hope we don’t confuse anyone. For us it means a one-time crusade event, with a smaller, more mobile team. This last time we were in Arraijan, west across the Canal from Panamá City. Here you see a boy receiving his first edition of the PowerMark Seeker Series comic books. I don’t have the pics to prove it, but I actually got to do some of the clowning. Usually I’m behind the scenes or on sound. I really enjoyed it! OK. You already knew I had a little clown in me.

This map gives you a rough idea of the route we took from Panamá City, up to Chiriquí, and then across the mountains to the Atlantic coastal communities of Changuinola and Finca 6, located in the Chiquita Co. banana plantations. That’s where we joined with Pastors William Pitty and Frank Miranda for the first KidsQuest Crusade & Seminar in the Province of Bocas del Toro.

I had mentioned to you in the previous e-Mailer that Bocas del Toro Province feels like an abandoned place. Many of the kids live out that feeling by getting wild. You might see confetti on the heads of some of the children. That was my mistake of putting too much in the bucket for the clowns. The kids *think* it’s water when Ding chases Ling and suddenly dumps the bucket over the crowd. We lost them for about 10 minutes while they “played in the snow” of all that confetti.

Other kids feel the misery of  their situation simply by where they live. At registration, we overheard one little girl tell another to not say the name of her community, “cardboard box town.” They’re ashamed to admit where they live.

But I think you’ll see by the many photos that these kids can enjoy themselves, and can learn the Crusade Bible theme verses that teach them how to seek for God’s Truth, True Happiness and Eternal Love. About 250 attended by the third day, with about 150 of them inviting Jesus to live in their hearts. Yelenis, the grand prize winner, brought 19 visitors, which won her the right to choose the Spiderman skateboard. (Shhhh, Gracie doesn’t know we gave it away yet!)

Here you see some of the proud puppet creations that leaders learned to make at the seminar, using everyday and inexpensive items. Plus they learned how to organize ministry events, start outreach Bible studies in homes, and apply clown make-up.

In our May issue print newsletter, we requested prayer for our Speed-the-Light vehicles, the Hyundai box truck & Caravan, to be repair-free from now on (like the Israelites’ sandals not wearing out in the desert)! Well, either you didn’t pray hard enough, or the newsletter didn’t get there in time… ;-) Our car broke down climbing back up the Cordillera (Continental Divide) from the Atlantic side to the Pacific. Gratefully it was minor in parts and only required one extra day for me to stay behind after sending my team home on bus.

Remember we told you that instead of  “snow days” our kids get “riot days”? Well, the riots have gotten more serious and widespread (see photo album page for pics). At issue is President Martin Torrijos’ proposed reforms to salvage the Social Security system--sound familiar? It’s a problem plaguing many nations as life expectancy rises and birth rates fall. Many unions and other groups oppose what they deem drastic measures, and have held marches, protests and even some riots. We have been safe, avoiding trouble areas when necessary. Please join us in praying for peaceful and just solutions to the problem.

A recent protest march happened when Chloe’s class was supposed to go on a really fun field trip. So the field trip was cancelled, but school wasn’t--double bummer!

Do you think it’s fair that Yvonne gets Mother’s Day twice a year!?! You betcha!

That’s right. We celebrate the US version in May, along with the rest of you. Plus on December 8^th, here in Latin America. She got to sleep in, and then eat breakfast prepared by her kids on the new serving tray (which hopefully will get used this month too… hint, hint!)

Chloe’s 15^th birthday party was a huge success, and it didn’t cost us an arm and a leg. I mention that because in Latin America when a girl turns 15 they have a quinceñera (sweet 15^th) party, which can be as elaborate and expensive as a wedding! “Only” about 40 friends came to enjoy, among other things, the game “Chubby Bunnies,” as you see in the park behind our house.

Anthony is in a worship band! Click here for a short Windows movie clip of his second practice. I told him recently that he is the cool kid I always wanted to be: a football player, an honor student, and now a guitar player in a band!

Celina’s team of girls did a great job in the Battle of the Books competition. While they didn’t win, they did create interest throughout the school. Now *everybody* wants to do it next year. Plus she had all kinds of fun reading and preparing with her friends. She has already started reading some of the 30 books on the list.

Gracie was a huge help in mailing out the newsletter from home. She tirelessly put on labels, postage stamps and sealed envelopes. The slow (and costly) process was printing them all out on our inkjet printer. If you normally receive a print newsletter and it hasn’t gotten there yet, please let me know. This was an experiment issue: in-house printing, and Panamanian mail service. It may be my last such experiment…

I invite you to visit this issue's photo album to see quite a few more pics from the things we’ve talked about in this e-Mailer, both in ministry and family.

Thanks for all of you who support us in finance and prayer. God’s richest blessings on your lives!

Since everything here today might well be gone tomorrow, do you see how essential it is to live a holy life? Daily expect the Day of God, eager for its arrival. The galaxies will burn up and the elements melt down that day-- but we'll hardly notice. We'll be looking the other way, ready for the promised new heavens and the promised new earth, all landscaped with righteousness. So, my dear friends, since this is what you have to look forward to, do your very best to be found living at your best, in purity and peace.

(2Pe 3:11-14 MSG)

Yours for Them,

Kirk for all

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