Dear Friends,

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

I'd like to begin this issue focusing on Training, one of the four pillars of AGWM's Mission statement (http://worldmissions.ag.org/about/about_mission.cfm). Training children's ministry leaders is an integral part of our regular on-going ministry. We've been doing monthly seminars in Panamá City for years. We have added to the importance of this pillar in our ministry especially this year by increasing the number of seminars held across the country in the interior.

- Children's Ministries Leaders Seminars:

* In Panamá City, you see here our good friend Efraín Arosemena, National Missions Director, sharing on a Latin America-wide program on children's Missions Education & Intercession. It's exciting to think of children learning about Panama's missionaries abroad in addition to the unreached peoples around the world. What a crop of missionaries and missions supporters-intercessors we can look forward to in the future.

* Your servant (as we say in Spanish, meaning "me") shared on children's gifts being used in ministry.

* We held another new zone Seminar in David City with Didier & Georgina Muñoz pictured in front of the screen and video gear, plus our regional Rep. Edilma de Villarreal, pictured with literature materials. Both topics were repeated from the previous week--Efraín via video tape and me live.

- Minister's Retreat: All four of my kids helped me out tremendously. Chloe greeted, took kids to the bathroom, set up snacks and overall supervised. Anthony set up and ran sound and video gear. Celina prepped and made sample crafts for instructions. And Gracie helped hand out snack or craft items. During free time we got to go to the beach as a family!

- We held a one day KidsQuest Crusade in La Peña, a four hour drive from  Panamá City. Pastor José Alvarez, shown here with a few of his team members leading worship, did a superb job inviting, registering and ministering with the 158 kids who came. We estimated 50-ish adults there too. We trust Pastor Alvarez and team will reap much fruit in the follow-up using the next  issues of Power Mark comics, provided by Light-for-the-Lost funds.

- Get to know Panamá: A few things happened this past month that made me think you might be interested in how things are done differently in Panamá:

* Marcos Jaramillo is our National Treasurer, and my Palm game swapping buddy. We went to his daughter Clarivel’s wedding a couple weeks ago -- on a Saturday at 7:30am! I was told one reason was for the bridesmaids/grooms who have to work on Saturdays.

* We received an official-looking paper in our front gate that told me to appear before Fiscalía Octava Courthouse on a certain date or I would spend two days in jail! I went. I met with an investigator who basically did a re-report on our house robbery. I smilingly told the lady, “you could have just called, instead of threatening me with jail.”

* While riding with Efraín Arosemena (see his picture above) for the monthly minister’s meetings, he told me a little bit more about his past before coming to Christ.

About 30 years ago he was picked up on suspicion of robbery, though not charged with any crime. The National Police beat him for an hour with a rubber hose, trying to get him to confess that he had robbed their Captain's house. When he saw the Captain he knew he hadn't robbed his house (but he had stolen his car.) If he had admitted it, they would have killed him for sure. After cuffing him hand and foot, they locked him in jail overnight.

When I asked, "Why didn't you go to the press?" he just laughed. Thankfully that type of situation is not as common today. I’ve promised Efraín that one day I want to write up all of his testimony and entitle it "In the devil's house, I heard God's voice."

- Family (shown here 1st day of school):

Chloe had an embarrassing initiation into High School. On her first day back, she fainted. She’s OK. It appears to have been a flu bug. She didn’t hurt herself going down because a couple of friends were helping her to walk.

Anthony has basically memorized the Napoleon Dynamite movie, including most of the deleted scenes. When he’s not doing that or homework, he’s practicing guitar.

Celina would love to have her own cooking show on the Food Network, or be a math teacher, or sew purses. Oh yeah, or web-conference with friends she saw all day at school.

Gracie has a new friend and classmate named Timothy. He’s Korean from Australia and living here in Panamá with his grandparents and older brother for the year. This week Gracie got to go to the “Treasure Chest” at school. Since it was Timothy’s birthday, she gave her prize to him.

Let your servants see what you're best at- the ways you rule and bless your children.

And let the loveliness of our Lord, our God, rest on us, confirming the work that we do.

Oh, yes. Affirm the work that we do!

Psalm 90:16-17, The Message

"Thanks" always seems too small. We value your partnership with us in prayer, finance and moral support. Thanks for letting us Train children and leaders to change Panamá from the inside out!

Please note our new or changed numbers:

- VOIP US phone #: (626)-507-8044.

- Panamá mail:

   Kirk Antonio Jones (+ name of family member, if needed)

   Apdo. 0818-00282

   PANAMA

Yours for Them,

Kirk for all

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