Dear Friends,

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

Thanks for praying for ministry to our minister's kids during the Annual Session last month. Yvonne and the kids led the worship, teaching, and crafts, giving me more time to spend in the business sessions. The 25 or so PKs  really bonded with our four MKs, with long hugs and goodbyes when we had to leave.

Also we appreciate those who prayed for the KidsQuest Crusade in Jacú, SW tip of  Panamá, 20-22 January. There were 331 in total attendance with about 100 new visitors. Here Edilma Villarreal is leading the children in salvation prayer. We estimate 150 children prayed to receive Jesus as Savior.

You can also see the Visitor Campaign winners: Milagros (girl) and Rojelin (boy) with our “heros” Ding, Ling and Bengal tiger “CJ,” plus Games captain Fanny.

I invite you to view the online photo album with photos from both events.

As I type, Sr. Cristian is painting CJ’s face on the ministry truck, putting final touches on the remodel project made possible by Southern California’s Missionettes. Receive our great thanks!

Ordination services were in January. My good buddy Simón Gonzalez (see Panamanian Profile in April 2004 newsletter) is one of Panama’s best preachers and joke-tellers. I wanted to share one of the stories he included in his sermon:

Two thieves were counting out a bag of stolen avacadoes in the seculsion of a cementery. A guy passing outside the wall hears them and thinks it's God and the devil dividing up the souls--“one for you, one for me…” They see one avacado that rolled out of the bag and ask each other, “What  about that one over there?” At which the guy outside takes off running for his life!

The sanctuary erupted in laughter. If it doesn’t seem too funny to you, come spend some time in Panamá, and the humor will rub off on you too.

Driving the kids to school over several speed bumps in a row made me consider these Spanish phrases and their interesting usage:

- “policia muerto” = “dead policeman” and is used for “speed bumps.”

- “jugar vivo” = “to play alive” and is used like our expression “to pull a fast one.”

- “esposas” = “wives” and is used for “handcuffs.”

Please pray for ministry at the upcoming Guaymí Family Retreat 13-17 February. Pastor Roy Rhodes and 15 team members from Paola, KS are returning to minister and distribute food and supplies to 2000-3000 Guaymí Indians. We will be ministering with the hundreds of children. Just today I received word that Kent Moody and co-workers from Convoy of Hope are also coming, plus Steve Graner, missionary to Colombia. This retreat is becoming quite an international attraction.

Yvonne just celebrated another birthday, as you can see. The middle candle, “over the hill,” also played a lilting rendition of The Funeral March!

Chloe, along with three friends, is going to race through the Panama Canal in a cayuco dugout canoe. It takes hours of practice and hard work. It's really a big deal among young people who live near the Panama Canal. You can check out the organizers’ web site.

If one day you call our house and you hear this very low voice on the phone, it’s probably not Kirk, but rather Anthony. Like all the kids, he’s growing up. I’ll let Gracie provide this month’s commentary on Anthony's guitar playing.

Celina recently painted a terrific scene of a Kuna island lady and her cat, in oils on canvas. It’s proudly hanging in our photo hallway and is the latest addition to her Art Gallery online.

Gracie has been devouring the first book of The Chronicles of Narnia ever since we saw the movie, The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. It’s been a stretch for her to understand some of the London vocabulary and accent of some of the characters, and why C. S. Lewis would use the three-letter-word for donkey so much! ;-)

Recently Gracie wrote in her journal, “My Bro’ (Anthony) is the next Jimmy Hendrix -- though not demon-possessed.” Background you need: 1) we don’t listen to Jimmy Hendrix! 2) we saw a video on Jimmy Hendrix at the Experience Music Project in Seattle last summer during vacation and made comments.

A little over a week ago I mailed our yearend Thank You letter and gift to supporters. Please let me know if you gave in 2005 but did not receive it.

Let’s listen to the Apostle Paul as a veteran QB coaching us on from the end zone (forgive me, the Super Bowl juices are flowing…):

Go out into the world uncorrupted, a breath of fresh air in this squalid and polluted society.

Provide people with a glimpse of good living and of the living God.

Carry the light-giving Message into the night

so I'll have good cause to be proud of you on the day that Christ returns.

You'll be living proof that I didn't go to all this work for nothing.

Phil. 2:15-16 MSG

Thank for the encouragement of your prayers, financial support and words that help us attempt to fulfill Paul’s admonition above. God bless you for it!

Yours for Them,

Kirk for all

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