jonesjournal.org > newsletters >  e-Mailer for 10/06

 

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 these past events:

 

* Children's Ministries Leader Training

 

We invited guest speaker Professor Ana Tajú, former member of our leadership team, and current Director of the LACC school Canaan in Santa Librada. Under her capable leadership it has grown to 860 students in just 10 years. Her seminar topic was teaching children Biblical Values in the Patriotic Month, which is November. She sure waved the old red, white and blue, Panama style!

 

Here she is between our two staff who celebrated their birthday at the seminar: Fanny de Quinzada (left) and Carolina Canto (right).

 

A new thing we're doing is recording seminars and making DVDs. That lets us send a variety of Seminars on the road. Most of our pastors have DVD players and TVs, so we can multiply our impact to train leaders across the Isthmus.

 

* KidsQuest Crusade in Atalaya

 

One thing that really impressed us in this church was the "team spirit" for lack of a better term. For the Crusade games we divide the kids into a red team and a blue team. For the second Crusade on Saturday afternoon some of the adult leaders had brought blue ribbons for sashes or headbands for the blue team and red balloons for each of the red team members.

 

Another example of the spirit of this group was how they responded with vigorous applause and cheers after each illusion "trick" or each clown presentation. It's not that we need the affirmation, but rather it let us know that they were really with us during the presentation.

 

* The public school strike ended peacefully. The teachers agreed to the original raise offered by the government. The downside is that now students have classes every Saturday morning to make up for the days lost during the strike. It affected us in Atalaya with lower attendance at the first Crusade on Saturday morning.

 

We appreciate your continued prayers for these upcoming events:

 

* There will be a Nation-wide Referendum 22 October to approve Expansion of the Canal to add larger set of third locks alongside the current two. It looks like it will pass, but this type of political event often brings out the worst in certain groups of people. Thanks for praying for order and civility.

 

* KidsQuest Crusades: at Templo Mount Sinai, in San Miguelito last weekend of October; at the Orlando Winter gym for Christmas Crusade on 2 December.

 

* There is an urgent prayer request for Panama's Health Ministry: last week in the Social Security Hospital several people, most over 60 years old and being treated for high blood pressure and kidney failure died from an unknown cause. It appears to be a toxic reaction, not contagious, and restricted to this particular hospital. The Center for Disease Control in Atlanta sent representatives to Panama to help solve the problem. To date 21 deaths have been reported.

 

Our September issue of the print newsletter should have arrived by now. Please forgive the delay. We had a delivery problem that's been resolved. You can see it online on our Newsletter page.

 

Chloe is very excited about the upcoming international basketball tourney in Costa Rica end of this month. Teams come from across Central America. She's been baking and selling "Monster cookies" to raise money to help pay part of the expenses for the trip. She usually sells about 8 dozen cookies all before lunch! "Monster cookies" are a secret family recipe. Even though you might find another recipe on the Internet, nobody makes them quite as good as Chloe!

 

Anthony is having a 14th birthday party overnighter going on as I type… so just ignore the loud music, and shrieks and video game explosions. We're trying to.

 

Celina is on Student Council. She's the youngest member as the 7th grade Rep., but she says she feels like she fits in and can contribute her ideas. She will be in charge of the next bake sale fund-raiser for future Council projects.

 

Yvonne helped lead worship at a Women's Retreat. She was telling the family how nice the hotel was, and how much she liked the variety of tea--especially a flavor called "Zen." When Gracie asked "Huh?" Kirk explained it's like Transcendental Meditation. Didn't help. OK, it's a "false religion." So Gracie, asked, in a puzzled tone, "Mom, you drank a false religion?"

 

After Yvonne finished telling about the delicious buffet she enjoyed for breakfast and lunch, Anthony asked quietly in his increasingly lower range voice, "so did you learn anything about God?" When the laughter died down, she assured us all that she did!

 

When the religious leaders saw the outrageous things he was doing, and heard all the children running and shouting through the Temple, "Hosanna to David's Son!" they were up in arms and took him to task. "Do you hear what these children are saying?" Jesus said, "Yes, I hear them. And haven't you read in God's Word, 'From the mouths of children and babies I'll furnish a place of praise'?"

Matthew 21:15-16, The Message

 

Thanks for your prayers and financial support as we join with the Master in helping children sing out a chorus of praise to Jesus. Blessings!

 

Yours for Them,

 

Kirk for all

 

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