Jones Journal e-Mailer for 2007-05

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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.

First, let's praise! We're happy to report that Panama Immigration has reversed its previous decision to deny our application to renew our missionary visa for another year. Apparently paperwork was misplaced. I just confirmed the details by phone with our lawyer, Jaime Choy, who we introduced to you last issue, and in our print newsletter. Chloe, Yvonne and I will go down to Immigration tomorrow to get our picture taken for our new ID cards.

We also owe huge thanks to another great brother here in Panama, Tito Wong, for helping clear up the issue at the Immigration office. We've known Tito from the first day I arrived in Panama. In fact, I slept at his house the first few days before Yvonne (pregnant with Anthony) and Chloe flew from Costa Rica after language school. I'll probably feature him in the next Panamanian Profile.

One of the reasons that Assemblies of God churches grow and multiply so well is the constant preparation of lay leaders and workers. Every year, in addition to the Retreat for our credentialed ministers, there is also a retreat for church Deacons and Lay Leaders. Due to growth, this year it multiplied into two retreats. A week ago I was blessed to be able to go to the Western Retreat up in Boquete, coffee-growing region of the Chiriquí province, along with over 250 leaders and deacons. I say blessed because I had my good buddy Simon Gonzalez, Assistant Superintendent, along for the ride to keep me company with his unending supply of funny stories and jokes. Plus the climate in Boquete is delightful. He preached and I shared a plenary session on the topic "Supervision of Lay Leaders in the Local Church."

We'll be teaching two more workshops later this month at the Conference led by FourSquare missionaries Gino and Bonita Sanchez. They did such a great job organizing the FestiNiños Crusade.

Our next scheduled KidsQuest Crusade will be this weekend 4-6 May, instead of 20-22 April as reported last issue. Allow me to repeat myself from last month: It will be in Arraijan (just across the Canal from Panama City) with Pastora Carmen Adames, who was a Bible School student of mine and is now pastoring her own church. She supported us in the 2003 Centennial Parade, as shown here in Traditional Panamanian garb. She started the church going door-to-door carrying a backpack with puppets, snacks and tracts and inviting children to a Bible study class. Many children got saved and later brought their parents to the meetings. Pray that this Crusade will reach even more children to become evangelists in this marginalized community.

Our latest print newsletter should have arrived to you last month. If you'd like to receive one by mail, just let us know your mailing address. If you'd like to see it online, it's on the Newsletter page of our website.

Our big three "youth" kids had an amazing week in Costa Rica at the AG Latin America MK Retreat, shown here with their best buds the Castleberry kids from Belize. The facilities at La Montaña campground were great--muddy soccer field, survival jungle trail, delicious cafeteria food, all with a cool, damp climate. The worship and ministry times brought them closer to God. The activities were totally fun--very competitive dodge ball, volcano field trip, team-building challenges, and time just to hang out with old and new friends. They didn't sleep at all the last night, so they could say their good-byes at the 2:30am airport bus run, then the 5:00am group, and they went out on the last trip at 9:00am.

The "MK Way" became the catchphrase code of conduct. Basically it means everybody participates and nobody complains.

It did our heart good to hear the kids talk late into the night when they returned of how much they appreciate being Assembly of God MKs. Our deep appreciation goes out to the ISMK staff for their dedication and love on behalf of our MKs. Our kids thank you for all the candy! You can see "LAC retreat photos" on their website.

In the Ocean-to-Ocean cayuco race for 2007 Chloe and her Seaweed teammates improved their times over last year for each of the five legs of the race and placed 6^th out of 11 in the girls youth category. You can see the music video that I put together on the Media page of our website. We're so proud of her!

Anthony joined the high school basketball team and has been practicing after school, when it rainy season allows. He even got to play a little in the game against Balboa Academy, Chloe's school. She rooted for both teams!

Crossroads Christian Academy's production of "Arsenic and Old Lace" drama will be held tomorrow evening, Friday 5/4/07. Celina doesn't seem to be too nervous, but we'd all appreciate your prayers for the entire cast and crew.

Gracie and her friend Dasha had a ton of fun making Easter eggs with Yvonne. During Holy Week vacation, Gracie had Mom & Dad all to herself! So we planned extra activities with her, and some of her friends.

She continues to enjoy gymnastics, if you'd like to see her in the latest video online go to our Media page. I feel like the Internet has become a global digital frig magnet. :-)

The past couple months I've had to report on our finances being in the red. When I got last month's financial statement from AGWM I am not ashamed to admit that I had a hallelujah hootin' and hollerin' session in my office when I saw we were on the north side of $0! Several churches made extra sacrifices to make that possible, and we thanked them personally.

Now, I'll be the first to say that we still have a ways to go, but at least we're not staring at goose eggs in the work account. Since we have over a year before our next deputation cycle, we still invite your prayerful consideration to make either a monthly pledge (or increase) or a one-time contribution during this upcoming year towards our ministry, so we won't have to cut back on ministry activities again. Then once we're in the US, we'll have opportunity to raise additional financial support.

Relax, everything's going to be all right;

rest, everything's coming together;

open your hearts, love is on the way!

Jude 1.2, The Message

Thanks for your prayers, giving and encouragement. May the Lord bless and keep you in the palm of His hand.

Yours for Them,

Kirk for all