Jones Journal e-Mailer for 2007-10

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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.

Happy October! It's known here for being the rainiest month of rainy season, but these first few days have been unseasonably bright and sunny. We trust it's beautiful where you are too.

As we said last issue, our KidsQuest Crusade for September was in Bocas del Toro province with presbyter and good friend Pastor Frank Miranda at his church in El Silencio, Changuinola. Thanks for praying for safe travel. The 10 hour drive was slow, but uneventful, both ways.

Here you see host Pastor Frank Miranda and his youngest son Joel. After last year's crusade held at a different church, (see e-Mailer 6/06) little Joel sobbed heart-broken that he couldn't take home the remote control car on the prize table, since he hadn't brought any visitors. Afterwards I realized that he was the little guy I included in the video scene (see "Behind the Curtain" video report on Media page) where I talked about the visitor prize campaign. Poor guy.

Well, this year he earned his prize car because he brought a ton of visitors! I'm so proud of him, and happy he was rewarded for his hard work. There was about 75 brand new children, plus 50 regulars in attendance. You can see more of Joel and other kids in this month's photo album.

Coming this Saturday we'll have our monthly children's ministries leaders' seminar on "Kids in Missions" by Rev. Fernando & Nancy Moyano. They are Argentine Assemblies of God missionaries serving here in Panama. Plus our own Fanny de Quinzada will promote Reformation Day activities.

You can see our latest print newsletter for October now online. If you didn't receive one and would like to, just let us know.

We were pleasantly surprised to see Chloe in the newspaper last Saturday. Her basketball team had their first loss of the season (after three convincing wins) to an undefeated team. It appears in the newspaper DIA a DIA online. (Photo credits: Alejandro Mendez / EPASA)

Tony is keeping busy with basketball and band. He plays in the school chapel worship band for Monday chapel services plus the youth worship band on Wednesdays. In between all the practices he loves just "chillin' with his friends."

The church in El Silencio blessed us with a huge stalk of bananas--about five feet tall! Plus almost the same size stalk of plantain or cooking bananas. We divided them up among the team members, and even so our portion was probably about 100 bananas and 25 plantains. They got a little bruised on the trip home, so Celina made a couple loaves of absolutely delicious banana bread the family devoured. Thanks, Sweetie!

Gracie asked me to mention here that she is doing Battle of the Books again this year. They've already had a meeting at school. I volunteered to listen to her practice her reading and she was so good at it that she put me sound asleep. We also celebrated Gracie's birthday. You can tell by her raised fingers she's now nine!

By way of reminder, you can schedule a visit for our upcoming itineration July 08 - July 09 on our Itineration page. We'd love to see you again.

What art Thou then, my God? what, but the Lord God? For who is Lord but the Lord? or who is God save our God? Most highest, most good, most potent, most omnipotent; most merciful, yet most just; most hidden, yet most present; most beautiful, yet most strong, stable, yet incomprehensible; unchangeable, yet all-changing; never new, never old; all-renewing, What art Thou then, my God? what, but the Lord God? For who is Lord but the Lord? or who is God save our God? Most highest, most good, most potent, most omnipotent; most merciful, yet most just; most hidden, yet most present; most beautiful, yet most strong, stable, yet incomprehensible; unchangeable, yet all-changing; never new, never old; all-renewing, need, yet rejoicing in gains; never covetous, yet exacting usury. Thou receivest over and above, that Thou mayest owe; and who hath aught that is not Thine? Thou payest debts, owing nothing; remittest debts, losing nothing. And what had I now said, my God, my life, my holy joy? or what saith any man when he speaks of Thee? Yet woe to him that speaketh not, since mute are even the most eloquent.

Confessions of St. Augustine, book I, chapter IV

Apparently Shakespeare never told Augustine that "brevity is the soul of wit." Please realize I typed that tongue-in-cheek. Augustine wasn't trying to be funny and Shakespeare wasn't born till a long time afterwards. I know.

But I included such a long quote because the contrasting pairs of attributes illustrated for me how magnificent our God is. By the same token I hope to communicate to you in fewer words our profound gratitude for your support in prayer and finance to see our mighty God do great things in little lives. God bless you!

Yours for Them,

Kirk for all