Jones Journal e-Mailer for 2008-03

jonesjournal.org > newsletters > e-Mailer for 3/08

Dear Friends,

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

Here are reports on our most recent KidsQuest Crusades:

* February: San Jose a small community of David in the Western zone of Panama

Our host pastor was Antonio Graell, district presbyter. Total attendance was over 200 children, plus their families. Here are the hard-working visitor prize winners Osneli, Ingrid and Ashley with our team.

* March: Uvito, a small community of Santiago in the Central zone of Panama

Our host pastor, Heriberto Pinzon, did a great job bringing in the kids from his and nearby communities, along with coordination from our zone Rep. Rigoberto Mitchell. Being such a rural area I was pleased to see over 100 children, and mostly visitors, each crusade.

Our three visitor campaign winners seen here accounted for over half of the total attendance. Way to go kids!

Our monthly Leadership seminars continue preparing workers for the harvest of children here in Panama. Carolina Canto taught on how to prepare events for summer vacation, which ends here in March. Please pray for her especially, since she will be in charge of Children's Ministries in our absence during itineration. You can see her Profile in our 10/04 edition either in the e-Mailer or print Newsletter.

The big event of last month was the Annual Guaymi Family Retreat. I'll keep my words brief here and invite you to see the five minute video report on the Media page of our website. Over 4000 attended with more than 700 in our children's classes. There were 71 new believers baptized. Several tons of food and clothes were distributed. Special thanks to Pastor Roy Rhodes and team from First AG in Paola KS.

Thanks to a special donation there is a new construction project starting this week in Duima. The children at the LACC school and church will get to enjoy playing basketball, volleyball, soccer and doing their programs on a new, flat, concrete court. I emphasize "flat" for two reasons. The terrain is extremely hilly, so sports are a challenge when the ball wants to always roll downhill. Also, when I went up to make plans with Pastor Cesar and Heriberto the contractor I took along my little friend, "Flat Luke" for his school project. Here you see him with Cesar Abdias, Pastor's son, and a local resident.

Chloe went with her school soccer team for the AASCA tournament in El Salvador. They played teams from El Salvador, Guatemala, Costa Rica and Panama. Even though they didn't place, she had a lot of fun with her friends. She's also been very busy finishing up the school yearbook taking pictures, editing and laying out the pages for printing. It's going to look nice.

This weekend was the huge Ocean-2-Ocean race for Tony and his teammates in the dugout cayuco "Lone Star," along with 119 other boats. They did great, especially for an all rookie crew, placing 7^th out of 12. We will prepare a video and post it on our website, like we did for Chloe last year. You can see both Chloe (as a substitute paddler) and Tony competing in the Gamboa sprints two weeks ago on our Media page.

Their photo (shown here) appeared in the newspaper La Prensa Sunday reporting on the first two days of races. They are on the far side of the cayuco MisConception and Tony is the second from the front/right. You can learn more about the history of cayuco races in Panama at the new CayucoPedia site.

Celina is planning on really enjoying sleeping in all this week for Semana Santa (Easter week vacation). Her plans are to go shopping at the mall to get some "really cute, really cheap board shorts."

Gracie played a special piano number in her school chapel along with her piano teacher, Mr. Penn. You can see the video on YouTube.

In case you were wondering, we *did* break last year's record of 59 in attendance for the Super Bowl--61! What a great game!

We welcome you to schedule a visit for our upcoming itineration July 08 - July 09 on our Itineration page.

Thank you for praying for and supporting our family and our ministry. We sincerely appreciate it.

With Easter in mind, let's celebrate our Risen Savior!

Then the saying will come true: Death swallowed by triumphant Life! Who got the last word, oh, Death? Oh, Death, who's afraid of you now? It was sin that made death so frightening and law-code guilt that gave sin its leverage, its destructive power. But now in a single victorious stroke of Life, all three--sin, guilt, death--are gone, the gift of our Master, Jesus Christ. Thank God!

1Cor 15:54-57, The Message

Yours for Them,

Kirk for all