Jones Journal e-Mailer for 2010-02

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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.

Please receive a belated Happy New Year blessing from the Joneses. And allow me to explain why it's late by reversing our normal order of these e-Mailers:

* Christmas celebrations were especially rich for us because we got to have Chloe with us for a whole month! It was great to be all six of us again.

* The last week of the year was the Latin America Retreat in Orlando. Inspiring - motivating - refreshing! Our kids loved reconnecting with MK friends.

* 2011 will be Year of the Child for the AG and other Christian groups. In Orlando about twenty of us missionaries who work with kids had a workday. Shared resources and ideas - planned activities - organized promotional videos. Please pray as we prepare for a great outreach and training of Panama's children's leaders to join all the others across Latin America.

* Chloe is fascinated by her latest nursing training in the psych ward. Her professor said she's a natural interviewer. No surprise--she loves people!

* Anthony is paddling cayuco again. It's called "Bad Company." Feel free to make up your own joke here… just know they are all good kids. If you forgot about cayucos, see our media page for his and Chloe's videos.

* Celina made a cute purse one weekend when she was bored. She designed it, included a zipper pocket and even embroidered her initials on it.

* This week, Gracie and Celina will be getting braces. They aren't glad to get them, but are looking forward to getting them on… so they can get them off sooner.

* Yvonne's birthday: Anthony & Gracie washed the car - Celina baked a cake - Kirk bought a cell phone (no surprise: replaced the one that died) - and we all enjoyed Gaucho's Argentine grill for dinner.

* January's seminar with our Children's Ministries leaders focused on Vacation Bible Schools, since it's now summer vacation until the first of March. Thanks to resources shared at the Year of the Child meeting, we provided a five-day VBS curriculum along with logistics and planning ideas.

Technology is making it easier and cheaper to provide materials. For instance, we sold more CDs with the curriculum documents than photocopies of the same. We also included a PowerPoint training file plus motivational movie on the CD.

* Thanks for praying for the Christmas KidsQuest Crusade in Santiago. Close to 500 excited children crowded into Pastor Maximiliano Castañeda's country church. Each received full color story of Jesus in comic book format as a gift, plus a small meal. Thanks to our tireless zone coordinator Rigoberto Mitchell. He is also doing a great job raising up local provincial committees. It's more like a task force in the US.

Here are the prizewinners who invited the most new visitors. There were three--the littlest guy got scared of "CJ" the Tiger up close, so Fanny comforted him.

* Panama's Annual Business Session took place mid January at our National Campgrounds. It is one of two nation-wide events for all AG ministers. We had Carolina Canto from our volunteer team teach the kids so I could participate in the sessions as a sub for our Missionary Rep Terry Bell while on itineration.

Following the final evening service wrapping up about 11pm, I remembered back to my first annual sessions:

-- I didn't know anybody

-- I didn't understand half of what was said in Spanish

-- I was tired from staying up late taking care of preschoolers and then waking up for devotions at 6am "because the Superintendent wants to see the missionaries there"

-- I felt like every Panamanian who approached me just wanted a piece of me or my money (which wasn’t entirely true, but it's how I felt)

-- I felt disconnected from what was going on in the business sessions

This night one of our presbyters preached a powerful message on overcoming all resistance. He got at least 24 standing O's! At the altar service brothers and sisters were praying for each other, seeking God's face, listening intently to a prophetic word to "¡Avanza / Press on!" I later told our missionary body that this was our Panamanians in their best moment. It's a joy to have served alongside them for almost twenty years. The best is yet to come!

Daily expect the Day of God, eager for its arrival. The galaxies will burn up and the elements melt down that day-- but we'll hardly notice. We'll be looking the other way, ready for the promised new heavens and the promised new earth, all landscaped with righteousness.

So, my dear friends, since this is what you have to look forward to, do your very best to be found living at your best, in purity and peace.

2^nd Peter 3:12-14 The Message

Yours for Them,

Kirk for all