Jones Journal e-Mailer for 2011-02

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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.

Belated Happy New Year, and early Happy Valentine’s Day! The Jones family was all six of us together again over the holidays and New Year, for which we are extremely grateful.

Thanks for praying for the KidsQuest Christmas Crusade that was held in Antón, central province. Our zone coordinator, Rigoberto Mitchell, worked diligently to give the children in that region a meaningful Christmas celebration, and it paid off. The response was very positive from children’s ministries leaders who brought their children. The kids enjoyed the one-day Crusade with clowns Ding and Ling along with CJ the Tiger and the special lunch provided afterwards.

For our monthly seminar for children’s ministries leaders in January we combined with leaders and teachers from the Christian Education Department. All of us are focusing on the International Year of the Child for 2011. I shared a seminar on the new 4/14 Window movement sparked by Dr. Luis Bush. He is the same missiologist who coined the term “10/40 Window” to reach many unreached people groups.

The following week at the AG Annual Business Session I shared a short video and promoted the resource material we had compiled on CD for the seminar on the Year of the Child. The CD was in high demand. It’s great to see a groundswell of interest in reaching and discipling this generation of children.

Yesterday I spoke on the same topic to about 150 teachers who are part of Panama’s Alfalit, a ministry that encourages reading and literacy using Christian materials. They also scooped up all the resource CDs that we had available.

Yvonne continues ministering in nearby orphanages with other ladies from Panama International Church. In addition, they plan to visit most of the orphanages in Panama to see the needs to mobilize our local Assemblies of God churches here in Panama to help minister to the kids. Today I served as chauffeur and bodyguard as the three ladies went across the Isthmus to the red zone of Colón to visit four more sites.

As mentioned Chloe was with us for Christmas vacation here in Panama. We got to enjoy an in-country trip to Bocas del Toro, shown here hanging around the beach of Isla Colón.

On the last day of our Bocas vacation, Celina had a great idea. The pictures tell the story: She put her left hand in the Atlantic Ocean, stood on the Continental Divide, and put her right hand in the Pacific Ocean, all in the same day! Where else on the planet can you do that?

Anthony is back into cayuco mode. This season he is paddling in a coed team again, in Fas2Ras. They had their first race last Saturday here on the Pacific Ocean side going around the islands of the Causeway. As seen here Anthony is in front, called the pacer.

Gracie, along with the rest of us, experienced something new on vacation. We went snorkeling from the side of a little boat instead of from the beach. Very fun. You may not believe us, though, when we say it was actually a little chilly in the water. But compared to the snow and ice covering much of the midwest right now, it was plenty warm.

As I wrap this issue up I realize that all the photos are of family, and none are of ministry. Sorry about that. I also realize that Chloe and Celina are great photographers--I should probably take them along with me on my ministry events…

We are excited for the new opportunities and challenges that another year of ministry brings. We especially want to thank those who continue to give generously and even sacrificially and those who pray for our family and ministry and for the children of Panama. May God richly bless you for it!

To Dr. Bush’s new call to reach children ages four to fourteen, we say a hearty, “Amen!”

I began this booklet with a call for a new missional focus. I said that just as the 10/40 Window focused our attention on ‘the core of the core,’ so the 4/14 Window was a focus on the core of the core. My purpose was to turn the spotlight on those in the 4/14 Window—the Ages of Opportunity. We have seen that this group is an enormous “people group”—one that is suffering, neglected and exploited. At the same time, those precious ones in the 4/14 Window are also without question the most receptive people group on the planet.” .

Dr. Luis Bush

Raising Up a New Generation from the 4/14 Window to Transform the World

Yours for Them,

Kirk for all