Jones Journal e-Mailer for 2011-08

jonesjournal.org > newsletters > e-Mailer for 8/11

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.

Thank you for your prayers and support during these summer months. It’s been a busy and fruitful time. Here are some highlights:

In mid July, our home district of Southern California blessed us with the Hispanic youth team led by Larry & Melodee Gruetzmacher. They had a huge spiritual impact in ministry at schools and churches around Aguadulce and joining us for the KidsQuest Crusade in Boca la Caja. Speaking the heart language of the people (Spanish) made a big difference. You can see a short video of their impressions of the trip on our media page.

Allow me to illustrate how God was divinely orchestrating His master plan even through something as mundane as logistics. Trying to keep the costs low, I contacted our AGWM colleague Larryon Truman who offered a great deal on the house he set up for teams to do his tabernacle construction in the interior. It’s in Aguadulce. So that meant we should work with our Presbyter for the area, Inocente Camargo. He set up our itinerary at AG churches and public schools nearby. He told us the area in which we would be ministering during the week had the highest incidence of suicides and attempts. We saw the overwhelming response at several secondary schools after team members shared their testimonies of how God walked with them as they struggled with low self-image, cutting, and even suicidal thoughts.

I stand amazed at God’s sweet sovereignty. He knew the team members and their testimonies of His faithfulness healing their hearts regarding suicide and self-abuse. He also knew the pressing need of the Panamanian youths around Aguadulce who are under spiritual attack with a high incidence of suicide and attempts. And I was just trying to save money.

At the end of July over 500 of our AG ministers gathered to celebrate our annual Minister's Retreat. The two plenary sessions on the 4/14 Window that we team-taught along with Ruth Steele, Christian Education and Marcos Palma, King's Castle were well received. We were able to provide additional tools and resources on CD for local churches ministry to children especially for the International Year of the Child.

We held our regularly scheduled seminar the first Saturday of August. This month we added a seminar the second Saturday in the outlying community of Chepo. It’s on the road towards the Darién jungle, near Colombia. Our brother Hilario Perez (pictured in front of the group of kids) has faithfully attended our monthly leaders meetings. For him that means a two and a half hour commute by public transportation, one way. So when he asked me to come and train teachers from the 7-8 churches in his area, I gladly agreed.

We also ministered with the children in the afternoon. They were attentive, learned the five-finger gospel message well, and had some of the brightest faces you could ever imagine. Most of them were regulars at children’s church and Sunday school, so this was more of a fun, illusion-filled training session to share the Good News with their friends, classmates, and family.

Chloe has been working full-time 12 hour shifts (plus any overtime she can get) this summer at Cox hospital as a PCA (Patient Care Assistant). Evangel University school year starts next week, so she will get busy being an RA again, plus finishing the final year of her nursing degree!

While we were with the youth team, Tony came down with Dengue fever. He went through a little more than a week of high fever, aches and pains, but now he’s recovered. Just in time for his trip to start college at Evangel University, studying business. Please pray for him, and us, in this transition time. We know God has a bright future for him and we can’t wait to see it unfold.

Celina traveled with us and the youth team, but then also went with her youth group on their annual missions trip to Máncora Perú. She reconnected with friends and family from last year's trip, like little Lizbeth. But she can tell you about it much better than I can—take a look at her report here.

Gracie also got to minister with the youth team. They told us how mature Gracie was. Now she is back at school with her friends, which started the first week of August. She’s playing on the sub-16 basketball team again, with Dad as one of the coaches.

Enjoy with me a brief moment of reflection on who we are in God:

And today GOD has reaffirmed that you are dearly held treasure just as he promised,

a people entrusted with keeping his commandments,

a people set high above all other nations that he's made,

high in praise, fame, and honor: you're a people holy to GOD, your God.

That's what he has promised.

Deut. 26:18-19, The Message

Yours for Them,

Kirk for all