Jones Journal e-Mailer for 2011-09

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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.

Thank you for your prayers and support during this past month. Since you always get to hear mostly from me (Kirk), this issue focuses more on the family in ministry. Here are some highlights:

“No Arms. No Legs. No Limits.” With this amazing slogan, Nick Vujicic brought his incredible testimony and motivational presentation to Panamá’s national stadium last month. Yvonne went. I’ll let her tell you more about it in her own words:

“Last night, I was privileged to go see Nick Vujicic along with a group of 42 girls from the Malambo orphanage. Nick was born without arms or legs and now travels the world telling others that God has a beautiful plan for their lives, despite their hardships. About half way through his talk, a missionary friend came and told us that Nick wanted to meet with the girls afterward. At that time, he shared that even though they may not have a mom and a dad, that God is with them always and if they are a daughter of the King, then they are princesses. Nick then asked for them to form a line, and one by one, they gave him a hug. ‘Take your time,’ he said. God began an inner healing in many of the girls and we were all in tears. I look forward to see what God continues to do in their lives as I begin weekly meetings with them to study the Bible.”

Chloe is back full-time as a nursing student at Cox College, and RA at Evangel University, and still working as a PCA (Patient Care Assistant) part-time. One class she says she is loving is to “shadow” a nurse, observing while she does her job. She is with a nurse manager, so Chloe is learning all about personnel administration issues, having to deal with staff conflicts, and the high pressure organizational decisions a nurse manager makes.

Tony is also on campus at Evangel U., as you can see. He is rooming with Lane, an MK (missionary kid) from Belize he knew for years, and brother to Chloe’s former roommate, Christa. Both of their suite-mates next door are MKs too. Part of the EU Launch orientation weekend included a service project cleaning up debris from the devastating tornado in Joplin, MO. He went with about 450 new students. He told us that he saw what had been a brick high school completely leveled. He has been hitting the books hard—a lot more reading than in high school!

The day he (and Dad) left Yvonne declared an official day of mourning. We are all adjusting to the change. What can I say?—we miss him. Probably a lot more than he misses us! Please pray for us all!

Celina is also hitting the books extra hard her senior year with advanced courses in biology and calculus, plus physics, British lit., Bible and the rest. She specifically asks for prayer while she is deciding on which college and major to study. Here are some of her classmates all wearing their Senior class shirts that Celina helped design: “saved the best for last.”

Celina continues to minister in three different worship teams: high school chapel, youth group and Sunday night service at Panama International (PaInt) Church.

Gracie also ministers at PaInt Church as a pre-school Sunday School teacher. It seems like just yesterday she was in pre-school. Now she’s turning thirteen on us this month. She will celebrate with her friends at the beach!

This past Saturday Manuel showed up early for our monthly leaders training seminar. I’d say he’s in his 50s, since he looks a little older than me. It was his first time. I always celebrate the men who come, since they are fewer in number. I was pleasantly surprised to learn that he came on a mission: to reach the 4 / 14 Window living near his church in Panama City West. That means the other side of the Canal from Panama City proper. He picked up all the materials on CD we had about reaching that age demographic. He told me he plans to prepare a simple brochure for unchurched parents near his church to explain the challenges faced by the four to fourteen age group—cognitive, social, emotional, health, and especially spiritual. Then he’ll ask their permission for the child(ren) to join in a couple hours meeting together at the church. Isn’t that great!?!

Please pray with us for:

* this Saturday afternoon teacher training seminar for San Miguelito area for teachers who work Saturday mornings and cannot come to our monthly morning seminar.

* 17-18 September KidsQuest Crusade in Penonomé.

* 4 / 14 Window in Panamá: that God will continue to raise up leaders (like Manuel), churches and their children to reach this generation in the crucial age range from four years to fourteen years old.

* work budget has been right at $0 for the past couple months, which means what comes in gets used. We are continuing to work and minister as always. Our prayer is for God’s supernatural provision for His people in unexpected ways, despite the economic downturn, so that He gets all the glory for being Jehovah Jireh, our Provider!

I’ve been reading about Child Theology recently. In overly simplistic terms, it asks what would living for Jesus look like with “a child in the midst”? Here is how Jesus first presented that idea to His followers:

They came to Capernaum. When he was safe at home, he asked them,

"What were you discussing on the road?"

The silence was deafening—

they had been arguing with one another over who among them was greatest.

He sat down and summoned the Twelve.

"So you want first place? Then take the last place. Be the servant of all."

He put a child in the middle of the room.

Then, cradling the little one in his arms, he said,

"Whoever embraces one of these children as I do embraces me, and far more than me—

God who sent me."

Mark 9:33-37, The Message

Hugging kids for Jesus here in Panamá, we are…

Yours for Them,

Kirk for all