Jones Journal e-Mailer for 2014-11

jonesjournal.org > newsletters > e-Mailer for 11/14

Dear Friends,

If you'd prefer you can read this e-Mailer online, or see past issues on "Newsletter" page at jonesjournal.org. This monthly e-Mailer includes updates on our life, ministry, praise, and prayer.

Greetings in Jesus! Happy Birthday(s) Panamá!

November is patriotic month in Panamá, celebrating independence from Spain, from Colombia, and Flag day! Kirk posted this congratulations to all our Panamanian friends.

Our good friends from Abundant Life Community Church in Alton IL, led by Pastor Roy Rhodes, continue to amaze us with their commitment to the precious Ngobe Indian people of Panamá. Every February they join the Annual Family Conference in Quebrada Guavo to preach, make family portraits, help coordinate Convoy of Hope distribution, and simply be with and love on the people. In preparation for 2015 trip they organized a weekend of fundraising activities including the First Annual Panamá 5K run. It was our pleasure to support their terrific effort!

During this itineration extension, we have continued introducing ourselves to ministers here in the Southern Missouri district, as well as sharing in area churches. Fall is Missions Convention season and we are thankful that pastors have allowed us to be with their children’s ministries. At a recent Missions Conventions a few children dared to thrust their hand into a paper sack containing different foods they might find in Panamá. Then the really brave ones took a bite with the blindfold still on.

In Battlefield Assembly of God the children made the wordless book as a craft. We added the blue page to the usual yellow-black-red-white-green because it reminds us to share the gift of salvation—that’s evangelism and missions! You can see they really got into it.

We’ve also seen children come forward for prayer in response to God’s call for future missions service. They are the agents of transformation for this generation. The church of today – the leaders of tomorrow!

With the family we celebrated two birthdays since the last e-Mailer issue: Gracie & Tony. If you look closely on Gracie’s cake you can see a cat driving a car… yes, Gracie now has her drivers license. Even though Celina is in CA, she got to join in singing Happy Birthday to Tony thanks to Facetime.

We continue to make gradual progress toward our fund-raising goals. Currently we need about $1900 more in the cash budget and $405 more in monthly support. By faith our plan is to return to Panamá for our next four-year term on January 12, 2015! We trust the Lord to provide, even if it’s at the last hour before we leave. Thank you to the many supporters who continue to make this possible. To potential new partners, please prayerfully consider joining our support team!

By way of reminder, feel free to “like” our facebook Missions page in order to receive periodic missions updates, like this e-Mailer.

22 As they were gathering in Galilee, Jesus said to them, “The Son of Man is about to be delivered into the hands of men, 23 and they will kill him, and he will be raised on the third day.” And they were greatly distressed.

(Matthew 17:22-23 ESV, emphasis added)

Jesus just told His disciples what would become the greatest news of history—He would rise from the dead! But they were “greatly distressed” because He would be taken from them. That is so like me. How often I miss hearing the eternal good news distracted by the temporal bad news. I focus on my lack instead of God’s abundant supply. I feel sorry for me rather than rejoice for Him.

Then in Matthew 20:17-27 Jesus again foretells His death and resurrection. The reaction of James & John’s mother shows faith in Jesus’ prediction, albeit with a self-centered motive. Missing the point, they want to reserve their places of honor at Jesus’ right and left hand. Understandably, the other ten disciples are ticked off.

Please understand my tone. I am not criticizing the disciples. Rather I hope to discover myself in them both in my self-centered weakness and their world-changing strength. Remember, once they completely yielded to Jesus, these are the ones they said, “have been with Jesus” and “turned the world upside down” (Acts 4:13; 17:6)!

Yours for Them,

Kirk & Yvonne

P.S. If you prefer not to receive these e-Mailers, or happen to receive a duplicate, simply reply “remove” or “dup” and we will take care of it.