Jones Journal e-Mailer for 2017-03

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Dear Friends,

Warm First-Week-of-School greetings from Panamá! Panamanian schools began classes this week concluding their summer break from before Christmas until now.

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.

As I closed in the previous edition, the first week of February we went up into the mountains along with the terrific team from Abundant Life Community Church in Alton IL for the annual missions trip to the Ngobe Indian Family Conference in Quebrado Guavo. Now that we are empty-nesters, Yvonne was able to come along for the first time.

Midweek we visited the LACC school up the mountains in Soloy, where as you can see it’s always breezy on the hilltop.That excursion was in preparation for a construction team from the church coming to work in June.

The team provided for the food distribution of rice, beans, pasta, canned and dried fruit, and clothes for about 1600 families. In addition, this was the second year providing a dental clinic. Mostly Dr. Ron and crew performed extractions of damaged or infected teeth. While nobody enjoys having their teeth pulled, we saw many cases where the infection very well could have resulted in long-term damage or even traveled to the brain with potentially fatal results. Yvonne provided post-op instruction in Spanish on how to take antibiotics and pain meds.

The attendance was over 6000, including about 1800 children and more than 150 being baptized. Both morning and especially the evening services were marked by the move of the Spirit upon the people. Hundreds came at a time to the altars for special moments of prayer and dedication to the Lord.

As part of our ongoing leadership training, I went to our Colón kids ministry leaders seminar last month. We included the animated video “Aim Lower” to motivate the leaders. Typically the first half hour or so is spent in prayer seeking the Lord before the meeting begins. Without breaking the atmosphere of prayer I quickly snapped this picture of a mom and her young daughter praying at the altar.

Even before any instruction, this young mother had already captured the essence of discipleship beginning in the home by being the example to her little girl of someone who is following hard after the Lord. This is one of the powerful ways that the Lord is reaching and discipling Panamanian children to bring about transformation for their generation.

For the Panamá City leadership training seminar we also spent an extended time praying and listening to the voice of the Spirit. We did that following the motivational video recording we viewed from the Pentecost 2017 conference in El Salvador last month, sponsored by the Hispanic Fraternity of the Assemblies of God (FHAD abbreviation in Spanish) for all children's ministries. Teaching theme was “How to Activate the Gifts of the Holy Spirit in Children.”

We are so grateful to be part of AG and FHAD with a strong emphasis on the Spirit’s leading and empowering for ministry. Please pray with us that we, our teachers and directors, and especially the children in our churches will all receive the Holy Spirit’s power to be His witnesses here in Panamá and to the ends of the earth!

This past week our family was in just two spots on the globe. Celina was with Chloe and Grace during her Spring Break from grad studies. Tony is back in Panamá after he got to visit his dorm floor reunion and reconnect with good friends. Chloe begins a new traveling nursing assignment in St. Louis next week. And Grace continues her Music studies, including class piano, guitar and voice lessons.

Yvonne is in a Bible study on the end times. What she is studying along with what we see and hear happening around the world urges us on to reach the lost. Jesus is coming back soon!

Jesus began His earthly ministry with an urgent message, as Mark recorded it:

14 Now after John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of God,

15 and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.”

Mark 1:14-15 (ESV)

Jesus’ final words on earth were this urgent appeal to His followers, in which we include ourselves:

4 And while staying with them he ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, he said, “you heard from me; 5 for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now….

8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

Acts 1:4-5, 8 (ESV)

Yours for Them,

Kirk & Yvonne

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