Let me break the mold of my typical e-Mailer greetings: Happy Daylight Savings Sunday Night to everyone in the US! No time change here.

Pastor Roy Rhodes and team from Abundant Life Community Church love Panamá and always do such a great job year after year ministering with the Ngobe Indian Families at the annual conference. They are so easy it feels like a vacation to host them. They loved on the kids, participated in the services, provided a large sack of non-perishable food and clothes for almost 2000 families, plus held a much-needed dental clinic. Yvonne dispensed the pharmacy pills and instructions following treatment. This year almost 150 new believers were baptized in the river to finalize the week!

The 4-14 Window training sponsored by Dr. James Namsoo Kim and Promise Ministries International team from NY was a great success. All of the Panamá Assemblies of God General Council Executives and Presbyters attended along with over 900 kidsmin leaders of all ages, representing 192 churches, and 12 of the Buen Pastor (ChildHope) schools. Components of the training included:

* PowerHouse Kids ministry is an outreach from the local church to the community and families, using energetic worship, Bible teaching plus fun workshops such as art, music, English-learning, sports, martial arts, etc.

* In addition to classes in Tae Kwon Do (seen here on final day) professional soccer coaches trained how to establish Christian soccer schools from the local church. That will lead to four tournaments of Futból con Valores (Soccer With Values) pitting the Korean Christian team “Hallelujah FC” against local Panamanian club teams in July 2019.

* SmartBook English multimedia curriculum and equipment were presented as a potential instructional resource. Dr. Kim and technical team demonstrate to our executive leadership how to make best use of this three-year program as part of local church outreach.

* Motivational messages from Dr. Kim and Dr. George O. Wood, President of the World AG Fellowship, inspired all in attendance throughout the week. Our AG Pres. Johny Saucedo asked Dr. Wood to address the executive presbytery on organizational transition and Rev. Johny’s vision of passing the mantle to the next generation of leaders. It was like a doctoral level seminar of leadership wisdom and experience, much appreciated.

Next was the Annual Business Session for the AG in Panamá. We were asked to oversee the elections for about a dozen district supervisors (same as a presbyter). A special thanks shout-out goes to Gerritt & Tara Kenyon, and Terry Rosch for their help. The week is also a time for financial reports, progress updates and special prayer. Here our national leadership is praying for a young lady and a young family of missionaries leaving soon!

Last week was Mardi Gras in New Orleans, and Carnaval in much of the Tropics. Here in Panamá many churches hold retreats, since it’s school summer vacation. We joined the Catedral de Vida Church (First AG church in Panamá) Family camp ministering with their precious kids in Word, song, and a mini drama presentation to parents.

I close with what will probably be an ongoing reminder: We have open dates for an itineration service-window-kids church-appointment (you get the idea) and would love to visit you as well. Feel free to e-mail us at kirk@jonesjournal.org, call (+1 417-595-4697) or use the Itineration Response card.

We just heard a great sermon on this passage. It was also the text of my first ever sermon that I prepared in ICHTHUS Institute almost 40 years ago. It moved us today as well.

With eyes wide open to the mercies of God, I beg you, my brothers, as an act of intelligent worship, to give him your bodies, as a living sacrifice, consecrated to him and acceptable by him. Don’t let the world around you squeeze you into its own mould, but let God re-mould your minds from within, so that you may prove in practice that the plan of God for you is good, meets all his demands and moves towards the goal of true maturity..

Romans 12:1-2 (PHILLIPS)

Kirk & Yvonne