It is time! The Journey continues!
Taste and see that the Lord is good! Lord, may the whole world know You and Your love!
We “must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who earnestly seek Him.” Hebrews 11:6
We are about to head back to the mission field and are excited and a bit nervous that this transitional time for our children to launch into their lives has already begun! It is our calling and great desire to serve the Lord overseas, but we are at a new place, leaving our children in the US while we go abroad. Our home is beginning to empty out as things find a new home or are stored. We are tying up all the extensive loose ends, like car and health insurance, phone and internet service, immunizations, knowing regulations for taxes, which boxes go where, is there a bed for Lydia, where will Luke be, and so many more details, before our departure back to the mission field. Living overseas is complicated! Please pray for all of us during this challenging transition.
We have been praying for God’s specific will and direction as we go forward, and where our giftings can best be used for His glory. We desire to expand the work in Bosnia and beyond, building the Body of Christ, and making better use of the camp, bringing to fulfillment the vision of the Evangelical Church of Bosnia & Herzegovina. We would like, if God wills, to incorporate leadership development and experiential training into a more expansive use of the summer camp, including a greater variety of types of retreats, and also develop other locations. The Bosnian Evangelical Camp is in a beautiful mountain area, but is often snowed in from about November through April. In our desire to make better use of these winter months, we have considered expanding our area of service to Central America or the Caribbean, which also allows us to be somewhat closer to our children for a season.
We have become aware of a Discipleship Training center that is in need of help. The gifts and services we can bring to them could expand their ministry in many ways and the Lord has opened up the opportunity for us to work with them! We are working out the details, but are tentatively planning to move to St. Lucia in the Caribbean at the end of October, staying through April, when we would transition back through Atlanta, which gives us a week or two to check on our children, and on to Sarajevo, Bosnia. We are excited about this new opportunity the Lord has opened up for us to serve!
This YWAM base seems understaffed and in need of many types of assistance that Jenny and I could provide. The various types of ministry we have been previously involved in, including discipling, leadership development and adventure sports outreach, worship leading, small house groups, construction, humanitarian aid, and more, can be used there are well. They have Discipleship Training Schools, as well as various outreaches to the community, and we are considering how we could expand their training and vision for the world, but first we need to be a part of their ministry and understand THEIR vision and plans for expanding God’s Kingdom.
A wonderful and generous family Luke knew from Eagles Landing Christian Academy offered to have Luke come and live with them in CA for a few months to get established. He plans to fly out there in October, after he has a job somewhere, staying with them, and working and saving to get himself into an apartment with new friends that he will no doubt make. Please pray for God’s leading in finding a job, selling his car, and moving to the East Bay area in Dublin, CA.
Lydia is enjoying Gordon State College and has transitioned well. She will live with Cynthia and Scott Temple during her breaks and summer, working at the school at which Cynthia is the principal. They are setting up a space for her in their home.
Hannah and Allan are settling in Columbia, SC where they graduated from college and where his parents live. They are in a cute little apartment and we were able to contribute some furniture, a piano, as well as a hand-me-down washer and dryer. They both have jobs, but would prefer something in their area of ministry and digital media. Hannah is also starting her own business of developing websites and logos for customers online. Please keep them in your prayers.
God has continually been meeting our needs as we trust Him with our lives. We continue to seek Him and expect Him to supply all that we need. We have upcoming financial needs for paying for physicals, international health insurance, and flight tickets.
Our Needs
When we think about the Lord, how he saved us, how he changed us, how he blessed us, we are overwhelmed! How can we best serve you, Lord? You have done so much for us!
You can also be a part of reaching the world for Christ to those who have not heard! As we prepare to return to the mission field in October, we need you!
1. First of all, we need your prayers! We don’t want to go anywhere without the Lord leading and guiding. He promises to be with us, and our children, and although this isn’t an easy transition, we trust Him completely in this leap of faith as our children begin to launch into the unknown and we all leave the comforts of home.
2. We also have a few new financial needs:
· upcoming physicals ($330/each)
· international health insurance
· additional finances to build up our depleted account with ARM Ministries
· flight tickets (or does anyone have flight points they could provide for our flights?)
· an additional $1000/month from new partners (that’s only 10 people at $100/month!)
· Initial start up costs needed $6000.
3. Could you partner with us to provide:
a large initial gift to help us get started,
commit to give a monthly gift to ARM Ministries, and
pray for others to join our support team
It’s simple really. Those who go must be sent. We are willing and able to go, but we need you to send us. Would you consider YOUR part in helping us to shed the light of JESUS in dark places? We are faith-based missionaries and rely on God’s provision through those who as also stepping out in faith, to meet our needs of going to serve abroad. We are trusting God to provide new monthly supporters to join our team.
We actually need you to respond NOW! If we receive your tax-deductible contribution in September, we would be able to reimburse the expenses we will incur in October. We are trusting God to provide for these expenses through YOU. We can’t do it without you!
You can give your tax-deductible contributions by clicking on this link:
http://armmin.org/missionaries-and-workers/merle-jenny-jones/
or go to ARM Ministries, find our name on the people tab, and follow the prompts
or mail a check with a designation for Merle and Jenny Jones to:
ARM Ministries
PO Box 446
Dundee, OR 97115
We are willing to go and be the hands and feet of Christ, but we need your arms and legs to carry us, pray for, and provide for us! To God be the glory!
Jenny and Merle
But just as you excel in everything – in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in your love for us - see that you also excel in this grace of giving.”
2 Cor. 8:7
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