Summer Ministry Update

Jones’ Journeys
August-September 2006 Update

Crazy times-that’s the understatement of the day! Time flies when you’re on deputation, especially when you’re never in the same place for more than three days! Eight days ago I was in Thailand. We were in southern Illinois seven days ago and in Chicago three days ago. Today we’re in West Virginia, and we’ll be in South Bend, Indiana, by the time you read this letter. Then a day later, I’m off to Colorado Springs for a week before heading to Michigan. Like I said, “crazy times” is the understatement of the day. We even hit a special “mile marker” this summer. We had to fill up the gas tank on our van for $3.31/gallon, and the total was over $80 for one tank of gas! Yikes!

Ministry Praises
(Don’t skip this part!)

1) It’s been an incredible summer full of meetings. We had a total of seven churches and one individual take us on for support since the first of July. Within seven days in July we had three churches take us on, and some close friends gave us a $5000 gift for our Outfit and Passage Fund. We now have about 25% of our O and P Fund.

2) We are currently at 65% of our support, and we’re starting a string of 13 missions conferences in mid-September lasting until mid-November.

3) As I mentioned, I traveled alone to Thailand last week to submit our paperwork to the Thai government for our visas. Other than sitting in the middle of the center section for 12 hours on the plane back to Chicago, it was a great trip.

4) I made it through ordination in July!

5) After purchasing the plane ticket to Thailand, I found out that I didn’t have a birth certificate. I haven’t seen it in years, and it was necessary to have it for the Thai officials. I sat in Ottawa, Kansas, and called the health department in Greeneville, Tennessee. When the lady answered the phone, I thought “that voice sounds familiar.” I began explaining my situation and let the lady know that I needed the certificate in my hands in less than seven days. The voice then stopped me and said, “Is this Matt Jones?” WOW! The person on the other end of the phone was a girl formerly from Calvary Baptist Church in Ottawa, Kansas, who is now married and living in the Greeneville, Tennessee, area! I couldn’t believe it. Janelle (Hawkins) Pruitt was able to get the certificate printed, signed, and mailed to me that day. She told me it normally takes a month! The Lord is good!

Ministry Requests
(This is where we really need you!)

1) We continue to need our support to increase, as well as our Outfit and Passage Fund. There are still roughly 6-8 churches who could take us on at any moment.

2) There are only 600 visas given to foreign missionaries in Thailand. When those slots are full (and they are), you get in line and wait for an opening. When someone leaves the country, someone in line gets a visa. Until you get a religious visa, you have to travel in and out of the country via Cambodia every 30 days on a tourist visa. The cost of that adds up quickly! That’s why I went to Thailand to put our names on the list of those waiting. The normal wait is 12-24 months. Pray that a bunch of Mormons or Charismatics (or both J) will leave the country between now and then, so we can get our visas when we get to Thailand next year.

3) Our van has now reached 148,000 miles, and it’s normal for three or more of the “warning” lights on our dash board to be on at any given time. We’ve spent a few hundred dollars this summer “tuning up” everything that can be tuned up, but we’re still having trouble with the emissions system. Pray for grace. If a Ford vehicle makes it to 200,000 miles, it will truly be a miracle of epic proportions! We’re going to push it until it drops, hoping we will not have to buy a new van for the few remaining months of deputation.

4) Our goal is now to make it to Thailand in March 2007. Jim and Kathi Hayes will be home on furlough until February 2007.

5) We have a couple of unspoken requests as well.

We love you guys. If you read through this entire letter, we can’t thank you enough. Please take just a moment to pray over these requests! Without your prayers, we’re powerless!