Monday, December 13, 2010

Yearly Jones Family Update 2010

Every year we get these wonderful letters from people that we love that live far away that keep us up to date even though we are so far away, and don’t get to see them much. And every year we say that we should do that for those people too. So for the first time, here goes:


Erika and I were thinking just the other day, it seems like only last week we were moving in Rankin Court at Southeastern with Ross and Jill beginning life anew. And this year we celebrated 10 years together. In that time we have had two cross country moves, and added three kids, three cats, two dogs, and a fish to our little family. We wonder what we did with all our time before all these! And we still think about our NC and ME friends often, pray for them, and miss them tremendously.


2010 has been a great year for our growing family. In January God made a liar out of me when it snowed in south Georgia for the first time in about 15 years, after telling Mackenzie that it will never snow here in Georgia. I went back to Peru for the fourth time this year in March to minister the gospel in the Andes Mountains. Later in the spring my grandmother, Nana, went home to be with Jesus at 87 years old. She had a marvelous testimony, and I had the privilege, at her request, of preaching her funeral. One of our cats, Callie, had kittens this year about six weeks before Erika had Knox. This was a great experience for the girls, and of course we ended up keeping one, Cremecicle. He is a huge, long-haired, orange tom cat. We love him.


Of course all this time Erika is growing and growing as she (and the rest of us too) prepared for Knox’s arrival. This was a worrisome time for Erika and I as we felt the fear of the past two pregnancies that ended in miscarriage. But God was so faithful, and even after another battle with HELP syndrome/preeclampsia, and another emergency c-section, Knox came into this world in early July. Since his arrival, life is different around here, but more wonderful that we can imagine, even with not having a baby in the house in four years. He is another easy baby, and even with his severe acid reflux, he is growing, laughing and smiling often. And now at 5 months, he is up to 20 lbs. Both the girls are extremely helpful (most of the time) with Knox, and spoil him rotten, not letting him ever cry, and treating him like a little superstar!


Kaitlann, now almost 5 years old is our little cook. If Erika is doing just about anything in the kitchen, Kait is on the counter mixing and fixing with her. Kait is still skinny as a rail, and full of life. She is Daddy’s fearless roller coaster partner, and is finally tall enough to ride some good ones with me. She started homeschool this year, and is doing great with the curriculum, but still working on those ABC’s.


Mackenzie stands around and worries about Kait when we are up on a roller coaster, lol. She is growing too, up to about 70 lbs at almost 7 years old. She is doing great in school, reading well, doing math at a second grade level. She played soccer this year for the first time. This was our first experience with a team sport, and she had a ball! She was already calculating when the spring season would start once this one was over. She did really good after she worked through some timidity. She can hit a bulls eye at 100 yds with her new .243, but is a little shy of it because of the recoil.


Both the girls are growing in their knowledge of Christ, and our prayer is daily that they make a personal decision for Christ. Mackenzie seems close, but we are trying to be careful not to put pressure on her, and allow the Spirit to work. Our constant prayer is that not only that God saves them, but that He calls them into ministry and sends them to the ends of the earth. (At least that’s my prayer. That is the only way I can become an international missionary, because Erika will have to go with them if they go! Lol!) Both of the girls still love to put on their princess dresses and parade around. Both of them love to climb the pear trees in the back yard, ride their bikes on the dirt road, and go hunting with Daddy. They are both still doing gymnastics, although we are not sure how much longer we will continue to do that. They both love trips to see Nana/Papa in Millwood, and Grandmamma/Pop in TN; although they don’t like the car ride—“how much longer till we get there” 10K times. They are great friends!


Erika is 29 and holding. I guess that is the last birthday I will mention for her on one of these letters. She really has her hands full with three kids, homeschool, and all the other things around the house that she does that hold our world together. We would all be nuts without her. She maintains the family blog at http://growingupwithmackandkait.blogspot.com. She also continues to teach her Sunday School class at church. And through it all, she still looks like a supermodel!


I started trying to play the guitar a little this year. I can do a few songs now, and I play for the girls at night sometimes during our devotions before bed, but I am not really that good. I am still the chaplain at the Sheriff’s Office, still coaching baseball, no longer the moderator of our association, serving on the board at the pregnancy care center, blogging a little at http://readytospendandbespent.blogspot.com, and am working on being a church planting coach with the GBC.


We have navigated some difficult waters this year at New River. We have had budget cuts and lots of deaths in the church family. But again, God has been so faithful, and we know that in His sovereign goodness, He has greater plans through the difficulties. But all the while, we are seeing husbands and wives baptized together, churches planted in Peru and in Tifton (our plant that we worked with here in Tifton is hovering about 350 with some 60 professions of faith and 40 baptisms. God is truly at work here. We hope that 2011 holds great things for New River Baptist Church.


Our parents are still doing well. Erika’s folks moved back to Millwood, and began work on their new house there. Kimmy (Erika’s sister) and Brett have had Colt for more than a year now, and he is growing. Edward (Jason’s brother) and Martha and their three kids are stationed in Yuma, AZ, but will be moving this summer. Jennifer (Jason’s sister) is still working in CA at Death Valley National Park, but her and her husband’s, Andrew, heart is in Alaska, where they spent the summer and bought property for a future move. Jason’s cousin Burt has been in Afghanistan since Oct, please continue to pray for him and his family.


Christ is still the center of our family, and we will continue to pursue Him as our greatest, most satisfying Treasure in 2011. We trust that He has blessed you as much as He has us. Our cup truly overflows with His mercy toward us. Our prayer is that you too will know Him, love Him, worship Him, and pursue Him together with us; and that He would bless and keep you, and cause His face to shine upon you, and give you peace! May all that you do bring honor and glory to the One to whom it is all due!


May the Lamb receive the reward of His suffering in 2011,


Jason, Erika, Mackenzie, Kaitlann, and Knox

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