EXTRA: Thika Road Construction Adventure

I’ve just downloaded an album of pictures for all of you who have lived in Kenya or served with us as volunteers, especially those who lived on the Thika Road mission property! It should also be an incentive for the rest of you to pray more intensely for our safety in travel!

When it was announced not that long ago that the highway between Nairobi and Thika Town was to be transformed from 4 to 10 plus lanes, we all laughed, certain it would not happen before any of us currently in Kenya retired …. WELL it is happening! We made a trip this morning to the mission property on Thika road for a few errands – should have taken a short time, but as I wrote in the description of the album, the trip “can be described with LOTS of adjectives: Confusing, chaotic, frustrating, interesting, colorful, nightmarish.... and DEFINITELY NOT BORING!”

You can find the pictures of the Thika Road Construction Adventure at http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=200513&l=3072ace31c&id=685050129 (You do not have to be a FACEBOOK member to view the pictures.)

Enjoy, BERT YATES

February 24, 2010

While walking home mid-day, a missionary spotted a tall tree with hundreds of tendrils bearing scores of beautiful dark red flowers. She passed this tree several times a week – why had she never seen this before? When her husband returned in the late afternoon, she took him to see the tree. As they approached, the woman realized why she had never seen the flowers – the flowers seemed to melt into the tree when the sun was not shining brightly and many blooms had already fallen – the next day only a few would remain.

The missionary went home and found her tree book* and learned that the Kigelia Africana or Sausage Tree is rare in Nairobi, usually found on open plains. The tree is draped by long thin stalks which support long sprays of flowers, which are unpleasant to smell. Later a yard-long heavy sausage-like fruit will appear. Poisonous when unripe, the ripe fruit is used as medicine for skin problems and to brew local beer. Those holding on to old traditional beliefs hang the fruit in their homes to protect their huts from whirlwinds.

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As I read about the tree, I felt that I was cast in The Parable of the Sausage Tree. This tree describes our lives in Kenya: overlooked and short-lived opportunities; beauty mixed with the ugly (the beautiful, but bad smelling flower and the poisonous fruit); good intertwined with bad (the fruit used for valuable medicine or intoxicating drinks); and continued use of old traditional beliefs.

Pray that we will have spiritual alertness to all the opportunities we have to share the Good News. Pray for wisdom and sensitivity as both missionaries and Kenyan Christians seek to share God’s love and salvation with the wealthy and the many with no access to education, food, water, toilets or proper housing for their families. Pray that we will have a strong awareness of the Holy Spirit’s guidance as we relate to the many that are fearful of revoking their old ways as they choose to serve only one God, our TRUE GOD!

This week, our local news has had many articles about a musician with his own religious sect and of a funeral service where the faithful prayed that two pastors would be resurrected** – both heartbreaking examples of the lack of discipleship and Biblical teaching among too many “Christians” in Kenya and other parts of Africa. Pray especially for physical and spiritual strength as we seek to carry out ALL of the Great Commission – to lead people to a knowledge and acceptance of our Savior AND to disciple and teach them to obey all He commanded. Yes, all of this is rather “heavy” today, but hopefully the pictures in the “Trees of Kenya Photo Album”*** will lighten your load as you pray with us for these things! Bert Yates

* Trees of Kenya, Tim Noad and Ann Birnie, 1989, p.31

** Rare prayers to bring back dead pastors – Daily Nation, Tuesday, February 23, 2010, p.37 - http://www.nation.co.ke/News/-/1056/866782/-/vqm23b/-/index.html

*** Trees of Kenya Photo Album - http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=199983&id=685050129&l=f311ffb6de

Sing, Praise, Proclaim His Salvation

"For great is the Lord and most worthy of praise." (Psalm 96:4) – I promise that viewing special faces of kids from Community Baptist Church, a four month old church in Nairobi, Kenya, in the new kids slideshow in the right column of this blog will lead to you at least smiling as you recognize again the wonder of all that our God has created. For another view of these pictures captioned with verses from the Psalms, go to: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=198523&id=685050129&l=c7d379bb73 (Non FACEBOOK members can access these pictures!)

February 17, 2010

Do you know that we truly feel the strength of your prayers? I felt your prayers last week as I began meeting with a friend of another faith - God definitely put words in my mouth as I answered her questions! Thanks to your prayer, Jack is strengthened by an abundance of God’s wisdom and peace as he deals with several sensitive issues and teaches this month at our seminary (KBTC).

Last week I shared that we are blessed with “a very special support group – our Kenyan Christian friends.” We experienced this last Sunday as we worshiped with old and new friends at four-month-old Community Baptist Church.* Benard Obuya, the pastor studied TEE (Theological Education by Extension) with Jack in the 90’s. He introduced Jack as the one who drove his bride and her entourage to their wedding 10 years ago! One church leader looked familiar – we learned that he grew up at Brackenhurst. Linus Miheso’s dad is Joash, a former chef at our conference center, and his uncle Samson Kisia, a Baptist Convention of Kenya leader, served for many years in administration at Brackenhurst. To view a second generation Baptist playing a key role in church planting was exciting! It was also thrilling to worship in a tent purchased years ago by the IMB for new church starts – thanks to your Lottie Moon gifts!

I debated whether to use “plain out fun” in this last paragraph – It is fun to be a part of a new church plant and to share the excitement of a growing church. It was not just the excitement of the day, the church’s first Baby Dedication, that convinced us that this church will become a mighty force for God in Kayole, an eastern part of Nairobi. It was viewing how many people live in this housing area - one estimate I found was 750,000. It was watching the usher hand out church bulletins to all who passed the church gate and inviting them in for worship - she did skip the giant hog which ran by the gate! It was also learning that many in the church have already completed the Baptist discipleship book, GROWING IN CHRIST, and are now beginning the MASTERLIFE study!

Today’s Prayer Update is a good description of why we love our work with the LEGACY TEAM – the established Baptist work in Kenya. Every day we become more convinced that when all people groups in our part of the world become reached by God’s love and salvation, it will be due to the many “foreign” missionaries and volunteers who have invested their lives here, but also the work of discipled Kenyan/African Christians who live out the Great Commission. We are just so thankful that God is giving us the opportunity to strengthen and encourage these great partners in the work as we share, teach and raise prayer support. Bert Yates

* For “A special glimpse of a few hours in our lives - travel with us to Community Baptist … All the pictures were taken through the car windows (forgive the quality of a few) as we made the trip to church on Sunday morning, February 14th. I will share photos later capturing the excitement of worshiping with this young congregation.” To view “Valentine’s Day Drive to Church” go to: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=196983&id=685050129&l=019a44e2e0

Valentine's Greetings from the Yates

Thank you for investing your lives in Kenya and in us this last year through your time as volunteers, financial support through your gifts to the Cooperative Program and Lottie Moon Offering, through your notes of encouragement, and/or through your prayer support, always our greatest need. We continue to be assured that we are exactly where God wants us and we thank you for allowing us to follow our heart, Bert and Jack

February 10, 2010

“How do you stay so positive?” Jack was asked this not once, but three times yesterday. And to be honest, we do wonder sometimes how we remain positive. We’ve learned, most often the hard way, that prayer and daily time in God’s Word is required for a healthy frame of mind. I have to admit that even this week I referred to my “Zap-em” list – yes, I really do have a hand-written list of verses in the back of my Bible with this title – references such as those found in Psalms 94 where past servants beg God to avenge their enemies! Another factor is that Jack and I usually balance one another and when we both are down, we know to avoid making any major decisions! Thirty one years in Kenya also has taught us quite a bit about patience and waiting for the tide to turn.

I’m sharing all of this because often I simply cannot share with you our most pressing prayer needs, not due to a desire to be positive or a lack of space, but because of the sensitive nature of many things. We are facing many such things as the moment – so I simply ask that you pray that we have strength, wisdom, patience, and that we be totally dependent upon the Holy Spirit as we decide what God needs us to do – whether it be strengthening, encouraging, correcting, rebuking, etc., OR accepting that we are to do nothing as we seek to serve Him. Pray also that we will have peace and be strong ambassadors of our Father’s love at all times.

As we deal with difficulties we also realize that we have a very special support group – our Kenyan Christian friends who often teach us about trusting and obeying our Father. I was reminded of this last Sunday morning as I met with several of my friends – a seminary student who shared of her first visit with a group of illiterate women of an unreached people group; a young friend who was struggling to find God’s will in her life and now uses media to share God’s Good News; a young man who has decided to do his masters at a seminary; the mother of a young friend who died last year while traveling to teach discipleship; and more encounters.

Jack is experiencing this as he teaches Baptist History and Faith as well as Discipleship this month at the Kenya Baptist Theological College (KBTC). In just one morning last week, I heard him correct/rebuke a Kenyan colleague, advise a student who pastors seven small churches, laugh with a young man who was just a child when we served in his Rift Valley home area, and encourage two Sabaot men who are seeking to share God’s love and salvation with their own unreached people group – all outside the classroom!

Another gift from God that strengthens us is the beauty and uniqueness of Kenya – including finding a congregation of Maasai in full regalia in the balcony above us during church last Sunday; spotting a monkey at our dining room window as we ate dinner last night; a bird that mimics a neighbor’s faulty car alarm; and having a delayed SUPER BOWL party for friends! I’ve placed a group of pictures on FACEBOOK – http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=195381&id=685050129&l=9a3db552e3 – that will help you walk through a morning at KBTC and view a few of the scenes along the way to the college as well as a few other colourful bits of our lives!

And the last gift that we rely upon to stay positive and use-able by God – YOUR PRAYERS! Thank you, BERT YATES

February 3, 2010

Sometimes there is so much that I want to share, yet time, space and your ability to absorb all that is flowing through our hearts and minds are limited – especially today as I prepare this week’s Prayer Update and seek to capture the great eight days in western Kenya when Jack led Church Planting Training. There are so many stories I’d like to share with you – as well as so many pictures (thousands) which I know would also touch your heart and strengthen your prayers and thank you for praying for the training/trip!

So I have downloaded a report with only 20 pictures on FACEBOOK (you don’t have to be a member to view the pictures) to share how God is at work in western Kenya. The slideshow begins with a picture of an adorable little girl with these words: The Unfinished Task, a National Survey of Churches in Kenya (2004, ACM-FTT, p. 70) says that Western Province, which is much smaller than most provinces, "has 12% of Kenya's population" and almost half of its population is "less than 15 years ...the highest concentration of young people in the country." This survey also said that only 5% of people in this province attend church.

The last picture is of a group of bright eyed kids with this caption: These children were among the students at Shikhambi Baptist Church (2nd training). Praise God that they live in a neighborhood with a church where the people want to learn more about sharing their Father's love and salvation. Pray that the churches in Kakamega will be revived and be strong witnesses of their heavenly Father in their communities and in nearby areas where other unreached people groups live. Pray that these children will not only become healthy adults, but that they will become God's Ambassadors in their homeland, their continent, and in their world.

Included also are pictures of a unique church nursery and a special look at how Kenyan children entertain themselves, as well as testimonies of how God is at work in the lives of a few of the Church Planting Training participants, plus pictures to help you understand why your prayers were needed for travelling mercies! You can find all these pictures and their stories at: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=193383&id=685050129&l=24adcf1ebb

As always, if you can use these pictures in any way to promote missions and share how God is at work, please copy and USE THEM! Also, remember that I am always eager to add others to my e-mail list and my list of FACEBOOK friends, or you can send others to this blog. As you can see, I’m not bashful when it comes to raising prayer support or making certain that others are joining us in praising God for how He is at work in our part of the world!

Bert Yates