April 30 - Extra Prayer Nudge with Current News

Today's Prayer Nudge shares a bit of what happened yesterday in Nairobi, Kenya.

An East African missionary’s prayer when learning of yesterday’s grenade attack at a worship service in her country:  Prayers for families with kids in school – East African and missionary families, whose children are away at boarding school and those with young kids who will travel to school today.  For Believers, pray for a strong sense and assurance of being ‘cocooned’ within God’s care and love!  Pray that non-Believers will open their hearts to the peace and comfort that can only come from our Heavenly Father. Why did she pray these things?  She is a Mom who has experienced this before!
*** For more information on yesterday's attack, go to: http://www.standardmedia.co.ke/InsidePage.php?id=2000057294&cid=4&

April 29, 2012 Prayer Nudge from East Africa

“THE REAL MISSIONARY KIDS OF EAST AFRICA” newest episode – 1st scene: Visiting a Ugandan radio station, a missionary family visit the sound booths.  Spotting them, the studio man says, “I need a child to read something on the radio.” A bit nervous, the oldest MK agrees to try.  Next scene: After practice and rewrites (Mom helped), she reads nine announcements for upcoming Easter shows for kids.  3rd scene: The family listens to the radio – the way everyone in their area gets news – for hours, to catch the announcements!  Last scene:  A friend arrives and tells the MK: “Someone on the radio sounded like you!”


*** To view daily "Prayer Nudges from East Africa", go to http://easternafrica2012prayernudges.blogspot.com/

April 25, 2012

Writing without electricity again, but thankfully after an all-night rain, the sun is shining and I can see to work!  I’m not complaining, the rains do bring constant electricity outages, but I did have it over the weekend when I needed it for a very special treat.  One of my most ‘homesick’ times of the year is around North Carolina WMU’s annual Missions Extravaganza at Ridgecrest when so many friends are together.  But, this year I visited for a few hours via SKYPE as I helped with a conference on using social media in missions! Even though it was raining, I had constant electricity and internet throughout both sessions!  Another great example of how modern technology is a joy and benefit of our and God’s work!

We also were thankful for internet this week as we viewed photos of our family as our granddaughter celebrated her third birthday!  Thanks to SKYPE, we even visited with her as she opened our gift – for those of you with Kenyan ties, one gift was a CD which included the song MALAIKA!  Thanks to Facebook, we got to see lots of photos of her first nursery school program and all her birthday festivities!  Things such as this are a true source of thanksgiving for missionaries.  When we arrived in ’78, it would take months to receive news and photos via post, rather than seconds or a few hours.

Although we are enjoying our first true rainy season in years, it does lead to worries about those living in the slums and other areas of poorly constructed housing, often in flood prone spots, but this is the only affordable/available housing for many in Kenya.  We also know that the many street kids/families are also suffering as they seek a dry spot.  We also pray for their health as the rains do lead to lots of illnesses due to the inadequate housing and the walking, an many must do, long distances to work and school.

Another result of the much needed rains is that I am still coughing!  I am on a new heavy-duty round of medicine which is working, but leaves me rather zapped!  I’m staying home to avoid any ‘triggers’ that lead to my allergies/asthma and after 7 days of being grounded, I’m ready to run-away and I really hate missing several special events with our ministries. Jack has also missed a few as he chose to stay home to be my ‘nurse’ as medicines don’t always work as expected on me!  But, I keep reminding myself of praises:  The IMB provides good medical care for us and we live where there is good doctors, which many missionaries with other groups and our co-workers living in other places lack.

The electricity is still off and Jack is rather frustrated as the screen on his laptop no longer works and with no electricity, he cannot rely on his external monitor and he is still catching up on reports, etc.  He ordered a new laptop, but as often happens, when he ordered it from Kenya to be delivered in the States, the order was canceled due to the fear of credit card misuse.  So another prayer item for us and other international missionaries:  Pray for patience with security problems which can be simple, though frustrating such as the canceled computer order, and more complex ones such as living in areas with ongoing security threats. 

The clouds are gathering again and I now have ONE of our trusty rechargeable flashlights illuminating my keyboard, so it’s time to quit.  Possibly due to the medicines, my ‘guard’ is down today and I have shared more personal items that usual – but we do depend upon your prayer support and these are the concerns of our heart!  BERT  

---   ---   ---   ---   ---   ---   ---

Don’t forget to view recent Prayer Nudges from East Africa at http://easternafrica2012prayernudges.blogspot.com/ .

April 21st Prayer Nudge from East Africa

From missionaries researching Unreached People Groups in South Sudan:  Arriving at a church start on Easter Sunday, no one was there… two small boys arrive with drums… two teenage boys approach, greet us and join us on the ‘tree limb’ pews of this outdoor sanctuary.  On the drums, they beat out a rhythm calling whoever is willing, to come and worship.  In the distance…a young woman… and small boy carry plastic chairs upon which the honored ones will sit. The church is weak, pray as we Bible Story with the women on Friday mornings and the men on Saturdays.
---   ---   ---   ---   ---   ---   ---
Part Two of this Prayer Nudge from East Africa will be posted on Tuesday!  To view these daily nudges, go to http://easternafrica2012prayernudges.blogspot.com/

April 18, 2012

Our weekly update is short (for me) today thanks to lots of guests a-comin’ and a-going’ around us.  It is also short thanks to my being ‘out-of-it’ thanks to a lingering cough which I experience every ten years or so.  I just heard Jack tell a co-worker that the signs for local witchdoctors are looking better and better!  Past experience says that this cough ends when it is ready, not based on anything I do –  so after the latest prescribed cough syrup, which should have left me extremely sleepy, led to two days and nights of being wide-awake, I’ve gone back to home remedies!  At least now, I’m only coughing and not walking around in a blur!

We are enjoying time in the last week with old and new friends – one of the joys of mission life.  This is also one of the ‘negatives’ of mission life as it seems that due to illnesses, new jobs, retirement, etc., you are always saying goodbye to a valued friend.  So, another item to add to your list of ‘general’ prayers for missionaries and their kids is for good friends and the ability to make new friends and keep up with old friends. 

Jack has a break from teaching and traveling this month, so he has been busy completing reports and catching up on correspondence – not his favorite work, but necessary.  Pray for him as he answers lots of questions from churches and future/past volunteers and as he completes the many reports that keep us ‘accountable’ to the IMB and to you, our supporters.

Even though I have been working at a slow pace, I continue to love ‘my work’ so much that I feel better when I continue working – specifically, reading e-mails, blogs and Facebook posts of our colleagues and learning how God is at work around them.  As always, it astounds me, although it shouldn’t, to see how God allows things to ‘appear’ on my computer screen which I realize is His guidance in what I should share on Facebook and blogs.  This time, it was all the reports that I began seeing last week of how our colleagues celebrated Easter weekend and how they saw God at work as they served Him.  So, all the Prayer Nudges from East Africa since last Friday have shared their stories!  As I began this theme, I thought I would only have enough stories for three days, but these Easter Weekend recaps will continue at least through this Friday as I continued finding more and more exciting and varied stories of how God is blessing my colleagues as they serve as His Heart, Hands and Voice in East Africa.  

Today’s Prayer Nudge is a personal one – based on the special Easter service we shared with our church family last week.  You can find these daily Prayer Nudges either on the blog,  2012 Prayer Nudges from East Africa or on Facebook (directions below).  To fully share the incredible experiece we shared on Easter Sunday, you can also view the new photo album –  “Easter 2012 – Not Just a Church, But a Family” – that I prepared for our church’s internet sites.  Our involvement at this less than 2 year old church continues to be one way God strengthens and encourages us. 

Another source of God’s strengthening and encouragement for us and our missionary co-workers is your prayers and others ways which you support us.  THANK YOU!  And yes, you can pray that this cough will end – for my sake and for those around me, especially for Jack!  BERT

PS: Wrote this on Tuesday afternoon and it is now Wed morning and i finally slept a few hours last night – YEAH!

---  ---  ---  ---  ---  ---  ---

Prayer Nudges from East Africa can be found at:  http://easternafrica2012prayernudges.blogspot.com/)  

“Easter 2012 – Not Just a Church, But a Family”  can be found at  https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150929080835130.531328.685050129&type=3&l=512dd66758

April 15th Prayer Nudge from East Africa

From worker in South Sudan:  Easter morning looked a lot different from Easter in America… No bunnies or colored eggs on store window fronts – there can’t be when there are no store window fronts to begin with!  No big crowded room of joyful people on Sunday morning. Just us under a tree with ten women and a whole bunch of kids sharing the Gospel.   “God rose Jesus from the dead and brought Him back to life. Back to life.  Living.  Not dead.  Alive. Breathing. Real. Here. Jesus is The Resurrection and The Life.  And he who believes in Him will live and never die!  (John 11:25-26)
PHOTO: No bunnies or chicks, but the worker did have a baby ostrich running around her yard on Easter morning!
--- --- --- --- --- ---
To view daily Prayer Nudges from East Africa, go to http://easternafrica2012prayernudges.blogspot.com/

April 11, 2012

Do you truly believe that God does answer prayres when you take time to pray for missionaries?  This week, I want to share two stories of how God has answered your prayers for us.

My constant recent prayer is that I will sense God’s guidance as I seek to encourage and strengthen the work of our co-workers by sharing their stories through blogs, e-mails and Facebook. I always prepare the daily Prayer Nudge from East Africa at least a day in advance and set it to automatically appear at 7 (Kenya time) in the morning on the blog, 2012 Prayer Nudges from East Africa.  

Early last Friday morning, I received an update on a student mission trip.  My reaction:  “I wish this could be the day’s Prayer Nudge (PN) so people could be praying ‘wisely’ on the last ‘work’ day of the trip.”  But it was after 7AM and the day’s PN should have already ‘appeared’ on the blog.  Then I discovered  that due to a glitch, not a ‘coincidence’, but a God-incident, the scheduled PN was not yet posted – so I prepared a new PN to guide prayers for the university students as they ministered among people of another faith!  Prayers were answered – the students saw eight people from the ‘other’ faith become Believers, as well as eight others from ‘Christian’ background!

Now for a story of answered prayer that began over 30 years ago when we first asked you to pray that we would have a clear sense of God’s will and guidance as we serve in Kenya.  Jack shared  this story at the Memorial Service of one of the first East African home missionaries last week:

The day after our arrival in Kenya in September, 1978, I went to where I would be working, the Shauri Moyo Community Centre.  I was 29 and amazed by the culture and people I saw.  It was another world from my Eastern NC roots.  As I stood outside the mission house talking with the Centre Director, my new missionary ‘boss’, two men approached and greeted us.  

The taller man, who I later learned was one of the great hunters of Kenya, was Daniel Muthuku Nguku, a former pastor of the Shauri Moyo Baptist Church.  With him was a short and extremely robust man named Arthur Kinyanjui, the Moderator of the Baptist Convention of Kenya.  After talking a few minutes, Arthur suddenly seized my hand and without letting go said, “Come with us.”  It was said in such a command that I had no choice but to go!  He and Daniel then took me on a tour of the city.

As we drove around Nairobi, I don’t remember what was said and only a few places we passed.  What I do know is that I had been ‘kidnapped’ into the African mission experience! Arthur, who passed away in late March, was a magnetic, dynamic person, totally fearless, indomitable and focused – which did lead to confrontations with others over the years!  For the next 30 plus years he was my teacher of Africa and its people, mission and its requirements, and faith and its limitless obedience. But that day in 1978, all I remember was his touch.  When he grabbed my hand, God grabbed my heart.  It was as if I had taken hold of a live-wire powered by the Holy Spirit.  In that instant, I began to sense the plans God had for us. 

Thank you for praying for us – God does hear your and our prayers as He continues to show us His plan as we serve in East Africa, BERT

--- --- --- --- --- --- ---

To view last week’s Prayer Nudges from East Africa at http://easternafrica2012prayernudges.blogspot.com/ or you can  view them on Facebook by finding Bert Yates (https://www.facebook.com/bert.yates) or find the FB page,  Imb EastAfrica  ( https://www.facebook.com/Imb.East.Africa )

Easter, April 8th Prayer Nudge from East Africa

Celebrating life today - especially our Savior’s gift of Eternal Life.  As kids in school uniforms sang at the Memorial Service for an East African pastor with a heart for evangelism and missions, as well as a burning desire for quality education for all, tots to adults/ boys AND girls, this little one slipped onto the stage and joined in the celebration.  Pray that all Believers in East Africa will be as bold and committed as this child as we serve as ambassadors of our Father’s love and Eternal Life.

---   ---   ---   ---   ---   ---   ---

To view the "2012 Prayer Nudges from East Africa" daily, go to  http://easternafrica2012prayernudges.blogspot.com/ and become a follower via your e-mail or as a Blog Follower.  You can also view the daily Prayer Nudges as Bert's friends on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/bert.yates) or by LKING Imb EastAfrica on Facebook ( https://www.facebook.com/Imb.East.Africa ) 

April 4, 2012

As I began writing this update, the electricity went off – so I unplugged everything on my desk and ran to wrap a beach towel around the crock-pot, where tonight’s stew is OR was simmering.  I’m  now viewing my keyboard with the aid of my trusty rechargeable flashlight!  BUT, I’m not complaining.  At lunch time the sun was shining brightly on withered plants and brown grass outside my closet ‘office’ window.  Now we are having a loud, windy and wet storm – which hopefully means our long rains have arrived! Our Equatorial seasons are defined by the times for rains, with late March-early June being our Long Rains and  Short Rains arriving in October and November.  The rains have been very undependable in recent years, so we are praying for ample rainfall this season!  

Jack is at a Board of Governor’s Meeting at our seminary, Kenya Baptist Theological College, as I write.  Please join us in praying for those making decisions related to our seminary overcoming many problems and becoming all we know God wants and needs it to be as East African Believers are trained to serve our Father.   

Thank you for praying for Jack as he completed a three week session at KBTC.  He taught in a western Kenyan Bible School in early March, so he was rather tired over the weekend, but  pleased with the students' response to his class, Church Planting Methods.  The above photo was taken last week of Jack in his pantry ‘office’ preparing for the Communications class he also taught last week.  He also captured me  helping his students write their own personal “vision statement” in 15 words or less!

I am writing this on Tuesday again as tomorrow will be a full day as we attend a memorial service for Pastor Arthur Kinyanjui at Parklands Baptist Church.  We will also attend a service at Nakuru Baptist Church on Friday, where he pastored for many years.  Please continue to pray for comfort for Pastor Kinyanjui’s family and friends, as you praise God for his years of  service to our Father, which included being one of the early evangelists working with the first missionaries to East Africa and a leader of the Baptist Convention of Kenya.  Pray also for safety as people travel to these services, especially those traveling by public transport.

You may have heard that there were more explosions in Kenya this past weekend.  Things are unclear about what happened on the coast and who is behind these problems.  Another issue that Kenyans are facing is the upcoming national elections – the first ones since the chaotic election time in late 2007/ early 2008.  Pray for peace during this time and for wise decisions by leaders.  Pray especially for decisions related to the ongoing ICC (International Criminal Court) as this court seeks to punish those responsible for the problems after the last elections, which includes top politicians hoping to be Kenya’s next president. 

For some good news, I encourage you to view a bit of our Palm Sunday service at  our church, Parklands Baptist Church Mombasa Road Campus.  You may be surprised by some of the things shown in “Easter Worship Experience”! I will now quit working on the computer and go to set up our camp stove and complete cooking the stew for dinner – which it looks like we will enjoy by candlelight!  We do continue to be thankful that God has called us to serve in East Africa, but candlelight dinners are no longer considered special meals!  BERT

PS:  It is now Wednesday morning - the beach towel did the trick and our stew was fully cooked!  Electricity returned in  the middle of the night, and awoke and plugged everything in again – as the electricity has now (9:30) taken a break again!  Praising God for a charged computer and flashlight!
---   ---   ---   ---   ---

Part of Bert’s work, 2012 Prayer Nudges from East Africa  can be found at  http://easternafrica2012prayernudges.blogspot.com/ or find Bert Yates at https://www.facebook.com/bert.yates

Bert’s newest photo album, “Easter Worship Experience” is at http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.145193375607284.27775.100003498676259&type=1&l=d4b41148f2 

April 1st Prayer Nudge from East Africa

Special "On Stateside Leave" episode of “The Real Missionary Kids of East Africa" – First scene:  An MK chooses cookies on the family’s first trip to Walmart - TOO many choices!  Second scene:  An equator-born MK climbs out of the snow while skiing with a church youth group.  Next:  A teen rushes home to announce (via Facebook) to his MK cousins in East Africa - He has his driver’s permit! Fifth scene: Two MK’s comparing the questions they‘ve been asked about their African life.  Ending:  An older MK guiding his younger brother though the art of winning a prize at the State Fair!

Note from the proud Missionary Mom who took this photo:  "And they did win...one of those brown creatures."  For the first 'proposed' episode of this 'new' proposed reality show and other daily Nudges from East Africa, check out the March 18th Prayer Nudge from East Africa at http://easternafrica2012prayernudges.blogspot.com/ .