January 30, 2013

“It’s FREAKY how things are working out!”  These were Jack’s words as we returned last Friday from taking friends attending a Baptist Global Response (BGR)* training to meet Baptist pastors and leaders assisting in accessing needs in several Rift Valley church areas. My first response was surprise as I knew he was talking about things God had been doing!

But then I looked up the word FREAKY (Yes, I use dictionaries at least once each day!) and realized it is a great word to describe our God’s work as two definitions of FREAKY are AMAZING an UNEXPECTED.  Jack was referring at the moment to how the UNEXPECTED need for help by the local pastors and church leaders, some old friends from our time in the Rift Valley, had spread so quickly and the AMAZING group of men who had met with us on Thursday to plan for the needed field work and provided help on Friday.

FREAKY also describes what we have experienced in the last few weeks as Jack has begun serving as the KBTC (Kenya Baptist Theological College) Principal.  So many spiritual, personnel, financial and academic problems have been encountered, problems which are definitely in the impossible for man or woman category.

Yet we have been continually AMAZED by all the UNEXPECTED answers that we know were provided by our God, the one who can do the IMPOSSIBLE! We’ve seen this as people have ‘just happened’ to be around or offered help at the moment they were most needed; when answers to needs appeared at the critical moment; when difficult personnel issues were resolved; the beginning of new friendships with gifted people; and on and on and all in AMAZING and UNEXPECTED ways.

As we know you are a part of our new journey as you pray, I will share again this praise and continuing guide to prayer: “Thanks to your prayers, the moments of being totally discouraged, hopeless and even terrified are balanced with a sense of excitement about what can happen as KBTC is revived/ restored/ resurrected/ revised/ rescued, RESULTing once again in a place where African Believers can be prepared to REFLECT the PRESENCE OF GOD and become qualified and capable workers in our Father’s Harvest Field.”

A friend, who served in the past at KBTC, added an 'R' last week, which you can also add:  Pray for our RESOLVE as we truly ‘see’ the task and let God lead us in finding HIS direction.  If you want to pray more specifically, more about these R’s are shared in our January 2^nd Update.**

Thank you also for praying for me as continue finding ways to share how God is at work in our part of the world via social networking.  It is truly exciting to find ways to share how God is at work among Sub-Saharan African Peoples and how our co-workers are also seeing God at work in AMAZING and UNEXPECTED ways, often thanks to your support.  Pray especially for good time management with our current schedules! BERT YATES

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* Baptist Global Response – A disaster relief and community development organization, in “Connecting people in need with people who care” –  http://www.baptistglobalresponse.com

** January 2nd Yates/IMB/Kenya&SSAP Update – http://bertandjackyates.blogspot.com/2013/01/january-2-2013.html

New nudges to action are posted daily at "Sub-Saharan African Peoples Nudges to Action" blog at http://easternafrica2012prayernudges.blogspot.com/ and on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/pages/Sub-Saharan-African-Peoples/100173880060607?ref=hl (which can be viewed by non-Facebook members). 

January 27 Nudge to Action from SSAP

Bikers in the Great Rift Valley use metal hooks to hitch rides behind trucks travelling the steep inclines!  Dangerous? Yes!  But, it speeds up the journey!  Pray for insight as Believers seek the best ‘hooks’ for reaching the Unreached/ Unengaged Peoples of Sub-Saharan Africa.

For more daily Nudges to Action - Praying, Serving and Giving for Sub-Saharan African Peoples, check out   http://easternafrica2012prayernudges.blogspot.com/ and Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Sub-Saharan-African-Peoples/100173880060607?ref=hl. (You do not have to be a FACEBOOK member to view the nudges on this page.)

January 23, 2013

Jack still needs lots of “HELP!”, but as he begins serving as the new principal at KBTC (Kenya Baptist Theological College), we are continuing to be totally awed by how God is at work and how His children are responding. He received word late last Wednesday that the Board of Governor’s meeting scheduled for the next day was postponed. This disappointment has limited Jack in some work, but given him more time to find/ locate/discover and sort through lots of past information which will guide future decisions. He has also used the added time to guide others in improving how the campus and offices look – which is helping others regain confidence in the college.

Thus, I can repeat the praise shared two weeks ago and offer it as a continuing guide to prayer: “Thanks to your prayers, the moments of being totally discouraged, hopeless and even terrified are balanced with a sense of excitement about what can happen as KBTC is REVIVED/ RESTORED/ RESURRECTED/ REVISED/ RESCUED, RESULTing once again in a place where African Believers can be prepared to REFLECT the PRESENCE OF GOD and become qualified and capable workers in our Father’s Harvest Field." 

Now to update you on other things shared last week: My trusty camera (some friends have dubbed it to be my best friend) did make a trip to the repair shop and you must have been praying! The old Asian store owner fixed the blurring problem in seconds and charged me nothing!!! The shower in our apartment is still dripping rather than showering, but it is a bit better and a bucket and jug are now ready for additional ‘pressure’ – which leads to a better attitude on my part as we continue searching for a solution!

After I shared our shower saga with you last week, one of those ‘reality checks’ which happens often to missionaries occurred. Jack had toured the KBTC campus that morning and during lunch shared new additions on his ‘to do’ list. High on his list was building additional toilets and showers for a group of workers' houses where thirty people (workers and their families) share one toilet and one shower – a shower that has never had anything but cold water running through its pipes, the norm for many, if not most people in Africa.

Yes, this ‘reality check’ did lead to my being more thankful for what I do have and enjoy, but it also reminded me that these ‘reality checks’ need to be on my list of things to nudge you and others in encouraging and supporting missionaries around our world as they face the stress that comes with striving for needed comfort/revitalizing moments and balancing these with what is the norm for their targeted Peoples. This is especially an issue for those working among the least reached and unengaged Peoples – Peoples who are most often far off the beaten path; Peoples who have different expectations of life; Peoples who lack what you and I would consider basic needs such as water, electricity, a diet of more than three or four food items, etc.

This week’s photos were taken during the week with my ‘restored’ camera  and include photos of a Rift Valley church leader’s wife and granddaughter.  The little one had never met Wazungu/ white people before, thus the long lasting huge tear drop, but we were friends before our visit ended lasted Monday morning.  And, NO, I did not 'edit' the tear drop cropped from one of the photos - it was heart-shaped!

Which leads me to one additional prayer item before I close: Pray for insight as group work in this Baptist leader’s area on Friday, learning to do needed ‘field work’ as they assist Baptist Global Response (BGR)*, a disaster relief and community development organization, in “Connecting people in need with people who care.”

Thank you again for all the ways you strengthen, encourage and enable us to do what God has called us to do, BERT YATES
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* Baptist Global Response – http://www.baptistglobalresponse.com

Remember that new 'nudges to action' are posted daily at "Sub-Saharan African Peoples Nudges to Action" (http://easternafrica2012prayernudges.blogspot.com/) and on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/pages/Sub-Saharan-African-Peoples/100173880060607?ref=hl).

January 19 Nudge to Action SSAP

Shared by the Tanzania Maasai Team on Facebook: Volunteers wanted to reach the Maasai men and chose to utilize the things they enjoy so came up with a Maasai Olympics at  https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10152433147510704.954356.792415703&type=1&l=7036a35bcf . They shared the Bible stories and enjoyed some friendly competition. Look for more on this volunteer trip tomorrow!

For the Sunday happenings after the Maasai Olympics, check tomorrow's Sub-Saharan African Peoples Nudge to Action  at http://easternafrica2012prayernudges.blogspot.com/  

January 16, 2013

“HELP!!!”  Jack’s first response when asked what he wanted to share this week! This has been a trying, exhausting, yet incredible week for him as He has seen God work in impossible situations at KBTC (Kenya Baptist Theological College).  Example: He knew it was no coincidence, but a God-incidence when a very needed and valuable document ‘appeared’ in a very mismatched stack of papers only minutes before he attended a meeting yesterday.  This morning he did write this to share with you as nudges to prayer:

– Jack will be introduced as the Principal during a meeting of the Board of Governors tomorrow (January 17^th).

– An opportunity for cooperation and forging a brighter future after many years of adversity.

– Wisdom in Personnel issues.

– Thanksgiving for a smooth beginning, a flood of well wishes, support and prayer.

I thought that I had a praise yesterday, when a plumber showed up to fix the shower at the cottage where we are staying during the week – a ‘shower’ that produced only large drips of constantly temperature- changing water.  I should add that one of my survival tools is a good shower before calling it a day, so I was not happy!  After replacing parts (rather pricey ones), the plumber turned on the water and there was a proper spray and I was very grateful.  

But when I went to take a shower last night, I was not simply unhappy, but extremely unhappy!  The cold water was much stronger than before, but there is only a trickle of hot water which means to take even a warm shower (and it is cold at KBTC at nights), you can use all the hot and a wee bit of cold water, which means the non-shower shower now produces even bigger and fewer drops of water!  I know this is a ‘lame’ prayer request, especially as many Africans never have a hot shower or have limited water all the time, but I really, really need the ‘escape’ of a good shower in the cottage, so pray for us as we seek help again and pray that it will be less pricey this time round!

Another unusual prayer request is for my trusty camera!  I’ve had problems for months, which required lots of extra editing in the photos you see, and it is time to finally take it in for repairs – a scary proposition in our part of the world.  Pray that I will find a good repairman who can rectify the camera’s problems! 

Part of me feels that I should apologize for asking for these last requests as it is all minor compared to lots of things, including the situation at KBTC, but missionaries often need prayer support for what some might consider mundane things!  It is important for us to have our escapes/recharging moments and getting things repaired is often an iffy situation in our part of the world, especially for those who live far from major cities.  

I will also add one personal ‘usual’ prayer item.  Pray for me as I do social networking for our affinity.  My time is limited at the moment as I help Jack with the ‘cleaning-up’ at the college.  We both quickly realized that the disheveled look within the offices/ dorms/ cottages and the grounds is one thing that must be corrected before we try to help people regain confidence in the college.  So pray for patience and wisdom as I work and for strong internet as it is weaker here than in Nairobi. 

I am racing to finish our update this morning as the electricity disappeared as I began and I MUST finish this update and get it sent to you as we DO DEPEND upon your prayer support!  BERT YATES

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Remember that new nudges to prayer and action are posted daily at "2012 Prayer Nudges from East Africa" blog at http://easternafrica2012prayernudges.blogspot.com/ and on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/pages/Sub-Saharan-African-Peoples/100173880060607?ref=hl).

WOMAN AT WORK: Updating our blog!

Time for a facelift - so if something looks askew, please be patient as I work on giving our blog a new and hopefully improved look!

January 12th Nudge from SSAP

Many missionaries working among Sub-Saharan Africa Peoples are in transition this month.  Pray for wisdom, strength, and an assurance of God’s grace and love as they face changes in work and shifts in where they live as they strive to best serve their Father.

Daily nudges to prayer and action from Sub-Saharan African Peoples can be found at http://easternafrica2012prayernudges.blogspot.com/

January 9, 2013

I’m sitting at my home-away-from-home desk as I write today from one of the teacher’s cottages at Kenya Baptist Theological College. Until housing is available at the KBTC, this is where we will be living during the week, before returning to Nairobi each weekend, partially because that is where our washer/dryer and stove are located - all not available at the cottage!

As I work this morning, Jack is at work in his new office, trying to sort through lots of problems. To be honest, the more he learns about his new job as the principal (there is only one president in Kenya!), the more we realize how overwhelming this job will be. But thanks to your prayers, the moments of being totally discouraged, hopeless and even terrified are balanced with a sense of excitement about what can happen as KBTC is REVIVED/ RESTORED/ RESURRECTED/ REVISED/ RESCUED, RESULTing once again in a place where African Believers can be prepared to REFLECT the PRESENCE OF GOD and become qualified and capable workers in our Father’s Harvest Field.

I asked Jack to share new prayer items with you, but he said the ones shared last week are still the important ones. So, would you join us in prayer guided by what Jack shared last week:

“The SPIRITUAL LIFE of the college must be REVIVED. The college’s UNITY OF PURPOSE must be RESTORED. The NETWORK of College – Baptist Convention of Kenya – Association - Church that produces unity and energy must be RESURRECTED. The ACADEMIC SYSTEM started 40 years ago that provides theological and leadership training for all Baptists of Kenya and other Sub-Saharan African countries must be REVISED. The ENROLMENT OF STUDENTS must seek the marriage of the Will of God with the Call of Ministry and RESULT in full and qualified classes of students. The FINANCIAL SITUATION must be RESCUED by all Baptists led by God. The PRESENCE OF GOD through the Holy Spirit must be REFLECTED by qualified, bold and energetic faculty.” 

Pray also that we will remember that this is God’s work and remember that the “ANSWER to all of these needs (is) EMMANUEL!” And that we will always remember with “confidence that He is with us and victory is assured!”

Now, for a few extra prayer items: Pray that former KBTC staff and others will be cooperative and supportive as changes are required. Pray for wisdom as Jack paces himself, determines how to deal with issues and as he shares his vision for change with others. I need patience as I find a balance as we ‘live’ in two places, while seeking to share via the internet what God is doing throughout our area of Sub-Saharan African Peoples.

As I’ve questioned how a problem can be solved, Jack has said, “We are doing what we know God asked us to do; we have to trust Him to provide the needed help!” And He is providing answers to all the needs. it is truly exciting to see how God is at work and how His children are responding!

So thank you, for strengthening and encouraging us as we seek to strengthen and encourage African Baptists to “Sing to the LORD, praise his name, proclaim his salvation day after day. Declare his glory among the nations, his marvellous deeds among all peoples.” (Psalm 96:2-3).
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Remember that new nudges to prayer and action are posted daily at http://easternafrica2012prayernudges.blogspot.com/ and on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/pages/Sub-Saharan-African-Peoples/100173880060607?ref=hl).

Many of today's photos were taken during yesterday's drive from Nairobi to KBTC.

January 6th Nudge from Sub-Saharan Africa

“There’s nobody there to tell them about Christ… they have no one there.” Will you take 3 minutes to watch this video and learn what it takes to tell the Unreached and Unengaged Peoples of Sub-Saharan Africa about Christ?

Daily nudges to prayer and action from Sub-Saharan African Peoples can be found at http://easternafrica2012prayernudges.blogspot.com/ 

January 2, 2013

Happy New Year from Sub-Saharan Africa!  We are thankful for your  greetings for the new year and assurance of prayers – which we are really, really going to need this year!

Early last year, Jack and I sensed that it was time for change and a reassessment of how God wanted us involved in His work.  For months we prayed and prayed, but had no answers.

Then mid-year, my ‘change’ began with the opportunity to expand my ‘social-networking’ to include all of our Sub-Saharan African Peoples Affinity.*  About the same time, we each began to realize that for Jack to best do his job as the Trainer/ Liaison with the established Baptist work in Kenya (Legacy Work), he needed to ‘refocus’.  So after weeks of approvals and more approvals, it all finally came together in the last few days and I’ll close now and allow Jack to finish this update!  BERT YATES

Today (January 1, 2013) I became Principal of Kenya Baptist Theological College, approved by our mission, Baptist Convention of Kenya and the KBTC’s Board of Governors.  It is not a position I sought, wanted or needed.  However in 2012, God progressively  made it very clear that this was His plan.  As always in our career, Bert and I knew and agreed that this was another of those “such a time as this” (Esther 4:14) positions meant for us.

The College for many reasons has lost its faculty and students, and come close to closing.  More importantly it has lost its focus, its way and its purpose.  As it struggles to survive it has taken its spiritual life for granted and that aspect has also suffered. 

SO... How can you join us in praying?

The SPIRITUAL LIFE of the college must be REVIVED.

The college’s UNITY OF PURPOSE must be RESTORED.

The NETWORK of College – BCOK – Association - Church that produces unity and energy must be RESURRECTED.

The ACADEMIC SYSTEM started 40 years ago that provides theological and leadership training for all Baptists of Kenya and other African countries must be REVISED. 

The ENROLLMENT OF STUDENTS must seek the marriage of the Will of God with the Call of Ministry and RESULT in full and qualified classes of students.

The FINANCIAL SITUATION must be RESCUED by all Baptists led by God.

The PRESENCE OF GOD through the Holy Spirit must be REFLECTED by qualified, bold and energetic faculty.

The ANSWER to all of these needs?  EMMANUEL! And confidence that He is with us and victory is assured!  JACK YATES
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* Bert's work in the last week has included 'revising' the "2012 Prayer Nudges from East Africa" blog for use while a new blog for all of the Sub-Saharan African Peoples Affinity is designed.  So when you go to the blog used in 2013, you will find that the title has changed to Sub-Saharan African Peoples - Nudges to Prayer.  Remember that new nudges to prayer and action are posted daily on this blog at http://easternafrica2012prayernudges.blogspot.com/ and on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/pages/Sub-Saharan-African-Peoples/100173880060607?ref=hl) . The following photos share more of the story that was the December 31st nudge!