summer heat and this morning I finally spotted what likely signifies Christmas to our kids – the mechanical Santa that dances to the “Yellow Rose of Texas”! Yes, things are a bit different here! But truthfully, I like our summer Christmas times and many of our traditions are built around the nice weather!Tomorrow we will share our traditional Christmas Eve lunch with the newest couple in our mission, the Rosses of the IMB’s Master’s program (for those over 50). Twenty years ago, new American friends on sabbatical at a Kenyan university were very homesick, so we invited them for a very UN-traditional Christmas Eve meal. It turned out so well that we have continued inviting new friends each year for a Christmas Eve cookout followed by fresh strawberries, homemade ice-cream and hot fudge sauce served on brownies (not from a box).
Tomorrow evening we will attend our mission’s annual Wienie Roast/Carol Sing. Our family began holding this the week before Christmas many years ago when a new young couple spoke of missing the traditional carol singing – which is difficult to do in Kenya. So we invited friends to roast hot-dogs and marshmallows at twilight and sing carols after it got dark over a camp fire! For a little explanation, being close to the equator, we always have almost 12 hour days, so the sun sets by seven even during our summer. And the s’mores have a Kenyan twist – we use a
“hob-nob” British cookie that is similar to a graham cracker, but round with chocolate on one side for the cracker/chocolate candy. Our daughter brought marshmallows straight from Walmart for this year’s cook-out, but one year we had to use locally available pink marshmallows that were horrible! When we returned from our last leave, we learned that friends had continued the wienie roast/carol sing, but they now do it on Christmas Eve and almost all of our Nairobi staff and a few from out-of-town attend. Different, but fun!Our traditional Christmas Day may be a little more familiar to you. Our family always have a breakfast of “Moravian Sugar Cake” – which I usually have to make, but our daughter brought some this year from Dewey’s in Winston-Salem, NC (known for their Moravian goodies). We will then share a traditional ham lunch with all the expected dishes with missionary friends, ending with a pecan pie – straight from Jack’s mother’s pecan trees!
Thank you for praying for the graduation at Kenya Baptist Theological College last Thursday. Only one class graduated at this service, but the six receiving a Diploma in Music were excited. Please continue praying for the college/seminary as they mature into a university. Pray also for the five men and one young woman who are committed to using their musical abilities in leading churches to carry out the Great Commission. Pray for me as I prepare a blog to share their dreams, desires and commitment with you.Pray also for the six men and women that were commissioned last Sunday at our church, Parklands Baptist. These committed young Christians have completed an intense two year discipleship program in which they had worked through Growing in Christ, Follow the Master, and Masterlife. This was especially meaningful to me as all their study books are
from Kenya Baptist Media, where I served for many years, and one of my last jobs was updating Growing in Christ. As I viewed this commissioning, I realized this was a very, very special Christmas celebration – a celebration of committed men and women who desire to grow as disciples of their Saviour and teach others to not only do the same, but make new disciples as He commanded not just in Kenya, but also in west Africa as two of those completing the study are from Nigeria!Know that we are praying that all of you have a very, very merry Christmas and that we thank God for you and how you support us, Bert Yates
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