January 28, 2009

Last week I shared that Jack was waiting on the Lord for this week as he faced several “I might’s.” He asked: “Join me in praying that God’s doors will open and I will choose the work that He has chosen for me.” Your prayers were answered and he left last Saturday for a survey of the coast of the Kenya with two Southern Baptist volunteers and five leaders of the Baptist Convention of Kenya (BCOK). Other than bits of horrible road and a few moments of frustration, the trip has been great AND they have sensed how we – the BCOK, volunteers, and missionaries – can strengthen and encourage the existing Baptist churches in the Mombasa and Malindi areas as we engage lostness together! Thank you for your prayers, but keep praying as God’s will and guidance is sought for the next steps.

I know that I am continually using these words, "Strengthening and encouraging as we engage lostness together,” as I write, but we are continually being reminded that God is at work in Kenya and He is raising a mighty army of His children who must be discipled and prepared to do His work. Jack will do this in the next week as he prepares reports/plans and as he meets with volunteers and others sharing what God is teaching him about being a part of engaging those who do not know of our Father’s love and salvation. Pray that Jack will rely completely upon the guidance of the Holy Spirit in all that he does.

I strive to strengthen and encourage as we engage lostness together by seeking prayer for Kenya and Kenyan Christians – AND yes, I’m often discouraged as I “absorb” the needs of Kenya. As I prepared this update, I looked at the list of Omba4Kenya* (Pray for Kenya) updates that I’ve sent recently and the repetition of the needs is frustrating! The January 15th update was titled, “Strikes, Scandals and Famines,” and yesterday’s was entitled, “Frozen Pay, Artificial Shortages, and a Lack of Confidence,” as the strike by government primary school teachers continues, the lack of food worsens, and scandals erode more confidence!

So why do I do this work? Because I know that through our prayers we bring glory to our Father and receive the guidance we need to be a part of completing His work; it is also how the world will know of the love and salvation offered through His Son (John 17). So my prayer request is for strength and wisdom as I prepare the weekly updates to send to you for our personal work with the Kenyan Legacy work and the updates I prepare for my other “job” as prayer advocate for all of Kenya. Pray that I will sense clearly which prayer items to share and that I will share these praises and needs clearly and in a way that will bring “renown, joy, praise and honor” to our Father as we participate together in making certain that “all nations on earth that hear of all the good things I do for it; and they will stand in awe...” of Him! (Jeremiah 33:9)
Bert Yates

* The Omba4Kenya are found at: http://www.omba4kenya.blogspot.com/

January 21, 2009

This morning as I added Jack’s notes to my own thoughts of things to share with you, I realized that there is definitely a theme in this week’s update – the same theme that keeps us in Kenya! I had planned to begin this update with a special treat Jack experienced yesterday – an opportunity to share his plans, BUT more importantly his love, for helping churches plant new churches with a group of our missionaries. The longer we work in Kenya, the more strongly we believe that when this continent is won to Christ it will be African Christians who will be the ones reaping the harvest – the reason we continue to believe that our job is strengthen the disciples and encourage Christians in Kenya as we engage the lostness in our world together (Acts 14:22; Revelations 14:6).

I felt this last Sunday as I participated in the third round of commissioning of Women of Impact at Parklands Baptist Church. This discipleship program was written by Ambrose Nyangao, our pastor who was discipled by many of our missionaries. Early in 2008, Martha, Ambrose’s wife, led 12 of our women’s leaders through this study of God’s Women of Impact in the Bible. Later in the year, I joined the study when each of these women led 12 more women in the study. This past Sunday’s commissioning was of twenty groups of women who were led in the study by those of us in that second round of study. I can remember when missionaries were struggling to disciple only a few at Parklands as the church began, so it was definitely a time of joy as I sat with over 100 discipled Kenyan women in two services during the commissioning time. The excitement of these women, most under 35 years of age, was contagious. Please pray for these women who are excited about being Women of Impact discipling their own groups who desire to be God’s Women of Impact!

Now for the prayer needs that Jack wanted to share with you this week: Euticals Wambua, the chairman of the Nairobi Association, and I will go tomorrow with Ron and Nancy Copeland, IMB co-workers, to view potential sites for their new business training approach for evangelism. Pray for Ron and Nancy as they begin this new ministry which has the potential of strengthening and encouraging our pastors and church leaders committed to sharing our Father’s love and salvation.

I have the opportunity on Friday to teach CPM Methodology at Kenya Baptist Theological College. I have two hours rather than my normal 12 hours for teaching this subject. Pray that God will guide my words carefully and seeds will be sewn that will result in the students getting their churches excited about starting churches.

I am waiting on the Lord for next week – something he has taught me over the years to do! I might go to the coast with volunteers on a vision trip … I might go with Baptist Convention of Kenya officers as we plan for Discipleship Programs … I might visit with a key volunteer partner who will be at the coast OR … I might just stay home … there is lots to do here. Join me in praying that God’s doors will open and I will choose the work that He has chosen for me.

Thank you for being a part of our theme. Your prayers and support strengthens and encourages us and Kenyan Baptists as we engage lostness together! Bert Yates

January 14, 2009

Sometimes I know exactly what I want to share in our weekly prayer update and at times my mind is blank, but most often I have a long list of potential information and I am unsure of what to share. There are so many areas in Kenya that could benefit from prayer, but with all the problems around our world, including the current economic pressures in the United States, I often struggle to select the items with the greatest needs and the ones I think you will feel worthy of adding to your prayer list. I also struggle to balance the needs and praises/negatives and positives.

I know that it is not a coincidence that I am reading through Jeremiah at the beginning of this new year. God used “Who will have pity on you…Who will mourn for you?” (15:5) to confirm a personal desire to share more of the needs of Kenya’s neighbours – peoples who may not be receiving adequate prayer support. Today I read chapters 20-21 and was challenged by Jeremiah’s complaint of being ridiculed, mocked, insulted and reproached as he did God’s work (and yes, we do have discouraging and frustrating times) – yet Jeremiah knew he had to share God’s Word as “his word is in my heart like a fire” (20:9). Please join me in praying that during this year I will totally rely upon God as I choose which of Kenya’s prayer needs to share and as I find ways to increase the number of people who will pray for and respond to these needs. Pray that I will have a burning and sensitive heart as I begin a series sharing the prayer needs of Kenya’s neighbouring countries – many are places where Christians cannot freely share God’s love and salvation and all are countries in need of someone having pity on them and mourning for them.

Jack doesn’t have time for his mind to ponder and roam this week as he is in the midst of four meetings within three days. Thankfully the first meeting yesterday morning left him excited and eager to share this report: Thanks to the vision of the IMB (International Mission Board) in beginning BARA (Baptist Aids Response Agency) in 2001, we can praise God for the April-December 2008 results shared at yesterday’s board meeting of BARA-Kenya
- 113,703 Youth have been trained in True Love Waits
- 72,504 Youth have been educated about the rewards of abstinence before marriage
- 40,199 Married Adults have been trained in True Love Stays
- 600 Parents have been trained in Family Matter
- 600 Children have been trained by their parents!
- 607 Young adults have been taught about Sexual and Gender Based Violence
- 20,414 Persons have been counseled and tested for HIV/Aids in the six BARA VCT (Voluntary Counseling and Testing) sites

I have said it before, but I cannot emphasize it enough – Your prayers are a part of His work being accomplished in His harvest field! Thank you! Bert Yates

January 7, 2009

"It is not surprising that element of revival is growing within Baptists of Kenya!” As I sat in the first regular worship service of 2009 at Parklands Baptist Church this past Sunday, I remembered this statement from last week’s prayer update. I also wished that you could be sitting with us during the service as there is no way that I can share the excitement of the service and the memories I know were passing through all our hearts. Last year was a difficult year for Kenya, but there is no doubt in my mind that one result of those experiences is that a “revival is growing within Baptists of Kenya” – a revival that can transform not only Kenyans, but bring revival to Christians in neighbouring countries and reach those unreached in our part of the world by the Good News of our Saviour. The most incredible part of all of this is the fact that I also have no doubt that what I sensed at Parklands was felt in most Kenyan churches this past Sunday.

Worship services are just that these days – they are truly services in which participants are worshipping their Saviour, seeking His guidance more fully, praising Him in a deeper way, and taking fuller responsibility for sharing His peace, love and joy with others. As we begin 2009 I ask that you join us in praying that this year will be one of revival in Kenya. Pray that Christians within Kenya, including those of us from other places, will allow God to use us in a new and powerful way to share His love and salvation within our country and continent. I ask this of you because I know the result of your prayers. You prayed us through the difficulties of this last year and I know your prayers can be a part of true revival happening in Kenya – a revival that will transform not only Kenya, but the rest of Africa.

I don’t usually add personal family notes to this update, but I ask also that you pray for our kids. Knowing that our children are bathed in prayer is definitely one way you can strengthen and encourage any missionary. Our son, John, who celebrates his birthday on Friday, continues to love his work in home reconstruction. We praise God that he is working for a small company in eastern North Carolina that still has jobs-to-do. Jenny, our older daughter, is expecting our first grandchild in early May. Pray for a good pregnancy for her and that her husband, Aaron (one of those who lost jobs this past year), will quickly find a good job. We praise God for the Jenny’s great job as a marketing specialist with a law firm in New Bern, NC. Pray also for Jessie, who leaves Kenya on Friday night to return to Wake Forest University (Winston-Salem, NC) for her last semester. She has decided to work for a year before beginning her masters (Victorian Literature). Pray that the doors will open for not just a good job, but God’s place for her. She is applying for a teaching position in the Marshall Islands. My long-term prayer for our kids is based on Psalm 63 as I pray that they earnestly seek God, behold His power and glory, glorify and praise Him, and remember and cling to Him.

Thank you once again for your prayer support. You do strengthen and encourage us as we engage lostness together. Bert Yates