June 3, 2009

“Thousands attend joyful ceremony at new temple to god of prosperity.” These are the words I read last Friday morning on the front page of the newspaper. As I read of a helicopter raining red flowers upon the new temple, I read one participant’s comment, “We have never seen this kind of thing in India … It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.” To be honest, it would not have been “once-in-a-lifetime opportunity” if this man lived in Kenya, but this was in Raleigh, NC, home of the paper delivered daily to our mission home. As I read his words, I wondered how American Christians reacted to this article. Was it an opportunity to learn about those of other faiths? Did it lead to simple acceptance, before they moved without any reaction? Did it lead to fear or even a greater mistrust/dislike of others?

Why am I sharing this with you? I send prayer updates to lead you to pray for Kenya, but I also hope to strengthen your witness and ability to pray for those you meet daily. I encourage you to learn about the faiths of others and then use this knowledge. Use the differences/questions that arise as a way of deepening your own faith and your own witness. As I read the article, I asked myself: What do others learn from my life/ my actions/ my beliefs? Do they see that I am totally committed to serving my God? Do my actions lead to questions that weaken my witness of a strong/active relationship with my Heavenly Father? Does my life lead to their questioning their faith and wanting to have the relationship that I claim with my Saviour? And possibly most important: How can I use this knowledge to guide my witness and my prayers for my friends of other faiths? (For more on praying for others: http://omba4kenyaprayforothers.blogspot.com/ )

Prayer does work as Nancy Calvert, one of your missionaries in Kenya with the Maasai, shared in her prayer letter this week: Thank you all for praying for us during the feeding project … There have been a few days that have challenged us, but... The Maasai are so grateful for the food. We do not give food to our Baptist members only, but to hungry people. It makes no difference is they are Christians, Muslims, or Animists … A group of elders stopped us today just to express their gratitude. Over half of them were not Christians … There are a few areas that are receiving sporadic showers, but (no) good soaking rain … Cattle, donkeys, and even wild animals are dying … (it is) predicted that the usual rains would stop yesterday. Let's pray together that God will send the "unusual" rains! Please pray for our pastors. Even though we are feeding 180,000 people, at every church others are begging for food. Vast numbers of people from 100 to 5000 more are showing up at every church to see if they can obtain just one packet (of corn meal). Please pray for grace and wisdom for our pastors in talking with these hungry people who most likely will go home with nothing. The next four weeks are our most challenging logistically. Please pray that the maize meal company will hold up their end to take the maize meal to the first stage "super center." They are a little anxious (as) one of their large trucks was car jacked last year and two of their employees were killed … We know that the provision for these people is due to your generous gifts to the Baptist Global Relief fund of the IMB. We know that being able to deliver the food successfully is due to your prayer support. We are so grateful for you, and so are many, many Maasai people.

Jack and I thank you also for your prayers and ask that you continue praying that during our time in the States we will be able to share clearly and ‘contagiously’ how God is at work in Africa and how others can join us in the harvest. Bert Yates