July 8, 2009

Battery tester, tiny re-useable hooks, plastic ivy, a laptop external drive, 1st and 2nd grade workbooks on American States – these are some of this week’s purchases. This is also the list shared with a friend who offered to shop for items we need in Kenya – and yes, she quickly decided to let me do the shopping! The battery tester will help me make certain I have fully charged batteries for my camera; the external drive is to make sure I don’t lose any pictures taken on my camera! The hooks and plastic ivy are to liven up our Nairobi home which is surrounded by beautiful flowers, but doesn’t receive the needed light for indoor plants – a negative balanced by the house staying cool even on our hottest equatorial days. The workbooks will be a gift for a missionary kid who lives hours from a good bookshop.

This week’s shopping list also included peaches straight from the farm and bananas definitely NOT straight from the farm! Other purchases were 4th of July plates and napkins for a family get-together and a small stuffed hippo and Lion King book for our new granddaughter – reminders of her Mom’s background. We enjoyed sharing the 4th with our son, John, and his girlfriend, but we missed being with IMB and Kenyan co-workers in Nairobi for the traditional cookout. Yes, life is different for us while we are on leave including walking for blocks without seeing anyone during my early morning walks – in Kenya, I continually spot people and have to slow down to manoeuvre around them! I do enjoy spotting all the bunnies I pass each morning, but I am thankful, very thankful that they aren’t in our Nairobi neighbourhood to drive our dogs crazy along with the resident hedgehogs (*see note), monkeys and mongoose.

Shopping is a part of leave, another part is sharing our love for Kenya and enlisting others to be apart of the God’s work. Pray for us as we meet with several churches in the next few weeks – pray that we will share clearly and “contagiously” how others can be a part of God’s work in East Africa and others parts of our world as they pray and as they give of their time and finances. Pray for us also as we attend an IMB training session next week. Pray that we will be an encourager to other missionaries and be strengthened in our ability to serve. Continue praying for the IMB during our time of transition. Pray for God’s wisdom, strength and peace as some begin new assignments, others make changes in their work, and some of us await information on our assignments (I’m in this last group; Jack will continue as a trainer/strengthener/encourager with Kenyan Baptists). Pray also for our national brothers and sisters as they make the needed adjustments and that this will be a time of spiritual growth for them. Pray that all decisions, changes, etc, will lead to our being more effective harvest workers for our Father.

Due to the IMB meeting, I will not write next week, but please keep praying! We do need and depend on your prayers, Bert Yates
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* To hear a hedgehog’s cry or save a hedgehog wallpaper for your computer, go to: http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/enlarge/hedgehog_image.html