June 30, 2010

“O LORD, you are my God; I will exalt and praise your name, for in perfect faithfulness you have done marvelous things, things planned long ago… your name and renown are the desire of our hearts… Let them see your zeal for your people” (Isaiah 25:1; 26:8, 11). I have been totally amazed this week by how God allows us to be a part of His plans and how His plans include the unique GIFTS that He created in each of us – GIFTS that can be used to share His ZEAL for all peoples of all nations to know and claim His salvation and not be like the people of Isaiah’s day who “have not brought salvation to the earth” (Isaiah 26:18).

This was evidenced on Monday as I watched Jack begin teaching another class at Kenya Baptist Theological College. I was recently asked to teach a class and agreed only with an understanding that although my GIFTS do include the class subject, Communication, I am NOT a teacher! Jack is the opposite – God gave him the GIFT of teaching and this class is extra special to him as the students of “Principles of Teaching” also share his heart’s desire to teach God’s Word.

I saw unique GIFTS in use yesterday at “Maasai Market at Westgate” – a weekly open-air market for Kenyan crafts. Tourists love these markets, but I do not as I lack a requirement at these markets, the gift of bargaining! I went yesterday for a special reason – to take pictures (a developing GIFT) of a Baptist woman who uses her marketing GIFT to share God’s love and salvation. Jane sells items made by SEMA LEATHERWORKS, a tent-maker project begun by IMB missionaries with a GIFT for business and a heart desire to enable faithful Kenyans to have time to SPEAK (SEMA in Swahili) the Gospel and meet the needs of their families by making leather products to be sold by Jane and others! For ways you can support this ministry in prayer, go to: http://www.familycopeland.net/

More examples of Christians using their GIFTS to exalt God and share His name were seen this week in the ongoing World Cup. On Sunday, I watched a youth minister bring glory and honor to God by blowing a VUVUZELA! The sound of this horn added to the incredible praise time experienced by the youth as they focused on God and His place in their lives. Not everyone appreciates this African horn which has drowned out all other sounds at the World Cup matches, but Parkland’s Youth would disagree. They would agree that their youth pastor has a GIFT in sharing God’s zeal for His people to know of His love and salvation!

Then yesterday, we received this message from a friend using his GIFT of communication at the World Cup: “We went to the USA- Ghana game…it was amazing to see the reaction at the end of the game by Africans from all parts of the continent… especially wonderful was the reaction from the Americans. After the game two Ghanaian players ran around the stadium with both the Ghanaian and South African flags and everybody cheered, and African men and women cried and hugged and were overwhelmed. It was very moving to see people from all over the world cheering for Africa…It was a special night that really represented what I think the World Cup should be about… there are many gifted young people here… there has been a real impact for the Kingdom, many people are coming to Christ through the various Christian Organizations and churches that are working in the communities and around the stadiums in South Africa.” To see how God is at work at these games and how Christians are using their GIFTS for God’s glory, go to: www.worldsoccerjourneys.com and www.mReport.org

All of this leads to many prayer requests this week: Pray for God’s guidance as Jack teaches “Principles of teaching” through July 10. Pray that the students will be strengthened in their ability bring God’s salvation to earth! Praise God for the men and women involved in SEMA Leatherwork Isaiah 26:18. Pray for physical, emotional and spiritual strength as they balance supporting their families and sharing God’s salvation. Praise God also for the unity felt at the World Cup and that Christians will continue finding ways to “cheer” and share their Father’s love! Pray for God’s wisdom also for a new opportunity to use GIFTS as Jack and I join several young Kenyan families in beginning a new church on Mombasa Road this Sunday – the most special way I can imagine to celebrate July 4th! BERT

* For pictures to illustrate these prayer praises and needs, go to “Using our Gifts to Exalt and Praise God” at: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=249071&id=685050129&l=c892952b94 (You do not need to be a FACEBOOK member to view these pictures, simply click the blue lettering or copy and paste.)

June 23, 2010

“Give thanks to the LORD, call on his name; make known among the nations what he has done, and proclaim that his name is exalted. Sing to the LORD, for he has done glorious things; let this be known to the world. Shout aloud and sing for joy…for great is the Holy One.” When things get frustrating, I too often focus on what the devil is doing, rather than what is God is doing and can do – AND the result is a definite loss of joy! As I read Isaiah 12:4-5 this week, it was yet another time when our Heavenly Father used his words to teach, rebuke, correct me and guide me into focusing on His glorious work and exalting only Him!

So rather than focusing on water problems, computer malfunctions, disappointments, etc., and definite actions of the devil this week I want to share some incredible things God is doing in our part of the world. I listened with awe last Sunday as Parkland’s youth minister used the positions of a soccer team (the sport all Kenyan kids play in school) to explain the meaning, purpose and responsibilities of being a Christian/Church Member. He used bits he knew those in the Youth Service were studying in biology to explain that a Christian is a living thing which can live or die – dependent upon being alive and active about God’s work! God is using the World Cup to make His name known, in Africa and around the world - for more go to: http://worldsoccerjourneys.com and http://mReport.org

I viewed another awesome bit of God’s children at-work in last Sunday’s service at Parklands Baptist Church - decorated Kenyan style for Father's Day - before I slipped out to see why the youth were having so much fun in their service. The regular service focused on the church’s Member Care Department and the young man who introduced the work was Daniel, a young Maasai man that I have mentioned before. As he spoke of making disciples and carrying the Great Commission, I was in awe of God’s plan as I remembered Daniel’s history. When he was a pre-teen, one of your missionaries visited in his home in the Maasai area of Kenya. Daniel’s family could not afford to educate their son, so your missionary assisted their very smart son. Today, Daniel is working on his Doctorate in Geothermal Energy and finds ways to help his country and the Maasai area of southern Kenya. Daniel, a maturing disciple of our Savior, is also making more disciples who can carry out the Great Commission!

And yet another joyful event occurred yesterday as I went with Jack, Samson Kisia and Mzungu (one of the young men Samson is discipling) to visit property which has been offered to the baby Ngoingwa Community Baptist Church for lease/purchase. Jack and Samson are now definitely wazee (mature adults) and Mzungu became a dad two weeks after the church began, but they acted like little boys as they meandered through the property and dreamed of how the walled-in area with a partial building, could be used in worship, Bible study and ministry. (For a prayer guide view of the church when it began in March, go to: Ngoingwa Community Baptist Church - Praying for a Baby Church at: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=207717&id=685050129&l=796d83142f

As you praise God for the things I’ve shared today and pray for the ongoing needs, I want to share a praise/request from a co-worker in South Africa involved in World Cup ministries: “We are hearing reports of hundreds of children professing Jesus at camps and holiday clubs. This is a fabulous… but now (we must make sure) they are discipled!! Please pray for all the follow-ups.. It is most important that these be discipled as quickly as possible…generally Africans will say yes to just about anything when a foreigner asks them to do something, including raising their hands indicating a profession of faith. Their mindset is different from our Western mindset…That is why follow-up with anyone who makes a profession of faith is so very critical, so please be in much prayer for this!!”

This last request is one that you can always pray for volunteer groups at work in our part of the world. Many volunteers are in Kenya at the moment and more will come during your summer months. God is blessing their work and many are accepting His love and salvation, but do continue praying not only for people to come to know our Lord, but that they become disciples who can disciple others. To encourage you in your prayers, you can find a new group of pictures entitled: Making Known What He Has Done ( http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=238724&id=685050129&l=5eeb87b9d9 ) Thanks for your prayer support! BERT

June 15, 2010

Joy and sorrow – our emotions of the last week. Joy as we shared the first game of the World Cup with the youth of our church, Parklands Baptist in Nairobi. Sorrow as we helped a volunteer return to the States when she learned that her teen-aged son was very ill. Joy as we heard how her volunteer team and another in western Kenya were boldly sharing God’s love and salvation with the lost of Kenya. Joy as we watched fellow missionaries and African Christians use a sports event to share God’s love and salvation. Sorrow when we learned that as we watched one of the World Cup games on Sunday evening, Kenya once again made the news when a political rally was disrupted – another sign of Kenya’s political unrest.

I’m always hesitant to share more than one internet link each week, but the best way to guide you in joining us in prayer this week is by sharing several with you. The first is a new photo album with prayer nudges, “Waving the Flags in Kenya,” which shares how Psalm 96 is alive today as Christians find new ways to “Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous deeds among all peoples." (Psalm 96:3) Find the Prayer Slideshow at: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=235939&id=685050129&l=a493776bcc

IMB missionaries and Baptist churches in South Africa, the home of the 2010 World Cup, are especially busy during the games which will continue through July 11th. To learn how: “God is using the World Cup to make His name known, in Africa and around the world!” and how to “ Pray for Christians in Sub-Sahara Africa during the World Cup and beyond” go to: www.worldsoccerjourneys.com and www.mReport.org.

If you are a YouTube fan, or even if you’re uncertain about this phenomena, I encourage you to watch a video featuring the theme song of the World Cup with views of the flags of the 32 countries playing for THE CUP! This was not designed to be a prayer tool, but it can be IF you view it and ask yourself: What if all Christians would "Take the field" and without "inhibition" proudly "CELEBRATE" our Father's love and salvation in view of "all nations"? Check out “Waving Flag (lyrics) 32 countries, One Cup” at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uYNVdVhW4iA&feature=related

I also ask that you join us in praying for Kenyan Christians as they deal with the problems of their country. Kenyan politicians often use church services as a time to share their messages – including weddings and even funerals – which might at first sound good, but too often leads to glory and the focus being given in the wrong direction. Thankfully Baptists are known for only allowing their services to focus on God and bring glory and honor to Him, not to man. Pray that Christians will use God’s Word and His Spirit, rather than political leaders, as their guide in reacting to their country’s problems. For more, go to : “Military joins hunt…” – http://www.nation.co.ke/News/Military%20joins%20hunt%20for%20Nairobi%20park%20bombers/-/1056/938868/-/ei5l7q/-/index.html

I am sending our prayer update early this week because our sources of joy and sorrow are in need of speedy and extra prayer support! My hope is that you begin praying today AND find ways to share these prayer nudges with other prayer warriors, including sharing the pictures/videos/links during your Wednesday night prayer time. I ask this because I know our Father hears and responds to our prayers! BERT

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Two more sites that you might want to click:

Football Fever – A fun/culture study with a bit of prayer nudges of how the World Cup fever is present in Kenya – http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=234038&id=685050129&l=b4a0eeef1a (You do not have to be a Facebook member to view these pictures.)

For a great view of African Ingenuity and Humor, check out PEPSI’s ad for the World Cup at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AiB3683PztQ&NR=1

June 9, 2010

I began this week’s Prayer Update last Thursday morning AND then on Saturday, we received word that Southern Baptist gave the “ third-largest Lottie Moon offering in history” this past year! Great news! News that deserves a big THANK YOU to our Southern Baptist friends! So, I quit MY PLAN and began a new photo album/prayer nudge to share our thanks for your gift – gifts we will not only use, but we will view how past gifts to Lottie Moon continue to reap benefits! You can find the good news from Baptist Press, “$148.9M is 3rd-largest Lottie Moon offering”, at http://www.bpnews.net/bpnews.asp?id=33071 . Our special “THANK YOU FOR GIVING TO LOTTIE MOON” is found at: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=233713&id=685050129&l=cc3317bcbe

The second happening occurred yesterday – definitely a time when seeing God at work took precedence over MY PLANS! Jack experienced the special event and as he shared it with me at dinner last night, I knew you had to hear it... So, Jack wrote this for you this morning (with comments made by BERT):

These days it seems to be all about connecting. Yesterday afternoon, five diverse representatives met at Ruiru Baptist Church (north of Nairobi) to discuss the new church plant in the Ngoingwa Community in Thika (further north). The Ruiru pastor, Samson Kisia, is the missionary energizer. He was also the oldest, wisest and more experienced of those meeting. His life and efforts had discipled everyone in the group. While awaiting for all to arrive, he and I talked history.

Listening was Mzungu Shume, the youngest of our group, a former member of Cindy Wilson’s (IMB missionary) IMPACT Group (Kenyan youth who traveled through East Africa sharing the gospel through drama, music, etc.), a Kenya Baptist Theological College graduate, and the church planter Ruiru Baptist Church sent to Ngoingwa. He had very little to add other than exclamations concerning our stories. From Malindi (Kenya coast), he had not yet been born when we moved from Mombasa in 1985.

Joining us next was my pastor from Parklands Baptist Church (Nairobi), Simon Mwangi whose enthusiasm and energy is unmatched in the areas of discipleship, evangelism and church planting. He is a “Resource Guy,” full of demographics and networks of groups and people. He always lives on the cutting edge!

Then came Pius, an assistant to Kisia, and an old Bible School student of mine. Quiet and resourceful, he leads others in participating in church planting. Five men from different age groups, people groups and even spiritual generations; five individuals with unique Spirit-led travels and experiences; five sets of gifts and talents; all bonded together by faith and experience in the call of God. Should I explain why we connected?

I (Bert) had to share Jack’s story because even before I knew of yesterday’s meeting, I had included the beginning of the Ngoingwa Baptist Church, as well as how Samson’s life has been affected by your gifts to the Lottie Moon Offering in the “Thank You” from us! As Jack’s story unfolded, I recognized that Mzungu’s life was affected by Lottie Moon as he grew up in one of the first Baptist churches, Malindi Baptist, and his experience through IMPACT was financed thanks to Lottie. Simon Mwangi was discipled through university student ministries guided by IMB missionaries and Journeymen – another example of past gifts to Lottie Moon continuing to reap benefits. And, the Bible School that Pius attended would not have happened had it not been for funds from Lottie!

I’ve always been told that explaining how a gift is used is a good point to make in a thank you note. So, I hope all I’ve shared in today’s update and the “Thank You for Giving to Lottie” photo album/prayer nudge will excite you as much as it excites us as we see God at work in our part of the world – thanks in part to your gifts to the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering! BERT

June 2, 2010

“What keeps you focused on God’s purpose?” This is the challenge given at the early service at Parklands Baptist Church in Nairobi last Sunday. Our associate pastor, Simon Mwangi, shared that he always keeps a book of flags close by, including a pocket-sized one, for use as a ready prayer guide for the nations of our world. As Simon asked his question last Sunday, he held a small globe. Purchased years ago from a street vendor, Simon keeps it in the center of his office work table as a special reminder of his personal call from God to carry out the Great Commission (Matthew 29:19-20).

As Simon talked, I thought of the “focus” items on my desk: two world atlases and several maps; multiple people group references; four dictionaries (American English, British English, English-Swahili, and a Swahili-English); an NIV Bible; and my dual clock with Kenyan time and the time of my kids in North Carolina.

I also thought of what I don’t have. For years, I have debated purchasing an addition to my miniature elephant collection for my desk. The desired elephant figurine is sold in local Asian shops in many poses/styles/sizes/costs. Those of the Hindu and other faiths give these as tokens of wishes for good luck, health, wealth, etc., on special occasions. I haven’t purchased this miniature as I knew some friends might think that my having it on my desk was wrong or even evil. Yet, as Simon spoke, I realized that these figurines are already my personal “focus on God’s purpose” item. Each time I see these elephants in the shops where groceries, clothing, make-up, jewelry, or even DVDs are sold, I am challenged anew to pray for those in our world who lack the promise and assurances I have of God’s love and salvation. I am also re-challenged to find how I can be an active part of making, encouraging and strengthening disciples – my Savior’s command!

Last Sunday’s service, Parkland's annual mission emphasis, also included a parade of flags – always a “moving” time, but experiencing this on the “mission field” is extra exciting and challenging! Which leads to a question you may be asking: If God is moving in Kenya in such a strong way, why do Jack and I continue to feel that God is calling us here? Because, too few Kenyan Christians share Simon’s zeal for obeying the Great Commission - too many are still “babies” in their faith due to a lack of discipling and teaching. There are also many people groups in Kenya who have not yet heard of our Savior’s Good News. Kenya also houses thousands of workers or refugees from other countries – some who do not yet know of God’s love; others are Believers, but like Kenyans, they are not active participants of the Great Commission. Added to all of this, Kenya is surrounded by countries where there are still many people groups with only a few or no Believers and Kenyan disciples have unique opportunities to be God’s ambassadors in these places. Plus, Jack and I receive daily assurance that we are obeying God’s call as He provides us with opportunities to strengthen and encourage African Christians to be a part of our Savior’s discipleship multiplication plan!

Simon also reminded us last Sunday that although we live in a world of change and uncertainties, “God’s plan and strategy has never changed.” The Holy Spirit still equips each Christian to be our Father’s witnesses “to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8) and to “go and make disciples of all nations” (Matthew 28:19). So… what keeps you focused on God’s purpose? I’m going shopping tomorrow and I will send you a picture of my little personal prayer focus next week! BERT

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For a few pictures to make this Prayer Update “real”, go to: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=231439&id=685050129&l=aaac6eedc7