July 28, 2010

“We must continue praising God and praying like a chicken in search of food.” This African translation of 1 Thessalonians 5:16-17 was well understood when shared at Parklands Baptist new church plant last Sunday with young couples who are Setting an Example of what God can do with “youth.” Nairobi is a huge international city, but quite a few residents are awoken by a rooster or two each morning and a chicken searching unceasingly for food is a common site!

This new church plant along Mombasa Road had been actively planned for years. The well-educated business people, who wanted to begin a church in their part of the city with growing residential areas and few churches, had a long list to tick off before the official start. Finally, they realized that their “business plan” was logical, but they were relying on human abilities, rather than God’s! So the church began on July 4th without the “dream” property, funds for a building, etc.

I thought of this as I read Isaiah 47:10 this week – We do allow our “‘wisdom and knowledge” to mislead us and keep us from the incredible joy of being a part of God’s work! We also question why God is not answering our prayers while overlooking that He is waiting for us to roll-up our sleeves and join Him in His work - or as the pastor of the new church said last Sunday, “Our prayers are being answered because we got involved.” As we left church last Sunday afternoon, I asked Jack if he would have time for his traditional Sunday afternoon nap. His reply, “I’m tired, but I’m too excited to sleep after being at church!”

We saw another example of men and women trusting God in spite of many unknowns at last Friday’s Kenya Baptist Theological College graduation. Very few

of the 50 students who received an Advanced Diploma in Christian Education, Diploma in Theology, or a BA through a partnership with Wayland Baptist University in Texas, began their studies assured of fees or knowing if they could balance school, family and work – and many who began did not graduate. But all the struggles and sacrifices, including the tensions of the 2008 Post-Election crisis, were forgotten as the students and their families, friends and church sisters/brothers celebrated and praised God for meeting the needs of these men and women and their increased ability as Workers Approved by God.

Last week, also included visiting a young summer missionary who lived with a Kenyan pastor’s family for two months while serving in local Baptist ministries. Many people tried to discourage her from coming, but she was sure God was leading her to live and work in a part of Nairobi that many would feel was unsafe. She is returning to the US with an incredible testimony of how she saw God at work in Kenya and an increased desire to continue being a part of His work!

Yes, we’ve had a good week, but it was no “accident” – that is what happens when actions and plans are strengthened by prayer, such as your prayers as we helped teach the last course of one of the graduating classes – like our church experience, it was exhausting, but exhilarating! In the next two weeks, Kenya definitely needs you to be “praying like a chicken in search of food.” Kenyans will vote on a proposed new constitution on August 4th. Many are using this vote to strengthen their own agendas, rather than seeking what it best for the whole country. Please pray for peace and wisdom for Kenyans during this time. BERT

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TWO NEW PHOTO ALBUMS:

Setting an Example: A glimpse of heaven in the 4th service of the new church along Mombasa Road where young adults of one nation, but many tribes, peoples and languages seek to begin a church where they can share their Father's love and salvation in their part of Nairobi – http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=258477&id=685050129&l=fbc8acdeec

Workers Approved by God: Glimpse how God is at work among Kenyan Baptists as you view the July 23, 2010, graduation at Kenya Baptist Theological College - illustrated with the key Bible verses for the service: Deuteronomy 6:1-9 and 2 Timothy 2:14-15 – http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=258050&id=685050129&l=69655b1ff4

July 20, 2010

“See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?” As I read God’s challenge to His children in Isaiah 43:19, two questions arose in my mind: How many of His new things around me have I not perceived? How often do I perceive these new things, but overlook giving Him the thanks and glory?

During a recent time of frustrations, Jack and I committed ourselves to focusing more on what God is doing, rather than on problems and what the devil was doing! The result has been that we are perceiving many of God’s new things and having incredible opportunities to be a part of some of these!

The top new thing in our life has been participating in a new church plant. As I looked over pictures of the first two services, I realized a possible way to measure the strength of a new church start – the number of church planters who arrive with milk bottles, juice packs and snacks – not for themselves, but for little ones! These young couples are starting this church to reach those who don’t know their Savior in their part of Nairobi,but there is an extra commitment when the participants are planting a church to nurture and train their babies, toddlers and children to be God’s children! AND, God is blessing their commitment!

Jack and I had a very special time of seeing God’s new “old” things last week. Retired co-workers, who were a part of many new church starts while serving with the IMB, asked for updates. Jack realized that at least three of these churches were in the midst of building needed new sanctuaries – so last Friday we walked through building sites. All three churches were started by IMB missionaries and Kenyan Baptists. Those of you who gave to the Cooperative Program and Lottie Moon Offerings in the 1980’s and 90’s

were also a part of planting these churches, not only as you supported your IMB missionaries, but as you helped build the first sanctuaries and made sure that there was Sunday School materials to use and seminary trained pastors to serve the churches!

You are not “funding” these new sanctuaries – not a negative, but a positive as the members of these churches pay for their new sanctuaries, bit by bit, which means that your past investment in these churches/ Christians is reaping benefits as they take responsibility for God’s work in their country! During our tour, I realized that I was seeing how your investments in past work in Kenya are continuing to reap benefits that are immeasurable! It was hard to capture all of this in a prayer photo album and to reduce 1000 pictures to 20, but I promise you that even the glimpse shared in “Bursting at the Seams Legacy Churches” will leave you praising and thanking God! These pictures are at:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=256919&id=685050129&l=b7bdb367c9

You are receiving our Prayer Update a day early as I’m going to be a part of a new thing – teaching at our seminary. A class which graduates on Friday lacked one class on Communications, so Jack is teaching them today and my turn is tomorrow. So tomorrow – as always – I will be depending upon your prayers, BERT

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While editing pictures from our church tour, I found pictures that will share a different bit of our lives. Kenya now has Nakumatts, Uchumis and other chains of stores that sell a little of everything, but the "bestest" and "funnest" shopping in Nairobi is still on the streets and in the markets. For a view of what you can spot in one morning, check out "Who needs a Walmart?” at: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=256480&id=685050129&l=d85b4dd5e3

You can find more on Ridgeways Baptist Church in a blog prepared in 2008 as a Lottie Moon promotion: http://ridgewaysbaptistchurch.blogspot.com/

July 14, 2010

"Strengthening and encouraging as we engage lostness together” (Acts 14:22; Revelations 14:6) – I first used this phrase years ago in a budget request for my work at Kenya Baptist Media. I didn’t spend a lot of time composing this phrase – I remember thinking the request would have more strength IF my major goal was God’s Word! And to be honest, I thought these scriptures came to mind at the time as a result of my research for writing a Bible study book. I was wrong! The Holy Spirit put these words in my mind and He was showing me how God would allow Jack and me to be His fellow workers in the coming years.

I’m continually amazed by how this phrase is the perfect answer when we are asked, “What do missionaries do?” God allows us to “strengthen and encourage as we engage lostness together.” The first “we” is Jack and me. The second “we” refers most often to Kenyan Baptists and sometimes to volunteers and our missionary co-workers. It also relates to YOU, those who support us through your financial and personnel support and most importantly your prayer support – for when you support us and others involved in God’s work, you are a part of the TOGETHER engaging the lost!

God has allowed many opportunities for us to join Him in His work this week. Jack is meeting with a young volunteer as I write. The young man wants to return as a longer-term volunteer and wants to know how his computer skills can be used to strengthen and encourage Kenyan Baptists and God’s work and engage lostness together. Jack has also spent many hours this week grading papers as he continues strengthening and encouraging students at our seminary.

I am in awe of how God enables me to use the internet to strengthen and encourage as we engage lostness together. The young Kenyan Baptist pastor of one newer church plant wrote this week and shared these words: “We received a letter of eviction from our landlord because of outstanding rent and in my prayer I asked God what should I do…With no support and in full ministry I wept and thought for a while if I did the wrong decision….I went through the blog/pictures you did of (our church) and I found a reason for my being there. Obedience to the Lord… Kindly pray with us…its only God who can and will provide for us.”

As missionaries, we do often use our, truthfully YOUR money, thanks to Lottie Moon and the Cooperative Program, to meet needs, but we continually find that what God needs us to do is to simply use the abilities/opportunities that He has given to us to encourage and support Kenyan Baptists as they claim “Unique responsibilities to do something with God” – the challenge given at the 2nd meeting of the new church on Mombasa Road – a great reminder that THE work is God’s, YET He allows us the joy of being a part of His work. We experienced this joy last Sunday as we met with 100 friends from Parklands Baptist at the new church plant. I can’t capture in words or pictures the joy of being a part of a new church start with other Christians, especially when these are young mature Kenyan Baptist families! BUT there is an attempt at “Blessed Assurance” at: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=254902&id=685050129&l=7432b5d7d3

Thank you once again for allowing us to be a part of "Strengthening and encouraging as we engage lostness together” as you support us in so many ways, especially through your prayers! God is listening and responding and allowing us – YOU, Jack and me – to engage lostness in our world together! BERT YATES

July 7, 2010

“When you pioneer something, there is celebration.” These were the opening words spoken last Sunday at the first service of a new church along Mombasa Road on the edge of Nairobi. Then the committed and well-discipled young musician leading this special time of worship led 150 committed church planters in reading/reciting Psalm 100 – and YES, it was an incredible time of shouting for joy, worshiping with gladness, and acknowledging that our LORD IS GOD!

Jack and I do have discouraging moments (actually lots), but there are more incredible highs as we see our heavenly Father at work and how he blesses those who desire to be his fellow workers! Unlike many missionaries, not only do we have the blessing of planting and watering the seeds (1 Corinthians 3:6-9) in East Africa, we are seeing the seeds of past missionaries and committed Africans grow and reproduce themselves in obedience to our Savior’s Great Commission!

We’ve see this in recent days as Jack teaches at Kenya Baptist Theological College. He returns home each day totally exhausted AND totally excited as he shares of his students’ commitment to being equipped servants of our Father. We experienced joy when a volunteer shared the highlight of her trip – She was excited about those who claimed our Savior’s salvation as a result of her testimony, but she was even more excited about her translator’s request to copy the volunteer’s actions and do the “witnessing” on the last day. Tears streamed down the volunteer’s face as she shared of the joy of the young woman who became “hooked” on witnessing as new Christians were born that day! We knew gladness as we hosted 10 volunteers at our house last night – all recent university graduates committed to carrying out the Great Commission. Their desire to go, make, and teach disciples is truly worthy of “shouting for joy!”

But the greatest joy this past week was being a part of the new church last Sunday. Church starts are always exciting, but my greatest joy came as I remembered the “testimonies” of those I was photographing. I spotted several who are the spiritual children of my former missionary colleagues and Kenyan sisters and brothers. I saw many friends who were discipled during their high school and university days thanks to missionaries (foreign and home) committed to ministering to students. I spotted a young man who acted as a missionary during his days as a student in an Asian country – the same young man who had been in Jack’s RA group (mission’s group for boys) in the late 1970’s! I spotted the grandchildren of one of our first Kenyan Baptist pastors – The kids’ parents and grandparents were discipled by your Southern Baptist missionaries and now they are committed to making disciples of others – an incredible example of our Father’s faithfulness continuing “through all generations”! For a view of some of those photos and more information, including prayer guides, go to “His Faithfulness Continues” at http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=252181&id=685050129&l=d00fb474e6

AND I also felt joy as it was shared last Sunday that people all over our world were praying for this new church – THANK YOU for being among those praying! Your investment of prayer, financial and personnel support is resulting in incredible returns – God is at work in Kenya! BERT YATES