"Humble ourselves before our God and ask him for a safe journey for us and … our possessions” (Ezra 8:21) – I wanted to share this prayer last week, but felt it was unwise to announce to the world that our home would be empty for several nights! Yes, missionaries do have to think of these things when living in a country where home security guards are a necessity! We did safely make the trip to and from Kenya’s coast and our home was also secure, BUT after viewing pictures captured along the way, I realized that I should have ranked our personal safety above our household items! Hopefully, a new Prayer NUDGE Photo Album, “Asking God for a Safe Journey”, will guide you in praying for us and other missionaries in the future!
Our 7+ hour journey to Mombasa was planned so Jack could attend a Mombasa Baptist High School Board of Governors’ meeting on Friday and their annual graduation on Saturday, as well as a bit of survey work. My job was to increase prayer support for coastal Baptist work. We returned home praising God for a successful time of work and a bit of rest – thanks to the greatly reduced rates at a hotel undergoing renovations, our room overlooked the Indian Ocean!
Our Father also blessed us with a renewed commitment to “Strengthening the disciples and encouraging them to remain true to the faith” until the eternal gospel is proclaimed to all “those who live on the earth – to every nation, tribe, language and people” (Acts 14:22; Revelation 14:6). Jack was encouraged as he listened to the accomplishments, struggles, plans and dreams of the Mombasa Baptist High School staff as they continue in the footsteps of the early IMB missionaries to Kenya by being a witness of our Father’s love and salvation on the coast – an area where many follow other faiths. Many kids from non-Christian homes attend the school even though chapel and Christian Religious classes are required of all students. One student jokingly said she choose Mombasa Baptist because they served the best lunches of any school, but it was a time of praise for spiritual food as I watched students from other backgrounds join classmates, families and guests at graduation in singing “Jesus is the truth, the way…Believe in Him without delay… Only trust Him! Only trust Him! He will save you!”
Recommitment also came from hearing co-workers narrate the problems of sharing the Good News with the people who have captured their hearts – a People Group so controlled by fear and suspicion that they refuse to open their homes or hearts to outsiders. Praise also came as Jack shared that one of his seminary students is a teacher at a government school among this people group – which means there is now a Believer with open doors to the community!
As always, I could go on and on, but I will end by asking that you join us in praying for the staff and faculty of Mombasa Baptist High School as they lead their students in “Service to God and my country.” Pray that Christians on Kenya’s coast will be bold and wise ambassadors of their Savior. Pray for Jack next week as he teaches Church Planting Methodology with its bold challenge of sharing one’s testimony in a Bible School in Machakos, an area that borders the Coastal Province. Pray for me as I process the pictures from the coast and find ways to use them to lead others in prayer for our part of the world. BERT
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New Prayer Nudge Picture Album: “Asking God for a Safe Journey” athttp://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=316007&id=685050129&l=693203093d
It was an exciting worship service – thanks to the music, fellowship and teaching of God’s Word, I was recharged. But as I left the sanctuary and greeted a young friend, her eyes spoke sorrow, not joy, as she said, “Will our church and other Christians ever be this passionate about reaching my people?”
“Our God is Faithful!” This is how Pastor Ben ended a narrative of the history of Umoja Baptist Church. The story began with Ben and his wife attending Dandora Baptist Church, begun in the 1980’s by Kenyan Baptists and IMB missionaries. Committed to discipleship, Dandora Baptist had neighborhood “Home Cells” for small group Bible study and fellowship. Ben and Patricia joined the group in Umoja, a residential area east of Dandora. In 2002, this couple and four of their Umoja neighbours chose to "go and make disciples " (Matthew 28:19-20) in their own neighborhood. Umoja Baptist first met in a home, then in a nursery school and now meets in their own two-story building (with room to grow upwards) nestled between rows of multi-storied middle class apartment buildings.
Between being colder for days than my body appreciates and seeing the sun for only brief moments in the last week, my mind is trying to hibernate – which leaves me very frustrated. Before leaving for a training meeting I began writing this week’s update with lots of information on how to pray for those celebrating Ramadhan. Unfortunately, my preparation did not include moving the pre-written bit from my home computer to my baby travel computer! So, you will get that information next week, but there is good news – this allows more time to share other items in need of prayer support.
We have just completed a five day IMB East Africa leadership meeting – YEP, some of you may have noted a familiar name! When we arrived in Kenya in 1978, many were upset that there was no longer an East Africa mission, but separate Kenyan, Ugandan and Tanzanian missions. In the current re-organization, our part of the world became Sub-Saharan Africa and our cluster/division was titled Equatorial Africa, but in recent weeks it was renamed and once again we are the East Africa Cluster! Jack and I were among the few that found this humorous as many of our new co-workers had not yet been born when we arrived in Kenya.
This week, one of our co-workers shared his work of teaching Baptist believers to share their faith without “religious” words which those of other faiths or no faith – which is hard to do! Can you imagine sharing your faith with someone who does not understand the meanings of grace or salvation– yet, if you use these words they may not understand what you are sharing or shut you out before they can understand. Yet, as this friend shared, it is all worth it when you hear, “You’ve told me a message today that I’ve never heard, but I know it is true and I want to follow this Jesus.” This is why we and our co-workers are still here.
So this week, my prayer request is that you pray for Jack and me as we continue to find ways to “strengthen and encourage” Kenyan Baptists and our IMB co-workers so that we can all be better equipped and able to share our Father’s Good News and disciple those who accept His love and salvation – disciples who can then make new disciples! Pray especially during the next two weeks for our co-workers who serve among those celebrating Ramadhan. Pray that the Holy Spirit will guide their conversations as they talk with those who are searching in a deeper way during Ramadhan for a better relationship with God. BERT YATES