“Four new churches have been birthed by five churches begun earlier this year by volunteers!” “In an area where volunteers and Kenyans built new homes for those without adequate housing, so many new churches have started that a new Baptist association was formed last month!” “In the area where Church Planting Movement methods was recently taught, the older churches are growing and have started five new churches.” “Bible study groups in the poorest areas of Nairobi are growing and reproducing and many desire to become a church – How do I help them?” “Because of this new church, neighborhoods are being touched, lives are being changed, the gospel is reaching people in our city and across our country who have never heard it.” “Our church celebrated our one year birthday today by baptizing 15 new Believers!” “I wish many the Baptist missionaries who discipled me could see what God has done in Kenya.”
Last week as we sat in a meeting with our IMB co-workers, we heard many words that I often prefer to omit from my vocabulary and at times question if they are simply busy work provided by our sending agency – words such as action plans, goals, budgets, objectives, values, end vision. But as I listened to the hopes and dreams of co-workers, especially several young missionaries who are serving in new and difficult work areas, as well as Kenyan Baptists, I finally found the right words to describe what Jack and I have seen, heard and experienced in recent weeks: END VISIONS! Some of these were our own end visions, but most we have seen completed/ accomplished/reached were those of our first East African missionaries and early Kenyan Baptists. (Join us in praying for one of these special end vision times, which leads to a new set of end visions by viewing MULTIPLYING DISCIPLESHIP.
Does this mean our (IMB missionaries) work in Kenya finished? No! Our human end-visions are simply steps towards the true end-vision of our heavenly Father, an END VISION which will not be reached until the eternal gospel is proclaimed “to every nation, tribe, language and people” (Revelation 14:6)and a
representative from each of these are praising our Father in heaven! And as we heard last week, there are still at least 60 people groups in Sub-Sahara Africa alone who have not heard our Good News and many, many more people groups have heard but not responded!
Which brings me back to THAT list of words – to be an able worker in our Father’s harvest, we must know what He has called us to do and we must be prepared – which requires active action plans and objectives! So our prayer requests this week: Pray for Jack and me as we dedicate time in the next few weeks to reviewing/ revising/ reassessing how we should be joining in our Father’s work. Pray that we will find the most effective ways to strengthen and encourage our Christian coworkers as we share
our Father’s love and salvation. Pray especially for insight as we analyze the newly released Kenyan Census.** Pray that we will be totally sensitive to the guidance of the Holy Spirit in all we plan and more importantly in all that we do! I will send an extra prayer update this week-end as Ramadhan ends, but do pray for an awareness of truth as this is the time “when Muslims have confidence that God will intercede.”*** BERT YATES
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*Prayer Photo Album – MULTIPYING DISCIPLESHIP - http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=292761&id=685050129&l=5872a9ff9a
** 2009 Kenyan Census
- “Kenya growing at a million people a year” (Daily Nation, 09-01-10, pp,1,4) - http://www.nation.co.ke/News/Kenya%20growing%20at%20a%20million%20people%20a%20year%20/-/1056/1000846/-/ir14es/-/index.html
- “Kenya by numbers” (The Standard, 09-01-10, pp.1,4) - http://www.standardmedia.co.ke/InsidePage.php?id=2000017306&catid=4&a=1
- Census shatters a popular myth: City slum is home to only 170,070 people (Saturday NATION, 4/9/10, pp.10-11) – http://www.nation.co.ke/News/Kibera%20numbers%20fail%20to%20add%20up/-/1056/1003404/-/13ga38xz/-/index.html
- The Census records 18.3 million members of Protestant churches in Kenya, but this does not reflect the number of growing, maturing Christians who are an active part of the Multiplying Discipleship of the Great Commission. The following article is just one example of the difficulties faced by Kenyan churches:
“I protect the boats from all misfortune” (Saturday NATION, 4/9/10, p.3) – http://www.nation.co.ke/News/I%20protect%20the%20boats%20from%20all%20misfortune%20/-/1056/1003334/-/ildjh0z/-/index.html
***“Gearing up to break the fast” – http://www.standardmedia.co.ke/InsidePage.php?id=2000017760&cid=4&
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