November 30, 2010

I’m frustrated, very frustrated at the moment!  There are simply too many prayer items this week to fit into one concise prayer update.  Also, this is the WEEK OF PRAYER FOR INTERNATIONAL MISSIONS(1) - which means I was hoping to only share prayer items to strengthen that prayer emphasis; BUT there are two events happening tomorrow, December 1st, which need lots of prayer support – items which impact our ability to GET THERE in reaching our world for Christ.  Most of you receiving  our Prayer Updates awaken eight hours or more after our part of the world each morning; therefore,  I am sending this week’s Prayer Update a day early as one of these events will occur before many of you awaken tomorrow and the other event will be completed in much of our world!

The first special event is a National Day of Prayer in Southern Sudan.  Jack and I had the joy of hosting three Southern Baptist leaders from the US and Canada last weekend before they flew to Juba for this event.  One sent this message today: “The National Day of Prayer on December 1st is sponsored by Pres. Salva Kiir and will include government, church and civil service leaders. I had planned it for half day, but they have expanded it to last all day! PTL! Please be praying.”  These prayers precede a national referendum scheduled for January 9, 2011, to decide if Southern Sudan separates from Sudan, Kenya’s north/west neighbor – a key issue in an area riddled by war for 50 years.  For more information and prayer guidance, read Pray for the Needs of Southern Sudan/Christianity Today (2).  

December 1st is also WORLD AIDS DAY. Please take time to praise God for those ministering to individuals infected/ affected by HIV/AIDS.  Praise God for those teaching how to avoid this pandemic which affects many, many more people than those infected.  Praise God for better treatments and reduced suffering from all infected/ affected.  On this international day of awareness, pray that hearts will turn to finding stronger ways to eradicate this menace and minister to those suffering.  The Chuka Voluntary Counseling and Testing Centre (eastern Kenya) was begun by Baptist AIDS Response Agency. Today BARA(3) is an NGO ministering in many places in Africa, but its beginnings were linked to IMB missionaries in Kenya.  You can find additional information of how Southern Baptists can respond to the HIV/AIDS pandemic at World AIDS Day/Baptist Global Response(4).

One more item – a reminder, before I  end this epistle!  Please do take time to view  Lottie MOON 2010 Daily Prayer Nudge Photo Album (5), which has daily answers to “Are We There Yet” in touching the Unreached People of our World with our Father’s love and salvation.  You can find more answers from East Africa at “JE! TUMEFIKA? Lottie Moon 2010” (6).

Did you know that by reading this Prayer Update to the end you have lessened my level of frustration? The reason:  I am confident that you will be supporting our concerns in prayer.  We do depend upon your prayers, your sending personnel and your provision of finances as we obey God’s call in Kenya, BERT
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(1) WEEK OF PRAYER FOR INTERNATIONAL MISSIONS -  http://www.imb.org/main/pray/page.asp?StoryID=5624&LanguageID=1709
(2) Pray for the Needs of Southern Sudan - Christianity Today -  http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2010/novemberweb-only/56-11.0.html
(3) Baptist AIDS RESPONSE AGENCY IN AFRICA - http://www.baptbara.org/
(4) World AIDS Day/Baptist Global Response -   http://www.baptistglobalresponse.com/new/aids.php
       BGR in Sub-Saharan Africa - http://www.baptistglobalresponse.com/new/articles.php?id=3
(5) LOTTIE MOON 2010 Daily Prayer Nudge Photo Album from Kenya –   https://lottiemoon2010kenya.wordpress.com/ 
(6) “JE! TUMEFIKA? Lottie Moon 2010” at:  http://lottiemoon2010-kenya.blogspot.com/

November 24, 2010

While preparing a new Lottie Moon 2010 Prayer Nudge Photo Album* (option below for those who don’t visit websites!) this week and the new blog,  “JE! TUMEFIKA?  Lottie Moon 2010”**  last week to answer the question Southern Baptists will hear during their Week of Prayer for International Prayer, I’ve asked myself  another question:  Why do I feel so compelled to answer, “Are We There Yet?” ***   In my heart, I know the answer is much deeper than “Because IT IS MY JOB as a Prayer/ Missions Advocate.”  So today, I will try to answer why I MUST offer a full response to “Are We There Yet?”  from our part of the world!

~ I am a Christian, therefore I must meet my Savior’s challenge in Acts 1:8 – I must be His witness wherever I am!  I believe that making disciples, baptizing, and teaching all that He commanded in Matthew 28:19-20 is not just for some Christians, but all Christians –even those without a career title of “missionary”!

~ I want the “ALL” in Psalm 67:3 to become a reality - I want “all the peoples” of our world to be included in praising our God and claiming His love and salvation!

~ I was trained as a child by WMU’ers who taught me “We’ve a Story to Tell to the Nations” – “A story of truth and mercy … of peace and light…a song … that shall lift their hearts to the Lord … a message … That the Lord … Hath sent His Son to save us And show that God is love.”  Thankfully, I was also taught through WMU to personally claim our Father’s salvation and to be among those making certain “That all the world’s great people Might come to the truth of God.”

~ I must share my answer to “Are We there Yet?”  BECAUSE I CAN!  Many seeking to carry out the Great Commission to all nations cannot share freely and openly due to problems the world throws in their way and threats made to those who listen and respond to our Savior’s Good News.  I know that my story and prayer items are different from those of these fellow workers, but my prayer is that from my experiences you can learn new ways to pray and support those who cannot freely share.

~ I also know that Jack and I and our IMB colleagues must have the prayer, personnel and financial support of Southern Baptists to do our part of sharing our Father’s love and salvation with all People! I also know humans well enough to know that one is more likely to offer prayer/ personnel/ finances and continue to do so IF they are aware of the incredible returns of current gifts and the continuing returns that past gifts are continuing to reap!

~ I am absolutely certain that God has called Jack and me to be among his co-workers in East Africa.  I know that our Father didn’t only call us to be here, he prepared us and gave us adequate gifts to strengthen and encourage other disciples as we engage lostness together (Acts 14:22; Rev 14:6) – I seek to do this as I find stories/needs/praises that will lead others to prayer and Jack does it as he teaches/mentors those in our seminary, Bible Schools and in our Kenyan Baptist Churches.

As Americans celebrate Thanksgiving, we are thankful for you – the ones who provide the prayer/ personnel/financial support we and our coworkers around the world depend upon as we seek to do our part in making certain that WE ARE THERE in reaching all of our world for Christ!  BERT YATES

PS:  We will celebrate Thanksgiving at a Spiritual Retreat with our Kenya and Tanzania mission family –THANKS to your support from Lottie!
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*      LOTTIE MOON 2010 Daily Prayer Nudge Photo Album from Kenya – Will be updated daily until January 1, 2011 – Three options:
- https://lottiemoon2010kenya.wordpress.com/  (Blog format which allows for subscribing for delivery of prayer nudges to your e-mail address)
- http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=333830&id=685050129&l=146c063c0c     (Photo Album on Facebook – open to all)
- If you among those who never hit a link, send me a note and I will send you a weekly e-mail with all the Prayer Nudges and photos added each week!

**    “JE! TUMEFIKA? Lottie Moon 2010” at:  http://lottiemoon2010-kenya.blogspot.com/

*** “Are We There Yet?”– http://www.imb.org/main/lead/page.asp?StoryID=7698&LanguageID=1709

November 17, 2010

Today’s Prayer Update will be short and sweet – as my fingers are sore and my eyes are cross-eyed! BUT after hours of work, the new blog , “JE! TUMEFIKA? Lottie Moon 2010” is comleted – a kaleidoscope of pictures, comments, prayer nudges, etc., to help you understand how God is at work in our part of the world and how Lottie has been involved!  For when you give to Lottie, you are allowing your missionaries to do what God has called us to do as we join others working in His Harvest Field!

I do ask that even those of you who don’t usually click onto other spots of the internet, please take time to view: “JE! TUMEFIKA?  Lottie Moon 2010” at: http://lottiemoon2010-kenya.blogspot.com/ … AND in this time when usually any “news” is bad news, I ask that you also take time to share this blog which includes LOTS of good news about the best GOOD NEWS of all!  I began to ask you to also join us in praying and praising God for the issues mentioned in the blog, but if you take time to view “JE! TUMEFIKA?  Lottie Moon 2010”  this will happen!

Before I give my fingers and eyes a rest, I must take time to say again that we do need you to support the Lottie Moon Offering, but we also need your prayers for God’s work in our world – those of us among His co-laborers do depend upon your prayers!  We also depend upon your involvement as co-laborers – those who are former/retired missionaries and the thousands of volunteers and praise God for you.  So… now I ask that you stop reading this e-mail and click:  “JE! TUMEFIKA?  Lottie Moon 2010”     BERT YATES

*** Pictures included in this blog are from the new blog!

November 10, 2010

WARNING: This week’s Prayer Update is longer than usual, but unlike most news you will hear or read this week, it is filled with good news, lots of GOOD NEWS!

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“Je? Tumefika?” Southern Baptist will hear this question in the 2010 Lottie Moon/ Week of Prayer* emphasis, but it will likely not be asked in Swahili, but in English as, “Are we there yet?” – “THERE” refers to “How far have we come and how much farther must we go to reach our lost world for Christ?” I’ll share more next week in a “Je? Tumefika” Prayer Nudge Photo Album, but our answer is so exciting that I have to begin sharing our answers today: La, Bado and Ndiyo.

LA or NO, the Good News of our Father has not arrived among all people groups in Kenya or in Africa. BADO or NOT YET is also an answer as there are still many people groups in our midst with less than 2 percent claiming a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

Now for the GOOD NEWS: In Kenya, we can also answer not just NDIYO or YES– but a double YES! NDIYO, many, many people groups in Kenya and in our part of the world are now included in the peoples who praise our God (Psalm 67:3, NIV). The second NDIYO is an even more exciting answer as many Kenyan Baptist are not only among those praising God, they are also claiming the end of Psalm 67:3, “May all the peoples praise you.” They are actively accepting responsibility for making certain that ALL the peoples of our world, beginning with those in their country and continent, praise our God! Jack received proof of their desire in many ways last week!

~ Text messages from pastor in central Kenya continuing Jack’s CPM training: “I have started CPM project with 7 at Ngaburi … Kirinyaga, Laikipia CPM was successful. 35 saints discipled … 23 attended the CPM in Kinaba … 23 attended CPM Nanyuki … 3 preaching points are projected by Equator Baptist Church.”

~ In a cell phone text message, a Kenya Baptist Theological College (KBTC) student from the Lake Victoria area asked for prayer as he spoke to a Standard 8 class a few days before they began their national exams. Jack texted that our FACEBOOK friends were praying for him. The next day, Christopher sent this text message: “I experienced the greatest movement of the presence. Everybody got challenged. Thanks for being behind the curtains in prayers.” Next week this young man will be teaching what he has learned from Jack about church planting at an Anglican church in Nairobi.

~ “Jack, Harbari njema kutokana CPM ya Busia. (Kiswahili for: Good news from the Church Planting Movement in Busia/ near Uganda border.) I have news of the beginning of two new Bible Schools in our association and one in the nearby Teso Association. Please pray for this is God’s work. YESU ASIFIWE SANA (Praise Jesus) … I was with 15 churches from 4 associations, Teso, Busia, Vininga, and Busia Uganda” – Text messages from a Kenya pastor from near the Uganda border who is trained in Jack’s CPM seminars as he met with area pastors hoping to begin CPM teachings, but the meeting turned into a desire to train pastors and leaders in neighboring areas – including areas with unreached people groups in Kenya and in Uganda!

~ Via cell phone calls, Jack’s prayers for God’s direction for 2011 were answered: Moses, a seminary graduate and a youth leader in Busia area, requested that Jack “come and teach CPM in their (beginning) Bible Schools sometime in 2011” – THESE new Bible Schools are the ones beginning after promotion of CPM training in the area! Robert from Turkana (north Kenya) requested that Jack “come and teach CPM in Turkana for 2011.” Eman of Mt Elgon, a recent KBTC graduate and leader of seven Sabaot churches on the mountain, also requested that Jack begin teaching CPM in his area in January – like Turkana, Mount Elgon on the Uganda border is an area with few Believers whose neighbors are among the least or yet-to-be reached people groups!

~Through personal contact, Jack was also invited this week to teach CPM in Kakamega to a group planting four new churches in their area. Another KBTC student and former teacher at Mombasa Baptist High School requested Jack’s help in planning an area wide CPM training next year in an area north of Nairobi!

We are praising God for allowing us to join His work of “Strengthening and encouraging as we engage lostness together” (Acts 14:22; Rev 14:6) until “all the peoples praise” our God (Psalm 67:3). We also praise God that our “WE” who are engaging lostness includes Kenyan Baptists, a new opportunity I have to strengthen and encourage a prayer team from another continent, and YOU! BERT YATES

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* Are We There Yet? – http://www.imb.org/main/lead/page.asp?StoryID=7698&LanguageID=1709

DAILY PRAYER NUDGES FROM KENYA – “Prayer Nudges from the Yates - to share how we're praying day by day and how you can join in praying for God's work in East Africa” click or go to: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=329334&id=685050129&l=8f7c7f4ef9 (New pictures added several times each week.)

SPECIAL EMPHASIS ON PRAYING FOR KENYAN STUDENTS: “October and November is exam time in Kenya. Kids in Form Four are taking the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Examination (KSCE) from October 21 through November 16, 2010. During these 19 days of exams, the students are sitting for national exams in all they have learned during their four years of high school. Kids in Standard 8 take their Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KSPE) during the week of November 8-12. Pray for good health, peace in their lives, confidence - you can add more - for these kids during these critical tests which will determine future educational and life opportunities for these kids!” … found at: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=327721&id=685050129&l=73a546ec9a

More Pictures?

In the past months, due to the capabilities/disabilities of our local internet services, I have found it easiest to use FACEBOOK as the means of sharing PRAYER NUDGE PHOTO ALBUMS with you. I know that many of you have no desire to add FACEBOOK membership to your daily life and that is very understandable! SO… I’ve found a way for you non-FACEBOOK members to access all the PRAYER NUDGES that I post!

As of today, November 5, 2010, I have begun a new “open-to-all” photo album: DAILY PRAYER NUDGES FROM KENYA – “Prayer Nudges from the Yates - to share how we're praying day by day and how you can join in praying for God's work in East Africa.” I will post a new photo/prayer suggestion several times each week. If you want to view these ever changing Prayer Nudges, simply click or paste and go via your internet Browser to http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=329334&id=685050129&l=8f7c7f4ef9 – THEN SAVE this address as one of your FAVORITES in your internet program which will allow you to easily return to this Prayer Nudge Photo Album for updates. (“Colour and More Colour” on the left is the photo for the DAILY PRAYER NUDGE that I added today.)

I also occasionally run special PRAYER NUDGE FOCUSES on FACEBOOK such as: PRAYING FOR KENYA’S STUDENTS – “October and November is exam time in Kenya. Kids in Form Four are taking the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Examination (KSCE) from October 21 through November 16, 2010. During these 19 days of exams, the students are sitting for national exams in all they have learned during their four years of high school. Kids in Standard 8 take their Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KSPE) during the week of November 8-12. Pray for good health, peace in their lives, confidence - you can add more - for these kids during these critical tests which will determine future educational and life opportunities for these kids!” PRAYING FOR KENYA’S STUDENTS will be updated throughout the 2010 exams and can be found at: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=327721&id=685050129&l=73a546ec9a . (Today’s addition to PRAYING FOR KENYA’S STUDENTS is “Smiling Students”.)

Thank you once again for your prayer support and for your encouragement! We do rely upon you, BERT

November 3, 2010

“Do you enjoy the flicker of candles and/or the dazzle of fireworks? Then you need to learn about DIWALI!” These words begin the DIWALI PRAYER NUDGES* photo album I posted this morning. I have felt compelled to complete this project for years and to be honest, I can’t fully explain why. I just knew I had to do it!

I do have one simple explanation: BECAUSE I CAN! I can share these prayer nudges without endangering my work or that of others, but more importantly I can guide you in praying for those celebrating Diwali without endangering any seekers. Many people who have a “heart” for Hindus cannot do this.

I just thought of another reason: I believe that we pray more effectively for others if we understand them AND I want you to understand my friends and acquaintances who are seeking peace, joy and truth during their very colourful celebration. I also want you to join them in prayer! I also know that many of you reading this Prayer Update also have friends, neighbours and acquaintances celebrating Diwali and I want to help you share this special time with them.

The pictures in this Prayer Nudge photo album is different from others I have shared. There are no pictures of people or places – all the photos are of bits of fabric used in Saris and Punjabi outfits! If you enjoy color, design, something outside the norm, you will want to view the DIWALI PRAYER NUDGES photo album!

The official celebration of Diwali is a five day period, but many celebrate for weeks. We have already been startled many evenings by pops of fireworks, but by this weekend I may not be such a fan of the dazzling aerial displays. Our house is in a valley with temples on three sides and a wealthy celebrant on the fourth, so when the REAL shows begin tonight through this weekend, our house will fill not only with popping, but with lots and lots of smoke! So if you have extra time for praying – pray for easy breathing at our house!

I also ask this week that you join us in praying for Kenyan students. Form Four students are in the midst of 19 straight school days of testing on all they have learned during their four years of high school. The results of most students will determine their future opportunities for study and life! Class 8 kids will take their national exams next week on all they have studied in primary school – exams which will determine if many continue to high school. Pray for clear minds, good health, confident spirits, and no outside difficulties during the testing.**

Before I end this week's Prayer Update, I will share one more reason I’ve realized should be my most compelling reason for sharing the DIWALI PRAYER NUDGES: Because I have many of the answers that celebrants of Diwali are seeking – NOT because I am that smart, but because I claim the scriptures included in this prayer guide! Thanks once again for allowing me to share our prayer requests with you and the assurance we have of your support, BERT YATES

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* PRAYER NUDGES – http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=328616&id=685050129&l=e704a32794 (You do not need to be a member of FACEBOOK to view and pray-through this Prayer Nudge photo album.

** I have posted and will continue posting new pictures and prayer nudges for Kenyan students taking exams on Facebook – if you are a FB member, please ask to become my Friend/Prayer Partner so you can pray more effectively! You are also welcome to share suggestions for others who can join us in prayer.