December 28, 2011

It is not snowing outside our equatorial home as I write, but there are sounds of dripping from unseasonable heavy rains, thus I am wearing a sweater and have traded my sandals for  ‘real’ shoes!  After 33 years in East Africa, one would think we would have adjusted to celebrating Christmas with summer weather, but…  We did have a great Christmas. 

And, yes, we did miss our kids, but SKYPING is a true gift for missionaries – which included watching our granddaughter open her gift from us, a little kitchen set,  and joining her in ‘eating/ drinking’ her first meal prepared on it! We also enjoyed spending Christmas with our mission family, which included sharing Christmas Eve lunch with a family experiencing their first Christmas in Kenya and Christmas breakfast with a couple and their two youngest kids who are ‘home’ for Christmas, two young men whom we have known since they were infants and proudly claim as our nephews!

Today’s Prayer Nudge from East Africa (photo on left) shares a bit of our experiences on Christmas Eve Evening – “PURE JOY: The reaction of kids to the twirling/ blinking lights, colours and sounds at a Christmas Eve Concert at a Baptist church in Kenya’s capital city.  A missionary's reactions:  Disappointment when the first songs were not 'traditional' Christmas songs – followed by a realization that after one sings praise and worship songs, including "Here I am to worship… to bow down… to say that You're my God,” with representatives of many nations, tribes, peoples and languages, singing songs about the angels, shepherds and wise men bowing down to worship our Saviour is indescribable PURE JOY!”

This service at Parklands Baptist Church began with the worship leader asking representatives of different People Groups to share what Mary would be called in their heart languages.  There were replies from people from many African (including Mariamu/ Swahili), European and Asian People Groups.  I cannot begin to share how exciting it was to include this in a celebration of our Saviour’s birth.  This service as well as our worship service on Christmas day at Parklands Baptist– Mombasa Road, included a time of praising God and thanking Him for sending His Son, the giver of new life.  As on the previous night, many of the songs included praises and thanksgiving for our Saviour’s death and resurrection – which truly adds to an appreciation for the birth of our Father’s gift to us, His Son!

We are resting a bit more this week, but we still need your prayers.  Jack is preparing for the next Board of governors meeting at Kenya Baptist Theological College, on January 5^th, with extra meetings next Wednesday.  Continue praying with us that KBTC will enter 2012 with newness of life, a new creation able to serve our Father. My prayer need is for wisdom and strength as I continue sharing how God is at work in East Africa via the internet, especially as I explore/ develop new opportunities in 2012 to share how thankful we and our colleagues are for you and how we do depend upon you as you support us through the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering and the Cooperative Program and through your prayers and sending personnel.   We are also praying for you, specifically that 2011 ends well for you and for a blessed 2012, BERT YATES

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Don’t forget to view this weeks  2011 PRAYER NUDGES FROM EAST AFRICA  – http://easternafrica2011prayernudges.blogspot.com/, and yes, a new blog, 2012 Prayer Nudges from East Africa will appear next Sunday! The Prayer Nudges and other bits of our lives can be found on my Facebook page  (https://www.facebook.com/bert.yates), and I am always looking for new friends!

Christmas Eve/Day 2011

Krismasi Njema from East Africa! Thanking God today for the good news of great joy brought by the angel that was and is for all people - the birth of our Saviour, who is Christ the Lord.  Joining the great company of the heavenly host which appeared with the angel to the shepherds in praising God and saying, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on who his favour rests."  (Luke 2:9-14)

Today's photo is a gift for you - a gift guaranteed to make you smile:  The view of an elephant found among the shrubbery outside the entryway into our home in Nairobi, Kenya!

December 21, 2011

"Why are you still in Kenya?  You could have retired long ago.  Are you sure this isn’t your ‘comfort zone’ and you should leave?”  A friend recently asked Jack and me these questions. Our answers:  Yes, with IMB policies, we could have retired long ago.  Yes, although sometimes the ‘going is rough,’ we are more accustomed to life in East Africa than North Carolina. Yes, we have asked God many times if we have stayed too long on this mountain (Deut. 1:6 is appropriate as Nairobi is a mile high), but even when we would prefer a YES, we know in our hearts that the answer is “No, this is where I am calling you to be at this time.”

So, once again we will celebrate an equatorial Christmas dressed in our summer clothes, with poinsettias not displayed as ‘extra’ decorations, but as the norm around our house, and rely upon SKYPE to visit with our kids, which will hopefully include SKYPING as our granddaughter opens her Christmas gifts from us!  Our Christmas parties/ special meals will be balanced with special times with our East African friends and our mission family.  We’ve already had the joy of sharing special Christmas luncheons with the Sema Leatherworks families(1) and with the Parklands Baptist Church leadership(2). 

New co-workers spending their first Christmas in Kenya will visit on Christmas Eve – our tradition of sharing an East African ‘summer’ lunch of grilled steaks and fresh strawberries atop brownies, definitely not an American traditional Christmas meal, with a family whom we want to know better.  That evening, we will attend a Christmas Concert at Parklands Baptist. On Christmas morning we will share breakfast with co-workers visiting from Uganda, including home-made Moravian Sugarcake, a family tradition from living in Winston-Salem, NC., the home of the real Dewey’s Sugarcake! Later, we will  worship with our church family at Parklands Baptist Mombasa Road. So, as you can see we are ‘comfortable’ here in Kenya and do expect a Krismasi Njema (Swahili for good Christmas)!

Jack has lots of catch-up work this week, as he tries to rest a bit, after teaching for three weeks at our Kenya Baptist Theological College.  Thank you especially for praying for the Board of Governors meeting at our college/seminary this past Monday.  The meeting was very productive and our prayers that “KBTC enter 2012 with newness of life, a new creation able to serve our Father” are on their way to being answered. Please join us in continuing to pray for this need.

Thank you also for your prayers for me as I continue sharing how God is at work in East Africa via the internet.  Without fail, every time exhaustion, frustration, or disappointment creeps in, God sends me an assurance that this is the work I should do!  I am planning to rest some during the holidays, but pray for me as I prepare for new opportunities in 2012 to share how thankful we and our colleagues are for you and how we do depend upon you as you support us through the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering and the Cooperative Program and through your prayers and sending personnel.  For a little extra Christmas cheer in the next few days, I encourage you to check out the daily Prayer Nudges from East Africa(3)!  Krismasi Njema from East Africa, BERT

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(1) Sema Leatherworks Ministry - https://www.facebook.com/pages/Sema-Leatherworks/116367071750964

(2) To view a video sharing what I love about Christmas with Kenyan Believers – Parklands Baptist Church Leadership Christmas Luncheon, go to: https://picasaweb.google.com/105343089902291545775/ChristmasWithKenyanBelievers?authuser=0&authkey=Gv1sRgCLfJ3N-jw_LwogE&feat=directlink

(3) For Prayer Nudges from East Africa, go to Lottie Moon 2011 / East Africa  – http://lottiemoon2011eastafrica.blogspot.com/  or 2011 PRAYER NUDGES FROM EAST AFRICA  – http://easternafrica2011prayernudges.blogspot.com/.   You can also find the Prayer Nudges on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/bert.yates .  This may seem like overdoing it, but I’m seeking to offer ways that will appeal to different audiences!  Today’s, Dec 21^st Prayer Nudge is the first of three “NOT A MANGER SCENE, BUT” to be shared this week. 

December 18th Lottie Moon-East Africa Prayer Nudge

Yes, a new word was pasted after Baba (father in Swahili) on the East African handcart and the border was added, but the rest is the scene spotted by a group of IMB missionaries in November! Join those serving as our Father's Heart, Hands and Voice in praising God for the joys and perks He sends their way , as they request prayers for peace as many celebrate our Savior's birth far from their families - some for the first time. Pray for strength and comfort for those facing serious medical issues within their families - some far away.
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New daily Lottie Moon 2011-East Africa Prayer Nudges sharing how God's children are serving as His Heart, Hands and Voice in East Africa can be found at: http://lottiemoon2011eastafrica.blogspot.com/
You are encouraged to view and share with other Lottie Moon supporters this blog site or the Facebook Page, Lottie Moon 2011 - East Africa -https://www.facebook.com/LottieMoon2011.EastAfrica

December 14, 2011

“Last weekend a couple serving in East Africa had a WOW moment. As they drank tangerine juice and ate paneer chapatis and chicken chapati wraps served with three sauces (hot, sizzling hot, and scorching hot) they realized they were the only people in the packed restaurant with green or blue eyes! Next came the realization that over half the diners wore clothing different from theirs, with many men wearing white, grey or black tunics (long shirt like garments) and women in black robes over their clothing and black or colorful scarves covering their hair. The husband asked: ‘How boring would our lives be if all the people around us looked like us?’ Their next reaction: Praising God for allowing them to serve in East Africa, where so many People Groups come together, providing so many opportunities to serve as our Father's Heart, Hands and Voice!”

Last week I wrote: “Jack called… he had taken a photo of a student in his class for another great Lottie Story – which I will share next week.“ Here is that Past, Present and Future Lottie Story as posted in the Dec 11th Prayer Nudge:

Francis, a Baptist pastor of 15 years, may have never heard of Lottie Moon, but his life has been transformed by the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering (LMCO). “One of the original converts” of the Maasai People of Kenya, Francis was a child when he first met an IMB missionary working among the Maasai, thanks to the LMCO. After primary school, another IMB missionary convinced Francis to attend Mombasa Baptist High School, begun thanks to the LMCO, where an IMB missionary teacher helped Francis grow spiritually. After graduation, he assisted two more IMB missionaries working among his people. With their encouragement, he enrolled at the Kenya Baptist Theological College – also begun thanks to the LMCO. He had to drop-out one month before graduation in 1995, but today Francis is back in seminary, where some of his professors are IMB missionaries supported by the LMCO. Soon he will graduate, an equipped pastor ready to serve as His Fathers’ Heart, Hands and Voice among his people, where IMB missionaries no longer work as there are now trained/discipled Maasai Believers to share our Father’s Good News, THANKS to the LMCO! 

Jack, one of the mentioned IMB seminary professors, added later: “Francis has heard of Lottie Moon in his current Baptist History, Faith and Practice class!”

The “IMB missionary (who) convinced Francis to attend Mombasa Baptist High School” added: “Francis dropped out of seminary because a cobra spit in his eye causing great damage. Having watched him grow from a boy to a fine young man, you have no idea how proud I am that he is back in seminary.”

Francis’ story share the old and present ways that the Lottie Moon Offering affects work in East Africa and more importantly, it shares the FUTURE story as he and others are continuing to work as trained, discipled workers in their Harvest Field among the Maasai! Thank You for being a part of this story as you pray, send personnel and support the LMCO and Cooperative Program.

Thank you for praying for Jack as he continues teaching Baptist Beliefs, History and Practice at our Kenya Baptist Theological College through Friday. Pray for Jack and others as the KBTC Board of Governors meet on Monday, December 19th. Critical personnel, academic, administration and financial decisions are to be made. Pray that their decisions will help KBTC enter 2012 with newness of life, a new creation able to serve our Father. BERT YATESGod does bless the many ways you support us, so I will close with our current prayer requests: Continue praying for me as I seek to harness/put into action all my ideas … to help you recognize how thankful we and our colleagues are for your support and how we do depend upon you. Pray also that our East African co-workers will be strengthened and encouraged as I find ways to share their stories.

PS: Our Christmas tree is finally up – and yes, it has a few Maasai/Kenyan ornaments, but Jack and I have spent over half of our Christmases in Kenya!

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* Daily Prayer Nudges, WHICH YOU ARE WELCOME TO SHARE with others, can be found at:

"Lottie Moon 2011 - East Africa" blog at http://lottiemoon2011eastafrica.blogspot.com/ and at 2011 PRAYER NUDGES FROM EAST AFRICA – http://easternafrica2011prayernudges.blogspot.com/

Or three options on Facebook:

Special Page: Lottie Moon 2011 East Africa - https://www.facebook.com/LottieMoon2011.EastAfrica ) or on my personal page, https://www.facebook.com/bert.yates or the new page for Imb East Africa - https://www.facebook.com/Imb.East.Africa – Yes, this may look as if I’m overdoing it, but I’ve learned that different pages/names expands the options for people finding our stories from East Africa!

December 11-Lottie Moon/East Africa Prayer Nudge - SPECIAL THANK YOU!

Today's Prayer Nudge is a THANK YOU! Thank you for praying for those who serve as our Father's Heart, Hands and Voice in East Africa. It is also a thanks to God for the encouragement and strengthening He provides to workers in His Harvest Field - which His workers know is a result of your prayers! Sometimes encouraging joy comes from a letter from a prayer supporter or a visit with a grandchild on SKYPE! A moment of strengthening peace comes with an unexpected visit with Believers who are eager to share how God is at work in their lives or when a noon-time ballet/opera occurs in one’s yard, courtesy of a flock of Cinnamon-chested Bee-eaters!

For a link to ten seconds of the “Ndege (Bird in Swahili) Sonata” which occurred on Dec 7th, in Nairobi, Kenya and definitely provided joy and peace to one IMB missionary go to: https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/viayYX8l3JtRdAwwcWrxu9MTjNZETYmyPJy0liipFm0?feat=directlink )

December 5, 2011

“Want to know what really makes a missionary of over 30 years feel like celebrating? Being in a worship service and hearing 1st, 2nd, and 3rd generation East African Baptists singing, ‘Lord, you are good… People from every nation and every tongue, from generation to generation, We worship you ... You are good.’” These were my thoughts as Jack and I worshipped last Sunday with our church family at PBC/Mombasa Road in Nairobi. For those who keep up with me on Facebook, much of today’s update will be a repeat, but these words best share our heart during our annual IMB International Week of Missions .

Before I share more from last Sunday, I must thank you. A week ago I asked that you pray that I “harness/put into action all my ideas … during December to help you recognize how thankful we and our colleagues are for your support and how we do depend upon you.” I didn’t accomplish all I desired last week, but when I was tired /faced writer’s block, I knew the needed burst of energy/new thoughts was the result of your prayers – THANK YOU!

Now, back to our story as shared in last Monday’s (Dec 5th) Prayer Nudge from East Africa: Added joy? Knowing the spiritual history of these worshippers – knowing that most are well discipled, some by early Baptist missionaries to East Africa and others discipled by those discipled by the missionaries – the multiplication process in action! Another joy? Knowing that most of these worshippers are active co-workers serving as our Father’s Heart, Hands and Voice in our world – a few as pastors, many as ‘home missionaries’ in prisons, universities, unreached people groups, etc., and many whose business jobs take them to places such as Egypt, Sudan, India and even war-torn Somalia – places where professional missionaries are not always welcome!

The girl’s (photo above used to illustrate Prayer Nudge) father, a leader of home mission trips, recently left the business world to become a Baptist Pastor. As a youth, he was discipled by IMB missionaries with a heart for making disciples who make disciples. The girl’s mother is a prayer warrior for unreached Peoples in East Africa and an active disciple maker, who worked many years for an organization sharing God’s Word via the radio to unreached peoples. She is also the daughter of one of the first East African church planters, a Tanzanian who began the Chamgamwe Baptist Church in the city of Mombasa, Kenya. WHICH makes the girl in the photo a 3rd generation East African Baptist and one who is already being discipled by an East African believer using a book published with the help of the Lottie Moon Offering – one more way her family has been touched by Lottie.

ADDED NOTE: Some IMB missionaries in East Africa focus on the Unengaged People Groups (no known sharing of our Father’s Good News), others on the Unreached (those touched, sometimes barely, by the witness of Believers), and a few focus on what is known as the LEGACY. These men and women teach at seminaries and others teach in established Baptist churches and Bible Schools – all with the goal of strengthening and encouraging East African Believers as they serve as a multiplying army of workers in our Father’s Harvest Field, making disciples who will make more…

The girl’s mother sent me this information which I added later which I knew my WMU friends would appreciate: The missionary that my father first worked with was a WOMAN, Helen Gilmore!

I do try to keep these updates short, but as our Kenyan friends says, “I was DEFEATED today.” I’m also late in sending this, but I have a great reason. Jack called during lunch to tell me that he had taken a photo of a student in his class for another great Lottie Story – which I will share next week. The phone (we rely totally on cell phones) connection was horrible, so I went outside – and was entertained for almost an hour by a symphony/ ballet by a flock of birds captured sunning in the left photo. Even after taking extra time to check our East African bird books, I have no clue what they are called, but it was truly a gift to watch them.

I even made a video for you as an early Christmas gift and after several failed tries, I was finally able to download a bit of it to share with you! To view 10 seconds of what I viewed/heard for over an hour, go to: https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/viayYX8l3JtRdAwwcWrxu9MTjNZETYmyPJy0liipFm0?feat=directlink

I’m already late and long-winded today, so I will add a bit more: Thank you for praying for Jack as he teaches another round of Baptist

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* Daily Prayer Nudges, WHICH YOU ARE WELCOME TO SHARE with others, can be found at:

"Lottie Moon 2011 - East Africa" blog at http://lottiemoon2011eastafrica.blogspot.com/

Or three options on Facebook:

Special Page: Lottie Moon 2011 East Africa - https://www.facebook.com/LottieMoon2011.EastAfrica ) or on my personal page, https://www.facebook.com/bert.yates or the new page for Imb East Africa - https://www.facebook.com/Imb.East.Africa – Yes, this may look as if I’m overdoing it, but I’ve learned that different pages/names expands the options for people finding our stories from East Africa

December 4th Lottie Moon/East Africa Prayer Nudge

A “testimony of saints continuing efforts to preach, teach and spread the Gospel," sent via e-mail by a Samburu man to IMB workers (on a short stateside leave) who work among the the man's East African People Group: “‘We are fine, my family is fine and all our churches are going well. We have baptized 22 at two places. Mbagas (one place) is alive again. I am working in the forest with morans team and j* is working with mamas teams. Our pre-school… and the training is going on well. Tell apiyo (8 year old MK) his animals are well. The cow is giving milk once a day … the people are missing your family… We have started two other schools for our evangelist teams… Pray for them because the mamas want to learn and read the Bible… The morans needs Bible … Say supa to all of your family.”

A MULE and a CAMEL DERBY – both are tools funded in the past by the Lottie Moon Offering which opened doors to reach the Samburu People! For Memories of the first IMB missionaries among the unreached Samburu People Group can be found at the "Special Praise Update" at http://bertandjackyates.blogspot.com/2010/12/december-15-2010-special-praise-update.html

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New daily Lottie Moon 2011-East Africa Prayer Nudges sharing how God's children are serving as His Heart, Hands and Voice in East Africa can be found at: http://lottiemoon2011eastafrica.blogspot.com/

You are encouraged to view and share with other Lottie Moon supporters this blog site or the Facebook Page, Lottie Moon 2011 - East Africa -

https://www.facebook.com/LottieMoon2011.EastAfrica