I am having a very, very
difficult time beginning this week’s update thanks to dozens of monkeys playing
outside my window and on the roof of our cottage as a I TRY to write! We are at Rondo in the Kakamega Forest, a
retreat offered by another mission group, located near the Fudumi Baptist Bible
School/ Training Centre. Jack and co-workers
at Kenya Baptist Theological College are teaching in a new Bible School run by
two of their recent seminary graduates.
Jan and Ron teach in the morning (English/ Evangelism), return at lunch, and pass our car keys
to us so Jack can teach Baptist Beliefs in the afternoon session and I can access a stronger
internet signal. Rondo has dependable
electricity but super weak internet reception - to complete my required early
morning work, you will find me standing in the one spot on the property where internet
connects sporadically! Although Fudumi
has no electricity, it is on a hill and near a needed internet tower… AND the
monkeys just won again. I think I’m
going to have to find another spot to work where I’m not captivated by monkeys
playing only a few yards away!
We are not sure if Jack and the
Langstons will teach again at this Bible School due to travel costs and the more
important fact that the recent graduates can do the job, but this round of teaching
is their way of encouraging Willingstone, a pastor’s son, and Timothy, who has a heart for planting churches.
Years ago, there was a strong Bible school program at Fudumi, but as
time passed, the program stopped.
Pray
for Willingstone and Timothy as they seek to share what they have learned with
laymen and untrained pastors. I should
have said laymen and laywomen, as six of the ten students from four local Baptist
churches are women who are strong leaders in their churches. Pray also for
wisdom as these young men seek to build a Bible School program that will be
self-reliant – an important step in the continuation of the program. Pray
also for Jack and the Langstons as they strive to share as much as possible
during their limited teaching times and mentor the two young directors of this
Bible School.
The day long trip to western
Kenya on Monday, which always includes lots of diversions, rough roads and
super alertness, was tiring, but we were a bit more exhausted than usual,
thanks to a long but GREAT day on Sunday.
We had the joy of attending the dedication of Zimmerman Baptist Church on the
northern edge of Nairobi. This church originated from a Bible Storying group begun
two years ago in the ‘living’ space of a woman’s ‘tin’ home, led by a young man
involved in Sema Leatherworks*, a tent-maker program sponsored by the Nairobi
Business as Mission Team.
The Bible
Storying group soon outgrew the home setting so they moved to another space,
only to discover that when it rained, they were in the path of the area excess
sewage ‘river’. Thanks to the help of
the nearby First Baptist Kasarani, which is also a young church, they will meet
in a tent for a year as they seek their own permanent structure. Pray for the young “Bible Story-ier,” Patrick, as he pastors this new church, and for the others on
the Sema Team, as they make leather products four days a week and spend the
rest of their times Bible Storying in homes, small businesses and schools and shepherding
the budding NEW TESTAMENT churches which are resulting from their sharing our
Father’s love and salvation!
The monkeys either moved on to a new ‘playground’ or are taking
naps during the heat of the day, so I was able to concentrate and complete this
as I end with a few prayer requests. Pray
for safe travel as we return home on Saturday and that midst all the work of
the week, we will find time to enjoy the restful setting of Rondo. Pray also for me as I strive to share what is
happening in East Africa with others. To
be honest, I’m a little discouraged at the moment, but truly desire to find
more and better ways to encourage those already involved in our Father’s work
and entice others to get involved – and that is what keeps us going – seeing how
God is at work and being able to be a part of His work which does come with
discouragement, but also lots and lots of joy!
BERT
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To view 2012 Prayer Nudges from East Africa – http://easternafrica2012prayernudges.blogspot.com/ or for the Prayer
Nudges on Facebook, find Bert
Yates (https://www.facebook.com/bert.yates) or become a Facebook Friend
of Imb EastAfrica ( https://www.facebook.com/Imb.East.Africa )
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