December 30th Nudge from Sub-Saharan Africa

Ready for a mini-vacation? If so, take a moment to visit an island where the palm trees sway and God is at work, with a tour guide who is praising God for letting her be a part of His work!

For more daily Nudges from Sub-Saharan Africa, go to http://easternafrica2012prayernudges.blogspot.com/.

December 26, 2012

One advantage of living in Kenya is that we get an added holiday today - BOXING DAY - a very good idea after a busy time of celebrating our Saviour's birth.  Our celebrations began on Sunday with our church family at Parklands Baptist Church/ Mombasa Road, which included familiar Christmas songs in English and in Kiswahili and a sermon reminding us of our Father's greatest gift!

In the last few days, we enjoyed two times of carolling, listening to the Christmas Story and eating lots of goodies with co-workers - which was a special treat as this year it included not only, Jessie, our younger daughter, but many more adult missionary kids, some who now work/ serve in East Africa.  We also enjoyed continuing our Traditional/ Untraditional Christmas Eve lunch (grilled steak and a dessert of brownies with ice cream and hot fudge sauce - the dessert usually includes strawberries, which were ready in the fridge, but I forgot to add them this year) with new friends that we want to know better - this year a Journeyman and her guest, another Journey(wo)man from West Africa. 

  

The highlight of Christmas day was SKYPING with our older two kids, John and Jennifer, and their families. SKYPE is a special gift for missionaries - especially when you can talk with your three year old granddaughter as she unwraps your Christmas gift and proudly shows all the gifts she received earlier that morning!  

To be honest, I'm ready to take a break, so I will stop writing and allow you to view a bit of our celebrations - a video of the children of the Good Samaritans Children's Home singing JOY TO THE WORLD in English and in Luo and Kikuyu, two other languages of Kenya's many People Groups, during our worship service last Sunday. 

Remember to take a few moments (if you have not already done so) to view 2012 Prayer Nudges from East Africa/Sub-Saharan Africa, my way of sharing why we are so thankful for your gifts to the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering!  BERT
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2012 Prayer Nudges from East Africa/Sub-Saharan Africa at  http://easternafrica2012prayernudges.blogspot.com/ 

Information on the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering is found at http://www.imb.org/main/give/lmw/default.asp 

Christmas Greetings 2012

December 23rd Nudge from Sub-Saharan Africa

Missionary co-workers are thankful for your doing YOUR part in keeping them on the field so they can do THEIR part of God’s Work among the Unreached Lugbara People of Eastern Africa. They are so thankful that their family prepared a video to “Thank you for giving to the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering”!

For more daily Nudges from Sub-Saharan Africa, go to http://easternafrica2012prayernudges.blogspot.com/.

December 19, 2012

It is impossible to believe, but this is our 35^th Christmas since arriving in Kenya.  Even after celebrating in Africa for 28+ (sorry, we've lost track) of these years, it still seems odd to celebrate Christmas during the hottest time of the year in Africa or to have poinsettias growing in our yard year round, not just small plants, but often tall bushes.  In our house in Nakuru, I viewed vibrant poinsettias from my desk – which was in on the second floor of our house.

Only a few Christmas ornaments arrived in our suitcases in September 1978, and that first year, Jack, 4 year old John, and I made decorations as there were none to buy.  The exception was small twinkling lights which were available for Hindu celebrations. Things are very different today in parts of Africa, including Nairobi, and lots of decorations and ornaments, imported traditional ones and special African creations, are available.  Recently, I even spotted a Santa suit for sale! 

Our church, Parklands Baptist-Mombasa Road, like most in Africa, will have a special service next Sunday, as well as another on Christmas Day. There were no Christmas songs or decorations (there was a beautiful and tasty cake) during last Sunday’s service, yet it was one of the most meaningful celebrations of our Saviour that I have ever experienced.  We are unsure if one of our pastors had a prepared sermon for this Thanksgiving Service, but when church members were asked to share testimonies, the line kept growing and the service ended an hour late (three hours long, rather than the usual two) without a ‘sermon’!  It was an awesome time of hearing how God has blessed our friends’ lives in the last year, during times of joy and sorrow, and how they have grown spiritually.

This week while reading newsletters of our co-workers in Sub-Saharan Africa, I was reminded that things are very different in countries where there are few Christians. Today’s NUDGE* shares a bit of the story of a worker among Unreached/ Unengaged People Groups in West Africa.  Can you imagine living in a place where few have heard of our Saviour’s birth?  Can you imagine having no Christmas traditions, songs, decorations or special meals?  The co-worker requested prayer for new Believers among one Unreached People Group as they plan how their ‘baby’ church should celebrate our Saviour’s birth.    

Thank you for praying for me last week as I shared via the internet how the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering affects our work and the work of our co-workers among Sub-Saharan African Peoples. I am always amazed at how God provides the stories which I can use in my work, often JUST when I need them – such as permission for today’s NUDGE arrived early this morning! 

Jack is thankful for your prayers as he taught “Baptist History, Faith and Practices” each afternoon last week at the Kenya Baptist Theological College. He did travel safely (though he was a bit late for the last day’s class) and the students’ responses affirmed that the was sharing what they needed. 

Our update is long again, but there is always so much that we want to share with you as you are the ones who enable us to do our work.  So thank you once again for all your prayers and other support, which includes your giving to the  Lottie Moon Christmas Offering. We do DEPEND upon you! BERT

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* Daily Nudges from East Africa/Sub-Saharan African Peoples, can be found at http://easternafrica2012prayernudges.blogspot.com/ and on Facebook at Sub-Saharan African Peoples – https://www.facebook.com/pages/Sub-Saharan-African-Peoples/100173880060607?fref=ts – IF you’re not on Facebook, simply click CLOSE on the lower corner of the big square that appears, if you are on FACEBOOK, log in!

December 16th Nudge Sub-Saharan African Peoples

Last week a dream came true for IMB missionaries among the Being Reached Samburu People – with the support of the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering, three Samburu Believers travelled with a missionary to share the Gospel with their Unreached Neighbours,  the Ilchamus People! (Photo: Ilchamus Grandmother with her grandkids holding 'flat' Lottie!)

For more daily Nudges from East Africa/Sub-Saharan Africa, go to: http://easternafrica2012prayernudges.blogspot.com/.

December 12, 2012

I am overwhelmed as I write this week by all I want to share and my desire for you to see and experience our lives – lives which we are blessed to ‘live’ thanks to the financial, prayer and personnel support we receive which allows us to be in Africa doing what we love doing! THANK YOU!

Planes and helicopters are flying overhead at the moment, taking part in the capital city Jamhuri Day celebration, remembering when Kenya became a republic on December 12, 1964, and beginning the countdown to next years’ 50th anniversary of independence. The noise has led to very animated birds outside my ‘office’ window, which makes it very difficult to stay focused on working and not spotting the birds chirping only inches/feet away. In one ‘short’ session when they won, I spotted eight different kinds of birds in our bird bath!

Next year’s anniversary has special significance as national elections will be on March 4, 2013, the first elections since the disastrous December ’07 elections. Many are fearful of a return of these tragic times, so please join us in praying for peace and wisdom as Kenyan vote for a new president and other officials.

Another thing that will keep us busy today is what missionaries often face – saying ‘goodbye’ to co-workers. Pray especially for comfort for missionary kids as our friends move to new places or return to the States, as a Journeyman will do tomorrow. We and others of our mission family will join her tonight for a meal in one of her favorite places – Diamond Plaza or what some call Little India.

The reverse is also keeping up busy today – we said ‘hello’ last night to our youngest daughter who arrived for a 4 week visit – our Christmas gift to ourselves! Join us in praying for a great visit. Pray also for comfort for our older two kids who would like to be home, but were not free to travel home this year.

Jack’s work focus this week is teaching “Baptist History, Faith and Practices” each afternoon at our seminary, KBTC. Pray for safety as he drives and for clarity as he teaches the students, many who are already serving as pastors.

My time this week has focused on sharing how the Lottie Moon Offering affects our work and the work of our co-workers among Sub-Saharan African Peoples. One part has been especially fun this week as I’ve shared photos and ‘stories’ on a special Facebook page – the Lottie Digges Moon page.*

Another thing that was an important part of my week was sharing prayer items with a friend of another faith. Join me in praying that she will come to understand that my prayers are not answered because I’m “a better person”, but because of the relationship that I have with our heavenly Father.

This is only a part of what was floating through my mind and my heart as I began writing, but I hope you’ve read enough to know why we value your prayer, financial and personnel support and especially at this time of the year, your support of the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering! BERT


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If you are on Facebook, you can visit the Lottie Digges Moon page on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/lottie.moon?fref=ts. For more ideas for celebrating Lottie, check out Lottie Moon at Pinterest - http://pinterest.com/asiastories/lottie-moon/

Daily Nudges from East Africa/Sub-Saharan Africa are found at http://easternafrica2012prayernudges.blogspot.com/

Special Lottie Moon Nudge

Unique opportunities to Be His Heart, His Hands, His Voice by connecting kids and adults with missions are found at AFRICA TALES -http://africatales.org/. Madala (a green Chameleon), Suloliko (a Zebra Duiker wearing purple), and their friends are waiting to guide kids in loving and praying for the peoples of Africa!

For more daily Nudges from East Africa/Sub-Saharan Africa, go to: http://easternafrica2012prayernudges.blogspot.com/.

December 5, 2012

"Strengthening and encouraging as we engage lostness together.” Acts 14:22; Revelation 14:6  I first used this phrase many years ago while preparing a budget request for my work at Kenya Baptist Media.  To be honest, I first wrote it to give a little ‘strength’ to my request for finances - finances which would come from gifts to the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering (LMCO) and the Cooperative Program (CP).  Soon, Jack and I were using in on letters and messages as we realized that in a few words, this described our work.

As Jack works with the churches and members of the Baptist Convention of Kenya, teaching and acting as their Liaison to the IMB, his desire is to strengthen and encourage them  as they join in planting and strengthening God’s Work in Kenya and in other parts of Africa. My job is to use Social Media to encourage and strengthen others who can provide financial, prayer and personnel support for God’s Work, which I do as the advocate for the Kenya Legacy Work and in all of Sub-Saharan Africa, the other part of my job.  I've also learned that I can offer encouragement and strengthening to my co-workers as I share the stories, especially those who cannot freely share their stories due to security/persecution issues.

Yes, I am sharing all of this purposely this week as it is time for the 2012 Lottie Moon Christmas Offering (1) and this is the week that many Baptists in the USA take time for a special time of prayer for international missions (2).  The reason that this is important to us?  As the imb connecting website (3) says at How IMB work is funded (4), “Every penny given to Lottie Moon is used to support Southern Baptist missionaries as they share the Gospel overseas. The offering represents 54 percent of the International Mission Board’s total income.” Thus, we could not do our work without your financial support as we also rely upon your sending short and long term personnel our way and your prayer support!

You can find lots of information on the above links and others such as Lottie Moon at Work – Every dollar making a difference (5), where many special “Real stories of how your giving reaches the world” are found. And though I know this will make this week’s update very long, I want to share bits of how your giving to Lottie Moon makes a difference in our lives, the things which lead to our being very thankful for your gifts!

Medical care – A co-worker asked this week for prayer for a young Ugandan friend whose wife had died from asthma complications.  Medicines are available in our part of the world to help one cope with asthma or other illnesses and there are good doctors, but they are too expensive for many, if not most, Africans.  We have access to the needed medicines (you helped pay for two of my asthma medications this morning) and medical care thanks to funds from the Lottie Moon Offering and our salary - which also is funded via the LMCO and CP!

Housing – We live in a three bedroom flat on a mission compound, with another flat above ours and a 3^rd home on the upper half of the property.  Our home is not a mud home, nor is it the biggest/fanciest house on our block, but it DOES provide us with a needed 'haven’ where we can rest and recharge, which is very important when you live in a different culture, and a place where we can offer rest and recharging to others!  Security of our homes is a critical issue in our part of the world due to police without transport, increased incidences of violent robberies, etc. Thus our homes have security bars on all windows and doors and we have guards at night and on Sundays (the #1 day for robberies of missionary homes), all provided by funds given to the LMCO and CP. 

Transport – You (givers to the LMCO and CP) provide us with a reliable car, which allows us to travel across Kenya as Jack leads Church Planting Methods (6), as he teaches at our Seminary, and as we attend needed meetings – meetings such as one I attended last week to meet many of our newest workers and the prayer retreat (7) I attended last month, and meetings Jack has with volunteers and Kenyan Baptists, such as yesterday’s meeting with a Kenyan Baptist church planter.

Our car is a bit old, but it still gets us where we need to go, which included attending the funeral of our pastor’s mother last week – a woman who raised her children in one of the first Baptist churches in East Africa, Shauri Moyo Baptist Church in Nairobi. We are also very thankful for those who provide us with the funds for gas to run our cars – gas which is over $5 per gallon in our city! 

Schooling – your gifts to the LMCO and CP allowed us to send our kids to good schools and helped with a bit of their college expenses.  Many of our friends live where schools are not available and they are assisted in the costs of Home Schooling, which often is a bit more costly as books, etc., must be shipped to where they live in Africa. 

And on and on… You provide our salary and many budget items, such as helping us with our internet costs – which I really, really use!  Internet which allows me to post daily nudges from our part of the world at  2012 Prayer Nudges from East Africa (8), the new spot I use on Facebook, Sub-Saharan African Peoples (9) and a special ‘seasonal’ spot on Facebook, 2012 Lottie Moon: Sub-Saharan African Peoples (10) -  All can be viewed by those not on Facebook.

This week’s update is long, but the list of things you do to support us is very, very long!  So, THANK YOU for all you do to allow us to serve in Sub-Saharan Africa and BE HIS HEART, HIS HANDS, HIS VOICE among the Peoples of our part of the world!   BERT

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(1) 2012 Lottie Moon Christmas Offering – http://www.imb.org/main/give/pagelm.asp?StoryID=8078&LanguageID=1709

(2) Week of Prayer: Be His Heart, His Hands, His Voice –  http://www.imb.org/main/pray/page.asp?StoryID=5624&LanguageID=1709

(3) imb connecting – http://www.imb.org/main/default.asp

(4)  How IMB work is funded - http://www.imb.org/main/give/page.asp?StoryID=4426&LanguageID=1709

(5) Lottie Moon at Work – Every dollar making a difference at http://www.imb.org/main/give/lmw/default.asp

(6) “What Can We Do? (Responding to the needs of our world guided by Romans 13:15 with photos from a trip earlier this year when Jack taught Church Planting Methods at a rural Bible School in western Kenya – https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150846014900130.518785.685050129&type=1&l=7944f4f7da

(7) Thanksgiving – Psalm 118 used as a tour guide for scenes viewed by IMB Women of East Africa during a Prayer Retreat - a gift from those who give to the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering! https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10151505000150130.597467.685050129&type=1&l=375eb07f30

(8)  2012 Prayer Nudges from East Africa/Sub-Saharan Africa – http://easternafrica2012prayernudges.blogspot.com/

(9) Sub-Saharan African Peoples – https://www.facebook.com/pages/Sub-Saharan-African-Peoples/100173880060607?fref=ts – IF you’re not on Facebook, simply CLICK close on the lower corner of the big square that appears, if you are on FACEBOOK, log in!

(10) 2012 Lottie Moon: Sub-Saharan African Peoples -  https://www.facebook.com/LottieMoon2011.EastAfrica?ref=hl (follow above instructions)

December 2nd Nudge from Sub-Saharan Africa

Gifts to the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering enable workers to define reached, unreached and unengaged people groups.  Do you know why this is needed?  What is the difference between reached, unreached and unengaged people groups? Find the answers at “Research for a Reason” at http://www.africastories.org/the-road-less-traveled/research-for-a-reason/.

Praise God that the little boy in the photo is a member of a Reached Sub-Saharan African People who are learning to reach their People and neighbouring People Groups! 

For more daily Nudges from East Africa/Sub-Saharan Africa, go to: http://easternafrica2012prayernudges.blogspot.com/.