April 24, 2013

Jack is teaching Church History this week.

Two stories to share this week or rather two responses, one to a problem and the other to a quandary over a sign!  The first response is how God answered a prayer need shared last week in a way that I am certain you never envisaged as you prayed!  But first, a repeat of those prayer needs for Kenya Baptist Theological College and how God answered (in red) your prayers!

As some in the music program practised teaching
music in a 'classroom' setting (fellow students
were their 'class'), others had keyboard class.

Pray for the students who are still seeking current and unpaid tuition fees so that they can return to classes. (14 students have cleared fees and returned to class.) Pray also for wisdom as Jack and his team decide which needs are the greatest as they balance finances with the need for hot water in the dorms (hot water is now in the

Guitar lessons are also on the schedule.

dorms and a shower block is being added to the new building), repairing of impassable, slippery roads on campus (the unexpected answer shared below), as well as taking care of leaking roofs in old buildings… especially in the new building which lacks a proper roof! (Heavy rains are continuing; the older buildings are still on the to-do-list, but repairs are being made to provide a dryer first floor of the new unfinished building. Pray that these repairs and the new shower block will be ready by this Sunday when a large group arrives for a conference.)

Jack pondering the slippery steep road.

Now the first response story: The good road to the new building is no longer available to KBTC and the alternative road led to the prayer for “repairing of impassable, slippery roads on campus.”  From our little cottage, I was constantly hearing cars, trucks and motorcycles slipping and sliding and trying multiple times to go up the incline even when they were only carrying passengers.  Thus, hauling needed furniture and supplies to the new building was especially treacherous and often impossible!  Jack and others discussed many solutions, but all were too expensive and then THANKS to your prayers, Jack had an inspiration from Bible days that led to one friend saying, “You have definitely lived in Africa a long time.” 

The solution:  KBTC hired a donkey, his cart and his two handlers - who were known for treating their donkey well!

With the help of staff, the two men loaded mattresses, bed frames, kitchen items, etc., on their cart...

 while the donkey helped 'slash' some of the fast-growing grass on campus by grazing contentedly...

and then the donkey had no problem following orders to ‘sukuma’ (push) up the hill!

At the top of the mountain, beside the new building, there are piles of stone bits and pieces.  The two donkey handlers refilled their cart for each of the return trips with this unusable rubble...

which was deposited beside the “impassable, slippery” part of the road.

So, thanks to the help of a donkey, which by the way, cost much, much less than hiring modern equipment and a road-repair crew, the KBTC staff is now making the road passable with the bits and pieces of stone!

The dirt piled beside the road (above) was delivered before rocks were added to the road, so this sand needed for the construction of the shower room and partial roof on the new building was left on the side of the road and members of the construction crew are hauling it to the property where...

the building that looked this way on Monday morning...

looked like this yesterday morning on the front right corner.

The second story/response, unlike the first has not led to lots of laughter and amusement, and I believe it is also an answer to my request last week for prayers as I work as the Prayer Networker for Sub-Saharan African Peoples. I recently spotted a large banner near our home in Nairobi that bothered me, but I wasn’t sure why.  Later as I prepared for a nudge*, I read several Psalms and realized what concerned me!  The banner’s message, announcing the dedication of the largest church building in East Africa, did not include any of God’s words or even His name!

Spotted this week while walking on the KBTC campus.

This is a quandary that we often face as we do God’s work and as we encounter others joining in the work in our Father’s harvest field.  How often do I and others get so involved in good works that we forget why we are doing this work and who we are doing it for?  How often do I rely upon my gifts and abilities and forget to rely upon God?  

Viewed from the chapel/dining hall window.

How often do I question if the desires of my heart are in line with His desires or that all I do is according to His will and done to bring glory to Him and not to myself? Please join me in praying this week that Jack, I and our co-workers will always be able to confidently pray, “Test me, O LORD and try me, examine my heart and mind,” as we do His work and proclaim praise to Him and tell all of His wonderful deeds (Psalm 26:2,7).

BERT YATES

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* One part of Bert's work is posting daily Nudges to Action for Sub-Saharan African Peoples on a blog, Sub-Saharan African Peoples Nudges to Action and on the SSAP Facebook page, Sub-Saharan African Peoples (https://www.facebook.com/pages/Sub-Saharan-African-Peoples/100173880060607?ref=hl ). Non-Facebook members can visit the Sub-Saharan African Peoples FB page.

Menu for lunch at KBTC yesterday.