December 10, 2013

PARTNERS – A word used frequently by missionaries.  Like Paul, who often wrote to “God’s” or “my fellow workers” in his letters, we are very, very thankful for our partners.  And like Paul, we DO thank our God with joy for our partners in the gospel. (Philippians 1:4,5). 

Jack teaching two students who will soon be
Kenya Baptist Theological College GRADUATES!

Sometimes we are talking of the Believers in the countries where we serve, Believers who are our partners in sharing our Father’s Good News.   One group of ‘national’ partners that we are excited about is the group of 20+ students who will graduate this Friday at the Kenya Baptist Theological College – trained Believers who are already working in their churches and among their People and other Peoples in their country, on their continent and in our world! This is a true answer to prayer as many were not sure that KBTC would still be functioning by the end of this year.  We are praising God for the many answered prayers which has led to these students graduating as well as new students enrolling.

Retiree's Christmas Luncheon in Raleigh, NC

Jack and I had the joy of visiting with another very special group of partners this past Friday when a group of retired missionaries invited us to their Christmas luncheon.  It was a special time with old friends and meeting new friends who spent many, many years serving our Father in countries around our world.  A few of these men and women served a few years, but many served more than 35 years! 

Zeb and Evelyn Moss, retired missionaries to
Sub-Saharan Africa, praying during the luncheon
for Bonnie and Charles Wiggs (Korea) as they move
to Texas.  Each of these missionaries served with
the IMB for more than 35 years before retirement!

Visiting with this group of retired missionaries was like coming to a family reunion!  We listened as they shared how they are still serving our Father, many using their ‘second’ language in their new mission field somewhere in the Raleigh, NC, area.  It was also a great reminder that retired missionaries are the strongest prayer warriors and our greatest enlisters for additional workers among the Unreached Peoples in our world!

We are still adjusting to our six month Stateside
Assignment (STAS). One adjustment is not
spotting poinsettia outside the windows of our
home or KBTC's administrative buildings, but...

As I shared two weeks ago, we also value another group of our partners – YOU!  We are not just trying to entice you to give more this year to the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering – though, we hope you do – but we are very sincere when we use Paul’s words and say, “WE thank OUR God for all of you, WE always pray with joy because of YOUR PARTNERSHIP in the gospel” (Philippians 1:4,5). 

... in stores, homes and churches, etc, in pots!
These were spotted at Temple Baptist Church, our
host church when we spoke last Sunday morning.

AND as I shared before and don't say often enough: We are the ones who are blessed to work ‘full-time’ with the IMB in Kenya, but YOU ARE OUR PARTNERS is this work. Without you, our national partners and our ‘retired’ partners, without your financial and prayer support, without you sending short and long term workers to partner with us or coming yourself to work beside us, we could not do what we do!” 

To help us feel at home in our 'borrowed' mission
home, we brought some of our Christmas tree
ornaments from Kenya.  We've added a few, such
as this elephant Jack gave me as a gift last week!

It is because of your financial gifts to the Lottie Moon Offering and the Cooperative Program that we have the opportunity to strive to be “Totally HIS Heart, Hands, Voice” among Sub-Saharan African Peoples.  We get to do what God has called us to do THANKS to your being “HIS Heart, Hands, Voice” as you minister through your prayers, financial and personnel support in your Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.  THANK YOU!   Bert Yates

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The special Lottie Moon Christmas Offering/ SSAP Nudges to Action page, which is updated daily, can be found at  https://www.facebook.com/LMCO.SSAPeoples.

Want to “find dollar examples of how the LMCO is used to support missionaries?”  If so, visit Lottie Moon at Work - http://www.imb.org/main/lottie-moon/lmcoatwork.asp?PageNavID=111.

I'm still trying to get a good photo of my favorite two birds,
a cardinal or blue jay.  But I did catch this BLUEBIRD looking
at me as I took his/her photo!