January 1, 2014

So what does a missionary on Stateside Assignment do on the afternoon of a New Year's Day after a busy December during Stateside Assignment?  I'm trying to write this update, while Jack is taking a nap - a well-deserved nap after driving last night for four hours so we could attend a very special  Lottie Moon Christmas Offering event. The special event? The annual New Year's Eve Fish Fry at the 240 year old Cartledge Creek Baptist Church in Rockingham, N.C, which is held as a very special way to raise money to top up their LMCO gifts.

After church members ate fish caught and cooked by church members, as well as enjoyed some incredible home-made desserts, the night's entertainment was  learning about what God is doing among Sub-Saharan African Peoples (Bert) and...

This past week's Nudges to Action for SSAPeoples were shared as an
ongoing story - the story of what is happening among one BEING
reached Unreached People in our world's youngest country, the Toposa
of South Sudan.  The story is found on the December 24, 26-31 posts at
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Sub-Saharan-African-Peoples/100173880060607.

... how He is at work at the Kenya Baptist Theological College (Jack), which also included invitations to join our Father in His work in Africa!

After sharing last night how God is answering prayers at KBTC, Jack
received a call this morning from Kenya saying that a prayer request
was shared today on a special prayer site concerning the needs
at KBTC and not a co-incidence, but a GOD-incidence occurred today!
A Kenyan pastor brought Baptist volunteers to visit the college
and they left a gift for KBTC which will pay past-due bills!

Although we were busy during December, we loved everything we were able to do.  One the Wednesday night before Christmas we shared at the Mount Olive Baptist Church (King, NC) how thankful IMB missionaries are for the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering.  After the service as we met church members, we loved watching the women of the church as they practised a skit to promote the offering the coming Sunday morning!

The Sunday before Christmas, we worshipped with the Pleasant Grove Baptist Church in Willow Spring, NC, and enjoyed their Christmas decorations outside the church...

...and inside the church as we spoke, sharing once again how thanks to the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering, we are able to serve our Father in Africa!

Jack and I always wear our African clothes as we speak in
churches and so far my head wrap has stayed in place!

To be honest, staying up later than usual last night, has left me exhausted also, so I'm not going to take a nap as Jack did (he just awoke and is preparing our afternoon tea, a tradition of African countries with a British heritage), but I'm going to stop now.  But I promise to share more of our activities of December in next week's update - including evidence of my special Christmas present!  BERT
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More on the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering at http://www.imb.org/main/lottie-moon/default.asp.

View daily Nudges to Action for Sub-Saharan African Peoples at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Sub-Saharan-African-Peoples/100173880060607.

For photos and information on the Kenya Baptist Theological College, visit https://www.facebook.com/KenyaBaptistTheologicalCollege.

Another thing I did last month - have a 'who will blink first'
session with my favourite American bird - a Blue Jay!