January 6, 2014

We miss the beauty of Kenya, but this early
morning view during breakfast last week
was a great way to start the day!

Part Two this week of "What missionaries on Stateside Assignment do", plus a great praise for an incident that was not a co-incidence, but a GOD-incidence and more nudges to prayer!

We have tried to get some rest this last week, which was complicated by Jack having a cold and awakening on the morning of freezing weather (16°F) with no heat in our mission house! Our praises: Jack is on the mend, our host church had warm air blowing into the house within a few hours, and we had purchased enough winter clothes to have been adequately layered!

Resting included watching lots of college football and basketball games AS these happened!  It also has included reminiscing over the events of December with lots of speaking engagements (shared in recent updates) and lots of special family times, such as taking a field trip with our granddaughter’s preschool and attending the her school Christmas party.

Fun before Christmas included visiting an activity center
for kids with our granddaughter's Preschool...

... and when Bibi spotted a wall of mirrors as the kids played,
she took a few photos to edit for use as FB profile photos.

December also included finding a grocery store where we felt comfortable visiting and shopping, Patel Brothers which sells Indian specialties that we often buy in Kenya, as well as a few Kenyan foods!  You need to visit our blog to see some of these foods and their names, as well as photos of our special time with our kids and their families on Christmas day.

Goodies purchased at Patel Brothers. We
also spotted Kenyan tea and Royco Mchuzi Mix!

Christmas morning was spent with our kids and
their families.  Bert is behind the camera - her new
camera which was her Christmas present to herself!

As we speak during this Stateside Assignment, I use my time to assure our listeners that God is blessing their past investments (prayer, personnel and financial) in the work among Sub-Saharan African Peoples  and how we need more people responding to the work in His harvest field.  Jack always shares how Believers must seek God’s will, obey Him and then trust Him, using his experiences since becoming the Principal of Kenya Baptist Theological College as illustrations.

Many of our Christmas gifts to our kids were from Kenya!

Thus, we were excited to have a new God-incidence to share when Jack received a call on New Year’s Day from Kenya.  This story became last Thursday’s Nudge to Action for Sub-Saharan African Peoples: Yesterday’s conversation between missionaries in Sub-Saharan Africa: M1: “Did you read today’s item on the prayer calendar?” M2: “Why?” M1: “Our co-workers prayed for a need at our seminary. A group of volunteers showed up today and they completed provided for the need!” M2: Jesus promised, “If you have faith as small as a mustard seed… Nothing will be impossible” (Matthew 17:20).

The fuller story was later shared with our co-workers who had been praying that day that KBTC’s spiritual and financial needs would be met:  “Today God answered in a way that amazed and blessed us, and reminded us that He is Sovereign LORD. Visitors came to the campus today – on a holiday – and wanted to tour KBTC. We did not know, had never met, or had any connections to the visitors. They had been here for a week working in another area of Kenya… (they were shown) around the facilities and explained how the school equips Kenyan pastors. The visitors wanted to stop and pray for the college. So under the avocado tree they knelt and prayed together. Then before the visitors left they gave a donation to the school which they asked to go toward staff salaries. The donation was totally unsolicited, and it was the answer to today’s prayer request. Amazed by God’s goodness!”

Another photo used last week as a
Nudge to Action for SSAPeoples.

Pray this week for a time of 'refreshment' and learning as we attend a conference this week for IMB missionaries on Stateside Assignment (thus the early mailing of this week’s update). Our constant prayer request during STAS is for God’s guidance as Jack shares how God is at work at the Kenya Baptist Theological College and as I share what God is doing among Sub-Saharan African Peoples and as we entice more people to join in His work! BERT YATES

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Recent Nudges to Action for Sub-Saharan African Peoples  are found at   https://www.facebook.com/pages/Sub-Saharan-African-Peoples/100173880060607.