February 26, 2014

Two ducks and...
a dolphin in the
 distance in Charleston!

What do missionaries on Stateside Assignment do?  Well, we get quality REAL (not SKYPE, etc.) time with family and friends and even sneak in a bit of vacation, which definitely led to enforced rest as a storm of ‘historic proportions’ hit the area we chose to visit two weeks ago, but the bulk of our time is spent with churches and Believers as we share what God is up to in Kenya  and among Sub-Saharan African Peoples.

We stay busy balancing work, such as visits, phone calls and e-mails with supporters, with family time, which yesterday included taking our four year old granddaughter along as we ran errands! Thankfully, the work part is usually very enjoyable, such as our time last week in an On Missions Celebration in  South Carolina, my quick visit to Alabama over the weekend to share my passion of transforming “Social Media to ‘Missions Media’” with Baptist Women, and our speaking in Jack’s home church last Sunday.

Huguenot Church in Charleston, South Carolina.  We're not
sure how, but our photos of FBC of Charleston
'disappeared' from our camera's file!

Jack’s special treat during the last two weeks was visiting churches during our vacation which he had read of during his studies of church history, which included our host church, First Baptist Church of Charleston.  He had another special treat yesterday as he not only visited one of his favorite places, a home improvement business, but buying a few new tools! My added perk in recent weeks was meeting many Facebook friends in South Carolina and Alabama and now calling them REAL friends!

Yates' display at the On Missions Celebration Saturday afternoon
Missions Fair at First Baptist Church of Hampton, SC.  

How can you pray for us and others on Stateside Assignment?  Pray for rest, for wisdom in scheduling our times, and for special times with family and friends.  Pray that we will be like Peter and “explain… precisely” (Act 11:4) what God had done and in doing, how the Holy Spirit (v.12) guides involvement in His work, and how when God’s hand is with us (v.21), we see people believing and turning to Him!

Pray specifically that Jack will continue seeking God’s guidance as he serves as the principal of Kenya Baptist Theological College.  Pray that he will be able to precisely and clearly share with others his vision for the ongoing re-launch of KBTC as it returns to a place where God’s children are entrusted with His message and equipped to share this message and do His work (2 Timothy 2:2, 3:17).

Pray that I will clearly and boldly report (Acts 4:23) what God is doing among Sub-Saharan African Peoples.  Pray that as I share stories of our workers, our Unreached Peoples, our God, others will follow the lead of the Holy Spirit and join in God’s work of shaking up the Unreached Peoples of our world, which will result in their being filled with the Holy Spirit (Acts 4:31).

February 21st Nudge to Action for SSAPeoples

Pray also for me as I help you build a ‘Missions ToolBox’.  My desire is to add to your knowledge of social media sites which can strengthen and encourage your ability to join in God’s work among the Peoples of Sub-Saharan Africa as you pray, give and serve!  Over the years in our weekly updates and in Nudges to Action for SSAPeoples, I've shared internet sites which you can store and have ready to use in your ‘Missions Toolbox’. But get ready – I'm going to work more diligently so you will have lots of varied ‘tools’ at hand and be ready to join in our Father’s work, whether it be through praying, giving or serving! Thus, beginning today, there will be a new ‘Missions ToolBox’ section in our weekly update!

Once again, I've written twice what I desired, but joining in our Father’s work is exciting and I want to share this joy with you – you who strengthen and encourage us as you pray for us, give to support us and send more workers our way!  BERT

Tools purchased this week
for our use during STAS -
info found on the internet can
also be used as trusted tools as
we join our Father in His work!

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MISSIONS TOOLBOX
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God’s Beloved Booklet is offered free (shipping charges only) to women who want to respond to the Good Shepherd’s urging to talk with the Muslim women, but anyone who desires to learn more about sharing our Father’s love and salvation with other faiths will want to listen to the MP3 Audio files sharing these stories in English and in Arabic.   There is a minimum of 100 of the booklets per order for the booklets, but you can always share these with others in your church and with those in other churches. God’s Beloved Booklet at http://imbresources.org/index.cfm/product/detail/prodID/2924.

Easy to download MP3 Audio files at https://oralitystrategies.org/resources.cfm?id=716&t=13.

Addition for your MISSIONS TOOLBOX shared last week:  Would you recognize an Islamic Call to Prayer and use this as a reminder to pray for those of another faith diligently searching to know God? Check out  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cF2bf8hC_sU.  

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

More from KBTC at https://www.facebook.com/KenyaBaptistTheologicalCollege. 

Links for finding Bert and Jack on Facebook:

BERT YATES        JACK YATES      

February 19, 2014

Not short enough to be a Nudge to Action, so I’ll call it a Story to Action.  A story which I find hard to describe in words as the action was not one to be described by lots of verbs, but reactions of the heart.

Setting:  The streets of an old city in the deep south of the United States along the Atlantic Ocean, not far from a market where visitors from around the world flock daily.

Time of day:  Mid-day on a Friday.

Background sounds:  Tourists and vendors talking, sea gulls squawking and muffled sounds of crashing waves.

The action that can be described:  Missionaries on Stateside Assignment play tourists and check out an American curio shop.  Approaching a shop, they hear a new sound, a sound that is very familiar which they often hear in their home in Kenya, the Islamic Call to Prayer.  Looking around, they spot the source of the music, a restaurant serving foods from India.

Their reaction:  Surprise as they had been viewing 300 year old churches representing the beginning of Christianity in the New World, to hear this familiar sound in this place was unexpected. 

Their questions:  How many others, many who call themselves Christian, are hearing the music and words and know what they are hearing?  How many know enough to use this sound as a call to prayer for people in our world without the peace and joy offered through our Saviour.

Immediate answer to their queries:  Walking on to a neighboring shop with plans to buy a curio, they are asked, “Where are you from?”  Upon hearing “Nairobi, Kenya,” the shopkeeper talks of  the need for Americans to know more about the languages, peoples, and ways of other countries.  The missionaries comment on the Call to Prayer they heard only moments before from the nearby restaurant and their enjoyment of the unique music now playing, which they admit to making them a bit homesick.

The shopkeeper’s response:  “What music?  What is a Call to Prayer?”

The heart reaction of the missionaries:  How many times each day do we cross paths with people from other cultures, other nations, other languages, other religions?  How can we share with Believers in Southern Baptist churches that they do not need a plane ticket to be on mission with their Father?  How do we help American Christians see those from other nations whom they meet daily in stores and restaurants, in doctor’s offices, and on and on, people who have not lived in the United States for generations who are waiting for someone to befriend them, someone to share their lives with them, and often someone who can help them know more of the God worshipped by Christians.

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As I reread the words I’ve written, I know that I was correct to say words cannot describe our experience last week, but my prayer this week is that my story does challenge you to truly see and listen for that person with a slight accent, that person who doesn’t look as though they are ‘from-around-here’ and take a few moments to talk with him or her, to begin a relationship with someone who may be in need of a friend, a person in need of becoming a friend with our Saviour!

And yes, these people from other languages and countries are around you.  In our first two weeks of Stateside Assignment, we met and talked with 12 people in hotels, gas stations, the Home Depot and restaurants who also call another part of the world home.  When we recounted these meetings with others, their response was surprise as they had never noticed how the world is at their doorstep!

I’m writing today from Fairfax, South Carolina, where we have taken part in an On Missions Celebration in local churches. We are a bit tired and ready to return to Raleigh tomorrow, but we have truly enjoyed sharing how God is at work and having the opportunity to thank Southern Baptists for their continued prayer, financial and personnel support.  Please do continue praying that during our Stateside Assignment we will entice others to be On-Mission with our Father wherever He leads.  BERT

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Sorry, only one photo this week as the available internet service is very, very weak, but to know the story of this photo you’ll have to take time to view tomorrow’s Nudges to Action for Sub-Saharan African Peoples at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Sub-Saharan-African-Peoples/100173880060607.  Yes, it is on FB, but non-FB members can view the photos by simply scrolling down the page.

For more on the Islamic Call to Prayer, visit http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adhan .

To hear a bit of a call to prayer, visit http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cF2bf8hC_sU. 

February 12, 2014

Our lunch yesterday which is Bert's favorite dish,
Grits and Shrimp.  For my Kenyan friends, this is
a bit like a good fish in gravy over tasty ugali.

Writing this morning from South Carolina, where we are taking a few days of vacation, which today means staying inside as freezing rain pours from the sky! Not quite our plan, but thanks to the First Baptist Church  of Charleston, we are in a great little apartment and enjoying time to read, rest and watch a bit of the Olympics.

Make sure you spot the photo at the end of this update!

We have had many praises these last two weeks including great times with our family, such as building a snow man and having snow ball fights with our granddaughter, cooking special family dishes to share with our kids, and pruning the grape vines at Jack’s mom's house. Another treat last week was visiting with Ralph and Rosalind Harrell, retired missionaries to Kenya, which included lots of celebrating what God has done in and is doing East Africa.

Two of our mentors, Ralph and Rosalind Harrell, who now
are on mission with our Father in North Carolina.

Our praises also include the joy of visiting in churches that are committed to missions.  In the last two weeks we have visited with one church for the first time, visited with churches that have been our strong prayer warriors for years, and even reconnected with a church we last visited over 30 years ago. It is truly humbling and a great reminder of the power of prayer as we meet with those who share stories of how they have prayed for us and God’s work for years.

Getting a photo with my new pocket-size camera. I definitely need
prayer support as I learn to to use this and by new bigger camera.

Another combination praise/prayer request relates to the news we received this week of the death of Morris Wanje, the first Baptist pastor in Kenya.  Jack shared the following on KBTC’s Facebook page: “KBTC gives thanks today for the life of Mzee Morris Wanji… Mzee Wanje touched the lives of all Baptists. His legacy continues amongst us, notably the family he leaves behind. Let us all join in thanksgiving in remembrance of Mzee and his founding work on the coast of Kenya, his leadership years for the Baptist Convention of Kenya, and his friendship and hospitality for all.”  Our prayer request is for peace and comfort for his family and for all the many who include Mzee Wanje in their Spiritual family.

Photo taken in 2007 during a tour of Baptist work along the coast  of
Kenya made by the the leadership of the Baptist Convention of Kenya,
Daniel Thiuri (left), Moderator of the BCoK at that time, Morris Wanje
(center) and Morris' son,  Elijah Wanje (right) who is the current
Moderator of the Baptist Convention of Kenya.

Please join us in praying as we take part in an On Mission Celebration in churches in the area of Hampton, South Carolina, this Saturday through next Wednesday?   Pray for God’s guidance and power as we report to these churches how God has and is blessing their involvement in His work among Kenyan and Sub-Saharan African Peoples. 

Remember to view the daily
Nudges to Action for Sub-Saharan African Peoples.

Last Saturday night, I found myself questioning if I was getting into a rut as we speak so often in different churches and prayed that God would give me new assurance of His guidance.  I’m sure it was an answer to my and some of your prayers when God directed me to Acts 4:3-31 during my devotions the next morning.

I'm excited about how my new cameras can be
used  to share our stories from Kenya!  This photo
was captured last week during a non-freezing rain!

It was truly a time of encouragement as I read of how Peter and John also reported all that was happening in their ministry to their prayer warriors (vv.23-24).  It was a time of strengthening as I read that these spiritual giants also prayed for God to enable them to boldly share His story. It was also a time of excitement as I was reminded that God will answer our prayers and all “who live on the earth…to every nation, tribe, language and people” (Revelation 14:6) can be shaken by His word, His story, His love and salvation – thus the reason I keep sending these prayer letters!  BERT
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Daily Nudges to Action for Sub-Saharan African Peoples can be found at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Sub-Saharan-African-Peoples/100173880060607 - non-FB
members simply need to scroll down the page to view the photos and nudges to prayer.