March 19, 2014

Bert has sent our updates from many
places, but this was a first - from the
backseat of a car outside a Cracker Barrell
after having lunch with volunteers!

More than 10 years ago as I prepared a budget request, I remember sitting in my office at Kenya Baptist Media and thinking, “Maybe adding a scripture to my explanation will strengthen my request.” I didn’t do this for ‘spiritual’ reasons, but simply to seek finances which were not likely to be approved. 

I don’t remember if the budget was approved, but I do remember my synopsis of the chosen verses, Acts 14:22 and Revelation 14:6.  Why is this memory still strong?  I still end e-mails, letters, reports, etc., with "Strengthening and encouraging as we engage lostness together,” and sometimes include the last bit used in the request, “proclaiming the eternal gospel ‘to every nation, tribe, language and people.’” 

No, this isn't rain drops, but ice on a bush!  This
winter is still filled with storms, but God has
provided us with safety in travel and all our big
trips were during the times we could travel safely. 

As our job assignments took new directions, we realized that as I wrote that day, God was giving us a sneak preview of how He wanted us involved in His work in the coming years.  Our dream was to move to an area where we could live and work among Unreached/ Unengaged Peoples, but over and over God has made it very clear that our call is to strengthen and encourage Believers, our African brothers and sisters, fellow missionaries, and our supporters in the States, as they work in His Harvest Fields! 

Jack speaking to the adults during the Bible
study time at Rich Square Baptist Church last
Sunday - sharing his vision for KBTC.

As the Principal of the Kenya Baptist Theological College, Jack’s ‘heart desire’ is to train and equip African Believers to serve as our Saviour’s witnesses and disciple makers in their “Jerusalem… Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8) My passion is to strengthen and encourage Believers by nudging them to action (prayer, giving and serving) to share the eternal gospel with the many nations, tribes, languages and people still waiting to hear our Good News, especially those in Sub-Saharan Africa!

Sharing our appreciation for prayer support for
for us and for God's work among SSAPeoples!

There are moments when we question if we are missing the real, more exciting action by not working full-time in an area among the Unreached, especially the Unengaged.  But, these doubts are always replaced by joy when we view someone we have touched at work in our Father’s harvest field. 

One of the joys of being on STAS -
A special gift to the missionaries
from a five year old.

I’m not quite sure why I’m sharing these words this week, but I’ve learned that when my plans for an update takes a different turn as I write, I must trust that God is answering my prayer for guidance. I also know that as we return (early May) to Kenya, we cannot accomplish what God has called us to do without you,  your prayers, your financial gifts, especially those to the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering and the Cooperative Program, and your sending more workers to join us.

The other bit that I must share this week is to thank you for your past prayers, financial gifts and sending or being our co-workers.  There aren’t words to express how much you encourage and strengthen us by your desire to learn more of what we have seen God do in Kenya and among Sub-Saharan African Peoples and how He has blessed your past investments in prayer, giving and serving. 

Another joy of STAS - spending time with retired
missionaries from Sub-Saharan Africa!

We have also been strengthened and encouraged as we learn that you do read our weekly updates and pray specifically for us.  One thing that being a ‘foreign’ missionary in Africa has taught us is that one’s greatest assurance of truly obeying God and doing His will is the degree of discouragement and frustrations the devil throws your way!  Which means, the more we obey God and seek to serve Him, the more we really need to know that we are a part of a team of Believers who are engaging lostness together as we seek to proclaim the eternal gospel to “every nation, tribe, language and people.”

Bert's special joy of the week:  Spending
time at a luncheon for retired missionaries
with her second grade teacher, Sue Todd!
LOOK at the end of this update for even
more photos of joy taken this last week!

Once again, what I expected to be a very short update has turned in to an epistle, but I cannot close without sharing our specific prayer requests for this coming week.  We need prayers again this week for safety in travel and that we clearly share what God is doing and the needs in Harvest work as we attend the annual meeting of South Carolina WMU on Friday and Saturday, as we speak in two churches on Sunday, and continue to meet with those desiring to serve in Africa.  BERT 

--- MISSIONS TOOLBOX ---

Believers needed to invest time, energy and resources into praying for and taking the Gospel to key Sub-Saharan African unreached people groups (UPGs) and unreached, unengaged people groups (UUPGs) in desperate need of the Gospel. Could the Lord be leading your church to take on this task?  Visit http://subsaharanafricanpeoples.imb.org/explore/view/people-group-map  to learn how you and your church can remove one pin from the map!

You can also view the full Google map at https://mapsengine.google.com/map/edit?mid=z_b5OO8U3FbY.kAZW-OjUfSrs

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For more on Kenya Baptist Theological College, visit https://www.facebook.com/KenyaBaptistTheologicalCollege.

For daily Nudges to Action for Sub-Saharan African Peoples, visit  https://www.facebook.com/pages/Sub-Saharan-African-Peoples/100173880060607.

Covered-dish luncheons after sharing
with churches are always a time of joy...

... as is spotting jonquils - a flower that doesn't grow naturally
on the equator. Another joy - viewing stained-glass
windows in the churches we visit.  The one below was
spotted last Wednesday night at Troutman Baptist.