May 28, 2014

Though it has been two weeks since our return to Kenya, sleeping through the night is still an iffy proposition at our house and there are still boxes to be unpacked as we return our house to being our home rather than a ‘guest house’, BUT life is feeling more normal!  

Yes, we felt very loved during our welcome songs!

Last week I shared "a sneak preview of one of our two very special blessings” since our return.   We were overwhelmed by our first blessing, a welcome prepared by the staff of the Kenya Baptist Theological College.  It included lots of singing and dancing, in addition to the “Maasai guard 'Welcome Back to KBTC'” video shared last week, as well as gifts before sharing a cup of real Kenyan chai and mandazi (East African doughnuts) with the staff! 

Bert's new FB cover photo taken after Jack and I were 'dressed' in our
new gifts of fabric.  If you are Facebook, look for the links
 on the top right and befriend us!

The second blessing was also totally unexpected and pure joy! A few days before our return, we learned that our church, Parklands Baptist Church on Mombasa Road, had finally found a permanent home. As no date was shared for THE move, we assumed it would coincide with the 3rd anniversary of our church in early July. We were partially correct as that is when the church will be dedicated, but the ‘trial’ move began on our first Sunday back in Kenya, which was truly a special blessing to share with our church family.

Our church's new home is at Embakasi Baptist Church, which was
begun years ago. Their members will be joining our congregation.

Our worship service will be held in a huge tent until a bigger
building is ready.

The old sanctuary has been divided into four 'rooms' for
use for Children's Sunday School classes and Worship...

The younger kids are meeting in these new 'rooms'.

One of the kids in the youngest class, most who have been born since our
church began, asked the first Sunday, "When do we go to our real class?"
- which the teachers assumed meant the hallway at the City Cabanas,
where their class had been meeting each Sunday!

The older kids outgrew their new classes on the first Sunday and
moved to the tents used before worship for adult Bible Studies.
Another group of kids meet in a tent on the left.

One of my favorite photos captured at our new church!  

Thus our first prayer item this week is three praises/ thanksgivings: Our re-adjustment to life one-third of the way around the world (A great intro to Africa Time Zone Map, this week’s addition to Missions Toolbox); our great welcome back to Kenya experienced at KTBT and with our church family; and our continued assurance that we are exactly where God wants us to be at work in His harvest field.

Just one view of the beautiful
flower beds at KBTC.

Our first prayer request is for Jack as he serves as the principal of Kenya Baptist Theological College, which is still in the process of being “REVIVED/ RESTORED/ RESURRECTED/ REVISED/ RESCUED, RESULTING once again in a place where African Believers can be prepared to REFLECT the PRESENCE OF GOD and become qualified and capable workers in our Father’s Harvest Field”( Oct 30, 2013/ Jan 2, 2013 posts.) It continues to be truly awesome to see how prayers are being answers and things are improving at KBTC, but there is still much to be done.  

Pray for Jack as he makes decisions, encourages the staff and restores confidence in the college.  Pray for the students who will arrive next week for a new session of classes; pray that they will come with the required fees and this will be a blessed time of learning.

Likely this photo of the kids repeating the teacher's
prayer last Sunday that they be good listeners will
illustrate a future Nudge to Action for SSAPeople!

My prayer request is for God’s guidance as I prepare the daily posts of Nudges to Action for Sub-Saharan African Peoples.  Pray that readers will be truly nudged to action through prayer, giving and serving. Pray for wisdom as I link those nudged by the shared needs and experiences with our workers.    

Pray also for the country of Kenya which is facing new terrorists’ threats and attacks.  Pray that during this unsettled time, Believers will be bold witnesses of our Father, the true source of peace.

And the kids were good listeners!

I will close again this week with these words: Before returning to the exhausting unpacking… I want to assure you that we are… thankful for your prayer support.  We have been able to continue, even when it seemed impossible… to overcome tricks sent from the devil, and we so thankful for your prayers, your giving to the Cooperative Program and Lottie Moon Christmas Offering which provides the needed finances for us to be at work in Kenya, and your sending personnel so that “every nation, tribe, language and people” of Sub-Saharan Africa will have the opportunity to hear a proclamation of the eternal gospel (Revelation 14:6).  BERT

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Lots of links shared this week, including:

Yates-IMB-Kenya&SSAP blog – http://bertandjackyates.blogspot.com/

Missions Toolbox/ Africa Time Zone Map – http://missionstoolbox.blogspot.com/2014/05/africa-time-zone-map.html

Nudges to Action for Sub-Saharan African Peoples –  https://www.facebook.com/pages/Sub-Saharan-African-Peoples/100173880060607/. (For this link and the one for KBTC, simply scroll past the SIGN UP/ LOG IN bit if you are not a Facebook member.)

Kenya Baptist Theological College – https://www.facebook.com/KenyaBaptistTheologicalCollege

Maasai guard 'Welcome Back to KBTC’ video – http://vimeo.com/95948701

Mandazi recipe - http://allthingskenyan.com/food-mandazi.html

Almost a full view of the area to the left of our new church property -
the church is in the background on the left.  We've been told that
 just one of the 'estates' in our new home (and there are
many) houses over 10,000 families!