June 11, 2014

Jack's office at KBTC.

Beginning this week’s update with Jack’s list of praises as the Kenya Baptist Theological College rejoices in God’s continued revival of the college: 

+  48 new students this year, who managed to pay their fees (NOTE from Bert :  Jack wrote ‘pray’ instead of ‘pay’ in his notes– which is true as most relied on answered prayer to pay their fees!) PRAY that God calls folks to sponsor our students.

+  Safe arrival of the first two of 20 violins for the music school.  PRAY for our violin seminar in July and that the other 18 gift violins make it safely to Kenya with the help of volunteers.

Students are in the second week
of this four week term.

+  Amazing stories from our students of how they came to KBTC from all over Kenya as well as from Rwanda, South Sudan and Ivory Coast.  (NOTE from Bert:  I’ll make sure he shares a few of these stories with you next week.)

+  Incredible support from partnering churches in Arkansas, Colorado, Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky and North Carolina, which includes three new furnished apartments which will be completed this Saturday, ready for occupancy by students of the language school which now ‘resides’ at KBTC (one of the ‘steps’ to a future missions department).

+  Continued renewal of old work through the new Abedare, North Rift, Coast, Western and Nairobi Regional Baptist Conventions.

+  Thankful for a great KBTC staff who are family.

Football (soccer) team shirts are sold all the time along
the streets of Nairobi, but there will be lots of  extra
business during the upcoming 2014 FIFA World Cup.

Now for another praise for last week’s announcement of the “New record: Lottie Moon offering hits $154 million”! We are truly thankful for the “incredible generosity of Southern Baptists,” not because our ‘boss’ says we should thank you, but because as Tom Elliff said, “The Lottie Moon Christmas Offering presents well over half of our budget each year.”

We live in the lower apartment and co-workers
live upstairs in this mission house.  And yes, the
shrubbery at our front door looks like an elephant!

Jack and I and our fellow IMB workers depend on gifts to the LMCO and Cooperative Program, which provides funds for our “salaries, housing, medical care, children’s education, field transportation and other expenses.”  Gifts which allow us and our national partners to “go into areas untouched by the Gospel, engage people groups with no believers or Scriptures, start churches and make disciples.”

Jack returning home in our mission assigned RAV.

We are especially thankful that these offerings not only provide us with a car, but covers gas which was roughly $5.15/ gallon for our last weekly fill-up (litres to gallon; Kenya shillings to dollars), which is needed as Jack commutes daily to KBTC from Nairobi until housing is available for us on campus.  Added prayer item:  Pray for safety as Jack travels daily on not-so safe roads.

One of many 'priceless' parts of serving with the
 IMB - attending church with little ones like this!

Thanks to your gifts, Jack is able to serve as the Principal of KBTC and you enable me to spend my days working at the computer (our salaries pay for my computer, cameras, etc.).  Our budget helps to cover our internet expenses, which is important as I’m on the internet for hours each day, checking on what God is doing among Sub-Saharan African Peoples and finding stories to share of how He is at work and how we and our supporters can join in His work through praying, giving and serving.

Photo used with last Sunday's
Nudge to Action for SSAPeoples.

Do remember to join Jack in prayer for KBTC’s praise and needs.  Pray for me as I seek to nudge you and others to action (Prayer, Giving and Serving) for our peoples in Sub-Saharan Africa and in Kenya and as I strive to encourage and strengthen the work of our missionaries – missionaries which you support through the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering and gifts to the Cooperative Program!  BERT

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REMEMBER to view “One Sacred Effort – Find your place in God’s story,” the newest addition to Missions Toolbox (http://missionstoolbox.blogspot.com/) offering ways the “IMB is ready ‘to help you... to partner with you and your church on this journey to bring the Gospel to the nations.’”

“New record: Lottie Moon offering hits $154 million” –  http://www.imb.org/main/news/details.asp?StoryID=13197&LanguageID=1709#.U5gg4_mSySo

Nudges to Action for Sub-Saharan African Peoples - https://www.facebook.com/pages/Sub-Saharan-African-Peoples/100173880060607?ref=hl

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

Another "priceless" bit of serving in Kenya - being a part of
our almost 3 year old PBC Eastgate Baptist family.