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Walking in Kenya includes watching out for the
unexpected from motorcycles - included this view
captured as we drove to church last Sunday.
The 'no-hands needed' way to carry a spare tire! |
Yesterday, I walked to a nearby grocery store and surprisingly, the store had everything on my short list. But after placing the last item in my basket, I decided that I really didn’t want to take it home, which included walking past the boarded-up Westgate Mall! The discarded item was a local newspaper with reports of Sunday evening’s vicious attack (1) along Kenya’s northern coastline. The graphic photos with the headline stories, which were even more disturbing than those I had seen earlier on my computer screen, led to my decision to only read on-line about the horrible event rather than view more photos.
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Another 'unexpected' view of a motorcycle - also
spotted last Sunday! Yep, he is delivering
a sofa and two chairs WITH cushions! |
So how do we handle living in a country which like many other African countries (2) is dealing with unsettling and deadly events? And yes, we do ask ourselves this question and what precautions we should take. The simple answer, we must stay alert and informed and we must share our concerns with our heavenly Father and seeking His answers.
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At least we don't have to avoid goats and cows
in our part of the city. These goats live in the
middle of the road near our new church home! |
This may sound simplistic or even a bit ‘righteous’, but I know it was no co-incidence, but a GOD-incident when chapter 34 was the ‘next’ scripture to read this morning as I work slowly through the Psalms during my devotions. I know God was answering my personal concerns, worries and prayers as I read Psalm 34:1-4:
“I will extol the LORD at all times; his praise will always be on my lips. My soul will boast in the LORD; let the afflicted hear and rejoice. Glorify the LORD with me; let us exalt his name together. I sought the LORD, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears” (Psalm 34:1-4).
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Also one block from our new church home, you
can purchase tires, cooking pots, plastic items,
balls, mosquito nets, etc., and... |
His words reminded me that how I feel should not determine if I choose to extol (praise, exalt, worship) Him. The current circumstances I’m facing should not determine if I seek to share my praise of Him with others, especially with those who do not know Him. I was also reminded that He can deliver me from my fears, but I must choose to claim the peace He offers! Just as I had looked up the synonyms of
‘extol’, I also searched for the antonyms for the word ‘
fear’ and was surprised by the words offered –
‘assurance, calmness, confidence, faith, happiness, joy, trust, comfort’ appeared and NO, I was not searching for the opposite meanings of ‘fear’ in a Bible dictionary.
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... live chickens and medicine can be purchased as
we turn onto the road where our church meets! |
We do ask you to join us in praying that we and our missionary co-workers in Africa and around our world will make Psalm 34:1-4
“living and active” (3) in our lives during difficult times. Pray that we will “
Be on guard! Be alert!” (Mark 13:33 NIV) and that our lives be a testimony of the ‘
assurance, calmness, confidence, faith, happiness, joy, trust, comfort’ we have as Believers.
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| Photo taken last week of KBTC's library and administration buildings. |
Thanks for praying this past week for Jack and the Kenya Baptist Theological College. We know that your prayer power has resulted in the school’s bank accounts finally ‘functioning’ again and the school being able to use the accounts and claim funds which have been unavailable for over a year! Banking is a very complex issue in our part of the world and many, many hours of work and great frustration has now turned into a BIG praise from Jack and other administrators! Please continue praying as Jack continues guiding KBTC as it is
“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.”(4)
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My special blessing last Sunday - watching
kids study GROWING IN CHRIST, one of
books which I had the joy of editing. |
Your prayers for me as I seek to nudge you and others to action for our peoples in Sub-Saharan Africa were also answered last week. I wanted to begin a series of nudges on the work of volunteers in Sub-Saharan Africa, but feared that this would be difficult. My praise: More information has come my way in recent days than I can use and supporters are responding to the Nudges to Action for Sub-Saharan African People
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Sub-Saharan-African-Peoples/100173880060607. (5) If you don’t regularly look at these Nudges to Action (Prayer, Giving and Serving) for our people, please do so and make sure you hit
LIKE on the page – which results in even more people having the opportunity to be
Nudged to Action for Sub-Saharan African People! BERT YATES
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