January 29, 2014

Writing today with a different view – not a view of purple or yellow snow, which entertained me in the past while writing from Kenya as the beautiful trees in our yard in Nairobi showered the ground with colored petals,* but a view of the freezing white stuff!  Which definitely leads to a praise:  We were blessed with great weather and safe roads during last week’s trip from North Carolina to Tennessee, Arkansas and Missouri, with Virginia added on our return trip, which would not be occurring this week!

Jacarandas bloom in Sept-Nov in Nairobi.

Sorry, can't remember the name of  the trees that provide our annual
yellow snow in October in Nairobi, but more photos can be viewed at
"Close up of 'Yellow Snow'".

Two more praises:  Our trip was truly a blessed time as we visited with past and future partnering churches and volunteers and shared how God is at work among Sub-Saharan African Peoples and at the Kenya Baptist Theological College and how others have joined or can join in His work!  Another answer to prayer:  We had many opportunities to thank the partnering churches and volunteers for their past assistance among Unreached Sub-Saharan African Peoples and at KBTC.

We were also blessed (I may be over-using this word, but it is the best word to describe last week’s experiences) by a visit with Bonnie Turner, a good friend who retired in Missouri after many years of service in Kenya.  There were a few tears as we talked of her husband, Sam, who died last year, but lots of good memories which included their involvement at KBTC and among the Peoples and churches of Kenya.  Another reminder of past memories was having lunch at a Chinese restaurant which was not as tasty as the Hong Kong, Sam’s favorite restaurant in Nairobi, but good! And yes, Jack and I are on diets this week as this meal was just one of many great times throughout our visit of eating “together (with fellow Baptists) with glad and sincere hearts” (Acts 2:46).

Photo used in today's post on SSAPeoples Nudge
 to Action - Praying, Serving and Giving, Serving.

I’ll take a break next week from writing an update as I work on ‘upgrading’ our updates. Pray for me as I seek to learn new skills which hopefully will allow me to be a better communicator of what God is doing in His harvest field among Sub-Saharan African Peoples and through the Kenya Baptist Theological College.  

While I was writing today's update, Jack
was sweeping (lacking a shovel) snow away
- something he never does in Kenya!

Pray for Jack as he continues sharing his vision for KBTC with people in the States and with the staff and supporters of our Baptist college/ seminary in Kenya.  The latter often leads to yet another blessing – his ability to communicate via phone calls and e-mail with KBTC’s staff which most often results in his learning one or more new ways that God is at work at the college! Continue joining us in praying as ”KBTC 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.” **

Spotted on our street this morning!

We are missing an opportunity to share with a church tonight due to the icy roads, but please join us in continuing to pray that we will clearly share the excitement of serving our Father and how He blesses the investments of volunteers and partnering churches in His work. Pray for boldness and wisdom as we encourage/entice those who have not previously experienced the opportunity to be at work in our Father’s Harvest Field in Kenya and throughout Sub-Saharan Africa.

Spotted today beside the porch of our 'borrowed' mission home.

And once again, please know that it is not simply a phrase copied from past updates, but from our hearts when we say: Thank you for praying for us, for sending co-workers our way, and thank you for providing the funds which allow us to be a part of our Father’s work in His Harvest Field in Sub-Saharan Africa, BERT
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* A past view shared last October before the beginning of our STAS of “A Close-Up of ‘Yellow Snow’” – https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10152269872390130.1073741843.685050129&type=1&l=3093f7359f

** Review of what was happening at KBTC and in our lives last January - http://bertandjackyates.blogspot.com/2013_01_01_archive.html.
Daily Nudges to Action (Praying, Serving and Giving) for Sub-Saharan African Peoples can be found at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Sub-Saharan-African-Peoples/100173880060607?ref=hl.

Shared on FB yesterday by our younger daughter, who only
had a half-day teaching thanks to the snow: "This African knows
what to eat for lunch when it is snowing outside. And yes, thanks
to my parents (birthday gift), that's the legit Knorr tomato soup."

While our older daughter and her four year old experienced sledding
for the first time and added on FB that our granddaughter
"was stylin in her (Kenyan)BATA boots." Our older child, John,
is enjoying a day-off from work by staying out of the cold
as he prefers the weather in Mombasa, Kenya!

January 22, 2014

As I write today from a hotel in Arkansas, I'm thankful for your general prayers for us! Somehow in the rewrites of last week’s update, I deleted a prayer item for preparation and safe travel for an 8 day trip visiting past and future volunteers and partnering churches in North Carolina, Tennessee and Arkansas.

Thanks to answers to your ‘general’ prayers, we were packed and ready to go earlier than planned last Sunday morning, which included leaving the mission house orderly and having totally unpacked from our last two trips before heading to Sandy Branch Baptist Church in Siler City. After sharing what God is doing at the Kenya Baptist Theological College (Jack) and among Sub-Saharan African Peoples (BERT) and how others can join in His work, we enjoyed a new experience, a ‘chili cook-off’ raising money for the church’s summer mission projects! My favourite chilli of the seven choices did not win, but Jack’s did!

We then headed to east Tennessee. The trip took longer than expected, but we had time to spare, so we slowed down a bit to appreciate the snow on the ground in one mountain gorge. We got a bit nervous when our directions did not lead to Witt Baptist Church, but after driving in circles, God answered our and your ‘general’ prayers and we spotted the church 15 minutes before their evening service! Our added joy?  Hearing their children’s choir sing of choosing to follow God’s call.

Not a flower spotted along the way, but a photo from Africa used to
illustrate yesterday's Nudge to Action for Sub-Saharan African Peoples.

On Monday we headed to west Tennessee to meet more friends and supporters of KBTC. Along the way, we felt God’s protection as a large cabinet appeared ahead of us in/on the road. Our answered prayer: We and other vehicles on the busy interstate avoided the obstacle!

The birds are not standing in snow, but on frozen Tennessee grass!

Retired co-workers introduced us to Memphis style barbecue that night, which was good, but in a cook-off with eastern North Carolina barbecue, we would ‘vote’ for the latter! Our visit with these friends provided an added treat Tuesday morning – our first view in 8 years of snow falling from the sky!

Along the way, Jack received a phone call from Kenya.
KTBC's administrator called to share more news
of how God is at work at the college!

We arrived in Jonesboro, Arkansas at noon yesterday and met last night with one group and will meet with three other groups today and many more before returning to North Carolina over the weekend. Jack says his number one goal is to thank volunteers and supporters of KBTC for their past assistance.

As we mingle (we’re Baptist, so this often includes eating!) and speak, pray that we will clearly share the excitement of serving our Father and how He blesses the investments of volunteers and partnering churches in His work. Pray for boldness and wisdom for us as we encourage/entice those who have not previously experienced the opportunity to be at work in our Father’s Harvest Field in Kenya and throughout Sub-Saharan Africa. Pray also for a safe return trip to North Carolina over the weekend.

One more praise is for last week’s Music Workshop at KBTC led by Kansas/ Nebraska volunteers. A fellow missionary shared that “each session began with a ‘heart song’ from a different tribe of Kenya. The 100 attendees learned about the theology of worship, personal worship habits, relationships in ministry, and indigenous music in worship, discipleship and missions. Thank God with us for these Kenyans who… were able to come and both be blessed and be a blessing! God is good.” The workshop also led to yet another praise: Many new students enrolling at KBTC!

Please know that it is not simply a phrase copied from past updates, but from our hearts when we say: Thank you for praying for us, for sending co-workers our way, and thank you for providing the funds which allow us to be a part of our Father’s work in His Harvest Field in Sub-Saharan Africa, BERT
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View this week's SSAP Nudges to Action at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Sub-Saharan-African-Peoples/100173880060607. 

More on KBTC can be found at  https://www.facebook.com/KenyaBaptistTheologicalCollege.

Bert sharing of the need for committed partners desiring
to engage Unreached Sub-Saharan African Peoples!

January 19, 2014

Join others on this SUNDAY with a heart for Sub-Saharan African Peoples and pray “that believers be students of the Bible so they will know which parts of their own culture to leave behind so they can wholeheartedly follow Christ as Lord, not divided in heart and mind.” 

A free download of the SSAPeoples Monthly Prayer Guide, ready to be printed or used on your computer is found athttp://subsaharanafricanpeoples.imb.org/resources/item/ssa-prayer-calendar. Free copies of the printed calendar can be orderedhttp://imbresources.org/index.cfm/product/detail/prodID/4385. 

January 15, 2014

One of my favourite photos captured
during this past 4 years in Kenya.

I’m not sitting in a field of banana plants or in a mud hut as I work away from home this morning, but in a friend’s breakfast nook after speaking at a Women on Mission meeting in eastern North Carolina last night. We are staying busy and loving the opportunities to share what God is up to at the Kenya Baptist Theological College (Jack) and in His harvest field among Sub-Saharan African Peoples. 

We were at a Church Planting Seminar
in western Kenya where most of
those attending were very attentive...

Thanks for praying for our time at the conference last week for IMB missionaries on Stateside Assignment. It was truly “a time of refreshment and learning” and a great time of making new friends and enjoying being with friends we have known for years. It was a joy to hear the God-at-work stories from other parts of the world, but we also heard stories of heartbreak from many of our workers. Thus, one prayer that you can add to your general prayers for missionaries is for protection from attacks from the devil as he does not like God’s work going well!

... although a few preferred looking my way and posing for the camera!

The ‘learning’ bit at the conference was sessions on retirement (yes, we will do that one day) and dealing with ageing parents (which I found rather humorous as we are now the age of the ‘aging parents’ of many of the young missionaries). Jack was enthused by the sessions on new ways to involve others in our work, as I attended sessions on using Social Media, photos and newsletters as tools to share God’s stories (yes, I do this daily, but there is still so much to learn and use). We are benefiting already from a day long course on ‘modular speaking’ which I attended which hopefully will help us share our stories more effectively with you!

And a few cute kids such as this mischievous toddler
led to my not paying full attention as Jack preached! 

As always in recent years, one required session was on security, which leads to the need for you to add ‘prayers for safety’ to your general prayers for missionaries. Our session began with questions of who had been affected by a robbery, car-jacking, hi-jacking, terrorism, etc. in the recent past. There were only ten of us in our small group, but the tally was high. So please pray for safety and especially for wisdom for missionaries as many of us live in areas where one must always be alert to possible threats.

No, this wasn't the meal we had at the rural church during the
Church Planting Seminar, but our lunch today and one of the
foods we enjoy while on leave - Eastern NC pork barbecue!
I took this photo to try close-ups on my NEW camera!

Before heading out to a local McDonalds for a cup of coffee and their free Wi-Fi so I can send this newsletter (I ran out of time and am sending this from home hours later), I will close with our ‘general’ Stateside Assignment prayer requests. Pray for God’s guidance as we meet people and speak to groups.

Still on our wish list while on STAS is to eat at a Pizza Inn,
which we skipped today, but the seagulls were busy!

Join us also in thanking God for the opportunities for Jack to share how God is at work at the Kenya Baptist Theological College and as I share what God is doing among Sub-Saharan African Peoples. Pray that we will entice more people to join in His work! Pray also that we will clearly share how God answers your prayers, uses short and long term volunteers to accomplish His work, and blesses your gifts to the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering, Cooperative Program and other ways that allow us to be at work in our Father’s Harvest Field in Africa. BERT
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Daily Nudges to Action for Sub-Saharan African Peoples are found at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Sub-Saharan-African-Peoples/100173880060607.

The other place we skipped today for lunch - which was difficult,
but made easier as we are freezing so far north of the equator!

January 6, 2014

We miss the beauty of Kenya, but this early
morning view during breakfast last week
was a great way to start the day!

Part Two this week of "What missionaries on Stateside Assignment do", plus a great praise for an incident that was not a co-incidence, but a GOD-incidence and more nudges to prayer!

We have tried to get some rest this last week, which was complicated by Jack having a cold and awakening on the morning of freezing weather (16°F) with no heat in our mission house! Our praises: Jack is on the mend, our host church had warm air blowing into the house within a few hours, and we had purchased enough winter clothes to have been adequately layered!

Resting included watching lots of college football and basketball games AS these happened!  It also has included reminiscing over the events of December with lots of speaking engagements (shared in recent updates) and lots of special family times, such as taking a field trip with our granddaughter’s preschool and attending the her school Christmas party.

Fun before Christmas included visiting an activity center
for kids with our granddaughter's Preschool...

... and when Bibi spotted a wall of mirrors as the kids played,
she took a few photos to edit for use as FB profile photos.

December also included finding a grocery store where we felt comfortable visiting and shopping, Patel Brothers which sells Indian specialties that we often buy in Kenya, as well as a few Kenyan foods!  You need to visit our blog to see some of these foods and their names, as well as photos of our special time with our kids and their families on Christmas day.

Goodies purchased at Patel Brothers. We
also spotted Kenyan tea and Royco Mchuzi Mix!

Christmas morning was spent with our kids and
their families.  Bert is behind the camera - her new
camera which was her Christmas present to herself!

As we speak during this Stateside Assignment, I use my time to assure our listeners that God is blessing their past investments (prayer, personnel and financial) in the work among Sub-Saharan African Peoples  and how we need more people responding to the work in His harvest field.  Jack always shares how Believers must seek God’s will, obey Him and then trust Him, using his experiences since becoming the Principal of Kenya Baptist Theological College as illustrations.

Many of our Christmas gifts to our kids were from Kenya!

Thus, we were excited to have a new God-incidence to share when Jack received a call on New Year’s Day from Kenya.  This story became last Thursday’s Nudge to Action for Sub-Saharan African Peoples: Yesterday’s conversation between missionaries in Sub-Saharan Africa: M1: “Did you read today’s item on the prayer calendar?” M2: “Why?” M1: “Our co-workers prayed for a need at our seminary. A group of volunteers showed up today and they completed provided for the need!” M2: Jesus promised, “If you have faith as small as a mustard seed… Nothing will be impossible” (Matthew 17:20).

The fuller story was later shared with our co-workers who had been praying that day that KBTC’s spiritual and financial needs would be met:  “Today God answered in a way that amazed and blessed us, and reminded us that He is Sovereign LORD. Visitors came to the campus today – on a holiday – and wanted to tour KBTC. We did not know, had never met, or had any connections to the visitors. They had been here for a week working in another area of Kenya… (they were shown) around the facilities and explained how the school equips Kenyan pastors. The visitors wanted to stop and pray for the college. So under the avocado tree they knelt and prayed together. Then before the visitors left they gave a donation to the school which they asked to go toward staff salaries. The donation was totally unsolicited, and it was the answer to today’s prayer request. Amazed by God’s goodness!”

Another photo used last week as a
Nudge to Action for SSAPeoples.

Pray this week for a time of 'refreshment' and learning as we attend a conference this week for IMB missionaries on Stateside Assignment (thus the early mailing of this week’s update). Our constant prayer request during STAS is for God’s guidance as Jack shares how God is at work at the Kenya Baptist Theological College and as I share what God is doing among Sub-Saharan African Peoples and as we entice more people to join in His work! BERT YATES

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

January 1, 2014

So what does a missionary on Stateside Assignment do on the afternoon of a New Year's Day after a busy December during Stateside Assignment?  I'm trying to write this update, while Jack is taking a nap - a well-deserved nap after driving last night for four hours so we could attend a very special  Lottie Moon Christmas Offering event. The special event? The annual New Year's Eve Fish Fry at the 240 year old Cartledge Creek Baptist Church in Rockingham, N.C, which is held as a very special way to raise money to top up their LMCO gifts.

After church members ate fish caught and cooked by church members, as well as enjoyed some incredible home-made desserts, the night's entertainment was  learning about what God is doing among Sub-Saharan African Peoples (Bert) and...

This past week's Nudges to Action for SSAPeoples were shared as an
ongoing story - the story of what is happening among one BEING
reached Unreached People in our world's youngest country, the Toposa
of South Sudan.  The story is found on the December 24, 26-31 posts at
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Sub-Saharan-African-Peoples/100173880060607.

... how He is at work at the Kenya Baptist Theological College (Jack), which also included invitations to join our Father in His work in Africa!

After sharing last night how God is answering prayers at KBTC, Jack
received a call this morning from Kenya saying that a prayer request
was shared today on a special prayer site concerning the needs
at KBTC and not a co-incidence, but a GOD-incidence occurred today!
A Kenyan pastor brought Baptist volunteers to visit the college
and they left a gift for KBTC which will pay past-due bills!

Although we were busy during December, we loved everything we were able to do.  One the Wednesday night before Christmas we shared at the Mount Olive Baptist Church (King, NC) how thankful IMB missionaries are for the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering.  After the service as we met church members, we loved watching the women of the church as they practised a skit to promote the offering the coming Sunday morning!

The Sunday before Christmas, we worshipped with the Pleasant Grove Baptist Church in Willow Spring, NC, and enjoyed their Christmas decorations outside the church...

...and inside the church as we spoke, sharing once again how thanks to the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering, we are able to serve our Father in Africa!

Jack and I always wear our African clothes as we speak in
churches and so far my head wrap has stayed in place!

To be honest, staying up later than usual last night, has left me exhausted also, so I'm not going to take a nap as Jack did (he just awoke and is preparing our afternoon tea, a tradition of African countries with a British heritage), but I'm going to stop now.  But I promise to share more of our activities of December in next week's update - including evidence of my special Christmas present!  BERT
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More on the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering at http://www.imb.org/main/lottie-moon/default.asp.

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

For photos and information on the Kenya Baptist Theological College, visit https://www.facebook.com/KenyaBaptistTheologicalCollege.

Another thing I did last month - have a 'who will blink first'
session with my favourite American bird - a Blue Jay!