January 28, 2015

"Teach me your way, O LORD, and I will walk in your truth; give me an undivided heart, that I may fear your name."
Psalm 86:11 NIV

Photo shared in our January 30, 2013 newsletter.

APRIL 2013: His head hidden in his hands, the man from Chemelil (western Kenya) sat dejected at the top of the steps leading to KBTC’s administration building. He and others in his diploma of theology program with un-paid school fees had just been told, “You have to go home.”

Another photo shared in late January 2013, with
a reflection of the gardens between the stairs
and the KBTC administrative buildings.

Jack, the new KBTC principal at that time, and others did not want to do this, but they all knew that in order to rescue the school, students had to pay fees. Plus one sign of the lack of confidence in the school was dwindling scholarship funds.

JANUARY 26, 2015: “I want to come back to KBTC and finish my degree. I’ve got some money put together to pay my fees. What must I do?” The one sharing this message via cell phone at 6:45 in the morning? The man from Chemelil!

View of the KBTC classroom/ dining/ dorm building (right of centre
post) surrounded by tea fields captured along the road into Limuru.

Jack’s response: “We would love to have you back. Our staff will begin this morning helping you finish this thing properly!” As you can imagine, Jack smiled throughout this conversation which had interrupted our breakfast. One reason for Jack’s joy was the man’s report that since leaving school he had started a small church among the sugar cane of his area.

We are living in Cottage D/ Duiker,
next to Cottage C/ Cheetah.

This is just one more story of why Jack leaves our cottage, heading to his office each morning with excitement and returns each afternoon exhausted, but praising God for all that is happening around campus! This morning as we visited a special week-long conference for prospective students sponsored by Parkway Baptist Church in Kentucky, he received another call via cell phone (that’s all we use, not landlines) and took it, which is not his norm when he is with students.

And this is a DUIKER.  We spotted this very small,
very skittish antelope, earlier this month on
the lower road to the Rift Valley Academy.

Throughout the call he smiled and he completed the call by saying, “This is an answer to our prayers.” When I asked what the call was about, he replied: “More affirmation of good things ahead for KBTC.” He was referring to a group who will offer a church planting training that will benefit our students.

Day 2 of the training conference for future and present students.
If the future students do enrol, these hours of study will be counted!

No, we’re not always walking around smiling at KBTC, there are still many frustrations and disappointments. Frustrations which include minor ones like finding enough chairs and beds as the number of students and conference participants increase to major ones like how much longer can we fit everyone into the unfinished building and praying for NO heavy rains when class is in session as the unfinished first floor of the building has only a very temporary roof! We also become discouraged as we learn what co-workers and sister churches in West Africa have faced in recent days.

Special view of today's session -
Bibles resting during tea time!

Yet, in all of this, we see how God’s children are truly seeking to know Him and serve Him as we join together in going and making “disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything” commanded by our Saviour (Matthew 28:19-20).

And the truly awesome part is seeing how God is sending blessings in the midst of frustration and problems, which included KBTC receiving office furniture this week from workers who are retiring and reading praises such as was shared in this week’s Nudges of Action (Praying/ Giving/ Serving) for Sub-Saharan African Peoples.

Thank you for allowing us to obey our Father’s call and be in Kenya seeing how He is at work!  You do this as you join us in praying, as you give to the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering and Cooperative Program and as you come to serve with us.

BERT YATES

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Remember to view the daily Nudges to Action for Sub-Saharan Peoples which shares what God is doing among Sub-Saharan African Peoples and how you can join in His work through prayer, serving and giving! (https://www.facebook.com/SubSaharanAfricanPeoples)

You can also keep up with KBTC and what Jack is doing at https://www.facebook.com/KenyaBaptistTheologicalCollege. Both these links are on FB, but can be viewed by anyone!

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More photos captured this morning at the week long conference for prospective students and the class on campus, sponsored by Parkway Baptist Church.  Their pastor and others are teaching the pastors and church leaders Hermeneutics, the science and art of studying the Bible.

An added joy for Jack was visiting with future students who
are old friends, this one from when we worked in Nakuru.

During the morning tea, the pastor of Parkway Baptist
spent time with one of KBTC's students from South Sudan.

The two other teachers from Parkway taught break-out sessions
in small rooms, thus the best way to take a photo was from
outside through a window.  The windows were open in the
top photo. The closed windows in the lower photo offer
a great reflection of the beauty beyond the windows.

And yes, I'm a bit prejudiced, but I love this photo of Weru
selling Bibles and books produced by Kenya Baptist Media -
including books that I helped edit and at least one with
a cover I designed while serving with  KBM.