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The question for this photo is not WhyWeGo,
but "Why are the students laughing?"
I took the photo, but do not know why? |
So, WHY DO WE GO? Why have we called Kenya home for the last 37 years? Why did we recently turn down a great Voluntary Retirement Incentive? Why have we willingly missed many special events in the lives of those we love in the States? Why when things got tough or frustrating have we chosen to stay?
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| The question in Nairobi traffic is often, "Can we Go?" |
Sometimes we think that stubbornness is one truthful answer. Another good answer is that East Africa is now our comfort zone, which if you know the reality of life in Africa, leads to another possible answer – We stay because we are a bit crazy!
The most truthful and honest answer to why we choose to stay and invest our lives in Kenya? We stay because of what we were taught as little kids in Sunbeams (Mission Friends today). Our answer was, “
Here WE are, send US!” when we
“heard the voice of the Lord saying, ‘Whom shall I send… who will go for us?’” (Isaiah 6:8 NIV). We are here because we may not always be the smartest people, but we’ve learned that the best and safest place to be going on with our lives is where God has called us to be!
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| Sometimes the answer in Nairobi is "You can go, but...." |
But please understand, we do not believe that one must be a ‘professional’ missionary to hear God’s call and to serve as His ambassadors telling others that He “
so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16 NIV). We believe that being a Christian is synonymous with being a missionary. We believe that every Christian should and must be committed to carrying out our Savior’s Great Commission to “
go and make 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 I have commanded you." (Matthew 28:19-20 NIV).
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This photo could have been captured not this week,
but in 1978! |
Jack, our 4 year old son and I came to Kenya in September, 1978, for a one year assignment with the FMB (now
IMB). Jack came to teach at the Shauri Moyo Baptist Centre; I came to be the administrative assistant in our regional office. By the time our one year assignment stretched to 2 ½ years and it was time to leave with a now 7 year old son and an infant daughter, we knew God’s call on our lives was to return to States only long enough to be appointed as career missionaries. Nine months later we were on-the-go again headed back to Kenya and we are still here and plan to be for a few years more!
 |
Jack admiring the new light fixtures he chose last
week, which the electricians installed this
week in the new floor of Baraka Hall. |
Over those years, Jack has remained in education (his BA and MA are in education) in Baptist high schools, Bible Schools and at the
Kenya Baptist Theological College. He learned to be a builder of churches (the people part and the structure part of churches) as well as working with volunteers, and many other assignments. I asked this week, “What verse best answers WHY YOU GO now that you serve as the Principal of the
Kenya Baptist Theological College?” He quickly replied, “
For Christ's love compels us” (2 Corinthians 5:14 NIV). It is Christ’s love for Jack, me and all peoples, including those who have never heard or had Christ’s love explained in a way that can be understood and accepted, that keeps Jack going, keeps him striving to equip and teach God’s servants to carry out the Great Commission.
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My favorite photo captured this week - KBTC staff kids
spotted as we headed back to Nairobi one afternoon. |
My work assignments have not relied upon my studies in Social Work and half completed Masters of Counseling (one reason we only planned to come for one year in 1978). Instead it was my job experiences during college which led me to working as a writer/ editor/ administrator with Kenya Baptist Media. I now have the joy of working in Internet Media as the Prayer Networker for the
IMB Sub-Saharan African Peoples affinity and my WHY I GO verse was spoken by Peter and John,
“For we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard" (Acts 4:20 NIV). I get to see and hear the stories of how God is at work among our peoples, which leaves me eager to share these stories with you. It leaves me passionate about sharing what I “have seen and heard” as I know when you hear these stories you will desire to pray more, give more to offerings such as the
Lottie Moon Christmas Offering and others global missions offerings, and to come to serve also! BERT YATES
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-
Lottie Moon Christmas Offering -
http://www.imb.org/main/lottie-moon/default.asp
- Remember to view the daily
Nudges to Action for Sub-Saharan African Peoples (CLICK tab at top of page), a part of Bert's work as the Prayer Networker for Sub-Saharan African Peoples at
https://www.facebook.com/SubSaharanAfricanPeoples. This site and those below can be safely viewed by anyone!
- For more about Jack's work at the
Kenya Baptist Theological College, CLICK the
KBTC tab above to visit at
https://www.facebook.com/KenyaBaptistTheologicalCollege.
- CLICK the
Bits of Our Hearts tab for more views of our daily lives at
https://www.facebook.com/bitsofourhearts.
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