Good News of Great Joy

I can think of no better guide for this week’s update as it has been a true week of “good news of great joy… for all the people.” We experienced this joy last Thursday night at the special meal for the KBTC family after the graduation practice and even more so as 20 students graduated the next day surrounded by their friends and families, which included their church families.

Excited students on their way to graduation practice last Thursday.

I could write and write about what we felt and heard, but I’ll let photos and this video capture the joy and the celebration of graduates who are trained and equipped, ready to stand before our heavenly Father “in the gap on behalf” (Ezekiel 22:30 NIV) of “every nation, tribe, language and people” not just of Kenya, but of Africa and of all our world still waiting for a proclamation of the eternal gospel (Revelation 14:6 NIV).

A special moment as Jack prayed with the graduation party (KBTC Board
Chairman, professors, special guests and graduates) before the procession.  

The KBTC staff and students had worked very hard to beautify the grounds.

The moment when Jack conferred the diplomas of 20 very happy students.

Group pose after graduation and...

...a photo captured moments before as Bert did her job!

Then on Sunday, our church, Parklands Baptist Church - Eastgate celebrated a Masterlife graduation. This was another great reminder of the joy of believers who are ready to claim our Savior’s authority 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. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." Matthew 28:18-20

And then yesterday, Jack and others met with Teacher Isaac and StoryTeller Richard who had just returned from a second round of teaching at the Kakuma Refugee Camp assisted by Tut, a KBTC student. These are just a few of the comments made which left Jack too excited to go to sleep last night:

A photo of the sharing of  God's stories
which were being learned to reshare!

“After all the training in my life and degree level theological study, my life has never been so clarified until hearing Bible stories unpacked.”

“The response is incredible. We could have storying and TEE in every ethnic area of the camp.” WIKIPEDIA reports that refugees at the camp are from "South Sudan, Sudan and Somalia... Ethiopia, D.R. Congo, Burundi, Rwanda, Eritrea and Uganda."

There was lots and lots of rain during the two week
training at the Kakama Refugee camp, which led to
traveling in unexpected ways.

“There are enough teenagers to fill three stadiums. We need sports evangelism.”

“We’ve been given almost an acre for classrooms and for a demonstration farm which would feed and support our training centre.”

Should have added not just unexpected ways,
but dangerous ways requiring lots of prayers!

Our second missionary journey is finished and Tut, our student at KBTC, remains. We did not want to leave. Can we return in February?”

So #WhyDoWeGo as missionaries? The events of this week are perfect ways to share why Jack has invested his life in teaching and encouraging and strengthening others to be on mission with our Father. These events are also why I spend my days taking photos and sharing stories and of what our Father and His workers are doing in our part of the world, including making this 'Battle of Celebrants' video captured after last Friday's graduation of the celebrations of a Maasai student and a Kikuyu student.

Easy to download option of 'Battle of the Celebrants' at https://vimeo.com/149129217.

Our #1 prayer request at the moment? For rest! We do love what we do, but we are exhausted at the moment and definitely in need of a break, respite, breather, time-out, repose and a time of relaxation and any other synonyms available for REST!

BERT YATES       

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For more special stories and views from the week, click the IMB Sub-Saharan African Peoples, KBTC, and Bit's of Our Hearts TABS found above this post.