September 3, 2008

We don’t know how many churches he started … he was always starting churches. I know of seven now pastored by young men who grew up in Mwimuto Baptist Church. All were sponsored to go to the Nairobi Baptist Association’s three year Bible School. All finished because of financial support by Pastor Samweli and his church … The church started before the village developed so it was among the first in the area. Of the 17 churches of all denominations now in this part of the city, seven of their pastors were led to the Lord, baptized and discipled by Pastor Samweli … Well over 60 Baptist churches were represented at the service. Pastor Samweli always drew people together.” These are a few of the quotes heard at the Celebration service held last Saturday for a “life well lived” by Pastor Samweli Kihugu. There were a few sad moments, but the day will be remembered as a day of praising God and seeing how He has been and IS at work in Kenya.

As I stood outside during the service (the church building is large by Kenyan standards, but the seats ran out quickly!), I realized that Jack and I were a part of the ongoing story of God’s living and active Word (Hebrews 4:12) that day. As I tried to decide if Matthew 28:19-20 or 2 Timothy 2:2 was the best scripture to describe the event, I realized the day covered both! We were celebrating what happens when God’s children obey our Saviour and “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). We were also getting a glimpse of our Saviour’s Multiplication Table as we viewed one servant’s participation in Paul’s directive: “The things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable men who will also be qualified to teach others” (2 Timothy 2:2 NIV).

Two parts of the service were especially moving – The prayers using the word “Asante” (thank you in Kiswahili) over and over and with the plea to our Father for forgiveness for those who killed the beloved pastor. Second, the plan of salvation shared at the close of the service as the cycle of making new disciples continued.

Do continue praying for comfort, strength and wisdom for Samweli’s family, the members of Mwimuto Baptist Church and the community. Jack has been given the opportunity to mentor the young man the church has called as their new pastor. Pray for this man and for Jack as they use their time together to grow in their knowledge and ability to serve their Father. Pray for me as I write this special living and active story of our Saviour’s Multiplication Table and share it with others as a way of bringing honour and glory to our Father and helping others realize how they have been and can be an active and living part of God’s Word and plan.

Thank you for also being a part of this story as you sent/send and supported/support missionaries financially and through your prayers – missionaries who have also been and are a part of God’s Multiplication Table! Bert Yates

Pictures are entitled: 1) 2 Timothy 2:2 in action; 2) The overflow from the church; and (3) Will they be discipled?

Special Request for September: Flavoured Dates and Prayer Dates

Did you know there are many kinds of dates, not the calendar or romantic ones, but the edible ones? My favorite grocery store’s holiday display with rows of varieties and flavours of dates amazed me yesterday – all available for evening and pre-dawn meals during the upcoming Ramadan. The timing of this celebration changes yearly and for 2008 it begins on September 1st and ends September 30th or October 1st, all dates dependent upon the sighting of the new moon.

This is also a time when Christians should pray for our neighbours, friends and even our enemies who claim a very different faith. Often different is a negative, but we can learn from one difference in their religion: Good Muslims stop and pray publicly five times daily and they will spend extra time in prayer during the month of Ramadan. Several times each day as I sit at my desk, I hear the Call to Prayer of a nearby mosque and I use it as reminder to pray for those it is calling to prayer.

A friend who has a special heart for those who celebrate Ramadan shares: “It's that time of year again … it is time for the Muslim's holy month of prayer and fasting. Around the world many are in busy preparation and anticipation of the announcement that the month of Ramadan has officially begun. While I was in the midst of the Muslim world … this time of year was exciting and everyone looked forward to this month of sleepy days and active nights … this is an important month … to lift up our prayers for the Muslim people and for those working among them. Ramadan is a month of increased outward dedication but it is also a time when many realize the emptiness of ritual. It is a time when workers have increased opportunity to share meals with and speak words of truth and light into the darkness … Please join me in prayer … take a specific time or day of the month of September to fast and pray for the Muslim people … I am planning on hosting a 'Prayer Tea' with other women during the month … pray for those living around the world in need of a witness.” My friend ends her letter with Hebrews 11:6 – “And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him."

As I read the news this week, watching for special articles for you, I found “Famine looms in the North…” (Daily Nation, 8/27/08, p.32). Written to inform readers of the increasing “HUNGER THREAT” in northern Kenya, the lack of hope of the residents led me to prayer. “Terrible … acute hunger and thirst in their faces … emaciated villagers line up, each family getting 20 litres (litre is a little more than a quart) of water for the week … water they share with their weakest goats … amid scorching temperatures … ‘Fear is always there’ … among the 1.2 million Kenyans in northern Kenya … little hope … ‘watch in despair.’”

This article ends with haunting comments that should lead Christians to prayer: “Already 60 per cent of the population need food and water. Remember the fasting month of Ramadan is coming and we might witness tragic scenes if this condition persists … We’re awaiting our fate. I’m sure death is just around the corner.” Not only are these hopeless people dying, they are among the tribes, languages and people who have not heard and accepted the proclamation of the eternal message of our heavenly Father (Revelation 14:6). They also need our Saviour’s “living water … welling up to eternal life” (John 4:10, 13)

I ask, NO, I plead that you take time during September to pray for those in our world who need to know of our Saviour’s love and hope. Write Revelation 14:6 and Hebrews 11:6 on a card and use it to guide your prayers while the Muslim world celebrates Ramadan. Take time to view, hear, experience and pray through the YouTube listings. Search on the internet for information on Ramadan and use what you learn to strengthen your prayers. Take time to join those celebrating Ramadan in praying that they will come to know the “truth and light”. Pray that they will come to know and accept the eternal message of our Father. Bert
--- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---
YouTube/Muslim Call to Prayer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2nOxHn-rDW8
YouTube/Ramadan Clip: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jG0uhRIxOe8
For more about hosting a prayer tea: http://btw.imb.org/
Daily Nation, 8/27/08 p.32 “Famine looms in North as livestock begins to die” – http://www.nation.co.ke/News/-/1056/464086/-/tk9k0w/-/index.html
For more about Ramadan:
http://www.infoplease.com/spot/ramadan1.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ramadan

August 27, 2008

“If you looked in the dictionary for the definition of ‘Gentle, Sweet, Humble Servant’ you would surely find Samweli's face there. I have never known a more dedicated servant of God. He was all about the Lord and His message, and nothing about Samweli. He used to walk up the hill … to visit and ask … for guidance and ideas to better serve God. What a tragedy … and what a great homegoing for Samweli. I know God said, ‘Welcome home, thou good and faithful servant’ … let his family know that we … treasure every remembrance of him and his sweet family ... We … were honored to have been a part of his life.”

The last few days have been very difficult for Baptists in Kenya. Last week I was asked by Ridgeways Baptist Church to share a prayer request with our missionaries. Their youth were on a mission trip to Kenya’s coast and one young man, a Form Three (Junior) student at Nyeri Baptist High School, was missing. A few hours later, I was asked to send a prayer update – his drowned body had been found. A friend later shared that the previous Sunday the youth had led the worship service – they had shared their testimonies and their hopes for sharing God’s love and salvation during their mission trip.

Then on Sunday night, one of our missionaries called to say that his pastor at Mwimuto Baptist Church, Samweli Kihuga, had been killed as he returned from visiting a sick church member. Someone – for reasons that no one can comprehend – approached and shot Samweli, who was known in his community as a respected leader and true man of God. The killer fled without taking anything – his wallet, phone or his constant companion, his Bible. Samweli was a leader in Baptist work and a friend, co-worker and pastor to many of our missionaries over the years – the above note was sent by a retired missionary for Samweli’s family.

As Jack visited with the family yesterday, he learned of Samweli’s last day on earth. Samweli did not preach that morning at his church – his son, who has faced many struggles, preached – a real answer to prayer. Samweli did preach that afternoon in Wangige – a nearby mission point. When I asked the size of Mwimuto Baptist Church, begun in the late 1970’s as a mission point by another new church, Parklands Baptist, I was told – “It is a larger Nairobi church, but they are too busy starting new churches in nearby housing areas and other parts of Kenya, including western Kenya, to become too large!” Samweli had a heart for winning people to Christ and discipling them. He also had a gift for instilling his love and vision for church planting in the hearts of his friends and church members.

Do pray for comfort for Ridgeways Baptist Church, their youth, the young man’s family, and his fellow students at Nyeri Baptist High School. Pray that during this tragedy, they will share with others their source of strength. Pray also for peace for the members of Mwimuto Baptist Church and Samweli’s family and friends. Pray that through all of this bad, they will be strong ambassador’s of all the good that is offered through our Father’s love and salvation. Bert Yates
Pictures were taken earlier this year during the relief efforts at Mai Maihu, a mission point of Mwimuto Baptist Church, and the top picture is of Pastor Samweli - who is not wearing his usual smile.