Valentine's Greetings from the Yates

Thank you for investing your lives in Kenya and in us this last year through your time as volunteers, financial support through your gifts to the Cooperative Program and Lottie Moon Offering, through your notes of encouragement, and/or through your prayer support, always our greatest need. We continue to be assured that we are exactly where God wants us and we thank you for allowing us to follow our heart, Bert and Jack

February 10, 2010

“How do you stay so positive?” Jack was asked this not once, but three times yesterday. And to be honest, we do wonder sometimes how we remain positive. We’ve learned, most often the hard way, that prayer and daily time in God’s Word is required for a healthy frame of mind. I have to admit that even this week I referred to my “Zap-em” list – yes, I really do have a hand-written list of verses in the back of my Bible with this title – references such as those found in Psalms 94 where past servants beg God to avenge their enemies! Another factor is that Jack and I usually balance one another and when we both are down, we know to avoid making any major decisions! Thirty one years in Kenya also has taught us quite a bit about patience and waiting for the tide to turn.

I’m sharing all of this because often I simply cannot share with you our most pressing prayer needs, not due to a desire to be positive or a lack of space, but because of the sensitive nature of many things. We are facing many such things as the moment – so I simply ask that you pray that we have strength, wisdom, patience, and that we be totally dependent upon the Holy Spirit as we decide what God needs us to do – whether it be strengthening, encouraging, correcting, rebuking, etc., OR accepting that we are to do nothing as we seek to serve Him. Pray also that we will have peace and be strong ambassadors of our Father’s love at all times.

As we deal with difficulties we also realize that we have a very special support group – our Kenyan Christian friends who often teach us about trusting and obeying our Father. I was reminded of this last Sunday morning as I met with several of my friends – a seminary student who shared of her first visit with a group of illiterate women of an unreached people group; a young friend who was struggling to find God’s will in her life and now uses media to share God’s Good News; a young man who has decided to do his masters at a seminary; the mother of a young friend who died last year while traveling to teach discipleship; and more encounters.

Jack is experiencing this as he teaches Baptist History and Faith as well as Discipleship this month at the Kenya Baptist Theological College (KBTC). In just one morning last week, I heard him correct/rebuke a Kenyan colleague, advise a student who pastors seven small churches, laugh with a young man who was just a child when we served in his Rift Valley home area, and encourage two Sabaot men who are seeking to share God’s love and salvation with their own unreached people group – all outside the classroom!

Another gift from God that strengthens us is the beauty and uniqueness of Kenya – including finding a congregation of Maasai in full regalia in the balcony above us during church last Sunday; spotting a monkey at our dining room window as we ate dinner last night; a bird that mimics a neighbor’s faulty car alarm; and having a delayed SUPER BOWL party for friends! I’ve placed a group of pictures on FACEBOOK – http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=195381&id=685050129&l=9a3db552e3 – that will help you walk through a morning at KBTC and view a few of the scenes along the way to the college as well as a few other colourful bits of our lives!

And the last gift that we rely upon to stay positive and use-able by God – YOUR PRAYERS! Thank you, BERT YATES

February 3, 2010

Sometimes there is so much that I want to share, yet time, space and your ability to absorb all that is flowing through our hearts and minds are limited – especially today as I prepare this week’s Prayer Update and seek to capture the great eight days in western Kenya when Jack led Church Planting Training. There are so many stories I’d like to share with you – as well as so many pictures (thousands) which I know would also touch your heart and strengthen your prayers and thank you for praying for the training/trip!

So I have downloaded a report with only 20 pictures on FACEBOOK (you don’t have to be a member to view the pictures) to share how God is at work in western Kenya. The slideshow begins with a picture of an adorable little girl with these words: The Unfinished Task, a National Survey of Churches in Kenya (2004, ACM-FTT, p. 70) says that Western Province, which is much smaller than most provinces, "has 12% of Kenya's population" and almost half of its population is "less than 15 years ...the highest concentration of young people in the country." This survey also said that only 5% of people in this province attend church.

The last picture is of a group of bright eyed kids with this caption: These children were among the students at Shikhambi Baptist Church (2nd training). Praise God that they live in a neighborhood with a church where the people want to learn more about sharing their Father's love and salvation. Pray that the churches in Kakamega will be revived and be strong witnesses of their heavenly Father in their communities and in nearby areas where other unreached people groups live. Pray that these children will not only become healthy adults, but that they will become God's Ambassadors in their homeland, their continent, and in their world.

Included also are pictures of a unique church nursery and a special look at how Kenyan children entertain themselves, as well as testimonies of how God is at work in the lives of a few of the Church Planting Training participants, plus pictures to help you understand why your prayers were needed for travelling mercies! You can find all these pictures and their stories at: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=193383&id=685050129&l=24adcf1ebb

As always, if you can use these pictures in any way to promote missions and share how God is at work, please copy and USE THEM! Also, remember that I am always eager to add others to my e-mail list and my list of FACEBOOK friends, or you can send others to this blog. As you can see, I’m not bashful when it comes to raising prayer support or making certain that others are joining us in praising God for how He is at work in our part of the world!

Bert Yates