Living the Great Commission

I hate to overwhelm you with prayer items during these days of economic stress and election fever, but as I sat in church this morning, I realized that I had to share what I was experiencing! I owe it those of you who have supported the Baptist work in Kenya as you prayed, gave to the Lottie Moon Offering and Cooperative Program, and as many have come to serve with us. Plus this is good news, really good news, unlike most news these days!

I must admit that I arrived at church this morning a little frustrated. The chairman of the Trustees of our mission board (IMB), Dr. Paul Chitwood, is in the city and it was arranged for him to speak at Parklands Baptist Church this morning. I love Parklands, but I know from past experiences that many of our special guests have more unique experiences if they attend a newer church start or one of the churches that is located in the slums or more difficult areas rather than our biggest church. But I left the service praising God that this seminary professor has experienced such a testimony to what happens when the Great Commission is lived out!

Now to begin, you must understand that this morning was not designated a special service, but between the announcements and guests it became an incredible time of praise and worship. Early in the service, the leader of the United Church of Gujarat, a mission of Parklands, reminded everyone of the special “Gujarati Gospel Music Concert” to be held this next weekend. He shared their desire to reach the thousands in Kenya from India who do not know of our Savour’s love and salvation. Then a special volunteer team was introduced from Tokyo Baptist Church in Japan! The group included a man from the Philippines, a woman from Taiwan, an American businessman working in Japan and his family, Kenyans working/studying in Japan, and several Japanese women. This team worked last week with a Parkland’s team among the Ilchamus, a Kenyan unreached people group that Parklands has engaged with the gospel by sending Kenyan missionaries and teams to the area. The Tokyo Baptist team first made contact with Parklands through a young Kenyan, John Mativo, who attended their church while completing his doctorate in Japan – a young man who was in the Royal Ambassadors group that some of the missionaries at Parklands began in the late 1970’s!

Later the church watched a film clip that was taken by a deacon last week as he visited in Southern Sudan. The star of the film was a greatly missed member of the church named Mark, who is the leader of the church’s popular Christian rock group and a member of the Kenyan armed services. Mark sent greetings to the church from his post in Southern Sudan where he is serving with a peace-keeping unit. During his time off, Mark who has been discipled and trained at Parklands, is active in starting new churches in this country where few “foreign” missionaries can survive or are even allowed! I almost forgot to include two other exciting announcements we heard this morning – A Parklands team will go next month to Indonesia on a mission trip to East Timor AND the Prison Ministries’ Team in western Kenya this week-end called the pastor to report that 300 prisoners accepted Christ as their Saviour yesterday in the Kakamega Prison!

I have not talked with Professor Chitwood and heard his reactions, but I know how I felt after the service this morning – it was a true example of what happens when God’s children obediently participate in their Saviour’s Great Commission of going to all nations to make, baptize and teach disciples (Matthew 28:19-20). The missionaries who struggled from 1978 to begin Parklands had great hopes, but I think this morning was proof that God has been at work blessing their early work in ways beyond even their dreams! Their seeds have not only taken root, but grown and are multiplying. All of this is also the result of lots of prayers and lots of financial giving so THANK YOU for your part of God’s work in Kenya! And don’t stop praying, giving, and investing time in Kenya. The harvest remains plentiful in Kenya and workers are needed for prayer, financial and personnel support! Bert Yates

October 12, 2008

Rather than writing you on Wednesday, hopefully I will be watching elephants, rhinos and possibly a lion or two! We will travel tomorrow to Nyeri, two hours north of Nairobi, to visit Nyeri Baptist High School. Jack will check on a North Carolina Baptist Missions’ Group and I will get pictures of the group and the high school to share with you. Later in the day, we will travel on to a game park for a much needed mini-vacation (2 nights)!

As I left church yesterday, I realized that my experiences of the morning were a great example of the opportunities we have to strengthen and encourage Kenyan Christians and our fellow missionaries as we engage lostness together. It also shares how your prayers are being answered and how you can continue praying! We attend the 8:30 worship service which is followed by Bible studies during the 10:30-11:30 break – Yes, our worship services last a minimum of two hours! I do my “church” Bible study during the week, rather than Sunday morning as the between services period is a key time to meet visitors to the church and Kenyan friends.

As I walked out of the sanctuary yesterday, I talked with a friend, Moses, who was discipled by our former missionaries ministering on our university campuses and now works full time as a campus minister. We talked of the time I share with a recent graduate, Sheila, who now assists Moses and of my working with a few more of his female students. Kristin, a new Journeyman (the IMB two year program for recent college graduates), was waiting for me outside hoping to meet potential Kenyan friends. As soon as I joined her outside, the two young women that I wanted her to meet, Everlyne (a recent college graduate now doing master’s studies at a local seminary) and Eunice (the young student/full-time employee/worker with street kids), both walked up! We had made no arrangements for this – it was God’s work and an answer to your “general” prayers! As the three talked as old friends and discussed meeting during the week, two Gujarat church members came to share about their upcoming Gujarati Gospel Music Concert so I can help enlist prayer support. As we talked, Mwiti, who is involved in student ministries in central Africa arrived to talk with me. He needed help finding more Bible study materials for use in the Congo. One of his comments was amazing – “We really need French materials, but can use Kiswahili books, especially Bibles.” Would you believe that Jack was recently given a case of Gideon Kiswahili New Testaments? These were quickly transferred from the back of our car to the excited man! Tabitha, a young Kenyan woman returning to Rwanda next month as a “missionary” to women and students, then stopped me. She wants to develop a prayer blog before she leaves – which we arranged. I then walked towards our car knowing that Jack would soon finish Bible study (one he finds extremely exciting as after years of struggles of beginning a men’s Bible study, this class is led by not one, but ten strong young Kenyan Christian men). Tom stopped me to inquire if I had found a source for a Braille Bible for a group of blind Christian girls he met on a mission trip to Tanzania – but so far my answer is “no”. Then, for the first time in weeks I spotted Irene, who has been looking for a job. Her greeting: “I never imagined that God would just put a job in my lap.” Rather than getting a job at the many places where she had applied, her daughter’s special needs school, asked her to become their administrative assistant and run the school so the headmistress can have more time in the classroom. This job is within walking distance of her home, plus the school fees of her daughter, who has Downs Syndrome, are now waived – way above and beyond our prayer requests! She shared that the school needs volunteers – and yes, before the day was out, two of our missionaries, a nurse and a special-ed teacher, asked “How soon can you take us to meet your friend so we can begin!”

I could write another long update on Jack’s many phone calls which I overheard as I was writing this morning. In a few hours he advised/counselled/encouraged, even rebuked a little, Kenyans and missionaries working with BARA (the Baptist Aids Response Agency), the Kenya Baptist Theological College, and the Baptist Convention of Kenya. He also talked with others about a water project, a Bible Study writer’s conference, and many other things. We never know what opportunities for joining God in his work will arise next – which means we need your prayer coverage! Thank you for the assurance we have that one of the ways you join our Father is his work is through your prayers for us. Bert Yates

October 8, 2008

“Today is a day to celebrate. It is a Celebration of the Goodness of the Lord. If you have come for any other reason, you are in the wrong place.” This is how a member of the worship team began the 11:00 worship service at Membley Baptist Church on Sunday, October 5, 2008.” These are also the introductory words to a new blog – http://goodnessofthelord.blogspot.com/ – A blog to share the excitement that Jack and I felt on Sunday as we participated in the 5th anniversary of Membley Baptist Church, a mission of Parklands Baptist begun not by preachers, but by committed laypersons from Parklands Baptist Church and missionaries, Dena and Roy Brent.

“Our 5th Anniversary is a time of Thanksgiving for what God has done and looking forward to what He will do. We seek to join him where He is working and Glorify His Holy Name!” The purpose of the new blog and my prayer is that as you see what has happened in the past and what is happening and what can happen in this one church and in the lives of its members, you will glorify our Heavenly Father. For this story is a true Lottie Moon Story of our Saviour's Great Commission being fulfilled. This is also the story of what has happened thanks to the prayers and the time and financial investments of many Southern Baptists since the beginning of our work in Kenya in the late 1950's!

The above paragraph is also taken straight from the blog, not just because I’m too tired to think of anything new to share with you (although between taking over 500 pictures on Sunday during our six-hour visit to the church and working for hours since then preparing the blog, I am exhausted!), but because I want to thank you for being a part of this story. You are the ones who have prayed and invested your time and finances in the work in Kenya. THANK YOU for how you have participated in what is happening at Membley Baptist Church and in other places in Kenya through your prayers. Thank you for your gifts to the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering and to the Cooperative Program which supports your missionaries and allows us to be a part of God’s work in Kenya.

I often wish I had my camera with me so I could share our lives with you and thankfully I did have the camera on Sunday. In addition to the slideshow of the kids of Membley, there are two large slideshows on the blog that hopefully will allow you to experience the special anniversary worship service and the afternoon celebration presentations to Dena and Roy Brent.

Thank you once again for being our prayer partners. We do depend on your prayers and we know you are praying – we are experiencing the blessings, watching as prayers are answered, and feeling the needed strength and encouragement when there are problems. Bert Yates