November 30, 2010

I’m frustrated, very frustrated at the moment!  There are simply too many prayer items this week to fit into one concise prayer update.  Also, this is the WEEK OF PRAYER FOR INTERNATIONAL MISSIONS(1) - which means I was hoping to only share prayer items to strengthen that prayer emphasis; BUT there are two events happening tomorrow, December 1st, which need lots of prayer support – items which impact our ability to GET THERE in reaching our world for Christ.  Most of you receiving  our Prayer Updates awaken eight hours or more after our part of the world each morning; therefore,  I am sending this week’s Prayer Update a day early as one of these events will occur before many of you awaken tomorrow and the other event will be completed in much of our world!

The first special event is a National Day of Prayer in Southern Sudan.  Jack and I had the joy of hosting three Southern Baptist leaders from the US and Canada last weekend before they flew to Juba for this event.  One sent this message today: “The National Day of Prayer on December 1st is sponsored by Pres. Salva Kiir and will include government, church and civil service leaders. I had planned it for half day, but they have expanded it to last all day! PTL! Please be praying.”  These prayers precede a national referendum scheduled for January 9, 2011, to decide if Southern Sudan separates from Sudan, Kenya’s north/west neighbor – a key issue in an area riddled by war for 50 years.  For more information and prayer guidance, read Pray for the Needs of Southern Sudan/Christianity Today (2).  

December 1st is also WORLD AIDS DAY. Please take time to praise God for those ministering to individuals infected/ affected by HIV/AIDS.  Praise God for those teaching how to avoid this pandemic which affects many, many more people than those infected.  Praise God for better treatments and reduced suffering from all infected/ affected.  On this international day of awareness, pray that hearts will turn to finding stronger ways to eradicate this menace and minister to those suffering.  The Chuka Voluntary Counseling and Testing Centre (eastern Kenya) was begun by Baptist AIDS Response Agency. Today BARA(3) is an NGO ministering in many places in Africa, but its beginnings were linked to IMB missionaries in Kenya.  You can find additional information of how Southern Baptists can respond to the HIV/AIDS pandemic at World AIDS Day/Baptist Global Response(4).

One more item – a reminder, before I  end this epistle!  Please do take time to view  Lottie MOON 2010 Daily Prayer Nudge Photo Album (5), which has daily answers to “Are We There Yet” in touching the Unreached People of our World with our Father’s love and salvation.  You can find more answers from East Africa at “JE! TUMEFIKA? Lottie Moon 2010” (6).

Did you know that by reading this Prayer Update to the end you have lessened my level of frustration? The reason:  I am confident that you will be supporting our concerns in prayer.  We do depend upon your prayers, your sending personnel and your provision of finances as we obey God’s call in Kenya, BERT
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(1) WEEK OF PRAYER FOR INTERNATIONAL MISSIONS -  http://www.imb.org/main/pray/page.asp?StoryID=5624&LanguageID=1709
(2) Pray for the Needs of Southern Sudan - Christianity Today -  http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2010/novemberweb-only/56-11.0.html
(3) Baptist AIDS RESPONSE AGENCY IN AFRICA - http://www.baptbara.org/
(4) World AIDS Day/Baptist Global Response -   http://www.baptistglobalresponse.com/new/aids.php
       BGR in Sub-Saharan Africa - http://www.baptistglobalresponse.com/new/articles.php?id=3
(5) LOTTIE MOON 2010 Daily Prayer Nudge Photo Album from Kenya –   https://lottiemoon2010kenya.wordpress.com/ 
(6) “JE! TUMEFIKA? Lottie Moon 2010” at:  http://lottiemoon2010-kenya.blogspot.com/

November 24, 2010

While preparing a new Lottie Moon 2010 Prayer Nudge Photo Album* (option below for those who don’t visit websites!) this week and the new blog,  “JE! TUMEFIKA?  Lottie Moon 2010”**  last week to answer the question Southern Baptists will hear during their Week of Prayer for International Prayer, I’ve asked myself  another question:  Why do I feel so compelled to answer, “Are We There Yet?” ***   In my heart, I know the answer is much deeper than “Because IT IS MY JOB as a Prayer/ Missions Advocate.”  So today, I will try to answer why I MUST offer a full response to “Are We There Yet?”  from our part of the world!

~ I am a Christian, therefore I must meet my Savior’s challenge in Acts 1:8 – I must be His witness wherever I am!  I believe that making disciples, baptizing, and teaching all that He commanded in Matthew 28:19-20 is not just for some Christians, but all Christians –even those without a career title of “missionary”!

~ I want the “ALL” in Psalm 67:3 to become a reality - I want “all the peoples” of our world to be included in praising our God and claiming His love and salvation!

~ I was trained as a child by WMU’ers who taught me “We’ve a Story to Tell to the Nations” – “A story of truth and mercy … of peace and light…a song … that shall lift their hearts to the Lord … a message … That the Lord … Hath sent His Son to save us And show that God is love.”  Thankfully, I was also taught through WMU to personally claim our Father’s salvation and to be among those making certain “That all the world’s great people Might come to the truth of God.”

~ I must share my answer to “Are We there Yet?”  BECAUSE I CAN!  Many seeking to carry out the Great Commission to all nations cannot share freely and openly due to problems the world throws in their way and threats made to those who listen and respond to our Savior’s Good News.  I know that my story and prayer items are different from those of these fellow workers, but my prayer is that from my experiences you can learn new ways to pray and support those who cannot freely share.

~ I also know that Jack and I and our IMB colleagues must have the prayer, personnel and financial support of Southern Baptists to do our part of sharing our Father’s love and salvation with all People! I also know humans well enough to know that one is more likely to offer prayer/ personnel/ finances and continue to do so IF they are aware of the incredible returns of current gifts and the continuing returns that past gifts are continuing to reap!

~ I am absolutely certain that God has called Jack and me to be among his co-workers in East Africa.  I know that our Father didn’t only call us to be here, he prepared us and gave us adequate gifts to strengthen and encourage other disciples as we engage lostness together (Acts 14:22; Rev 14:6) – I seek to do this as I find stories/needs/praises that will lead others to prayer and Jack does it as he teaches/mentors those in our seminary, Bible Schools and in our Kenyan Baptist Churches.

As Americans celebrate Thanksgiving, we are thankful for you – the ones who provide the prayer/ personnel/financial support we and our coworkers around the world depend upon as we seek to do our part in making certain that WE ARE THERE in reaching all of our world for Christ!  BERT YATES

PS:  We will celebrate Thanksgiving at a Spiritual Retreat with our Kenya and Tanzania mission family –THANKS to your support from Lottie!
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*      LOTTIE MOON 2010 Daily Prayer Nudge Photo Album from Kenya – Will be updated daily until January 1, 2011 – Three options:
- https://lottiemoon2010kenya.wordpress.com/  (Blog format which allows for subscribing for delivery of prayer nudges to your e-mail address)
- http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=333830&id=685050129&l=146c063c0c     (Photo Album on Facebook – open to all)
- If you among those who never hit a link, send me a note and I will send you a weekly e-mail with all the Prayer Nudges and photos added each week!

**    “JE! TUMEFIKA? Lottie Moon 2010” at:  http://lottiemoon2010-kenya.blogspot.com/

*** “Are We There Yet?”– http://www.imb.org/main/lead/page.asp?StoryID=7698&LanguageID=1709

November 17, 2010

Today’s Prayer Update will be short and sweet – as my fingers are sore and my eyes are cross-eyed! BUT after hours of work, the new blog , “JE! TUMEFIKA? Lottie Moon 2010” is comleted – a kaleidoscope of pictures, comments, prayer nudges, etc., to help you understand how God is at work in our part of the world and how Lottie has been involved!  For when you give to Lottie, you are allowing your missionaries to do what God has called us to do as we join others working in His Harvest Field!

I do ask that even those of you who don’t usually click onto other spots of the internet, please take time to view: “JE! TUMEFIKA?  Lottie Moon 2010” at: http://lottiemoon2010-kenya.blogspot.com/ … AND in this time when usually any “news” is bad news, I ask that you also take time to share this blog which includes LOTS of good news about the best GOOD NEWS of all!  I began to ask you to also join us in praying and praising God for the issues mentioned in the blog, but if you take time to view “JE! TUMEFIKA?  Lottie Moon 2010”  this will happen!

Before I give my fingers and eyes a rest, I must take time to say again that we do need you to support the Lottie Moon Offering, but we also need your prayers for God’s work in our world – those of us among His co-laborers do depend upon your prayers!  We also depend upon your involvement as co-laborers – those who are former/retired missionaries and the thousands of volunteers and praise God for you.  So… now I ask that you stop reading this e-mail and click:  “JE! TUMEFIKA?  Lottie Moon 2010”     BERT YATES

*** Pictures included in this blog are from the new blog!