January 26, 2011

Electricity went off at lunch time – so please forgive any errors as I complete this update before my faulty back-up battery dies and Jack’s in-need-of-recharging battery expires! As I’ve said before: We may be frustrated, but we are never bored! Jack’s battery is free as he is at our seminary, Kenya Baptist Theological College, teaching another round of Baptist Faith and Principles. Once again, he is very, very happy with the excitement and dedication of his students. Please join us in praying that he will clearly share the information and that the students will understand all he teaches and apply it in their ministries.

I am late today in writing this update as I’ve been busy preparing a new blog, 2011 Prayer Nudges for Eastern Africa (1). Since early January, I have added prayer nudge photos almost daily to FACEBOOK. Many of you are not Facebookers , so the blog was prepared to allow you to view or receive via e-mail (by subscribing to the blog) these Prayer Nudges which share our lives, hearts and prayers. A second reason for sharing these prayer nudges is to help my many colleagues who work in areas with restrictions. My prayer is that as you read our praises, concerns, heart-breaks, joys, etc., it will expand your knowledge of how you can pray for those who cannot freely share their heart and their work.

To share what you may be missing, here is today’s Prayer Nudge: Our God does has a sense of humor! It is amazing the number of my rural-bred colleagues He has called to serve in a city and how many city-folks He sends to rural areas … Jack and I (country-kids) where overwhelmed by the hugeness of Nairobi when we arrived in 1978. The then estimated population of 827, 000 has now swelled to over 3 million … Pray today that as the areas where we serve grow and transition, we will grow and transition in our ministries so that we are always alert to how to best share God's love and salvation.

Other times the prayer nudges share great moments: January 23, 2011 – Have you ever been so excited at church that you couldn't stay in your seat? In this morning's Parklands Baptist/ Mombasa Road Sunday School Class for Preschoolers … This little one tried, REALLY TRIED to stay seated during a scripture song, but every time he "got" into the song, he would stand up! He even tried holding on the chair's arms, which only meant he got in extra trouble for lifting his chair! Praying today that God's Word will leave me as excited and cause me to praise and focus on Him rather than anything else!

I’ve also learned recently of two other internet sites which could help you pray for us and those from areas with restrictions. Simply knowing the weather and being aware of the time say in Bangkok or Ahmadabad can give you clues to how to pray for those sharing our Father’s love and salvation in those areas. Those of you who work with kids may find that going to this site, Time and Date.Com (2) is a way to expand missions horizons while having fun checking out different cities in the world – especially the city of a missionary you know or are studying!

Another site shares “excerpts from various IMB missionary blogs.” You can find this blog, MISSIONARY BLOG SPOT (3), which you can also subscribe to via your e-mail.

The electricity has returned (after my computer battery and both back-ups died and I had to surrender for a bit), so I can now send this message. But I must add one more comment: Thank you for all the ways you support us, especially your prayer support, BERT

(1) 2011 Prayer Nudges for Eastern Africa: http://easternafrica2011prayernudges.blogspot.com/

(2) Time and Date.com: http://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/city.html?n=170

(3) Missionary Blogspot: http://missionaryblogdigest.wordpress.com/

January 19, 2011

Last Sunday morning as I sat in church, I was overwhelmed by this thought: “Why am I so blessed?” As I’ve shared before, we do face worries, disappointments, frustrations, discouragements, etc., but these negatives melt away as we see God at work in East Africa. On Sunday, this BLESSED feeling came as I sat among African Christians singing and praising God for His majesty and greatness. I felt it again at the close of the service as we joined committed servants of our Father in quoting Isaiah 60:1 with a twist: I will arise and shine for MY light has come and the Glory of the Lord is risen upon ME!

We also experienced a time of blessing on Saturday as we traveled with friends of the six-month old Parklands Baptist Church Mombasa Road to dedicate “gift” property located an hour east of Nairobi. We truly accepted it as a moment of blessing when we were described as the grandparents of PBC/MR rather than missionaries – yes, we are the oldest members from Parklands Baptist at Mombasa Road and though a few attending the new church were among the first members of PBC, we were adults at the time and the others were kids! To fully share this special event and help you know how we prayed that day and are continuing to pray, take time to view “Re-living Joshua 1:1-9” – a new Photo Prayer Nudge Album at: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?

Thank you for praying last week for the people of Southern Sudan as they voted on the referendum to decide if they would secede from the northern part of their country. There were problems, but minor compared to what was feared by some. Another fear was that less that the required 60% of voters would claim their right to vote – estimates are that over 80% of registered voters expressed their desire! Continue praying as the votes are counted (tallies should be released during the first or second week of February). Pray for continued peace, especially during the time of facilitating the outcome of the vote. More information on the need for prayer can be found at: BBC News Africa/Southern Sudan Referendum: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-12222817

This week pray for Jack as he prepares for a new teaching session at our seminary and as he plans for a trip to check on how God is at work in western Kenya and how others can join in this work. Pray for me as I assist a friend in setting up a blog that will be used to share how God is at work in East Africa and as I find new ways to enlist prayer support for our part of the world. Pray also that we will always claim God’s words in Joshua 1:9 and “Be strong and courageous … not terrified … not discouraged” as we seek to go where God is leading. BERT

January 12, 2011

As I’ve worked on the computer this week in my “office” (a closet in our guest bedroom with a sliding desktop that rolls-in when guests appear - less space, but beside a window) I have repetitively called or gone to Jack’s “office” (our re-purposed hallway linen/storage closet - more space, but no window) to ask if he is talking to me. Most often he has been conversing with his computer – or more accurately – FUSSING at his computer screen!

Jack’s assignment this week is completing the first round of what will be monthly reports to the IMB via the internet of the status of Baptist Legacy Work among REACHED People Groups of Kenya (30+ million people). Though sharing events related to Church Growth (Church Planting Movement training, discipleship, church plants, new believers/baptism) can be frustrating with our faster than the past-but still slow for most of the world/on-off internet, Jack finds it extremely rewarding to document how God is at work among these People Groups which have been considered REACHED for several years.

SO… IF these people groups are REACHED by the gospel, why are we still in Kenya? First, the JOSHUA PROJECT, “a research initiative seeking to highlight the ethnic people groups of the world with the least followers of Christ” (1), defines UNREACHED PEOPLES as those less than 2% evangelized and LEAST-REACHED PEOPLES as those less than 5%. Thus, being REACHED means that at least a few among these People Groups claim our Father’s love and salvation, NOT that the majority of them are Christians. Second, as the IMB and other groups work towards making “disciples of all peoples in fulfillment of the Great Commission found in Matthew 28:18-20” (2), “Over 6,000 people groups - 1.7 billion people – still live with little or no access to the Gospel” (2).

Knowing that our Savior’s words, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few” (Matthew 9:38), are still true today, Jack and I are committed to “Strengthening and encouraging East Africans as we engage lostness together” (Acts 14:22; Rev 14:6). Jack does this by teaching at our seminary and encouraging/ facilitating Kenyan Baptists to take the Gospel to their Jerusalem (homes and neighbours), Judea and Samaria (Kenya and neighboring countries – Sudan, Ethiopia, Somalia, Tanzania, and Uganda), and to the ends of the earth (Acts 1:8). I do this by sharing information from our part of the world with “God’s fellow workers” (1 Cor 3:9) – those who provide prayer, finances and personnel. One such bit of news this week is the need for prayer in Southern Sudan as their people vote for seceding from the northern part of Sudan. Prayer Nudges for this volatile issue can be found in “What a break-up would mean to the Sudanese and Africa” (3).

Jack has just taken a break from fighting with his computer and my rumbling tummy says it is lunch-time, so I will stop – Plus, I’m sure that I’ve given you more than enough to nudge you to prayers this week for us, but more importantly for the billions of people in our world who lack our Father’s love and salvation, especially for the 1.7 billion people not yet represented in the nations, tribes, people and languages praising at our Father’s throne! BERT YATES

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(1) JOSHUA PROJECT: http://www.joshuaproject.net/

(2) About the IMB: http://www.imb.org/main/page.asp?StoryID=4528&LanguageID=1709

(3) “What a break-up would mean to the Sudanese and Africa” – DAILY NATION/ 11-01-10 – http://www.nation.co.ke/News/africa/What%20a%20break-up%20would%20mean%20to%20the%20Sudanese%20and%20Africa%20/-/1066/1086160/-/e514pj/-/index.html