January 29, 2014

Writing today with a different view – not a view of purple or yellow snow, which entertained me in the past while writing from Kenya as the beautiful trees in our yard in Nairobi showered the ground with colored petals,* but a view of the freezing white stuff!  Which definitely leads to a praise:  We were blessed with great weather and safe roads during last week’s trip from North Carolina to Tennessee, Arkansas and Missouri, with Virginia added on our return trip, which would not be occurring this week!

Jacarandas bloom in Sept-Nov in Nairobi.

Sorry, can't remember the name of  the trees that provide our annual
yellow snow in October in Nairobi, but more photos can be viewed at
"Close up of 'Yellow Snow'".

Two more praises:  Our trip was truly a blessed time as we visited with past and future partnering churches and volunteers and shared how God is at work among Sub-Saharan African Peoples and at the Kenya Baptist Theological College and how others have joined or can join in His work!  Another answer to prayer:  We had many opportunities to thank the partnering churches and volunteers for their past assistance among Unreached Sub-Saharan African Peoples and at KBTC.

We were also blessed (I may be over-using this word, but it is the best word to describe last week’s experiences) by a visit with Bonnie Turner, a good friend who retired in Missouri after many years of service in Kenya.  There were a few tears as we talked of her husband, Sam, who died last year, but lots of good memories which included their involvement at KBTC and among the Peoples and churches of Kenya.  Another reminder of past memories was having lunch at a Chinese restaurant which was not as tasty as the Hong Kong, Sam’s favorite restaurant in Nairobi, but good! And yes, Jack and I are on diets this week as this meal was just one of many great times throughout our visit of eating “together (with fellow Baptists) with glad and sincere hearts” (Acts 2:46).

Photo used in today's post on SSAPeoples Nudge
 to Action - Praying, Serving and Giving, Serving.

I’ll take a break next week from writing an update as I work on ‘upgrading’ our updates. Pray for me as I seek to learn new skills which hopefully will allow me to be a better communicator of what God is doing in His harvest field among Sub-Saharan African Peoples and through the Kenya Baptist Theological College.  

While I was writing today's update, Jack
was sweeping (lacking a shovel) snow away
- something he never does in Kenya!

Pray for Jack as he continues sharing his vision for KBTC with people in the States and with the staff and supporters of our Baptist college/ seminary in Kenya.  The latter often leads to yet another blessing – his ability to communicate via phone calls and e-mail with KBTC’s staff which most often results in his learning one or more new ways that God is at work at the college! Continue joining us in praying as ”KBTC is REVIVED/ RESTORED/ RESURRECTED/ REVISED/ RESCUED, RESULTing once again in a place where African Believers can be prepared to REFLECT the PRESENCE OF GOD and become qualified and capable workers in our Father’s Harvest Field.” **

Spotted on our street this morning!

We are missing an opportunity to share with a church tonight due to the icy roads, but please join us in continuing to pray that we will clearly share the excitement of serving our Father and how He blesses the investments of volunteers and partnering churches in His work. Pray for boldness and wisdom as we encourage/entice those who have not previously experienced the opportunity to be at work in our Father’s Harvest Field in Kenya and throughout Sub-Saharan Africa.

Spotted today beside the porch of our 'borrowed' mission home.

And once again, please know that it is not simply a phrase copied from past updates, but from our hearts when we say: Thank you for praying for us, for sending co-workers our way, and thank you for providing the funds which allow us to be a part of our Father’s work in His Harvest Field in Sub-Saharan Africa, BERT
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* A past view shared last October before the beginning of our STAS of “A Close-Up of ‘Yellow Snow’” – https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10152269872390130.1073741843.685050129&type=1&l=3093f7359f

** Review of what was happening at KBTC and in our lives last January - http://bertandjackyates.blogspot.com/2013_01_01_archive.html.
Daily Nudges to Action (Praying, Serving and Giving) for Sub-Saharan African Peoples can be found at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Sub-Saharan-African-Peoples/100173880060607?ref=hl.

Shared on FB yesterday by our younger daughter, who only
had a half-day teaching thanks to the snow: "This African knows
what to eat for lunch when it is snowing outside. And yes, thanks
to my parents (birthday gift), that's the legit Knorr tomato soup."

While our older daughter and her four year old experienced sledding
for the first time and added on FB that our granddaughter
"was stylin in her (Kenyan)BATA boots." Our older child, John,
is enjoying a day-off from work by staying out of the cold
as he prefers the weather in Mombasa, Kenya!

January 22, 2014

As I write today from a hotel in Arkansas, I'm thankful for your general prayers for us! Somehow in the rewrites of last week’s update, I deleted a prayer item for preparation and safe travel for an 8 day trip visiting past and future volunteers and partnering churches in North Carolina, Tennessee and Arkansas.

Thanks to answers to your ‘general’ prayers, we were packed and ready to go earlier than planned last Sunday morning, which included leaving the mission house orderly and having totally unpacked from our last two trips before heading to Sandy Branch Baptist Church in Siler City. After sharing what God is doing at the Kenya Baptist Theological College (Jack) and among Sub-Saharan African Peoples (BERT) and how others can join in His work, we enjoyed a new experience, a ‘chili cook-off’ raising money for the church’s summer mission projects! My favourite chilli of the seven choices did not win, but Jack’s did!

We then headed to east Tennessee. The trip took longer than expected, but we had time to spare, so we slowed down a bit to appreciate the snow on the ground in one mountain gorge. We got a bit nervous when our directions did not lead to Witt Baptist Church, but after driving in circles, God answered our and your ‘general’ prayers and we spotted the church 15 minutes before their evening service! Our added joy?  Hearing their children’s choir sing of choosing to follow God’s call.

Not a flower spotted along the way, but a photo from Africa used to
illustrate yesterday's Nudge to Action for Sub-Saharan African Peoples.

On Monday we headed to west Tennessee to meet more friends and supporters of KBTC. Along the way, we felt God’s protection as a large cabinet appeared ahead of us in/on the road. Our answered prayer: We and other vehicles on the busy interstate avoided the obstacle!

The birds are not standing in snow, but on frozen Tennessee grass!

Retired co-workers introduced us to Memphis style barbecue that night, which was good, but in a cook-off with eastern North Carolina barbecue, we would ‘vote’ for the latter! Our visit with these friends provided an added treat Tuesday morning – our first view in 8 years of snow falling from the sky!

Along the way, Jack received a phone call from Kenya.
KTBC's administrator called to share more news
of how God is at work at the college!

We arrived in Jonesboro, Arkansas at noon yesterday and met last night with one group and will meet with three other groups today and many more before returning to North Carolina over the weekend. Jack says his number one goal is to thank volunteers and supporters of KBTC for their past assistance.

As we mingle (we’re Baptist, so this often includes eating!) and speak, pray that we will clearly share the excitement of serving our Father and how He blesses the investments of volunteers and partnering churches in His work. Pray for boldness and wisdom for us as we encourage/entice those who have not previously experienced the opportunity to be at work in our Father’s Harvest Field in Kenya and throughout Sub-Saharan Africa. Pray also for a safe return trip to North Carolina over the weekend.

One more praise is for last week’s Music Workshop at KBTC led by Kansas/ Nebraska volunteers. A fellow missionary shared that “each session began with a ‘heart song’ from a different tribe of Kenya. The 100 attendees learned about the theology of worship, personal worship habits, relationships in ministry, and indigenous music in worship, discipleship and missions. Thank God with us for these Kenyans who… were able to come and both be blessed and be a blessing! God is good.” The workshop also led to yet another praise: Many new students enrolling at KBTC!

Please know that it is not simply a phrase copied from past updates, but from our hearts when we say: Thank you for praying for us, for sending co-workers our way, and thank you for providing the funds which allow us to be a part of our Father’s work in His Harvest Field in Sub-Saharan Africa, BERT
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View this week's SSAP Nudges to Action at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Sub-Saharan-African-Peoples/100173880060607. 

More on KBTC can be found at  https://www.facebook.com/KenyaBaptistTheologicalCollege.

Bert sharing of the need for committed partners desiring
to engage Unreached Sub-Saharan African Peoples!

January 19, 2014

Join others on this SUNDAY with a heart for Sub-Saharan African Peoples and pray “that believers be students of the Bible so they will know which parts of their own culture to leave behind so they can wholeheartedly follow Christ as Lord, not divided in heart and mind.” 

A free download of the SSAPeoples Monthly Prayer Guide, ready to be printed or used on your computer is found athttp://subsaharanafricanpeoples.imb.org/resources/item/ssa-prayer-calendar. Free copies of the printed calendar can be orderedhttp://imbresources.org/index.cfm/product/detail/prodID/4385.