This OMBA4Kenya Blog (Omba is the Swahili word for Pray) was begun in January, 2008, in the first days of Kenya's Post-Election Crisis. 
Thanks to the prayers of people from around the world, Kenya made it through that difficult time. Thanks also to prayers, this was an incredible time of spiritual maturity among Kenyan Christians as they met the challenge of boldly sharing their Father's love and salvation - a true praise!
Those who read this blog, also prayed Kenyan through a disastrous famine that led to great pain and destruction. The famine is over - Thank you for praying - BUT don't stop praying as the end to the drought has led to new problems!*
I began this blog as a part of my work as the Prayer Advocate for Kenya. Due to reorganization, this position no longer exists and I have moved on to new responsibilities - but don't worry, if you want to continue knowing how you can join Kenyan Christians, especially Kenyan Baptists in praying for their country, you can find those prayer needs/praises at another blog, Yates-IMB-Kenya, at http://bertandjackyates.blogspot.com. 
This blog shares my husband's work with the churches/organizations related to the Baptist Convention of Kenya and my work with IMB work in Equatorial Africa.
Thank you for your prayer support in the last few years as you shared Kenya's needs with God and praised Him when prayers were answered! This blog will remain open so that you can use it for pictures** and information*** on how to pray for Kenya and other places with people in need of our Saviour!
Thank you again for your support. Your prayers have, are and will make a difference! BERT YATES
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* Updates on how to pray for the problems after the drought can be found at:
Yates-IMB-Kenya, May 12, 2010 ~ http://bertandjackyates.blogspot.com/2010/05/may-12-2010.html and Yates-IMB-Kenya, May 19, 2010 ~ http://bertandjackyates.blogspot.com/2010/05/may-19-2010.html
** All pictures can be easily saved/copied and used for mission/prayer promotion.
*** By typing a key word in the SEARCH area on the top right, you can find information on subjects (such as drought or the name of a people group) included in this blog over the years.
Changing Times
Feeding the Maasai
FEEDING THE MAASAI found at http://imbmaasai.blogspot.com has been updated. For an awesome look at how God is working among the Maasai People of Kenya and how Southern Baptists are a part of His work, please check out this blog!
Kenyan Kids in Need of Prayer
I eagerly await the opportunity to read the our local newspaper each morning, but it often results in frustration and disappointment, UNTIL I remember that I can do something – I can pray and I can enlist other prayer supporters for my concerns for Kenya. The titles of the three articles in today’s Daily Nation (p.4) include many discouraging words: “Flooding fears”, “displaced”, “plea for more security”. The unifying subject: KCPE (Kenya Certificate of Primary Education).
The annual KCPE exam begins today with the practice tests, followed by exams tomorrow (Tuesday) through Thursday. Today’s Daily Nation lead editorial says, “Starting tomorrow, 727,000 candidates will sit the all-important Standard Eight examinations, knowing well their academic future depends on how well they perform ... the only opportunity for the pupils to be assessed on what they have been taught and prepared for over the past eight years ... to determine which of the 6,000 secondary schools would admit them for Form One in January ... knowing that less than half of them would find secondary school places.”
Our worship service yesterday included a special prayer time for the Standard Eight children taking the exams this week. The kids were in the Youth Worship Service, so their parents stood as our congregation claimed Isaiah 26:3-4 for the test-takers. Please do pray for “perfect peace” for the children taking this critical exam. Please join Kenyan Baptists/Christians in praying for good health and a lack of stresses for the students, especially those living in parts of Kenya were the drought has been followed by flooding rains, the children who are still displaced as a result of the post-election crisis of 2008, the students who live in the northern parts of Kenya where banditry and 
raids are rampant, and the students who will take the test hungry due to the recent drought. Pray also that innocent students will not be punished due to others in their schools cheating on the exam.
Ngina, on the right, is a Baptist kid. When asked how we can pray for her and her friends, she answered: “That God will give me heavenly wisdom.” As I think of Ngina and her Christian friends, I do not get discouraged or frustrated or think of negative words, instead I get excited as I imagine how she and her classmates will mature in coming years and find opportunities as educated young men and women to share their Father’s love and salvation within their country, continent and world! Bert Yates
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KCPE EXAMS, Daily Nation, Nov 9, 2009
“Flooding fears as exams start” (p.4) – http://www.nation.co.ke/News/-/1056/683654/-/uomjkv/-/index.html
“Displaced students may miss test” (p.4) – http://www.nation.co.ke/News/-/1056/683656/-/uomjkx/-/index.html
“Candidates’ families in plea for more security” (p.4) – http://www.nation.co.ke/News/-/1056/683658/-/uomjl0/-/index.html
EDITORIAL, “We wish candidates success in the exams” (p.12) – http://www.nation.co.ke/oped/Editorial/-/440804/683694/-/ph79twz/-/index.html
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