School, Seminar, Mayanja Evangelism & 3 Stones

 

This week has been somewhat of blur. However fast the pace God has been so good to us and we have experienced His presence in many ways each day. We have completed our first three days of a more advanced language study this week with our teacher Wycliffe. This second round of language training is more in depth and will better enable us to communicate God’s Word to His people. We have found out this week by being totally immersed in the culture it is already paying big dividends.

In addition to language training I resumed the Eldoret Bible Study and Outreach with the men God has placed in my path and put on my heart.                                             Vincent and I

Our study was truly a blessing and I was encouraged to see that not only those who started attending last year were still faithful but there were many new comers that I had the opportunity to share the gospel with. During the study a young man named Vincent gave a testimony that really touched my heart. He told of how thankful he was that he received Christ through the Bible study and how his life has been totally transformed since that day. Before I left for the USA in January, Vincent was homeless, had no clothes and not even a blanket. Terry and I provided some clothes and a blanket.
Upon my return he has found employment as a photographer and has new clothes and a new place to live. He praises the Lord for turning his life around and knows what it means to have God’s favor in his life.
                                                                                                           Fundis

             At the close of the Bible study I was able to hand out safety glasses which were given by Dean Springs Missionary Baptist Church in Alma, Arkansas. For men that work primarily with steel and have never owned a pair of safety glasses in their life this was a real blessing.

I’m not sure how, but we also managed to attend a three day seminar Pastor Shadrach invited me to teach at Mawe Tatu (3 Stones).

This seminar marked a step of maturity for the Church as many of the members of this new work have never been to one. Not only was it well attended by three of the five churches we are currently working with
but there were also many of
Pastor Shadrach’s neighbors who attended.
Many of them visited the Church for the first as a result of the seminar. From the testimonies, most wanted the seminar to go on for a week. I can’t help but to think of the stark contrast to our great country where you have a revival or campaign and people are barely able to fit a couple of days in their busy schedule. Here in Kenya the people are starving for the teachings from God’s Word.

Yesterday we traveled to a new village located at the south end of Mt. Elgon to do evangelism. The village is called Mayanja and is at very low elevation compared to the works at the top of the mountain we began last year. We met with a young man who is a friend of Pastor Peter named Nixon.
Nixon has a burden for this village and has started a weekly Bible Study for those who get saved through the evangelism efforts. It seems as though God has added another young man to our team who wants to reach people for Christ. While we praise the Lord for the fourteen who professed Christ as Savior the people seem to be less open to the gospel than those on top of the mountain who have experienced so much tragedy. As we went house to house (Acts 20:20) there were two meetings that really made an impact on me.
Pastor Peter is pretty much my guaranteed visitation partner as our hearts are so much alike in our service and in devotion to God. We have become so close that we are virtually inseparable.
I thank God regularly for allowing me to serve with a man who is truly a man of God and from what I have seen is for sure the cream of the crop. As we approached a large compound it was apparent to me that there was something different. Pastor said to just go in and pray because it was a house that made liquor. There were around ten people present who were drinking. We prayed and as we headed to the door they asked me to share God’s Word with them. Now I learned a long time ago that you cannot witness to a drunk but it was still early in the morning and they did not appear drunk, well except one. I opened my Bible and with God’s help I preached through much of John chapt. 1-3. It was one of those moments where you knew God was doing something through the power of His Spirit. While there was no professions or decisions made both Pastor Pete and I left there knowing that God’s Word was proclaimed and did not return void. I told Pastor that after that sermon the next drop of liquor was going to be so bitter compared to the presence of God. We pray for those folks and know that but for the grace of God go I. The Other meeting which was so special was when Terry and Mary visited the house of the village Elder. He said he was hoping that someone would bring a Church to his village one day and that he believed that God had brought us there. These types of meetings continue to strengthen our faith. It was also a blessing to have Pastor Alex come down from the top of Mt. Elgon to add in the evangelism at Mayanja. He is possibly the most humble man I have ever met.

                                                                                                    Distributing Coloring Books

On a final note: through all of our activities this week we have been able to distribute many of the items we transported on our return trip which were given by God’s people in the states.

As aforementioned we gave out Safety and reading glasses which were given by Dean Springs MBC, Soap and Personal hygiene items given by Scrub Creek BC, Handmade dresses made by the ladies of our home Church, Ft. Cooper Baptist Church as well as coloring books and crayons given by Temple MBC in Bald Knob, Arkansas.

We thank God for those who support this ministry and share the love of Christ in many different ways. May God use all of these items for His honor and glory.

Chuck & Terry Fernandez

                                                                                                                                          

                                                                                                           Nelson

                                                                        
Kenya, East Africa