The Ted Williams Story, Pokot Survey, Praying for Peace and Preparing for Problems

                                 Building God's House for God's People...
                                         The Work Goes On!

In 2002, I was a Bi-vocational Pastor running a small custom contracting business that specialized in Golf Courses. It would be on a golf course called Sky View at Citrus Hills Golf and Country that I would encounter a man who was arguably the greatest hitter in the history of Major League Baseball. If you will give me some liberty here I will tell you what this has to do with mission work in Kenya, East Africa in 2010, shortly.
The golf course that had contracted me was under construction and required me to be there on a weekly basis in the late evenings for several months. Citrus Hills gave Ted Williams a home on the new golf course in exchange for his endorsement of the club.

Almost every evening while I was working alone I would see Ted Williams being wheeled around in a wheelchair by his caretakers. Now I am not a big baseball fan but almost everyone knew who he was and that his retirement home was at Citrus Hills where he also had the “Sluggers Hall of Fame “museum. I did not think much of this famous player other than the fact that he was an elderly celebrity in the last days of his life. However, all that changed one day when I was doing research for a sermon and discovered that Ted Williams was an atheist. It was at that point that God began to burden me with his spiritual condition for the Bible says that the fool hath said in his heart there is no God. As I would go about my business I would see him pass by in his wheelchair and I would pray for his salvation and wonder if he had ever heard the gospel. This went on day after day for months until one day while I was praying God spoke to my heart about bringing God’s word to him. One of the things I have learned over the years of walking with the Lord is that it is not up to me to question his desires for my life but to simple give my life to him through obedience and faithfulness. Given Ted Williams’s celebrity status and his deteriorating medical condition I knew I was not going to be able to walk up to him and start preaching.
I also knew that God through his infinite mercy was reaching out in love possibly one final time. The plan God put on my heart was to deliver the Gospel in writing through the youth of our church by sending get well cards which included God’s plan of salvation. Along with the many cards I wrote a personal letter from my heart explaining God’s love for him through the gospel of Jesus Christ. The entire packet was given to his manager who assured us he would read each letter to Ted.

While we have no idea where, how or if Ted Williams ever read those letters

or ever professed Christ we do know that we made the effort to reach him.

                                                                                                      

I was reminded of this story this week as we sent a survey team to try to reach a tribe called the “Pokot”.
                                                 Pokot Tribe Young Man

The Pokot are pastoralists who are known for illegal guns, cattle raiding and stealing from neighboring tribes. During our first trip to Kenya we were told while traveling through Pokot country to be aware that they were a dangerous tribe.

During numerous trips through Pokot land over the last year God began to burden me in a way that was reminicent of Ted Williams. The reason that they are such a mean and hostile people is that they do not know Christ!

I began to ask myself, “Who will reach them with the gospel”?

 

For months now we have been praying for this warring tribe and last week our prayers were put into action as we sent two preachers to Pokot to start the Pokot Outreach. Armed with solar powered audio Bibles in the Pokot Language, Bro. Timothy (Pastor Peters Brother) & Bro. Japheth (Pastor Shadrach’s right hand man) spent three days talking to Chiefs, DC’s and other officials. To make a long story short, they were welcomed by the Chief to bring the gospel to his area without any strings attached and he assured them that they will not have any problems.

There were also three who made professions of faith in Christ. We thank God for the good report and look forward to seeing what God is going to do through this Pokot Outreach Ministry.
                                            
  Pokot Tribe Old Lady

God through His great love, tender mercy and grace is still trying to reach the hardest of hearts.

                                          " Here am I Lord, send me."

 In closing, we ask you to please pray for peace during the August 4th vote on the new constitution here in Kenya. While 65% of Kenyans want the new constitution we live and work in three areas where the other 35% are opposed to it. This presents itself with the potential for a violent outcome in Eldoret, Mt. Elgon and Pokot. After talking with our people in each of these areas there is genuine concern that fighting could break out again like it did during the election of 2007.
On my way back home from Western last night I saw two villages where there was already fighting. We are praying for peace so that the gospel can continue to be preached throughout Kenya with liberty and power. But In preparation we have stocked up on food, cash, fuel as well as other items to be able to withstand a potential lockdown. We will lay low this week until we see the results of the voting. Thank you for allowing us to share our life’s experiences as well as our heart.

God Bless,
Chuck & Terry Fernandez
Kenya, East Africa

A few years ago a Nobel Prize writer of poetry made these remarks,
"All my writing in the world cannot add more than a cricket’s chirp to the voice of life,
BUT no one can write as authentically about my life's experiences, my hearts feelings, my outlook on life, as I can. Therefore these same experiences of life find their way into my poetry, my communication and hopefully into the lives of others. That is why I write...."