Five City’s, Three Continents, Eight Time Zones & Youth Offering

From a ministry standpoint this week was somewhat of a short week due to the extensive travel it took for us to return from the United States to Kenya.

 Thank God for modern transportation but it is mind boggling to think that we have traveled from Tampa to Miami, Miami to London, London to Nairobi and Nairobi to Eldoret within three days.

 If I am ever tempted to complain of all the traveling I am reminded that God blessed with an opportunity to return to Florida for our Son’s wedding and also that the missionaries of old could take weeks and months to sail across vast oceans to carry the gospel.

We had to spend an extra day in Nairobi as none of our bags made it on the flight from London.

It is a good thing that Terry is always prepared for these types of contingencies as she packs extra clothes in our carry on for such a time as this.

 (Note for Mac Team coming in January)

 Now we are in the process of acclimating ourselves to the time change and environment.  

We are very much at home in Kenya but it takes about a week to get back on Kenyan time and adjust back to living at a high altitude.   

They say it takes one day per time zone and we have crossed eight.

We traveled to the Landmark Baptist Church of Mawe Tatu/Nzoia to worship with Pastor Shadrach and his congregation this Lord’s day.  

 

The Church and the Pastor are all healthy and doing very well in the Lord, however the building itself received some damage from recent flooding that took place while we were in the States.

They had just completed the new sanctuary before we left and had not be able to seal the mud walls before the extensive rains came.  

They are currently in the process of repairing the damage and preparing to seal it with a layer of clay and eventually cement.

Since this was our first Church plant it is a great joy to see how this young Pastor and congregation continue to mature in their faith.

One of the ways this was evident was through a special offering that was taken to send the youth to a youth conference next week at one our sister Churches.

I really appreciate the effort our Pastoral team puts in training the youth as well as the men and women. They are the future church....

                                   Assistant Pastor Japheth

What does this missionaries heart good is that they are functioning as a body of believers who are self supporting and self sustaining.

This is exactly the pattern provided in the New Testament.

Given the fact that we have come along side of them with teaching, training, Bibles and even the building process, it would have been so easy and convenient for them to ask the missionary for help with transporting their youth to this conference but nothing was asked of me.

The youth sang songs as the special offering was taken in addition to their regular tithes and the people gave a great offering that was sufficient to enable the youth to attend the conference next week after Christmas.

It is yet another example that everyone is able to give to God’s work regardless of one’s social economic status like the church at Macedonia. 

2Co 8:1 Moreover, brethren, we do you to wit of the grace of God bestowed on the churches of Macedonia;

2Co 8:2 How that in a great trial of affliction the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded unto the riches of their liberality.

2Co 8:3 For to their power, I bear record, yea, and beyond their power they were willing of themselves.

In Closing, Terry and I want to wish you all a Merry Christ filled Christmas and thank you for traveling this journey of faith with us on a weekly basis.

God Bless,

Bro. Chuck & Sis. Terry Fernandez

Kenya, East Africa

Phil. 4:13