Monday, January 30, 2012

What Could be Written & A Dying Saint

Terry With School Children
What I could write in this week’s journal might include the fact that we were able to visit four of our seven Churches to encourage them in the Lord.
New Dolls
Additionally, I might write about the fact that we were able to climb Mt. Elgon to construct ten new pews at the Kipsigon Landmark Baptist Church
Calender Planning
 or possibly about the fact that we were very discouraged upon arrival to Eldoret from the sound of a broken drive shaft on the truck.
Oh well, back to the shop again.
Finally I could also write about the great Sunday services we had with our brethren at Mayanja LBC located at the base of Mt. Elgon as well as the new sign we delivered.
While all of the aforementioned items are very important and noteworthy, one of the most important visits we made this week was to see a dying saint whom we affectionately call “Mama Eklas”.   Mama Eklas & Pastor Pete
We traveled to the village of Ndivisi to pray with Mama Eklas and to deliver a new blanket to keep her warm during her final hours. Upon our arrival we found her lying on the ground outside of a small mud hut in a very weaken state.
She had not eaten for weeks and is no longer taking water.
While we wanted to say goodbye we knew in our hearts by faith we were really saying, “Until we meet again”.  
Mama Eklas’s story is worth remembering as she is the perfect modern day picture of the widow in Mark 12 who cast two mites into the offering that day with Jesus looking on. Jesus taught his disciples a great lesson about sacrificial giving and reminds us of the depth of her love for God when He said that she gave all that she had.   
Mar 12:43 "And He called unto Him His disciples, and saith unto them,
Verily I say unto you, That this poor widow hath cast more in, than all they which have cast into the treasury:
Mar 12:44 For all they did cast in of their abundance;
but she of her want did cast in all that she had, even all her living."  
Mama Eklas is amazingly similar to the Bible widow, because she is a widow from Uganda and because she is poor and basically homeless. She now lies dying outside of a borrowed hut. After making what will be our last visit to Mama Eklas on this side of eternity, Terry and I were absolutely moved with love and compassion for someone that we longed to see every time we visited her Church. 
She is someone who had nothing to offer anyone other than her love and is someone who everyone loved so much because she loved the Lord so much.
You see, even her communication is not that good for she speaks no English and little to no Swahili but yet is larger than life.
Terry and I love her so much that we actually bought a painting that looks just like her face which is currently hanging in our living room.   
 
Now back to the comparison of the Mark 12 Widow.
 Mama Eklas is probably of the poorest of poor in the village but was always one who managed to give a great offering when it came time to give a portion of that which God has given us. You could see the joy on her face when she would march down the aisle to the offering basket and lay down an avocado, a small chicken or bananas on the altar while others where giving cash.
She obviously knew it was better to give than receive, a lesson that even Paul would try to teach his disciples as he encouraged them to remember the words of the Lord Jesus in Acts 20:35.
We thank God for the privilege and honor to know one of His great saints and while her entrance into heaven will be celebrated there will be a void in our hearts when we visit her village and church. 
 She is one of the most faithful and beautiful people we have ever known. Please keep her in your prayers as she walks through the valley of the shadow of death, but not alone, as her shepherd and her Lord are with her.
She is truly a great Saint.
Luke 9:48 and said unto them, "Whosoever shall receive this child in My name receiveth Me:
and whosoever shall receive Me receiveth Him that sent Me:
             for he that is least among you all,
                             the same shall be great. "
In His Service,
 Bro. Chuck & Sis. Terry Fernandez
Kenya, Phil 4:13

Monday, January 23, 2012

January 23, 2012 Mac Team Departs, Stranded in Nairobi & Oscar Mayer Hotdogs

Our Macedonia Short term missions team wrapped up their two week mission trip and headed back to California leaving behind a wake of blessings for us and God’s people here in Kenya.
Visitors to the foreign field are usually far and few between so there is definite void in our lives as the reality sets in that Terry and I are the ones that are left behind to continue the long term work of helping establish the saints in their faith and discipling them so that they will reach others and glorify Jesus throughout all the earth.   The team worked extremely hard so we rewarded them with a wild game safari through one of the National Game Parks.          Safari
No trip to Africa would be complete without seeing some of God’s creation that has become synonymous with Africa. 
The animals did not cooperate with us on this safari however they are “wild” and there are no guarantees. 

                            Bro. Gary Weidenbach
The only guarantee is that the team did get an experience that they would have never gotten anywhere else.   AJ
Elephant  Orphanage
Terry & Giraffe
While on the safari the Rover started making noises in the transmission region that I knew were not good.   We were able to baby it along until late Wednesday evening while transporting our group to the airport.  It is always fun and quit anxious when you are in route to the airport with your guests who are on a schedule to make an international flight and the transmission comes apart on the road.    With all the noise from parts breaking I knew Bro. Gary, our group leader was praying in a great way.    The Lord answered our prayers and we limped into the airport with transmission parts grinding and breaking.     Saying goodbye at the airport is always difficult but we believe we will see many of the members of this team return to Kenya again in the distant future.   Terry and I would spend the next three days in Nairobi waiting for parts and repair on what turned out to be a broken transfercase housing which basically split in half.  The British mechanic who repaired the truck said this was the first one he had ever seen break like that in twenty years.   We are thankful that it did not happen somewhere out in the bush.  This repair has really helped us confirm that it is time to replace the Rover which is actually on loan to us from another Baptist Missionary who has left the country.  While we are thankful for the provision, the truck is chronically fatigued with 250,ooo African Kms on it and soaring operating costs which have been running around $6,000.00 per year.   It does not take a mathematician to figure out that within three years we could replace the truck with something newer and more dependable.   We now ask you to prayerfully consider this need and we feel it must be God’s will because there have been people who have recognized the need and given without us really putting out a formal plea.  God knows our needs and will provide our needs according to His riches and mercies.  
Phil. 4:19
" But my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus."  
With the truck in the garage, Terry and I were forced to spend a few days of down time in Nairobi and probably some needed rest.   One of the advantages of Nairobi is that there are many imported items that can be found there and nowhere else in the country.  
One such item that we found during our delay were Oscar Mayer Hotdogs. 
For someone who loves a good hotdog this was a real blessing.  Needless to say, we bought a half dozen packs at great price but figured it was worth it to have a part of American culture in our belly from time to time.  
Thank you to all who support our ministry through prayers and offerings for we could not do what we do without either. 

In His Service,

Bro. Chuck & Sis. Terry Fernandez

Phil. 4:13








Monday, January 16, 2012

Macedonia Team Week Two- Moments with God & Humble Hearts

Big Russ Walking Evangelism
Not sure where to start after a week of so much activity and so many blessings but I have learned that if you don’t start somewhere then you never get anywhere.
 Our Macedonia Mission Team has held up well under an aggressive ministry schedule in tough conditions over the last week which included: Eldoret street evangelism, three more vacation bible schools in three different villages, Pastors/Preachers seminars, village evangelism, baptisms and Sunday services. This large team has functioned well to serve the Lord in spite of weariness and cultural differences in the heat and dirt.   
                           Shepherd With Pastor Russell                
Counting the blessings of these last two weeks is impossible but for the record we have seen all of our objectives accomplished which included providing a short mission trip for God’s people to experience His presence, power and His people. 
             Pastor Brian Preaching  
During the long days of travel and work, it is hard to determine what is happening in people’s hearts but our evening evaluation meetings accompanied by devotions and testimonies reveal the depth of God’s work in the hearts of His people.
                         Big Russ with Audio Bible
It is clear that each member of the team has felt the presence of God in a new and refreshing way.
 Isa 44:3  "for I will pour water upon him that is thirsty."
My heart was particularly touched by the testimony of one of the two Pastors who accompanied this team and has been waiting thirty years to come to Africa.
While we were doing village evangelism in the Pokot village of Katuperot he had an encounter with a goat herdsman whom he brought to Christ and wanted to be baptized that day.  
There was no fan fare or lightening but Pastor said that was the moment that God’s presence and power was experienced in another real way that so touched his heart and was life changing for both parties.
                  Bro. Gary Evangelism to Pokot Tribe
Both of our guest Pastors did a great job of tailoring their teachings and messages to be culturally relevant. The other theme that seems to be recurring within the team is humility. Each person has expressed how much that they have been humbled by what God is doing here and by the people that we work with. Our brothers and sisters here in Kenya gave them some great offerings which included: 1 goat, dozens of eggs, chickens, 2 gourds and traditional Pokot necklaces. 
                            Terry's Gift
Regardless of which tribe we have worked with over the last two weeks our team has experienced Christianity in its simplest and purest form. 
                                  Pokot Mama 
For those of you who are interested in numbers because numbers represent souls: there were over seventy professions of faith, forty eight baptisms, three evangelism campaigns, two new villages visited, four vacation Bible schools with over one thousand children attending as well as numerous solar powered audio Bibles and hundreds of tracts distributed.                       Preachers Seminar
We also conducted two Pastor/Preacher seminars and drank hundreds of glasses of chai and ate tons of Ugali.  
This group has been a great blessing to Terry and me and I also believe they were a great encouragement to the people God has knitted our hearts together with.  
                     Solomon-Katuperot Evangelism
                                           Sunday Service
We want to thank Bro. Gary Weidenbach who is the leader of Macedonia Short Term Mission Trip Ministries for giving these folks the opportunity of a life time to participate in world missions. His ministry is going to help produce the missionaries of tomorrow.       Little Hunters
Please pray for traveling mercies as this group heads to Nairobi tomorrow and back to California the next day.
May God continue to bless you and keep you?

In His Service,

Bro. Chuck & Sis. Terry Fernandez
Kenya

Phil. 4:13

Monday, January 9, 2012

Macedonia Mission Team Week One

          Mac Team from California in the Rift Valley
A group of eleven traveled over ten thousand miles from California for a short term mission trip this week to work with Terry and I here in Kenya. This was their first mission trip to Africa, so it has been so fun to watch and listen to their first impressions. It brought back many great memories of our first trip to Kenya in 2006. They were in awe of the stunning beauty of Kenya as we traveled across the country with stops to overlook the Rift Valley and at the equator. After settling them into their lodging we immediately shuttled out to their first opportunity to fellowship with our brethren at Landmark Baptist Church of Mawe Tatu/Nzoia and to introduce them to village life and culture.
To their credit, they have gracefully adapted to the food, the chai, the dust and dirt.         Tea Time Village Style
It was clearly apparent from their testimonies on their first night in country (many with tears rolling down their cheeks) that God led them here and that He is going to do a great work in their lives as they touch the lives of the people we work with.             Prayers for Children
Within the first week we have done a women’s seminar, village evangelism, vacation Bible School, Sunday service and Baptisms. The ladies did character studies and then Terry presented the ladies of LBC Mawe Tatu with a new wood burning oven.
After teaching them how to bake her famous banana bread and corn bread the ladies of the Church cooked the group banana bread for breakfast the next morning and it was great.          Terry Teaching Baking
While the ladies had their seminar we took the men to the neighboring village of Soysambu to do house to house evangelism.         Evangelism Team
There were twenty four villagers who professed Christ and the men were able to experience Kenyan culture in a very up close and personal way as we shared the gospel and spent time in the people’s homes.
The next day we hosted close to five hundred Children for Vacation Bible School.
In addition to games, songs, puppets and prizes, the children received a gospel message through using the wordless book/witness bracelets.
The group did a great job of sharing the love of Christ and for sure our brethren know they love them. Only eternity will reveal the full impact of this great work, but what we do know is that hundreds of seeds were planted and watered this last week.            Cole Evangelism
It has been great for Terry and I to sit back and listen to all of the first impressions of things that we no longer think are strange, however, one of the most memorable moments involved one of our visiting Pastors who was absolutely moved when he saw the thousands of fingerprints in the mud walls at the LMBC at Mawe Tatu where many people who got their hands dirty to help build the sanctuary. Our two visiting Pastors will have no shortage of sermon illustrations in the coming months. Yesterday was a great day of singing, teachings, preaching and baptisms.
                               Pastor Brian Baptizing
Teaching Songs
There were twenty eight who followed the Lord in scriptural baptism yesterday. After the baptisms and a season of prayer for young children, Pastor Brian Langley got the shock of his life when he was presented with four live chickens.  
The look on his face was priceless, so I came and rescued him
from what was obviously an uncomfortable position to be in but a huge blessing!       Pastor Brian                           
Pastor Russ
Bro. Kevin
These are small reminders of the many areas of culture adaptation that Terry and I have gone through over the last few years that are totally natural to us now. 
               Parachute Game at Mawe Tatu/Nzoia
Smiles of Happiness
We thank God for sending these fine folks half way around the world to serve and worship with us as we know this is going to be a life changing experience. While the team is holding up very well we need your continued prayers as the hardest part of the trip is yet to come.
Thank you for allowing us to be a part of your life as we travel this journey of faith. May Jesus be exalted above all other names!
Bro. Chuck & Sis. Terry Fernandez

Kenya

Phil. 4:13

Sunday, January 1, 2012

January 1, 2012 New Year, Youth Seminar & Group Preparations

Teaching At Youth Conference
First let me say that Terry and I wish each and everyone who tunes into our journal and ministry A Happy and Blessed New Year in Christ.
Secondly, let me say that I have attached our 2011 year end ministry report for review.

Thirdly, we want to give God the glory for the 842 who professed Christ, the 260 who followed Christ in scriptural baptism, the two new Churches organized and the five new outreaches which have been started in 2011.  
Our week of ministry included a couple of trips to Western Kenya to deliver the frames for new pews for the Landmark Baptist Church of Kipsigon on Mt. Elgon and to teach at a youth Conference.
Pew Frames
Now when I say youth, you have to understand that culturally speaking, that can include those young folks who are not married well into their upper twenties.
Youth
Our culture says; that once you are eighteen you have become an adult, however that is not the case with Kenyan Culture. So I had the opportunity of a life time to teach a group of about one hundred youth from the ages of eighteen to about twenty five from five of the Churches we have planted.
I taught them on the “crossroad of life” from Matt. 7:13
"Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:"
Matt. 7:14..." Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it." 
We were also able to do several character studies on the life’s of Samuel, David & Daniel. These young folks were so happy to have a conference designed for them and also so they might have the all important fellowship with other youths who are of like faith. 
                                          Youth Conference
The rest of the week was spent as you might have guessed, repairing a broken shock mount, 
installing new front springs











 and new Rancho steering stabilizer shocks that I brought back from the states, now we are for sure “redneck style” in Africa.         Rancho II
Please pray for the Macedonia Mission Team who will be traveling this week to join us here in Kenya for the next two weeks. Terry and I are so looking forward to the company as well as sharing what God is doing in our lives and ministry. Our hearts prayer is that they too will experience God’s presence, power and His people while serving the Lord here in Kenya. Please pray for this group of thirteen for traveling mercies and also Terry as she has been very sick the last two days.
Thank you for traveling this journey of faith with us.

In His Service,

Bro. Chuck & Sis. Terry Fernandez
Kenya, East Africa

Phil. 4:13