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