The Stars Are Bright, The Sword & The Shovel

Our Texas guests arrived on schedule and with their entire luggage which is always a concern when coming to visit Africa.   The dust had hardly settled from landing in Nairobi and we were off and running.  The group is staying with us for two weeks but two of them are only staying for one week so we needed to cram as much work as possible in their limited time frame to be good stewards as there is much effort and expense in their coming. 

Our first days together were spent helping them get familiar with our work, our people and the culture.  During those days, we had a fellowship at the Landmark Baptist Church of Mawe Tatu where they had their first opportunity to eat traditional Kenyan food and meet three of the key men in our work.   They were thoroughly impressed with Pastor Peter, Pastor Shadrach and Pastor Japeth as all three of these men have been instrumental in our work on Mt. Elgon, the Kerio Valley and Lake Victoria. 

 After our fellowship at LBC Mawe Tatu we traveled to the edge of the Kerio Valley, above, 

where we slept to be ready to descend into the valley in the morning. 

It would be there that I would hear how close the stars look and how beautiful the area is with Mt. Elgon looming in the background.   They said, as the old song goes that the “Stars are big and bright, deep in the heart in Texas” but they are amazingly bright at edge of the Kerio valley. 

   The next morning we ascended into the valley and visited a new village called Moriweris for evangelism. 

                                                     Village Elder

                                          Pastor Don Moore

Russ

                                                             Russ & Jamie

This Pokot village has never heard the gospel until that day and it would be a blessed day for everyone involved. 

As we spread out in what was desert heat there where as many as nineteen villagers that made professions of faith in Christ. 

Good thing that Texans are tough because the temperature was somewhere between 90-100’.   They felt the hardest part was that they were coming out of a cold Texas winter directly into the heat of a semi-arid region.   Each time we present the Good News of the gospel of Jesus Christ is special and sacred but there were particularly two people that really stood out in our hut to hut visits.

The first one was the senior village elder named Paul Ethodor, (probably not spelled right). 

He was so receptive in allowing us to bring God’s word into his village for the first time and was willing to start a Bible study in His home using the audio Bible we gave him. 

                                                  Praise the Lord!! 

At the end of visit with Ethodor a young man arrived dressed in traditional Pokot attire. 

The picture of Bro. Bubba in his overalls and Jackson in His shuka together is priceless and tells so much about both men.  Bubba & Pokot

 But what was striking to me was the expression and humility that the Ethodor showed as Jackson received Christ by faith.  I am not sure, but Jackson may have been one of  Ethodor’s son’s.  In any case, there was great joy as he bowed his head with Jackson to receive Christ.  It was as if he was relieved and as the senior man in the hierarchy of the village, he knew that this was a great thing for His people.

The Texans did an awesome job as it can be very intimating working through translators.

After village evangelism, we returned to the Landmark Baptist Church of Cheposabei to help dig footers so they can begin to lay bricks.   Missionary Chuck begins.....

They have baked thousands over the last two years and they are now ready to start building walls. 

 It was extremely hot and dusty work but everyone pitched in to dig two foot deep footers, even the women church members.           Mama Helping

The Pokot Church members were blown away with the senior saint of our group,

             “Bubba”, who outworked us all in that desert heat.  

 They loved him so much that they honored him with a traditional bow.                                                    Bubba Crowd....                                                         

Kevin Dockins

Terry's Ladies

Work day was followed by a great day of praise, worship, teaching and preaching.

                                                               Nick Wheeler

There would be one more profess Christ at the conclusion of the service and we baptized twenty new converts in the river. 

Car Wash

I  so  appreciate Pastor Don Moore and Pastor Jamie Hogan for bringing this group to Kenya to see and experience first hand the great things that God is doing.

They are faithful ministry partners who now have a new respect for our ministry.

To God be the glory!  Great things he hath done!

God Speed,

Bro. Chuck & Sis. Terry Fernandez
Kenya