Tuesday, December 9, 2014

New Additions, New Tents & New Hope

Greetings friends, family and brethren,
As of this posting we are in Florida with tickets in hand to return to Kenya January 5th.  Please keep us in your prayers as I will be traveling with a team from Florida and Arkansas. 
We need your earnest prayers as this will be the first time since we took our initial survey trip in 2006 that I will be traveling to Kenya without my dear wife Terry. 
Even though God has faithfully answered our prayers by saving her life, her Doctors are advising her not to return.  And while most of her strength and faculties have returned, the risk of a reoccurrence would be high given her medical history.  Not only are the heavy doses of meds damaging her organs, there is a greater than normal chance that she may not survive the next bout of malaria or bacterial infections and it is fair to say that what is curing her is also killing her.
With all that said, this forced break from the rigors of bush ministry in East Africa has been good for us and the folks in Kenya.  It has given us the opportunity to reconnect with our sending Church, Ft. Cooper Baptist Church in Florida as well as our Co-Sponsoring Church, Dean Springs Missionary Baptist Church in Alma Arkansas.  
                                Ft. Cooper Baptist Church
Pastor Tim of Dean Springs Missionary Baptist Church in Alma Arkansas.
 Our return has also afforded me the opportunity to attend several mission conferences as well as state and local meetings.
On a more personal note, Terry and I were able to be home for the birth of our 6th grandchild, Kelbee who was born on November 26th.   Additionally, we had the blessing of seeing Kelbee attend her first Church service this last week as Pawpa (Me) preached the Word.
What a blessing!
            Daughter Carla with Kelbee, Dad, Kevin & Big Brother, Kason
While we have been on home on medical leave, our Kenyan and Ugandan brethren continue to press towards the mark of the high calling in Christ Jesus.
Over the last month,(without the Missionary), they have placed another tent on Mt. Elgon at the village of Huruma and organized them into another New Testament Bible preaching Church.  This is a third generation Church birthed from our first Church on Mt. Elgon in the village of Kipsigon and the 16th in our work.        New Tent
New Tent In Fog 
Praise God our Kenyan brethren have a vision for the work, a will to work and a burden for their own people as well as the training and capability to carry out the great commission. 
Modern communication allows me the opportunity to call them weekly, to email them weekly and also to transfer funds for tents, buildings and training seminars. 
They have also started a new outreach/preaching point at the village of Chelekei which located at the base of Mt. Elgon.    New Convert Chelekei
                            Peter Baptizing
Peter Praying
Pastor Bernard
They need our prayers and they are worthy of our support. 
In closing, Terry and I want to wish all of you a Blessed and Merry Christmas and we thank our God upon the remembrance of you all. 
 Your continued prayers for Terry’s health are needed and as we look forward to 2015, God is giving us new hope and new vision for our lives and ministry. 
May God continue to keep you and bless you.

In His Service,
Bro. Chuck & Sis. Terry Fernandez
Kenya/Uganda/USA