Tuesday, April 25, 2017

Kenya ~ THE REUNION

SHE LEFT THIS WAY

BUT RETURNED THIS WAY!


A Picture is worth a thousand words.  Enjoy the below pictures of Terry's two and half year journey back to the people and land she loves with all her heart.  Her body has healed but these pictures capture the essence of the healing of her heart.


  The reunion was one of the sweetest and most anticipated reunions I have ever witnessed.  And while it has been an event that Terry has longed for, I believe it was equally anticipated and longed for by our Kenyan brethren and particularly the Wamama (Women).
As you can see, there were many hugs and tears by all.  There was also a Missionary who was especially happy to have his wife by his side as I have made five trips back to Kenya without her.   As I have stated before,  we do not know if this will be Terry's last trip but we Thank God he allowed her to return to get some heart healing.  Our first visit would be to visit Pst. Shadrack and the members of the Landmark Baptist Church at Mawe Tatu.  This was the first Church plant we were involved in back in 2008 where we saw some of our earliest converts.   After the Mawe Tatu reunion we would as the Bible says, immediately endeavor to travel into the Kerio Valley to visit our first (Pokot Tribe) Landmark Baptist Church at a village called Chepsabei.
   

The road was so bad going into the valley (totally destroyed) that we really did not know if were going to be able to get back out.  Terry would spend her time in the valley teaching the ingredients of a successful Christian home to the women of the now four Churches there.  Some of the women walked 15-20 Kilometers. She would use a coal burning oven to demonstrate how to cook banana bread and make application with her Bible lessons.  
If you'll give me a little liberty here in closing, I would like to brag on my dear wife but ultimately brag on the Lord because of her great love for Him.  I am not sure I have ever seen another Missionary wife who has loved, taught and invested in the Women of the Churches like Terry.  There have been many a faithful Missionary wife but Terry seems to be the exception in that she is not only there for the Missionary but also to make a difference in the lives of God's women through extensive teaching and training. We have taught our Pastors that a strong servant wife can make a huge difference in their ministry and Terry has proved that to be true.
Please continue to pray for the work in Kenya/Uganda and Florida.


Thank you for your prayerful and financial support and for allowing us to share this journey of faith.


In His Service,
Chuck & Terry Fernandez
Bro. Chuck and Sis. Terry Fernandez 
Kenya/Uganda/Florida Plant


THE PERFECT BITE

This is the perfect bite of banana bread Terry cooked while teaching, using a coal burning oven in 100% heat with make-shift ingredients in a semi-arid desert region. Amazing!!! 

Any and all Financial Support needs to be sent to
Sending Church Information:
First Baptist Church of East Bay
10102 Old Big Bend Rd.
Riverview, Florida 33578

OR DONATE THROUGH SECURE PAYPAL ON RIGHT OF BLOG.







Monday, April 3, 2017

Florida Plant Update, New Additions & Heading to Kenya

We need your prayers as we are In the midst of packing bags for our departure and Terry's return trip to Kenya.  The checklist is long but also includes preventive malaria medicine for Terry which will be a first but will give her peace of mind given her last experience in country.   We will post our progress on this short term mission trip as we travel to Mt. Elgon, the Kerio Valley and Lake Victoria on the blog and Facebook.   For this blog entry I wanted to update our ministry partners with some of the sights of the work have been doing through the Florida Plant over the last few months, primarily through pictures as a picture is worth a thousand words.   Enjoy our journey of faith and thank you for your prayers and financial support as we press toward the mark of the high calling in Christ Jesus.
The Sea, the Sailor & The Savior
Living in Florida provides unique opportunities for this Missionary to preach the word of God in His beautiful creation and occasionally the opportunity to preach to our family.
Several months ago, both became a reality as I honored my Uncle Aaron Baxter's request to pre4ach his funeral on the shores of Ponce Inlet, Florida.
The sea was the place my Uncle loved for he was a great sailor, but it would be the Savior who was preached and presented to my family once again for salvation.
Two more precious souls would make professions of faith at the close of the service and that is what my Uncle would have wanted.

Wedding Bells & Rejoicing in Heaven 

God opened another door of  opportunity to share the gospel with a young couple named Brandon & Tiffany who received Christ and would later be married on a Lake Shore in Florida
The Angels in Heaven are rejoicing.
Please pray for these new converts as they start their new life together in Holy Matrimony and as
Brandon is deployed in the Army.
New Arrials, New Christians & New Visitors
The latest addition to our family is our new born granddaughter,
Koralee Rae.  As you can see from the above picture, Grandma Terry is very happy to hold her before she returns to Kenya.
Children are the heritage of the Lord and we look  forward to one day teaching Koralee who Jesus is and what He did for her.
She brings our grandchildren total to eight & counting.
What a Blessing!

 
We continue to see a steady flow of visitors, professions of faith and baptisms through our humble efforts and we are growing together spiritually as well as numerically.
March marked two years since our first meeting and we celebrated that important day with Bro. Lem Curtis (Missionary to Columbia) bringing Great Commission centered lessons and sermon.  It does our heart good to know that The Florida Plant is already supporting Missionaries and preparing more to be sent out.

Our Mission is the Commission
Part of fulfilling the commission for us includes sharing what God is doing in our lives and ministry with other Churches.   During the month of March we had an invitation to preach "Missions" at
1st Baptist Church of Kingstowne in Alexandria, Virginia.  This growing Church under the leadership of their Pastor, John Mix, has a great burden for the lost and a vision to reach the uttermost parts of the earth.
Terry and I were greatly encouraged by what God is doing there and thankful for Churches that share our passion for preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ.  Part of their passion includes encouraging Indigenous Church planting and to that end they have committed to help build one  of the four sanctuaries needed in Kenya and Uganda.
We have connected them  with the Landmark Baptist Church at Chengenji which is  a second generation Church plant at the base of Mt. Elgon.
We are at 50% of the goal we set of building four new sanctuaries this year and Baumhauer Road Baptist Church has committed to partner with us to build a second sanctuary at the Landmark Baptist Church at Morreweis.  Would you pray about the remaining two Church plants at Chemondi and Kakaron, Uganda?
 

One of the many blessings we had through the invitation to preach at 1st Baptist Kingstowne was the opportunity to bring our oldest Grandson, Chucky, to visit the nations capital and learn about our Christian heritage.  It was a trip that we will not soon forget.
If you are interested in having us come share our ministry please drop me an email
missionaryfernandez@gmail.com or call me a (352)-277-1753
Thank you for your prayerful support and for allowing us to share this journey of faith. 
We covet your continued prayers.l
In His Service,
Chuck & Terry Fernandez
Bro. Chuck & Sis. Terry
Kenya/Uganda/Florida Plant

Scarfs made by women from the Church plant for Pastors wives in  Kenya.   Asante    Sana


Special Thanks to Sis. Muriel Johnson and her ladies for sending
pillow case dresses with us to Kenya.
There will be many happy young girls next week.

Any and all Financial Support needs to be Sent to
Sending Church Information
First Baptist Church of East Bay
10102 Old Big  Bend Rd.
Riverview, Florida 33578

or DONATE THRU SECURE PAY PAL AT RIGHT OF BLOG...