Back to the Desert #3....Hurting Home...Revival

Before I enter my journal comments I ask you to pray for the family of my Aunt Liz Fernandez who went home to be with the Lord this week. We thank our Lord and Savior she was saved over the last couple of years and was very special to Terry and I. One of the hardest thing about being a foreign missionary is there are times when you cannot be with the ones you love to laugh, to cry and to mourn with.

We left Eldoret at 5am on Tuesday morning for the long hard journey to Turkana. We were making excellent time until we were around 80KM (48 mi.) from Lodwar when I noticed the battery light came on and the engine starting to get hot. When I pulled over and I found that we had broke the fan belt and the radiator was leaking. So as any good boy scout would do, I had prepared for such a time as this. Within 15 minutes I had the new belt on and a can of stop leak in the radiator. After driving about 20 Kms(12 mi.) we saw a young white man and girl with two Kenyans broke down in the middle of nowhere. So being good Samaritans we stopped to help them fix a broken tie rod with some spare rods I carried. They were tourists from New York and Switzerland. While our journey was not without incident we arrived safely in Lodwar only one hour behind schedule. We spent the next 2 days putting up 400 ft of fence and preparing the house for our household goods. The house has never had electricity so you can imagine how happy we were when our neighbor, who is from the Netherlands and goes by the name of Mama Mzungu, had her guards run electricity to the house for us. We have been praying about the electricity situation since we came into country and rented the house knowing God was going to provide somehow. So needless to say, we have gone from the 18th century to the 21st century in one day and a prayer.
Yesterday we attended an evangelism/revival campaign in a fishing village called Kalakol on Lake Turkana. There were five Pastors from Bro. Eddies work here present with their Church members to support the efforts and a total of 14 who went out on Saturday’s evangelism.
Now keep in mind that this is a rough fishing village made up of many different tribes and backgrounds who have come to the Lake Turkana to make a living. It reminds Terry and me of our bus ministry days of working the fishing camps in Hernando and Floral City only these are Kenyans.
But fishermen make great disciples eventually.
My first visit was one that was a divine appointment from the Lord as it was a walled compound 200yds from the Church. As we entered the compound there was 3 men, 2 women and 8 children sitting under a small shade tree. After introductions the man (Peter Juma Ekot) immediately started pouring his heart out to us about how his family: (2) wives and children were having a terrible time with life because of all the strife, fighting and conflict that has consumed his family. He said that things were so bad that he had travel 100kms the day before to have a friend pray for him and his family. This is how God works! Here we are the next day visiting his home trying to be a blessing to him. After 30 minutes of listening and talking with Peter it was revealed that he was a saved man who was backslidden and living with two lost wives. He described the younger of his two wives as a devil and I am not exaggerating when I say she looked like a wild-eyed wild woman. That is surely formula for conflict and strife. He said for years he has wanted to go the Church where he could see God’ s people assemble and could hear the singing but he felt something had blocked him from going. He was ashamed to say he had not been in Church in years. So I spent the next 30 minutes teaching them on having a Christ centered home using the top from a opened can I found laying on the ground to illustrate how Jesus should be the center of the home and how everything should revolve around him.
Matt. 6:33. After sharing the plan of salvation Pastor Steven lead both of Peters wives to the Lord.
I taught them for another 30 minutes on baptism, Christian growth and the Christian home.
Peter was so happy that before we left he nailed that top from the can I used to illustrate a Christ Centered home to his door to remind his family that they are now a Christian Home.
I will send the picture next week as I did not bring the cable to the camera to download it.
It is priceless.
The only way this could be any better was to see that family come to Church this morning and that is exactly what happened. Now I was not exaggerating about his younger wife looking like a wild woman but today in Church she was truly a woman that looked like she had been set free and at great peace.
I know they will have many trials ahead of them but I also know that if they will keep Christ in the center of that home they can have peace.
Many of our other visits were not an easy but as important.
We met with a tough crowd of market women under a small shade tree and shared the love of God with them as they scoffed and were disrespectful. But as with other visits we have made, many of those same ones who mock Jesus and laugh at Christians may be the same ones running to be saved at a later time.
So in the end we were planting and watering. Over all there were 14 professions of faith and 4 were baptized today at the Lake. When we get back to Eldoret I will send pics from this week’s activities.
We will be finishing house repairs this week, moving our household goods and returning to Eldoret next week for our last month of language school.
We praise are praising the Lord for His continued blessings and we thank you for keeping us before His throne in prayer.
Chuck & Terry Fernandez
Kenya, East Africa

Answered Prayers, Preparation for Travel & Ordination Service

While we did not do evangelism this weekend but we received a great report from Mt. Elgon that there were 32 present at the weekly Bible Study and 3 Soldiers of the Kenyan Army stationed on Mt. Elgon were saved yesterday.

That is an answer to prayers as many of the villagers told us that the soldiers were taking young girls from their homes and raping them on a regular basis. When this was revealed we started praying for the soldiers to receive Christ as well as those that live in the area and now God is answering that prayer one by one. Much time was spent this week preparing for our trip to Lodwar. When I took the truck to the shop to replace the shock bushings they found that the emergency brake cable was broke and that one of the axle seals was wore out allowing axle grease to pour into the hub. It is no wonder that the brakes did not work last week when we were rolling backwards down the mountain.

It is also another reminder of how God has protected us from dangers that we were not even aware of. Aside from getting the “green camel” ready for a pounding on the rough Turkana roads and the extreme heat we picked up a steel door and window I had made here in Eldoret for the house in Lodwar. As you can see in the attached pics it will look like Ft. Knox.

The night guard in Lodwar said that someone tried to break into the house last week so I am beefing up security at the two weakest points. We asked for your continued prayers as there is nothing normal about the journey from Eldoret to Turkana. We will leave on Tuesday and will stay for about 10 days to finish repairs to the house, fence and to move our household goods into the house. We will also be attending a revival campaign with Bro. Eddies Pastors. We are looking forward to practicing what we have learned in language school with those that cannot speak any English. Today we traveled back to Western Kenya to attend the ordination service for a young Pastor named Shadrach. We took him and 12 of his church members from Mawe Tatu (3 stones) back to the Church where he was disciplined and served as an Assistant Pastor for 6 years. The members were so glad to see Shadrach return and they were so proud of what God is doing in his life and at his new Church home.

I taught on the qualifications of a Pastor and attempted to preach in Swahili for the first time. It was very difficult and I ended up reading most of the message as well as reverting back to English from time to time. I have to keep reminding myself we are not going to be able to hear and speak Swahili after barely 5 months of Language school.

The laying on of the hands from the presbytery is always a special part of any ordination service but at one point all the members were allowed to come forward and give Pastor Shadrach a gift.

Most place coins into an offering basket but a representative from His sending Church came forward and presented him with a Kerosene lamp.

At the time I was a little slow on the uptake as I thought well that is a nice gift but there was a deep symbolic meaning with that Lamp as it was to be used to study God’s Word in the evening (no electricity) and was symbolic of passing the torch to Him. It was another exciting day in the life of two people who continued to be humbled that God allows us the privilege to be missionaries. Every time we visit this village we are showered with blessings: One Chicken, 6 eggs and a bag of beans. We were also blessed to see both of the infant girls named after Terry (Teresa). Now I appreciate the gifts but I told Terry on the way home it is way easier for them to name their kids after us as we now have a live Chicken in the storage room and we are debating what to do with it?

Oh well if that is our biggest problem God has truly been good to us. Thanks for looking and listening. Please pray for our trip this week back to the desert.

God Bless,

Chuck & Terry Fernandez

Kenya, East Africa

Close Call on Mt. Elgon, 1st Service at Landmark Baptist, Mt. Elgon, 9 Baptized 3 Stones

Saturday was our third evangelistic campaign to Mt. Elgon. With Terry under the weather I left Eldoret around 6:30am by myself to pickup our team of 12. These are folks from 4 different Churches in Western Kenya who have a burden for the people of Mt. Elgon. From ours previous trips to Mt. Elgon I was fully aware of the dangers associated with traveling up steep mountainous terrain in an old truck loaded with people. But Saturday would be a trip that will be one for the record books for sure as we had a very close call on the way up the mountain. It was the result of two vehicles out of control on a narrow rocky road that could have ended with disastrous results. Just as we started our ascent up the steepest part of the Mountain on a curve I spotted a Kenyan Army Truck coming down the narrow rough road at a very fast pace. Now keep in mind that there was nowhere to pull over and let the truck loaded with soldiers pass. When I first spotted the truck I stopped. We are on about a 33 degree slope and when I stopped the truck died. Not only did the truck die but we started rolling backwards very quickly. Before I could do anything the Army truck was 10 yards in front of us and closing. The (wet drum brakes were not holding), I grabbed a handful of the emergency brake and it did not make a difference. So if you can picture this, the green land cruiser fully loaded rolling backwards down a very steep narrow rough path/road with a Kenyan Army truck pushing us. It was a formula for disaster. He could not stop and I could not stop. The only thing I could think of was all of us going over the edge of the mountain. We must have rolled backwards around 100 yds when I notice a gully that had washout so I steered the truck towards it. All I could do was dump the clutch and let the compression from the engine slow us down to hit the ditch. The Army truck narrowly missed us and we came to rest in the gully. It was a reminder of how dangerous it is climbing the mountain and also a reminder of the grace of God through his protection. You know that feeling that you get when you have just experienced something that could have been tragic. Well it was one of those moments and I guarantee that there were a dozen frighten Kenyans who were praying the whole time as well as one shaken American. Good thing Terry was not in the truck! After rolling backwards another 100 yard or so to a place where I could get a run up the Mountain we made it to the top without any further problems. By the way it does pay to pray for traveling mercy before every trip. We divided up into five teams and started out into the countryside. We were blessed with so many great visits. The people of Mt. Elgon are so ready for a relationship with Christ and to be taught the word of God.

My team traveled for miles up and down peaks and valleys to a place that borders the forest which divides Kenya and Uganda. We met and witnessed to people that have never heard of Jesus. I am still amazed when we meet people that have never heard of Jesus or the gospel. After hours of hiking, sharing God’s Word and praying with people we saw 35 invite Christ to be there personal Savior. The work there has just exploded as people are looking for hope after the clashes. It is so sad to hear the heartbreaking stories of those that were slaughtered. As we were loading to leave a young preacher boy named Geoffrey said he could not go. He shared with the group that God had put on his heart to stay behind to preach Sunday morning to the folks so hungry for God. He is the same young man whose wife had a baby girl last week and named Teresa.

Pastor Peter is already holding a weekly Bible study every Tuesday and now there will be 3 young preachers rotating to make the 6 hr trip every Sunday to share God’s Word as there is so many people eager for teaching and worship. What an awesome testimony for Geoffrey to leave his wife and newborn baby for what will end up being 3 days away because he could not leave the people without a Shepard. Praise God for men who answer that call. Today we visited Mawe Tatu (3 Stones) for another Baptismal service.

However this time we brought the two housekeepers Terry lead to Christ in Eldoret named Sarah and Erika as well as the fabricator named Kennedy who was saved a couple of weeks ago.

They all wanted to follow the Lord in scriptural baptism so we took them to Mawe Tatu to be baptized.

We are in process of helping them find a good scriptural Church home here in Eldoret where they can grow and serve. Please pray for these new converts. Beside the joy of seeing 9 baptized today we were thrilled to see Pastor Shadrachs home overflowing with new members and visitors. There were about 20 inside the house and another dozen that had to sit outside under a tarp, all adults.

For a new church literally planted in the middle of a corn field God is blessing and adding to their number each week. Oh what God can do if we will just be faithful!

The enthusiasm, joy and excitement to know God here is so contagious.

You can’t help but be overwhelmed with what God is doing in the life’s of people. What a great God we serve and what a privilege! Thank you for allowing us to be a part of your life and especially for your prayers. I believe that God has answered them this weekend.

Chuck & Terry Fernandez
Kenya, East Africa

Stolen Camera, Baby Named Teresa & Sunday Services

One of the many things that you grow to appreciate when you live in another country is your home country, the United States of America. As I travel throughout Kenya I see the hand print of the USA everywhere. It is usually in the form of compassion and help from the USA to Kenya. You can see it in the markets, in the villages and in the attire of the Kenyan people. Our country gives more to Africa than all other countries combined. So living here and ministering here makes you proud to be an American. Even though our Nation is daily being eroded and stripped of our Christian heritage and values it is still the greatest nation in the world. And even though we live far from our homeland we had the opportunity to celebrate the fourth of July with some missionary friends who live here in Eldoret. However while visiting their home on Saturday we had our camera stolen from the Land cruiser. It is a sobering reminder that you cannot let your guard down for one minute and that everything must be lockup and accounted for at all times. So we live and learn but we will not make the same mistake twice. Sunday we visited a Church called Namawanga. My only task was to teach Sunday school. I brought a lesson from Psalm 119 & Titus 2 on personal purity. What started out as a 30 minute Sunday school lesson ended up a three hour doctrinal class. The Pastor opened up the end of class for questions and I answered questions on everything from eternal security of the believer to selective rapture vs general rapture. It was great to see people hungry for the knowledge of God’s word for people perish without it. After church services we traveled to the home of young preacher boy that is a member of one our churches in the area whose wife had just had a baby girl at 6am Sunday morning. The baby was beautiful and the momma was not in too good of shape but we were honored when we found out they had named her Teresa.

I can foresee many little Teresa’s running around as we also met a little Eddie yesterday named after Bro. Eddie Williams from his days of working in Western. Before we left I took a picture of Baby Teresa with my phone camera and we gave the husband some Meds for Momma to help her with pain and fever. Please keep Geoffrey, Mary and Baby Teresa in your prayers. They generally travel to Mt. Elgon and Mawe Tatu for evangelism almost every week. We also ask you to pray for next week’s evangelism, #3 to Mt. Elgon. This week while doing the Bible study there Pastor Peter was told of rumors of another clash. That region needs our prayers.
Thanks for allowing us to share our life’s with you.
Chuck & Terry Fernandez
Kenya, East Africa