Slippery Slopes on Other Side of the Mountain, Police Garrison & Accident

This week we traveled back from Lodwar without any problems and resumed the home stretch of language school. While we are getting more comfortable in conversation and able to hear much more it is going to take considerably more time than 6 months to be at a level of fluency that we need to achieve. Nevertheless we are learning everyday and are very happy with where we are. Yesterday we returned to Mt. Elgon to contribute to the Church planting efforts there. The trip up the mountain was no problem but when got to the top it was very wet from a late evening rain the night before. It was so muddy that we were slipping and sliding off the road in 4 wheel drive. The area we visited was on the other side of the mountain from where we have done all the previous evangelism. Word has spread throughout the region that we have been visiting and there was a group of 30 believers who have been meeting without a Pastor or Church.

They had gotten word back to Pastor Peter that they wanted us to visit. Just getting to the site where those folks have been meeting was a chore as the steep slopes where like ice from the mud. On the way there I saw a donkey loaded with beans sitting on the trail unable to walk because of the mud.

I knew we were in for a tough day of trekking. We arrived at a site covered with two tarps where the group had been meeting. Their leader, a man named Alex was one that had lost his home and many members of his family during the clashes. Alex said that he had been praying that God would help him reach his people in his village for Christ. He has no denominational association and asked Pastor Peter to lead him and teach him Baptist doctrine. So what has started as a Church plant on Mt. Elgon could potentially turn into two Churches, one on each side of the mountain God willing. I know I have said it before but I don’t know that I have ever seen people who are so hungry and desperate for God.

Last week when we were in Turkana they baptized 22 where we started the original efforts on the mountain. I think it could be summarized best by a man who said: “After what people saw last year with the clashes how can people say we do not need God”? So after meeting with Alex and his people we divided up into 6 teams and started hiking, slipping and sliding. There were 19 people who made decisions to receive Christ as Savior and many that were encouraged in the Lord. I constantly have to thank God for a wife that is willing to go into intense hiking areas and be covered with mud to share God’s Word. Her heart and dedication to God never s ceases to amaze me. Before leaving I needed to find a police officer named Fred who is stationed at the Police Garrison on top of the mountain as I had promised Him a KJV English Bible when I meet him several weeks back. Upon visiting at the garrison we received a request from the base commander to come back and share God’s word. What a blessing to have the police welcoming God’s Word. So after another amazing day we started home. As we approached a small town a man on a bike came off a side road without stopping and ran into the side of the truck. I did all I could do to avoid him by braking and swerving but I could not leave the road because of pedestrians. Bro. Eddie Williams gave me some good advice before returning to the USA for this situation. He said no matter what the condition of the person; take them person strait to the Police Station. So that is what we did. Fortunately the hospital was located next to the police station so the man could get aid but he was hurting for sure. Nobody was injured in the vehicle and the only damage was a broken mirror and a scratch on the door. The police did their investigation and said I was not at fault and could not have avoided him hitting the truck but you still hate to see people hurt. We ask you to pray that the man will have a full and speedy recovery for people do not get good medical care here at all.

As I prayed this morning, I made a commitment to the Lord that I would not let Satan discourage or distract us from doing His will in our life. Today we attended Church locally here in Eldoret so we could get some rest from mountain climbing and the moving the previous week. Thank you for your prayers and for traveling this journey with us.

Chuck & Terry Fernandez
Kenya, East Africa