Prisons, Nursing Homes & Mission Conferences

March 1, 2011

According to the dictionary:  furlough is a temporary leave from duty, however, furlough as applied to foreign missionaries is far more complex than just a temporary leave from duty.

Granted while on furlough we are removed from the country and culture where God has called us to serve, but our duty as missionaries and Christians continue as we strive to glorify God at home and abroad.   

From our perspective, furlough might be better defined as follows.

 A.  Rest: 

It has been vital for Terry and I to rest from the rigors of serving in Kenya. 

At the end of two years of deputation and two years of service we felt like we had taken a severe beating both physically, emotionally and spiritually. 

Terry and I both have had to deal with health issues while home that are directly attributed to our field of ministry,  Terry's landed her in the hospital last month for emergency surgery.  

It is as if our tanks ran dry the last few months in Kenya and it is as if God is recharging our batteries and healing our bodies for our next term. 

B.  Reconnect:

During furlough we have had the opportunity to reconnect with our family. We have enjoyed spending quality time with our children and grandchildren as well as our extended family.  The time we spend away from them is invested in the kingdom of God and is well spent but is never to be regained.  So we cherish every moment with them during our furlough.  Modern communications like email and phone service help us stay in touch but is no substitute for sitting down at a meal and sharing each other’s lives together. This time of furlough has also given us the opportunity to reconnect with our sending church.

Our sending church is also our home church and it is at Ft. Cooper Baptist Church that we have made almost every major spiritual decision in our lives. 

                         Pastor Marne Palmani, Ft. Cooper Baptist

C.  Revival:

It is our prayer that God will not only give us personal revival while home on furlough but that we may be used of God as a vessel to help revive our Churches here in America especially when it comes to missions and missions giving.   To that end we have preached in seven different churches,

                   First Baptist Church....Eastbay

attended three mission conferences, preached in prisons and nursing homes.

While the prisons and nursing homes are not churches they are a labor of love as I have preached in both frequently over the last ten years.

My heart goes out to both parties who seem to be in captivity, one by poor choices and the other by health issues. 

D. Resupply: 

Unfortunately it is also necessary to continue our efforts to raise funds for the work in Kenya. Through God’s help we have purchased five plots and now have three sanctuaries nearing completion.   That still leaves us two more sanctuaries that need to be constructed which we do not currently have funds for. In addition to building my hearts prayer is that God will provide one hundred more solar powered audio bibles  for the Pokot tribe we have been working with in the Kerio Valley.

Finally, we have to continually make efforts to seek new churches that will partner with us on monthly basis to replace those lost over the last year due to the economic downturn. 

We thank God for his provision and by faith we believe he will continue to provide for His work.

E.  Relinquish: 

The works we have started and the people God has united us together with to fulfill the great commission need time to stand on their own faith. 

While we have played an important role in the salvation of hundreds, planting churches and discipleship we must remember that they are God’s people and it is God’s work. 

It seems that the longer we are there the more that they depend on us and I believe God will use this time to grow them spiritually. 

Our hearts desire is to come alongside of them rather than 'lord over' them and to help them grow into mature Christians that will reproduce their faith in the lives of others. 

The delicate balancing act may best be described as helping and encouraging their faith without hurting them by creating dependence.  

Please continue to pray for the people of Kenya and us as we will be traveling to Oklahoma and Arkansas to preach two revivals as well as visiting supporting Churches. 

Thank you for your prayerful support.

Chuck and Terry Fernandez
Kenya, Currently on furlough

Phil. 4:13

“Is There Not A Cause?”     

                                 Pastor Tim Myers & Wife, Shelia