We have logged over 5000 miles during the last two weeks
of travel while attending the national meeting of the American Baptist
Association in St. Louis, Missouri. We
also visited Churches in Alabama and Arkansas on the way up and back. These meetings were kind of the grand finale
to our deputation efforts to promote our mission work in Kenya. With over two thousand in attendance it was
great to reconnect with our supporting Churches, make contact with new Pastors
and Churches as well as have fellowship with other missionaries. We are so thankful for all those who share
our vision and burden to reach the lost and are willing to partner with us
through prayers and offerings.
We were
also encouraged by the feedback we received regarding work and we know God is
going to do great things if we continue to follow His leadership and put Jesus
first in all things. On our way back
from St. Louis our GPS routed us through Joplin, Missouri which afforded us to
see the destruction left in the wake of an F5 tornado.
Our hearts were truly broken as we traveled
through neighborhoods which were leveled by what can only be compared to a huge
explosion which took out a third of the city.
I have attached two photos, one taken the day after the tornado hit and
one taken thirty days later in which cleanup is still currently on going.
It was amazing anyone survived the utter
destruction brought by the massive storm.
Please continue to pray for those who lost loved ones and for those
rebuilding their lives as they will never be the same. Words cannot describe the scene as we never
have seen anything close to that kind of power and destruction before.
During the course of our travels I also had
the opportunity to visit with some real war hero’s. The first one I met was a War World II
Veteran named Johnny Bell, who by way of recent marriage to my sister-in-law
Karen is now my brother-in-law. Never
thought I would ever have a brother-in-law who landed at the Sicily, Angio and
Salerno invasions but I do now and I am thankful for His service.
To sit and listen to the war stories
against great odds is a reminder that great men made great sacrifices to make
this a great nation. During our time in
St. Louis we met some other war hero’s
near the Mississippi river who were there for “Marine Week”.
The young Marines we met were veterans of
the Afghanistan War and have also made a great sacrifice for our country. Marines have a special place in our hearts
because our son Chuck III is an “Iraqi Freedom” war hero.
From the time of the Revolutionary War men
have been fighting for the many freedoms that we have a tendency to take for
granted. Thank God for men that believe
enough in a cause that they are willing to fight for with their very lives.
Our son, Chuck III, sees his new son, Chuck IV, for the first
time upon his return from war....
On this Fourth of July weekend I need to
wish my Mother Happy Birthday!
She has
influenced my life in so ways and is currently instrumental in getting our blog
published so others can share our journey of faith.
Lord
willing, our next journal will be from Kenya as we fly back on Tuesday, July 5,
2011. Please pray for traveling
mercies, our children/grandchildren and our mission work. We say goodbye to our children &
grandchildren with heavy hearts but we are excited to see what God is going to
do during our second term.
We have laid
a foundation on which we will continue to build and we are looking forward to
going further in our faith as well.
May God Keep you and Bless You
and to God be the glory.
Bro. Chuck & Sis. Terry Fernandez
Phil. 4:13
Phil. 4:13
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