Desert Heat, Thorns & Sanctuary Construction

 Prayers

Most of this week was spent in the village of Cheposabei which is located near the border of Uganda in the Kerio Valley constructing our first sanctuary in our work with the Pokot tribe. Working in the intense heat (110’) can be somewhat dangerous but we managed to keep ourselves hydrated with cases and cases of bottled water.
As you can see from the pictures, we have changed from using wood to steel for construction for the following reasons:
  #1. Deforestation has become a real issue country wide and is making wood more scarce which in turn has has increased the price two fold since we started building three years ago.  

#2. Processing the wood has also become an issue with fuel, oil, maintaining the chainsaws as well as transportation costs.  

#3. Finally, the termite issue is a real concern in the Kerio Valley as they will devour wood in short order. So building with steel is now a more cost effective and efficient method of construction for us. The building will still look somewhat indigenous with mud and thatch walls but the frame is steel.

                                 First Truss Up.... 

African Tool Box

Assembling Truss

Cement

Children Gathering Rocks

Solomon Digging

Hot but Happy :)

Tent Inside New Sanctuary

While we brought our team of builders in from the Mt.Elgon region, the members of the Landmark Baptist Church of Cheposabei worked hand in hand with us and particularly the women. You see, in Pokot culture, the women are responsible for building the family home. They waited patiently in the intense heat so they could contribute to God’s work by digging the holes for the posts. They also gathered rocks and a specific type of sand to be mixed with the cement.

                            Mamma's Digging

It was truly a thing of beauty to see the men, women and children of the church come together to help build the house of God.     Jesus School

During day one I must have had ten thorn punctures that went through my shoes like a hot knife through butter. What amazes me is that the children walk around barefoot and rarely step on one, oh well, I guess that is what we call “home field advantage”. 

                       Thorn N Shoe

 

Day two I kindly asked the women if they would sweep our work area free of thorns which they gladly did after an entertaining day of watching me remove thorns from my feet.

We accomplished our major objective of setting the posts and a couple of trusses while more are being fabricated here in Eldoret. Spending three days in the village continues to help grow our relationship with these believers closer and closer and you really start to feel like you are part of the village family. Our conversations become longer and more personal and I often have to stop and think of how we are viewed in a village that had never heard the gospel or never had another white man enter their village. The celebrity status is interesting but it is the love for one another in Christ that is special to me. Our desert worship services were nothing short of heavenly and I continued to be humble with four eggs given to me by a elderly man who had walked many kilometers from a neighboring village as well as a jar of honey the ladies sent home to Terry.  
                                                                Eggs Gift

There are now five neighboring villages that we are preaching the gospel in. We had no idea three years ago how God would use this village he led us to so that we may reach many others for Christ.

Our theme verses this week were:

Psalm 121:1 I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. Vs 2 My help cometh from the LORD, which made heaven and earth.

Please continue to pray this Pokot outreach ministry.

In His Service,

Chuck & Terry Fernandez
Kenya