31st Anniversary, Hunting Hippo’s & Lake Victoria Stage 2

                                 Lake Victoria

This week we celebrated thirty one years of marriage. We thank God for bringing us together and sustaining us through the normal trials of life and faith. It has been said that marriage is a like a three ring circus, the husband has a ring, the wife has a ring but it the Lord’s ring that binds everything together. We know that with the divorce rate at over 50%, sadly even among Christians, in this day and age we are the exception to the rule to be able to love each other with a love that requires commitment and sacrifice by both parties until death do us part. There are so many great blessings that come from having one true love for one lifetime and as High School sweethearts I always seem to feel younger than I am. Growing old together and dying in each other’s arms is not just a cliché, it is God’s plan for Husband and Wife.

To celebrate, we planned a trip to a resort in Kisumu, called Kiboko Bay (Hippo Bay).

Beautiful View

For almost four years now we have been tenting and sleeping in mud huts with an occasional trip to Nairobi while doing God’s work, but for our Anniversary we figured it was time to stay in a resort for the first time. Part of our celebration included visiting our two Churches at Lake Victoria but also included hunting for Hippopotamus. During our time here we have been able to see most of the wild game Kenya has to offer, however the Hippo has eluded us even though we have made several attempts to find them during our work at Lake Victoria. Needless to say, the first thing we did was hire a guide with a boat to take us to the Hippo’s.

After about an hour of riding around the second largest lake in the world, in a boat that required constant bailing we did not believe we were going to see them. Just as I thought to myself, there is no way we were going to see the Hippo’s in the wild, a huge head surfaced from the water and there they were. It was a Mama and a baby, they were extremely hard to get close to and extremely hard to photograph because they only popped up for a second, but we had quite an adventure “hunting Hippo’s”.

Our special day ended on a high note, for as we were eating dinner the resort manager came to our table and said “you have an adult Hippo feeding just outside of your room”.

" Oh me of little faith, I am saying, sure we do," but he was right and we were able to take pictures of a wild Hippo eating grass within fifteen feet of our room. Maybe they are not so elusive after all, you just have to know where to go, lol.   

Sunday, we visited Pastor Jackson and Landmark Baptist Church of Got located at Lake Victoria.   

Mobile Church

Tent Church

Teaching

The Church is still very young and is still meeting under the tent which we provided, however the Church and the Church family has all the signs of a healthy Church. It is growing in numbers one by one as their young Pastor grows and it is clearly apparent that there is a strong fellowship within the Church based on a strong love for the Lord and for each other. Pastor Jackson is the type of man that every missionary would love to work with.  

   Pastor Jackson, Kennedy and Missionary 

Pastor's Wife & Terry

Candy Time

The day of His salvation is a day that we will never forget because we met him on a trail coming from the lake with three small fish on a stringer. After the conversion of this fisherman he started a Bible study in his home for his family and his neighbors until God called him to preach and become a fisher of men. Sound familiar? 

His growth and faithfulness inspires us as God allows us the privilege to work together with this amazing young man of God and His people (35 adults & 50 children) whom love him dearly as well.

Please pray for this precious group of God’s people who love, worship and serve their Lord and Savior faithfully. Thank you for allowing us to share our ministry and for your prayerful support.

 God Bless,

Bro. Chuck & Sis. Terry Fernandez
Kenya

Phil. 4:13