Missionaries Fernandez: Pews, Let’s Go Soul Winning & Mt. Elgon Express

Writing this journal as an overview of the past week really helps us evaluate where we are and what God is doing in our midst.

His loving kindness, grace and mercy has blessed us each day.

Even projects that may seem insignificant as building pews to be used at the Landmark Baptist Church of Cheptandan draw us closer to our Lord and help keep us focused on why we are here and the purpose of our mission.

For me, these small building projects are something that I thoroughly enjoy because I love working with my hands, welding, drilling and assembling.

Pews Project

As I cut the wood and assembled the small pews to used under the tent, I could not help but to think of God’s precious people sitting on them, singing, praying and meeting with God.

That is a very powerful motivator.

Pews Ready

In addition to what I will classify as light construction projects, Terry was busy printing and assembling tracts and song books.

This week we visited the village of Soysambu with Pastor Japheth for evangelism.

It seems like no matter what we are going through in life and what struggles or trials we are facing, when it is time to do what God has called us and commissioned us to do, everything is reset. Using computer terminology, everything is rebooted and we are reminded of what is really important.

It is important for us to keep first things first or as my Pastor says, “keep the main thing, the main thing”. The work at Soysambu is still in its infantile stage or what I like to refer to as stage one of Church planting.

We were five teams of two and three people that fanned out into the village to share the love of God through the gospel of Jesus Christ.

At the end of the day, there were fourteen new converts who gladly received the word by trusting Christ.

Terry received a heartbreaking blessing when she visited the house of John Esaumu who was home alone with his five children, three of which were special needs. The special needs children were clinging to her and drooling on her as she shared God’s word with their father who professed Christ as his personal Lord and Savior. Terry’s visit with this precious family was a reminder that we cannot change every ones circumstances in this life but that we can lead them to the God of the universe who is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us.

Our heart goes out to John, however we rejoice that he now has peace with God and as a child of God has direct access to His throne of grace through His son, Jesus.

God bless her heart and life...

What can be more important than that?

Evangelism puts life into perspective as we are literally and spiritually standing between heaven and hell.

For me, the highlight of evangelism is definitely seeing people like Mary Juma receive Christ although there is also an ulterior motive as I have the blessed privilege of teaching other men how to do one on one evangelism.

When invited inside someone’s home, we stay for up to an hour and teach them what the Bible says about salvation.

It is really about building a lasting relationship with that person while teaching them in the most intimate of settings, their home.

Mary Juma was so thankful for us taking time to share God’s love with her by bringing her to the saving knowledge of Jesus and she said that she has been waiting for the opportunity to come visit the new bible study and outreach she has heard so many good things about.

Terry & Mama Margaret

As we visited house to house, hut to hut, I could see the men in my group gaining confidence in sharing the plan of salvation and I was especially happy to hear the verses and words they choose very carefully while sharing God’s plan. The larger picture is that while we are here to see people saved we are also here to make fishers of men that will continue the work in these villages long after Terry and I are gone. Reading God's Word

It took three hours of the Lord’s day just getting up Mt. Elgon as the roads have been destroyed during the latest rainy season which lasts about nine months.

When we first started going up Mt. Elgon our Kenyan brethren would refer to our truck as the “Mt. Elgon Express” because they could take all day climbing the mountain by foot.

We were anything but express on Sunday but we are once again reminded of God’s grace and provision by even having a vehicle to do His bidding.

The LBC of Kipsigon is nearing the end of stage two, which means the Pastor and the members are growing in ways that clearly demonstrate maturation.

This assessment does not always revolve around the number of members present on any given day but rather on their spiritual growth through their knowledge and application of the word of God.

We arrived unannounced only to find that Pastor David was not present, but we were thrilled when we found out that he and several men had traveled by foot around twenty kilometers to teach at a new Bible study at the village of Chemondi located at the base of Mt. Elgon.

It is my understanding that the five Churches on Mt. Elgon will rotate the teaching responsibilities each week at Chemondi.

While we were deeply involved in every phase of the Church plant at Kipsigon, this new work has been started through their own burden for yet another neighboring village.

God is good, God is real and God is moving in the hearts of our people and Churches.

Please remember to pray for this ministry and thank you for allowing us the privilege of sharing our lives with you. Teaching