Missionaries Fernandez: Tent Making & Soysambu Baptism

Monday, November 19, 2012

Tent Making & Soysambu Baptism

Creek Crossing

Terry's Troops

This week we had couple of small building projects that needed to be completed like fabricating a tent frame for the Landmark Baptist Church of Cheptandan on Mt. Elgon and also building a new stand for our internet receiver. These small projects are much like therapy for a Florida boy who used to regularly jump in a flats boat and go red fishing when I needed a break but unfortunately there is none of that here in Kenya. We sure are home sick at this time and really looking forward to our next furlough so we can hold our grandchildren and meet our two new ones, Sebastian & Ensley. With that said, the best thing for us to do is stay busy doing what God has called us to do and spend time with our Churches, Pastors and Brethren.

We were invited to attend baptism services at the newly organized Landmark Baptist Church of Soysambu by Pastor Japheth and Pastor Shadrach. This work blesses our hearts in so many ways and none more so than seeing God’s hand at work in the lives of this precious Church family. It is a church family that is much like what you will find anywhere in the world, many youth, some teens and this church has been blessed with a good number of village elders. They even had two first time visitors this week which is also a blessing to this new church which runs between 20-30. We enjoyed a great day of worship with these folks and our hearts are touched by the love that we witness for their Pastor and each other. Our role in this second generation work started by the burden and initiative of LBC Mawe Tatu, Pastor Shadrach & Pastor Japheth is limited, and to be honest, we need to keep it that way so they will continue to grow in faith and dependence on God. Our ministry philosophy is one that incorporates a diminishing role as these folks mature over time. With that said, my teachings with this young Church and Christians remain primarily basic and doctrinal to help ground them in their new faith which at this point is just one year old.

These basic doctrinal subjects include the deity of Christ, the trinity, the Genesis account of creation, the virgin birth & sinless humanity of Christ ,the work of the Holy Spirit, the substitutionary death, eternal security as well as other subjects like the offices and ordinances of the Church.

There is a lot for new Christians to learn after salvation but we are told repeatedly that our teachings and doctrine are what keeps people coming back for more as they are hungry for God’s word. I thank God that we can trace our teachings and doctrine back to our Savior and His apostles as we pass them down to this new generation of Christians to live by.

Matt 4:4 "But he answered and said, 'It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God."

I was also especially proud to hear Pastor Shadrach preach from Matt. 6 about laying up your treasures in heaven and not on earth. Pastor Shadrach is among our least educated Pastors with only an eighth grade education but is probably one of our best expository preachers.

I love to hear him preach God's word.

One of the reasons our work has prospered in such a great way is that God has blessed us and we have surrounded ourselves with quality people. As I look back over the last four years we can see that God has assembled a great team of men and women, like~hearted, like~minded and of like~faith to further His kingdom. Church Unity

Pastor Japheth did a great job baptizing three new converts and I didn’t even have to get wet and muddy.

Baptism Candidates

Baptism

Before we left, we were able to distribute new Bibles and new reading glasses courtesy of Deans Springs Missionary Baptist Church in Alma, Arkansas.

New Bibles

The Word of God is of little blessing to these senior saints who cannot see the words. Thank you for giving to those who cannot afford Bibles and reading glasses.