Hyena in the Camp, Evangelism & Broken Hearts

Fish Anyone?

We spent the last four days at Lake Victoria with our brethren at the Landmark Baptist Church of Wichlum and the LBC of Got.  

Pastor Jackson and Pastor George are the fishermen whom we brought to Christ and are the quintessential example of Fishermen who are now Fishers of men called by God to preach the gospel.  They were very gracious, humble and hard working hosts who met every need our team of preachers from Mt. Elgon had while camping on the Church property at Got.   This church  is located in a very rural interior area and still has wild game running around ie: gazelle, antelope and a Hyena or two.

Camping in Africa is a very unique experience but I have to tell you, it is a little disconcerting to be sleeping in a tent and hearing a Hyena laughing and howling within a few hundred yards of the tent.

                                                                Camp

Breakfast

The camp joke was that Pastor Peter who is around 6’4 was sleeping in a tent that was about 5’ and obviously left his feet sticking out which we happily reminded him was going to be meat for the Hyena.   In any case we had no problems or dangers from the wild game but we did have fun seeing who could make the best Hyena sounds.   I also got an inward laugh when Pastor Jackson, God bless him, brought me bathing water with a live minnow swimming in it.  While I enjoy spending time with our Preachers in these types of settings which some might classify as bonding, I see them as change of venue for our traveling seminary.   Every trip, every project is another teaching and mentoring opportunity.  Besides, after years of working together with this nucleolus of Pastors, we are as close and unified as any team I have ever worked with.   While our primary objectives of this ministry safari were to hang the doors at the LBC Got and put the roof up at LBC Wichlum, we have also had the neighboring fishing village of Misori on our radar for several years now.                       New Side Door

New Doors

Perlins

Perlins

These fishing villages which are more like small towns and are some of the roughest places to work.   There is also a prevalent spirit which is antichrist that looms large over these villages.  The residents themselves describe them as modern day Sodom and Gomorrah’s were drug use, alcoholism and prostitution runs rampant.   Needless to say, Jesus said he came for those who are in need of a physician and that is exactly where our Savior would have us go. Mark 2:17  When Jesus heard it, He saith unto them, 

"They that are whole have no need of the physician, but they that are sick:

 I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance."

 Secondly, of the fifteen Churches we are working with,  LBC Wichlum and LBC Got are the only Churches which have not started any outreaches or preaching points.    I know these Churches and Pastors are still very young but part of our burden and vision is to see second and third generation works starting from Churches we have planted and sometimes they just need their Missionary to gently point them in the right direction.  So while Pastor Japheth and Pastor Shadrack were leading the building team, Pastor Peter and I took Pastor Jackson and Pastor George to introduce them to the people of Misori.   We were well received and we saw twenty two villagers bow their head and make professions of faith after hearing the good news of the gospel.  

                                              Jackson Evangelism

New Converts

I was so proud of Jackson as he really stepped up to share his testimony as a drunkard fishermen who became born again and started a Bible study in His home.

God used him in a great way to encourage the people who always ask where is the Church?

 Pastor Jackson and Pastor George made a monthly commitment to follow up with these new converts to help them grow in their new faith.  As we left Misori to return to the roofing project at LBC Wichlum we came across the most gruesome accident scene I have ever seen.  

                                                      Wichlum

Near Completion

Pastor Shadrack

Completed Roof

A truck load of Fishermen, thirty or forty deep in the back of mid size truck rolled over about two kilometers from Wichlum.

There were many dead and many in serious condition that were being transported to the nearest hospital.  The story we heard was that they had transported the body of fisherman who had died of AIDS back to Wichlum for his partying friends to view.  Seems they had a big drunken party and while transporting the body back and they began dancing and swaying the truck which eventually lost control and rolled over.   There was nothing we could do to help but it was a sobering reminder of the gravity of our work which prepares people for eternity.

The Sunday service at the Lake was very powerful as we taught and preached with heavy hearts with the tragedy fresh on our minds.   Some of the members of the Church had family members who were among those seriously injured.   Please pray for those families who lost loved ones and for those who were injured.  Terry and I also need your continual prayers as we press towards the mark of the high calling.  

God Bless,

Bro. Chuck & Sis. Terry Fernandez
Kenya/Uganda