Higher Ground, Measurable Milestones & Running Water

 

Greetings Family, Friends and Brethren,

I’m pressing on the upward way, New heights I’m gaining every day; Still praying as I’m onward bound, “Lord, plant my feet on higher ground.”Lord, lift me up and let me stand,

By faith, on Heaven’s tableland, A higher plane than I have found; Lord, plant my feet on higher ground."
This great hymn could easily be a motivating anthem for the Christian life and it lends itself to bringing to mind the work that continues to take place on Mt. Elgon.   Our Brothers and Sisters in Christ are pressing forward on literal higher ground at the Church we help plant in the village of Chemta.   Pastor Robin and the members of the Landmark Baptist Church at Chemta have been faithfully meeting under a tent on a borrowed plot for the last three years.   This is one of the many milestones they have meet that compels us to continue to partner with them to encourage them to grow as a Church family in their faith.   To that end, this week we sent an offering of a thousand dollars for them to purchase a plot and to start the building process.

Struggling to Arrive at Chemta for Survey and Plot Purchase...Alex Pushing!

Church Family

Pastor Robin Pointing at Newly Purchased Plot on Mt. Elgon

We continue to live and build by faith and trust God for the necessary provision to see a permanent building over the heads of this precious group of believers who live on one of the coldest and wettest mountains in Kenya.  In addition to the plot purchase on Mt. Elgon we also purchased steel for the welders and fabricators to start building trusses at the Landmark Baptist Church at Namarambi.

This brings our goal of constructing three new sanctuaries this year into reach with the continued help of our faithful ministry partners.   Last year our goal was to build five and we had many ministry partners adopt a Kenyan Church to construct and all five have been completed by the grace of God.  We will continue to promote and support this worthy work that God is doing as they are pressing on the upward way.    On the Florida Church planting side, we continue to move forward with the team God has prepared for such a time as this.   We have our first big outreach on April 26^th as we are inviting anyone and everyone to come and help us celebrate our official “Launch Out” day.   Until then we are developing and nurturing a spirit of unity and harmony within our team so that we are all in one accord as we move forward for the glory of God.  God has taught me over the years that having a team motivated by their love for Christ all working together towards one goal can be a powerful instrument in the hands of our God.   Additionally, this start up time is vital to making sure we are all on the same page doctrinally.   During our Sunday bible study entitled, “What we believe and Why we believe it”, we have taught Ecclesiology, Eschatology, Soteriology, Bibliology and Theology which means we are covering the main doctrines of the bible.   If this sounds like a lot it is important to keep in mind that this is the same educational pattern we have used to teach our Kenyan and Ugandan converts.   If history repeats itself, these in depth studies generally produce solid Christians in both faith and practice who will glorify our father in heaven until Christ returns.  Our average attendance during the month of March was twenty seven and first time visitors are starting to trickle in.     Palm Sunday

Easter Sunday

Destruction Work

I keep reminding our folks that this is a long term work and while we will monitor our progress by reaching measurable milestones set along the way it is a work that will best be measured over the years and generations to come.  So we continue to plod and plow both here in American and East Africa.    In closing,  on the more practical side, we tore out two offices to make more room for what we hope will be a big day on our “Launch Out” day and for future growth.  I read somewhere that Churches do not grow because they do not make plans for growth.

We are making plans and room.   Sometime during the week we also had pipe burst and flood much of the building.

It was a mess to clean up but it is an old building and before I start complaining I am reminded that none of our Churches in Kenya or Uganda have running water, helps keep things in perspective.   Thank You for allowing us to share this continued journey of faith. 

Bro. Chuck & Sis. Terry Fernandez
Kenya/Uganda/Florida Plant