I-65 Blogging, Building & Rebuilding

Missionary life finds you on the road, in the air and definitely on your knees on a regular basis.
We live by faith and must make full use of every moment we have due to the urgency of eternity and partly because the pace of life in America moves extremely fast. Life in the fast lane is not always what it is cracked up to be and we continue to struggle to adapt to our own culture.
With all that said, I am blogging on I-65 just out of Nashville Tennessee (while Terry is driving). And while the East African side of our ministry moves at a slower pace, they are nevertheless moving forward in their faith and continuing the work Terry and I deeply miss.
Our Pokot ministry in the Kerio Valley and particularly at the village of Morreweis is continuing to grow.                              New Converts at Morreweis

Listening to God's Word Solar Audio Bible

This is Loboduk, known as my Pokot Father whom I led to Christ

Pastor Timothy Loquardo and his Associate Pastor Wilson Mosa are seeing more and more villagers come to the saving knowledge of Christ through faith and are meeting with them on a regular basis to disciple them.   This is the group of new believers that I am trying to raise funds for solar audio Bibles to deliver during my upcoming trip.  Our humble Church plant in Florida is leading the way and is close to reaching our goal of ten audio Bibles in what I hope will eventually grow to one hundred through our ministry partners. Please designate (Solar Audio Bibles) @ $40.00- if you are able to help us get God's Word to this relatively unreached tribe. Additionally, my prayer is that our partners will help us purchase a tent and pews ($650) for these new Christians to assemble themselves under as shelter from the hot Kerio Valley sun.

At the base of Mt. Elgon, the Landmark Baptist Church at Namarambi now has a roof over their heads and is preparing to make bricks for the walls. This is the fifteenth sanctuary we have partnered with our Kenyan brethren to construct. Thank you to our many ministry partners who support our vision and burden to plant and build New Testament Churches to the uttermost parts of the earth.  

We are making great progress on the Florida Plant side of our ministry by the grace of God.   This month we held our first funeral for the Husband of one of the ladies who has been faithfully attending services since we started meeting in March. Our attendance has increased to an average of thirty and we have led two people to the Lord this month as well. We have also had a steady flow of visitors and held our first annual "Corn Boil" as a fellowship.

 Childrens Special Time and Message

While our numerical growth increases, I also see great spiritual growth taking place in the lives of our Church family that is creating unity and harmony. Please continue to pray for us as we build a team of followers of Christ that will carry out His commands with great joy and for us to have the wisdom to follow God's leading as we prepare to start multiple outreaches.   On a more personal note: Terry and I continue to rebuild the lives we left in 2007 when we surrendered to the mission field and we continue to find it challenging to re-assimilate with Western culture which is now our home again.  One of the many challenges of living on the foreign field is that home is no longer home and while we miss Kenya and Uganda they were never truly our home either. So for the foreign Missionary coming off the field it creates a dilemma where home is both places, and neither place at the same time. We are caught betwixt two worlds where we can no longer fully identify with America as we have been changed by Africa. We are also reminded that this place is not our home and we like the forefathers of our faith are simply pilgrims and sojourners just passing through. In addition to rebuilding our lives, Terry and I have spent the last three weeks rebuilding a newer fifth wheel we purchased to live in Brooksville.   

 Work In Progress

It was sad to see our old fifth wheel go down the road because it contained so many fond memories of our 2007 deputation as well as being our home while on furlough.

Nevertheless, w e always seem to be building or rebuilding something in life.

Thank you for your prayers and support as we press towards the mark of the

        high calling in Christ Jesus...

God Speed,

Bro. Chuck & Sis. Terry Fernandez

Kenya/Uganda#TheFloridaPlant