Missionaries Fernandez

Two Weeks in Uganda and Kenya 

These short term mission trips to Uganda and Kenya are super intense but also super rewarding as they afford us the opportunity to remain connected with the precious people and Churches God has allowed Terry and I to be apart of over the last twelve years.   It also gives us two weeks of "the abandoned life".   Pastor Russell Bailey and Bro. Gary Weidenbach are both veterans from previous mission trips to Kenya but this would be their first opportunity to cross the border into Uganda.  

 

 As you can see from the below pic, we camped out during our trip in remote interior regions for two reasons.  #1, It makes very efficient use of our time and resources as it enables us to travel to a region (in this case the Kerio Valley) and stay there for extended periods of time.  #2,  Camping out in these interior villages gives us an experience and connection with our National Pastors and brethren that is simply not possible from a lodge or hotel room.  We wake up to the birds singing, the roosters crowing, the goats moving and the Pastors family going about their daily chores.   They also know that we truly love them in Christ and care about their life beyond ministry when we sleep where they sleep and eat what they eat.  Its not easy but then again, but as my Pastor often says, "if it was easy, everybody would be doing it."  

   Village Evangelism
One of the primary purposes of these trips is to support our National Pastors and Churches as they continue to preach the gospel in neighboring regions and villages. 
The work that God has allowed Terry and I to be apart of has grown to forty four New Testament Churches,  dozens of Bible studies and over one hundred villages in Kenya and Uganda where the gospel is being preached.   We supported those efforts through village evangelism with the established Churches at Soysambu and Morrerweis as well as evangelism at two new unreached villages at Evaklet and Luguru.   These efforts resulted in dozens of professions of faith in each village.   As usual, our National Pastors will follow up with those new converts to disciple them, baptize them and unit them with the local Church through membership.    We thank Bro. W.A. Dillard and FISH ministries for providing us with Swahili John and Romans to use in these efforts. 

Mat 28:19  Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
Mat 28:20  Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.  

Pastors & Preachers Seminar
As new villages and converts are reached with the good news of the gospel, God is calling new Men of God to preach His word.   With the number of new preachers reaching one hundred it is no longer feasible to bring them all to Mt. Elgon for seminars and training, so we now are hosting two regional seminars.   Week one we held a seminar in the Kerio Valley for our Kenyan and Ugandan preachers from the Pokot and Karamajong tribes.   Then during week two we held a second seminar for those Pastors and Preachers in the Mt. Elgon region & Lake Victoria.    My lessons taught and reinforced our doctrine,  Bro. Gary taught on Family Ministry First and Bro. Russell taught on Spiritual Warfare.   Its truly an honor to invest in the lives and ministry of these Men of God.  Our prayer is that we strengthen and built them up  so they may continue to do what God has called them to do.



2 Timothy 2:2 And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses,

the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach each other.

Healthy Churches

 

The Landmark Baptist Churches of Kenya and Uganda we visited all showed signs of spiritual health and vitality.   They are all involved in reaching new villages with the gospel as well as training disciples and all have some form of building projects on going.  The picture below is Bro. Gary Weidenbach preaching at Kakaron, Uganda.  Terry and I help establish this Church in 2010 and we have recently partnered with them to build the sanctuary.  They are now making bricks (seen in background) for the walls of the sanctuary.  
Note:  The man to the immediate left of Bro. Gary was murdered for his land two days after this picture was taken.
                                            Please pray for his family.

(Below) Part of our foreign mission work includes providing Bibles for new converts
We have expanded this part of our ministry by providing solar powered audio Bibles in both
the Pokot and Karimajog languages.
Rom. 10:17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God..
 

                   Healthy Churches are revealed by more

than just the number of members and building progress.  For example,  after Sunday morning worship service at the Landmark Baptist Church at Mayanja, we departed to attend another worship service at the Landmark Baptist Church at Chenjengi.  Pastor Chester Moore announced that the entire Church would be walking to a neighboring village to do village evangelism.    These are the types of stories that reveal a heart of love for God, their neighbors and their obedience to the Great Commission.  

They did so of their own convictions and without our mission team.

                                        To God be the Glory!  

Thank you for the opportunity to share our journey of faith and for every prayer and every dollar given which enables us to do all that we do for the glory of God.   We also ask those of you who take time to read these journal entries/blogs but do not currently partner with us to prayerfully consider partnering with us and be a part of this great work God is doing through His servants.   

 In His Service,

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

 

 

 Bricks Needed 

We were also able to see the progress of the dormitory and classrooms for the Mt. Elgon regional Bible Institute as both buildings have roofs up.  Praise our Lord!  We now need 10,000 bricks & cement to construct the walls.   If you are interested in partnering with us, the bricks are only 10 cents each and cement is only $10.00 per bag.  We ask you to prayerfully consider this need.