Mama Eklas Funeral, Sanctuary Dedication & 6th Plot Purchased

Our beloved Sister in Christ, Mama Eklas went home to be with the Lord this week.   God’s perspective on death is what we always share when preaching a funeral:
 Psalms 116:15 "Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints. "

While we rejoice that she is now at peace and perfect rest in the presence of her Lord and God, we will miss her on this side of eternity.   The funeral was well attended and the casket we purchased was a beautiful fit for a beautiful person. 

We remembered the life of the saint, we claimed the promises from the Word of God and comforted one another with His Word. 

Mama Elkan's Sister & Terry

In addition to Mama Elkas’s funeral this week, we also dedicated the now completed sanctuary at Landmark Baptist Church of Kipsigon which the first church we planted on Mt. Elgon.         Dedication Message

This sanctuary has taken the longest to complete as the special type of sand and rocks needed for building had to be transported up the mountain by trucks.   Needless to say, it was also our most expensive sanctuary and it has taught us how to build our next sanctuary on Mt. Elgon which is currently under construction at Cheptabrubru by using iron sheets for the entire building instead of stones. 
We live and we learn.
The day was special in so many ways as we dedicated the sanctuary for God’s use, God’s honor and to proclaim the name of Jesus throughout Mt. Elgon.   The members did a great job of decorating the interior walls with hand painted murals.   It was also a special day for Terry and I to see what God has done through our efforts to reach the lost on Mt. Elgon.
From the beginning to end, the service lasted five hours, that is not a misprint, five hours.  However in retrospect it did not seem like more than an hour or so because God’s  Spirit was so powerful through all the singing, testimonies, teaching and preaching that it  culminated with a full alter and people on their faces before God. 

                            Powerful, Powerful, Powerful. 
Part of what also made the day so special is that there were many believers who walked mountain miles to join us in this special service.   They came from the neighboring villages of Chepguruguru, Cheptandan, Chemta along with the members of the Landmark Baptist Church of Cheptabrubru which is our second Church plant on Mt. Elgon.
I know these Maasi names are all strange to pronounce but what I want to share is that they are all part of the vision I have tried to share with the Men of God with which we work. Our vision is that if we plant one Church, we pray God will give us at least four more neighboring villages where we can plant Churches that will create a strong fellowship of regional transforming scriptural gospel preaching churches.
For lack of a better slogan and creativity, I have called this our “Five n Five” goal.
That means five Churches planted in five years in one region. 
From the looks of the preachers God has called and the bibles studies started, it appears by the end of this year we will be at five Churches in four years on Mt. Elgon which is ahead of the Five n Five goal.  
                            Pastors & Missionary Chuck

                                        Praise the Lord!  
There is something to be said for a group of Churches that are like minded and of like faith that can encourage one another through strong fellowship.   Needless to say, it did our hearts good to have all these folks join us for service and to see what God is doing all over Mt. Elgon. 
                                 Ladies of Mt.  Kipsigon

From the foreign Missionary’s perspective, when our life’s work is over here in Kenya we want to leave behind a work that not only doctrinally sound but also one that is strong in faith and fellowship.    We realize that there is a certain degree of dependence on us during the early stages as these are young Christians and young Churches but our responsibility is to teach them to have ultimate dependence on the Lord alone.  With that said, it is also nice to have other Christians of like faith Churches to depend upon who will be there long after we are gone. 
One of the most powerful testimonies during the service was that of the
                                     Chief of Kipsigon.

He recalled our first visits to Kipsigon in 2009 immediately following the tribal clashes on Mt. Elgon where over twelve hundred were slaughtered. 

He shared the impact that Terry had on him personally as she visited His Red Cross tent with her team of ladies after his house was burned to the ground. He said that he was also touched by the fact that we were the first Christians who returned to Mt. Elgon bringing the message of hope after the tragedies.   He closed his testimony by publicly praising the Lord for the impact the Church has had on His village and His people. 
                                                      Amen! 
                  Terry's Blessing Squash

This week we also reached the milestone of purchasing our sixth plot in the Pokot village of Chepsobei which is located in the Kerio Valley.   We serve an amazing God who is doing an amazing work and we are truly are humbled to be a small part of His great work.   We covet your continued prayers as we have so many needs and so many more people to reach.  

Serving the King of Kings,

Bro. Chuck & Sis. Terry Fernandez
Kenya

Phil. 4:13

Following Footsteps, Confirming Souls & A Backslider Reclaimed

Woman with Audio Bible from POKOT Tribe and Terry,

 Praising The Lord! 

Chuck demonstrates Audio Bible

Audio Bible

Audio Bible

This week we helped Pastor Timothy Loquardo move to the Kerio Valley to be closer to the Landmark Baptist Church of Cheposabei where God has called him and to continue his work with the Pokot Tribe.

Pastor Timothy Loquardo~Sharah Moving Day

He has been working with the Pokot from our initial survey trips into the Kerio Valley when we started this outreach in 2010. Instead of traveling each week from the Mt. Elgon region he now feels it is time to move his wife and two children to assimilate with this tribe.   

It is truly humbling to move a young man of God, his wife and two young children whose total sum of possessions fit on the luggage rack of the truck.

During this experience I really wrestled with his safety and ability to adapt to the harsh semi-arid region but God reminded me that he is following in the footsteps of His Lord and Savior as Jesus would travel to places like Samaria, Bethany, Capernaum and Gadarenes to do His Father’s business. Then I was also reminded that he is following in footsteps of his old brother, John, who has been a pioneering Missionary to the Turkana Tribe in Northwest Kenya and now to the Toposa tribe in Southern Sudan.

The last struggle I had in my heart was answered when the Lord reminded me that Terry and I have moved a lot farther away from our family, home and country and God has faithfully provided and protected us through His infinite grace and mercy.

Any concerns for his welfare or his family went out the window when we arrived at the house he is staying at which happens to be located at the quarters in the Chief’s substation.  

                                           New House 

God has provided Timothy with what has turned out to be the safest place in the entire area and is located just a few kilometers from the villages where he will be preaching.

As Bro. Tom Willis, (One of our Mentor’s at our Church)

 always says, “Ain’t God good all the time”?

The Chief assured him that he is under his protection and to let him know if he has any problems. Make no mistake about it, Pastor Timothy and his young family will face trials and challenges with the heat, lack of water and adjusting to the culture but his great faith and love for the Lord will see him through.                 New Bow

In addition to relocating Timothy, we were able to follow up on the evangelism we did in the neighboring village of Katuperot during our time with the Mac Team three weeks ago.

                      Chuck Evangelism

            Evangelism Team ~ Mungu Ni Mwema = God is Good......

It is a great joy to confirm the souls of those that professed Christ as we help them grow in their faith. We were also able to share God’s Word with some new folks who had gathered in a dry river bed to dig for water.    Water Hole

At one point as I was sharing the gospel with the men, I looked over my shoulder and could see Terry sharing God’s word with the women and children.     

Words cannot describe how thankful I am that God gave me a soul winning help met that has such great love and compassion for the lost.

                                    She is an amazing woman.

Many made professions of faith on Saturday and joined us in services at LBC of Cheposabei on Sunday, what a blessing!

In closing, God has answered our prayers with regard to young preacher named Peter Lonyong.  

 

Peter was our first Pokot translator, the first villager to be saved and baptized in Cheposabei and the first young man to surrender to preach the gospel.

However, he was also the first to become backsliden.

After about a year we noticed that Peter was no longer being faithful. 

We would ask the other members where he was and they would tell us he was in Uganda with his herds.

It turns out that during his last visit to Uganda he stole something from somebody.

He was captured by those people, hung upside down and severely beaten.

He was then held as somewhat of slave until he worked off his debt.

While those who beat him where not Christian they asked him what Church he went to and then told him to return to do God’s work.  

It may have not a large fish that swallowed Peter, but it had the same affect on his life as he is now faithfully doing God’s work again with us at Cheposabei.

We serve an amazing God who loves his children enough to chasten them back to His loving arms. Please continue to pray for us to have strength, wisdom and love as we try to reach the lost and disciple the saved.

God Bless,

Bro. Chuck & Sis. Terry Fernandez

Kenya

Phil. 4:13

What Could be Written & A Dying Saint

Terry With School Children

What I could write in this week’s journal might include the fact that we were able to visit four of our seven Churches to encourage them in the Lord.

New Dolls

Additionally, I might write about the fact that we were able to climb Mt. Elgon to construct ten new pews at the Kipsigon Landmark Baptist Church

Calender Planning

 or possibly about the fact that we were very discouraged upon arrival to Eldoret from the sound of a broken drive shaft on the truck.

Oh well, back to the shop again.

Finally I could also write about the great Sunday services we had with our brethren at Mayanja LBC located at the base of Mt. Elgon as well as the new sign we delivered.

While all of the aforementioned items are very important and noteworthy, one of the most important visits we made this week was to see a dying saint whom we affectionately call “Mama Eklas”.   Mama Eklas & Pastor Pete

We traveled to the village of Ndivisi to pray with Mama Eklas and to deliver a new blanket to keep her warm during her final hours. Upon our arrival we found her lying on the ground outside of a small mud hut in a very weaken state.

She had not eaten for weeks and is no longer taking water.

While we wanted to say goodbye we knew in our hearts by faith we were really saying, “Until we meet again”.  

Mama Eklas’s story is worth remembering as she is the perfect modern day picture of the widow in Mark 12 who cast two mites into the offering that day with Jesus looking on. Jesus taught his disciples a great lesson about sacrificial giving and reminds us of the depth of her love for God when He said that she gave all that she had.   

Mar 12:43 "And He called unto Him His disciples, and saith unto them,

" Verily I say unto you, That this poor widow hath cast more in, than all they which have cast into the treasury:

Mar 12:44 For all they did cast in of their abundance;

but she of her want did cast in all that she had, even all her living."  

Mama Eklas is amazingly similar to the Bible widow, because she is a widow from Uganda and because she is poor and basically homeless. She now lies dying outside of a borrowed hut. After making what will be our last visit to Mama Eklas on this side of eternity, Terry and I were absolutely moved with love and compassion for someone that we longed to see every time we visited her Church. 

She is someone who had nothing to offer anyone other than her love and is someone who everyone loved so much because she loved the Lord so much.

You see, even her communication is not that good for she speaks no English and little to no Swahili but yet is larger than life.

Terry and I love her so much that we actually bought a painting that looks just like her face which is currently hanging in our living room.   

 

Now back to the comparison of the Mark 12 Widow.

 Mama Eklas is probably of the poorest of poor in the village but was always one who managed to give a great offering when it came time to give a portion of that which God has given us. You could see the joy on her face when she would march down the aisle to the offering basket and lay down an avocado, a small chicken or bananas on the altar while others where giving cash.

She obviously knew it was better to give than receive, a lesson that even Paul would try to teach his disciples as he encouraged them to remember the words of the Lord Jesus in Acts 20:35.

We thank God for the privilege and honor to know one of His great saints and while her entrance into heaven will be celebrated there will be a void in our hearts when we visit her village and church. 

 She is one of the most faithful and beautiful people we have ever known. Please keep her in your prayers as she walks through the valley of the shadow of death, but not alone, as her shepherd and her Lord are with her.

She is truly a great Saint.

Luke 9:48 and said unto them, "Whosoever shall receive this child in My name receiveth Me:
and whosoever shall receive Me receiveth Him that sent Me:
             for he that is least among you all,
                             the same shall be great. "

In His Service,

 Bro. Chuck & Sis. Terry Fernandez
Kenya, Phil 4:13

January 23, 2012 Mac Team Departs, Stranded in Nairobi & Oscar Mayer Hotdogs

Our Macedonia Short term missions team wrapped up their two week mission trip and headed back to California leaving behind a wake of blessings for us and God’s people here in Kenya.
Visitors to the foreign field are usually far and few between so there is definite void in our lives as the reality sets in that Terry and I are the ones that are left behind to continue the long term work of helping establish the saints in their faith and discipling them so that they will reach others and glorify Jesus throughout all the earth.   The team worked extremely hard so we rewarded them with a wild game safari through one of the National Game Parks.          Safari

No trip to Africa would be complete without seeing some of God’s creation that has become synonymous with Africa. 

The animals did not cooperate with us on this safari however they are “wild” and there are no guarantees. 

                            Bro. Gary Weidenbach

The only guarantee is that the team did get an experience that they would have never gotten anywhere else.   AJ

Elephant  Orphanage

Terry & Giraffe

While on the safari the Rover started making noises in the transmission region that I knew were not good.   We were able to baby it along until late Wednesday evening while transporting our group to the airport.  It is always fun and quit anxious when you are in route to the airport with your guests who are on a schedule to make an international flight and the transmission comes apart on the road.    With all the noise from parts breaking I knew Bro. Gary, our group leader was praying in a great way.    The Lord answered our prayers and we limped into the airport with transmission parts grinding and breaking.     Saying goodbye at the airport is always difficult but we believe we will see many of the members of this team return to Kenya again in the distant future.   Terry and I would spend the next three days in Nairobi waiting for parts and repair on what turned out to be a broken transfercase housing which basically split in half.  The British mechanic who repaired the truck said this was the first one he had ever seen break like that in twenty years.   We are thankful that it did not happen somewhere out in the bush.  This repair has really helped us confirm that it is time to replace the Rover which is actually on loan to us from another Baptist Missionary who has left the country.  While we are thankful for the provision, the truck is chronically fatigued with 250,ooo African Kms on it and soaring operating costs which have been running around $6,000.00 per year.   It does not take a mathematician to figure out that within three years we could replace the truck with something newer and more dependable.   We now ask you to prayerfully consider this need and we feel it must be God’s will because there have been people who have recognized the need and given without us really putting out a formal plea.  God knows our needs and will provide our needs according to His riches and mercies.  
Phil. 4:19
" But my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus."  
With the truck in the garage, Terry and I were forced to spend a few days of down time in Nairobi and probably some needed rest.   One of the advantages of Nairobi is that there are many imported items that can be found there and nowhere else in the country.  
One such item that we found during our delay were Oscar Mayer Hotdogs. 
For someone who loves a good hotdog this was a real blessing.  Needless to say, we bought a half dozen packs at great price but figured it was worth it to have a part of American culture in our belly from time to time.  
Thank you to all who support our ministry through prayers and offerings for we could not do what we do without either. 

In His Service,

Bro. Chuck & Sis. Terry Fernandez

Phil. 4:13

Macedonia Team Week Two- Moments with God & Humble Hearts

Big Russ Walking Evangelism

Not sure where to start after a week of so much activity and so many blessings but I have learned that if you don’t start somewhere then you never get anywhere.

 Our Macedonia Mission Team has held up well under an aggressive ministry schedule in tough conditions over the last week which included: Eldoret street evangelism, three more vacation bible schools in three different villages, Pastors/Preachers seminars, village evangelism, baptisms and Sunday services. This large team has functioned well to serve the Lord in spite of weariness and cultural differences in the heat and dirt.   

                           Shepherd With Pastor Russell                

Counting the blessings of these last two weeks is impossible but for the record we have seen all of our objectives accomplished which included providing a short mission trip for God’s people to experience His presence, power and His people. 

             Pastor Brian Preaching  

During the long days of travel and work, it is hard to determine what is happening in people’s hearts but our evening evaluation meetings accompanied by devotions and testimonies reveal the depth of God’s work in the hearts of His people.

                         Big Russ with Audio Bible

It is clear that each member of the team has felt the presence of God in a new and refreshing way.

 Isa 44:3  "for I will pour water upon him that is thirsty."

My heart was particularly touched by the testimony of one of the two Pastors who accompanied this team and has been waiting thirty years to come to Africa.

While we were doing village evangelism in the Pokot village of Katuperot he had an encounter with a goat herdsman whom he brought to Christ and wanted to be baptized that day.  

There was no fan fare or lightening but Pastor said that was the moment that God’s presence and power was experienced in another real way that so touched his heart and was life changing for both parties.

                  Bro. Gary Evangelism to Pokot Tribe

Both of our guest Pastors did a great job of tailoring their teachings and messages to be culturally relevant. The other theme that seems to be recurring within the team is humility. Each person has expressed how much that they have been humbled by what God is doing here and by the people that we work with. Our brothers and sisters here in Kenya gave them some great offerings which included: 1 goat, dozens of eggs, chickens, 2 gourds and traditional Pokot necklaces. 

                            Terry's Gift

Regardless of which tribe we have worked with over the last two weeks our team has experienced Christianity in its simplest and purest form. 

                                  Pokot Mama 

For those of you who are interested in numbers because numbers represent souls: there were over seventy professions of faith, forty eight baptisms, three evangelism campaigns, two new villages visited, four vacation Bible schools with over one thousand children attending as well as numerous solar powered audio Bibles and hundreds of tracts distributed.                       Preachers Seminar

We also conducted two Pastor/Preacher seminars and drank hundreds of glasses of chai and ate tons of Ugali.  

This group has been a great blessing to Terry and me and I also believe they were a great encouragement to the people God has knitted our hearts together with.  

                     Solomon-Katuperot Evangelism

                                           Sunday Service

We want to thank Bro. Gary Weidenbach who is the leader of Macedonia Short Term Mission Trip Ministries for giving these folks the opportunity of a life time to participate in world missions. His ministry is going to help produce the missionaries of tomorrow.       Little Hunters

Please pray for traveling mercies as this group heads to Nairobi tomorrow and back to California the next day.

May God continue to bless you and keep you?

In His Service,

Bro. Chuck & Sis. Terry Fernandez
Kenya

Phil. 4:13