Happy greetings in the Lord!
We are grateful for His precious and magnificent promises, which give us cause for being “eternal optimists.”
The happy greetings stem from the fact that by our synergy, yours and ours, in serving the Lord, we are seeing wonderful breakthroughs and much fruit that remains for eternity.
2 Peter 1:3,4 is cause for optimism, “seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence. For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, so that by them you may become partakers of the divine nature . . .”
We have cause to be not simply optimists—but eternal optimists!
When you look at what God is doing through you around the world, you’ll feel a powerful rush of supernatural optimism . . . even in the midst of tragedy. Cuba is a place of tragedy. What I saw there, days ago, was heartbreaking. Last time I wrote to you, I told you how bad it was—but now, astonishingly, it’s even worse.
- Gasoline is almost completely unavailable. If you can find it, it’s $40 a gallon.
- The nation is dark at night. Lights have illuminated the Malecón seawall for years—but now, it is nothing but darkness.
- Cubans are aching for relief, desperately hoping that the unprecedented embargo imposed by the U.S. will yield the results everyone there is hoping for—still, things don’t seem like they are about to change.
But you and we together are bringing in the light, by God’s grace!
I told you about the plan to bring solar power to our churches in Cuba. I’m grateful that caring friends like you gave generously for solar panels, batteries, and transformers. Now we’re setting up a supply line from China to Spain to Cuba, a connection that would be allowed by the embargo. A Christian friend is sharing his warehouses for this endeavor! We can ship the container to Mariel Port, in Havana for $3,500.
The first equipment will be sold to Cubans whose U.S. relatives subsidize them; the remaining solar systems will go to churches free of charge—while the profits from the first-round sale will pay for another shipment.
From the time the solar package arrives, a church will have continuous power.
We’ve tested this process on a small scale. The results are powerful. Our driver, Jesse, received a system. He and his family now have electricity 24 hours a day—it’s unthinkable in Cuba today. They can run air conditioning in the stifling heat of day, lights at night, and appliances anytime.
Jesse’s wife couldn’t put enough words together to say thank you. She marvels that something vanishingly scarce—once dwindling to the point of extinction—is suddenly freely flowing into her home . . . “like a beam from heaven!” she says. I say no, not like . . . it is a beam from heaven!
Yes, there is cause for optimism in Cuba!
And that island nation is not the only place where solar power can make an impact . . .
- Church planters in Myanmar are struggling with fuel supply issues; it’s painfully expensive for them to get to the towns where they’re ministering.(When a Cuban friend heard that they’re paying $5.50 for gasoline, he smiled and said, “Oh, cry me a river.” But in the economy of Myanmar, $5.50 is a fortune.)
So almost as quickly we are beginning to set up a supply chain to get solar power to our church planters in Myanmar. It will be much simpler and less expensive because they’re so much closer to China, where the gear is manufactured.
Now “zoom out” . . . look at the entire world . . . and see the possibilities!
Our ministry’s board of directors is for the vision. They are laser focused on the spiritual impact of the ministry that God has led you and us to be part of through your prayers and giving, but they understand that practicalities can either help or hinder the work—and they are determined to make the practicalities help.
So, each of them has decided to “adopt” a country and create a sustainable business plan for delivering power to fuel ministry in that country: Venezuela, the Philippines, Nepal, India—everywhere the Lord has called us!
Yes, cause for optimism! But please understand . . .
These solar supply systems will only provide the electrical power for the fuel that ministry requires. Every other component of our work—training and supporting evangelists and church planters—depends on the faithful, generous support of visionary people like you.
And look what God is doing through you!
- In September we’ll dedicate a three-story building in a region of Asia where dedicated believers will educate children and raise up a new generation of believers as beacons of light in a place of centuries-old spiritual darkness.
This facility will serve as many as 1,000 children at a time!
How was this building funded? A foundation is partnering with us. Your faithfulness and generosity inspired them. And your faithfulness and generosity will provide the teachers and support staff, school supplies, meals, and care for the children.
While I’m there for the building’s “inauguration,” I’ll also teach 150 church-planting pastors from the surrounding region!
But there’s more:
- You inspired this foundation to launch similar projects elsewhere. We’re looking at the possibility of similar programs in the Basque Country on the Spain-France border, Tenerife in the Canary Islands, and San José de las Lajas in Cuba.
Your impact keeps multiplying in the grand story of redemption!
And your reward will be great. Hebrews 11:39-40 says that God will reward all of us at the same time, along with the saints of old! We have the same opportunity they had, to obey in faith, and to accomplish the exploits of the faith that He has prepared for us. You and I are “His workmanship,” according to Ephesians 2:10, “created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.”
- You’re making an impact in Africa This summer we’re launching the first 150 of 300 churches in the first phase of our church-planting ministry in Kenya, and we expect to have another 150 underway by the end of the summer.
We’re delighted to be partnering with First Dallas as they spearhead the Kenya initiative just like they did with us in the Philippines. Since they helped launch that work, we’ve grown to 330 churches—and we’re still growing!
Meanwhile, we’re praying about adding another 100 church plants in the Philippines in the next two years! Johnson Ferry Church, in the greater Atlanta area, is considering joining us to be part of that project as soon as possible.
I’ll travel to Nairobi soon with Felix, our director for Cuba, to share with the Kenyans the many ways in which Cubans are planting churches. Cuban input will be helpful to Kenyans because of sociological similarities between the two countries. And while I’m there, I’ll teach on the doctrine of salvation (soteriology) and on accelerated church planting.
The work that God has you and we doing in Kenya is extraordinary. We’re focusing on the northeastern quadrant of the country, where the belligerence of the Muslim population makes evangelization extremely difficult.
But God has made a way, once again, for certain workers to excel in tough places.
Here’s how:
This part of Kenya is home to camps of refugees from other countries—countries where no Christian can openly engage in ministry, and Muslims who come to faith in Christ risk prison or even death.
The refugee camps in Kenya are full of people from those same countries.
And we’re talking about huge populations: 225,000 in one camp, 150,00 in another. People live there so long, these camps come to function like cities, with makeshift schools and clinics and law enforcement—
—And a makeshift economy. People need a way to make a living. Help someone launch a micro-business, and it can help them feed their children.
Here in Kenya, Christians are not targeted—and ministry is unrestricted. If we provide support for ministry workers, they can connect with people in need, give them practical guidance, and point them to Jesus Christ as their hope for new life!
YES, I AM AN OPTIMIST!
The calendar is bursting with hope-filled activities! Coming up: a trip to Kiev, then to Spain, then to Kenya, then to China, then to our new teaching facility for children and pastors in Asia (exact location undisclosed because of hostile forces in the region).
What a summer of spiritual harvest it is shaping up to be! Your prayers and gifts are bearing fruit! God is using you from right there where you are planted!
I hope you’ll be inspired to give today. You can see, with the eyes of faith, what God will do through your generosity! I look forward to hearing from you soon. God bless you!
Rejoicing in the soul harvest!
Dr. Manny Fernandez
P.S. Thank you for understanding God’s economy: He blesses us so that we in turn can be a blessing. Psalm 67 says it best: “God be gracious to us and bless us and cause His face to shine upon us so that Your name may be known on the earth . . . so that all the ends of the earth may honor Him!” Thank you for blooming and flourishing where you are planted!