Kerneys’ Knewsletter

December 2013

Proclaim Jesus by loving God, discipling believers, and serving the world 

Touching the whole person

University students in the city of Sucre come from rural areas and others departments of Bolivia to develop their minds and learn a profession. They need a home to provide for the basic need of shelter as well as food. Pastor Sergio and his wife, Fanny, have a heart to minister to these young people. They are already housing students in the small building that they rent and call home.  The Christian residence that they envision would also meet many social needs and give clear moral guidance to these developing young people. The discipleship program would strengthen and stimulate spiritual growth. You have helped us raise $17,000 for this project. The current price for land is $26,000. If you have not had an opportunity to give to this project and God is putting it on your heart, you can give toward the remaining $9,000 that is needed by sending a check to World Gospel Mission with a separate note labeled University Residence 32624 or go online to donate at   www.wgm.org/kerney.  

Physical, mental, social, and spiritual needs are being addressed

The ministry God has given us in Bolivia touches the whole person. David has participated with national leaders in a church plant in a developing part of Santa Cruz. Benches were needed for the large group of children who attend, and we were able to get those made and donated them to meet that physical need.

Rachel teaches art classes at Santa Cruz Christian Learning Center, helping the students develop creative and artistic talent. David is teaching a six-week English conversation class at Bolivian Evangelical University. These classes not only impact the mind but give opportunities to touch lives socially and spiritually.  

David preaches at the Cobija World Gospel Church when Pastor David Nunez is visiting other churches as the president of one of the national church districts. Rachel is helping to lead a group of moms at SCCLC who meet once a week to pray.  

Ministering together

Following God’s leading in ministry in Bolivia touches lives in every area and results in growth in their lives as well as ours, as individuals and as a family. As you are involved though prayer and giving, you will also see how God is using your involvement to touch people’s lives in Bolivia and reap the joy of helping others. Thank you! 

Yahoo! 

After many hours spent waiting in public offices, we now have overcome the obstacles and have turned in our application for the visa.  

David was invited to speak at the Rio Nuevo World Gospel Church for their special missions service.  It was wonderful to see faith promise giving toward Bolivian missionary efforts encouraged. 

Present ministries 

The students at the Berea Seminary are learning from the prophets, major and minor, in the class that David teaches.  

In the Elementary Art classes at the Santa Cruz Christian Learning Center Rachel has the challenge of channeling the excitement of the younger children and motivating the older ones. 

David is supporting in ministry a Bolivian couple who are leading a church extension ministry outside the city of Santa Cruz.  There are many children in the area and about 50 come to the meetings.  We want the truths of God’s Word to be planted in these lives and see His transforming power at work in them.  

Preparing  

Spiritual Emphasis will be held at the Santa Cruz Christian Learning Center November 11-15. 

David will be teaching an English Bible class at the Bolivia Evangelica University.  It will be a six week course on Saturdays.  

KERNEYS’ Knewsletter 

PROCLAIM JESUS BY LOVING GOD, DISCIPLING BELIEVERS, AND SERVING THE WORLD

Arrival in Bolivia
It was nice to be greeted by cool weather in typically hot Santa Cruz . In fact our plane was delayed several hours in La Paz because of snow. Our welcome to Bolivia, extended by family and the missionary team, was warm in spite of the climate.

Many worthy opportunities have been presented to us as we get involved in ministry in Bolivia. Pray for us to discern where and how to invest our energy.

DAVID TEACHING AT BEREA SEMINARY
David is teaching a class on the Major and Minor Prophets. He has about 12 students learning how God spoke to the prophets.

RACHEL TEACHING ART
Rachel has accepted the teaching ministry for elementary art at Santa Cruz Christian Learning Center. She teaches Pre-K through sixth grades, with a total of 120 students.

LEAH STUDYING AT SCCLC
Leah has joined the junior class that she was a part of her freshman year at SCCLC. Since we arrived after school had started, she has had to work hard to catch up the missed work and keep up with daily work.

Kanklefritz is

the new family pet.

David and Rachel Kerney 

Kerneys return to  Bolivia

Our hearts are filled with gratitude to God! During the summer we traveled 9000 miles and we thank the Lord for His protection on the road. We visited churches and stayed at camps during this time.  It was so good to see many of you, people we know and people who have become new friends.  God put it on your hearts to give generously and sacrificially!  When we sat down and evaluated  things with Todd at World Gospel Mission, we were released to return to Bolivia. We have purchased tickets to fly back to Bolivia the 24th of August.  Please help us pray that the visas we are applying for will go through without delays.  Micah has really enjoyed his summer working at Camp Cayuga in Pennsylvania.  He plans to return to Kentucky Mountain Bible College for his Sophomore year. Leah is excited about going to the Santa Cruz Christian Learning Center again.  Please pray for her as she will start school a week and a half behind the rest of her class. We appreciate each of you who form part of this ministry team by praying and giving!   Recently I spoke with my sister, Ila Ordoñez, who is the elementary principle at the Santa Cruz Christian Learning Center.  She asked for prayer because the SCCLC still lacks several teachers and school is scheduled to start the 14th of August.  Pray that God will guide in a very specific way and bring along the needed personnel. Hope anchored in Jesus, David and Rachel Kerney

Photo of flower is courtesy of Leah who took it at the home of our friends, the Stokleys in Alabama

Make the world a better place

It is nice to brighten the world with a kind deed. Did you know that you and I can also make the world a better place starting now and for eternity? WOW! How? Being a part of helping people around the world come to know Christ as Lord and Savior and then teaching them to be His disciples makes the world a much better place.        

God has been so faithful to renew, strengthen, and refill our hearts during this year in the USA. He has also put a burden on our hearts to return to Bolivia for the next two years to help make it a better place. 

This is not about us or our career; it is what we believe God wants us to be and do.  

We believe that God wants to transform individuals and communities through the principles from His Word. Our focus is to invest in lay leaders and young future leaders by teaching them these principles from God’s Word. We are ready to go. We need to return by mid-August so that Leah can start her junior year of high school at Santa Cruz Christian Learning Center. 

Is God asking you to make the world a better place? Is He directing you to participate with us as a part of this ministry team?  

We need partners who will cover us in prayer for the next two years. If you believe God is putting that on your heart, please send us an e-mail so we can put you on the list for monthly updates.  

Will you partner with us through financial support? Is God asking you to help us in this way?  We still need 28 partners giving $50 in monthly support and $7,200 in cash. There are so many ways to partner with us. You can start giving regularly, or increase your giving. You can help motivate other people or groups to participate. Giving to missions is a tangible way to make the world a better place. 

Please pray about what God would have you do. You can take action by clicking on the link on this blog. 

The road trip ahead

David has heard a lot about nature’s beauty in Oregon, and he got to see it firsthand in the month of April. It was a trip of many miles, rest stops, and gas stations, but he has been blessed with God’s hand of protection. He was able to share with people and church groups about the mission of wholistic discipleship that God has put on our hearts for Bolivia. 

Leah is excited as she can see the end of the road of her sophomore year of high school. She will be going with us on the summer trips.  

Micah will be working a summer job and will drive to Pennsylvania for this opportunity. He plans to return to KMBC in the fall. 

This is our summer travel schedule as we prepare to go to Bolivia in August.

June 2–7 Colorado Springs, Colorado

June 9 Copperas Cove, Texas

June 16 Sweetwater UMC, Wesson, Mississippi

June 19 New Hope UMC, Wesson, Mississippi

June 23 Barlow UMC, Barlow, Alabama  

June 23–28 Hartselle Camp Meeting, Hartsell, Alabama 

June 30 a.m. Columbus, Georgia

   p.m. Lizella, Georgia 

July 19–28 Eaton Rapids Camp Meeting, Michigan 

July 29–August 1 Mount Carmel Camp Meeting, Jackson, Kentucky

Sometime in August, we plan to exit homeland ministry assignment to enter missionary ministry in Bolivia. 

Please pray for: 

1. Us that the necessary funding will come in for us to go to Bolivia by August.  

     

2. Micah as he stays in the USA when we return to Bolivia. Pray for him and the decisions he will be making concerning his future. 

3. Leah as she transfers back to the Santa Cruz Christian Learning Center and makes decisions concerning her high school classes.

Life for our family in Marion, Indiana, lately has included snow and icicles. It certainly makes us appreciate a warm home. We especially thank Bob and Bonnie Hudson for giving us a comfortable place to live from January to May. (We lived in a different home August through December.) 

During the months we were in Bolivia with the Bolivia missionary team, we participated in the process of strategic planning. It was a time to specifically seek God’s direction in ministry for the Bolivia team. They have continued that process and now communicate the vision and passion for those “29 and Under,” the children and young adults who will shape the country of Bolivia in the future. It is interesting to see how God is also directing our ministry to the University Residence project and other similar ministries aimed at reaching young people. 

We had the opportunity to participate in a CHE (Community Health Evangelism) training seminary. Taking this seminar for the second time (we first took it in Argentina), we were renewed by the concepts that were presented. The principles practiced in CHE projects are holistic, that is, including the whole person - mental, physical, spiritual and social. These biblical principles involve the recipients and bring about their participation and ownership. God is so good to bring along the right opportunities at the opportune time for us to grow in our knowledge of Him. 

University Residence project funds are growing slowly. We do seek God’s purpose and timing in this. Would you pray with us that God will guide and direct in all the aspects for building the team for this project? 

Would you help us? It seems like there are more barriers to overcome as we prepare to return to Bolivia. We need your help in getting over them! We need friends like you who believe that building God’s kingdom in all parts of the world is the mission God has given to all of us. Do you have friends who would be interested in this ministry? Do you have creative ideas of how to get more people connected with missions and our ministry? We would like to help people get involved through praying, going and giving. We still need 60 partners giving $25 a month to be able to return to Bolivia in August this year. Can you help us get to Bolivia by then? We appreciate your partnership!