Kerneys' Knewsletter

Our hearts are full of joy and satisfaction as we see what God did through our ministry during our recent two-year term in Bolivia. The University Residence in the city of Sucre has been built; and Pastor Sergio and his wife, Fanny, have moved in, along with 10 university students. Rachel used her creativity to teach elementary art at Santa Cruz Christian Learning Center. David learned a lot while preparing to teach classes each semester at Berea Bible Seminary. He also gave brief seminars in rural area churches in the departments of Santa Cruz and Chuquisaca.  We served in administrative capacities as well as guesthouse supervision   and housing maintenance on the Bolivia Field. It is rewarding to know that our service in Bolivia had an impact in the lives of people in that country.  

We left Bolivia in June 2015 thinking we would return to Bolivia, yet believing that God was guiding us to a change in ministry.  Once we arrived in the USA, the opportunity opened for us to join Refuge Ministries in Copperas Cove, Texas.  This is a church ministry of Refuge, Renewal and Release, directed by Pastor Russ Cochran (David’s brother).  It is one church with six locations.  Each location has a pastor and David was offered the opportunity to be the pastor of one location. God has led David and me to accept this invitation and be a part of this team. We will also be the director of international missions for the Refuge Ministries.   

We have changed our status with WGM from career missionaries to AVN (Advanced Volunteer Network), effective October 31, 2015. This will allow us to continue to be connected with WGM, but it will be at a different level. We will still be involved in missions by promoting missions in the Refuge Ministries churches, making trips, taking teams, and supporting projects.   

Since our status with WGM is changing, we will no longer receive our monthly salary or benefits through WGM. We will continue to have an account at WGM for approved missions trips and projects.

If you feel God leading you to continue with us through giving, your gifts will be used to fund approved ministry activities through WGM. If you feel God leading your missions giving in another direction, we certainly understand. Either way, we are grateful for the partnership we have had in missions and thank you from the bottom of our hearts.

Changes bring mixed emotions, so in the excitement of the opportunities ahead of us and in the sadness of what we leave, we anchor our hope in God’s Word. “He will be the sure foundation for your times, a rich store of salvation and wisdom and knowledge; the fear of the Lord is the key to this  treasure” (Isaiah 33:6 NIV).   

Serving Jesus with you, 

David and Rachel Kerney 

Life full of emotions

Our life has gone from walking, crowding onto microbuses, or hailing taxis to following GPS directions on seemingly endless miles of interstate. Yes, we arrived in the USA on June 3, and not only our mode of transportation, but also many other things are different. We are also experiencing all kinds of emotions. 

It was a joyful experience to attend the wedding of Andrew Mast and Julianna Keaton. The Mast family were co-workers in Argentina. We enjoyed seeing Micah, our son, at the wedding, too.  

The most urgent visit was with David’s parents, who are presently in Texas. They both are in stage 4 cancer. Please pray for David’s brother, Pastor Russ Cochran, as he and his family care for their parents. As many of you know from experience, this is a very sad and difficult season of life.  

Note:  Since this update was written David's mom, Tessie Jane Brooks Cochran, passed on to heaven.  This happened on July 12. David Kerney will not be traveling to Bolivia with David Harriman.  

The World Gospel Mission International Celebration of Missions was inspirational as well as exciting. We heard from missionaries and people with a heart for missions about how to demonstrate missions. God is using His people around the world who are creatively reaching out with the good news from God’s Word.  

It was a lot of fun to have a Winters reunion over the 4th of July holiday! Ila, Rachel’s sister, and her family have recently moved to the USA. Eric, Rachel’s brother, and his family drove from Kentucky. We all met at Charles and Keet Winters’ home in Mississippi. We have not been together this way since 2008. The grandkids who were elementary students in 2008 have graduated or are seniors in high school. Micah Kerney and Wesley Ordonez, who are both college students, could not be there because of distance and work obligations. We enjoyed laughing and reliving memories. It was great to sit at one big table for Bolivian food, Argentine flavors, and, yes, Mississippi fresh vegetables.  

Please pray for David as he joins David Harriman on a three-week evangelistic trip to Bolivia, July 13 - August 4.  

We appreciate your support and prayer for our family. It is so good that we all have this reassurance, “…God… comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God” 

(2 Corinthians 1:3-4 NIV). 

David joins the doctors

This trip was full of adventure, if you like the kind with muddy roads and survival life. David joined a YWAM (Youth With A Mission) team of 15 participants, led by Pedro Cayalo (son of Hermes Cayalo), in Lagunilla, near Camiri, Bolivia. At one point, a tire came off the pickup. (Thankfully, the pickup just sank into the soft dirt and no one was hurt.) They had to transport three heavy trunks with medical supplies every day as they traveled to different communities in this area. One time they used a donkey to pull a cart, but at other times they had to be the beasts of burden and load them on their backs.  

This was a medical and evangelical team. Part of the team did medical work and the other part presented evangelistic programs for kids. David was with the medical team and translated for the doctors. It was exciting that they were able to see about 300 patients. They attended to their medical concerns and addressed their spiritual needs as well. Thank God for the people who asked Christ into their lives and for those who rededicated their lives to Him. Please pray that the seeds of the Good News that were planted in lives will continue to grow.   

Exciting opportunities like this remind us of the impact that a team can make in people’s lives. What one individual can do is multiplied when done through teamwork. Thank you so much for joining our team through your prayers and financial gifts as we minister here in Bolivia. We see God multiply our combined efforts. We look forward to seeing many of you when we return to the USA in June for homeland ministry assignment.  

Kerneys' Knewletter for April

Walk in the park?  

Actually, it was a class in the park. Rachel’s youth class at the Cobija World Gospel Church is studying the book World Views of the Kingdom of God. The class is made up of high school and university students. For the chapter about the biblical view of creation, we went to a local park in Santa Cruz to do the lesson in an area that was surrounded by green and where a cool breeze was blowing.  

Update on ministries 

• University Residence—Pastor Sergio is working on the finishing details and the purchasing of the furnishings.  
• Guarani Communities—David is supporting Aleida and her husband in the rebuilding of the churches, both spiritually and physically, in this area.  
• Youth Group at Cobija World Gospel Church—Rachel is teaching the youth class and supporting the leaders of the Saturday night youth meetings. 
• Church History of Latin America—David’s class at the Berea Bible Seminary is a group of around 19 students. 
• Elementary Art Classes at SCCLC—Rachel teaches these classes. Students are finishing their Elements of Art book and getting it assembled. 

Two-year term in Bolivia

We came to Bolivia in August of 2013 for a two-year term. As this cycle nears completion, we are making plans to be in the USA for a year of homeland ministry assignment.  

We look forward to visiting with many of you and sharing with you what we have seen God do during our time in Bolivia.  

If you are interested in having us share about missions in your church, small group, or home, you can contact us by e-mail at david.kerney@wgm.org. 

A Season for Camps

Church camps

Carnaval, know as Mardi Gras in other countries, is celebrated according to different traditions in the eastern and western parts of Bolivia.  It falls in February or early March because it is timed to end on Tuesday (Fat Tuesday) the day before Ash Wednesday which begins the 40 days of Lent according to the Roman Catholic tradition. If you are interested in knowing about the different traditions of Carnaval in Bolivia you will find information at www.boliviabella.com/carnaval

Even though the traditions are distinct in different parts of Bolivia, the excesses of alcohol and promiscuity are a common factor.  Because of this, the Bolivia Protestant churches plan camps to get away from activities that make up Carnaval.  

This year Carnaval is February 14-17. David will be in Chuquisaca as a speaker for the camp that the churches of that district are organizing. It will be in the beautiful, rural location of Kuñiri Pampa. Rachel and Leah will participate in the camp that the Cobija World Gospel Church is going to be a part of with other World Gospel Churches. Would you join us in praying for the leaders of these camps as they organize the events?  Please pray with us that the young people that attend will focus on what God has to say to them. Pray that they will allow Him to work redemptively in their lives. 

More camps

The Santa Cruz Christian Learning Center has a Junior High camp February 25-27.  Leah has applied and been accepted as a counselor to work with the Junior High students.  Pray for her to have the confidence and boldness in Christ to help these students.  Please pray for these students to hear God through His Word and respond to Him.  Pray for the Senior High camp March 2-6.  We appreciate your prayers joined with ours as we pray for God to work in the lives of students.  We ask God to help them respond to Him and allow Him to transform them from the inside out. 

Wishing you a wonderful new year

Our prayer for you

"...That you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God."  Ephesians 3:19

Thank you for being an important part of this ministry through your prayers and financial gifts.

David and Rachel Kerney Serving in Bolivia