Bill and Patricia Cornell began their journey by traveling with a small team from 2001 to 2004 to Kenya and Zambia, Africa. Here is their story as told by Patricia…
During those years, we fell in love with every facet of a missionary life from day one. There was nothing too rough or rugged…no task too big…and no vision unreachable for either me or my husband! Our hearts were no doubt chosen by God to serve Him in this capacity! That’s why it was effortless to sale out- lock, stock, and barrel and move to Kenya in 2008. We were launched by Messengers International with one way tickets to Africa and our meager retirements…thinking this would be a 3 year jaunt! However, three months into this adventure we realized this was our plot in life…for life!
After strong prompting from the Holy Spirit to teach Bible application classes…we built a bamboo hut that served as a classroom. Our first class was 12 students…all Pastors from seven different tribes…some from the bush, the desert or slums but none could afford to attend accredited schools. We started that class with four books and one work book. The students shared the four text books and we printed workbooks from the one original. They studied for two full years and celebrated our first big graduation! We have graduated 174 Pastors or leaders in the span of five years and will have 6 more classes graduating in August 2013. Our course of action is to train and send out…selecting our VFA teachers from those graduates.
Although our vision and focus is to train and send out leaders, we become very involved in the lives of those who sit in our classes. Their families quickly become our concern. This, of course, leads us to many projects such as providing food, medicine, education, bicycles or motorbikes for our teachers, and provision for orphans and widows. This is where “Food For Orphans” comes into our lives. Pastor Victor and his wife Joann have a school for 327 orphans that we help as much as we can but cannot meet the enormous need there. Although, this is a school these children have to be fed before they can stay awake to study their lessons. The meal FFO provides will be the only meal most of these kids will have for the day. This is a miracle for our organization to be involved in the distribution of food for these kids in behalf of FFO!
We are blessed…the children are blessed and the Lord is glorified! Thank you FFO!
Bill and Patricia Cornell
Vision For Africa Ministries
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