Young Man Seeks Discipleship
Posted on 3Oct CATEGORIES: Mission Sheets Newsletters, Nathan & Carrie Radford [Kenya] Tags:Tags: Carrie Radford, discipleship, discipleship opportunities, homeschooling on the mission field, hospital ministry, Kitale, Nathan Radford, Rafiki, schooling on the mission field
October 3, 2018
Dear praying friends,
Another month has come and gone, and we are thankful for the Lord’s care, protection, and guidance for our lives. What a great God we serve, and He deserves all glory and praise. This update will give current ministry updates as well as share prayer requests.
Please pray for our daughters and their schooling here in Kitale. They are really making many friends, and having many activities, so we are praying about how to balance what they are getting at school along with homeschooling. The school uses the local Kenyan curriculum and we have found that this isn’t sufficient to prepare our daughters for their futures. Therefore, we find we have the need to balance homeschooling with the girls also attending the school for socialization. This is not an easy task, but one we are praying about. It has been challenging to balance both, and we would appreciate your prayers for us for wisdom and guidance for them for the future. We are very thankful for this school for them and the many friends they are making. They are also learning some Swahili, the language of Kenya. I listened to my daughters singing the “1 through 10” song in Swahili to me recently, and it was really encouraging. It goes something like “Moja, Mbili, Tatu, Nne, Tano, Sita, Saba, Nane, Tisa Hadi Kumi.” They will certainly pick up the Swahili quickly at their age, something I still struggle with but try to use when I am in the villages training.
Speaking of villages, please continue to pray for the village ministry in Rafiki where I (Nathan) am training a younger Kenyan man in his home area. We have continued along in our discipleship course, and it is going well. I recently taught him on opposition, with the idea that he will face opposition as he serves the Lord. But, for him to stand strong, rely on the Lord through the trials and obstacles, and to trust God to work on his behalf. 2 Timothy 3:12 says “Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.” I also love John 16:33, which says “These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.” God will be with us, no matter what we face. How we need to trust and rely upon Him, through all seasons of life.
God has provided another opportunity for me to disciple another younger Kenyan man in our area. He approached me recently and desires to be taught/grounded through discipleship materials, so I started with him last week. He was encouraged with the first lesson and desires more teachings. At this point, he doesn’t really know his future plans, but he wants to be discipled, and will take the next step that God wants him to take when finishing the discipleship course. This is encouraging and we would ask that you pray for both this opportunity and the ministry in Rafiki. God is in control, and I leave all the results to Him.
Please pray for my wife as she continues to go to the hospital ministry, helps our children wherever she can, and supports me in the opportunities that God provides. She is a true helpmeet and blessing to me and our family. There are many challenges on the mission field, and we greatly desire your prayers for us. Just day to day travel is a big prayer request, as the roads are in bad condition, there are large amounts of traffic on the road, and many overtake without really paying close attention. We trust God for our safety each day, and He is faithful.
We appreciate each of you so much. Thanks so much for your prayers, sacrificial giving, and encouragement. It means so much to us.
Nathan and Carrie Radford
P.O. Box 4150
Kitale, Kenya
East Africa 30200
For ministry donations:
Pastor George Sledd, Treasurer of BFM
P.O. Box 471280
Lake Monroe, FL 32747-1280
or click here to donate to BFM online.