Foundational Truths in Discipleship
October 6, 2022
Dear praying friends,
We hope and pray this finds you all doing well. Hard to believe that we are already into the month of October. Time passes so quickly, and before we know it, the year 2023 will be upon us. This update will share current ministry progress and prayer requests.
We are so thankful that the country of Kenya has been peaceful after the election of this year. Many people prayed for the country during this time, and we are so thankful for your prayers. Previous elections have been both peaceful and had unrest, so we didn’t know how
it would go this year. It was a very close election, but at the end of it all, the country remained peaceful. It has been a challenging year with coronavirus and the election, but God has been faithful and we continue to trust Him. Jeremiah 17:7 says, “Blessed is the man that trusteth in the LORD, and whose hope the LORD is.” Amen. Please continue to pray for continued peace in the country.
Now that the election is over and the country has been peaceful, we are praying and hopeful that new families will start coming to Kitale. We know of some families who are interested in coming in the coming weeks, and this would be very welcomed. Our daughters need friends that they can play with here in Kitale, and we are trusting the Lord to provide. They need socialization, and we are trusting God to bring families with children their ages in His timing and plan. This is a big prayer request for us right now, so we would appreciate your prayers.
My wife has had a challenging year with homeschooling, so please be in prayer for her as well. She has many responsibilities each year as she has to look ahead and plan the materials for the coming year. She is a big blessing and a great help to our daughters. Please pray for her, as she continues to educate our daughters faithfully each year.
I (Nathan) am continuing in the discipleship teachings in the village of Taito, about 15 minutes from Kitale town. I recently taught the men on daily devotions, or having a quiet time with the Lord each day. I taught them on the importance of daily devotions, to spend time with the Lord, to prepare their hearts to hear from Him, and to daily fellowship with Him. We looked at various verses, such as Psalm 42:1-2, which say, “As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God. My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God: when shall I come and appear before God?”
Also, we saw the example of Jesus. Mark 1:35 says, “And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed.” We saw that Jesus rose up early in the morning and went to a quiet place, away from the daily distractions, and prayed before the activities of the day. I challenged the men to find a quiet place where they can spend time with the Lord each day, preferably morning, before the challenges and distractions of the day. I modeled for them how to follow a daily devotional schedule, and we did some passages together, asking questions from each passage to help them learn it, grow spiritually, and apply it to their daily lives.
The men were receptive, and I pray they put these teachings into practice. Please pray that these men would continue to grow spiritually, and have the desire to go out and take the teachings to their village areas, starting groups that become churches. These discipleship teachings are so foundational for them, before they go out and start churches. Please continue to pray for me as I plan each week for the men, step by step, and that they would continue to be receptive to the teachings. Also, that they would have the desire and calling to go out and reach others, starting churches as God leads them. Isaiah 55:11 says, “So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.” Amen.
That is the current update from Kenya. We appreciate each of you so much and your heart for missions. We could not do this without you.
Until next month,
Nathan and Carrie Radford
Contact Info:
Nathan and Carrie Radford
naterad[at]yahoo.com
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.
Read more
Presidential Election Update + Discipling Young Men
September 6, 2022
Dear praying friends,
Another month has come and gone, and there are many important items in the country to update you on. This update will share current prayer requests as well as ministry progress.
We thank the Lord that the Kenyan presidential election was resolved yesterday, September 5th. It was a very close, competitive race with less than two percentage points separating the two main presidential candidates. The election results were sent to the Kenyan Supreme Court for a two-week consideration and examination, to see if there was probable cause to overturn the election. In this case, the election would need to be done a second time within 60 days of the previous election. This is called a “run off.” In this case this year, the Supreme Court decided the results were legitimate and declared the presidential elect, without a runoff. He will be sworn into office next week, Lord willing.
So far, much of the country has been calm. Both of the main presidential candidates have urged calm with their supporters, and not to resort to violence or any kind of unrest. Where we are in Kitale, it has been calm, for which we thank the Lord. There were some skirmishes last night in a different part of the country, but we hear that the police are prepared and many. We will see how things go in the coming days as it is still early. We trust the Lord with our safety and follow all the precautions we can. Proverbs 18:10 says “The name of the Lord is a strong tower: the righteous runneth into it, and is safe.” Also, Psalm 27:1, which says “The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?” These verses are certainly a comfort during these times.
Please pray my wife, as she continues to homeschool our daughters. She is doing a great job, and the girls are staying on schedule. Please pray also for new families with kids the girl’s ages to come to Kitale, so they can have stable friendships. We have heard of some families that are interested in coming later in the year, so please pray they would come when planned, and that the girls would make friends. Many long-term families that were here in Kitale have moved this year, so it has not been easy, but we are praying and trusting the Lord and His timing. Lamentations 3:25 says “The Lord is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him.” We are waiting in faith, trusting the Lord.
I (Nathan) am continuing along in the discipleship course in the village of Taito. Please pray for me as I continue to disciple and train the men, as I trust the Lord for the results. I am praying that God would raise these men up to go out and start churches as the Lord leads them. It is God I am trusting, every step of the way. I like 1 Corinthians 3:6, where Paul says “I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase.” Amen. It is still the same today, and may God receive all the praise and glory for all things.
This is the current update from Kenya. We appreciate each of you so much and your heart for missions. We will keep you updated.
Blessings,
Nathan and Carrie Radford
Contact Info:
Nathan and Carrie Radford
naterad[at]yahoo.com
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.
Read more
Praying for Kenyan Presidential Election
August 6, 2022
Dear praying friends,
Another month has come and gone, and we are already moving towards the end of 2022. Time is precious, and may it be used faithfully in service to the Lord. This update will share current prayer requests as well as ministry updates.
A major prayer request we have currently is for the presidential election which is scheduled for August 9th. One of the big presidential candidates visited Kitale recently, and from my understanding, much of the town was blocked off and thousands went to the rally. We have had multiple visits here in Kitale from the presidential candidates over the past few weeks, and now Kenyans will vote on August 9th for their candidate.
Please pray for the country and any post-election violence. You never know how things will go – some years have been peaceful, and others have been with more unease and conflict. The year 2007 was one of the more unpeaceful elections, so we pray for peace and safety for this year, with no unnecessary rioting or violence. We are thankful to be in Kitale, as Kitale has a mixture of tribes and is generally very peaceful. In all these matters, we are trusting the Lord. Psalm 5:11 says, “But let all those that put their trust in thee rejoice: let them ever shout for joy, because thou defendest them: let them also that love thy name be joyful in thee.” Psalm 28:7 also says, “The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in him, and I am helped: therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth; and with my song will I praise him.” What a faithful God we serve.
Please continue praying for our family during this time, as many families have relocated from Kitale since we returned earlier this year. It has not been easy with all the adjustments, but we are praying and trusting God to bring other families in His timing and plan. Psalm 123:2 says “Behold, as the eyes of servants look unto the hand of their masters, and as the eyes of a maiden unto the hand of her mistress; so our eyes wait upon the Lord our God, until that he have mercy upon us.” We are praying, and trusting the Lord with this in our current situation, and we know He will provide in His timing.
I (Nathan) am continuing to disciple younger Kenyan men in the village of Taito. I thank the Lord for those who have been faithfully attending. Please pray for these men and their spiritual growth. As I have talked with other missionaries who have succeeded at church planting here in Kenya, this is the model – disciple (give them a strong Biblical foundation), train, and send. This is the model that I am currently following and has yielded the best results. All of this must be bathed in prayer. Colossians 4:2 says, “Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving.” Please pray for me as I trust the Lord in church planting endeavors here in Kenya. God is faithful.
We will update you next month on the election and how things are faring in the country. We know God is in control and we trust Him with all these matters. Thank you so much for your prayers, sacrificial giving, and interest in missions around the world. You each mean so much to us.
Until next month,
Nathan and Carrie Radford
Contact Info:
Nathan and Carrie Radford
naterad[at]yahoo.com
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.
Read more
Teaching Men in Taito about Prayer
July 5, 2022
Dear praying friends,
We hope this finds each of you doing well. We thank the Lord for each one of you, and your heart for missions. We could not do the work here in Kenya without you. This update will share current updates as well as prayer requests.
There has been much going on in the missionary community in Kitale since we have returned to Kenya. Several families have moved from Kitale to different parts of Kenya. While this is not easy, and these families were our good friends, we wish each of them well in this transitionary period. The westerners are few in Kitale now, so it is difficult, but we are trusting the Lord to provide other families in His timing and plan.
We have heard of interest from other missionaries coming to Kitale later in the year, and we are praying and trusting the Lord for His will during these transitionary times. Psalm 28:7 says “The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in Him, and I am helped: therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth; and with my song will I praise Him.” Please pray with us as we trust the Lord to provide families here in Kitale.
Another big prayer request now is for the presidential election scheduled for August 9th. Lord willing, we are going to be stocking up and buying extra supplies in case of any problems. The last few elections have gone peacefully, and we are trusting the Lord for the election this year. Kitale has a good safety record, as there are multiple tribes in this area and violence is rare. However, we are still taking precautions and seeking to stay as safe as we can. We will let you know how it is going in the coming weeks. Psalm 9:9 says “The Lord also will be a refuge for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble.” Amen. May we trust Him in the coming days and weeks, as He will protect us.
The family is doing well. Our daughters are continuing along well in their homeschooling studies, and my wife is doing a great job teaching them faithfully. Please pray for her, as she has a big responsibility with educating our children. Please also pray for us as parents, as we have a big responsibility as we raise them.
I (Nathan) am continuing in the discipleship studies in the village of Taito. I have recently been teaching on prayer and we have learned much about the subject. In Psalm 55:16-17, David says “As for me, I will call upon God; and the Lord shall save me. Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray, and cry aloud: and He shall hear my voice.” I challenged the men to begin to commit to prayer, and showed them many verses from the Word of God that show the importance of prayer in our daily lives. Please pray with me that the Lord would raise up men who would be discipled, trained, and then sent out to start churches in their respective villages. God is in control.
We again thank you so much for your heart for missions. Each of you are such a blessing to us.
Until next month,
Nathan and Carrie Radford
Contact Info:
Nathan and Carrie Radford
naterad[at]yahoo.com
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.
Read more
Life in Kitale
April 29, 2022
Greetings from Kenya!
I pray this update finds everyone doing well. This is Carrie writing this month for the annual missionary wives’ prayer letter. I hope the weather is getting warmer for all of you. I’m sure you’re ready for nicer weather after the winter months. Here in Kenya, we are finishing dry season and entering rainy season. The dry season was long this year and especially hot (up to 90 degrees and no air conditioning anywhere). Everything became very dry and dusty and lack of water was a concern. But thankfully, the rains have started and things are beginning to turn green again and the temperatures are cooling down a bit.
Currently there is a fuel shortage in the country. The suppliers are trying to increase the price, but the government is refusing to pay it, so there is a stalemate. The government is working to get the suppliers to lower the cost, but it’s taking a while to do it. There have been reports of people waiting in lines at the gas stations for up to 8 hours to get just a bit of gas for their vehicles. This is really affecting the livelihoods of people such as taxi drivers and piki=pikis (motorbike taxis). In addition, there are fewer supply trucks to bring goods, such as food, from Nairobi to Kitale. We’ve had extremely limited milk for the past couple weeks, and the price of goods is also increasing rapidly, which causes a huge burden on all families and businesses here. The people are struggling to buy the food they need for their families. Please pray that the fuel situation gets resolved quickly and that prices reduce for the people of this country.
Homeschooling continues to go well. The girls really enjoy their classes and are doing a great job working diligently. We’ve been doing some PE activities as a family, such as morning exercise, which has been really nice. Cami enjoys learning to cook and Kenna has taken some drawing classes online, which has been a huge blessing. We’ve gotten a new kitten who is an endless delight for the girls. He’s a snuggly little guy and such a blessing for us.
Please pray for the girls as they are needing friends. We had a family with some girls their ages here, but they’ve moved to another part of Kenya. This has been a big loss for our girls as they were close and played a lot together. There have been a lot of changes in our community with families leaving and we’re all struggling with it to some extent. Please pray for us as a family. Missions can be so difficult with all the goodbyes we say. There are very few “wazungus” (westerners) left in our town. Please pray for strength and for new families to come.
Thank you all for the encouragement you send and the prayers you say on our behalf. We appreciate them more than you know. Each of you is a blessing to us and we’re thankful for you. God bless you all as you head into the summer months.
In Christ,
Nathan and Carrie Radford
Contact Info:
Nathan and Carrie Radford
naterad[at]yahoo.com
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.
Read more
Training & Discipling Young Kenyan Men
April 6, 2022
Dear praying friends,
We hope and pray this finds each of you doing well. We appreciate each one of you so much for your heart for missions. Your faithful prayers, sacrificial giving, and encouragement mean so much to us. Each of you are such a blessing. This update will share current prayer requests as well as updates.
We praise the Lord that all of our work permits were renewed recently. This is a big blessing, especially given the challenges of covid. We submitted our paperwork before our furlough, then followed up on it when we returned. We are very thankful that all of our permits have been renewed for a three-year period. We thank each of you so much who prayed for this and these renewals.
Concerning the weather, it has been very hot for the past few weeks. April is rainy season, and it has finally started raining, and we are waiting for the heavy rains to come soon. Could you please pray with us that the long rains would arrive soon so the farming seasons can go on as planned, and the temperatures would cool to normal? This would be much appreciated.
I (Nathan) have begun meeting with younger Kenyan men in the village of Taito, about a fifteen-minute drive from Kitale town. A Kenyan man who I have known for years is allowing me to train and disciple the men at his house, which is a big blessing. The men also have their own employment, which I am very thankful for. This is part of the model, for the men to work with their own hands and support themselves.
Lord willing very soon, I will be teaching on salvation and evangelism. There are many verses concerning this, such as Mark 16:15, which says, “And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.” Also, Romans 1:16, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.” Please pray for me as I teach and disciple the men, and also for the students, that they will have the desire to be taught, then Lord willing, to go out and start churches later as the Lord leads them. I trust the Lord for all the results.
We wish each of you a very happy upcoming Easter as you spend it with family and friends. I will close with John 11:25-26, which says, “Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die.” Amen.
Until next month,
Nathan and Carrie Radford
Contact Info:
Nathan and Carrie Radford
naterad[at]yahoo.com
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.
Read more
Adjusting Back to Life in Kenya
March 5th, 2022
Dear praying friends,
Another month has come and gone, and we are already into the third month of 2022. Time passes so fast, and may we be busy in our service to the Lord. This prayer letter will share current prayer requests, as well as update you on my (Nathan’s) upcoming ministry plans.
I am in the process of recruiting potential younger Kenyan men to disciple, train, and send out to start churches in their village areas. I have spoken with different men who have lived in Africa or are living in Africa about church planting, and they had a basic model to follow: recruit the men, (preferably men who are already employed), disciple them so they have a firm foundation in their faith, then send them out to villages to start churches.
This is the model I followed this past term, and it was the best progress of any prior term. Unfortunately, covid came to Kenya and we had to close things down. Now that it is possible to meet again, by practicing social distancing, and also masks are encouraged, we can continue.
Lord willing, I plan to start in a village called Taito, which is about a fifteen minute drive from Kitale town. In all of these endeavors, it is God that gives the increase. I am reminded of 1 Corinthians 3:6, where Paul says “I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase.” Amen. It is the same today. We must trust God for the results in all our endeavors.
In family news, our daughters have adjusted well back to life here in Kenya. They are homeschooling, and my wife is doing a great job teaching them. She is very qualified, and I am blessed with all the sacrifices she makes daily, and for our family. Please pray both for her and our daughters as they continue along in this school year.
There have been many changes in the missionary community since we have returned, and unfortunately, the family that had a daughter our daughter’s ages moved away to another area. We are blessed that there are some Kenyan girls nearby who speak good English, and they are invited to play with them at any time. This is a major blessing. Would you please pray with us that God would provide other families with daughters that could be friends with our daughters? This is a big prayer request for us now, and we are waiting upon the Lord. Psalm 27:14 says “Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD.” May we wait in faith, trusting Him each step of the way.
Thanks so much to each of you for your heart for missions. We appreciate the prayers, sacrificial giving, and letters so much. May God bless each of you.
Until next month,
Nathan and Carrie Radford
Contact Info:
Nathan and Carrie Radford
naterad[at]yahoo.com
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.
Read more
Waiting on Work Permit Renewals
February 5th, 2022
Dear praying friends,
Another month has come and gone, and we are now into the year 2022. We pray that each of you had a great holiday season with friends and family and were able to celebrate the birth of our Savior together. There are many items to update you on in this prayer letter, so please allow us to share our current prayer requests.
We praise the Lord that after a difficult international trip, we finally made it back to Kenya. Travelling now is not easy, with all the covid restrictions and testing. We each had to be covid free within 72 hours of traveling, so this was stressful. We praise the Lord that we were all covid free and able to leave at our scheduled time.
Upon arriving in Kenya, there have been many adjustments. There seems to be an endless “to do” list, just getting caught up on everything after our time of furlough. We have needed to do some painting, move our daughters into their own rooms, work on government paperwork, get all the mail caught up, etc. There is still more to do, but I (Nathan) thank the Lord that we are making good progress. We need grace and strength from the Lord for the daily tasks that we undertake.
We have been informed that our work permits were misplaced, so there is need to resubmit the paperwork for the government’s approval. Covid has slowed everything within the government down anyway, so this is an extra prayer request on top of the normal government processing. We are currently on a three month visa, so could you please pray with us that the work permits will be submitted in a timely manner and that they would be approved in an expedited way? We are trusting the Lord for all of this, and know that He is in control.
There have also been changes within the missionary community. Some families are retiring and moving away, and other families have just moved. This is totally normal, as other missionaries have said it is this way for them also, but we are trusting the Lord to bring other missionaries in His time and plan. This is a difficult year for tourism and visitors, when you consider covid restrictions, as well as a presidential election later this year.
The election is scheduled for August of this year, so we need to be praying now for peace and safety later this year. God will watch over us as we take precautions. We thank the Lord that Kitale has always been peaceful during times of election, yet we still are cautious. Psalm 121:1-2 says “I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. My help cometh from the LORD, which made heaven and earth.” Also, Psalm 56:3 says “What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee.” May we take to heart these Scriptures and trust in the Lord at all times, throughout our lives.
We will be sure to keep you updated. Thanks so much to each of you for your heart for missions. You each mean so much to us and we thank God for you.
Until next month,
Nathan and Carrie Radford
Contact Info:
Nathan and Carrie Radford
naterad[at]yahoo.com
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.
Read more
