Missionary Update: The Radfords in Kenya [May 2015]
Nathan and Carrie Radford serve the Lord in Kitale, Kenya. Their main ministries include indigenous church planting, a prison ministry, and a hospital ministry for mothers with premature babies.
May 5, 2015
Dear praying friends,
Another month has come and gone, and there is much to report about. The ministries are continuing along, and I will be sure to give you regular updates through the year, but I thought this month I would focus on things that have been happening in Kenya recently, as well as share family requests.
As many of you know, a few weeks ago, in a town called Garissa, a terrorist attack took place at the university. I am not familiar with this area of the country,
as it is on the other side of Kenya, but it was shocking to watch the events unfold and the news reports. Terrorists stormed into the university in the early hours, executing around 147 people total. The siege lasted for several hours before the attackers were subdued. I read stories of students who hid in closets, or wherever they could, until the attack was over. This attack follows the attack at Westgate Mall in Nairobi a few years ago. Please pray that these terrorists would be caught, brought to justice, and for the peace of Kenya. We know the Lord is in control, sovereign, and we trust Him through all situations. A verse that comes to mind is John 14:1, which says “Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.” Please pray for all the families affected by this act.
Also, in Kitale town, as I mentioned recently, it has become much more difficult to drive. The main bus/van stage has moved from another part of town to an area close to downtown, right where all the traffic must pass. Of course, when this happened, there was a lot of frustration, as traffic is much more congested and it is more challenging to drive and pass. At one point, when this first happened, we stayed home for a day as they were sorting out the problems in town. There were trees cut down and laid in the road, some riots broke out and other things were going on. The situation was brought under control the next day or so and things seem to back to normal. My understanding is that the new stage will only be in this location for a year or so until a new stage is built. Please pray for the safety of the missionaries as they have to pass through this area, and also that there would be no more problems among the council people and van drivers. We trust the Lord for all these things.
In closing, it has been quite a last few weeks for our daughter Camille. What a blessing she
is to our family and she has been through it recently. She kept complaining of stomach aches and so we took her to two different medical offices about it here in Kitale. She was given medicine each time and the problem temporarily went away. However, the stomach pains would return after a few days, so it was very puzzling and frustrating as the doctors in Kitale were unable to find the root of the problem. Yesterday we felt it best to go to Mediheal Hospital in Eldoret, about an hour and a half from Kitale. The pediatrician there seemed very qualified and did a thorough examination. He explained that although some of the amoeba was gone from her previous infection, there were still cysts from the host that had not been removed. They had a very good lab and were able to discover this. We have started her on a different medicine and she seems to be improving. Praise the Lord! Medical care here is such a challenge and we would really appreciate your prayers for our health as a family, as it is so easy to get sick, and as in Cami’s case, it takes a while to get solid answers. Health here is a daily battle and we do our best to stay healthy, but sometimes these things happen and when they do, it can be difficult to find the root problem. A comforting verse through times like this is Psalm 46:1, which says
“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” What a great God
we serve.
We appreciate you each so much and will keep you updated.
Serving in Kitale,
Nathan and Carrie Radford
P.O. Box 4150
Kitale, Kenya
East Africa, 30200
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Missionary Update: The Radfords in Kenya [April 2015]
Nathan and Carrie Radford serve the Lord in Kitale, Kenya. Their main ministries include indigenous church planting, a prison ministry, and a hospital ministry for mothers with premature babies.
April 1, 2015
Dear praying friends,
We hope this update finds you all doing well. We hope you all have a great upcoming Easter. May we never forget the significance of this time and celebration, where we remember our Lord raised triumphantly from the grave. We serve a living Savior! Some verses that come
to mind are 1 Corinthians 15:3-4, which state, “For I delivered unto you first of all
that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures.” Also, 1 Corinthians 15:14, which says “And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain.” What encouraging words from the Scriptures.
Please keep the hospital ministry in your prayers. My wife has been faithful to this ministry and the Lord has blessed. We praise the Lord that many needy babies and mothers have been assisted through your generous giving and heart for these people. We are now also trying to get baby blankets to the babies, so please pray that these will be a blessing. We thank the Lord for a man in Nairobi who assists us with getting these supplies, as well as shipping them to Kitale for us.
The prison ministry is continuing along well. I praise the Lord for the desire I see in these men to know, study, believe, and follow the Word of God. A verse that comes to mind is 2 Timothy 2:15, which says “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” We are getting ready to enter into the teachings of the life of Joseph. The men can really identify with many things from his life, such as being thrown into prison, etc. Please pray that these teachings are received well and the men will apply them to their lives and situations.
As I have stated before, my partner Roger Tate and I are trying different ways of doing church planting here, both with training nationals and also going into the Kenyan homes of “men of peace” who welcome us to come and start churches. Both ways are challenging and we are praying over these ways of doing churches here. One of the main challenges is the dependency. We desire the churches to be independent, self-supporting, self-governing, etc. To rely on the Lord wholly. That is a major challenge here, and we need patience as we work with the people and teach them from the Word. We are thankful for a man named Kefa who was welcomed us into his home to come and teach the Word of God to him, his family, and those in the surrounding area called Robinson. Please pray the people would come faithfully, and desire to grow in their faith. We will keep you updated.
I had mentioned the challenges of driving here recently. Believe it or not, a major market area and matatu (van) station moved from an outer area of town to the road that goes right through the heart of Kitale town. This has brought much congestion in this area of town and it is even more challenging to drive. We are so thankful the Lord has protected us as we travel, and we trust Him. Please pray not only for us, but all the missionaries as they travel within the country.
That is the main news for now. We appreciate each of you so much and thank you so much
for your heart for missions in East Africa. You are such blessing and thanks for all you do.
Serving in Kitale,
Nathan and Carrie Radford
P.O. Box 4150
Kitale, Kenya
East Africa, 30200
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Missionary Update: The Radfords in Kenya [March 2015]
Nathan and Carrie Radford serve the Lord in Kitale, Kenya. Their main ministries include indigenous church planting, a prison ministry, and a hospital ministry for mothers with premature babies.
March 3, 2015
Dear praying friends,
We are now into the month of March, which is hard to believe. Here in Kenya, it is regularly around 70-90 degrees at this time of year. I know this is hard to believe, as there is so much snow right now all over the United States. These are times of the year that we miss, as when we are on furlough, we take our daughters outside to build snowmen, play in the snow, and have a good time. Soon, it will be rainy season here, where the rains come down regularly and heavily at times. I remember a few years ago when it rained so hard that even taxis and minivans were getting stuck in the mud on the road where we live. We hope each of you are enjoying this year of 2015.
As I mentioned before, my partner Roger Tate and I are starting a new group in an area of Kitale called Robinson. Robinson is a big area, and there are many to be reached. We have had many children coming to the meetings, as well as adults. One of the challenges we have had is how to minister to the children also, as we want them to receive Biblical teaching also. We have been using a book in Swahili to teach the kids the Bible, as we just finished on Noah and the flood. It has been encouraging to watch the children respond to the questions and see how they are learning the Word of God.
We praise the Lord for the faithful adults that have been coming also, and ask you to pray for them. At this point it is a Bible study group, where we are doing our best to teach them each week in Swahili many teachings from the Bible. We pray that if it would be the Lord’s will, that this group would be organized into a church at a later point. Swahili three times a week in the various ministries is exhausting and time consuming, so I would ask you to pray for me also as I prepare to attempt to teach weekly in the language.
The annex prison ministry is continuing along well. We just finished in the teachings of Noah and the ark. I did my best to teach the men that the vast majority in the days of Noah did not care about living for the Lord, pleasing Him, and how they ignored the warnings of God, which ultimately resulted in their death and punishment. Matthew 24:38 says “For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark.” They were doing their own thing, ignoring God’s warnings. The thing I like about the Firm Foundations course are the visuals that come with many of the lessons. It is exciting to watch the men as they look at the Biblical photos during the lessons, and apply the truths to their lives.
Our children are continuing along well. McKenna is such a good student in school and learning many things. Camille will be starting school soon, so please pray for her as well. Please also pray for me as a father, as I try to teach them about the many truths of the Bible in an understandable way. I am responsible before God for the Biblical training of my family, so please pray for me as I desire to lead my family to follow the Lord and teach them from the Word of God.
In closing, please pray for safety while traveling. The traffic in Kitale has gotten significantly worse over the years. There are so many motorcycles everywhere, minivans that are impatient and overtaking when they should not be, people not paying attention as they walk through the roads, etc. It is a major challenge to drive here, but we thank the Lord for His protection as we travel. The roads are congested, but we thank the Lord each day for His watch care over us. This is simply to request your prayers for us as we travel here, knowing the Lord will help us. He has been so faithful.
God’s blessings to you and have a wonderful month ahead.
Serving in Kitale,
Nathan and Carrie Radford
P.O. Box 4150
Kitale, Kenya
East Africa, 30200
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Missionary Update: The Radfords in Kenya [February 2015]
Nathan and Carrie Radford serve the Lord in Kitale, Kenya. Their main ministries include indigenous church planting, a prison ministry, and a hospital ministry for mothers with premature babies.
February 3, 2015
Dear praying friends,
We thank the Lord that He has brought us through another month, as He has watched over us, and been so faithful. We hope each of you are doing well as you follow and serve the Lord in the United States. This update will give a current report on the ministries here.
Currently, we have visitors from America here. Pastor Darrell Messer and his wife, Mrs. Shirley Messer, from Emmanuel Baptist Church in Bellbrook, Ohio have come to visit here in Kenya and see what the Lord is doing. Pastor Messer has served faithfully as a Baptist Faith Missions board member for many years. They have come to visit the Tate family and also to see some of our ministries, such as the church planting, prison ministry, and hospital ministry. This is their first time in Africa, and we pray that this trip will be informative about the challenges that we face on the mission field, and how to pray for us and the people of Kenya. It has been a joy to have them and please pray for their trip back to America in a few days.
The prison ministry is continuing along well. I just finished teaching on Adam and Eve, and the entrance of sin into the world. I did my best to show the results of sin and how sin separates us from God. We saw through the lesson that we are all sinners, and in need of a Savior. Romans 3:23 says “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.” This is foundation teaching for the men to learn and please pray that the Lord would work in their hearts as the Gospel message is presented to them. It has been exciting to see the
men coming faithfully and learning much from the Word of God.
My partner Roger Tate and I have been praying about another area to reach in Kitale with church planting. We both agreed after prayer that a good area to start is called Robinson. There are many people in this area who need to be reached with the Gospel and taught how to follow the Lord. We just started last week with our first lesson, so please pray that the people would continue to come faithfully, and if it would be the Lord’s will, that a church could be started in that area later. We trust the Lord with all these plans and lay them before Him. We can do nothing without Him. Psalm 37:5 says “Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in Him; and he shall bring it to pass.” We are following by faith and trusting the Lord to work in His time and plan.
In family news, the girls are continuing along well. We appreciate your prayers for them for friends their age to play with. This is one of the major challenges here. Also, our daughter Camille has been complaining of stomach aches for several weeks. We went to a good doctor here in Kitale and got her good medicine. I just found out about this doctor a few weeks ago, as he is located in an area that I rarely go to. It is a blessing to know that a good doctor is nearby and able to diagnose well. Anyway, she finished with the medicine and we got her tested at a lab, and her tests came back negative for any parasites or other things. It is challenging here as the medical care is always a challenge, especially with little ones. A fever and chills here could mean different things, and sometimes you have to do your best to look up the symptoms online and try to diagnose yourself. These are just some of the challenges with living here, but we praise the Lord that Camille is doing well now.
That is the current report. Please keep us in your prayers, and thanks again for your cards,
letters, emails, or other forms of encouragement. We love and appreciate all of you.
Serving in Kitale,
Nathan and Carrie Radford
P.O. Box 4150
Kitale, Kenya
East Africa, 30200
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Missionary Update: The Radfords in Kenya [January 2015]
Nathan and Carrie Radford serve the Lord in Kitale, Kenya. Their main ministries include indigenous church planting, a prison ministry, and a hospital ministry for mothers with premature babies.
January 2, 2015
Dear praying friends,
Happy New Year! It is hard to believe that we are into the year 2015. I look back on this past year, and it seemed to fly by. Each year seems to pass faster than the one before. I am sure many of you can identify with this, as it just seems a fact of life. We hope you all had a great Christmas of celebrating the birth of our Lord and Savior, and we also wish you all a happy 2015.
This past year was a good one for our family and our time together. My wife and I have done our best to assist and help our daughters in any way we can, as there are many challenges on the mission field. Both girls love animals, and over the past few months, we got them a puppy and a kitten. This gives them responsibilities of taking care of the animals, feeding them, playing with them, and growing up with them. McKenna is doing well in school and seems to be picking up the concepts that my wife teaches. Before you know it, Camille will also be starting school in the Radford household. How thankful I am to have a wife who has a degree in education and does such a great job. McKenna has also indicated interest in learning Swahili, the language of Kenya, so we would appreciate prayers that the Lord would assist us with this also. All of these plans we lay before the Lord and trust in His timing and will for our lives. Psalm 37:5 says “Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in Him; and He shall bring it to pass.”
Speaking of laying our plans before the Lord, we really need wisdom as my partner, Roger Tate and I, are proceeding in church planting. We have done church planting in different ways, such as starting a church in a Kenyan home, or training qualified men to go out and start churches in their respective villages. Both ways are challenging and have their difficulties. We are praying and asking the Lord for wisdom for the best way to proceed in these ministries. We know the Lord is sovereign, in total control, and will work in His time and plan. We also must trust Him for the results, and remain faithful to teach, instruct, assist, and equip the Kenyan men in any way we can. Prayer is central for seeking and knowing the Lord’s will, and we would greatly appreciate your prayers for us.
Thanks so much to each one who emailed us during the holiday season, sent cards, sent pictures, etc. The holiday season is always difficult here, being separated by thousands of miles from those we love. The Lord gave us grace and strength once again, and we appreciate each of you more than you know. Each thought or card was welcomed and greatly appreciated. We wish each of you a wonderful 2015 ahead. May the Lord richly bless you all.
Serving in Kitale,
Nathan and Carrie Radford
P.O. Box 4150
Kitale, Kenya
East Africa, 30200
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Missionary Update: The Radfords in Kenya [December 2014]
Nathan and Carrie Radford serve the Lord in Kitale, Kenya. Their main ministries include indigenous church planting, a prison ministry, and a hospital ministry for mothers with premature babies.
December 3, 2014
Dear praying friends,
It is now the end of 2014 and we are rapidly approaching 2015. We hope and pray that each of you had a great 2014 and will have an upcoming year of 2015 that is filled with all the joys of serving the Lord and trusting in His promises each step of the way. The future can be somewhat of a challenge to us, as we live day by day, but what a joy to know that the Lord will not leave us, forsake us, and will be with us through all our challenges. I love the quote that says “I do not know what the future holds, but I know Who holds the future.”
As I reflect on this past year, it was certainly filled with challenges for our family. Our time of furlough in America was very nice, and as always, it was very busy and filled with much traveling. Upon our return back to Africa, Kenya specifically, there were other challenges, such as getting used to the way of life here, getting our family adjusted back, and getting our daughter McKenna started in homeschooling. These were just some of the changes from this past year.
The hospital ministry is continuing along well. My wife comes back after going and many weeks there are more babies and mothers than the supplies she took for the ministry! We have to regularly order supplies for this ministry as there are many mothers and needy babies. We need to remember to have a sensitive to heart to those who are in need. Psalm 41:1 says “Blessed is he that considereth the poor: the Lord will deliver him in time of trouble.” Please pray for my wife and all the babies there who are in need. Please pray also for the Gospel tracts that are given to the mothers, that the mothers would read them and be saved. We desire to be faithful and trust the Lord with the results.
The church planting ministry is continuing along, but there are definite challenges. One of the main challenges is to find men who will go out and be independent of us. Men that will rely wholly on the Lord and His provisions for them. Men that will be faithful to the Word and not change the truth of it. Men that will realize their responsibilities before God, their friends, and their families, and be faithful to them. These are the kind of men that we are looking for, and trusting God to provide in His time and plan. It is better to be patient and wait on the Lord than trying to rush ahead. Lamentations 3:25 says “The Lord is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him.” We trust the Lord through all of these challenges, and know He will be faithful through it all. We appreciate your prayers, that the Lord would bring the right men to train in His timing.
In family news, it has been a good year, and a year of growth for our two daughters, McKenna and Camille. They have had to learn to get along, apologize to each other, and love each other through all the challenges of growing up. They both have a sensitive spirit and it is a joy to be their parents. McKenna has started homeschooling this year, and seems to be enjoying it. It takes much preparation for my wife, but she is trained in education and is enjoying this new role as schoolteacher. We thank the Lord that there is a family nearby with children around the age of our daughters that they can play with. This is a big answer to prayer, but we continue to pray for other missionary families to come who would have children to play with our children. Believe it or not, this is a major challenge for missionaries, to have friends for their children to play with. It is easy for the needs of children to be overlooked and unchecked, and I am mentioning this to ask you to pray not only for our daughters, but the children of missionaries around the world, as they have needs as well. God has been answering prayer for this, and we continue to pray.
We wish each of you a great 2015. May we each be faithful to serve, wherever the Lord has us. May we be fervent in our service, and faithful in our lives. May we continue to seek His will, pray, and have the spirit of service, even when it is difficult or challenging. Have a great 2015 and we will keep you updated.
Thanks again so much for all you do and your heart for missions in East Africa.
Serving in Kenya,
P.O. Box 4150
Kitale, Kenya
East Africa, 30200
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Missionary Update: The Radfords in Kenya [November 2014]
Nathan and Carrie Radford serve the Lord in Kitale, Kenya. Their main ministries include indigenous church planting, a prison ministry, and a hospital ministry for mothers with premature babies.
November 5, 2014
Dear praying friends,
We hope this update finds each of you doing well. It is hard to believe that the holiday season is already upon us, as I am thinking specifically of Thanksgiving for this month. May we be thankful for all the Lord does for us, provides for us, and how He is with us always as we serve Him. What a mighty God we serve! As someone has said, “Count your blessings, not your problems.”
It is always difficult to be away from those we love during the holidays, so we would greatly appreciate your prayers for us at this time. Missing friends, family, those we love, and our culture is especially hard at this time. Homesickness is something that many missionaries struggle with, not just ourselves, so please remember all who serve overseas. God’s grace and strength are very helpful, and how we need to rely upon Him not just during the holidays, but throughout the year. 2 Corinthians 12:9 says “And He said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for My strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.” Verses such as this are such a help and encouragement.
The Annex prison ministry is continuing along well. There is a group of men who seem to be serious in their study of the Word of God and desire to grow spiritually. This past week, I taught on our enemy, Satan, and how we can rely on the Lord in our spiritual battles. The men seemed to enjoy the teachings and verses such as 1 John 4:4, which states “Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.” There are many more studies to pass through, so please continue to pray for the men as they learn more from the Word of God.
Church planting is continuing along well, for which I thank the Lord. My friend Roger Tate and I are continuing along with the foundational teachings that those we train should know, understand, and practice. The churches need to be independent, self-supporting, and self-reliant, trusting in the Lord to provide for them. The leaders need to know and practice the teachings of the Word, such as Philippians 4:19, which states “But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” God will supply their needs, and they need to look to Him and trust in Him for all things. It has been exciting to train qualified men and watch their growth as they grasp these truths. They are many more teachings to give to the men, so please pray for us as we continue to teach and train.
May each of you have a great Thanksgiving holiday ahead. Enjoy the time with your friends, family, and those you love. One quote I read that really challenged me was “Never take those you love for granted.” May we always make the time for others and enjoy our time together. God bless you and we will keep you updated.
Serving in Kenya,
P.O. Box 4150
Kitale, Kenya
East Africa, 30200
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Missionary Update: The Radfords in Kenya [October 2014]
Nathan and Carrie Radford serve the Lord in Kitale, Kenya. Their main ministries include indigenous church planting, a prison ministry, and a hospital ministry for mothers with premature babies.
October 5, 2014
Dear praying friends,
We hope this update finds each of you doing well as you serve the Lord. We appreciate each of you so much, more than you know.
It is hard to believe we are only two months away from the end of 2014. As someone has wisely said, “Now is the time to invest in eternity.”
We thank the Lord for each of you who have written to tell us you are praying for us, or sent cards, etc. Your thoughtfulness means so much and we thank God for you and your encouragement. We are upcoming on a difficult time of year, as the holidays are coming soon. Homesickness is one thing we really struggle with at times, and we rely on the Lord to help us through it. It comes and goes at different times and in different periods of intensity, yet the Lord is so faithful through it all.
Church planting is progressing along well, although there are major challenges. My friend and partner, Roger Tate, and I are doing our best to teach Kenyan men to rely on the Lord and not us. This is a challenge for many of the men, but something they definitely need to see from the Word of God and apply to their lives. Psalm 34:8 says “O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him.” We will keep you updated on the progress of training qualified Kenyan men to go and reach their own people and start churches in the Kitale area.
I thank the Lord that He has kept the opportunity of ministry open to the Annex prison. The chaplain there was so nice and helpful and I really thank the Lord for that. Please pray for the men there, that the light of the Word of God would shine there and many would be saved. Acts 26:18 states “To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me.”
The children are doing well and growing up too fast. McKenna has been in homeschooling for several weeks now and both McKenna and Mom seem to be doing well. Camille will be having her time to start schooling soon. This is definitely a new period in all of our lives and stretching for us. I am so thankful for my wife and her sacrificial spirit to work with each of our daughters each day. Not only is she a great teacher, but also mother and encourager to me. I am truly blessed. Please pray for this school year, that all will go well and much good knowledge will be learned and applied.
We thank the Lord for each one of you and your interest in missions. We will keep you updated. Have a wonderful upcoming holiday season.
Serving in Kenya,
P.O. Box 4150
Kitale, Kenya
East Africa, 30200
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