Missionary Update: The Radfords in Kenya [September 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.
September 4, 2014
Dear praying friends,
We are now in the latter part of 2014. I keep asking myself, “Where has the time gone?” It seems the older I get, the faster the time passes by. How we need to take time for that which is important during our lives, as this life is so short and brief in comparison to eternity.
This past month was a difficult one for our family, as my grandmother, Mrs. Ruby Harris, passed away at the age of 90. My mother’s mother was such a blessing to me all through my life, and such a prayer warrior and supporter of the missionary work God has called us to. She was a strong Christian, and is now in the presence of the Lord and in a far better place. Some verses that come to my mind are Psalm 116:15, which says “Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints.” Another great verse to claim is 2 Corinthians 5:8, which states, “We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.” Please keep the family in prayer at this time.
It is now rainy season in Kitale, and it can be tricky at times to travel on the Milimani roads, which become very muddy after the rains. I recall at one point several years ago where it rained so hard that even taxis would not come to pick us for fear of getting stuck! Please pray for our safety as we travel. The rain is certainly a blessing, and it is a total switch from the seasons of where I am from in America, so it takes some getting adjusted to.
Speaking of adjustments, our daughter McKenna officially starts school this week. Please pray for both mother and daughter as my wife will be home schooling her. This will be a big change for my daughter and the years ahead. Please pray she will do well, as she is a smart little girl.
My wife has begun the hospital ministry and it is going well. The staff have been very friendly and inviting, and we thank the Lord for that. God has kept the door of ministry open there for her to minister to mothers, children, and abandoned babies.
Church planting endeavors need much prayer, as there are many challenges, which I have shared previously in monthly updates. Please pray the Lord would give us wisdom in regards to who to work with, etc. We know He is in control and we trust Him. Lord willing, we will also be offering a basic Christianity course. What is a Christian? What does it mean to follow Christ? These are some of the questions that we will be answering from the Word of God, in addition to other teachings.
Please pray for us as we seek to follow Him daily. One of my favorite verses is Luke 9:23, which says “And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.” Are we willing to follow Him today and every day? I hope and pray so. God bless you all and thanks so much for your prayers, encouragement, and sacrificial giving. We will keep you updated.
Serving in Kenya,
Nathan and Carrie Radford
P.O. Box 4150
Kitale, Kenya
East Africa, 30200
Read more
Missionary Update: The Radfords in Kenya [August 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.
August 4, 2014
Dear praying friends,
We are now in the month of August, and it is hard to believe we are more than halfway past the year 2014. Soon will be the time for holidays and other times of fellowship with friends, family, and others. What a blessing it is to be a part of where the Lord is working. I pray that we will be faithful to where He leads. As one has wisely said, “Follow where He leads, and you will not go wrong.”
Thanks so much to each one who prayed for the hospital ministry permit. We greatly appreciate it. I am thankful to announce that the permit has processed successfully in Nairobi, the capital city, and my wife is official to continue along with that ministry. We are thankful for answered prayer and for the Lord leading and directing her to serve here in Kitale. The permit is good for three years, after which at the end of this time, we will need to reapply for it. We are thankful to each of you who pray for this ministry, give sacrificially, or help in any way. Please pray for my wife as she plans to begin soon, Lord willing.
There was a government rally in Nairobi this past month, called “saba saba.” In Swahili, the national language of Kenya, that stands for “seven seven,” or July 7th. People were concerned at this rally, as there were some grievances that were thought to be brought forth, which can lead to violence. There were thousands of police officers on duty and we thank the Lord that the rally passed along peacefully. God has answered a lot of prayer for safety, as even the last election went smoothly. Psalm 34:19 says ” Many are the afflictionsof the righteous: but the Lord delivereth him out of them all.” How we need to trust the Lord each day, and not just at times such at these. It is wonderful to know that even if we do pass through trials or times of uncertainty, the Lord is there and will protect and help.
In family news, the girls are doing well. We recently bought them a small puppy to help them to have a friend to play with here. The Lord provided one close by in Kitale at a very reasonable price. McKenna named the puppy “Betsy” and has loved each day of being with her, except when she cries at night and keeps us awake! This is all part of having a puppy to play with, and I am sure she will do fine as we have her longer. She is just six weeks old now, and a really good family dog that is loyal. Although this does help them, please continue to pray with us that the Lord will provide other children in Kitale the age of our daughters, as most of the children are older and it is difficult to make good friends. We know the Lord will take care of this in His time and plan. His plan is best, and we trust Him.
God bless each of you and we will keep you updated. Thanks to each of you for your heart for missions.
Serving in Kenya,
Nathan and Carrie Radford
P.O. Box 4150
Kitale, Kenya
East Africa, 30200
Read more
Missionary Update: The Radfords in Kenya [July 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.
July 4, 2014
As we reflect on this 4th of July holiday, may we remember to pray for our country, its leaders, and our future. A couple of verses come to mind. One is Proverbs 14:34, which says “Righteousness exalteth a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people.” Another verse to consider is Psalm 33:12, which states “Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD; and the people whom he hath chosen for his own inheritance.” May we always remember to keep our country in prayer as we continue to serve the Lord. We hope that each of you have a great holiday, with friends, family, and others at this time.
We praise the Lord that we have arrived safe and sound back to Kitale. It is one thing to travel to Kenya, and another entirely to travel to Kitale. Kitale is around 7 hours north, and is an exhausting trip by itself. We are thankful that we arrived back and were able to recover from jetlag, although it took a couple of days. It was so nice to see friends in the missionary community and meet new missionaries who have come before we arrived back. We are so thankful for those of you who helped us in any way with our travels, and who prayed for us as we traveled. We greatly appreciate it.
Please be in prayer for my wife and the hospital ministry as she is waiting for her permit to be reviewed. We have applied for it, filled out the papers, and now are awaiting a response, hopefully by next week. We trust the Lord will keep the door there open as long as He wants her to serve there. Psalm 86:11 says “Teach me thy way, O LORD; I will walk in thy truth: unite my heart to fear thy name.” Thanks for your prayers for this ministry.
I thank the Lord for the plans that we have for this term in church planting. Lord willing, the plan that my partner Roger Tate and I have is to train Godly, qualified men to go out and start churches in Kenyan villages. We have rented a small room on the outskirts of Kitale town to begin our training. Please pray for us, that the Lord will lead and guide us in these endeavors. We can do nothing without Him, and we need help from Him each step of the way. We are excited about what God will do this term, and we will keep you updated.
Please also pray for the prison ministry, as I plan to go there soon to begin again, Lord willing. We lay all of our plans before the Lord, and trust Him each step of the way. He is so faithful, and it is a privilege to serve Him. God bless each of you for your interest in missions around the world. We will keep you updated. Please notice our change of address.
Serving in Kenya,
Nathan and Carrie Radford
P.O. Box 4150
Kitale, Kenya
East Africa, 30200
Read more
Missionary Update: The Radfords in Kenya [June 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.
June 2, 2014
Dear praying friends,
As I type this letter, it is so hard to believe that we board a plane later this week and begin our journey to Nairobi, Kenya. From Nairobi, Lord willing, we will then travel to Kitale after a few days of busyness and government paperwork. This is certainly a hectic week with much to do. Please pray for my wife as she has the massive job of deciding what to pack, leave, etc., for our term in Kenya. Please also pray for our daughters, as they will be going through transitions in the days ahead. They seem excited to be getting back, for which we are thankful. They are excited to get back and settled into Kitale and miss our animals. It is always nice to reunite and get back with our friends, missionary family, and others. I hear that Kitale has changed some since leaving, so we are excited to see what the changes are.
Thanks so much to each one who has been interested in the hospital ministry and also for those who have donated blankets and other supplies. We really appreciate your heart for the babies and the mothers and the Lord will bless you for your generosity. Proverbs 22:9 states “He that hath a bountiful eye shall be blessed; for he giveth of his bread to the poor.” We appreciate each of you so much.
Please also pray for us as we apply for the hospital work permit for my wife. As I said before, she now needs her own permit. I also will most likely need to apply for a permit for the Annex prison upon returning. The Lord knows all of this and we trust Him for the necessary permits and paperwork. We need to trust Him and remember He is in control of all things. A quote I liked said “He is calm who believes God is sovereign.” How true this is. Proverbs 16:9 says “A man’s heart deviseth his way: but the Lord directeth his steps.” How we need the Lord to direct our steps and wisdom from Him. Please keep these things above in prayer as well.
I will do my best to keep each of you updated who are interested, pray for us, give sacrificially, or are involved in any way in the Lord’s work in Kitale. We cannot thank each of you enough for your heart for missions and your assistance in any way. You are such an important part of the work. The famous missionary, William Carey, said “I will go down if you will hold the rope.” Thanks to each of you for “holding the rope” for us while we are in Kenya. May the Lord bless you abundantly for all you do. Please pray for our flights ahead, that they will proceed without any issues, and also for our transitions to Kenya and ultimately, Lord willing, Kitale. We will keep you updated. Please note and use our mailing address for Kitale, Kenya.
Serving in Kenya,
Nathan and Carrie Radford
P.O. Box 4150
Kitale, Kenya
East Africa, 30200
Read more
Missionary Update: The Radfords on Furlough from Kenya [May 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.
May 5, 2014
Dear praying friends,
As I write this prayer letter, my mind is already thinking to about a month from now, when Lord willing, we will be boarding a plane to head back to Nairobi and our life in Kenya. It is hard to believe that our furlough here in the States is almost over. It seems like just a few weeks ago that we were heading back to America. It is honestly amazing how quickly time passes.
Please pray for us and the upcoming term. There is a lot to pray about. Please pray for our family and the adjustments ahead. Our daughters will now have to be in an adjustment phase of their lives, and we will all need time to adjust back to life in a different country thousands of miles away from our home country. We will probably face some issues of “reverse culture shock,” which basically is adjusting back to a different country and ways of doing things. We go through “culture shock” when coming back to America after living overseas for many months, then go through “reverse culture shock” when returning. So, it is always some form of cultural shock and adjustments.
The Lord will help us through it all, I am confident. We trust in Him, pray to Him, and rely on Him through all these challenges. I like Jeremiah 23:23-24, which states “Am I a God at hand, saith the Lord, and not a God afar off? Can any hide himself in secret places that I shall not see him? saith the Lord. Do not I fill heaven and earth? saith the Lord.” It is wonderful to know that God is near, not afar off, and will help us each step of the way.
Please pray for the country of Kenya, the people there that we desire to serve and reach, and for us through the daily challenges. We thank the Lord so much for each one of you who prays for us, gives sacrificially, and has partnered with us in any way to reach the people of Kenya. You mean more to us than you will ever know and we are so thankful to you.
I will do my best to give you a current update once upon arrival back to Kenya, Lord willing. The main thing to pray for at this time is what I have previously mentioned and our upcoming trip across the world. Traveling with children is a challenge, so we would covet your prayers for that also. We appreciate each of you so much and will keep you updated. Take care and God bless you.
Serving in Kenya,
Nathan and Carrie Radford
315 College Street
Youngsville, PA 16371
Read more
Missionary Update: The Radfords on Furlough from Kenya [April 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.
April 2, 2014
Dear praying friends,
We wanted to write and thank you all so much for your prayers for us during our furlough as we have been in America. It is hard to believe that Lord willing, we plan to return to Kenya in early June. The time has passed so fast, and we appreciate your prayers for the remainder of our time here.
I have recently been reading a book on “third culture” kids and those who live and grow up overseas. Suffice it to say that as I have been reading the book, my eyes have been really opened. I had no idea the challenges that those growing up between cultures face. It is so easy for children to get overlooked and for their needs to not be known or addressed. As I read the book and continue to read it, the Lord has been showing me ways that I can try to help and assist our daughters in different ways.
One of the main challenges that they face is “Home is everywhere and home is nowhere.” Meaning, they grow up in different cultures but neither culture is home. There is no ownership within that culture. This feeling contributes to restlessness and rootlessness. Among the uprooting between cultures, different challenges emerge for them. I have much more of the book to read, but please pray for me, that God would give me wisdom for how best to help them as we live and serve overseas and return for our time of reporting here in America. I am thankful for this book and the insight it has given.
Please also pray for us as we have much to do before returning to Kenya, Lord willing. My wife has huge tasks ahead of her, as she is trying to decide what to take for the term ahead, what to leave behind, schooling supplies, etc. I cannot imagine all the pressures that she will be under soon, and we covet your prayers for us as we work through all of the packing issues. Psalm 4:1 states “Hear me when I call , O God of my righteousness: thou hast enlarged me when I was in distress; have mercy upon me, and hear my prayer.”
Thanks so much to each one of you who prays for us, gives sacrificially, and is involved in missions across the world. Each of you are such a blessing and we thank the Lord for you.
We will keep you updated.
Serving in Kenya,
Nathan and Carrie Radford
315 College Street
Youngsville, PA 16371
Read more
Missionary Update: The Radfords on Furlough from Kenya [March 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.
March 4, 2014
Dear praying friends,
Another month has come and passed, and it is hard to believe it is already the month of March. We have enjoyed so much our time of furlough and getting to spend time with friends, family, and supporters. Each of you are so special to us, and it is always good to get back home to get refreshed. This reminds me of a verse that I remind myself of often, and is an encouragement. It is Matthew 11:28, which says, “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” How we need to come to the Lord when we feel overwhelmed, discouraged, or need refreshed. What a great promise from the Scriptures.
Please pray for the various ministries as they continue along while we are home. One major prayer request we have currently is for the hospital ministry. As some of you may not be aware, the government has now made it mandatory for my wife to get a work permit to continue along with this ministry. Previously, she worked under my work permit, but now things have changed and she needs her own. Of course, we trust the Lord for this, and we plan to get working on the permit immediately upon our return in June, Lord willing. We know the Lord will keep the door open there as long as He wants her there. A verse that has been a comfort is Psalm 62:8, which says “Trust in him at all times; ye people, pour out your heart before him: God is a refuge for us. Selah.” How we need to trust in the Lord all through our lives, and realize He is our refuge. Thanks so much to each one who sends supplies for this ministry, prays for my wife, or sends finances sacrificially. Each of you are a blessing. We will keep you updated.
Our daughter Camille turned three years old last month. That is hard to believe. It was so good that we got to celebrate her birthday together as a family. McKenna will turn six years old next month, Lord willing. Parenting is a privilege, and we thank the Lord for both of our daughters. If you are a parent, it would be wise to cherish the times that you have together, as time passes so quickly and before you know it, the children are all grown up. Please continue to pray for both of them as they grow and progress along in their young lives.
Please also pray for our vehicle as we have had to travel many miles while we have been home. Please pray that it will do well along all the miles, through all the snow and roads of this rough winter, and that it would not have any major repairs. So far, it has done well, but there is still much traveling ahead.
God bless each of you. We will keep you updated.
315 College Street
Youngsville, PA 16371
Read more
Missionary Update: The Radfords on Furlough from Kenya [February 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.
February 5, 2014
This prayer letter will share some things that have been on my heart recently in regards to the harvest, as we will see from the book of Matthew.
It is hard to believe that we are already into February 2014, as time is passing so fast. It is also hard to believe that our second daughter, Camille, will be turning three years old later this month. McKenna will be six years old in April. Where has the time gone? It seems like they were just babies. Time really does fly.
Recently, as I have studied the Scriptures and examined myself in regards to the harvest, I have been very challenged. Our Lord cares so much for the harvest and those that need to be reached, yet so many times it is easy to develop a cold heart and a forgetful heart in regards to my responsibilities.
Please consider the following challenging verses from Matthew 9:36-38.
“But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd. Then saith he unto his disciples, The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few; Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest.”
Let us notice a few things from these verses. The Lord was moved with compassion toward the multitudes. Why? Because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd. When I read these verses, I have to ask myself, Do I have a heart of compassion for the lost? For the multitudes? Do I truly see them as the Lord did, as sheep having no shepherd?
Do I truly pray for the harvest the way that I should? How will I get involved in the harvest? Would I truly “sign up” to be involved in the harvest, even if it meant many difficulties, burdens, challenges, etc? These are questions that I have had to ask myself when I read these verses. I hope and pray that I would. How we need to remind ourselves of verses such as these and see the heart of the Lord. I believe if we truly examine these verses, we will be personally involved in the harvest in some way, whether that is by praying, giving, or going. How is the Lord leading you to be involved in the harvest field? Will we truly have a heart of availabilty? One of my favorite Scriptures is Isaiah 6:8, which says ” Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me.”
I pray we would respond, “Here am I; send me.” May the Lord bless you all this month and through the rest of 2014. Thank you so much for being mindful of the harvest in Kitale, and for your prayers and your sacrificial giving. We could not do this without your support and prayers. Each of you are such a blessing to us.
315 College Street
Youngsville, PA 16371
Read more
