Getting Back in the Swing of Things in Kenya
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, 2018
Dear praying friends,
Happy 2018! Another year has come and gone, and now we have a new year filled with opportunities to serve God and others. It is easy to look at the past year and possibly regret some opportunities we had that we did not use to serve God, but this new year, may we look with anticipation at the areas and chances that God gives us to serve Him. May we truly have the attitude of a servant, realizing that we will be rewarded by Him for our service. Only one life will soon be past, only what is done for Christ will last.
This past month was crazy busy for us as a family as we were in the process of moving. As I shared recently, there were security issues at our last place and we really felt after prayer and seeking the Lord’s will, that we should move to a safer area of Kitale. We packed tons of boxes, got them all loaded on moving trucks, loaded our personal items and moved to a different location. It is always hard to move, but we really felt the Lord’s leading in it. We now praise the Lord that we are in a safer area. Please pray for our family and our adjustments at this time.
Speaking of family, our girls go back to school early this next week, January 9th. This is also a very big transition for them, as they are used to homeschooling, but my wife and I both feel that they need this time of socialization with other children and activities that the school offers. We are both so thankful for this school and many other missionaries have their children enrolled as well. This is a big answer to prayer and we thank the Lord for providing this opportunity for our daughters.
Please pray for me (Nathan) as I seek to get back into ministry in the near future. It has been so crazy busy with moving, waiting out the election, etc. Please pray for God to lead and guide me and give me wisdom as I seek the Lord’s leading in regard to serving others here. We thank the Lord that He recently provided the work permit for my wife, so this is a big blessing. My permit (Nathan) is also up for renewal soon, so please pray if it would be the Lord’s will, that it would be renewed without any problem. We trust God to lead and guide us. Psalm 25:4-5 says “Shew me thy ways, O LORD; teach me thy paths. Lead me in thy truth, and teach me: for thou art the God of my salvation; on thee do I wait all the day.” May this be our prayer as we serve the Lord this upcoming year.
Lastly, we would appreciate your prayers for safety as we drive in Kitale. The traffic here has become so heavy and the roads are narrow in some areas, with many accidents occurring recently. The drivers are impatient and overtake, and there are so many motorcycles, bicycle taxis, regular taxis, etc. We trust the Lord for our safety and would covet your prayers for this. We appreciate each of you so much, your faithful prayer support and sacrificial giving. May the Lord bless you for your mindfulness of missions around the world.
Serving Him,
Nathan and Carrie Radford
P.O. Box 4150
Kitale, Kenya, East Africa
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.
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Preparing to Move; Daughters Excited for New School!
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 30, 2017
Dear praying friends,
We hope this finds each of you doing well as we round out the year of 2017. Hard to believe we are on the verge of another new year, and another year where we can faithfully serve the Lord and use the opportunities that He gives us. What a privilege it is to serve Him. We hope each of you have a great upcoming Christmas holiday, and a happy upcoming 2018. This update will share current updates as well as prayer requests.
One major prayer request we have since we have returned is for safety while driving in Kitale. Since we have returned to Kitale, it seems the traffic here has become even more congested than when we left. The roads are narrow, and there is a large amount of traffic each day that passes through. Imagine bicycles to the side of the roads, cars who are impatient and want to overtake where there is no room, and motorcycles all over the place, also impatient and trying to overtake. We always take careful precautions when traveling here, and we would appreciate your prayers even more, for the Lord to watch over us as we go back and forth to town. Please pray for everyone else as well who uses the roads, for their safety. God has been so faithful to protect us and we continue to trust Him each day as we drive here.
Another big announcement that we have is that after prayer, and searching for the Lord’s will, we have decided to move to a safer area within the Kitale area. As many of you know, there was a large amount of unrest at our compound last term. The back fence was broken several times, our hedge was cut several times, a light was shone late at night in the compound, our electricity fuse was stolen so we would be in the dark, the gate was shaken off the hinges, etc. Our neighbors have also had security issues, and there were even other incidents near our place when we were on furlough, so we really feel it is time to get to a safer area in Kitale. Please pray for us as we pack up, try to keep track of things, and for the transition as we move. It is a huge job, but we feel it is really wise and prudent at this time to move, given all the unrest in our area. Please pray for my wife as she is very overwhelmed with trying to keep track of where things are, etc. We feel very at peace with this decision and we are trusting God. Psalm 32:8 says “I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with Mine eye.” It will be a very busy upcoming few weeks, and we would covet your prayers for us as we pack and go. God is in control and we trust Him for our safety.
Our daughters have been out of school for a few weeks and are anxious to get back into the swing of things in early January, Lord willing. This has been a good time for them to rest, spend time with us, and our daughter McKenna has been honing in on her drawing skills. She has been taking some art lessons (as well as Camille, our other daughter) and has been really improving and drawing beautifully. We are so thankful for the new school and the activities that it has given our daughters. This has been much needed in Kitale and a huge answer to prayer.
We wish you all a great Christmas holiday and time with your families. Please pray for all the missionaries on the field, as the holiday season is a difficult time for them. We appreciate each of you so much and thank the Lord for your prayers, sacrificial giving, and letters of encouragement. You are a huge blessing.
Serving in Kenya,
Nathan and Carrie Radford
P.O. Box 4150
Kitale, Kenya, East Africa
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
Back in Kenya with a Big Answer to Prayer
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 31, 2017
We are now at the end of 2017, and this year has passed so quickly. I am reminded of how short life is when I think of how time flies. It seems the older I get, the faster it goes. I am sure that is true for everyone. God is so faithful and may we use our days to worship Him, serve Him, love Him, and bring Him glory. He deserves all praise and glory for all things. 1 Corinthians 10:31 says “Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.”
In family news, October is a big month for our family. My wife and I celebrated our 13th anniversary, and also I (Nathan) turned 41 this past month. Both days were great days of celebration with friends here in Kitale. I am thankful for a wife who sacrifices daily on the mission field, giving up many comforts, to serve the Lord here. She is truly a blessing and I am so thankful for her and her servant spirit. I hope and pray we will have many more years together.
Also in family news, we have had what seems to be a huge answer to prayer. As you know, we have struggled to find friends for our daughters here in Kitale. This is one of the biggest struggles for missionary children, having social interaction and friends their age to play with. Many times the needs of missionary children can be overlooked, so we have wanted to bring their needs before others so they can be in prayer for them.
Praise the Lord, He has answered this prayer in a big way. There is now a Christian school in Kitale with approximately 70 children enrolled at present. The school is now closed for break, but when it begins in January, they plan to have 100 students there. It is growing and expanding and offers many extracurricular activities, such as drama, art, music lessons, Swahili lessons (the language of Kenya), French language lessons, etc. There are further plans to even provide more in the future, but this is a great start. McKenna and Camille had the opportunity to go for about two weeks and were already making good friends, so we are so thankful for this and praise God for this big answer to prayer.
In regards to the presidential election here, it is still continuing along. As I reported last month, the prior election in August was annulled and they did a second election last week. The voter turnout was much lower than the first election, and some areas had delays in voting due to protests and violence. I know the winner will be announced soon, so please pray for the country, for the stability of the country, for no further unrest that is not necessary, and for it to be settled. Unrest has been in certain pockets of the country and we have done our best to stay safe, stock up on supplies, and all the usual things that would be expected in a time of insecurity and possible unrest. We know God is in control and we trust Him in all these things.
We appreciate each of you so much and your prayers, sacrificial giving, and notes and letters of encouragement. You are all such a blessing and we are thankful to you. We will keep you updated.
Nathan and Carrie Radford
P.O. Box 4150
Kitale, Kenya, East Africa
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
Back in Kenya—Pray for Peace
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 2, 2017
We hope this update finds you all doing well. As I write this, we are at our home town in Kitale, Kenya. I will give a current update on the state of the country as well as prayer requests. We appreciate each of you so much who prayed for our trip, our safety, and our readjustments back to life here in Africa.
My wife worked tirelessly to get everything packed up for us for our upcoming term on the field. It is a massive job to try to figure out what to take, what to leave, what is needed right now, etc. I am so thankful for her and all her hard work in these areas, as I would not know where to even begin. Her mother is also a big help to us in this regard and we thank the Lord for her also.
Please pray for us as we are all in the process of adjustments back to life on the mission field. Simple things that we take for granted in America, such as stable electricity, stable Internet, water to come faithfully without delay, etc. are real challenges to daily life here. Please also pray for our daughters as they are adjusting back to life here. They have both done amazingly well in adjusting and we are very proud of them. Please pray for them to get regular friends, have fun activities, and for their health and well-being here. It has been a very busy past week, as I (Nathan) have been going all over trying to get bills paid, things hooked up, etc. It is always a rough few first days but I am thankful I have gotten a lot done.
Kenya held a presidential election on August 8th and a president was elected. Two weeks later, the results were annulled because of “anomalies.” What exactly those things are I don’t really know, and all that is known at this point is a repeat election scheduled for October 26th. This is disappointing, as we stayed abroad to wait for all these things to be done and over with, and now we have to prepare for it, buy extra supplies, possibly hire extra security, etc. until it is settled. Please pray for peace in the country and closure to the election process of 2017. God is in control and we trust Him. Psalm 115:3 says “But our God is in the heavens: He hath done whatsoever He hath pleased.”
We will keep you updated on life here on the mission field. We appreciate each of you so much and thank God for you. Blessings to each of you and thanks again.
In Kitale,
Nathan and Carrie Radford
Nathan and Carrie Radford
P.O. Box 4150
Kitale, Kenya, East Africa
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
Preparing to Return to Kenya
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 31, 2017
Dear praying friends,
Another month has come and gone, and we are nearing the end of 2017. This year has passed so quickly, and is a reminder of how short our lives are here on earth compared to eternity. May we serve faithfully while we can, and serve God by serving others. This update will share current happenings in Kenya and our plans.
Thanks so much to each one of you who prayed for us in regards to the election earlier in the month. You never know how an election will go. The one last time passed fairly peacefully, but the one before that was followed by much unrest in the country. We felt the wisest and safest thing to do was to wait until the election was over before considering our return.
All in all, the election passed fairly peacefully, although there were small pockets of unrest in the larger cities. There were thousands of police who were deployed all over the country to help with any unrest our violence, so the country was well prepared. Even as I type this, the election winner has not officially been declared yet. The results are being challenged and an official winner is to be announced this weekend. We don’t think any major unrest will happen at this time, but we still request prayer for peace in the country and that people will accept the results without resorting to any violence. God is in control and we trust in Him. Psalm 56:3 says “What time I am afraid, I will trust in Thee.”
We feel it is safe to return at this time and we plan to return to Kenya in mid-September, Lord willing. Please pray for us as there is still a lot to do, with packing for two years, as well as trying to remember everything that needs to get done. It can be a stressful time, but we are thankful for those who help us with all the details as we pack up and return.
Please pray for us and the transitions ahead. It is always emotional to leave our country, and familiar things to us, but we are following where God leads, trusting Him each step of the way. Lord willing, I will give a more detailed update next month. We appreciate each of you, who give sacrificially, pray for us, or assist us in any way. You are a blessing. Please note our field address for correspondence.
Serving Him,
Nathan and Carrie Radford
Nathan and Carrie Radford
Furlough Address:
P.O. Box 4150
Kitale, Kenya, East Africa
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
Awaiting News on Kenyan Presidential Election; Preparing to Return
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 31, 2017
Dear praying friends,
As I type this, we are now a little over a week from the presidential election in Kenya. It is scheduled for August 8th, and we would ask prayer specifically for the country, for the response of the nation after the results are announced, and for peace and stability. We just simply don’t know how things will turn out. We trust God in all these matters and know He is in complete control of all things. What a mighty God we serve.
I (Nathan) have been working hard in translating materials on church planting from English into Swahili, the national language of Kenya. It has been a challenge, and definitely a good refresher to brush up on the words that I have learned. I still have some more translating to do, but am pleased with the progress so far. I have needed to refer to a dictionary as I have translated, as there are still many words that are used that I struggle to get the meaning. This is one of the main challenges on the mission field, using the language and trying to understand what others are saying. Many times the words are said so quickly that even if you do understand the meanings, it is still hard to follow. Please pray for me as I continue along, that I would get it all translated. It is a big project, but God has been helping me with it.
Please continue to pray for our family, especially for our health when we return. It has been good for our family to get a break from all the many health issues overseas and to give our bodies a time of refreshment and stability. Please also continue to pray that God would provide friends for our daughters, as this is a big need for them on the mission field. We are thankful for these prayers and God has been answering. He is so faithful.
I will give a much more in-depth update on the country of Kenya and how things are going once I know in more detail in the next few days. We definitely plan to return, but want to wait and ensure the country is safe and stable before returning. It is all in God’s hands. Not only is the election in His hands, but our times are in His hands. I am reminded of Psalm 31:15, which says, “My times are in thy hand: deliver me from the hands of mine enemies, and from them that persecute me.” Thanks so much for your faithfulness, prayers, and sacrificial giving. We appreciate you each so much.
Nathan and Carrie Radford
Furlough Address:
56 Lobo Lane
Culloden, WV 25510
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
Translating Materials in the States During Kenyan Election
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 30, 2017
Dear praying friends,
We hope and pray this finds each of you doing well as you serve the Lord. What a privilege it is to have the opportunities to serve the Lord, and may we make the most of the opportunities that we have each day. We can serve God by serving others. Philippians 2:3-4 says “Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.” May we have an attitude of humility before the Lord, as we serve Him, as well as serving others.
Some of you do not receive the prayer letter by email, so I wanted to write by snail mail and update you on our plans for returning to Kenya. Later this year, in August, Kenya will hold a presidential election. Presidential elections in Kenya can go either way – they can be fine and peaceful, or they can be problematic. The last election five years ago passed fairly peacefully, but the one before that, there were many uprisings and problems throughout the country. After seeking the Lord’s will on the matter, and seeking advisement from our mission board and the pastor of our sending church, we all agreed that it is best to wait it out and go back after the election has passed. I believe this is the wisest move at this time and feel at peace with the decision.
Please pray for the country of Kenya and those who will be there during the election. I read that the nationals are tired of the unrest and uprisings and do not want to see a repeat of 2007, as there was much loss in the country at that time due to the unrest. Please pray that no matter what the outcome and results, that the people would accept it without turning to violence in any way. God is in control of all things, and sovereign. He rules and reigns over all matters, and nothing is outside of His control. Praise Him for that. What a mighty God we serve. Nothing is too hard for Him. I take comfort in a verse such as Jeremiah 32:27, which says ” Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh: is there any thing too hard for Me?” Of course, the answer to that is an affirmative NO! He has all things under His control.
As we have this time in America while waiting on the election results, I (Nathan) plan to do much translating of our training materials from English to Swahili, the language of Kenya. Yes, this will be a big project, but I really feel it needs to be done and should be translated into the language of the people. It will not be easy and will be challenging, as I have not used Swahili in several months, but it will be a good time to “brush up” in the language and practice, even when not in the country. So, if you could please pray for me during that project, it would be appreciated.
Please also pray for God to raise up Godly, Biblically qualified men for me (Nathan) to train. Please pray that God would raise up leaders for the churches that Lord willing, will be established for the glory of God. To Him be the glory for all things. Please also pray for the family as we prepare to go back, that we would stay healthy, safe, and for friends for our daughters.
We lay all of these things before the Lord, trusting Him by faith. How we need to step out in faith, trusting God each step of the way. We cannot please Him without faith. (Hebrews 11:6) It is definitely a privilege to serve God and what a joy to join Him where He is working. We appreciate you each so much and your interest in missions. We will keep you updated.
Nathan and Carrie Radford
Furlough Address:
56 Lobo Lane
Culloden, WV 25510
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 a Peaceful Election in Kenya
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 1, 2017
Dear praying friends,
We are now halfway through the year 2017, and time is going so quickly. We appreciate each one of you for your prayers, sacrificial giving, and encouragement to us. Each of you are a blessing and we thank God for you.
Earlier this month, our daughters finished the school year at Calvary Baptist Academy. This was a great year for them, as they had to learn time management, how to get along with others, studying hard for exams that they had, playing on the playground at recreation, gym classes, etc. We are so thankful that they had this experience and it was a great blessing. Please pray for them as they transition back to life on the mission field, as there are different challenges that they will face there. My wife is looking forward to homeschooling them again, but this was certainly a great year for them and we are very grateful and thankful for it.
Now, just to update you on our return to Kenya. Our original plan was to return to Kenya in June. However, Kenya has a presidential election in August and there is always the possibility of unrest, etc. The last election passed fairly peacefully, but the one before and others have not gone as well. After discussing with a missionary in Kenya, as well as our mission board and the pastor of our sending church, we have all decided it is best to wait out the election and go back after it. This decision was made after much prayer and seeking the Lord’s will in the situation. The election could pass totally fine, or it could be problematic. We just don’t know.
Please be in prayer for this, both for the people of Kenya and the election process itself. Please pray that there would be no unrest and things would continue along peacefully. Please pray for those that will be in the country at the time of the election, for their safety and well-being. God is in control of all things and we trust Him with the outcome. Psalm 34:14 says “Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it.” John 14:27 says “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”
A good quote that I read recently with all this said, “When I trust God, I trust the outcome.” How true. Trusting God involves trusting the outcome, knowing He is in control of all things. We will keep you updated. God bless each of you so much.
Nathan and Carrie Radford
Nathan and Carrie Radford
Furlough Address:
56 Lobo Lane
Culloden, WV 25510
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
