Desires for the New Year
The Tate Family has served the Lord in Kitale, Kenya since January 2008. Their main ministry is indigenous church planting.
December 29, 2016
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
Happy New Year! I wish to briefly look ahead to the coming new year and express what I would like to see happening here in Kitale, the place where we are ministering. These are not New Year’s resolutions. It is simply my desire and my prayer for the year 2017. At this point next year I would like to look back and see that these things did indeed occur.
· I would like to pray more. Prayer on the mission field is vital. But prayer in a Christian’s personal life is vital as well. Anemic prayer life leads to anemic Christian life and anemic ministry.
· I would like to know God more. I want to know His ways more, I want to know His mind more. I want my mind to be like His mind. I want to grow in my relationship with Him.
· I would like to do more of what Jesus says to do. There is so much that He said and did and taught us to do that I neglect or avoid or ignore. In 2017 I want to focus on Jesus and do all that he wants me to do.
Those are the top things I would like to see in 2017. Note that they are much more personal than they are ministry related. Here are some things I would like to see in regards to ministry:
· I would like to see more Kenyan people trusting in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. That means the people I come into contact with on a day-by-day basis. It means the people I evangelize with the gospel. It means lost friends that I show the love of Christ to every day. It means the Pokot people living out in the bush.
· I would like to see more Kenyan people truly growing in their relationship with Jesus. I don’t want them to follow Jesus because of what material things they think they will get from Him. I don’t want them to follow Jesus because they want Him to heal them. I don’t want them to follow Jesus for a good luck charm. These are all typical reasons for following Jesus. I want them to follow Jesus, to love Him, to learn from Him, to submit to Him, to live for Him. In essence, I want them to be true disciples of Jesus and not fair weather disciples.
· I would like to see new Baptist churches started: Churches that are on fire for Jesus, churches fulfilling the great commission, churches loving each other, churches worshiping God in Spirit and truth, churches that are functioning as the body of Christ on earth.
Again, these are not resolutions. They are not “goals”. They are my desires. They are my prayers for the next year. They are how I would like to see God glorified in my life and in my ministry. Grant it, oh Lord.
Until next month, beloved.
May God’s peace and joy be with you.
For the glory of God in East Africa,
Roger & Julie Tate (and Amy, Josiah & Chloe)
rojuta[at]gmail.com
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Missionary Update: The Tates in Kenya [June 2014]
The Tate Family has served the Lord in Kitale, Kenya since January 2008. Their main ministry is indigenous church planting.
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
This month I have included a picture of a rather unassuming and unimpressive room. This room is located on the edge of town in Kitale, on the second story of an unfinished and unimpressive looking building. Why have I included this picture of this small and easily forgotten room? Because I have leased it and want to use it to start the Kitale Baptist Church Planting Training Center (or some other appropriate sounding name). This room will have two main purposes as I see it.
1. Teach people, who have never received good Biblical training, about Jesus and the gospel
2. Train and model for disciples of Jesus how to start, organize, maintain and reproduce new Baptist churches in Kenya
Bro. Roger Tate has leased a small room in Kitale to serve as a church planting training center.
For those of you who talked with me or saw my video during our recent time in the States, you know this is a slight alteration to my plans. My original thinking was to open such a training center in a mud house out in a village and then pursue the above objectives there in that house. After much prayer and thoughtful consideration, we have decided instead to open a church planting training center right in town. Without wanting to bore you with details, I would like to try and explain why we think this is the better option:
- It would be centrally located and easy to find. Everyone will be able to get to it from just about anywhere close to town. It would be easy to direct people to its location whereas directing people to a “mud” house in a village would be challenging.
- We would be accessible to many more people if we were in town than we would be out in a village (where we would be accessible pretty much only to the people of that village)
- It can be small and stocked with Kenyan furniture (much like we would have stocked the “mud” house) so that it can be used exactly as we would have used a mud hut in a village to model for the students/disciples/church planters our approach to church planting
- We could do some evangelism in and around town (and encourage some of our students to do the same). People who are interested in learning a little about the Bible and what it really means to be a Christian, but who do not want to be a church planter, could come to the center where we could teach them a Basic Christianity course. Again, in town it would be much more accessible and more people could come. Even if 99.9% of these people would be coming because of what they hope to get from the missionaries, at least they would also be receiving some good Biblical teaching about what a Christian really is as opposed to what they normally hear at the majority of the national churches.
- As we come up with different kinds of community help ideas that will actually work, I think it will be much more suitable and work better in town than elsewhere.
- We could always set up satellite training centers in villages if there was need or desire to do so.
The bottom line is that using this room in town keeps intact our model and approach to teaching Kenyans how to plant churches while keeping us centrally located and easily accessible. God can use this unimposing little room to start a church planting revolution here in Kitale if He so chooses. This is what we are praying for and that God would be glorified in this place.
Until next month, beloved.
May God’s peace and joy be with you.
For the glory of God in East Africa,
Roger & Julie Tate (and Emily, Amy, & Josiah)
rojuta[at]gmail.com
Visit their blog!
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Missionary Update: The Tates in Kenya [August 2012]
The Tate Family has served the Lord in Kitale, Kenya since January 2008. Their main ministry is indigenous church planting.
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
I suppose that if I am going to be an honest missionary then I need to report the good with the bad. Last month when I sat down to write my report I was excited and everything I wrote was good, uplifting, and encouraging. Unfortunately, what I have to write about this month I am not so excited about. It is not as uplifting or encouraging. I still hope you spend the time to read it, though, as true life and ministry is filled with ups and downs, with evil and good, with blessings and hardship, with encouraging times and not so encouraging times. Don’t get me wrong, I am not discouraged, depressed, nor down. It’s just that in the course of any ministry and work for God there are mountains and valleys.
Let me start with the church that we organized just last month (Kanisa la Baptisti la Shangalamwe – Baptist Church of Shangalamwe). It is still going strong and I still have high hopes for it. The people there love the Lord and love to worship and fulfill the commission of Christ. But what I have been waiting to happen has now happened. You might have guessed it. It has to do with money. The patriarch of the church finally approached us for help. He told us he didn’t have any food and that he needed our assistance. We have been dreading this from the beginning and the start of the group because we know well the two most likely outcomes from this scenario. Outcome #1 looks like this: We organize a group of Kenyan believers into a church; After some amount of time they begin to ask us for money, aid, and help; Having compassion on their needs we help them with monetary gifts, food gifts, etc; This begins a vicious, downward, irrevocable cycle that ultimately leads to DEPENDENCY and PATERNALISM; The church is ruined. Outcome #2 looks like this: We organize a group of Kenyan believers into a church; After some amount of time they begin to ask us for money, aid, and help; Knowing the problem of dependency and paternalism that is the sure outcome of us giving them money and gifts, we spend great amounts of time teaching them why they should help each other, depend on the Lord, and not beg the missionary for money; All the members of the church begin to realize that they will not be receiving money and gifts from this missionary (what they were probably expecting from the beginning) and slowly begin to drift away and make themselves scarce until they are no longer around; Those who have been “spurned” begin to tell everyone in the village that these are stingy missionaries that are selfish and unloving; We are left with no members in the church; The church is ruined. Those are the two scenarios that I keep seeing played out over and over again. After much prayer and wisdom seeking, Nathan and I decided to help the family by providing them with food. It was a very difficult decision because we never really know if we are getting the whole truth and because we are quite familiar with Outcome #1 above. We fear Outcome #1 even more because when we tried to ascertain the families’ financial situation we found out it is bleak. The patriarch of the family is 70 years old and has no job and supposedly no retirement. They have no farm or land to farm. Their children and neighbors are not willing to help them. They are taking care of four orphaned grandchildren. And, they have no hope for any future income. I kept asking them, “What are your plans for the future”? Ultimately, they have no plans for the future. Actually, Julie may have hit the nail on the head when she told me later, “Roger, YOU are their plan for the future”? I’m afraid she might just be right. I hope that we have made the right decision and yet can still stay off the path of dependency and paternalism. We will only know as things unfold in the future. On the bright side we do have two additional people who would like to join this small church. Nathan and I are scheduled to head out to Shangalamwe later this week to talk to them about salvation and baptism. Please pray for Baptist Church of Shangalamwe.
Briefly, now, because I am out of space. Please pray for our car situation. I have found out that the car I paid a lot of money for a couple of years ago was not properly registered by the authorities in the Kenyan government when it was imported (This happened years before I bought it either by human error or corruption). Bottom line: The Criminal Investigation Department wants to impound my car (which, if they do, I will never see it again). When I refused to hand it over to them they threatened to arrest me. I would like to avoid being arrested as well as having my car impounded and stolen from me. Please pray about this situation as well. (You can read more about this situation on Julie’s blog.)
See, I told you this month’s report wasn’t as uplifting as last month’s. Hope you read it anyway.
Until next month, beloved.
May God’s peace and joy be with you.
For the glory of God in East Africa,
Roger & Julie Tate (and Emily, Amy, & Josiah)
P.O. Box 96
Kitale, Kenya 30200
rojuta[at]gmail.com
Visit their blog!
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Missionary Update: The Radfords in Kenya [July 2012]
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 3, 2012
Dear praying friends,
We have now passed the halfway point into the year 2012. As I reflect on this past year, and how quickly time passes, I am reminded how we need to be investing ourselves in service to the Lord and His kingdom. Our life here on earth is just a breath compared to eternity. James 4:14 states “Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.” May we use the opportunities the Lord gives us to serve Him. This update will give ministry progress as well as share prayer requests.
This past month was an exciting one in relation to church planting here in Kitale. My good friend Roger Tate and I have been teaching the Word of God to a special family in a small village named Shangalamwe which is located here in Kitale. We have covered many different studies with them, and prepared them to become a church of the Lord Jesus Christ. On June 24th of last month, we had an official ceremony to open Shangalamwe Baptist Church. What an exciting time it is for these people. Please pray for this church, and also for the people in the village of Shangalamwe. Pray for my friend Roger and I, that we would continue to be faithful to help and assist these people through mentoring them to grow spiritually, and reach others for Christ. Please pray that the Lord would raise up leaders for this church that love the Lord and desire to faithfully serve Him. Please pray that these people would continue to pray, rely on the Lord, and study the Word of God. The Word of God is profitable in so many ways, and how we need to faithfully study it. 2 Timothy 2:15 says “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”
The Annex prison ministry is continuing along well. The Lord has provided faithful men to come and study His Word. It has been exciting to watch how the Lord has been working in their lives, and I thank the Lord for each one who has been coming. I also am thankful for the cooperation of the officials at the Annex prison. We are now over halfway through the course “Firm Foundations – from Creation to Christ.” I am aware of all the many challenges that these men face, and am thankful for their faithfulness. Many of them receive discouragement in many ways, yet they continue to faithfully study. Please pray for these men and also for their spiritual growth. Pray that I would be faithful to share the Gospel message as well as teach the Word, relying on the Lord for the results. Nothing can happen without the Lord and His help. 1 Corinthians 3:6 says “I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase.” May we all remember to rely on the Lord as we serve Him.
In family news, it has been exciting to watch our daughters grow and develop. McKenna is now four years old and very active. She is such a blessing and what a privilege it is for my wife and I to be her parents. Camille is 16 months old, and has not yet started walking, but is certainly crawling all over. It will not be long before she is walking. She can mutter some words now and then, such as “dada,” which thrills my heart. What a blessed man I am, with such a wonderful wife and daughters. Please pray for unity in our family, and that my wife and I would be the examples before our children that we need to be. It is a big responsibility. Our children watch our actions more than our words. A statement that has really challenged me is “Example speaks louder than words.” May we be the examples for the Lord that we need to be throughout our daily lives.
We hope you all have a great fourth of July there in the States as we celebrate here in Kenya. May we be in prayer for our nation, and the leaders of the United States of America. How we need to heed the words of Proverbs 14:34, which says “Righteousness exalteth a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people.” God bless you and we 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 2012]
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 3, 2012
Another month has come and passed so quickly, and it is hard to believe that we are already in the month of April. May we be committed to serving the Lord, wherever He calls us to serve, and use our opportunities that He gives us for Him. This update will share ministry progress, as well as prayer requests.
We would request prayer for the health of our family. It is difficult to stay healthy here. Our daughter Camille contracted malaria, right after her first birthday. I recently contracted amoeba (a stomach illness), and am doing much better now. Camille is also doing fine now. We praise the Lord for the good medical facilities that we have here in Kitale, and the good care we have received. There are good places to go for medical help here, and we praise the Lord for this. Please pray for our continued health, as we are now upon rainy season, which brings more mosquitoes for malaria and water-borne illnesses.
This month, we celebrate two birthdays of people who are very special to me. McKenna has a birthday later in the month, and my wife has a birthday the middle of the month. I thank the Lord so much for both of them and how much they mean to me. Camille turned one year old in February, and is already crawling well, and will be walking soon, Lord willing. Please pray for our family, that we would stay in unity, love each other, and be committed to serving the Lord. One of my favorite quotes is “The family that prays together stays together.”
The Annex prison ministry is continuing well. I praise the Lord for the cooperation that I have seen of the chaplains, as well as the staff, and their support. So many prisoners feel forgotten and struggle in many areas. Hebrews 13:3 states “Remember them that are in bonds, as bound with them; and them which suffer adversity, as being yourselves also in the body.” I recently received news that one of the main chaplains that I have worked with from the beginning of this ministry is being transferred soon. Please pray for him and his adjustments ahead, as well as for myself and the prisoners as we continue with the ministry.
As far as church planting, one of the groups my friend Roger Tate and I have been working with has expressed a definite desire and purpose to move in the direction of becoming a church. The people coming have been active in sharing their faith and teaching others as well. How exciting this is, and we ask prayers for us, as we continue to teach and train this group in church planting. We need a lot of wisdom from the Lord, and would covet your prayers for this. James 1:5 says “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.” We will be sure to keep you updated on the progress of this ministry as well.
We hope each of you are continuing well in the year 2012, and we thank the Lord so much for your sacrificial giving, prayer support, and encouragement. We appreciate each one who sends a card, letter, or email. It means so much to us. There are many challenges here, and God many times tests our faith in Him. What I have discovered is that God is so faithful, even during the difficult times. God tests our faith to teach us to trust Him, and I am sure that many of you can identify with that at home as well. May we be faithful to serve, love, and surrender ourselves to Him. 1 Corinthians 4:2 states “Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful.” I hope and pray that this is our desire. God bless you all and we will be sure to keep you updated.
In Kenya,
Nathan and Carrie Radford
P.O. Box 4150
Kitale, Kenya
East Africa 30200
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