Specific Prayer Requests, 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.
March 2, 2017
Dear praying friends,
Another month has come and gone, and it is hard to believe we are already into the month of March. The time passes so quickly and may we use our time wisely for His kingdom. This update will share current updates as well as prayer requests.
Our daughters are doing very well at Calvary Baptist Academy in West Virginia. They are getting much needed socialization with other children. This has been very good for them, and we are grateful they have had this experience. They are learning time management, how to relate with other kids their age, etc. Please continue to pray with us that God will provide families in Kitale with children their age, as this is so important.
Another prayer request is for my wife’s permit to continue along with the hospital ministry. She needs a permit through the government to continue with this ministry to the babies and mothers, and my understanding is that it will be up for renewal next month. Please pray with us that the permit would be renewed without any problem. We trust the Lord for this as well. We are asking the Lord by faith to keep the door open in this ministry. I take comfort in a verse such as Luke 11:9, which says “And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.”
Yet another big prayer request is for the country of Kenya, as there is a scheduled election around the month of August later this year. We thank the Lord that things passed peacefully in the last election, and we are praying that this election will pass also without any problems. This will be a couple of months after we return to Kenya, Lord willing, so please pray not only for us, but all those working and serving in the country. John 14:1 says “Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.” What a comfort to know that God is in control of all things.
The time has passed so quickly on this furlough, and we are looking to return to Kenya in a few months. There is always a lot to do when transitioning, so please pray for me (Nathan) that I would get everything done that needs to be done. I will keep you updated and we thank each of you for your prayers, interest in missions, and sacrificial giving. You are each such a blessing and we thank God for you.
Blessings,
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.
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Unrest in Kitale Decreasing; Pray for Daughters’ Health
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 1, 2017
Dear praying friends,
Another month has come and gone, and we are now into 2017. We pray that each of you are doing well, and thank you for your interest in missions. This update will share prayer requests as well as updates.
We praise the Lord for the past several months, the unrest in Kitale has gone down. We are getting good reports and thankful for the Lord’s watch care and protection. Please pray with us that the unrest will cease completely and things will go back to normal. God is in control and we trust Him.
Our daughters are continuing along in school full time at Calvary Baptist Academy in Hurricane, WV. This has been a good time for them, as they are learning to take responsibility, getting much needed socialization with children their age, and getting involved in school activities. We feel this has been a very much needed time for them and are thankful for this experience. Please continue to pray with us that God will bring families to Kitale with children their age that they can plan with. We continue to pray to God to help with this and would appreciate your prayers as well.
Please also pray for the health of our daughter McKenna, as she has been struggling some with asthma. I (Nathan) have struggled with asthma over the course of the years, and we are trying to help her with her struggle with it also. Both her and Camille have low immune systems, and seem to get sick easily, so we appreciate prayers for their health.
God is so faithful and it is a privilege to serve Him. How we need to be thankful to Him for His leading, guidance, protection, and peace. God keeps all His promises and is so faithful. Jeremiah 29:11 says “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace , and not of evil, to give you an expected end.” We can trust God with the future, knowing He will lead and guide each step of the way.
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
Looking Back on 2016; Prayer Request for Children
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, 2017
Dear praying friends,
It is now the beginning of the year 2017 and we wish you all the blessings of the Lord’s wisdom, guidance, and protection for this upcoming year. What a privilege it is to serve the Lord. Colossians 3:23 says “And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men.” He does not need us for anything, but we need Him for everything. We hope this update finds each of you doing well and we thank the Lord for you.
As I (Nathan) look back on this past year, there were definitely many challenges that we faced. Many of you know about our unrest situation at our compound in Kitale and how the Lord watched over and protected us. The safest place to be is within the will of God, wherever that is. Although this unrest was unusual for Kitale, we thank the Lord that for the time being, things have gone back to normal and it seems it has subsided.
This past year was also difficult with health issues for our children. Please pray for our children and their health. A fever in Africa can mean so many different things, from malaria, to typhoid, amoeba, etc. Although our children struggled with health issues for several months, we praise the Lord that we finally got to the right doctors and received good care. Please pray in advance for this next term, that the Lord would help us all to stay healthier.
One of our most current major needs is for playmates for our children. Missions is difficult on children and they really do need friends and playmates. This is a struggle that many missionaries face. Sometimes missionary children and their needs can be easily overlooked. We do not want to do that. We continue to trust the Lord to bring playmates for our daughters in His timing and plan. The Lord has tested our faith in this area and it has become easy to get discouraged, as they just have not had playmates and friends for most of their time in Kitale. We continue to pray, believing that God knows our need and we trust in His plan. It has been difficult to wait on the Lord in this area, but we know the Lord has a plan. Psalm 33:20-21 says, “Our soul waiteth for the Lord: He is our help and our shield. For our heart shall rejoice in Him, because we have trusted in His holy name.” Would you please pray earnestly with us that God would provide families with children for our daughters? We would greatly appreciate this. Just one or two families with children their age that would commit to stay long term on the mission field would make such a big difference.
I (Nathan) am in the process of scheduling churches for furlough. If you would be interested in a meeting, you can reach me at: naterad@yahoo.com God bless you for your interest in missions.
We continue to pray over all these things mentioned in this prayer letter, knowing that God is sovereign, and He has a purpose for all that He permits in our lives. He is on the throne and in complete control. What a privilege to bring all these things before Him in prayer.
God bless you all and have a wonderful 2017.
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
Peaceful Months; Celebrating Holidays with Loved Ones
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 1, 2016
Dear praying friends,
It is hard to believe that 2016 is soon to be over and 2017 is right around the corner. Time passes so fast, and may we serve the Lord while we still can. Service is a privilege, and may we serve faithfully. It is so good to be with those we love for this holiday season. Perhaps the greatest sacrifice of missions is being so far from those we love, so we are thankful to be near this year.
Thanks so much to each one who has prayed for us in regards to our security. The past several months have been peaceful, for which we thank the Lord. There was one incident where someone was trying to steal the wood off the back fence to use for firewood, but this is nothing in comparison to how it was earlier in the year. God is answering prayer in regards to our security situation. Hopefully now things will go back to normal. We trust God through all these situations. John 14:1 says “Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in Me.” What a wonderful verse to claim throughout our lives.
In family news, our daughters are both doing well with school. They are going full time to Calvary Baptist Academy in Hurricane, WV. This has been such a good experience for them, gaining friendships, having many activities, and the socialization that they have needed so much. We would appreciate your prayers even now for other missionary families to serve in Kitale with children, as this would provide much needed friendships for our daughters. God is in control of all these things and we trust Him. His plan is perfect and His timing is always the right time.
I (Nathan) am in the process of scheduling churches for our current furlough, so if you would be interested in me coming to share about what God is doing in Kenya, you can email me at: naterad@yahoo.com.
We wish each of you a wonderful upcoming Christmas holiday and happy New Year. Wise men still seek Him. May we never forget the birth of our Savior and may we honor Him in our daily lives. God bless you all.
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
Scheduling Stateside Visits with Churches to Share about God’s Work 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.
November 1, 2016
Dear praying friends,
We hope this update finds each of you doing well. It is hard to believe that it is the end of 2016 and 2017 is quickly approaching. Time really does go by so fast. I will be writing more about that soon. We wish each of you a great upcoming Thanksgiving holiday. May we truly be thankful and grateful throughout the year and remember the many blessings that the Lord provides for us. I am reminded of Psalm 100:4, which says ” Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise: be thankful unto Him, and bless His Name.” May this truly be our desire.
Speaking of how quickly time passes, I (Nathan) celebrated a big birthday just a few days ago. My 40th birthday. I was with family members recently and one of them said something like “I cannot believe you are 40.” I really cannot either. It seems just like yesterday that we were going to Kenya, started our family, etc. When I look back on it and really think about it, it is shocking how quickly time goes. Time is a gift from God, and how I need to use it wisely. Psalm 90:12 says “So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.”
Our daughters have been in school full time this year at the Christian school that I (Nathan) attended in West Virginia. This has been a much-needed time for them, as they are learning time management, responsibility in their assignments, and developing relationships with other kids their age. One of the major challenges of missions for children is making and developing relationships while on the field.
Please pray with us that God will send other missionary families to Kitale with children, so that they can make these much-needed relationships. Socialization is very important and we are trusting God with this need for our children.
I (Nathan) am in the process of scheduling meetings to share what God is doing in Kenya, so if you would be interested, you can email me at naterad@yahoo.com. God deserves all the praise and glory for all things, and may we rely on the Lord each day for all that we need. What a great God we serve. Psalm 96:4 says “For the LORD is great, and greatly to be praised: He is to be feared above all gods.” May each of you have a wonderful upcoming holiday season.
Blessings,
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
Trying Times, Strengthened Faith
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 30, 2016
Dear praying friends,
Another month has come and gone, and we are nearing the end of 2016. It is hard to believe that another year has passed by so quickly. I am reminded of how short life really is and how we need to be involved in serving the Lord while there is still time. Now is the time to invest in eternity. I hope and pray that we will be focused on the spiritual things that will last forever. Colossians 3:2 says “Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.” May this be the sincere desire of our lives.
Some of you do not receive the prayer letter by email, so if others have already heard of the unrest in Kitale recently, please bear with me. I want to briefly explain what has been going on so people will be informed and know how to pray not only for us, but all those living, working, and serving in Kitale. Earlier this year, over about an 8 week period, there were repeated break in attempts at our compound. The thieves tried to enter several different ways, from breaking the wood fence on the back, to cutting the hedges around our compound, shining a light late at night around our gate, shaking our gate, etc. We praise the Lord that they never gained access inside the compound, but they tried repeatedly. This was going on in different parts of Kitale, but we felt that we were being targeted specifically.
I (Nathan) tried to get to the bottom of what was going on, as this is very unusual for Kitale and nothing like this has ever happened over such an extended time period since we have lived there. We talked to a neighbor who knows the culture, and he said he believed the thieves were after something specifically on our compound. What? We don’t really know. There is nothing of high value on the compound that belongs to us, just our normal living items. When we moved into our compound, there were several holes that were covered up. One theory is that the thieves believe something of value was buried on the compound by a previous tenant. This would make sense. In fact, the first time the thieves came, they were asking to collect their items from the tenant who lived there several years prior. I contacted this tenant myself and he said he left nothing of value on the compound and knows nothing of what is going on. So, it is all very mysterious.
After I (Nathan) left to come home just a few weeks ago, there was another attempt where they were trying to cut the barb wire on the back fence, but our day guard managed to catch two of them. They were turned over to the police and will be disciplined, so we hope this will be a deterrent to the others. Please pray for everyone in Kitale now, as this is abnormal and we need to pray that all these thugs will be caught soon and justice will be swift. God is in complete control and we trust Him. I definitely feel that spiritual warfare is a major challenge while on the mission field, and satan will do anything to try to discourage us, derail us, or oppose us. I take comfort in a verse such as John 16:33, which says “These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.” These were definitely trying times, and trials, but the Lord has used it to strengthen our faith in Him. We have since received a good report from our day guard that nothing has happened in the past few weeks, so we are praying that this will be over soon and go back to normal. God is in control, at all times, in all circumstances.
Please pray for our family, as we are going through many adjustments. One good adjustment is that our daughters are going to Calvary Baptist Academy in Hurricane, WV. This will be good for them, teaching them time management, getting their homework done in a timely manner, and having friends to relate to while we are here. It will also be good for them to get used to having teachers in a regular school setting, along with all the activities that go along with being in school. I am sure mommy misses having them right now, as she enjoys homeschooling in Kenya, but we both agree this is a good thing for them to have now while we are on furlough. Socialization for missionary children is very important, and is one of the major challenges of missions. This time of socialization will teach them many things, and will be a good experience for them. Please pray for them now, and as they continue along through the school year.
I (Nathan) am in the process of scheduling churches for furlough. We plan to be here through at least April of next year, so if you are interested in scheduling a meeting, you can reach me at: naterad@yahoo.com.
Please pray for each of us while we are in America for our furlough. It is great to be in our home culture, where we are used to how things are, speak the same language, etc. However, we miss our compound in Kitale, our animals, and our friends there. God is so good to help us during each time of transition, and He is so faithful. 2 Thessalonians 3:3 says “But the Lord is faithful, who shall stablish you, and keep you from evil.” Thanks so much to each of you for your interest in missions and your encouragement. We appreciate you all so much.
Serving in Kitale,
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
Scheduling Furlough Visits; Daughters Start School in the States
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 30, 2016
Dear praying friends,
We are now all safely back in America, for which I (Nathan) thank the Lord. Many of you have been interested to know what has been going on with our safety/security issues in Kitale, so I want to take some time on that in this update, as well as share current ministry opportunities.
Believe it or not, just a few days after I left Kenya to start our furlough, two thieves tried again to break in. I don’t know all the details, but from what I have been told, they were trying to cut the barb wire on the back of our compound. Our guard dogs were following the problem closely and barking loudly, which led our day guard to find the thieves. He somehow managed to restrain them and tie them up, and the police later apprehended them and they were taken in. I have been told that one thug was jailed seven years in prison. It seems there was swift judgement, for which I am thankful.
We are really praying that this all stops soon and things will go back to normal. Since this incident around a month ago, nothing else has happened and all has been quiet. We have been informed that our third guard dog we recently acquired is excellent and very protective. We are trusting the Lord for all these matters and know He is in control. Psalm 9:9 says “The Lord also will be a refuge for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble.” We trust Him with all these things.
I am now back in the States and am in the process of scheduling churches for our furlough. Lord willing, we plan to be in America until at least around end of April next year. If you are interested in scheduling me for a meeting to share what God is doing in Kenya, you can reach me at: naterad@yahoo.com. Please let me know and I will try to get back with you in a timely manner.
Our two daughters are now attending school at Calvary Baptist Academy, the school that I attended for 12 years (Kindergarten through high school). The school has come a long way and is a blessing to many students in the area. This is very different for our daughters as they are home schooled while in Kitale, but it is also very good for them. They need the socialization with other children their age and to learn some independence and skills such as time management. Socialization is one of the major challenges while on the mission field, as many families come and go, move around, etc. Please pray with us that some families with children their age will come and stay in the Kitale area, if it would be the Lord’s will. This would help greatly with the socialization issues while on the field.
Each of you are such a blessing to us and we appreciate you so much. We will be sure to keep you updated. Thanks so much for your heart for missions and servant spirit. Please note our new mailing address.
Serving Him,
Nathan and Carrie Radford
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
Safely Back in America on Furlough; More Break-in Attempts at Compound
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 1, 2016
Dear praying friends,
We hope this update finds each of you doing well. Thanks so much to each of you who sacrificially give, pray for us, or encourage us in any way. We truly appreciate each of you and thank you for your kindness.
I (Nathan) am now back in the United States. It was definitely an interesting few weeks at the end of this term. As I have said before, there were repeated break-in attempts at our compound over the past few weeks. This is very unusual for Kitale. After my family left for furlough, I stayed at a safe guest house in Kitale for a few weeks while closing down. I thank all the staff at the guest house where I stayed, as they were wonderful. While I was at the guest house, there were two attempts at our compound. One was during the morning hours at the compound next to us, and another was at night along the front road. We are thankful both attempts were unsuccessful for the thieves but we remain vigilant to keep our family safe. We have worked hard to increase our security on our compound and for the past several weeks it has been quiet. However, a couple days ago, we found out there was yet another attempt at our compound. It occurred during the day, which is unusual and shows the boldness of the thieves. There were at least 2 thieves, possibly more, who cut through the hedge and barbed wire (that we just installed) at the back of our compound. Our day guard confronted the thieves and had his hand hurt by a machete (panga in Swahili) during the process. Our day guard was successful, though, in capturing 2 thieves, tied them up and turned them over to the police. We are hopeful that turning them over to the police, as well as planting new thornbushes all around the compound will deter more thieves from attempting to break in. We have also gotten a third guard dog to help keep the compound safe as Kenyans fear dogs almost more than other security measures. Please pray for the police and all the security companies, that they would work hard to catch all these thugs. Our trust is in the Lord for all these matters. I love Proverbs 18:10 which says “The name of the Lord is a strong tower: the righteous runneth into it, and is safe.” We will keep you updated on these matters.
It was a difficult final few weeks, but I thank the Lord that I am now safely back in America with friends and family. Family is so important, and I am looking forward to spending quality time with them. After being out of the United States for two years, it was both overwhelming and wonderful to step foot on American soil. I am now in a stage known as “reverse culture shock,” where it will take time to adjust back to America. It was neat to fly over the Middle East (Iraq, Iran) on my way home, as this is part of the world I have never been to.
Please pray for all the ministries while we are on furlough, as well as our friends and partners, the Tate family. There is much to do over the next few weeks, such as finalizing the missions presentation, getting a missions DVD done, doing a family prayer card, etc. I will soon be scheduling churches for our furlough, so if you are interested, you can email me at: naterad@yahoo.com. I will also send a DVD to those who are interested in the work that God is doing in Kitale, Kenya. I have learned that God doesn’t need us, but we certainly need Him. We can do nothing without Him. How we need to pray regularly, read the Bible, seek His will, and follow His leading. Weneed Him for everything. Psalm 86:11 says “Teach me thy way, O Lord; I will walk in thy truth: unite my heart to fear thy name.” May this be the sincere prayer and desire of our hearts.
We will keep you updated.
Blessings.
Nathan and Carrie Radford
P.O. Box 4150
Kitale, Kenya
East Africa, 30200
For ministry donations:
Pastor George Sledd, Treasurer of BFM
P.O. Box 471280
Lake Monroe, FL 32747-1280
or click here to donate to BFM online.
Read more
