Celebrating 50 Years of Marriage
June 20, 2020
Dear Brethren,
Well now we are 3 months without services in our building. I had to have all of our congregations, mission points and chapels suspend public meetings. This includes our works in the far-flung towns and villages where we have missionaries in their fields. The home church has continued to do well financially so far, and we are able to continue to support all of our missionaries with their full salaries. Last week I did authorize our congregation at Foz do Breu (on the border with Peru) to resume services. They are still not authorized to conduct their regular river trips to the various mission points that they cover. I gave this order even though the state has not given permission for any churches to hold public meetings. The town there still has not had any cases of the virus, so I went ahead and gave them the go ahead with regular services.
Bev and I celebrated our 50th wedding anniversary. We were married on Friday, June 12, 1970. We had planned to celebrate this date by going to the States for a few weeks. We had even bought tickets, hotel reservations etc. The church here bought our tickets for the international flight. All those plans imploded. We are still just as happy as always though. A lady from church came out and took some pictures for us. That evening Andrew’s family and Crissy’s family were with us for a meal. God has blessed us with a very full and fulfilling life. We have 4 beautiful children who honor God with their lives. We have a bunch of beautiful, talented grands who are also His. We have our adopted kids, too. We have many children in the faith, as well. We are part of an incredible church and mission work. Our love grows steadily. It is just hard to understand how 2 people, so different, could be so right. We have spent almost all of these 50 years in a very isolated place, under mostly harsh circumstances, depending on one another and our Lord. Bev and I have been a “unit”, a “capsule” from the time we met. Many have wondered why we are so insular. We confess: we really aren’t very “social”. This is the way it had to be to do the job He separated us for. Only He could do such a miracle.
Mike & Bev with Andrew & Crissy’s Families
Bev has not been out for the last 2 months. I do our shopping once every 15 days. Every item is sanitized, one by one. The past few weeks I have been working at camp doing some good ole hard labor and getting home late every night. Three days a week I record lessons and messages for our YouTube channel, Facebook and radio programs, too. Although the governor will probably open stores, restaurants and churches this week, we won’t be back to regular meetings any time soon. Cruzeiro do Sul is 2 months behind the rest of the country. All of Brazil is in a mess. We are the worst in the world right now in numbers of confirmed new daily cases. Politically we are in deeps trouble, too. The president is on the right track, but has no backing in either the senate or the congress. To top it off the 11 justices on the supreme court are all either communist or leftist appointed by socialist over the past 30 years. Not one conservative to be found. The supreme court over the past few weeks has decided to take over the country. It is a disaster. Pray for us.
Thanks for all of your prayers and support. God bless you as much as He has us.
In Christ,
Mike Creiglow
Mike and Beverly Creiglow
Caixa Postal 24
Cruzeiro do Sul, Acre, Brazil 69980
mdcreig [at] hotmail.com
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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Challenging Times 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 5, 2020
Dear praying friends,
Another month has come and gone, and we are nearly halfway into 2020. Hard to believe.
What a year this has been, especially with the coronavirus. It has been challenging here the past few weeks, which I will explain shortly. May God bless each of you for your prayers, sacrificial giving, and interest in work here. We know it is truly sacrificially giving at this time and we appreciate it so much.
To say that things have been abnormal the last few weeks would be an understatement. There are many police at the entrance to town, and there is a 7 pm curfew. Also, Nairobi, the capital city, is locked down and has been for the past several weeks. It is difficult to get entry, and from my understanding, you have to have special permission. International flights have also been restricted and are much more expensive to purchase than previously. Schools, churches, and other public gatherings have also been locked down the past few weeks.
My wife continues to homeschool our daughters. She is enjoying it and the girls are doing well in their studies. This has been a challenging and anxious time for them, as we simply don’t have the answers at present and have to trust the Lord.
We are thinking of and praying for you all in America as well at this challenging time.
May we trust God each step of the way, as He is in control. We will keep you updated and appreciate each of you so much.
Nathan and Carrie Radford
Contact Info:
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.
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Doors of Opportunity Unlocked Amidst Lockdown
May 20, 2020
Greetings in the name of Jesus Christ,
It’s still all Corona, Corona, Corona around here. And as a result of that not much has been altered since the last time I wrote a report.
Schools are all closed so the kids are all at home. Josiah is at home doing on-line schooling. He is finishing his final term as a senior at Rift Valley Academy. He has missed his interim trip, his senior trip has been canceled and his graduation ceremony is probably canceled as well. It is unlikely he will ever see any of his friends again before they all head off to their home countries and home continents. Chloe is home too. Julie is homeschooling her and I am assisting by teaching math.
Churches are all closed. I haven’t been able to meet with the folks at Upper Room Baptist Church for many weeks now except individually. Everyone I talk to wants to get our worship services started back up again but to do so would be against the lock-down orders. At what point do we say we have to meet anyway?
Nairobi is locked down. Nobody is allowed in or out.
At least we still have access to food, water, and medicines. Our supply lines are operating as normal and all the necessities of life are still readily available.
The one thing we are desperately trying to avoid is Kenyan quarantine. People who test positive for Covid19 AND everyone they come into contact with are quarantined in official Kenyan quarantine centers. We all hear that these places are nightmares – No care, crowded, Corona-contracting centers. Healthy people get quarantined and are not allowed to leave. They end up coming down with the virus. I was in town today and saw a sign at the store: “Help contain Covid19 – Donate here to send street kids to quarantine centers”. I had to shudder.
But not all is bad news. There are opportunities as well. The other day I was in town picking up some supplies and I was at the store of a Hindu proprietor. He started talking about Corona and I said, “All I can do is pray, and trust God, and leave the rest in His hands”. The Hindu store owner stopped and said, “Yes, thank you. I guess we should be talking more about God than about Corona Virus”. Now I know that the “god” in his mind is different than the God in mine but we have small opportunities to talk to people these days in a way we might not be able to during a normal time.
Another opportunity is to invest in the lives of other people. As a result of the schools closing, we have two Kenyan teenagers studying here at our house and Julie is overseeing their education and I am teaching them Geometry. One is staying with us around the clock, including boarding here and the other comes every day for school purposes and then leaves at the end of the day. Yesterday, during their morning break, the four of us (myself, Josiah and the two Kenyan teenagers) sat on the veranda while they drank their chai and we just talked. And the most amazing questions and discussions came out. We talked about salvation, heaven, missions, f=ma and e=mc2, the movements of planets, English idioms, biological taxonomy, sin, grace verses the law, Jesus’ interpretation of the 10 Commandments in Matthew 5, Mormonism, Jehovah’s Witnesses, and what happens to morally upright Muslims who have never heard about Jesus. It was all done in a casual way and I didn’t lead them to any of these topics. We just talked about whatever came up out of their brains. What an amazing time to try and make sure they heard wisdom from a Biblical perspective on all of these topics.
Let’s ask God to give us more of these kinds of opportunities during this chaotic and unnerving time of uncertainty.
Blessings to you all, Roger, Julie, Amy, Josiah & Chloe
Contact Info:
Roger & Julie Tate
P.O. Box 96
Kitale, Kenya 30200
rojuta@gmail.com
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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Quarantined in Kenya; Concerns about MCHC
Greetings from Kitale, Kenya!
I pray this letter finds everyone doing well and staying safe and healthy at home. Our board has asked the missionary wives to write the prayer letter this month as Mother’s Day approaches, in an effort to offer you a glimpse into our life from the wife’s perspective. We are thankful for the technology which allows us to remain in touch with our friends and family in the US during this time of quarantine and uncertainty. We are also able to watch the news and keep informed of events happening there and around the world. It is a blessing to feel connected with everyone.
Our little part of the world has seen some drastic changes during the past month. Our school, as schools in the US, had to close mid-March due to quarantine. Our family is coping with this by homeschooling. We are enjoying this time as a family and the girls are thriving as they continue their studies with mom as their teacher. However, we are concerned about our little school, MCHC. Private schools here operate through the school fees paid by the parents each term. Very few schools are ever able to “get ahead” and have money to cover in case of emergencies. MCHC is no different. Unless they are able to open for second term beginning in May, there are concerns that rent and teachers will not be paid. Please pray that MCHC is able to restart in the future when the quarantine ends. The school is so important for many families in the area that otherwise do not have access to quality education and hearing the gospel each and every day.
Our family is handling the quarantine admirably so far. Nathan and I try to remain optimistic and upbeat around the girls, as I’m sure families in the US are doing as well. In addition to homeschooling, we are teaching the girls new board games and they are learning “life skills” in the housekeeping department.
A huge prayer request is for the spread of coronavirus to be limited as the medical facilities here are not adequate or able to treat this disease. While Kenya may be a more developed country in regards to other African countries, it is still third world and the lack of medical care is a major concern. There are very few actual trained doctors and the facilities and medicines available are extremely lacking. We don’t have access to ICUs or other specialized treatment centers here. And travel between cities and towns is very restricted now due to the quarantine in place. Please pray for Kenya, and Africa as a whole, that the disease will not spread as feared.
In other news, we learned today that our favorite grocery store is closing. This particular store is the most convenient for us, as parking is available and safe. They also had the largest selection of food available. Parking in town at the other stores is much riskier due to crowding and security issues. We are disappointed in the store’s closing and we are concerned it’s just one of many stores that will probably close throughout the country as employment dwindles and people have less money.
In closing, we ask that you keep the people of Kenya in your prayers. The spread of coronavirus here is a very real and dangerous threat due to inadequate medical facilities and unemployment. Many people here live day to day. They work for a day to feed their families. Many have no income beyond what they earn daily. We pray for all of you in the US as you continue through your quarantines as well.
A verse that comes to mind for this time is 2 Timothy 1:7, which says, “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.” We are thankful for each of you who prays for us and the people here. God bless you all!
In Christ,
Carrie Radford
Contact Info:
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.
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Teenage Girls Surrender to Christ
Bobby and Charlene Wacaser have served the Lord as church planters in Curitiba, Parana, Brazil, since 1985.
April 2, 2020
Dear Friends,
Fortunately, Charlene and I are doing well. As in most of the nations of the world, Brazil is also going through tremendous turmoil due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but no one from our works has been infected, so far.
Just before our schools were closed because of the virus, our evangelism team was ministering in a small town in the interior of our state. There were over 1200 students in the schools that participated in our evangelistic presentations. Of those who attended, 23 made public professions of faith in Christ and another 15 rededicated their lives to the Lord.
After one of our gospel skit presentations, a teen girl talked with one of the volunteers, telling her that she was seeing a psychologist because of depression and thoughts of suicide. The volunteer evangelist shared God’s word with the girl and she surrendered to Christ. Later that night, at a presentation in the town square, the girl and her mother came to talk with the same volunteer about how God had replaced her depression with joy. That same afternoon she had gone to her psychologist’s appointment and, there, she had shared with him how thrilled she was knowing that God loves her and had forgiven her of her sins. She said that even the psychologist got all choked up with the transformation that he saw in her.
On Saturday afternoons our team offers community services such as haircuts, blood pressure checks and family counseling. During these activities, a different teenage girl listened as the worker shared the gospel. She asked to speak privately about what was going on in her life. Both of her parents had died and she and her siblings were living in a children’s home. There, she had to take care of her younger sister and her niece because her older sister was involved in drugs. Although she had heard of Christ before, she had never come to know Him personally. She said that she felt abandoned in this world. The volunteer who was counseling her had a very similar life story and was able to share with her how true God is to receive those who humbly come to Him in faith and surrender. The teen girl did that and confessed that Christ was her Savior and Lord.
Now, with the Coronavirus pandemic disrupting all areas of activities and events, we are having to find creative ways to reach out to people and minister. I have never been too fond of tech stuff, nor appearing before a recording camera, but I am having to get out of my comfort zone and learn how to share the love of Christ through social media. As a pastor, I am also learning how to shepherd my own members through phone calls and social media. Since I am a “hugs and touches” person, this isn’t ideal for me, but I can also see the Lord doing some amazing things through these quarantine measures that wouldn’t have seemed possible just a few weeks ago. The people seem to be much more aware of their mortality and emotional frailty. We are so thankful that we have God’s word to guide us during these times of human uncertainty. We don’t know what tomorrow holds, but we do know Who holds tomorrow and we are resting in Him.
We have received several alerts from the American Embassy here in Brazil advising us to either get out of the country now or expect that the window of return will be closed for an indefinite period. Charlene and I were expecting to return to the U.S. later this year to give a report to supporting churches and also get to see our kids and grandson. We do not feel, though, that now is the right time to go, so that visit may be put on hold for a little longer than what we expected. We know that God has all this under control and that He will take care of us and those we love. We will seek to be faithful while we wait for His good timing.
We greatly appreciate your faithful prayers and faithful support.
Bobby and Charlene Wacaser
Bobby and Charlene Wacaser
Rua Laudelino Ferreira Lopes, 279
Sobrado 1, Novo Mundo
81050-310 Curitiba, PR. Brasil
Phone: 55-41-99899-2333
bobbymichael_1[at]hotmail.com
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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Navigating the Global Crisis in Cruzeiro do Sul
Mike and Beverly Creiglow have served the Lord in Cruzeiro do Sul, Acre, Brazil together since 1971. In addition to pastoring First Baptist of Cruzeiro do Sul, Mike builds his own boats and frequently travels up and down rivers to share the Gospel with those who have never heard.
March 25, 2020
Grace and peace to all,
It is a beautiful day in Cruzeiro do Sul. Looking out my office window, all looks as if all is well and the world is fine. You and I know that all is not well in the world. Even as isolated and far away as we are, our world has been shaken.
Beverly and I are well. Andrew and family are better than ever. Crissy and family are just fine.
The work is fine, but now it is quite different from 2 weeks ago. Our church held our Homecoming service on the first day of March. We had 874 present for the morning service and meal. We had 612 the same night and several folks were saved. The next weekend we had 1134 in those 2 services and more people saved, requesting baptism and others coming back into fellowship. The following Sunday we had 1197 in the 2 services and many more folks coming to Christ. I was able to win several people after services ended. Our attendance was growing at 15%.
Over the weeks my staff had been meeting regularly and often to try to put together a plan for the present global crisis. On Wednesday night, March 18, we had our doctors do a roundtable to explain to the church what the disease is, what can be done and how to take care of themselves. After their extensive presentation (3 doctors covering the disease, testing and prevention), which lasted over an hour, I shared our plan for the coming 10 days. There have been no cases of the virus in Cruzeiro do Sul, so we felt that we might have a few days to transition. We had hoped that we could still hold services for 10 days. The next morning the state and the city put everyone into “shelter in place”. Through social media we were able to inform everyone about the next phase that came into play immediately.
Recently we had created a YouTube channel and Facebook account to replace our waning local TV broadcast, so that was already operational for this new chapter. These have been our “services”. Internet here is still not where it needs to be for live streaming.
That was just one week ago today but seems like years have gone by. Recently I built a new office in the garage here at home. My old office is now Bev’s craft room. My office has become our new studio. I have 3 guys who work with me in media and have been with me for a lot of long hours. In fact, some days they even eat lunch and supper with us. Two of the other pastors are also helping with some of the media production, but most of the burden has fallen on me. The other pastors who still haven’t quite “gotten there” with cameras and studios have helped with messaging and calls, but otherwise have been told to stay home.
One day last week I was on the phone helping other pastors all over the country who needed to know what to do. The same day I spent many hours in the studio recording. We also have a daily radio broadcast (30 minutes at noon and 30 minutes at night) that needs materials. Since our preachers are not able to go and do the programs live, we are converting my sermons from now and the past to mp3 files.
It has been a long hard week. Besides all the work to feed the sheep in this new era, I have had to spend even more hours on my knees and in the Word. Just a month ago I turned 72. I am feeling pretty good but need you to pray that I will hold up under the added strain and frustration.
In Christ,
Mike Creiglow
Mike and Beverly Creiglow
Caixa Postal 24
Cruzeiro do Sul, Acre, Brazil 69980
mdcreig [at] hotmail.com
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COVID-19 in Kenya
The Tate Family has served the Lord in Kitale, Kenya since January 2008. Their main ministry is church planting.
March 21, 2020
Greetings in the name of Jesus Christ,
I can be sure of one thing – You really don’t want me to talk about the Corona Virus in this report. Isn’t it the only thing you ever hear about these days? It’s all people talk about, it’s on every post, it consumes the news, and it has drastically altered every person’s way of life. But yes, Corona Virus has also reached Kenya and if it is the only thing happening then it probably is about the only thing I can talk about.
So, things are not as bad yet in Kenya as they are in the United States, but they will be soon. I know you never heard of a thing called Social Distancing before two weeks ago, but it is truly a totally foreign concept to the Kenyan people. Do you realize that 90% of Kenyans use public transportation to maneuver around? That includes vans, buses, taxis, motorcycles and bicycles (yes, a bicycle can be a form of public transportation). Vans, or shuttles, are the most popular form. Eleven to fifteen people in a small van is an incubation pit for viruses. Have you ever considered what it’s like going into a Kenyan pharmacy to obtain medicine? here could be twenty to thirty people all pushing towards the counter trying to be the next in the queue. I’m giving these examples to say that when it starts to spread here it is going to spread quickly. Also, the hospitals in Kenya are not ideal. Lots and lots of people, shared rooms and shared beds, and healthcare that is not the best. Please keep Kenya in your prayers as you pray for America.
At the Chapel, I have had to do much the same as probably most of the pastors in the United States have had to do, that is, speak about the Corona Virus. I have wanted to give my people a Biblical perspective on the virus and how we should respond to the situation in a Biblical way. I told them that I have noticed two different ways of responding to the chaotic situation. First way – with panic, stress, anxiety, fear, hoarding goods, suspicion, and looking out for number one. Second way – by thinking you’re immune, carelessness, ignoring the dangers, or thinking that all Christians or God-fearing people will be protected from any harm. I don’t believe either of these ways offers a completely Biblical perspective. I told them there is a third way – wisdom, discretion, caution, peace, calm, assurance, and complete trust in God for everything, no matter what. This third way leads us and God’s churches to loving and helping one another, to looking towards the good of other people and for the glory of God. My people at the Chapel have concerns and fears just like anyone else. We need to know that God is in control and will work all things out for our good and His glory.
Just like in the States, all the schools in Kenya have been closed indefinitely. This occurred after just the third confirmed case of the virus in Kenya. This has impacted all of us. Josiah is home from RVA, his term cut short and the rest of his Senior year in jeopardy. Chloe is home and currently being homeschooled by Julie. The math classes I teach at the school where Julie is the head teacher are now all being conducted remotely and on-line. But the school closures impact Julie the most. She and the rest of the staff are working hard to provide continuing education to the students even though the school is closed.
Beloved, I do not believe the infrastructure of Kenya is prepared for what may come. I pray that God’s people come together here in Kitale in a God-honoring way. I pray that the strong in this society don’t end up taking advantage of the weak. While I was in town today, I saw the headline on the front page of the news. The whole page had just three words: “Prepare for Worse”. For the sake of the Kenyan people I pray it doesn’t get too bad.
I write this report on my Anniversary. Julie and I were wed 28 years ago today. Happy Anniversary, Julie. I love you and you’re the best.
Blessings to you all,
Roger, Julie, Amy, Josiah & Chloe
rojuta[at]gmail.com
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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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