Missionary Update: The Tates on Furlough from Kenya [September 2013]
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,
Back in the United States of America after two plus years. Things don’t seem to have changed that much since we last were in the States. The last time I returned to the States, after our first term, everything looked and felt strangely different. Kind of like when you look outside through an old window that has darkened or settled. After a while those kinds of windows begin to ripple and warp and everything you see through them is slightly distorted. That’s how I saw everything upon my return after our first term. Now we have returned after our second term and most everything seems normal to me, not distorted or as if I’ve just passed through a time warp. I don’t know how to interpret this but I do know that this time is different.
Our travel time was long but uneventful and without difficulty. It took almost four days of travel to arrive at our final destination (my parent’s house in National City, Michigan). It went like this: Drive from Kitale to Nairobi; Overnight in Nairobi; Fly from Nairobi to Istanbul, Turkey; Delay in Istanbul; Fly from Istanbul to Chicago; Overnight in Chicago; Fly from Chicago to Flint, Michigan; Drive from Flint to National City. Needless to say we were all very thankful and glad to have arrived. God was gracious to us and we all arrived safely and even with all our luggage. So much detail and planning had to go into making this whole trip work and to close up things on the Kenya side that I think I’m still worn out from all of that. But we’ve been able to spend some good time with my parents and now we are back in Flint spending some time with Julie’s parents and soon we will be heading to Dayton where we are looking forward to reuniting with our beloved church family.
There is still much to pray about. We are all well physically but we are all fighting emotional and spiritual battles. I feel so sluggish in body and mind, but especially sluggish in soul and spirit, almost like I’m weighted down. Furlough is a challenging time for Julie. All the stress of constant change and constant traveling weighs her down. Emily has left Africa and faces the challenge of college while the rest of her family will be living on a different continent. Amy misses Kenya and the life she has made there. It’s not that she isn’t excited about being back in the States, but again, it’s not what she’s used to. Josiah is doing well but he also is facing all of these things along with us, probably without showing any wear and tear.
We love you all. We’re so thankful for all your love, prayers and support. Looking forward to seeing you all soon.
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
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FaithWORKS Report [June 2013]
PRAY AND PRAISE!
- ODALI AND KATHY BARROS – PRAISE GOD for the children who are learning about God’s love. PRAY for the salvation of lost family members.
- HAROLD BRATCHER – PRAISE GOD for continued health and opportunities to minister. PRAY for the Lord to work out the sale of their house in Manaus.
- JOHN AND ALTA HATCHER – PRAISE GOD for the breaking out of the church in Assai and for the new pastor there. PRAY for the Hatchers’ continued and health to keep up their witness for Christ.
- PAUL AND WANDA HATCHER – PRAISE GOD for the burden to plant yet more new churches in NE Brazil – and for the on-going work in Manaus. PRAY for all the church-planting pastors in their cities.
- JOHN AND JUDY HATCHER – PRAISE GOD for the continued interest and perseverance of believers in this difficult nation. PRAY that God will encourage both our missionaries and all the believers through difficult experiences.
- NATHAN AND CARRIE RADFORD – PRAISE GOD for the works that continue to go and grow in the several villages and neighborhoods. PRAY that God will give them wisdom to minister. PRAY also that God will provide them a vehicle to use during furlough.
- SHERIDAN AND ANITA STANTON – PRAISE GOD for all the teaching and training that continues to reach out and strengthen the churches in Peru. PRAY that God will build up His Kingdom in all parts of that nation.
- ROGER AND JULIE TATE – PRAISE GOD for the growth and blossoming of mission points and churches in the towns, villages, and neighborhoods around Kitale. PRAY for God’s continued wisdom and grace for our missionaries, the believers, and the leaders of the churches.
- BOBBY AND CHARLENE WACASER – PRAISE GOD for the works of His grace in saving and transforming lives in Curitiba. PRAY that God will continue to minister His grace through them to save many others and add them to His church.
URGENT NEED FOR $17,000.00 FURLOUGH REPLACEMENT FUNDS
We are all aware of the ever-spiking prices of all kinds of fuel. It is also showing up big-time with our missionaries’ furlough travel back to the States.
Baptist Faith Missions provides for your missionaries a 6-month furlough after at least 24 continuous months of service on their field and a 12-month furlough after 48 months of service.
BFM pays for their furlough travel expenses out of the General Fund “as the Lord provides”. But, there is never enough in the Monthly General Fund offerings to cover their essential monthly living and ministry expenses – much less the other commitments we have made to them over the course of the year as they come due. So, the benefits we provide for them for their ‘other-than-monthly’ commitments are supplied out of the Thanksgiving Offering funds.
Having said all that – we need to replace the funds we have disbursed for our two furloughing families to return to the States later this year. To transport the Tate and Radford families for their furloughs that are due to them will require more than $17,000.00. When we provide those furlough reimbursements to them, our General Fund will be all but broke. And, we are just now ½ of the way through 2013.
WILL YOU HELP US REPLENISH THE GENERAL FUND BY DESIGNATING YOUR OFFERINGS FOR ‘FURLOUGH FUNDS’? We will have already paid for the airfare tickets, but your offerings will help us replenish the account so we can provide the other future commitments we have made to them throughout the rest of this year.
“AS THE LORD PROVIDES”
This has always been the motto and mantra for all the commitments we have ever made to our missionaries. When the first missionary was sent back to Brazil by his church, Brother Hafford Overbey told him that he [Brother Overbey] would work to appeal to churches and other individual supporters to raise his support funds – and that he would forward those funds ‘as the Lord provides’.
We have always told our missionaries we approve for support that same thing. “We will work for you, to appeal for your support, but we can fulfill our commitments only as the Lord supplies the funds through the faithful, sacrificial giving of our supporters.”
It always pains us to not be able to fulfill every commitment we have made to our faithful missionaries – but we can give to them only what we receive to give them. We have had occasions already this year – and we fear there may be others to come – when we have had to tell our missionaries “We’re sorry, but the funds are not there” when they have asked for benefits we have previously given.
Please help us give in full the commitments we have made to them by faithfully giving your offerings to the Monthly General Fund.
MISSIONARIES’ FURLOUGH SCHEDULE
Harold Bratcher is retiring from active and faithful missionary service in Manaus, Brazil, and is relocating to live here in the States. He is selling his home in Manaus and is seeking to purchase a home here. If you wish to contact him before he establishes a permanent address, you may contact him at: 859.277.3716 / 1012 Balsam Drive, Lexington KY 40504 / or through his email address: harold_bratcher[at]yahoo.com
TATES AND RADFORDS – their plans at present are to be coming to the States in September and October respectively. You may correspond with them concerning any prospective plans you would like to make with them. Roger Tate rojuta[at]gmail.com & Nathan Radford naterad[at]yahoo.com
NEED FOR VEHICLES – Both the Tates and Radfords will need vehicles to use for their travels in the States during their upcoming furloughs. If anyone has a vehicle or vehicles you can loan them for their use, correspond with them at the above email addresses.
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Missionary Update: Sheridan & Anita Stanton on furlough from Peru [October 2012]
Sheridan and Anita Stanton have served the Lord in Peru for 28 years. Their main ministry is church planting and they have helped establish churches all over the country. Sheridan also works to train pastors and Anita works with the ladies’ ministry and developing children’s material.
October 4, 2012
Dear friends,
Big news, our fifth grand-child, Benjamin Ryan Stanton was born 3:14 am, Sept. 24. He was 8 lbs and 5 oz and 20.5 inches long. Both the baby and our daughter-in-law are doing well. Anita and I plan to see them in November. Our son, Josh, was able to witness the birth by I-Pad internet connection from Afghanistan. Technology is amazing!
The challenging pace of furlough continues for Anita and me. Though the pace is a bit hectic at times it does somehow feel a bit easier than our furloughs of the past. Maybe because of the nice-riding mini-van Brother Bobby Creiglow has loaned us to use while in the States; maybe because of the comfortable house to live in provided by BFM; or maybe because we take more stops and side-trips than we used too (we just spent two days at Niagara Falls celebrating Anita’s birthday!). To me the fellowship with pastors and other Christian friends seems to be sweeter than ever. Most of our supporting churches have supported our work in Peru since 1983, when we first began, and Anita and I have made many close, lifelong friendships over these past thirty years. Extraordinary hospitality is the only way to describe the wonderful meals shared and the homes and hotels provided for our rest during our travels. Let me give you a rundown of where we have been since our last letter:
August – 12 with the 7th Street Baptist Church, Cannelton, Indiana, pastor Harold Draper (am service). Old Mount Zion Baptist Church, Bluford, Illinois, without a pastor (pm service).
August – 19 with the Richland Baptist Church, Livermore, Kentucky, pastor Larry Ellis (am service). Bible Baptist Church, Harrisburg, Illinois, pastor Art Donley (pm service).
August – 26 with Rocky Springs Baptist Church, Bristol, Tennessee, pastor Greg Lovelece (am service). Grace Baptist Church, Surgoinsville, Tennessee, pastor Donnie Anderson (pm service)
August 31-September 2 with Faith Baptist Church of Kirksville, Missouri, pastor Glenn Archer (three day meeting ending on Sunday am).
September 2-3 with East Keys Baptist Church, Springfield, Illinois, pastor Dr. Dan Hilliard (Sunday pm and Labor Day Conference).
September – 9 with Berea Baptist Church of Hiddenite, North Carolina, pastor Charles Cook (both services).
September – 16 with the Calvary Baptist Church of Richmond, Kentucky, pastor Bobby Greene (both services).
September – 23 with Concord Baptist Church of Leesville, South Carolina, pastor Dr. Elton Dunbar (both services).
September – 30 with Grace Baptist Church of Temperance, Michigan, pastor Matt Brook (am service). Grace Baptist Church of Wyandotte, Michigan pastor Gary Harrah (pm service).
Anita and I have been well received by all of the churches and hope we have been an encouragement to each one; that is our goal. During these preaching opportunities we have seen several of God’s saints make commitments to serve the Lord, and one young man trusting in Christ as his Savior. A few of the churches are now planning to visit us in Peru in the next few years. On occasion I have counseled with a few pastors and friends encouraging them in their ministry and walk with the Lord. We have every weekend scheduled through the middle of December, and are looking forward to being with each one!
PRAYER REQUESTS:
- Hilda Bayhi (Anita’s sister) is taking chemotherapy and radiation treatments for brain cancer.
- Our son, Major Joshua Stanton, USAF, for his safety as a pilot flying missions in Afghanistan.
- God’s grace and protection as we continue our furlough travels and also for God to ease the pain in Anita’s knees.
- For the Calvary Baptist Mission of Huánuco, Peru and all the churches and pastors of Peru.
- For each family reading this letter to consider giving $1.00 a day through your church designated for the General fund of Baptist Faith Mission.
- For the churches reading this letter please consider giving a special, generous, Thanksgiving Offering designated for the General Fund of Baptist Faith Mission.
Anita and I continue to rejoice in the blessing of having shared warm fellowship with so many of you thus far, and we are looking forward to being with the rest of you in the months to come! Until next month.
In HIM by HIS grace,
Sheridan and Anita Stanton
Furlough Address:
1012 Balsam Drive
Lexington, KY 40504
(859) 277-3716 – mission house
(859) 490-5370 – cell in States
(614) 500-8823
sestantonperu[at]hotmail.com – Sheridan
arstantonperu[at]gmail.com – Anita
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