Preparing for Return to Kenya

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is IMG-0326-1024x991.jpg
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 5, 2021

Dear praying friends,

Another month has come and gone, and we are now nearing the end of 2021. Hard to believe how quickly this past year went. Lord willing, as we all plan to celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday later this month, may we not forget the Lord or all the blessings He gives. Psalm 100:4-5 says “Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name. For the Lord is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.” Also, 1 Thessalonians 5:18, which says “In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.” May we truly not forget the blessings the Lord provides each day.

We are nearing the end of our time of furlough and doing some planning for our return to Kenya. There are still some things to sort out, and hopefully by next month, we will be on our way back to Kenya. We appreciate each one of you so much for your letters, emails, words of encouragement, and prayer support. Your sacrificial giving is much appreciated as well. You all mean more to us than you will ever know. May God bless you for your heart for missions.

In regards to prayer requests, please be in prayer for Kenya and the coronavirus. Coronavirus is still very much a factor not only in Africa, but all over the world. I read recently where Europe is getting hit hard with the virus presently. It seems to go in waves. We know the Lord is in control of all these things and we trust Him.

Kenya I am sure will be in some form of lockdown or curfew, so please pray for us as we adjust to whatever the plans are for coronavirus. We hope and pray that things will subside and get back to normal soon. We will remember you all here in America as well with the challenges of coronavirus.

Also, please continue to pray for my wife as she homeschools our daughters. As I watch the levels of study and projects increase each year, I am more aware of how much work and preparation must go into teaching them. My wife is truly a servant and a gift from God. She sacrifices each day on the mission field, and also is a great assistance to our family. What a blessing she is not only to us, but many others as well. Proverbs 31:28 says “Her children arise up, and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praiseth her.” Amen.

We will continue to keep you updated. Please continue to keep us in prayer, and Lord willing, may you all have a wonderful time of being with family later this month. I will close with Psalm 103:1-2 which says “Bless the Lord, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits:” May we bless the Lord with all that is within us.

Until next month,
Nathan and Carrie Radford

Contact Info:
Nathan and Carrie Radford
naterad[at]yahoo.com
Furlough Address
1126 Smith Street
Milton, WV 25541

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

Waiting on Passport Renewals

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is IMG-0326-1024x991.jpg
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 5, 2021

Dear praying friends,

Another month has come and gone, and we are now into the latter months of 2021. While there have been so many challenges this past year with the coronavirus pandemic, it still seems the year has gone quickly. This month holds two important dates for our family, with me (Nathan) turning one year older on the 21st, and my wife and I celebrating our 17th anniversary on the 16th. What a blessing my wife has been to me over the years, and may God give us many more years together to serve on the mission field.

Please continue to pray for Kenya at this challenging time of coronavirus. Things are continuing, but in a limited capacity. My understanding is that religious gatherings can still meet, but at 30% capacity of what they were meeting at. So, there are still obvious restrictions. I am sure you still have to wear masks in public, as well as sanitizing as you go around town. Please pray for all missionaries and servants in Kenya at the present time, that the Lord would watch over them and protect them. As we go out and come in, wherever we are, God is watching over us. Isn’t that wonderful? Psalm 121:8 says, “The Lord shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore.” Amen. May we trust God as we go out and come in, even with the challenges of this pandemic.

My wife is staying busy with homeschooling our daughters. She is doing well this year and our daughters are both doing well. They are absorbing the materials well and progressing in their studies. Our daughter McKenna is doing a new math program and is catching on quickly. Camille is also doing well, and of course I am thankful for my faithful wife for investing so much time and energy in teaching them and preparing them well in their studies.

We are nearing the end of our time of furlough and would ask that you would pray for us. I (Nathan) still plan to share, preach, and present the ministries in Kenya as God opens the doors. We are still waiting on our passports to be renewed, so this is a big prayer request at this time. Our paperwork has been submitted and we are waiting for the renewals. God is in control and we trust in His timing. We are waiting on the Lord and seeking His will.

I will close with Lamentations 3:25, which says “The Lord is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him.” In our times of waiting in our lives, may we seek Him with our whole hearts. He is good and faithful. May God bless each of you for your heart for missions. We will keep you updated.

Blessings,
Nathan and Carrie Radford

Contact Info:
Nathan and Carrie Radford
naterad[at]yahoo.com
Furlough Address
1126 Smith Street
Milton, WV 25541

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

Opportunity to Reset

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is Profile-Pic_Roger-and-Julie-Tate-1.jpg
The Tates have served the Lord in Kitale, Kenya since January 2008. Their main ministry is church planting.

October 8, 2021

Greetings in the name of Jesus Christ,

Cause and effect.

Cause 1:  Over the past year and a half we have had a number of what I’ll call Governmental Covid Restrictions placed on religious institutions, including churches. The way this works is this: The government gets concerned about Covid cases, or the rise of Covid cases and as a result it shuts down cross county travel, institutes a curfew, and places serious restrictions on churches. Sometimes they say churches cannot meet, other times they say children under 12 and people over 59 cannot attend, or they say that less than 50% of a building’s seating capacity can be used.  During these times of restrictions people oftentimes fear going to church.  These restrictions often last a month or two before the government lifts them at which time people start trickling back to church.  Then, after a month or two the government gets concerned again and the cycle repeats all over again.

Cause 2: I visited the States for a month.

Effect 1: Because of the above reasons our attendance at the Chapel has dwindled considerably.  I suppose this is to be expected.  It is difficult for a small church group of people to survive such circumstances.

Effect 2: We have an opportunity to press the RESET button on the ministry, to do some things differently and to implement some changes that need to be made. Of course, I’m not going to change the basic things I started the Chapel for in the first place. I still plan on making the teaching and preaching Biblical and simple, directing the people to love and follow Jesus. I also still plan on keeping the worship simple and heartfelt. These are things seldom found in churches here in Kitale. Thus, the great need for an institution like the Upper Room Baptist Chapel. But, pushing the RESET button means we can implement a children’s ministry to make attending easier for families of children. We can also implement more first-century like fellowship – eating together, sharing together, and helping each other.  Also, we can implement what is oftentimes called “Outreach”.  I don’t want to call it that or even to think of it like that because “Outreach” usually focuses on “bringing people to the church”. I want the people of the Chapel to simply be the hands and feet of Jesus in our community, serving others in our community and showing them the love of Jesus. And, I don’t want them to do it to “bring people to the church” but simply because we love Jesus, love others, and want to show them the love and heart of Jesus.

So, we get to press the RESET button.  Opportunity or challenge?  Probably both.

Blessings to you all,
Roger, Julie, and 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.


Read more

Seeing Stress in the States

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is Profile-Pic_Roger-and-Julie-Tate-1.jpg
The Tates have served the Lord in Kitale, Kenya since January 2008. Their main ministry is church planting.

September 3, 2021

Greetings in the name of Jesus Christ,

My, what turbulent times we all live in these days. 

Most of you probably don’t know this but as I write this I am currently in the United States. I made an unplanned visit here for a month, mostly for personal reasons—to visit family and to attend to some issues I felt could use my assistance. My trip is now winding down and by the time you read this I will probably be back in Kenya with Julie and Chloë.

Being here in the States has shown me something: People all around the world are stressed. I’ve known for some time that the people in Kenya are stressed, after all I live with and around them. Now I know that the people of the United States are also stressed.

I’ve noticed that some are stressed about Covid and the possibilities of contracting the disease.

I’ve noticed that some are stressed about the economy and the downturns it has taken.

I’ve noticed that some are stressed about politics and the political status of the country.

I’ve noticed that you’re kids are stressed about returning to school, and wearing masks, and being sent home for being exposed to Covid, etc.

I’ve noticed that you’re very concerned about events in Afghanistan.

I’ve noticed that many of you are stressed about the constant state of flux and change.

I’ve noticed that a lot less people are attending church services on a weekly basis.

In short, I’ve noticed a lot of little changes from the last short trip I made to the United States 2 years ago. Yes, I’ve noticed. But, no, I am not lecturing you. I love you all and feel much compassion for your stress, your anxiety, and your concerns. And because of this, I plan on doing something when I return to Kenya.

Normally, I express in my newsletters the way that you can pray for the Kenyan people. If you’ve read any of my newsletters I know that you’ve seen many prayer requests like this. But this time around, when I return to Kenya, I’m going to gather together the believers that attend the Chapel in Kitale and we are going to pray specifically for you, you believers in the United States. Will that be OK with you, to have a few followers of Christ on the other side of the world, in a different culture, using a different language, praying for you? We are going to pray that God be with you, that you feel the presence of God in your lives daily and in a special way during these turbulent times. We are going to pray that God bless you with all spiritual blessings. We are going to pray that the love and grace of God shower down upon you. We are going to pray that you trust God and accept his will in your lives in all things. We are going to pray that when you are stressed and anxious that the peace of God would envelope you. We are going to pray that God would work in your politics to bring about his glory and your good. We are going to pray that your love for others would grow and grow.

This is different, I know, because normally I ask that you pray for us. However, this time we are going to pray for you. I hope you are OK with this.

Blessings to you all,
Roger, Julie & 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.


Read more

Partial Lockdown in Kenya

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is IMG-0326-1024x991.jpg
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 2, 2021

Dear praying friends,

Another month has come and gone, and we are now at the end of summer and beginning the school year. It seems like the summer months just flew by, and now we are in the later months of 2021. It is hard to believe the school has already started. May we remember the students, teachers, and parents during this challenging year with coronavirus. We pray that all will be safe and healthy. We hope this finds each of you doing well and we thank you so much for your interest in missions around the world.

Please continue to pray for Kenya and the coronavirus. Our understanding is that there is a partial lockdown in the country now, with religious gatherings meeting in a limited capacity. There is also an extended curfew, which has been going on for months. Kenya is now getting some of the vaccines shipped to them from overseas, so please pray that the vaccines will get into the right places quickly and prevent the virus from spreading further. We trust the Lord in all these things and know He is in complete control.

Jeremiah 32:17 says “Ah Lord GOD! behold, thou hast made the heaven and the earth by thy great power and stretched out arm, and there is nothing too hard for thee:” Also, Psalm 121:2, ” My help cometh from the LORD, which made heaven and earth.” These verses remind us that our help comes from the Lord, and that nothing is too hard for Him. When we are going through challenging times, such as this past year, may we get into the Word and remind ourselves of the great promises of God. He will be with us and take care of us. May we trust Him always.

I (Nathan) am continuing to travel and report on the ministries in Kitale, Kenya. Please pray for me as I travel, for safety, as well as good meetings in the churches. So many of you have asked how you can pray for us, encourage us, etc. We are so thankful to each of you and your heart for missions. We could not do this without you and we are so thankful for your support and encouragement.

This month marks the 20th anniversary of the September 11 attacks in New York and Washington. May we be mindful of those who lost their lives on that tragic day, and keep the families in our prayers. Also, for the brave responders who perished in the efforts to save others. How we need to keep America in our prayers, for safety, freedom, and for the people to remember the Lord. In closing, I love Psalm 20:7, which says “Some trust in chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember the name of the Lord our God.” Amen. We will keep you updated.

Until next month,
Nathan and Carrie Radford

Contact Info:
Nathan and Carrie Radford
naterad[at]yahoo.com
Furlough Address
1126 Smith Street
Milton, WV 25541

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

Numbering Our Days

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 2, 2021

Dear praying friends,

Another month has come and gone, and we are now heading to the end of summer and school is almost starting up again. Where has the time gone? The summer months are definitely busy, and time passes so quickly. May we make the best use of the time that God gives each each day, as we will never get time back once it is gone. Time is truly a gift from God. Psalm 90:12 says “So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.” Amen.

Please continue to pray for Kenya and the struggles of coronavirus. Our understanding is that public gatherings and meetings have been closed for the past several weeks, and this is likely to continue if the coronavirus cases continue to rise. Neighboring Uganda has also been hit with the coronavirus, and much of Africa. It seems just like when things start to get better, then cases start to break out again and many things are either locked down or shut down.

We know that God is in control of all these things and we trust Him during these challenging times. I like the statement “I don’t know what the future holds, but I know Who holds the future.” May we trust God during these difficult times, all over the world. This pandemic has really stretched our faith and taught us to trust God more. God frequently tests our faith to see if we will falter or trust Him during the uncertainties of life. May we trust Him more than ever before.

Please pray for me (Nathan) as I am continuing to travel and report during our time of furlough. I am thankful that our vehicle has done well throughout all the traveling and I would ask that you would pray it would do well throughout the duration of my time reporting in the States. So many of you have been so kind, friendly, inquired about the ministry, etc.

This means so much to us. We truly do appreciate each of you and God will bless you for your heart for missions. I am reminded of Isaiah 6:8, which says “Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me.” We thank each of you for your mindfulness of missions, either by praying, sacrificially giving, or going personally to see what God is doing all around the world.

Please continue to pray for my wife as she is educating our daughters. She does a great job at homeschooling and has her degree in education. She is an excellent teacher but there are certainly more challenges in the coming years as high school is approaching. Please pray for her for wisdom, guidance, and direction as she does the best she can to educate our daughters. I am truly blessed to have a wife who has served faithfully in Kenya alongside me. She is truly a blessing and helpmeet.

We will be sure to keep you updated. Until next month, may God bless you all.

Nathan and Carrie Radford

Contact Info:
Nathan and Carrie Radford
naterad[at]yahoo.com
Furlough Address
1126 Smith Street
Milton, WV 25541

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

Riots and Risks: Is It Worth It?

The Tates have served the Lord in Kitale, Kenya since January 2008. Their main ministry is church planting.

Greetings in the name of Jesus Christ,

A few events that occurred over the last month have caused me to stop and once again think about my current situation here in the country of Kenya.

First, I was traveling home from a supply trip to Eldoret and I was passing through a town about 15 miles from our house. Up ahead I saw a van stopped in the middle of the road and was annoyed with the driver as I drove in the ditch to get around him. As soon as I got around him and back on the road I noticed why he had stopped. A hundred yards ahead the road was blocked. Old tires had been hauled up onto the road, the smoke of their burning ascending into the sky. Dozens of men were gathered around them, yelling, jumping, and shaking sticks and clubs. It was a riot of some kind and I knew immediately and instinctively that I should not be there (Don’t worry, I live through this ordeal). One of the first things you learn when you come to live in Kenya is to avoid mobs and riots at all costs. They can be very dangerous. So, I immediately got off the road and turned around. I was surrounded by people (friendly people, mind you, but nerve-wracking nonetheless) who told me I could not continue up that road because there was a riot. That seemed obvious. They told me about a side “road” I could take to get around the riot to the other side. I should have just turned around and gone back to Eldoret, even if I had to stay the night there. But I decided to take the side road. All seemed well at first and the side road looked like it was taking me around the riot and would eventually take me back to the main road which, indeed, it was doing. I was following another car ahead of me which seemed to know where it was going, so this gave me some confidence. After about ten minutes I was about 1/2 of a mile from merging back onto the main road when I saw up ahead that this side road was also blocked by men and tires (not burning). They stopped the car ahead of me and I saw there was no place to go. After talking with that driver for a minute they pulled back the tires and made a path for him to pass through. Then they came towards me and I cracked the window open so I could talk with them. As soon as they saw me they began yelling and jumping and screaming to the men on the road up ahead “FUNGA NJIA!  FUNGA NJIA!  FUNGA NJIA!” (Close the path, Close the path, Close the path!). I didn’t wait to find out what they had in store for me once the path was closed. I took off while the men up ahead scrambled to get the tires back across the road. I drove off the road and through a field to get around their roadblock, raced as fast as I could back to the main road, got on the main road, turned toward home and left the mob, yells and smoke behind. Exciting missionary life, right? Right!  

The second thing that occurred happened right here in our own neighborhood where we live, within a half mile of our current house but only two doors down from our previous residence where we lived for 10 years. At only 8:30pm some men broke into a mission compound of some missionary friends of ours. Fortunately, this is only a mission station and no one actually lives there. Anyway, very early in the evening, certainly before everyone on the street was in bed asleep, the men broke into the compound, tied up the night guard and stole some things. Very unfortunately, before they left, they violently murdered the night guard. Dead men don’t talk. Exciting missionary life, right?  Right!

A third incident did occur as well (that I don’t have space to report) that turned out to be completely harmless but made me extremely nervous at the time.

When these things occur I wonder if I’m sitting on a powder keg that could go off at any time. I re-evaluate what I’m doing here and whether I should be putting myself at risk. Then I remember that there are risks and dangers everywhere, both here and the US. That many of you often put yourselves at risk as well. And I remember how much this fallen world needs the gospel and needs the love and saving grace of Jesus. I remember the cross and that Jesus came to redeem us. I remember that I and the Kenyan people need to trust him, love him and serve him. And then I remember that this is where I need to be.

Blessings to you all,
Roger, Julie & 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.


Read more

Specific Ways to Pray for the Tates



The Tates have served the Lord in Kitale, Kenya since January 2008. Their main ministry is church planting.

Greetings in the name of Jesus Christ,

Thank you to all who spend time praying for us, for our family, for our ministry here in Kenya and for our spiritual well-being. Needless to say, we need this support from you all. Life and ministry are hard, as you know. And as I know, life and ministry are hard for you back in the United States as well. We all must press-on. And for those of you who are praying for us, on occasion I like to offer some prayer suggestions for you.

First, please thank God that things are going well at Upper Room Baptist Chapel. This past month we again had some new visitors to add to our new visitors from the previous month. Our attendance is still low but it is encouraging to have some new folks who show an interest in our simple, Biblical teaching and in our approach to loving and following Jesus with all of our hearts. They seem to appreciate what we are doing and we pray that some of them will continue to come and to grow with us as we follow the teaching of the Lord.

Second, speaking of the teaching of the Lord, I have started teaching our folks at the Chapel a new series from Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount. This is the longest and most concentrated of Jesus’ teaching found anywhere in the New Testament and we at the Chapel need to know the things that Jesus taught. My focus in this series is to show that Jesus’ teaching is counter-intuitive to the thinking of the world and that in this sermon Jesus wants to completely change the way that we think, act and approach everything we do in this world. I want our people to know that Jesus gives his followers principles for Kingdom living and that, as he says at the beginning of the sermon, his followers will be happy, fortunate and blessed if they believe and follow them. Please pray that we would truly grasp Jesus’ counter-intuitive teaching, that we would believe him even though what he says is contrary to what our flesh naturally thinks and believes, and that in believing what he teaches we would have the courage to follow him every day and hour of our lives. We have already seen in the short time we have been in this series that these things will not be easy.

Third, please pray for the Kenyan people. Times are still very hard for most people here. The economy is still sluggish, Covid is still effecting people, businesses are suffering, crime seems to be up (we even had a break-in and theft off our own compound last week), street children roam Kitale, and there seems to be just a general tension in the air. The people of Kenya and Kitale need God now more than ever.

Last, please pray for me, Julie, and Chloe. We face so many physical, spiritual, and emotional challenges every day that seem overwhelming and crushing. This seems to be an especially challenging time that even the other missionaries in Kitale are feeling acutely. Here on the mission field our faith is challenged in ways that I never did, but probably should have, anticipated. Please pray that God would give us strength, that his Spirit would draw near to us, that we would trust him completely and that he would be glorified in our lives. Greater is he that is in us than he that is in the world. He that has begun a good work in us will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ. To God be the glory.

Blessings to you all,
Roger, Julie & 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.




Read more
^