With Bad News All Around, the Good News Still Stands
June 19, 2020
Greetings in the name of Jesus Christ,
Unfortunately, this month’s newsletter is mostly just bad news. I wish I could say otherwise but the truth is the truth – Corona is wreaking havoc on our ministries here. Churches, schools and government offices are all closed so you can imagine what effects that is having on us.
Bad news #1: Government offices still closed. My work permit officially expired back in March. I had already filed to renew it and it was “accepted”. However, the offices closed before I could receive my paperwork. Where is my paperwork now? I don’t know. What does that mean for my status as a resident in Kenya? I don’t know that either.
Bad news #2: Schools are still closed. If you’ve been following our newsletters on a monthly basis you know that for the last two years Julie has been working diligently and feverishly as the Head Teacher of the newly started Milimani Christian Homeschooling Community (MCHC), a project started by some of our dear Kenyan friends here in Kitale. We didn’t start this school, nor does it belong to us, but Julie especially has been very instrumental in getting it off the ground and keeping it running. It obviously means a great deal to us. When Corona hit Kenya, this school was also shut down. The implications of this are grave. With no school fees coming in the teachers cannot be paid and the rent for the property has not been paid for months. While the directors of the school are trying to get extensions for the lease, the landlady has not been compliant and is demanding all back payments as well. I do not see how the school as a business survives this Corona Virus. There is simply no cash flow and the property almost certainly will be lost unless something miraculous happens. The imminent demise of the school is a source of much pain for Julie especially.
Bad news #3: Upper Room Baptist Chapel will lose its meeting place. Yes, you may have guessed it – URBC rents the facilities from MCHC and holds its weekly worship services there on that property. When and if MCHC loses its property then URBC loses its venue for worship and ministry. URBC cannot officially meet right now either (although I am in the process of getting special permission to do so) but when our services do start back up it looks like we will have to also start looking for a new location in which to meet. This is very depressing to me, as you might be able to imagine. I liked our current location very much as it was very conducive to the way we wanted the Chapel to run and operate. Now it looks as if we almost certainly will lose this venue as well.
Bad news #4: It just seems like Satan is against us at every turn. Our ministries are in disarray; Our main grocery store in town closed down; Our landlord will not allow any of our friends to come onto our compound; Josiah cannot get out of the country to get back to the U.S. and start college; I keep getting arrested by corrupt police officers who are not arresting me over legalities or infractions but simply to extort bribes from me because I have a target on my back. Ever feel like nothing is going right?
Good news: God is still on the throne; God is still in control; God still loves us; Jesus is still King; Jesus’ work on the cross still stands; Our salvation is sure; Jesus will come back and will triumph; God’s work will progress. In this we stand. In this we trust. In this we move forward.
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.
Read more
God at Work During COVID-19
Beloved Brothers and Sisters,
I write this letter sitting in my living room – where I have been doing a LOT of sitting (not unlike many of you!). It’s been many weeks now since the whole world basically shut down because of COVID-19, and while I can say I think we’ve settled in a little bit, nothing quite feels normal. I feel a bit like Inigo Montoya in the Princess Bride when he says to the Man in Black, “Let me esplain. No, there is too much…let me sum up.”
Like most people, I’ve struggled with fear and uncertainty. There are so many unknowns. Just like in the US, schools are shut down here as well as all social/religious gatherings. It’s been bad timing in some ways (though I have to remind myself often that God’s timing is never bad). Milimani Christian Homeschool Community was – truthfully – a struggle, but we had a young lady who is a special education teacher from the US who was getting a work permit to come take over that aspect of our school (a huge load off my shoulders). We were starting to get the hang of the high school, our dyslexic girl was reading and spelling, and our autistic boy was finding his stride and showing mathematical gifting. It’s very possible that COVID-19 is going to totally wipe out MCHC because of financial constraints. This in turn affects the chapel because we rent the MCHC building on Sundays. No MCHC, no building.
There have been a lot of changes at home as well. In all honesty, you all in the US have a lot more change to adjust to than we do here. There is never much to do around here anyway, and we often suffer from boredom. April is a month off of school in Kenya anyway; but there are many unanswered questions. Will MCHC survive? Will Chloe’s school survive? Will school even open back up in May? Likely not. Josiah’s school, Rift Valley Academy, is NOT opening up at all for the remainder of the school year (which ends in July). Instead, they will have an on-line platform. We didn’t know this, however, when Josiah and the other students were released from school two weeks early. He may never see his friends again; he may never see the campus again (which he loved). He doesn’t get to say good-bye.
Chloe, as usual, has had a difficult time adjusting to the change. Her behavior became aggressive enough that we had to consult her doctor. Being all “trapped” at home together without any reprieve has been a challenge to put it mildly.
Doing COVID-19 in Kenya has some additional psychological challenges, however. Currently, we have more deaths from police violence than we do from the corona virus. Forced isolation into some of the isolation facilities has been a nightmare. People are crowded together sharing the same facilities and even going hungry in some cases. Those who get a positive result have not always been removed from the group as a whole in a timely manner, and those who test negative after 2 weeks have not always been allowed to leave without paying a bribe. Who wants to get tested under those circumstances? Travel in and out of Nairobi is prohibited, so even if we wanted to fly out, we would not be able to (also because Chloe wouldn’t be allowed to leave, and we won’t leave without her).
HOWEVER…God is the Master at taking difficult things and
working them together for the good of His people. Here are just a few ways I
see God working.
1. We were growing increasingly unhappy
with the culture at RVA. I am really excited to have this time with Josiah –
time we weren’t expecting and that we are very thankful for.
2. I know of two precious local families right now who have been struggling
with family issues. This has forced them to spend time together at home because
they don’t have the escapes they usually have in town or at work. It’s been
good for them (not always easy, but good).
3. I’ve been able to work on some of the academic things Chloe was struggling
with at school. I’ve been able to help
her with letter reversals, and she’s even starting to do some very preliminary
reading and spelling.
4. Not being at work all day has helped me get back into a daily morning time
of Bible reading and prayer – something I had been deeply missing.
5. Not knowing what is going to happen with MCHC has helped me see where some
boundaries need to be set and where some of my priorities need to shift if MCHC
does survive.
So, that’s where we are currently at. Here are some specific things you can pray for on our behalf. These are not in order of importance. First for the health of my family. I suspect we may have already had the virus, but there is no way of knowing for sure. Anyone with flu-like symptoms has the potential of being removed from their home and put in an isolation center. Second, that our financial situation stays somewhat stable so we can pay our rent. We have a good landlord, but there are no protections here like there are in some places in the US. Third, that our faith in our Good, Good Father would grow, that our love for Jesus would build up and effervesce onto others around us, and that we would draw nigh to Him in new and fresh ways. Fourth, that we – as a family – would find new and creative ways to invest in each other during this time of increased “forced togetherness.”
In Christ,
Julie Tate
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
Celebrating a Dozen Years in Kenya
The Tate Family has served the Lord in Kitale, Kenya since January 2008. Their main ministry is church planting.
February 13, 2020
Greetings in the name of Jesus Christ,
I want to thank you all for your prayers and support over the years. We just celebrated our twelfth year in Kenya—we left the United States to commence our ministry in Kenya on January 31st, 2008. It hardly seems possible that another year has come and gone again. We’ve gone through a lot of ups and downs in the past twelve years. There have been so many times I was certain we would never make it another year, another month, or even another day. Those times of doubt and frustration, periods of being overwhelmed and wanting to quit still come, and I’m sure we will again face them in the future. But by the grace of God we are still here. We definitely attribute our still being here to God alone and not to our own strength. If still being in Kenya was dependent upon our own strength, we would have left long ago. But God is good and He has strengthened us for this ministry. All the praise and all the glory go to Him. And if you are reading this report then that means you are interested in our ministry and support and pray for our ministry. We need partners like you to continue this work here. Thank you again for your prayers and support. We couldn’t even think about doing this without you.
At the Chapel we just completed an 18-week expository study of the book of Galatians. I thought it was crucial for the Chapel folks to know and understand that we are justified and sanctified by faith and not by the works of the Law. I think church goers in every culture (Kenyan and American) struggle with this Biblical teaching, trying to be acceptable to God by being “good enough”, by “human righteousness”, by not doing certain things, by keeping certain rules and regulations. I taught my people, as Paul taught his, that we are justified and sanctified by faith in Christ Jesus. We ended our study by investigating “walking in the Spirit” and how the Spirit’s fruit is produced in our lives. (By the way, my people are very gracious and loving towards me. Last week I preached for an hour and fifteen minutes before I even realized what time it was. Everybody listened attentively and nobody complained about the length of the message. I think I would burn too many roasts if I tried that in the States.)
Let me here give some kudos out to my wife (without her knowing that I’m doing it). Julie works so hard as the Head Teacher and main administrator of the Milimani Christian Homeschooling Community where she volunteers at that position. She does such an amazing job and cares for the kids of the school so much. She so very much desires that these kids get a good, Christian education so that they can thrive as adults and go change their world for Jesus. Many of these kids also have various learning disabilities which have prevented them from thriving at other schools and which has landed them at MCHC. Julie is helping come up with unique and outstanding ways of helping these kids learn. One of the MCHC directors told her this week, “Julie, you can teach anybody”. Another visiting missionary referred to her as a “rockstar”. Also, a mother of one of high school students recently posted this on Facebook: “Last year I had a seriously depressed teen hating school and threatening to just leave and drop out, not caring about university, unhappy, ill etc etc. Removed from school system into a home based system and he is happy, striving, talking about getting A’s and interest in university fully awakened”. Julie is definitely using this opportunity to make a big impact in the lives of these children and for the Kingdom of Jesus. Glory to our Lord and Savior!
Blessings to you all,
Roger, Julie, Amy, Josiah & Chloe
rojuta[at]gmail.com
Visit their blog!
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
Amazing Opportunity to Reach the Lost
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.
Greetings from Kenya!
As I sit here typing this letter, the girls are at an art class they are taking during a break from school. We are so thankful another local ministry is providing this class for kids. The girls are enjoying it immensely and they have the opportunity to be around other kids. Breaks from school are difficult for kids here, as there are limited options of activities for them. Our school follows the Kenyan school calendar, which runs from Jan-Nov. The students are in classes for 3 months, then have 1 month off. We like the schedule as the kids retain more information and are less likely to need much refreshers at the start of the new terms.
Speaking of school calendars, we are so excited the girls have a school to attend now. Julie Tate, along with myself, and 4 Kenyan parents (directors) have seen the need for our community to have a Christian school for the children. We currently have 10 students enrolled, including our girls and a Hindu student. The school is such an amazing opportunity to reach the Hindu and Muslim population in our area. Not only do the students have a dedicated Bible class, but all their regular classes have Biblical principles woven into them. We are using a combination of Bob Jones University curriculum with Mystery of History and Math-U-See. All the students have enjoyed the year thus far and are anxious for classes to resume. As a mother, I am so happy to see our daughters thriving and enjoying their new friendships with kids in the Kenyan culture.
We are also very excited about a new family who is planning to move to our area sometime in June or July. There are 4 children in the family, including 2 girls close in age to our girls. McKenna and Cami haven’t had American girls here their ages, so this is a huge answer to prayer for them. We are praying for the family and their upcoming adjustments.
Speaking of prayer, a request we have as a family is for homesickness. The girls have been especially homesick lately, and it’s hard as a parent to see this. We want so badly for them to be happy, but we also recognize that God is able to work through the sadness and is teaching them things that will benefit them in the long term. School definitely helps as it keeps them busier and they are around kids, but still, they miss their family in the States. They don’t always understand why we are serving here in Kenya, so please pray for us as we lead and teach them.
As I close this letter, the sun is shining and the heat is rising. Kenya is in a bit of an emergency due to drought conditions. Please pray for rain and temperatures to cool soon. The farmers desperately need the rain for their crops and food prices are rising for everyone.
May the Lord bless each of you as you serve Him in the States. Thank you so much for all the prayers and encouragement you offer to us. We appreciate you all!
In Christ,
Carrie Radford
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
Sharing the Gospel Every Day at MCHC
The Tate Family has served the Lord in Kitale, Kenya since January 2008. Their main ministry is church planting.
Hello Everyone!
Let me just start by saying how excited I am to share with you how God has been working in me and through me recently! But before I get started, may I ask you to pray for our family? As you know, Emily has been back in the US for several years now, but Amy is also leaving us this July to return to the US for college. Then, in only one year’s time, Josiah will also be leaving Kenya to return to the US. This may be the most difficult part of being a missionary; when your kids grow up and leave the nest, they go 8,000 miles away (at least in our case). That’s over 48 hours of travel just to get to them if there’s an emergency. It’s daunting and heart-breaking, but I’m proud of all my children. They are amazing people, and I can’t wait to see what God has in store for them in their new chapters of life.
Ten years ago, Roger and I were taking a walk in our small neighborhood here in Kitale. It was the middle of the day; the sun was hot and the road was dusty, but it was peaceful. I remember saying to him, “This is going to sound really strange, but I feel like God is telling me that He wants me to start a school. I’m not saying He wants me to do it right now, I just feel like sometime in the future this is something He wants me to do.” Yes, I know that sounds strange, but God does that with me sometimes. I knew I didn’t have the ability or resources to pull off something like that, and I didn’t know exactly what it would look like, but it was something I felt very strongly.
A couple years later (unknown to me) two Kenyan families who didn’t even know each other moved from Nairobi to Kitale and couldn’t find acceptable schools for their children. Long story short, these two couples are now the directors of Rayzon Schools. Fast forward again several years and Chloe came along – a Kenyan child who needed contact with her culture. As a homeschooling parent at heart, it was difficult for me to make the decision to put her in school – especially around here. God, however, had that taken care of. By what may have looked like random chance to an unbeliever, Roger met two of the directors of Rayzon Schools and talked with them. I was cooking dinner when he came home and began sharing about the experience with me. I stopped stirring the pot, laid down my spoon, looked at Roger and said, “This is going to sound strange, but I feel like God is telling me Chloe needs to go to school there.” I know, I know…I’m freaking some of you out with my “God is telling me” comments, aren’t I? There’s really no other way to say it, though.
After Chloe settled into Rayzon Schools (okay, settled is a strong word…) we became good friends with the directors. This was about a year and a half ago now. This soon led to them asking me to fill in some Grammar and English gaps for their students, and I began teaching for two hours twice a week. I loved it. The kids loved it. The directors loved it. The teachers…they didn’t love it so much. Neither did the head teacher who took a serious dis-liking (read, “hatred”) to me.
Toward the end of 2018, the directors began planning to open a new branch of Rayzon Schools using an international curriculum (something they had wanted to do at Rayzon from the very beginning). They called on me and Carrie Radford to give them advice on curriculum. When all was said and done, they decided to use much of our homeschooling curriculum and another widely known Christian curriculum from the US. Carrie and I both volunteered to help with running the school and teaching, and thus, Milimani Christian Homeschooling Community was born.
It’s been quite a spiritual battle – different than anything I’ve ever experienced. The school is running, but Satan attacks from every side. We have 10 students (now including the 17-year-old son of one set of the directors. I oversee his studies). Of these students, one is Hindu. He’s a beautiful young boy in 4th grade, and his father is so happy with what he is learning here! What’s exciting is that he hears the Gospel every single day, and he soaks it in. Kitale is a spiritually dark place, and MCHC is a light – a small light – that shines like a candle in that darkness. Satan doesn’t give up his territory easily or nicely. No, he gets quite ugly about it, and he doesn’t let up.
We’ve seen such a huge change in our kids at MCHC. Most of them were shy, unable to do math without using tic-marks or fingers, and afraid of answering questions and participating in class because they came from a system that crammed information into them for hours upon end and severely punished them (literally beat them with rods) if they didn’t regurgitate answers verbatim. At MCHC, however, they are being shown the love of Christ on a daily basis as we encourage them to participate, use critical thinking skills, and care for one another. The changes are amazing. Each and every one of the children love coming to school! Even their parents have commented on that. They love each subject and participate freely without fear. We’ve watched sullen children become leaders, children with learning differences begin to make connections and grasp concepts, and all of them grow daily in their understanding of the Gospel and what it means to them personally.
Please pray for MCHC. As I said, Satan is attacking from every side…even from sides we didn’t know existed! Pray for godly, born-again, caring teachers who will embrace a new way of thinking and doing things. Pray for the directors as they make decisions and deal with the inevitable financial struggles of running a school. Please also pray for me as I am officially what they call the head teacher. Specifically pray for wisdom, and mental and emotional stamina. I started with a commitment to be at the school 3 days a week for half days, but on those 3 days, I’m actually there from 7:00 a.m. to 5:15 p.m. and occasionally a bit later. By Wednesday evening I am totally exhausted and need to turn off my phone and hibernate all of Thursday…but I love it. Outside of my family, it’s the most amazing thing I’ve ever been privileged to participate in.
Ten years ago, God gave me a little bit of a glimpse into the future. I had no idea how in the world He was going to facilitate it; I just knew when He was ready, He would. And now, here I am. I couldn’t have done it alone, but He was putting pieces of a puzzle into place even back then – including my Kenyan friends who are the MCHC directors. Without these two precious families, this would not be possible, and I thank God for their vision and their amazing faith.
Julie Tate
Roger & Julie Tate (and Amy, Josiah & Chloe)
rojuta[at]gmail.com
Visit their blog!
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
