Missionary Update: The Tates in Kenya [December 2012]
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,
This month I want to do something a little different and instead of talking directly
about the ministry I want to address something that will effect the lives of every Kenyan –The upcoming Kenyan presidential elections (and so, in a very real way, I WILL be addressing ministry because this event will not only effect the lives of every Kenyan, but our lives also and the ministry that we do here). I know that we just finished a presidential election in the States. And whether you like the results or not, I’ll bet none of you reading this worried, even for one moment, about losing your life because of the election process. Well, that isn’t the case here in Kenya. The last presidential election in Kenya in 2007 resulted in mass rioting, ethnic cleansing, tribal warfare, murders, looting, and crop burning. People were targeted, profiled and killed simply for being in the wrong tribe. Others ran to churches for refuge only to lose their lives when those churches were intentionally set on fire and burned to the ground. Thousands of people lost their lives, many of whom lived in Eldoret, a city not 50 miles from where we live in Kitale. This went on for months before things finally got settled down and the rioting and killings stopped.
Why am I mentioning this? Because we have another presidential election coming up
in March, 2013 and there is already tension in the air. Nobody is certain how things will
go and so we are beseeching your prayers.
Most of you probably don’t know this but I am the warden for the United States embassy here in the Kitale region. That means that I work with the embassy to distribute information and help the American expatriates in the Kitale region try and stay safe in Kenya. So, to help me in this position I attended a meeting at the US embassy to hear what they were saying concerning the upcoming elections. They related a number of problematic scenarios that could occur over the next couple of months that I would like to relate to you so you can be praying for us, for our ministry, and for the people of Kenya.
First, a change in the registration process here in Kenya is cause for concern. The new constitution made it available for Kenyans to register and vote within whatever district they wanted. That means that if a presidential candidate thinks he has a certain district locked up, he can send followers from that district to another district that he doesn’t have locked up. The bottom line is that people from other districts, who have no links or connections to Kitale whatsoever, could be bused to Kitale to register and vote. Having people in Kitale with no links or care of this place could bring unwanted abuses.
Second, the high court of Kenya is supposed to vote soon on whether two presidential candidates can even run for president. The problem with these two guys is that they were indicted by the ICC at the Hague for stirring up the people to riot and murder after the last presidential election. These guys are guilty of mass murder and yet are trying to run for president. Depending on the high courts decision, this could cause further rioting and problems.
Last, the elections take place in the first week of March. But since there are many candidates running and since they need 50% of the popular vote to win the election, there is a potential for a run-off or even several run-offs before one candidate gets elected. This means the election process could drag on for months with lots of uncertainty and tension. The embassy’s advice has been “prepare for the worst and hope for the best.” Hopefully the Kenyan people have learned from the last time that they don’t want a repeat performance of the rioting and murders of 2007. But when I ask Kenyans what they think will happen this time around, only about half of them feel comfortable and think things will go smoothly. I tell you all this because, again, I desire your prayers for our family and this country. May God receive glory in Kenya even throughout this entire process.
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)
P.O. Box 96
Kitale, Kenya 30200
rojuta[at]gmail.com
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Missionary Update: The Radfords in Kenya [October 2012]
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 2, 2012
Dear praying friends,
Another month has come and passed so quickly, and we are now near the end of the year 2012. How we need to be busy serving the Lord and making the most of the opportunities that He gives us to serve Him. A quote I read recently which really challenged me was this: “Now is the time to serve God.” How true, and what a challenge, that we would be busy serving Him while we have the opportunity. This prayer letter will give current updates as well as prayer requests.
The church in Shangalamwe that my friend Roger Tate and I have been working with is continuing along well, although there are definite challenges. One of the major challenges here is the dependency in the culture. This is a regular battle here, and one of the major struggles. Please pray that these dear people would see the need to trust in the Lord and not the missionary or anyone or anything else. Philippians 4:19 says “But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” Please pray that the people would truly trust in the Lord and rely upon Him each day.
God has been providing people who are coming faithfully and regularly. We thank the Lord for this. The church members are doing well, and we ask you to not only pray for them, but also for those who have been coming and who wish to join the church in the future. We have taught them much, and are now progressing soon to the training and mentoring of the national whom the church chose as their elder. This time is very important, so please pray for us, each week, that we would teach the church in love, and also that the church would see the truth of the Bible and desire to break away from any false teachings or customs which are not according to the Bible. We will keep you updated of this ministry.
The Annex prison ministry is continuing along well. God has brought new prisoners to this ministry, for which I am thankful. I thank the Lord for the men who are coming, studying the Word, and am thrilled with the spiritual growth I see in many of them. We are now learning about the life of Christ on earth as well as His ministry. Lord willing, we plan to study many more teachings in the future. The chaplains and head office are cooperative, for which I thank the Lord. Please pray for these men, that they would not only hear the Word of God, but hide it in their heart and memorize it. This will greatly help them in their walk with the Lord. A very good verse is Psalm 119:11, which says “Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.” We will keep you updated on the progress of this ministry.
In family news, our daughters are both doing well. Camille is now walking very well and increasing in her vocabulary. She is such a blessing to our family. She will be two years old soon, which does not seem possible. McKenna is the typical four year old, and is growing very quickly. She will start school next year, which also does not seem possible. Please pray that we would be the Biblical example that we need to be for our children. What a blessing it is to be a parent, but also what a big responsibility.
As far as prayer requests, please pray for our safety, health, and that we would follow the Lord where He leads. Also, in a more specific prayer request, a work permit is needed through the Kenyan government for us to be able to stay legally in the country. The permits usually go for different periods of time, and ours expires in April of next year. Please pray, that if it be the Lord’s will, that this permit would be renewed quickly and without any difficulties or issues. We trust the Lord completely in this, and know the Lord will guide and direct us in accordance with His will. Psalm 48:14 states “For this God is our God for ever and ever: he will be our guide even unto death.” What a great God we serve, Who is faithful to guide us throughout our lives. Aren’t you thankful for His guidance? We will be sure to keep you updated. Thanks again for your prayers, sacrificial giving, and encouragement. We could not do this without each of you.
Until next month,
Nathan and Carrie Radford
P.O. Box 4150
Kitale, Kenya
East Africa 30200
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Missionary Update: The Tates in Kenya [October 2012]
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,
Greetings in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. While on your side of the world you are gradually moving toward Autumn, on this side of the world we are gradually moving out of the rainy season and into the hotter, dryer season. I was feeling sorry for myself earlier this week because I love the Autumn. I haven’t experienced fall in five years because things are pretty much the same year round here in Kenya. Isn’t that a silly thing to be feeling sorry for yourself about? I agree. Sometimes we just have to kick ourselves out of silly moods like that and appreciate again all that God has provided for us.
Here’s a question for you. Do you find living the Christian life to be a challenge sometimes? Of course you do. Do you ever find Christian ministry in the States to be a challenge? Of course you do. I find Christian ministry here in Kenya to be a challenge sometimes too. I know you already know that but I wanted you to know that I also recognize that it’s no different in the States. Christian ministry can be a challenge no matter where you are. Here is a challenge I have been facing here in Kenya lately: Trying to get Kenyans to break from their traditions and accept and follow more Biblical models (I know! I know! If you do any Christian ministry in the States you will face similar problems). So, I spent a few weeks teaching and preparing the new church for taking the Lord’s Supper together. We looked at all the passages dealing with this topic in the New Testament so that they could have a full understanding of what it means for a church to share the Lord’s Table together. We are now scheduling a time for the church to celebrate this together. But now I am facing traditions. I have been told we MUST have a new white cloth to cover the communion bread with. If we don’t have this cloth we are not showing proper respect. I had to deal with this tradition. Next, I was told we MUST have the little cups used for the “fruit of the vine”. When I asked why, I was told “because it’s tradition and without it we can’t show proper respect”. I had to deal with this tradition. I told them we could use their everyday tea cups instead of buying the traditional cups from the store. They didn’t like that idea. Finally, I was told we couldn’t use chapatti for our communion bread (chapatti is a flat, non-leavened bread that the Kenyans eat every day. It would work perfect for communion). Again, when I asked why, they told me it was because chapatti is too common and every day and that special communion bread had to be bought from the store. I had to deal with this tradition. My challenges don’t stop with the Lord’s Table. The church also wanted to start taking up offerings so I thought it would be best to teach them on this subject. I wanted to show them how New Testament churches used offerings (knowing that they wanted to take up offerings for other, non-biblical reasons). I scoured the New Testament and found that when the early churches took up offerings or used money it was either to help the poor, assist widows and orphans, or to help a missionary go to the next city so he could continue to preach the gospel in other cities and spread the kingdom of Christ on the earth. They were OK with this teaching as long as there was money left over after they bought a shamba (a small farm), built a new church building, bought various kinds of musical instruments, bought new chairs (for who knows what reason), and paid all the elders their stipend. Now, while there is nothing sinful about any of these uses for an
offering, trust me, there is not enough money in their collection to pay for any of these uses, let alone the more Biblical uses. All I could say over and over again was, “It’s
better to follow the Biblical examples than our worldly traditions”. In the end, do you
know what I want for these dear people? It’s not for them to follow their worldly traditions. It’s not even for them to follow me. No, I want them to learn how to follow the Bible. All I can do is continue to point them to the Bible and say, “Follow that”.
That’s the challenge I face. Do you face it as well? Fortunately, the church here is
learning to do just that. And we also thank God for the four new people who want to
become members of this new church.
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)
P.O. Box 96
Kitale, Kenya 30200
rojuta[at]gmail.com
Visit their blog!
Click here to donate to BFM.
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Missionary Update: The Tates in Kenya [September 2012]
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,
Greetings in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. I hope and pray that the Kingdom of God is growing back in the States and here in Kenya as well. God is good, just, faithful, merciful and gracious. His word will accomplish everything He wants it to accomplish in our lives and in this world. Our King sits on the throne and rules by His mighty power. Praise be to our great God.
We will probably have some changes coming in some of our groups in the next couple of weeks. At the beginning of the year we started three groups with the hopes of them becoming churches of the Lord Jesus Christ. One of those groups was organized into the Baptist Church of Shangalamwe. It looks like the other two groups will be canceled but that doesn’t mean that good things haven’t come out of them. These groups often start strong with many people and then begin to fade once the attendees realize they will not be receiving any gifts. That happened to our Friday group. It has dwindled to basically one or two attendees who were not being faithful themselves and who were not putting forth much effort to help the group grow. It was time to cancel the group this past month. Also, our Saturday group has had the same kinds of problems. A local pastor who attended the group became angry at us for not building him a new building and went about sabotaging the group, poisoning it with his lies and driving people away. We have also had to cancel this group this past month. However, out of this group has come a young man, Titus, who has gone on to form five other groups himself. We plan on continuing to mentor and teach this young man on how to lead these groups and on how to lead these groups into becoming churches. He is doing an excellent work. People are being saved in his groups and most of the attendees are hearing the Bible taught verse-by-verse for the very first time in their lives. So, with the canceling of two groups this past month, we will be looking to start a couple of new groups that we hope to eventually turn into house churches. Nathan and I are not discouraged about the canceling of these two groups. At the beginning of the year we looked at things realistically and decided that if even one out of every four groups we started became churches that we would be happy with that. We are excited about starting some new groups in the near future.
At the Baptist Church of Shangalamwe we finished teaching about elders this past month. We taught about the need for elders, the responsibilities of elders, and the characteristics and qualification of elders. It was exciting to hear and answer their many questions concerning elders as we taught them concerning this topic from the Scriptures. Once we had finished all the teachings, the church obeyed the teaching of the Word of God and chose and appointed a qualified elder for the church. Afterwards, we gathered around him and prayed that God would give him strength and wisdom as the first elder and spiritual leader of the young church. This is an important step as this young church needs to have spiritual leaders to lead it in the future after Nathan and I are no longer around. May God bless this church with much spiritual growth and maturity and may He bless their new elder, Richard.
Very briefly, my car situation hasn’t changed. It still hasn’t been confiscated but I also cannot drive it or else it will be confiscated, impounded and basically stolen from my by the authorities. Barring a miracle from God I will not be able to keep the car. Please pray that God’s will be done in this situation whether it is for me to keep or lose the vehicle.
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)
P.O. Box 96
Kitale, Kenya 30200
rojuta[at]gmail.com
Visit their blog!
Click here to donate to BFM.
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Missionary Update: The Tates in Kenya [July 2012]
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,
I am excited to report to you this month of the new developments in our church planting ministry. As you hopefully know, our goal here in Kenya is to start independent, self-reliant, self-governing, and self-reproducing Baptist churches. We were privileged to be able to see part of that goal come to fruition this month. I have read Nathan Radford’s monthly update and know that in it he has mentioned the start of this church. I would like to fill in the details of that day when the church was organized.
Justino Signing the Church Covenant
After months of teaching and preparing, on the Sunday morning of June 24th, we organized a small group of believers into the Kanisa la Baptisti la Shangalamwe (Baptist Church of Shangalamwe). Shangalamwe is a small village off the beaten path where Nathan and I have been working for many months. Richard Wafula is the owner of the house in which the group meets and the leader of the family there. Richard is over 70 years old which is quite an old age for most Kenyans (he is in very good health and very good shape as it takes him nearly two hours one way to ride to town from his house on his bicycle). He has lived long enough to remember pre-independence days forKenya when the country was ruled by the colonial British.
On the 24th of June, Nathan, Julie, my kids, and I rose early in the morning to make the half hour drive to Shangalamwe and arrived at Richard’s house at 8:30am. We shared chai (tea) with the group members as it was still pretty chilly that morning. After chai we began our worship. We praised our God and Savior in song and drums, lifting up our voices to glorify the Head of the church that was about to be organized. After we finished singing and praying, Nathan reminded the group what it meant to be a church of the Lord Jesus Christ and what was needed for the group to move from group status to becoming a New Testament assembly. He then proceeded to read the covenant that had been written for this occasion. In short (this is a very brief summary) the covenant expressed the intentions of the members to organize into a church, to function as the body of Christ on the earth, to follow Christ as its only Head, and to diligently search the Scriptures and obey all it commands for a New Testament church of the Lord Jesus. Nathan then read the membership requirements for becoming a member of the new church (these are what you would expect for any Baptist church: You must be a believer in Jesus as your Savior, you must be Scripturally baptized, you must express your intent on becoming a member, you must sign the covenant, etc). All of the members then signed this covenant and membership requirements.
Explaining Baptism before Baptizing Candidates
Following this we had baptisms to perform. We left Richard’s house and walked 25 minutes to the lake where there was enough water to immerse the candidates. I then had the privilege of baptizing three children who had previously trusted in Christ. I baptized Nuhu (Noah) – age 13, Musa (Moses) – age 10, and Timina – age 8. While standing in the water I explained the meaning, purpose and method of baptism because the whole practice of baptism inKenya is wildly misunderstood and misapplied. Afterward I baptized the three children. After finding a secluded and private bush in which to change into dry clothes we walked the 25 minutes back to Richard’s house and added the names of the three children who had just been baptized to the membership role of the church. We all then sat down and I taught from Acts 2:40-47, showing what kinds of things the first church inJerusalem did and challenging this new church to follow the same kind of model. We finished with more singing and prayer and with thanksgiving in our hearts and smiles on our lips we headed home.
It was truly a blessed day, one I would like to repeat here inKenyamany times. Please pray that God would richly bless with spiritual blessings the Kanisa la Baptisti la Shangalamwe and that it would grow in obedience unto maturity. To our great God be all the glory.
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)
P.O. Box 96
Kitale, Kenya 30200
rojuta[at]gmail.com
Visit their blog!
Click here to donate to BFM.
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Missionary Update: The Radfords in Kenya [July 2012]
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.
July 3, 2012
Dear praying friends,
We have now passed the halfway point into the year 2012. As I reflect on this past year, and how quickly time passes, I am reminded how we need to be investing ourselves in service to the Lord and His kingdom. Our life here on earth is just a breath compared to eternity. James 4:14 states “Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.” May we use the opportunities the Lord gives us to serve Him. This update will give ministry progress as well as share prayer requests.
This past month was an exciting one in relation to church planting here in Kitale. My good friend Roger Tate and I have been teaching the Word of God to a special family in a small village named Shangalamwe which is located here in Kitale. We have covered many different studies with them, and prepared them to become a church of the Lord Jesus Christ. On June 24th of last month, we had an official ceremony to open Shangalamwe Baptist Church. What an exciting time it is for these people. Please pray for this church, and also for the people in the village of Shangalamwe. Pray for my friend Roger and I, that we would continue to be faithful to help and assist these people through mentoring them to grow spiritually, and reach others for Christ. Please pray that the Lord would raise up leaders for this church that love the Lord and desire to faithfully serve Him. Please pray that these people would continue to pray, rely on the Lord, and study the Word of God. The Word of God is profitable in so many ways, and how we need to faithfully study it. 2 Timothy 2:15 says “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”
The Annex prison ministry is continuing along well. The Lord has provided faithful men to come and study His Word. It has been exciting to watch how the Lord has been working in their lives, and I thank the Lord for each one who has been coming. I also am thankful for the cooperation of the officials at the Annex prison. We are now over halfway through the course “Firm Foundations – from Creation to Christ.” I am aware of all the many challenges that these men face, and am thankful for their faithfulness. Many of them receive discouragement in many ways, yet they continue to faithfully study. Please pray for these men and also for their spiritual growth. Pray that I would be faithful to share the Gospel message as well as teach the Word, relying on the Lord for the results. Nothing can happen without the Lord and His help. 1 Corinthians 3:6 says “I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase.” May we all remember to rely on the Lord as we serve Him.
In family news, it has been exciting to watch our daughters grow and develop. McKenna is now four years old and very active. She is such a blessing and what a privilege it is for my wife and I to be her parents. Camille is 16 months old, and has not yet started walking, but is certainly crawling all over. It will not be long before she is walking. She can mutter some words now and then, such as “dada,” which thrills my heart. What a blessed man I am, with such a wonderful wife and daughters. Please pray for unity in our family, and that my wife and I would be the examples before our children that we need to be. It is a big responsibility. Our children watch our actions more than our words. A statement that has really challenged me is “Example speaks louder than words.” May we be the examples for the Lord that we need to be throughout our daily lives.
We hope you all have a great fourth of July there in the States as we celebrate here in Kenya. May we be in prayer for our nation, and the leaders of the United States of America. How we need to heed the words of Proverbs 14:34, which says “Righteousness exalteth a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people.” God bless you and we will keep you updated.
Serving in Kitale,
Nathan and Carrie Radford
P.O. Box 4150
Kitale, Kenya
East Africa 30200
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Missionary Update: The Tates in Kenya [June 2012]
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,
It sure is strange near the equator. One of the strange things about living here is that I lose all sense of the seasons that you all have back in the States. It seems to me that it should still be snowy and cold back home. It’s almost incomprehensible to me that you are heading into Summer and hot, sunny days. We’ve been back in Africa almost a year now and since the seasons change so little here (except alternating between dust and mud) all the days seem the same and I lose track of time.
Roger Tate & Nathan Radford with some of the Kenyans they are working with
Time, however, is something we shouldn’t lose track of though, is it? It passes us all by and we only have a short and uncertain amount of time to do the things our Lord wants us to do on this earth. I look back at the last year and think, “I’ve lost a whole year and haven’t done a tenth of what I wanted to accomplish”. I have to keep reminding myself that it’s the Lord that builds the house and that he will do what he wants to do in His own timing. Starting churches is slow, hard work that requires a lot of patience on my part (and I don’t really like being patient). But God is blessing and I am excited to say that we have been actively preparing one of our house groups to become a newly organized church and we have plans and a date for later this month to go ahead and organize this group into a new church of the Lord Jesus Christ. If all goes according to plan, on the last Sunday of this month we will organize this small group into a church, have a time of celebration and worship, and baptize three children who have trusted in Jesus and add them to the membership role of the church. We have been diligently teaching this group what it means to be a church of the Lord Jesus Christ and we believe they are ready to move forward toward this end. Hopefully, next month I will be able to include a couple of pictures of the ceremony and first baptisms of Kanisa la Baptisti ya Shangalamwe (Baptist Church of Shangalamwe). This is all the Lord’s doing and we take no credit for it at all. I do not look back at this year and say, “See what I’ve accomplished.” In the end, all we can do is point towards heaven and say “All glory, honor and blessings to the King of heaven who does what He wants in all the earth.”
(As a side note: My wife has spent a lot of time putting together a blog to reveal insights into our lives here in Africa. It especially gives insight into her thoughts as a missionary wife and mother living in a foreign land. It is all from her perspective, which is obviously a very different perspective than the one I offer you each month. It contains some photos and she is working on adding links to others. If you are interested you can visit her blog at www.tatesinkenya.blogspot.com. Just to give you a little teaser about her site, if you go there you can read about the day I was arrested by the Police in Nakuru. Ha Ha. That should pique your interest.)
Until next month, beloved.
May God’s peace and joy be with you.
For the glory of God inEast Africa,
Roger & Julie Tate (and Emily, Amy, & Josiah)
P.O. Box 96
Kitale, Kenya 30200
rojuta[at]gmail.com
Visit their blog!
Click here to donate to BFM.
Read more
Missionary Update: The Radfords in Kenya [April 2012]
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.
April 3, 2012
Another month has come and passed so quickly, and it is hard to believe that we are already in the month of April. May we be committed to serving the Lord, wherever He calls us to serve, and use our opportunities that He gives us for Him. This update will share ministry progress, as well as prayer requests.
We would request prayer for the health of our family. It is difficult to stay healthy here. Our daughter Camille contracted malaria, right after her first birthday. I recently contracted amoeba (a stomach illness), and am doing much better now. Camille is also doing fine now. We praise the Lord for the good medical facilities that we have here in Kitale, and the good care we have received. There are good places to go for medical help here, and we praise the Lord for this. Please pray for our continued health, as we are now upon rainy season, which brings more mosquitoes for malaria and water-borne illnesses.
This month, we celebrate two birthdays of people who are very special to me. McKenna has a birthday later in the month, and my wife has a birthday the middle of the month. I thank the Lord so much for both of them and how much they mean to me. Camille turned one year old in February, and is already crawling well, and will be walking soon, Lord willing. Please pray for our family, that we would stay in unity, love each other, and be committed to serving the Lord. One of my favorite quotes is “The family that prays together stays together.”
The Annex prison ministry is continuing well. I praise the Lord for the cooperation that I have seen of the chaplains, as well as the staff, and their support. So many prisoners feel forgotten and struggle in many areas. Hebrews 13:3 states “Remember them that are in bonds, as bound with them; and them which suffer adversity, as being yourselves also in the body.” I recently received news that one of the main chaplains that I have worked with from the beginning of this ministry is being transferred soon. Please pray for him and his adjustments ahead, as well as for myself and the prisoners as we continue with the ministry.
As far as church planting, one of the groups my friend Roger Tate and I have been working with has expressed a definite desire and purpose to move in the direction of becoming a church. The people coming have been active in sharing their faith and teaching others as well. How exciting this is, and we ask prayers for us, as we continue to teach and train this group in church planting. We need a lot of wisdom from the Lord, and would covet your prayers for this. James 1:5 says “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.” We will be sure to keep you updated on the progress of this ministry as well.
We hope each of you are continuing well in the year 2012, and we thank the Lord so much for your sacrificial giving, prayer support, and encouragement. We appreciate each one who sends a card, letter, or email. It means so much to us. There are many challenges here, and God many times tests our faith in Him. What I have discovered is that God is so faithful, even during the difficult times. God tests our faith to teach us to trust Him, and I am sure that many of you can identify with that at home as well. May we be faithful to serve, love, and surrender ourselves to Him. 1 Corinthians 4:2 states “Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful.” I hope and pray that this is our desire. God bless you all and we will be sure to keep you updated.
In Kenya,
Nathan and Carrie Radford
P.O. Box 4150
Kitale, Kenya
East Africa 30200
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