Unrest in Kitale; Returning to the States Early for Furlough
Nathan and Carrie Radford serve the Lord in Kitale, Kenya. Their main ministries include indigenous church planting, a prison ministry, and a hospital ministry for mothers with premature babies.
June 1, 2016
Dear praying friends,
We hope this update finds each of you doing well. Thanks again so much to each one who prays for us, gives sacrificially, or writes a note of encouragement. You are each such a blessing to us.
We’ve needed to make the sudden decision to return to the States early for our furlough. For the past many weeks there have been incidents of robberies/thefts, etc. in the Kitale area. This is not unusual for this time of year as food from the previous harvest becomes lacking and people lack income. Unfortunately, this causes many people to turn to stealing and other forms of crime. This usually lasts for a very short period of time and then things return to normal. However, this year has been different. The thieves are now scheming and planning. For instance, they are stealing fuses out of electricity boxes so that people will be without power in the evenings so that they can break into homes and steal. Also, we have been told that some are posing as employees of the power company to gain access to people’s homes. So, as I said, this year is different and heightened than in previous years.
My wife and I knew this stuff was going on, but until recently it hadn’t really affected us. As I reported in a previous letter, a group of guys came in the morning a few weeks ago, armed with machete type weapons, threatened our day guard, and shook the gate so hard it nearly came off the hinges. This was obviously concerning, not the least of which was the fact that it occurred during the morning, which is extremely unusual. The thugs mentioned the name of a tenant who lived in our house about 8 years ago. The thugs said they were coming to collect their things from him. We contacted the previous tenant and he said he has no idea what these thugs were talking about as he had never worked with them before.
Now rumors are circulating that this tenant buried money on our compound and the thugs are trying to get it. Since the first attack on our compound, there have been multiple other attempts, such as breaking through the wood fence and hedges that surround our compound, using floodlights to shine light into our compound to see where things are located and what the security is, meeting in groups outside our gate and taking the fuse from our transformer multiple times so that our power would be out. We have 2 excellent guard dogs and we have obviously taken extra security measures so I feel we have done all we can to protect ourselves. We have been targeted over the past few weeks and we are struggling with the reason why. We have lived in our house for 3 years without any problems so we don’t understand what has happened recently to trigger all this unrest.
When we contacted our mission in America, we all agreed that my family is not safe at this time and that we need to begin closing down and come home earlier than planned for furlough. As such, my family has already left. I am now staying in a different, secure location for a few weeks to shut down. Closing down for furlough is a very big job and there is much to do. Please pray for me, that I would be able to close down quickly and rejoin my family. My wife and I believe this is very unusual for Kitale and that things will settle. Kitale is generally very quiet and peaceful. There are security companies in town that are very aware of the situation and police are patrolling in the night. I am sure the thugs’ luck will run out and they will be caught. There is a proverb in Swahili, “Siku za mwizi ni arobaini.” “The days of a thief are forty.” Meaning, their time will end and they will be caught.
We know the Lord has called us to Kenya, and we desire to serve Him faithfully in Kitale. Please pray that these thieves will be caught soon and things will go back to normal. I have every expectation that this will be so. I have a good Kenyan friend who also believes this will calm and things will go back to normal. I plan to return to the States later in June, Lord willing. Our current needs would be for housing in West Virginia. Anything in the Charleston/Saint Albans/Teays Valley area would be very helpful. We would need the housing starting from early September. Also, if anyone has a minivan they are interested in selling, or knows of one for sale, we would appreciate any leads. We truly need a minivan, considering our family and all that is needed to transport. These are all our needs that we are trusting God with at this time. He is so faithful and we know He will provide. Please email me if you are able to assist with any of these current needs we have.
Please pray for the country of Kenya, and also for Kitale, that things will settle soon. We trust God with all these things and by faith, we believe He will work out all things for His good and glory. Our God is sovereign, reigns above all, and nothing takes Him by surprise. Nothing is too hard for Him. We trust Him completely, and we know that He is working even in the situations that are going on now all around us. Jeremiah 32:27 “Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh: is there any thing too hard for Me?”
Serving in Kenya,
Nathan & Carrie Radford
Nathan and Carrie Radford
P.O. Box 4150
Kitale, Kenya
East Africa, 30200
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Missionary Update: Jud & Raquel Hatcher Stateside from Brazil [May 2016]
Jud and Raquel Hatcher serve the Lord in Manaus, Brazil. They are part of the “SeedFactory” church planting initiative, which is a movement to plant churches in all 26 Brazilian capitals. Since 2006, 43 churches have been started in 5 states.
May 12, 2016
Dear friends,
We are so thankful to the Lord for you. Here is a snapshot of what has happened and our plans for the near future. Read and pray.
SPRING CONFERENCE
A few days ago Melissa (4 yrs. old) asked, “When will I get to see my friend from the church? He is funny. I want to play with him and hug him.” She was referring to Chaden (Dan & Traci Price’s son, Jim & Mary Miller’s grandson) at Thompson Road Baptist Church during the BFM conference. I was encouraged to see how quickly the two of them hit it off so well. They played, ran and laughed together. An enjoyable experience like this makes the conference even more special. Traci “Miller” Price is a long time family and college friend who travelled to Lexington from Tennessee for the BFM Conference in April. I am so glad the conference generated a meaningful friend for our little Melissa and that our families are connected because of Jesus. The conference was themed “Every disciple… A disciple-maker” and the speakers were a great encouragement to us all. I enjoyed speaking on a subject that is close to my heart, “Disciple-Makers”. I am so grateful to our friends at Thompson Road for the love demonstrated to us all during our time together.
FAMILY
We have a huge blessing to share. Sarah, Laura, Benjamin and Melissa have progressed well in their English language, reading & comprehension skills. When we first arrived in the States in July 2015, they spoke some English, but didn’t know how to read and write. Almost a year later, they are now fluently speaking, thinking and writing in English. The school year will be over on June 9th and they look forward to swimming, camping and hiking during the Summer (until our return to Brazil). In the meantime, we are having fun with the family, which includes Melissa having decided to cut her own hair after finding the scissors. Fun times. Raquel has the privilege of receiving Vanessa Martiny this week. Vanessa and Raquel were in the same doctoral program several years ago. She was also our neighbor for many years in Virginia Beach.
LIBERTY UNIVERSITY EXPERIENCE
The school year at Liberty University is officially over. During this time I was able to influence several hundred students within the undergraduate Pastoral Leadership Program at Liberty. I enjoyed meeting and befriending several world-renowned professors and pastors, locally and from around the country. Thanks to the Lord for the many lasting memories and connections made during this time. In addition to serving as adjunct faculty, I had the privilege of coordinating the LU Pastoral Advisory Board with 51 pastors. I also joined the Pastoral Leadership capstone course panel in oral finals for graduating seniors – an ordination simulation. It has been a blessing to serve under the leadership of my dear friend, Dr. Dave Adams. I was honored to be the recipient of the Liberty University’s “Church Leadership & Church Ministries Service Award” for my time and service invested at the School of Divinity. Following graduation next week, we will hit the road to be with the churches we’ve yet to visit.
VISION FOR CHURCH PLANTING
We are excited about returning to Brazil. Our plan is to move from Manaus to São Paulo as soon as we arrive. The vision in São Paulo City is to church plant using the subway system as our framework. There are 65 terminals and we plan to start churches within vicinity of each terminal entrance/exit. We need your prayers and support as we prepare the teams for each location. A lot of training and equipping is planned. Our vision is to recruit, train, place and network local church pastors for each church plant.
PRAYER REQUESTS
- Kids’ school – When we arrive, Brazilian schools will be in the second semester and we will need to find a school to enroll our four kids.
- Automotive – The sale of our car in the US and purchase of a new one in Brazil.
- Moving – Once we arrive in Brazil we will have to move our belongings from Manaus to São Paulo, a total distance of 2,507 miles by road and river.
- Housing – Upon arrival in São Paulo city we will be looking for a home to live. We are searching for a safe, yet strategic place to call home.
- Finances – Any moving endeavor is always expensive. Pray for the Lord’s provision.
Grateful always,
Jud Hatcher
Furlough Address:
216 Mill View Ln
Lynchburg, VA 24502
(859) 608-4742
judsonhatcher@gmail.com
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Missionary Update: AJ & Barbara Hensley in Brazil [May 2016]
The Hensleys have spent nearly 20 years serving in Brazil. They have established a church in Caraguatatuba and mission points throughout the city. They have also recently started a seminary to train pastors.
May 11, 2016
How AWESOME is the God we serve!!!
Dear friends and family,
Every day I thank Him for the many wonderful blessings He bestows on us. There have been many blessings this month: To start with, we have completed our 4th semester of Seminary in Caragua Baptist Seminary here in Caragua and in the second location here in the State of São Paulo. Dr. Derek was with us for 3 weeks here in Brasil. In addition to the seminary, he did a mini revival here in Caragua Baptist Church and in Igreja Batista Nova Vida in Natividade da Serra. While here we have revamped the way the Seminary will be conducted. Instead of taking 2 years for the 4 semesters, we will now do 3 weeks of intense classes with 3 months of distant learning via computer. While he was in Natividade da Serra, he scheduled the first of these classes, and when he went to Orlanda, he scheduled the second place for this type of classes. We are planning our graduation here in Caragua for September/October. We started with 27 students and ended with 8 students. Several of those that did not complete the 2 years had moved because of lack of work here in Caraguatatuba.
Well, I don’t know how we could make it through a month without car problems. It is Barb’s car again. I was afraid it was the motor because it was using a lot of water; however, the mechanics are saying that it is something else. I hope it is something that costs less than a motor. Also maintenance on the bus brakes took a big toll on the budget, but through it all—with these roads and chug-holes—we are totally blessed. So here is one prayer request: pray for our transportation problems, bus, car, truck.
Well, I stepped out on faith and have had our church building finished outside. It was needing it because of the horrible wind-rain storms we have had. The rain came inside through the walls. With the stucco on the walls outside, we are ready for the next rain storms (hopefully).
In our Sunday School, we are running a campaign—4 weeks attendance in a row and three Bible verses memorized, you get a t-shirt with our church logo on it. What a great way to encourage the people to come and to advertise our church. Last week we had 97 in attendance. GOD IS AWESOME!!! As you can see from the pictures, lots have won their shirts already. Many thanks to those who helped purchase these shirts.
While our construction project is going on, I must refrain from working, so I must sit on the sidelines and supervise. This is harder for me than working, but to complete my recovery and be ready for the next step this is what I must do. We are planning on coming home the last of July or the first of August to start my radiation treatments. Actually I am (I think) doing great in recuperation from surgery.
Our Church is going great. Pastor Walmir is assuming the lead pastor’s role and I am moving to 2nd “lugar” (place). The people are accepting the change wonderfully.
So please pray for us as we are here ministering in Brasil. Pray for our health, car problems, bus repairs and our new Pastor and family as they begin to lead the Church. Though we are coming home we are still open for visits to see what God is doing here in Brasil. Call and come on down—we will turn down the sheets and leave the light on the front porch.
In His service,
Aj and Barbara
Aj and Barbara Hensley
ajcaragua[at]gmail.com
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Missionary Update: Mike & Beverly Creiglow in Brazil [April 2016]
Mike and Beverly Creiglow have served the Lord in Cruzeiro do Sul, Acre, Brazil together since 1971. In addition to pastoring First Baptist of Cruzeiro do Sul, Mike builds his own boats and frequently travels up and down rivers to share the Gospel with those who have never heard.
April 11, 2016
Dear Brethren,
Let me begin with the biggest news and work through as much as possible. I probably will not be able to get to everything, but here goes my best shot.
First Baptist Church authorized the organization of our new church at Vila São Pedro. This work was started a few years back and has now reached a level that we felt comfortable enough to make the move toward independence. They have a nice big brick building. They have 2 local pastors that we trained and are already supported by the new church. Then there is one of the most important items that qualify them to be a local independent church. They have already started a couple of preaching points on their own. The new church was organized with 40 charter members.
The new church at São Pedro the night of the organization.
A couple of weeks back I spent 3 days with First Baptist Church at Mâncio Lima. This is the second oldest church in the state. They are just a year younger than First Baptist Church of Cruzeiro do Sul. We will be 87 years old in May. They just turned 86. We spent the 3 days teaching about the Function, Mission and Vision of the church. Over the years they have become inactive in missions. Now they have become interested again and I am going to do all I can to help them get involved once more. Their pastor is brother Eliel, a local guy who went to seminary, pastored a couple of other churches before returning home to Mâncio Lima. He is a soft spoken, low key kind of guy, but is excited about getting back to basics. The largest crowds were on Saturday and Sunday with over 200 present.
The baptism at Serra do Moa (mountains along the Moa River).
Zico and I have been back to visit the works on the Moa River. Our main man there is Aldenísio. He is from the Nukini tribe. A couple of years back he was still single and that became a problem. He got married some time back to a girl from the Poyanaua tribe at Barão. He has spent a lot of time at Barão while dating and was away too much from his field of service. We have had to take up some of the slack. He still has to build a house at his home reservation. The name of that place is República and we have a small congregation there. Zico made a visit in February. He and I went up the Moa in March. I took my smallest boat with 20HP motor to save gasoline. That, however, left us exposed to hot sun and rain for many hours. The Lord blessed though and we had a good trip with little discomfort from the elements. The visit with the congregation at the Moa Mountains was great. Although they have not had a preacher for several months they have been very faithful. We had over 60 people on Sunday morning. One of the older couples of the village just got officially and legally married. They were thrilled to finally be baptized after all these years.
On the same Sunday morning that I was baptizing at Serra do Moa three of our other pastors were doing the same. Pastor Benjamim went to visit our mission at Ramal dos Caracas and baptized several there. In the mean time, Pastors Ezi and Dauro baptized 35 more into First Baptist Church at home. Pretty good weekend, wouldn’t you say?
Thanks for all of your prayers and support. God bless you as much as He has us.
In Christ,
Mike Creiglow
Mike and Beverly Creiglow
Caixa Postal 24
Cruzeiro do Sul, Acre, Brazil 69980
mdcreig [at] hotmail.com
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Missionary Update: AJ & Barbara Hensley in Brazil [April 2016]
The Hensleys have spent nearly 20 years serving in Brazil. They have established a church in Caraguatatuba and mission points throughout the city. They have also recently started a seminary to train pastors.
April 7, 2016
Another month has come and gone—sometimes we look back and say, “What did we do this month?” We are tired, haven’t taken any time off, our day doesn’t end until after hours—but with all this, we still cannot think what we have done for the Lord. However, through it all we are eternally grateful that the Lord has placed us where we are.
We have gotten our new Pastor moved to the city. He has assumed the premier pastoral role at Church. Their furniture is in storage as the house where they will live is occupied til the 3rd of April. We are taking advantage of this as they are living at our house. This is giving us much time with our two Brazilian granddaughters. Also, it is giving myself and Walmir time to talk and get everything in order at the Church.
We have been busy at the church building. We have painted the front elevation of the building and are working on the ceiling down stairs (this is the sanctuary). We are still using temporary lighting because the ceiling still has some work to be done on it. We hope to have the ceiling sanded, sealed, and painted within the next week. After that permanent lighting will be installed. What a blessing that will be!!
The new pastor, Walmir, and his family.
On Sunday mornings our Church is filled—Sunday School is going AWESOME!!! Over the last 3 weeks we have averaged 90 in Sunday School. Great is the God we serve!!! These children need lots of love and nurturing. Feeding them on Sunday morning is just the first step in the process. After feeding their hunger for food, we then feed their hunger for knowledge of the Lord. Then we can enter their homes and get to tell their parents about the Christ that is making a change in their children’s lives.
We have had Barb’s car in the shop for some time now and they say that probably next week we can get it out. Just another week (ha ha).
My health status is gradually getting better and now guess what? I think Barb is washing my clothes in extra hot water, they don’t fit any more. I need to lose some weight. We are planning to be back home in Lexington in August to complete my treatment. I will be having 30 rounds of radiation. Through everything God has been AWESOME!!! Hope to see many of you during this time.
We are still praying for some financial help with the stucco on our building, the cost will be between $2,500 to $3,000. Please make this a prayer request along with these others.
- my treatment and recuperation
- transition of Pastors
- work on our building
- new ministries
- Seminary that starts April 18 (we will be traveling so pray for safe travel, Pray for Dr. Derek our Seminary Professor, for strength and endurance and voice strength)
- We will begin to shop for our tickets to travel back in August so pray for good prices
- lots of ministry problems because God is at work and Satan is not happy.
If you are looking to plan your vacation for this year, we have a great place to vacate. We have the beach, the mountains and good fellowship with Christians. I am not saying that you will get time to visit the beach or the mountains, but that we have them. We can keep you so occupied doing great things for the Lord that you will forget that it was supposed to be a vacation. Come on down and we will treat you so many different ways that you will find one that you like. Your bed is turned down.
In His service,
Aj and Barb
Aj and Barbara Hensley
ajcaragua[at]gmail.com
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Missionary Update: The Wacasers in Brazil [April 2016]
Bobby, Charlene, Jessie, and Brennen Wacaser have served the Lord as church planters in Curitiba, Parana, Brazil, since 1985.
April 6, 2016
Dear Friends,
I knew it! I mentioned last month that I was looking forward to telling you about the results we expected to see from our outreach efforts together with the youth group from Brandon, Florida and Projeto Vida and the Lord sure did bless! In the course of only four days ministering in 6 public schools, we had over 400 professions of faith in Jesus Christ and we shared the gospel with over 4000 students. Every year for the last 12 years we have hosted a youth group like this and this year may well have been our most fruitful yet. Not only did we see so many school kids coming to Christ, but we also saw the Lord working in the lives of the youth who participated from the USA.
Charlene and I were thrilled to be able to get back to Brazil, even if for a short time, especially since we got to translate for the youth as they shared the gospel one-on-one hundreds of times throughout the days of outreach. It was a joy to see God working through us personally and through the group as a whole. We also rejoice that three local churches were greatly strengthened by the efforts because their pastors came along with us to take the contact information of those who made decisions in order to follow up with personal discipleship.
While we were there in Curitiba we were able to visit with our former church and encourage their pastor and members. The church continues to do well under his leadership and we are thankful. The Brazilian economy is in great turmoil at present and this affects the lives of the members negatively, but we sensed that they were not dismayed and that they continue to trust that God will bless and use them if they remain faithful.
I have been asked to serve as interim pastor of a campus church in the Tampa, Florida area. Charlene and I have been seeking direction from the Lord since we arrived in the USA last year. We knew that as long as my dad needs constant care that we would remain in the country and we believe that this call confirmation that we are following His plan for us at this time. We ask for your prayers as we continue to partner with Projeto Vida in Brazil and will continue to return there from time to time to aid in that ministry and will pass on all the funds that are designated to that ministry.
We are so thankful for your prayers and support.
Bobby and Charlene Wacaser
Bobby and Charlene Wacaser
Furlough Address:
3912 Casaba Loop
Valrico, FL 33596
Field Address:
Rua Laudelino Ferreira Lopes, 279-1
Sobrado 1, Bairro Novo Mundo
81050-310 Curitiba, PR Brasil
Phone: (813) 481-7007
Cell Phone: (813) 727-6405
Email: bobbymichael_1@hotmail.com
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Missionary Update: AJ & Barbara Hensley in Brazil [February 2016]
The Hensleys have spent nearly 15 years serving in Brazil. They run a vocational school and orphanage in Caraguatatuba and have also established a church and mission points throughout the city.
February 11, 2016
Friends and family,
Well, I am at a point that I don’t know where to start: so here goes. We were in the States for Christmas and we were traveling on a buddy pass and because of the weather in another location, we were bumped two days straight. But in the end we were able to get back to Brasil in time to pass the New Year with the Church.
Now I will digress to December 2015. One of the reasons we were in the States was because I had to have a biopsy on my prostate. My number was high and when I did the test it proved to be aggressive cancer. The doctor said that my body needed one month to recoup before he could do the surgery to remove the prostate. With this in mind we decided to return to Brasil to get the Church moved to the new building. What an AWESOME blessing!!! We were able to do 1000 little chores and with 1000 more, we moved. We are now in the new building and I preached Sunday before we returned to the States for my surgery. We were back in the States for the surgery on the 25th. The surgery was a success, but the cancer had bled through the prostate into the bladder and the urethra tube. So now I am recuperating for 6 months to be able to come back to begin 30 days of radiation treatment. So we will go back to Brasil for the 6 months and see what we can get into. The only thing is that the doctor says that I cannot do any work. So it looks like I am demoted to the supervisor role.
While we have been here doing all these doctor things, Barbara’s mom, Reba Baker, went home to see the Lord on February 5th. Barbara and I would like to THANK each and every one of you for your prayers and your love that has been shown to us during this time. The AWESOME part of this is that we are certain of where she is. She had such an AWESOME testimony of Christian faith and service. She will be greatly missed.
Because of the time we will have to spend in the States, I led the Church to call a Brasilian Pastor. This will allow me to do my treatment knowing that the Church will have good leadership. This also lets me be able to concentrate on the other ministries of the Church, such as visitation, small groups, discipleship, seminary and the others.
So as you can see, the next few months before I start the treatment, we will be very busy. God is so AWESOME—we know that He will take care of every aspect of our lives and the life of His Church.
So our request is that you keep in your prayers our Church in the transition of pastors, my treatment, the work that needs to be finished on the Church building, and our travels to the States and back to Brasil.
Our doors are still open for you to come see what God is doing here in Brasil. Give Barb a call and set up your visit.
In His service,
Aj and Barb
Aj and Barbara Hensley
ajcaragua[at]gmail.com
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Missionary Update: The Wacasers in Brazil [February 2016]
Bobby, Charlene, Jessie, and Brennen Wacaser have served the Lord as church planters in Curitiba, Parana, Brazil, since 1985.
February 5, 2016
Dear Friends,
Charlene and I truly appreciate you who have kept us in your prayers as we continue to care for my ailing father. It is evident that God has answered many of those prayers because he is not in any pain. Also, the time that he and I spend together is very precious as we reflect on the Lord’s blessings to us and how we may best serve Him while on this earth. Thank you for those prayers.
I continue to have opportunities to share the Word of God with some of the Hospice care personnel. Just yesterday I was asked several questions about how to have the assurance of one’s salvation. I shared several Scriptural references and their application and the young lady seemed to understand and accept that teaching.
The Winter Missions Conference at the Park Ridge Baptist Church last month was a true joy as we got to fellowship with several of our dear friends of Baptist Faith Missions. Pastor Benton Glover and the church members hosted us very graciously. It was also a tremendous joy to get to visit with our fellow missionaries to Brazil, John and Alta Hatcher and Paul and Wanda Hatcher.
Our evangelistic outreach teams in Brazil, Projeto Vida, have returned to their activities after the holiday break. Besides having Christmas and New Year’s Day during this period, it is also summertime in southern Brazil and the schools let out for summer break. The public schools are our main venues for taking the gospel to unreached cities and their being closed doesn’t provide the teams with many available audiences. We will shortly resume our travels to many new cities since the students are back to school. In fact, Charlene and I will be traveling down to Brazil early next month to host a team of 40 youth from the Tampa, Florida area. I have already been resolving logistical details for their lodging, meals, and travel inside the country and will arrive a few days ahead of them to prepare our translator teams and tie up any loose ends.
Charlene and I thank you so much for your prayers for us. May the Lord richly bless you and your families and churches.
In Christ’s love,
Bobby and Charlene Wacaser
Bobby and Charlene Wacaser
Furlough Address:
3912 Casaba Loop
Valrico, FL 33596
Field Address:
Rua Laudelino Ferreira Lopes, 279-1
Sobrado 1, Bairro Novo Mundo
81050-310 Curitiba, PR Brasil
Phone: (813) 481-7007
Cell Phone: (813) 727-6405
Email: bobbymichael_1@hotmail.com
Give: Click here to give.
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