Missionary Update: The Radfords in Kenya [January 2015]
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.
January 2, 2015
Dear praying friends,
Happy New Year! It is hard to believe that we are into the year 2015. I look back on this past year, and it seemed to fly by. Each year seems to pass faster than the one before. I am sure many of you can identify with this, as it just seems a fact of life. We hope you all had a great Christmas of celebrating the birth of our Lord and Savior, and we also wish you all a happy 2015.
This past year was a good one for our family and our time together. My wife and I have done our best to assist and help our daughters in any way we can, as there are many challenges on the mission field. Both girls love animals, and over the past few months, we got them a puppy and a kitten. This gives them responsibilities of taking care of the animals, feeding them, playing with them, and growing up with them. McKenna is doing well in school and seems to be picking up the concepts that my wife teaches. Before you know it, Camille will also be starting school in the Radford household. How thankful I am to have a wife who has a degree in education and does such a great job. McKenna has also indicated interest in learning Swahili, the language of Kenya, so we would appreciate prayers that the Lord would assist us with this also. All of these plans we lay before the Lord and trust in His timing and will for our lives. Psalm 37:5 says “Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in Him; and He shall bring it to pass.”
Speaking of laying our plans before the Lord, we really need wisdom as my partner, Roger Tate and I, are proceeding in church planting. We have done church planting in different ways, such as starting a church in a Kenyan home, or training qualified men to go out and start churches in their respective villages. Both ways are challenging and have their difficulties. We are praying and asking the Lord for wisdom for the best way to proceed in these ministries. We know the Lord is sovereign, in total control, and will work in His time and plan. We also must trust Him for the results, and remain faithful to teach, instruct, assist, and equip the Kenyan men in any way we can. Prayer is central for seeking and knowing the Lord’s will, and we would greatly appreciate your prayers for us.
Thanks so much to each one who emailed us during the holiday season, sent cards, sent pictures, etc. The holiday season is always difficult here, being separated by thousands of miles from those we love. The Lord gave us grace and strength once again, and we appreciate each of you more than you know. Each thought or card was welcomed and greatly appreciated. We wish each of you a wonderful 2015 ahead. May the Lord richly bless you all.
Serving in Kitale,
Nathan and Carrie Radford
P.O. Box 4150
Kitale, Kenya
East Africa, 30200
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Missionary Update: The Radfords in Kenya [December 2014]
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.
December 3, 2014
Dear praying friends,
It is now the end of 2014 and we are rapidly approaching 2015. We hope and pray that each of you had a great 2014 and will have an upcoming year of 2015 that is filled with all the joys of serving the Lord and trusting in His promises each step of the way. The future can be somewhat of a challenge to us, as we live day by day, but what a joy to know that the Lord will not leave us, forsake us, and will be with us through all our challenges. I love the quote that says “I do not know what the future holds, but I know Who holds the future.”
As I reflect on this past year, it was certainly filled with challenges for our family. Our time of furlough in America was very nice, and as always, it was very busy and filled with much traveling. Upon our return back to Africa, Kenya specifically, there were other challenges, such as getting used to the way of life here, getting our family adjusted back, and getting our daughter McKenna started in homeschooling. These were just some of the changes from this past year.
The hospital ministry is continuing along well. My wife comes back after going and many weeks there are more babies and mothers than the supplies she took for the ministry! We have to regularly order supplies for this ministry as there are many mothers and needy babies. We need to remember to have a sensitive to heart to those who are in need. Psalm 41:1 says “Blessed is he that considereth the poor: the Lord will deliver him in time of trouble.” Please pray for my wife and all the babies there who are in need. Please pray also for the Gospel tracts that are given to the mothers, that the mothers would read them and be saved. We desire to be faithful and trust the Lord with the results.
The church planting ministry is continuing along, but there are definite challenges. One of the main challenges is to find men who will go out and be independent of us. Men that will rely wholly on the Lord and His provisions for them. Men that will be faithful to the Word and not change the truth of it. Men that will realize their responsibilities before God, their friends, and their families, and be faithful to them. These are the kind of men that we are looking for, and trusting God to provide in His time and plan. It is better to be patient and wait on the Lord than trying to rush ahead. Lamentations 3:25 says “The Lord is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him.” We trust the Lord through all of these challenges, and know He will be faithful through it all. We appreciate your prayers, that the Lord would bring the right men to train in His timing.
In family news, it has been a good year, and a year of growth for our two daughters, McKenna and Camille. They have had to learn to get along, apologize to each other, and love each other through all the challenges of growing up. They both have a sensitive spirit and it is a joy to be their parents. McKenna has started homeschooling this year, and seems to be enjoying it. It takes much preparation for my wife, but she is trained in education and is enjoying this new role as schoolteacher. We thank the Lord that there is a family nearby with children around the age of our daughters that they can play with. This is a big answer to prayer, but we continue to pray for other missionary families to come who would have children to play with our children. Believe it or not, this is a major challenge for missionaries, to have friends for their children to play with. It is easy for the needs of children to be overlooked and unchecked, and I am mentioning this to ask you to pray not only for our daughters, but the children of missionaries around the world, as they have needs as well. God has been answering prayer for this, and we continue to pray.
We wish each of you a great 2015. May we each be faithful to serve, wherever the Lord has us. May we be fervent in our service, and faithful in our lives. May we continue to seek His will, pray, and have the spirit of service, even when it is difficult or challenging. Have a great 2015 and we will keep you updated.
Thanks again so much for all you do and your heart for missions in East Africa.
Serving in Kenya,
P.O. Box 4150
Kitale, Kenya
East Africa, 30200
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Missionary Update: The Radfords in Kenya [November 2014]
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, 2014
Dear praying friends,
We hope this update finds each of you doing well. It is hard to believe that the holiday season is already upon us, as I am thinking specifically of Thanksgiving for this month. May we be thankful for all the Lord does for us, provides for us, and how He is with us always as we serve Him. What a mighty God we serve! As someone has said, “Count your blessings, not your problems.”
It is always difficult to be away from those we love during the holidays, so we would greatly appreciate your prayers for us at this time. Missing friends, family, those we love, and our culture is especially hard at this time. Homesickness is something that many missionaries struggle with, not just ourselves, so please remember all who serve overseas. God’s grace and strength are very helpful, and how we need to rely upon Him not just during the holidays, but throughout the year. 2 Corinthians 12:9 says “And He said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for My strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.” Verses such as this are such a help and encouragement.
The Annex prison ministry is continuing along well. There is a group of men who seem to be serious in their study of the Word of God and desire to grow spiritually. This past week, I taught on our enemy, Satan, and how we can rely on the Lord in our spiritual battles. The men seemed to enjoy the teachings and verses such as 1 John 4:4, which states “Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.” There are many more studies to pass through, so please continue to pray for the men as they learn more from the Word of God.
Church planting is continuing along well, for which I thank the Lord. My friend Roger Tate and I are continuing along with the foundational teachings that those we train should know, understand, and practice. The churches need to be independent, self-supporting, and self-reliant, trusting in the Lord to provide for them. The leaders need to know and practice the teachings of the Word, such as Philippians 4:19, which states “But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” God will supply their needs, and they need to look to Him and trust in Him for all things. It has been exciting to train qualified men and watch their growth as they grasp these truths. They are many more teachings to give to the men, so please pray for us as we continue to teach and train.
May each of you have a great Thanksgiving holiday ahead. Enjoy the time with your friends, family, and those you love. One quote I read that really challenged me was “Never take those you love for granted.” May we always make the time for others and enjoy our time together. God bless you and we will keep you updated.
Serving in Kenya,
P.O. Box 4150
Kitale, Kenya
East Africa, 30200
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Missionary Update: The Radfords in Kenya [October 2014]
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, 2014
Dear praying friends,
We hope this update finds each of you doing well as you serve the Lord. We appreciate each of you so much, more than you know.
It is hard to believe we are only two months away from the end of 2014. As someone has wisely said, “Now is the time to invest in eternity.”
We thank the Lord for each of you who have written to tell us you are praying for us, or sent cards, etc. Your thoughtfulness means so much and we thank God for you and your encouragement. We are upcoming on a difficult time of year, as the holidays are coming soon. Homesickness is one thing we really struggle with at times, and we rely on the Lord to help us through it. It comes and goes at different times and in different periods of intensity, yet the Lord is so faithful through it all.
Church planting is progressing along well, although there are major challenges. My friend and partner, Roger Tate, and I are doing our best to teach Kenyan men to rely on the Lord and not us. This is a challenge for many of the men, but something they definitely need to see from the Word of God and apply to their lives. Psalm 34:8 says “O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him.” We will keep you updated on the progress of training qualified Kenyan men to go and reach their own people and start churches in the Kitale area.
I thank the Lord that He has kept the opportunity of ministry open to the Annex prison. The chaplain there was so nice and helpful and I really thank the Lord for that. Please pray for the men there, that the light of the Word of God would shine there and many would be saved. Acts 26:18 states “To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me.”
The children are doing well and growing up too fast. McKenna has been in homeschooling for several weeks now and both McKenna and Mom seem to be doing well. Camille will be having her time to start schooling soon. This is definitely a new period in all of our lives and stretching for us. I am so thankful for my wife and her sacrificial spirit to work with each of our daughters each day. Not only is she a great teacher, but also mother and encourager to me. I am truly blessed. Please pray for this school year, that all will go well and much good knowledge will be learned and applied.
We thank the Lord for each one of you and your interest in missions. We will keep you updated. Have a wonderful upcoming holiday season.
Serving in Kenya,
P.O. Box 4150
Kitale, Kenya
East Africa, 30200
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Missionary Update: The Radfords in Kenya [September 2014]
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 4, 2014
Dear praying friends,
We are now in the latter part of 2014. I keep asking myself, “Where has the time gone?” It seems the older I get, the faster the time passes by. How we need to take time for that which is important during our lives, as this life is so short and brief in comparison to eternity.
This past month was a difficult one for our family, as my grandmother, Mrs. Ruby Harris, passed away at the age of 90. My mother’s mother was such a blessing to me all through my life, and such a prayer warrior and supporter of the missionary work God has called us to. She was a strong Christian, and is now in the presence of the Lord and in a far better place. Some verses that come to my mind are Psalm 116:15, which says “Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints.” Another great verse to claim is 2 Corinthians 5:8, which states, “We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.” Please keep the family in prayer at this time.
It is now rainy season in Kitale, and it can be tricky at times to travel on the Milimani roads, which become very muddy after the rains. I recall at one point several years ago where it rained so hard that even taxis would not come to pick us for fear of getting stuck! Please pray for our safety as we travel. The rain is certainly a blessing, and it is a total switch from the seasons of where I am from in America, so it takes some getting adjusted to.
Speaking of adjustments, our daughter McKenna officially starts school this week. Please pray for both mother and daughter as my wife will be home schooling her. This will be a big change for my daughter and the years ahead. Please pray she will do well, as she is a smart little girl.
My wife has begun the hospital ministry and it is going well. The staff have been very friendly and inviting, and we thank the Lord for that. God has kept the door of ministry open there for her to minister to mothers, children, and abandoned babies.
Church planting endeavors need much prayer, as there are many challenges, which I have shared previously in monthly updates. Please pray the Lord would give us wisdom in regards to who to work with, etc. We know He is in control and we trust Him. Lord willing, we will also be offering a basic Christianity course. What is a Christian? What does it mean to follow Christ? These are some of the questions that we will be answering from the Word of God, in addition to other teachings.
Please pray for us as we seek to follow Him daily. One of my favorite verses is Luke 9:23, which says “And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.” Are we willing to follow Him today and every day? I hope and pray so. God bless you all and thanks so much for your prayers, encouragement, and sacrificial giving. We will keep you updated.
Serving in Kenya,
Nathan and Carrie Radford
P.O. Box 4150
Kitale, Kenya
East Africa, 30200
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Missionary Update: The Radfords in Kenya [August 2014]
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 4, 2014
Dear praying friends,
We are now in the month of August, and it is hard to believe we are more than halfway past the year 2014. Soon will be the time for holidays and other times of fellowship with friends, family, and others. What a blessing it is to be a part of where the Lord is working. I pray that we will be faithful to where He leads. As one has wisely said, “Follow where He leads, and you will not go wrong.”
Thanks so much to each one who prayed for the hospital ministry permit. We greatly appreciate it. I am thankful to announce that the permit has processed successfully in Nairobi, the capital city, and my wife is official to continue along with that ministry. We are thankful for answered prayer and for the Lord leading and directing her to serve here in Kitale. The permit is good for three years, after which at the end of this time, we will need to reapply for it. We are thankful to each of you who pray for this ministry, give sacrificially, or help in any way. Please pray for my wife as she plans to begin soon, Lord willing.
There was a government rally in Nairobi this past month, called “saba saba.” In Swahili, the national language of Kenya, that stands for “seven seven,” or July 7th. People were concerned at this rally, as there were some grievances that were thought to be brought forth, which can lead to violence. There were thousands of police officers on duty and we thank the Lord that the rally passed along peacefully. God has answered a lot of prayer for safety, as even the last election went smoothly. Psalm 34:19 says ” Many are the afflictionsof the righteous: but the Lord delivereth him out of them all.” How we need to trust the Lord each day, and not just at times such at these. It is wonderful to know that even if we do pass through trials or times of uncertainty, the Lord is there and will protect and help.
In family news, the girls are doing well. We recently bought them a small puppy to help them to have a friend to play with here. The Lord provided one close by in Kitale at a very reasonable price. McKenna named the puppy “Betsy” and has loved each day of being with her, except when she cries at night and keeps us awake! This is all part of having a puppy to play with, and I am sure she will do fine as we have her longer. She is just six weeks old now, and a really good family dog that is loyal. Although this does help them, please continue to pray with us that the Lord will provide other children in Kitale the age of our daughters, as most of the children are older and it is difficult to make good friends. We know the Lord will take care of this in His time and plan. His plan is best, and we trust Him.
God bless each of you and we will keep you updated. Thanks to each of you for your heart for missions.
Serving in Kenya,
Nathan and Carrie Radford
P.O. Box 4150
Kitale, Kenya
East Africa, 30200
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Missionary Update: The Radfords in Kenya [July 2014]
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 4, 2014
As we reflect on this 4th of July holiday, may we remember to pray for our country, its leaders, and our future. A couple of verses come to mind. One is Proverbs 14:34, which says “Righteousness exalteth a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people.” Another verse to consider is Psalm 33:12, which states “Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD; and the people whom he hath chosen for his own inheritance.” May we always remember to keep our country in prayer as we continue to serve the Lord. We hope that each of you have a great holiday, with friends, family, and others at this time.
We praise the Lord that we have arrived safe and sound back to Kitale. It is one thing to travel to Kenya, and another entirely to travel to Kitale. Kitale is around 7 hours north, and is an exhausting trip by itself. We are thankful that we arrived back and were able to recover from jetlag, although it took a couple of days. It was so nice to see friends in the missionary community and meet new missionaries who have come before we arrived back. We are so thankful for those of you who helped us in any way with our travels, and who prayed for us as we traveled. We greatly appreciate it.
Please be in prayer for my wife and the hospital ministry as she is waiting for her permit to be reviewed. We have applied for it, filled out the papers, and now are awaiting a response, hopefully by next week. We trust the Lord will keep the door there open as long as He wants her to serve there. Psalm 86:11 says “Teach me thy way, O LORD; I will walk in thy truth: unite my heart to fear thy name.” Thanks for your prayers for this ministry.
I thank the Lord for the plans that we have for this term in church planting. Lord willing, the plan that my partner Roger Tate and I have is to train Godly, qualified men to go out and start churches in Kenyan villages. We have rented a small room on the outskirts of Kitale town to begin our training. Please pray for us, that the Lord will lead and guide us in these endeavors. We can do nothing without Him, and we need help from Him each step of the way. We are excited about what God will do this term, and we will keep you updated.
Please also pray for the prison ministry, as I plan to go there soon to begin again, Lord willing. We lay all of our plans before the Lord, and trust Him each step of the way. He is so faithful, and it is a privilege to serve Him. God bless each of you for your interest in missions around the world. We will keep you updated. Please notice our change of address.
Serving in Kenya,
Nathan and Carrie Radford
P.O. Box 4150
Kitale, Kenya
East Africa, 30200
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Missionary Update: The Radfords in Kenya [June 2014]
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 2, 2014
Dear praying friends,
As I type this letter, it is so hard to believe that we board a plane later this week and begin our journey to Nairobi, Kenya. From Nairobi, Lord willing, we will then travel to Kitale after a few days of busyness and government paperwork. This is certainly a hectic week with much to do. Please pray for my wife as she has the massive job of deciding what to pack, leave, etc., for our term in Kenya. Please also pray for our daughters, as they will be going through transitions in the days ahead. They seem excited to be getting back, for which we are thankful. They are excited to get back and settled into Kitale and miss our animals. It is always nice to reunite and get back with our friends, missionary family, and others. I hear that Kitale has changed some since leaving, so we are excited to see what the changes are.
Thanks so much to each one who has been interested in the hospital ministry and also for those who have donated blankets and other supplies. We really appreciate your heart for the babies and the mothers and the Lord will bless you for your generosity. Proverbs 22:9 states “He that hath a bountiful eye shall be blessed; for he giveth of his bread to the poor.” We appreciate each of you so much.
Please also pray for us as we apply for the hospital work permit for my wife. As I said before, she now needs her own permit. I also will most likely need to apply for a permit for the Annex prison upon returning. The Lord knows all of this and we trust Him for the necessary permits and paperwork. We need to trust Him and remember He is in control of all things. A quote I liked said “He is calm who believes God is sovereign.” How true this is. Proverbs 16:9 says “A man’s heart deviseth his way: but the Lord directeth his steps.” How we need the Lord to direct our steps and wisdom from Him. Please keep these things above in prayer as well.
I will do my best to keep each of you updated who are interested, pray for us, give sacrificially, or are involved in any way in the Lord’s work in Kitale. We cannot thank each of you enough for your heart for missions and your assistance in any way. You are such an important part of the work. The famous missionary, William Carey, said “I will go down if you will hold the rope.” Thanks to each of you for “holding the rope” for us while we are in Kenya. May the Lord bless you abundantly for all you do. Please pray for our flights ahead, that they will proceed without any issues, and also for our transitions to Kenya and ultimately, Lord willing, Kitale. We will keep you updated. Please note and use our mailing address for Kitale, Kenya.
Serving in Kenya,
Nathan and Carrie Radford
P.O. Box 4150
Kitale, Kenya
East Africa, 30200
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