Missionary Update: The Radfords in Kenya [October 2013]
October 2, 2013
Dear praying friends,
We are now near the end of our term here in Kitale, and the past two years have passed by so fast. When we come to the mission field after furlough, we think that two years is a long time to be away from friends, culture, family, etc. And, to be honest, it is a long time. But it never ceases to amaze me at the end of a term that I think about how quickly the time passed. I am sure that many of you at home can relate to this as well. Our days on this earth are few and fly by. It reminds me of the verse in Psalm 90:12, which says “So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.” May we use our time wisely in service to our Lord.
Please pray for us, as there is much to be done. Coming home to America seems like an easy process, but in reality, it is not. We have many things to be done, schedules to be arranged, schooling for children to be arranged, leaving ministries behind, etc. It can be very overwhelming, and we take one thing at a time. Soon I will need to be thinking about scheduling churches for furlough and our furlough schedule. One thing I forgot to ask prayer for is for our girls, McKenna and Camille. In all the rush and busyness that furlough brings, it is easy to overlook them and their needs. This will be a big adjustment for them also, as they are used to life here in Kitale. Please pray for my wife also, as she is now trying to arrange homeschooling around all the traveling and visits. We thank the Lord for the strength He provides each day. I begin to get overwhelmed when I look at it all at once. I am sure this is the same for my wife as well. Like the old saying goes, “His strength is perfect when our strength is gone.” How true this is, and we need to rely on Him.
We are still continuing to pray about our needs for furlough, mainly for housing in WV while we are in America. We would need the housing around mid December 2013. Any assistance in the area of housing would be greatly appreciated, even if you know of people we could talk to. Our contact is naterad[at]yahoo.com. We would appreciate your prayers for us, as we wait on Him. We seek the Lord for these things. 1 Chronicles 16:11 says “Seek the Lord and his strength, seek his face continually.” What a challenge for all of us, to seek the Lord throughout our lives.
By now, I am sure you have heard of the terrorist attack at Westgate Mall in Nairobi. This has been very hard to watch on the news. We have been to this mall a few times. Apparently the terrorists had been planning the attacks for a year, and possibly had a shop in the mall while they were in the planning stages. Please pray for all the families affected by this, and for those who did these acts to be brought to justice. It truly is sad what is the mind and hearts of people, and even when we do not understand, we need to continue to trust the Lord. I feel so badly for all those affected by this and would ask you to remember those affected in your prayers.
Please keep us in your prayers over the next weeks, and for us later this year, as we make changes and adjustments back to life in America for a few months. God bless each of you and thanks again so much for your interest and sacrifice to missions across the world in Kitale, Kenya.
Until Next Month,
Nathan and Carrie Radford
P.O. Box 4150
Kitale, Kenya
East Africa 30200
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2013 BFM Thanksgiving Conference
We heartily invite you to join us for the
59th Annual Thanksgiving Missions Conference
in the interests of BAPTIST FAITH MISSIONS
November 25-27, 2013 | New Hope Baptist Church
Dearborn Heights, MI | Pastor Terry Adkins
Conference Theme: “Redeemed How I Love to Proclaim It”
“Redeemed How I Love to Proclaim It”
– Psalm 107:2-3 –
Sister Sue Jones will be conducting a Bible Study during each session of the conference for children ages 3-10. Please bring your children.
Everyone is invited to sing in our Conference Choir on Monday evening at 6:45.
For directions to New Hope Baptist Church and/or information on lodging please contact:
Pastor Terry Adkins | (313) 562-5579 | pastorterrynewhope[at]yahoo.com
MONDAY EVENING, NOVEMBER 25
5:00 pm Dinner
6:30 pm Music
6:45 pm Singing
7:15 pm Message, Pastor George Sledd
Jordan Baptist Church, Sanford, FL
8:00 pm Singing
8:25 pm Message, Pastor Denny Herndon
Immanuel Baptist Church, Riverview, MI
TUESDAY MORNING, NOVEMBER 26
9:15 am Music
9:30 am Singing
9:45 am Message, Nathan Radford
Missionary, Kitale, Kenya, Africa
10:30 am Message, Harold Bratcher
Missionary, Brazil (retired)
11:10 am Break
11:15 am Message, Isaac Hiel
Former Missionary, Turkey
12:00 noon Lunch
TUESDAY AFTERNOON, NOVEMBER 26
1:30 pm BFM Advisory Meeting
(Everyone is invited to attend)
TUESDAY EVENING, NOVEMBER 26
5:00 pm Dinner
6:30 pm Music
6:45 pm Singing
7:15 pm Message, Pastor Gary Harrah
Grace Missionary Baptist Church, Wyandotte, MI
8:00 pm Singing
8:25 pm Message, Roger Tate
Missionary, Kitale, Kenya, Africa
WEDNESDAY MORNING, NOVEMBER 27
9:45 am Music
10:00 am Singing
10:15 am Message, Evangelist Bob Jones
Clays Mill Road Baptist Church, Lexington, KY
11:00 am Singing
11:15 am Message, Pastor Walter Jones
Warren Missionary Baptist Church, Warren, MI
12:00 noon Thanksgiving Lunch
———————————-
A Word document of the conference schedule is available for download here:
BFM 2013 Thanksgiving Conference Program
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Missionary Update: The Radfords in Kenya [September 2013]
September 4, 2013
Dear praying friends,
Well, it is now near the end of the term here in Kitale, so I thought I would use this prayer letter to give you an idea of how it went this past term, give current ministry progress, and inform you of how to be praying for us in future ministry endeavors. We appreciate each of you so much, and you are such a blessing to us.
One verse that has been a comfort to me this past term concerns seeking the Lord. There are so many things that come in our daily lives for which we need to seek the Lord. One thing I know for sure is that life is challenging, and we need His help and strength for each day. Psalm 105:4 says “Seek the LORD, and His strength: seek His face evermore.” How true this is, and how we need to seek the Lord each day.
The Annex prison ministry is continuing along well. We have been progressing well through the book of Matthew, after learning Inductive Bible study methods. The men seem to be enjoying the studies very much, and there is definite leadership material among these men. Please pray for this ministry as we are away, that it will continue along well.
In regards to church planting, based off of how this past term progressed, I feel I can say definitively that the method we will use in the future is to train nationals to go and start churches. At the beginning of the term, my partner Roger Tate and I said we would try two different ways of church planting here. What were the results?
The church plant in Shangalamwe was very similar to Rafiki last term. The Lord blessed, and there is a church there that we hope and pray will continue along well. However, there were differences between the two methods we tried. When we trained a national to go, things went so much better and progressed much more effectively. So, please pray for us next term, that the Lord would lead us to Godly men who love Him and want to go start churches in their villages. Certainly this method does not mean that there will be no problems, but I believe strongly that training nationals is the way we should proceed in the future here. This could change, but for now, I believe this is the way to proceed based off the results. In all of this, we need to ask the Lord for wisdom. Psalm 111:10a says “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom.” How we need to rely on Him daily for wisdom. We ask for your prayers in regards to what we have shared and the guidance and wisdom of the Lord.
Furlough is quickly approaching, and we are looking forward to seeing many of you who pray for us, have visited us, and give sacrificially to the work here. We thank the Lord for each of you. May God bless you.
Until Next Month,
Nathan and Carrie Radford
P.O. Box 4150
Kitale, Kenya
East Africa 30200
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Missionary Update: The Radfords in Kenya [August 2013]
Dear praying friends,
It is now the month of August, and the time this year has flown by. I cannot believe how quickly this year has passed. It seems like the older I get, the faster the time passes. I am sure you all can relate to this as well. How we need to be busy in service to the Lord while there is still time and opportunity. Psalm 90:12 states, “So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.”
Since I write month after month about ministry, I thought this month I would write something different. I enjoy reporting on the ministries, and I plan to continue to do that throughout the months ahead. I thought this month I would report more on how life is on the mission field, or what typical living in Africa is like. I know that this is probably interesting, and since I have not reported much about it, I would like to this month.
Life in Africa. How do you describe it? It has daily challenges that only the Lord can help us through. Many times it really gets hard. Why? Separation from friends, family, culture, customs, etc. Trying to understand the Swahili language when someone is talking a mile a minute in the language and your brain has just “checked out.” I have been there many times. It is exhausting just to try to follow what is being said, especially if it is said at a very fast rate.
Maintenance. There is so much maintenance, both on vehicles, compounds, places to live, etc. I rarely drive long distances because of the conditions of the roads. When a road is fixed, it usually does not last long as the conditions deteriorate rapidly. I usually take public transportation in a van, called a “matatu” here. The matatus are usually jammed with people, with people sitting four in a seat that seats two. Chickens on the buses and vans at times. People preaching on the public vans and passing around their hats and taking up an offering. Yes, life here is certainly different.
What about the family? Typically my wife spends most of the morning schooling with the children. We are so proud of McKenna and her progress. She is a smart little girl. Camille is coming along closely also. Our daughters have friends here, although most are older than them. As I said before, we continue to pray for children their age to play with. God will answer in His time. Cooking for my wife takes twice as long here as cooking at home. All is made from scratch. Something that would take 30 minutes in America takes 2 hours here to make. These are just some of the things that teach us patience here, day by day.
Through all the challenges of daily life on the mission field, God is with us each step of the way. He will never leave us nor forsake us. No matter what we face, He is there. As the saying goes, “No matter how rough or smooth this day, He is with us each step of the way.” Hebrews 13:5b says “I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.” Are you thankful for that? We sure are.
Thanks again for your prayers, sacrificial giving, cards of encouragement, and emails. They brighten our days here.
Nathan and Carrie Radford
P.O. Box 4150
Kitale, Kenya
East Africa 30200
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Missionary Update: The Radfords in Kenya [July 2013]
Dear praying friends,
Another month has come and passed, and we are now over halfway through the year of 2013. We thank the Lord that He has given us another month to serve Him, follow Him, and also for health and strength to do His work here in Kenya. The Lord gives us so many blessings, and many times I forget to thank Him and praise Him for His faithfulness. Even though there are many trials throughout life, may we take the time to thank the Lord for all He does for us. As the old saying goes, “Don’t get so busy adding up your troubles, that you forget to count your blessings.” This prayer letter will give a current update, as well as prayer requests.
We thank the Lord for the progress that we have been seeing here in Kitale in church planting. It has been exciting to hear the reports that are coming from the national that my good friend Roger Tate and I have been training. God has really blessed his efforts, and several churches have been started in differing areas of Kitale. With the help of the Lord, not only has he begun a church, but he has been training other faithful men to go and do the same in their respective villages. I feel that this is a fulfillment of 2 Timothy 2:2, which states “And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also.” We praise the Lord for this, and this can only be done with the Lord’s help. How we need to rely on Him each day, for strength, guidance, and wisdom as we do His work here. We are also continuing with the church in Shangalamwe, and giving the church elder more and more responsibility to lead as we gradually pull away. Please keep all of these ministries in your prayers.
Since I have not reported on the hospital in a while, I thought I would write some about it also. We thank each of you for your sacrificial giving and prayers with this ministry. You are such a blessing. Recently, my wife went to the Kitale district hospital and there were three abandoned babies. This of course, is difficult to see these babies in this condition, so she does her best to get them placed in good children’s homes in the Kitale area. The Lord has blessed with this, and she has been able to assist many of them with getting placed after their stay at the hospital. The needs here are so great, and we ask you to please keep praying for this ministry and also for my wife, as she is faithful to go and assist as she can and the Lord provides. Isaiah 1:17 states “Learn to do well; seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow.” We will keep you updated of this ministry.
Our children are continuing to progress well. McKenna is now five years old and will be starting kindergarten soon. That is so hard to believe. I can remember like it was just yesterday that she was crawling, learning to talk, etc. Life passes by so fast. She is developing into a wonderful daughter. Camille is now two years old. She is walking well now, slurring words that she tries to put together, and also is doing well. How we thank the Lord for the two daughters that He has blessed us with. Please continue to pray for them, and as before, we ask you to pray that the Lord would provide other children their age here in Kitale to play with. We trust the Lord with this.
In closing, we would like to briefly share our current needs. We are planning to return to the States in just a few months, and our current needs now are for housing and for a good, reliable vehicle to use while on furlough. We would prefer housing in the Charleston/Huntington WV area, if possible. Also, we really need a minivan to be able to have the room for our family and travels. We would be interested if anyone is interested in donating the minivan or selling it so us at a reasonable price. Furlough is very expensive, as we have to pay not only our expenses here in Kenya while away, but also expenses while we are in America.
If anyone would like to assist, we would be very grateful. We are just praying and waiting on the Lord for these needs. Psalm 33:20 says “Our soul waiteth for the LORD: he is our help and our shield.” You can email me at: naterad[at]yahoo.com if you are interested in assisting. Thank you for allowing us to share.
May God bless each of you for your prayers, interest in missions, and sacrificial giving. I wish each of you a wonderful celebration tomorrow for the fourth of July. We will keep you updated.
Nathan and Carrie Radford
P.O. Box 4150
Kitale, Kenya
East Africa 30200
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Missionary Update: Nathan & Carrie Radford in Kenya [June 2013]
Dear praying friends,
Lord willing, by the time you receive this prayer letter, it will be the middle of the year 2013. Where has the time gone? Our lives are just a breath when compared to eternity. May we be ever committed to making our lives count for the Lord, sharing the Gospel message with the lost, and seeking to please Him in our actions and behavior. God is so faithful, and we thank the Lord for His many blessings.
Concerning ministry, it has been a definite challenge with church planting here. One of the main reasons is the dependency within the culture. Please pray that the Lord would lead us to the right people, and even for wisdom in the different models. My good friend Roger Tate and I have been thinking of and praying over the best way to do church planting in this culture. We have tried it both ways: with us going to the village and starting the church within the culture and village, and also training a national to go and start churches without us ourselves going. Both ways have advantages and disadvantages, and we would appreciate your prayers for wisdom. We praise the Lord for the church that has been planted in the village of Shangalamwe, as well as the churches that have been started through the national we have been training. Even in this endeavor, God will give wisdom. Proverbs 4:7 says “Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding.”
The hospital ministry is also continuing along well. My wife has been involved with this ministry for several years now, and God has been faithful to keep the door open there. She enjoys going to meet the mothers and seeing the babies that are in the ward. There are many babies there that need care and attention, and my wife helps as she is able. Please pray for her also, that the Lord would give her wisdom also. God cares for these people, and there are many challenging Scriptures. One is Psalm 72:12-13, which says “For he shall deliver the needy when he crieth; the poor also, and him that hath no helper. He shall spare the poor and needy, and shall save the souls of the needy.” Please keep this ministry in your prayers.
There are many prayer requests. Once is for us personally, as the end of a term is always difficult. The reasons for this are many, including cultural fatigue/burnout, homesickness, and loneliness. There is definitely a spiritual battle going on, and we appreciate your prayers for us as we finish up this term. We know God is able, and will help and assist us in all our needed areas.
Another prayer request is for safety. We have done all we can in regards to security, and first and foremost we trust the Lord to watch over us. Kitale has had some security issues in various areas of the town lately. We do our best to stay aware and be as safe as we can be. We know the Lord protects us as we serve Him here, and would appreciate your prayers not only for us, but others who live and work here. Psalm 121:1-2 says “I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. My help cometh from the LORD, which made heaven and earth.” Our help comes from the Lord, and we know He is faithful to protect us as we serve here in East Africa.
Some other major prayer requests are for our upcoming furlough. Just to explain, furlough is very expensive. Why? We have many expenses here in Kenya that we still have to pay, even when we come to America. It actually can be overwhelming, when there is so much to pay during our absence while we are home. A huge help for us would be twofold at this time.
First, we are in need of reliable transportation during furlough. A minivan would be very helpful, for the needs of our family and for transporting what is needed. I could go pretty much anywhere to pick it up if anyone would be interested in donating or selling cheaply for our needs. Another need is housing. We would prefer housing to be in the Charleston/Huntington area of West Virginia, if possible. This would also be a huge help to us right now. We plan to be home in America later in the year, but wanted to announce a few months early, so there would be awareness. If anyone is interested in either of these needs, please email us at: naterad@yahoo.com As always, we trust the Lord for all our needs. We know He is faithful and we depend on Him. Thanks for allowing us to share our current needs.
Please keep us in your prayers as we seek to finish this term well and be faithful to the Lord. 2 Timothy 4:7-8 says “I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.” What tremendous verses, and a challenge to us today as we serve the Lord, wherever He calls us. Thanks to each of you for your interest in missions.
Nathan and Carrie Radford
P.O. Box 4150
Kitale, Kenya
East Africa 30200
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Missionary Update: The Radfords in Kenya [April 2013]
Dear praying friends,
Another month has come and gone, and there are many things to update you about. We praise the Lord for health, strength, His protection, and the opportunities He gives us to serve Him. This update will give a current ministry update as well as prayer requests.
As I write this letter, we are now in the final stages of our move. Praise the Lord! It has been a long, difficult three months since we found we had to move out, but the Lord has been so faithful and provided another place nearby to live. We also met with the caretaker, who was very friendly, and we are pleased. We have still not unpacked everything, as there are still some boxes around, but we are getting there step by step. Isn’t it wonderful to know that throughout the seasons of life, God is so faithful and will care for us each step of the way? I am thankful for His guidance and provisions. Psalm 48:14 says “For this God is our God for ever and ever: he will be our guide even unto death.” Thanks so much for each one who has prayed for us during this transition. We are now getting settled and appreciate your prayers for us during this time.
Concerning the election, it has been very interesting. The election was originally held on March 4th. One of the presidential candidates was declared the president elect, yet the other challenger has taken the matter to the Kenya Supreme Court. It has been in the court for a few days now, and we are awaiting the final decision. I have been pleasantly surprised by the lack of unrest. It seems things are calmer this time than last election. However, there is still very much the potential for unrest when the final decision is made. Please continue to pray for us, the other missionaries, and the country and people of Kenya. We desire to see this spirit of peace continue. Ultimately, God is in control, no matter what happens. He is always on the throne and we can trust Him with everything. There are many good verses regarding God’s sovereignty, but one of my favorites is Psalm 115:3, which says “But our God is in the heavens: he hath done whatsoever he hath pleased.” What a blessing to know we serve the sovereign God of the universe, and He is always completely, absolutely in control.
The church in Shangalamwe is continuing along. My good friend Roger Tate and I are now in the stage of observing the elder as he leads the church. This stage is very important, to ensure that the elder has grasped the teaching and follows the Scripture as he leads and guides the church to follow the Lord. Please pray for the elder as he has taken on this role, and for us also, as we seek to help him any way that we can. We are also continuing to work with a national to plant churches, and this is going along well. Out of one group many other groups have started, and many of these groups desire to be churches. Please pray for him, and also for us, as we instruct and teach him weekly to plant these churches, Lord willing.
My wife is continuing along in the hospital ministry. We thank the Lord for the opportunities He has given her to serve there over the years. There are so many there who are suffering and we thank the Lord for the doors He has opened for her to serve there. Thanks to each one who prays for this ministry or sends supplies for the mothers and children. Psalm 68:5 says “A father of the fatherless, and a judge of the widows, is God in his holy habitation.” God cares about these children and the conditions they face, and we are honored to have a small part to minister and care for them.
Thanks so much to each one who sends us notes, emails, or letters of encouragement. It means so much. Many days here we face the typical challenges of missionary life, and certainly homesickness, loneliness, and other issues can come. Your letters and emails brighten our days. God bless each of you for your prayers, sacrificial giving, and encouragement. We will keep you updated.
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 [March 2013]
March 1, 2013
Dear praying friends,
It is now March 2013, and we are now just 3 days from the election here in Kenya which is to be held on March 4, Lord willing. We have many prayer requests for this prayer letter, as well as ministry updates. May God bless each of you for your heart for missions and interest in the Lord’s work in Kenya, East Africa.
One of our main prayer requests is for the very near election which is to be held soon here in Kenya. Please pray that throughout the electoral process, that there would be peace, no unrest, and fairness in this election. During the last election, in the year 2007, we were not in the country, as we were home for furlough. This time, however, will be different, as we will be here in the country. We don’t know how things will go, and have bought a few extra supplies, so we can lay low for a few days to see how things will go. We trust the Lord in this situation, and at this time, as we know He is fully in control. I love Isaiah 26:3, which says “Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.” Please pray for this election, and the safety of the country of Kenya and its people. We do not want to see any danger, and we trust the Lord through it.
These past few weeks have been very busy, as we have recently moved. We lived in our last place for seven years, but were told we needed to move, as the family of the owner moved back to Kitale and took our previous place. What a job moving was! We had much help from friends and others, and we are so thankful. There is no way we could have made the progress we did without their help. We have been busy trying to get our things situated to a new place, as well as repairing and adjusting in accordance with our needs for our family. As you know, this can take quite a while. We are thankful for the progress that we have seen to this point, and we ask you to pray for us as a family, as we adjust to a new place. God is faithful, and we are thankful for your prayers for us at this time.
The church in the village of Shangalamwe has now reached the point where it will soon be turned over to national leadership. My good friend Roger Tate and I have done our best to teach, model, advise, and assist in any way that we can, and now we have reached the point where the national church leader will be taking over his duties. Please pray for him this upcoming Sunday, as this will be the first Sunday of officially leading the service. At this point, we will observe to make sure that he is following the Scriptures and leading in accordance with the Scriptures. We hope and pray that he will follow what he has been taught for the past several months and set a good example of what a church elder should be. We will keep you updated of this ministry.
We also praise the Lord for the progress we have seen working with a national separately through the week. This national has been faithful to go, teach, and Lord willing, to start more churches in the Kitale area. He also has several other men interested in expanding the teachings in church planting to their areas and villages, for which we thank the Lord. We feel this is a good Biblical model to follow. 2 Timothy 2:2 states “And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also.”
The Annex prison is continuing along well, for which I thank the Lord. We are progressing well through the T4T teachings, and the men seem to be growing spiritually and excited about what they are learning. It is wonderful to see these men grow and respond well to the Biblical teachings, as they have little interactions with their families or community from the outside. Many times they feel forgotten, and have difficulty adjusting to regular life upon their release. Please pray for these men and the continued teachings from the T4T course. We appreciate your prayers for this ministry.
In personal news, our daughter Camille turned two years old on the day that we moved. We did not have time to celebrate her birthday on the day we moved, but were recently able to celebrate it together. What a blessing she is to our family. Please pray for her, and also for her sister McKenna, who will turn five in April this year, Lord willing.
May we dedicate ourselves wholeheartedly to the Lord and His service this year. The Lord has great things for us, if we will just seek His will, study His Word, and obey His leading. I will leave you with a challenging verse from Jeremiah 33:3, which says “Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.” May the Lord bless each of you, and thanks again so much for your interest in missions.
Until next month,
Nathan and Carrie Radford
P.O. Box 4150
Kitale, Kenya
East Africa 30200
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