Missionary Update: The Radfords in Kenya [March 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.
March 3, 2015
Dear praying friends,
We are now into the month of March, which is hard to believe. Here in Kenya, it is regularly around 70-90 degrees at this time of year. I know this is hard to believe, as there is so much snow right now all over the United States. These are times of the year that we miss, as when we are on furlough, we take our daughters outside to build snowmen, play in the snow, and have a good time. Soon, it will be rainy season here, where the rains come down regularly and heavily at times. I remember a few years ago when it rained so hard that even taxis and minivans were getting stuck in the mud on the road where we live. We hope each of you are enjoying this year of 2015.
As I mentioned before, my partner Roger Tate and I are starting a new group in an area of Kitale called Robinson. Robinson is a big area, and there are many to be reached. We have had many children coming to the meetings, as well as adults. One of the challenges we have had is how to minister to the children also, as we want them to receive Biblical teaching also. We have been using a book in Swahili to teach the kids the Bible, as we just finished on Noah and the flood. It has been encouraging to watch the children respond to the questions and see how they are learning the Word of God.
We praise the Lord for the faithful adults that have been coming also, and ask you to pray for them. At this point it is a Bible study group, where we are doing our best to teach them each week in Swahili many teachings from the Bible. We pray that if it would be the Lord’s will, that this group would be organized into a church at a later point. Swahili three times a week in the various ministries is exhausting and time consuming, so I would ask you to pray for me also as I prepare to attempt to teach weekly in the language.
The annex prison ministry is continuing along well. We just finished in the teachings of Noah and the ark. I did my best to teach the men that the vast majority in the days of Noah did not care about living for the Lord, pleasing Him, and how they ignored the warnings of God, which ultimately resulted in their death and punishment. Matthew 24:38 says “For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark.” They were doing their own thing, ignoring God’s warnings. The thing I like about the Firm Foundations course are the visuals that come with many of the lessons. It is exciting to watch the men as they look at the Biblical photos during the lessons, and apply the truths to their lives.
Our children are continuing along well. McKenna is such a good student in school and learning many things. Camille will be starting school soon, so please pray for her as well. Please also pray for me as a father, as I try to teach them about the many truths of the Bible in an understandable way. I am responsible before God for the Biblical training of my family, so please pray for me as I desire to lead my family to follow the Lord and teach them from the Word of God.
In closing, please pray for safety while traveling. The traffic in Kitale has gotten significantly worse over the years. There are so many motorcycles everywhere, minivans that are impatient and overtaking when they should not be, people not paying attention as they walk through the roads, etc. It is a major challenge to drive here, but we thank the Lord for His protection as we travel. The roads are congested, but we thank the Lord each day for His watch care over us. This is simply to request your prayers for us as we travel here, knowing the Lord will help us. He has been so faithful.
God’s blessings to you and have a wonderful month ahead.
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 [February 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.
February 3, 2015
Dear praying friends,
We thank the Lord that He has brought us through another month, as He has watched over us, and been so faithful. We hope each of you are doing well as you follow and serve the Lord in the United States. This update will give a current report on the ministries here.
Currently, we have visitors from America here. Pastor Darrell Messer and his wife, Mrs. Shirley Messer, from Emmanuel Baptist Church in Bellbrook, Ohio have come to visit here in Kenya and see what the Lord is doing. Pastor Messer has served faithfully as a Baptist Faith Missions board member for many years. They have come to visit the Tate family and also to see some of our ministries, such as the church planting, prison ministry, and hospital ministry. This is their first time in Africa, and we pray that this trip will be informative about the challenges that we face on the mission field, and how to pray for us and the people of Kenya. It has been a joy to have them and please pray for their trip back to America in a few days.
The prison ministry is continuing along well. I just finished teaching on Adam and Eve, and the entrance of sin into the world. I did my best to show the results of sin and how sin separates us from God. We saw through the lesson that we are all sinners, and in need of a Savior. Romans 3:23 says “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.” This is foundation teaching for the men to learn and please pray that the Lord would work in their hearts as the Gospel message is presented to them. It has been exciting to see the
men coming faithfully and learning much from the Word of God.
My partner Roger Tate and I have been praying about another area to reach in Kitale with church planting. We both agreed after prayer that a good area to start is called Robinson. There are many people in this area who need to be reached with the Gospel and taught how to follow the Lord. We just started last week with our first lesson, so please pray that the people would continue to come faithfully, and if it would be the Lord’s will, that a church could be started in that area later. We trust the Lord with all these plans and lay them before Him. We can do nothing without Him. Psalm 37:5 says “Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in Him; and he shall bring it to pass.” We are following by faith and trusting the Lord to work in His time and plan.
In family news, the girls are continuing along well. We appreciate your prayers for them for friends their age to play with. This is one of the major challenges here. Also, our daughter Camille has been complaining of stomach aches for several weeks. We went to a good doctor here in Kitale and got her good medicine. I just found out about this doctor a few weeks ago, as he is located in an area that I rarely go to. It is a blessing to know that a good doctor is nearby and able to diagnose well. Anyway, she finished with the medicine and we got her tested at a lab, and her tests came back negative for any parasites or other things. It is challenging here as the medical care is always a challenge, especially with little ones. A fever and chills here could mean different things, and sometimes you have to do your best to look up the symptoms online and try to diagnose yourself. These are just some of the challenges with living here, but we praise the Lord that Camille is doing well now.
That is the current report. Please keep us in your prayers, and thanks again for your cards,
letters, emails, or other forms of encouragement. We love and appreciate all of you.
Serving in Kitale,
Nathan and Carrie Radford
P.O. Box 4150
Kitale, Kenya
East Africa, 30200
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