Missionary Update: The Radfords in Kenya [February 2013]
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 1, 2013
Dear praying friends,
Another month has come and passed, and I hope and pray that we are busy serving the Lord during the opportunities that He gives us. I pray that we will have zeal for the Lord this year and serve Him wholeheartedly. And, not just this year, but in all the years to come that we have opportunity. This update will share ministry progress, as well as current prayer requests.
There are several prayer requests for this update. One of the main ones is for our work permit to be approved with no problems. We have submitted all the proper paperwork, and now we pray as we wait upon God. We trust the Lord completely in this situation and know it will work in accordance with His plan. Psalm 27:14 says “Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD.” Waiting is not easy, but God teaches us so much during these times. Please pray that the permit would be approved with no problem.
Also, recently, we were informed by our landlord that we have to relocate, as a family is coming back to Kitale to live. We were surprised by this, as we have lived there for seven years, but God has been good to provide another place for us to live. This has happened to others also here, and please pray for us during this time, that we would get all packed up that needs to be moved, that nothing would be lost, and also for a good relationship with the caretaker of the place we will be moving. Change is never easy, but God uses it also for our good. We can be assured of His guidance through the seasons of life. Psalm 32:8 says “I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with mine eye.” Please pray for us during this time of transition.
Also, the Kenya election is very near, as it is scheduled for next month. Last election, there was unrest, so please pray for peace for this election, and for the safety of people living in Kenya during this time. The last thing we want is unrest or problems, so please pray for the peace of the country during this near election.
The ministry at the church in Shangalamwe is progressing along, and we are now nearing the place where the church elder will be taking the leadership responsibilities of the church. We have worked hard to teach, train, advise, and help the church in any way that we can, and the time is nearing where it will be turned over to national leadership. Our role at this stage will change some, as we will be observing the national church leader to make sure that he is following the Scriptures and what he have taught him. Please pray for him, and for us, during this time, and that this transition period would go smoothly. We are also training a national during the week to go and start churches in various areas of Kitale, and this has been exciting, as it seems that many of these groups desire to be churches and are continuing along well. We are getting good reports, for which we are thankful.
The Annex prison ministry is continuing along well. We have now finished with the “Firm Foundations” course and are moving to a new course entitled “T4T.” This course also has many good teachings and the men seem excited to begin it. The end of this course, Lord willing, will be teaching the men to study the Bible inductively so they can teach others. Please pray for us as we proceed through this training.
This month, our second daughter Camille will turn two years old. This does not seem possible, as the time has flown by. What a joy it is to be a parent, and how blessed I truly am to have a dedicated wife who has sacrificed so much to come and live here and support me in the ministry. Please pray for us as a family, and also for our daughters, McKenna and Camille. Please also pray that other families with children their age will come to Kitale, if the Lord leads, so that they will have children their age to play with and grow up with. We trust the Lord with all these requests.
We wish you all a great month of February. Thanks to each one who writes a note of encouragement, prays for us, or gives sacrificially to the Lord’s work here. You all are such a blessing.
Nathan and Carrie Radford
P.O. Box 4150
Kitale, Kenya
East Africa 30200
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Missionary Update: Odali & Kathy Barros [February 2013]
Odali and Kathy Barros have served the Lord in Sao Paulo, Brazil for many years. In addition to leading their newest church, they also run “Alpha Omega Family Development,” which provides a home and stability for needy people, many of whom are recovering drug addicts, etc.
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
Hope all of you have had a great time with your families through these holidays. We are all doing fine. Kathy had a great time in the States with the birth of our latest granddaughter, Violet Oliveira. She also got to visit with the other children while she was there.
The work here has been a real blessing. We have a group of 17 people coming that are new. Almost all of them are from the same family. Most of them had been to other evangelical churches, and have been taught several different doctrines. We want to make sure that they understand that salvation is not by works and baptism, but by grace. We have been teaching what the Bible teaches on these doctrines. Last Sunday I taught about baptism. After service one of them said, “You’re going to have a bunch to baptize.” Pray for these people. They are a great group of people, and we spend a lot of time of fellowship together. There is a couple coming to church for the last month. The wife has been in depression for years. Her husband was unfaithful to her for many years and when she had their last child she rejected the baby and went into depression. We are praying that God will work a great miracle in their life. The miracle of forgiveness! We are praying that both of them understands their need for salvation and that they can soon rejoice in God’s forgiveness. Their names are Dalva and Ezekiel.
Violet Oliveira, Odali & Kathy’s newest granddaughter (daughter of Amelia and Ivo)!
We have a new couple that has been coming with their son that came because his wife was coming. The man got saved by reading his Bible, but had not found a church he liked. They have been coming for about a month also. He has been talking about being baptized. We are prayerfully waiting for the day we have our next baptism. Praise God!
We thank all of you for your prayers and support. You are an important part of our ministry. None of us can stand alone. God bless each of you.
In Christ,
Odali & Kathy
Odali & Kathy Barros
odali_kathy[at]hotmail.com
Blog
Av. Victor Hugo Boaretto S/N
Garca, Sao Paulo 17.400,000
Brasil, SA
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Missionary Update: John & Alta Hatcher in Brazil [February 2013]
Missionaries John and Alta Hatcher have served the Lord in Brazil since 1955, planting over 70 churches that are still in existence.
Dear Brethren and Fellow-Workers:
If the year of 2013 continues passing as fast as the month of January has, the year 2014 will be here in a week or two. But we praise the Lord the month has been a good one and brought many benefits. One was that David and Pennie visited us the last week of December. It was a rare and wonderful time of fellowship. Another blessing was Odali and Kathy came from Garca for a two-day visit.
FAMILY CAMP—Each year in January, the Tabernacle Baptist Church of Cornelio Procopio sponsors a week of Camp. This year our son Paul was the principal speaker. He and Wanda came four days early to have a short visit with us. Our time together was marvelous. Several churches had groups at the Camp. We praised the Lord for the 170 persons who were there. All were from churches in the States of Sao Paulo and Parana that God had given us the joy of starting.
ASSAI—Alta and I still go to the city of Assai each Sunday morning for our services. Please make this city a special item on your prayer list. Our time is very close to running out for going there. Pray God will send a faithful man and wife to take care of this work and to evangelize the other cities close by.
NEWS—The Lord willing, plans are being made for us to go to the States for a short time and to be there during the Spring BFM Missionary Conference. Our son David is making all the plans for us and plans to go with us to do the driving. Unfortunately, we will not be able to visit churches as we usually do. However, we hope that many of you will be able to come to the Spring BFM Conference and see us there. Alta and I are doing well, in spite of some health problems that I have. We praise the Lord every day for our 65 years of marriage. I have been in the ministry for 66 years. We have been missionaries in Brazil 58 years. We thank the Lord for our five wonderful children, 15 grandchildren (all serving the Lord), and 26 great-grandchildren. Some of our great-grandchildren have already trusted the Lord as Savior. How great is our Lord!!! We love you. Thank you for your prayers and financial support for all of our years in Brazil.
In His Name,
John and Alta Hatcher
Caixa Postal 112
Urai, PR, Brazil 86280-000
jhatcher[at]uol.com.br
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Missionary Update: John Mark & Judy Hatcher in France [February 2013]
Missionaries John Mark and Judy Hatcher have been serving the Lord in Tournefeuille, France since 1999. They define their ministry as “disciple-making,”
January 30, 2013
Dear Co-Laborers,
We arrived back in France to find things going well. Sunday services have be very good with excellent attendance. There were a total of 15 different visitors during the four Sunday morning services. Better yet, one family of four has returned and indicate that they will be coming on a regular basis. Individuals who have not made professions of faith are present weekly and give evidence that God is at work in their hearts.
Last week Judy had an interesting encounter on her way to Ladies Thursday Bible Study in Toulouse. She takes a bus and then the subway to get to this Bible Study. About half way through the bus ride, a lady boarded the bus and sat across from her greeting Judy as she did so. As she spoke to Judy she said, “I sing in the choir with John.” Judy mentioned that she was on her way to a ladies Bible study and the lady said that she would be interested in attending. I have had the opportunity to witness to a number of people in this choir and one young lady who now comes is the daughter of a couple with whom I first became acquainted through the choir.
This is just one of the many ways God has given us to make contact with people. Philip and Amanda have made many contacts through their children and dog. Yes, one of Amanda’s most recent friendships resulted from meeting a lady who was also walking her dog and who had a daughter in the same grade and school as Abigail, Philip and Amanda’s oldest daughter. Amanda has already hosted this lady and her daughter as guest in their home.
Sometimes when people find out about our faith it scares them. Some time ago, Amanda was invited to join a book club that one of her friends was starting. One of the participants at these monthly meetings was friendly towards Amanda until she found out at the most recent meeting why they are here in France. Immediately, upon hearing about Philip and Amanda being in France as missionaries, the lady got up and moved. However, the lady who hosts this club has been very open. She, her husband and family have visited a service and have been very happy about their children participating in Vacation Bible School.
The various Bible studies are going well. We use small group Bible studies to communicate the Good News and to help those who have trusted the Lord to grow in their understanding of God’s will. These Bible studies range in size from one to eight individuals and are held wherever it is convenient. They are presently being held at four different locations. The closest is our home and the most distant is about one hour away by car. God is using you and others like you to provide the house, car and other tools we use in our ministry here.
Thanking God for your partnership with us in Christ,
John and Judy Hatcher
4, rue d’Aspin
31170 Tournefeuille, France
JMHatcher[at]aol.com
Click here to donate to BFM.
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January 2013 Mission Sheets [PDF & Flip-Through]
Your January 2013 Mission Sheet is now available in PDF format. Follow the link below to view it!
BFM Mission Sheet January 2013
Please note that we overlooked Bro. John Hatcher’s letter when we printed this month’s edition. You can find it attached in the PDF on page four.
You can also flip through the mission sheet at the link below. When flipping through, note that page 4 with the Hatchers’ letter is a different size than the other pages. You can enlarge this page by clicking the magnifying glass with the arrow in it. ( <–> ) Flip by clicking on the curled up page corner.
(Once you get there, click at the bottom of the page to flip through.)
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FaithWORKS Report [January 2013]
SALARY INCREASE FOR OUR MISSIONARIES – IF WE HAVE IT!
As we reported in last month’s Mission Sheets, we have begun in January 2013 to increase our missionaries’ salary by 5% – from $1717.00 to $1803 per month. That means that we will disburse $21,449.00 every month for just their salaries. Also added to that salary amount are: $10,950.00 per month for Standard Ministry Expense Allowances, $11,918.11 for hospitalization premiums we pay for them each month, and $1722.50 which we disburse to publish their newsletters for them each month.
Those commitments amount to a total of $46,039.61 which is supplied from the General Fund. We want to emphasize that WE CANNOT MEET THESE COMMITMENTS WITHOUT THE SUPPLIES OF THE FUNDS EACH MONTH. If we don’t receive enough in General Fund offerings each month to meet these Essential Maintenance Transactions, then we will be required to reduce the amounts we have committed.
Will you help us provide this much-needed and belated salary increase for our missionaries’ basic and essential living expenses BY INCREASING YOUR PERSONAL OFFERINGS TO THE MONTHLY GENERAL BY JUST 5% – or more – as the Lord enables you?
If every one of us increases our contributions to the monthly General Fund by even that amount, we can more than supply this modest salary increase for our missionaries.
Our repeated ‘THANK YOU!’ to each one of you who gives to the General Fund each month!
TWO OF OUR FAITHFUL, LONG-TIME, VETERAN MISSIONARY-WIVES HAVE GONE HOME TO BE WITH THE LORD.
June Bean, who faithfully served 31 years as a missionary in Brazil with her husband George, entered the Presence of the Lord the morning of Wednesday, December 12. In 1964, the Beans went to serve the Lord in São Luís, capital of the northeastern state of Maranhão, Brazil, until their retirement from active missionary service in 1995. They also spent a couple of years relieving furloughing missionaries. Brother George Bean went Home to be with the Lord in May 2000. Sis. Bean had dementia for several years and had declined rapidly in the last six months.
Ada Mayfield Hunter, who faithfully served 22 years as a missionary in Peru with her husband Del, entered the Presence of the Lord on Saturday evening, January 12. Brother and Sister Mayfield went to Peru in 1961 and served the Lord there – principally in the two cities of Pucallpa and Iquitos – until they returned to the States in 1983. The Lord blessed them with a fruitful ministry both in believers brought to know Jesus Christ and churches established.
2013 SPRING MISSIONARY BIBLE CONFERENCE
April 22-24
Hosted by Thompson Road Baptist Church | Lexington, KY | Dave Parks, Pastor
Block these dates and plan to attend.
THANKSGIVING OFFERING TOTAL-TO-DATE: $45,215.17
We have been receiving your offerings for our 2012-13 THANKSGIVING OFFERING for the past 3 months now. We think we may have received the bulk of what this year’s offering will be. If that is so, then we are going to come up short from even last year’s offering – which didn’t carry us through to the end of 2012.
2012 Offering was $56,365.38. This year’s Offering stands at $45,215.17. If this offering is not increased, then we will be unable to fulfill some of the benefits and commitments we have made to our missionaries.
These offerings are essential to fulfilling the financial benefits and commitments we have made to provide for their needs and to support all the activities required to keep their ministries going.
PLEASE CONTINUE TO PRAY TO GOD – AND ASK HIM TO GIVE YOU A GENEROUS OFFERING TO CONTRIBUTE! ‘THANK YOU!’ to every one who has contributed this year to make this offering what it is!
PRAY AND PRAISE!
- ODALI AND KATHY BARROS – PRAISE GOD for professions of faith in Christ.
- HAROLD BRATCHER – PRAY for his relocation in the U.S. PRAISE GOD for his safe travel back to the U.S.
- MIKE AND BEV CREIGLOW – PRAISE GOD for a new church established and for on-going evangelistic outreach into their city.
- JOHN AND ALTA HATCHER – PRAY that God will give them a break-through in Assai and encourage them in their struggles there. PRAISE GOD also for these faithful and fruitful evangelists and church-planting warriors – 58 years and still going!
- JOHN AND JUDY HATCHER – PRAISE GOD for their safe return to France and for reunions with past converts to Christ.
- A.J. AND BARB HENSLEY – PRAY for their first services in their new church plant, Caragua Baptist Church. PRAISE GOD for reports of new converts to Christ.
- NATHAN AND CARRIE RADFORD – PRAY for the renewal of their work permit to remain in Kenya and for the struggling church plant in Shangalamwe.
- ROGER AND JULIE TATE – PRAY for God to cover them and shield them with His Spirit from the discouragements of ministry – and also that the Lord will establish the infant church at Shangalamwe.
- SHERIDAN AND ANITA STANTON – PRAISE GOD for a safe return to Peru. PRAY for Anita’s sister, Hilda.
- BOBBY AND CHARLENE WACASER – PRAY for them and their church as they seek to reach other neighborhoods, especially Corbelia. PRAISE GOD for His protection in recent accidents.
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Ada Mayfield Hunter is now with the Lord
Ada Mayfield Hunter, who faithfully served 22 years as a missionary in Peru with her husband Del, entered the Presence of the Lord on Saturday evening, January 12. Brother and Sister Mayfield went to Peru in 1961 and served the Lord there–principally in the two cities of Pucallpa and Iquitos–until she returned to the States in 1985. Brother Mayfield went to be with the Lord in 1978. The Lord blessed them with a fruitful ministry both in believers brought to know Jesus Christ and churches established.
The family has requested that memorial expressions may be made by contributions to Baptist Faith Missions. Those contributions may be sent to P.O. Box 471280, Lake Monroe, FL 32747-1280 or by online donations.
You can send correspondences via USPS to their daughter, Loretta Hokenson, at 305 South Street, Coffeen, IL 62017 / 217.851.0843
Arrangements
Visitation with the family: Friday night 4 – 8 pm
Memorial service: Saturday morning, 10:00 am
Both will be at the Bass-Patton-Dean Funeral Home
624 South Main, Hillsboro, IL
217-532-3636
You can view her full obituary here.
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Missionary Update: John Mark & Judy Hatcher in France [January 2013]
Missionaries John Mark and Judy Hatcher have been serving the Lord in Tournefeuille, France since 1999. They define their ministry as “disciple-making,”
January 3, 2013
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
We are back home in Tournefeuille, France. We left Chicago early on the first day of 2013. The Lord has continued to bless the church here while we were gone. The faithfulness of those who are a part of the congregation encourages us. Our goal is to establish congregations that are independent and self-supporting with local leadership. Thank you for your faithful support which enables us to continue working toward this God-given goal.
The month of December was spent enjoying the fellowship of our family and friends in the Chicago and Evansville area. The time with our three children and their families who live in the United States was priceless. What a blessing it is to have children who are serving the Lord. Making the most of these rare moments with our grandchildren was a source of great joy.
John & Judy Hatcher with their children, children’s spouses, and grandchildren on Christmas Day
Judy and I were able to spend several delightful hours with Erna and Joe Stibi who are now members of First Baptist Church, Niles, Illinois. About the time we came to France, Erna worked as a crossing guard on the corner next to East Maine Baptist Church’s building in Niles, IL. Judy was entertaining some of the Ruth and Bob Rossman’s children while we met in the church and introduced herself to Erna. Since I was spending some time with the church there, Judy suggested that I might like talk to Erna some more. I followed her advice. Speaking to Erna, I learned that she had immigrated to the US with her family from the former Yugoslavia when she was just a girl. She was open to the Good News of Jesus Christ. I mentioned this to Emily Keys, a member of East Maine Church. She picked up the baton and was soon having Bible studies with Erna. Soon, Erna trusted Christ. Not long afterward, Joe, her husband trusted Christ and they were both baptized in fellowship with the East Maine Church. In December they took us out for lunch and we were thrilled to hear the story of how God moved both of them from Eastern Europe to the United States where they came to know and trust Christ personally. There are a lot of people who need to hear about Christ living around us. May God help each of us to “reach out and touch someone”.
While with Judy’s sister, Peggy, in Evansville we were able to see many of our loved ones in Christ. It had been quite a while since we had seen many of these brothers and sisters in the family of God and it warmed our heart. Separation is part of our earthly life, but we look forward to eternity when we shall be forever with the Lord and each other!
John & Judy’s latest grandson.
The six week sabbatical spent away was good for Judy and me. It is always good to have time to reflect on what the Lord has done, is doing and wants us to do. We have returned encouraged.
Please, ask God to give us wisdom to serve Him faithfully making the most of every opportunity. There are 60 million in the this country who need Christ and our efforts are like dust on the scale, but we have a wonderful Savior who “is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think.”
Thanking God for your partnership with us in Christ,
John and Judy Hatcher
4, rue d’Aspin
31170 Tournefeuille, France
JMHatcher[at]aol.com
Click here to donate to BFM.
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