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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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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December 2012 Mission Sheets [PDF & Flip-through]
Your December 2012 Mission Sheet is now available in PDF format. Follow the link below to view it!
BFM Mission Sheet December 2012
You can also flip through the mission sheet at the link below:
(Once you get there, click at the bottom of the page to flip through.)
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Missionary Update: The Radfords in Kenya [January 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.
Dear praying friends,
Lord willing, by the time you receive this prayer letter, it will be the year 2013. I know at this time that many people make “New Year’s resolutions” for the upcoming year. My prayer is that we would make resolutions to follow the Lord closely this year, be committed to serving Him, and reaching the lost with the Gospel message. Would these be good resolutions for us to follow this upcoming year? I think so, and I hope and pray that these would be some of the goals for this year. May we have more zeal to serve the Lord this year that is ahead. Romans 12:10-11 says “Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another; Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord.” This update will share ministry progress as well as prayer requests.
Before discussing ministry, I would ask prayer for two specific things. The first is our work permit. To legally continue in the ministries here in Kenya, a work permit from the government is needed. These usually expire every two to three years. Our permit expires in April of this year. Please pray that if it would be the Lord’s will, that the renewal of the permit would be granted with no issues or problems. We have heard of other permits having problems, so this is why I ask prayer for this specifically. We know the Lord is in complete control, and we trust Him with it. What a comfort it is to know that God is sovereign, nothing takes Him by surprise, and we can trust Him with everything in our lives. Psalm 115:3 says “But our God is in the heavens: he hath done whatsoever he hath pleased.” Thanks for prayers for this.
Also, the election of Kenya is drawing near. As you may recall from the previous election, the country had unrest and certain areas were dangerous. We praise the Lord that during the last election Kitale was calm and peaceful. I believe the election is scheduled for March, so please pray for the whole election process, that it would be done fairly and that it would remain peaceful. During our recent missionary community meeting we discussed the election and it was recommended to have additional supplies at home to last one to two months. This way, in case of any unrest or problems, we would have our necessary supplies. Even while Kitale is usually peaceful, other communities on the route from Nairobi to Kitale aren’t and this causes problems for the delivery trucks, thus a shortage of supplies. How thankful we are to have a close missionary community who takes care of each other. We are truly blessed. John 14:27 says “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” What a great verse for us to know and claim, wherever we are or whatever situation we are in.
The church plant in the village of Shangalamwe is continuing along. There have been definite challenges along the way such as high dependence on the missionary, and I am so thankful for my good friend Roger Tate and our co-laboring in this village. I thank the Lord for his family’s willingness to live and serve here in Kenya. Life here is difficult as we are often homesick, lonely and experiencing culture fatigue but what a blessing they are not only to us, but so many others.
Please pray for this church in Shangalamwe, that they would follow the Scriptures in their faith and practice. There are many requests such as that they would recognize the authority of the Word of God and follow it wholeheartedly. Also that they would have a heart to serve others and that they would seek to be independent of us and rely on the Lord. Please pray also for us as missionaries, that we would faithfully teach the Scriptures in love and that we would be an encouragement to this church. Please pray that we would be a good example before others and be the “salt and light” that the Bible calls us to be. There are so many things to pray about, and these are just some of the current prayer requests. A quote I like is “There is much to pray about and nothing to worry about.” We will keep you updated of this ministry.
The Annex prison is continuing along well. We are now near the end of the “Firm Foundations” course. It has been exciting to watch the growth spiritually in these men. The next plan is to teach the men how to study the Word of God inductively, verse by verse, chapter by chapter. In this way, Lord willing, when they are released, they can go and teach others in their areas and villages. These men come from all over the country, and when I discussed this option with the men, they were very excited about it. I thank the Lord for the cooperation of the main office and the chaplains. We will keep you updated of this also.
In family prayer requests, one of our current requests is for playmates for our two daughters. Unfortunately, it has not been very easy for our children to have other children their age to play with. Most of the missionary children here are older. So, a big family prayer request is that our daughters will have children their age to play with. There has been a recent opportunity for them to go weekly to a nearby children’s home to play with the Kenyan children, and this has greatly helped. However, it would still be good for them to have American children to play with also that are their age. We would appreciate prayers for this, as this is specifically for our children.
In closing, may we all be zealous for the Lord this year. We do not know the day the Lord will return. It could be anytime. If the Lord were to come today, would He find us faithfully serving Him? I hope and pray so. There is no better time to serve the Lord than right now. I pray that we would be the living sacrifice the Bible calls us to be. I will close with Romans 12:1-2, which says “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.”
God’s blessings to each of you.
Nathan and Carrie Radford
P.O. Box 4150
Kitale, Kenya
East Africa 30200
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