Missionary Update: The Radfords in Kenya [April 2016]
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.
April 1, 2016
Dear praying friends,
We thank you all again so much for your prayers, sacrificial giving, and encouragement. Each of you are a blessing and we thank God for you. This prayer letter will give updates in regards to ministries, as well as some prayer requests.
Thanks so much to those who prayed for my work permit. (Nathan) I have been informed that it was renewed recently for two years, for which I thank the Lord. Now I do not have to apply again until it expires in two years. My contact in Nairobi was pleased and I am also. It is wonderful for God’s provision in this matter. The Lord is good to provide what we need as we serve Him.
Before a ministry update, I wanted to inform those at home of what has been going on in Milimani, where we stay. Last week around 10:30 or 11:00 am in the morning, two men approached our gate and tried to break in. They shook the gate so hard that it nearly came off the hinges. The security company was contacted, yet it took them 30 minutes to arrive, as they were on the other side of town dealing with another matter. Later that same day, thugs broke into a different compound in Milimani and stole various items. I have been told it is a group of 8 men who work together. Two men try to break in first – when they get in, they call another truck of about 6 men and take the items quickly, disappearing before the police can locate them. The police have been informed well and one of the top policemen came to our place to find out what is going on. Also, the security company is well informed and is beginning to patrol. Please pray that these people will be caught soon and for the safety of all those in Kitale. We have taken good security measures, but our ultimate trust is in the Lord. The safest place to be is in the will of God. Psalm 27:1 says “The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?” We place our protection in His hands, and trust Him with all these matters.
My partner Roger Tate and I are continuing along with the ministry in Robinson village. We are presently in the book of Matthew and learning many good teachings from the Word of God. In the house that we are meeting, the family has been faithful to come, and we are thankful for this. Please pray for the rest of the surrounding area and those that we have visited, sharing the Gospel and inviting them to come. We are faithful to sow the seed, and then we trust the Lord for the harvest in His plan and timing. Galatians 6:9 says “And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.” We trust the Lord with the results of ministry in Robinson.
Later this month, it is hard to believe that McKenna will be eight years old. The time and years have passed so fast and we are so thankful for her and her important part of our family. Camille turned five last month, so they are both growing up quickly. We are thankful for the friends that they have presently here in Kitale. Please pray that other families with children their age will come so they can have more social interactions with others their age. God bless you all thanks again for all you do. We will keep you updated.
Nathan and Carrie Radford
P.O. Box 4150
Kitale, Kenya
East Africa, 30200
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Missionary Update: The Tates in Kenya [April 2016]
The Tate Family has served the Lord in Kitale, Kenya since January 2008. Their main ministry is indigenous church planting.
March 30, 2016
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
Julie and I celebrated our 24th wedding anniversary this month. It is hard to imagine that now over 1/3 of those 24 years has been spent ministering and living in Africa. I never would have thought that we would spend our lives living and ministering here but God directs our paths in the ways He wants us to go. There have been hundreds of times I thought I couldn’t make it living here, that I couldn’t continue any longer, that it was time to return to the States, that I’d had enough. I am so thankful for the loving, Godly, beautiful wife of 24 years that God has given to me. I definitely couldn’t have made it here without her. In fact, I don’t think I could have made it through life at all without her. But, of course, God knew all of that too and that must have been why He put us together. I know that our marriage doesn’t always exemplify the relationship between Jesus and his churches as Paul explains in Ephesians 5 but that fault probably lies with me and we do pray that our marriage would bring Him glory. Thanks for sticking with this lousy missionary man for 24 years, Julie. I sure do love you!
And it’s a good thing she loves me too because our anniversary day wasn’t the most romantic of days. We spent the entire day in the immigration department in Nairobi working on travel documents for Chloe. It was stifling hot. We got shuffled around from window to window. We dealt with a lot of unhelpful and antagonistic people. We were stymied in almost every way. We had paperwork stolen from us from workers in the department. We had nothing to eat or drink. But we did see God change the hearts of resistant people and did see Him change things in ways that only He can change them. Chloe was a trooper throughout the entire day. She didn’t cry or “lose it” until we got back to the guest house. We eventually left the immigration department at the end of the day without the documents we went for but we are still in hopes of receiving them soon. Please be in prayer about this with us. (After we calmed down from the horrendous day we were at least able to go to a nice restaurant in Nairobi to celebrate our anniversary).
I am praying hard about getting back up to Pokot region and ministering again to the Pokot people who live out in “the bush”. God has put these people on my heart but He has also seemed to close all doors to me into this region. I have been waiting for doors to open back up. I have been asking God if I should be trying to open some of these closed doors myself in order to get this ministry going again. I don’t want to get ahead of where God wants me and I certainly can’t minister up there without His power, His Spirit and His blessing but I’m wondering how much He wants me to step out on faith and do some things before He begins to open some of those doors again. It can be difficult knowing God’s will and how to follow it. So, yes, you can pray about this with me as well.
Working with Kefa and Matilda and the group that meets in their house has continued to be a joy even if we have not seen the growth in the group that we wish. One of the things that I enjoy the most is the discussions we always get to have before the Bible study begins (The group always starts late. That’s Kenyan culture. No hurry in Africa). We get to talk about various life issues that have nothing to do with the Bible lesson we have prepared but are relevant to the lives of the people. I enjoy it because we get to apply the Bible and the life and teachings of Jesus directly to their lives where they live each day. I get to say over and over again, “Hmm, what does the Bible say about that”? or “Hmm, what does Jesus say about that”? or “Hmm, what does God think about that”? Yes, I enjoy that!
Until next month, beloved.
May God’s peace and joy be with you.
For the glory of God in East Africa,
Roger & Julie Tate (and Emily, Amy, Josiah & Chloe)
rojuta[at]gmail.com
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Mission Sheets: March 2016 [PDF version]
Get your advanced PDF copy of the March 2016 Mission Sheets at the link below!
BFM Mission Sheets – March 2016
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Missionary Update: AJ & Barbara Hensley in Brazil [March 2016]
The Hensleys have spent nearly 20 years serving in Brazil. They run a vocational school and orphanage in Caraguatatuba and have also established a church and mission points throughout the city.
March 11, 2016
Dear friends and family,
We are back in Brasil and enduring the heat. My health is showing sign of improvement each day. We will be here in Brasil until the middle of August and then return to the States for radiation for 30 days. Continue to pray for my recovery and toleration of the treatments. God is in control and He is AWESOME!!!
I have had more time than usual to think recently and it is hard to believe that this year Barbara and I will complete 20 years on the mission field. We came after my retirement from the Lexington Fire Department. It is unbelievable what you can accomplish in retirement. Actually it is AWESOME! I truly feel that I am one of the most blessed men I know, to have been able to have served on the Fire Department for 23 years, take an early retirement and then to have served the Lord in Brasil for 20 more years as a Baptist Faith Missionary. My work for the Fire Department was to rescue lives from fire and my work for the Lord, though it is similar, is many times more important. Here in Brasil we preach the Word and save lives from a burning Hell. AWESOME is not a big enough word.
What a God thing—a true calling from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. It is hard to express how exciting it is and has been to be here in Brasil—seeing lives transformed and works established and so much more done for the Lord.
Now I want to tell you about some hard dirty work. Sunday a week ago our Church building was flooded. We had a “chicken drowned” and one of our downspouts broke loose at the gutter connections (this is inside of the Church building upstairs)—and while the storm raged, the winds came, and the rain came down. This was at the very ending of the church service and we noticed that the ceiling was beginning to drip right where we had one of our new speakers. This was due to the fact that we have not had the funds to stucco the outside wall, so rain penetrated the wall and began to flood the downstairs. Some of the ceiling was damaged and the sanctuary got a good dousing of water. While this was happening, some thought it wise to check the upstairs because we have not put all the windows in and they thought that some water might have entered there. But to their surprise, it was not just a little water but it was past ankle height because of the gutter letting all the water from the roof enter the top story. So everyone jumped in to help and there was lots of water pushed to the stairs and down to the first floor and then out the door—all the while some of the men were taking a bath under the downspout trying to get it back into its place to take the water out of the building instead of inside of the building. Through it all God was AWESOME!!! The only damage was to the one speaker and the dropped ceiling on one side of the room. It could have been so much more. One positive thought: we did not have to clean the church that week. (lol)
I would like to explain to you the unfinished wall outside of the church. We can only build and repair as our finances permit. So this is a BIG prayer request: “money to finish the outside of our building”. We only need about $2,500.00 to 3,000.00 to finish it. We have had an unusually long and continuous rainy season. It is not so bad as long as it doesn’t rain and have strong winds at the same time. When this happens we have to live at the church. But what is life without a few challenges?
We are looking forward to the Seminary next month. We will be completing the 4th semester and looking forward to a graduation in the coming months. Continue to pray for the students and the Churches they represent.
Because of my health we thought it time to call our Brazilian pastor. The church voted and we called Walmir Quaresma. He and his family will be assuming the pastorate on the 13th of March. Barbara and Jenny Thompson went and worked 4 days packing their house and then when the move got here, PJ and Jenny were a great help in the getting it off the truck. Thanks PJ and Jenny for your help with this and many other works here in Caragua. This couple has been here helping us for 3 months. We have an apartment just for these kind of missionaries. You too could do this kind of missionary work here with us. Pray and come on down. Let us know if you would like to visit the work here in Caraguatatuba.
Your bed is made and waiting for you. Come on down!!!
In His service,
Aj and Barbara
Aj and Barbara Hensley
ajcaragua[at]gmail.com
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Missionary Update: Mike & Beverly Creiglow in Brazil [March 2016]
Mike and Beverly Creiglow have served the Lord in Cruzeiro do Sul, Acre, Brazil together since 1971. In addition to pastoring First Baptist of Cruzeiro do Sul, Mike builds his own boats and frequently travels up and down rivers to share the Gospel with those who have never heard.
March 9, 2016
Dear Brethren,
Have you ever heard of saints Cosmas and Damian? Probably not, but here in Brazil they are very important. The twins were, according to tradition, born in Arabia in the 3rd century, but later lived and worked in Syria. They were doctors. Their most famous miracle was to transplant a leg. Again this is all from Roman Catholic tradition. They were martyred during the Diocletian persecution. Today they are the patron saints of doctors and nurses.
In Brazil, however, the veneration goes well beyond the usual. They have also been absorbed by the main spiritist groups, such as Candomblé, and are the protectors of children–mainly twins. The oldest standing church building in Brazil is dedicated to them, built in 1535.
One more story about them was that they never took money for their services. One day though a lady that had been healed by one of the brothers made 3 cakes for him. The other brother found out about it and was furious. He said he would never be buried with his brother. When they were finally killed, on the same day, cooler heads prevailed and they were buried side by side. The idea was that they were twins, had worked and died together and should not be separated even in the grave.
A few days ago I was visiting some of our works on the upper Juruá River. I spent a week 300 miles upriver, across the border in Peru. Our missionary in Tipisca, Peru is José Maia and family. There are 4 Indian tribes in the region. We are trying to preach the gospel to all 4. So far we have made some good progress among 2 of the tribes – the Ashaninka and the Kaxinauá. One of the first converts among the Kaxinauá is a 20 year-old girl named Damiana.
Here is Damiana’s story. She trusted Christ during one of José Maia’s visits to her village on the Breu River. The Breu is a tributary of the Juruá River and is also the border between Brazil and Peru. She later came to live with our missionaries. Here are a couple of impressive traits of this young woman. Although she is 20 years old, she is still single. Most Indian girls her age are already married and have 10 kids. Then, even more impressive: she speaks Spanish, Portuguese and, of course, Kaxinauá. Damiana is a twin. Her sister’s name is Cosma.
The twins: Damiana and Cosma
That is no mere coincidence, but has its own backdrop. Why would Kaxinauá twins be named Cosma and Damiana? Their dad was a little white boy who had been taken in by the Indians. He grew up in the tribe, but stayed there and married one of the women. Besides Cosma and Damiana, the couple has a bunch of other kids. Some of the boys even have beards! Beyond the racial mix there is also a cultural and religious mix in the tribe.
One such crossover is a popular myth that sprang from the Saint Cosmas and Damian story. Many people along the rivers here believe that if twins are born they must be named either Cosme e Damião (if they are boys) or Cosma and Damiana (in case of girls). Why? If you don’t name them with the saint names one of the twins will drown and thus the twins will be separated. So now 2 Indian girls are named Cosma and Damiana. The latter is now saved and the other is reading her Bible day and night. We are praying that she will trust Christ soon along with all of her tribe.
Damiana’s baptism in Tipisca, Peru
Recently José Maia took her back to the tribe for a visit. He asked her if she would have the courage to translate a very aggressive message to the tribe. She said that she could talk directly to the children and women, but wasn’t sure about the men. José Maia wanted to go ahead and tell them that the only God is Jesus Christ and that the jiboia (boa constrictor) is not god. He started preaching and she stepped up and started translating no matter what the cost. Everyone listened carefully and are still listening. Many of them came out to Tipisca while I was there and were present at Damiana’s baptism service. Pray that all will trust Christ. The door is now wide open to this tribe. Hopefully Cosma will receive Jesus next and the twins will be truly inseparable.
Thanks for all of your prayers and support. God bless you as much as He has us.
In Christ,
Mike Creiglow
Mike and Beverly Creiglow
Caixa Postal 24
Cruzeiro do Sul, Acre, Brazil 69980
mdcreig [at] hotmail.com
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Missionary Update: The Wacasers in Brazil [March 2016]
Bobby, Charlene, Jessie, and Brennen Wacaser have served the Lord as church planters in Curitiba, Parana, Brazil, since 1985.
March 5, 2016
Dear Friends,
It never ceases to amaze me how the Lord provides opportunities to make Him known to others on a personal basis. I’m still not great at it, but I am learning to look around me as I live life day by day to see where God is opening doors for me to share His love. This week’s opportunity came in what seemed on the surface to be a mistake on my part. We have been living in our neighborhood for several months and early on, we met a Christian family who lives a few houses down. They have several teenaged blond haired boys. As I was coming home and was several blocks away I saw a blond teenaged boy walking down the street toward our home. I assumed that he was one of our neighbor’s kids, so I stopped to offer him a ride the rest of the way home. As I began talking with him I realized that he was not their son, so I apologized for my mistake and started to drive away. He called out to stop me and asked if I really would give him a ride since he was still quite a way from his home. When I told him that I would he got into my car. His name is Cody. On the way to Cody’s house I found out that he had been suspended from school for what, he said, was a false accusation of vandalism; putting glue in the teacher’s seat. I knew I only had a few minutes with Cody, so I used his suspension, whether his fault or not, to begin sharing how the Lord had found me in my youth, when I was a vandal (and worse) with the love and forgiveness that only Jesus can give. I told him that God loved us, and despite our sins, truly wants to have an intimate relationship with Him. I didn’t presume him to be guilty of vandalism, but I did want to share with him that the Lord sent His Son Jesus to save us from all sin if we will just believe and surrender to Him as Lord. Our ride was short, but I continue to pray that God will use the message I shared with Cody to plant a seed which will eventually bear fruit to the glory of God in his salvation.
Gratefully, my dad still doesn’t have any pain. God continues to answer the prayers of many to bless both him and us, his kids. We can see that he becomes feebler as each week passes. He is sleeping approximately 22 hours per day and even in his hours awake he is often confused. Charlene and I will be leaving to go to Brazil for 2 weeks starting tomorrow and we are hoping that he can endure until we return. Please pray for him about this, if it can please the Lord.
As I mentioned, Charlene and I will be leaving tomorrow to go back to Brazil for two weeks. We will serve as hosts and translators for a group of 40 youth from Brandon, Florida. Our outreach teams, Projeto Vida, are getting geared up to receive and assist us in getting the gospel to several public schools during Spring Break. We expect to be in about 8 public schools during in one week’s time. Please pray that the Lord will open the hearts of many to receive Jesus as their Lord and Savior and that He will also protect the group from spiritual and physical harm.
I’m looking forward to our next letter when I expect to report the results of this trip and of the many conversions to Christ that we hope to see from these efforts.
In Christ’s love,
Bobby and Charlene Wacaser
Bobby and Charlene Wacaser
Furlough Address:
3912 Casaba Loop
Valrico, FL 33596
Field Address:
Rua Laudelino Ferreira Lopes, 279-1
Sobrado 1, Bairro Novo Mundo
81050-310 Curitiba, PR Brasil
Phone: (813) 481-7007
Cell Phone: (813) 727-6405
Email: bobbymichael_1@hotmail.com
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Missionary Update: Odali & Kathy Barros in Brazil [March 2016]
Odali and Kathy Barros served the Lord in Sao Paulo, Brazil together from 1987-2013. In late 2013, they transitioned to Manaus in Northern Brazil to start sharing the Gospel and planting churches in villages along the river.
March 4, 2016
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
We pray that all of you have had a great start to this year of 2016. We are all doing well and rejoicing in what God is doing in the ministry here. We had camp for the first time. We had a good group that came and stayed three days. Others who had to work came different times during the camp. We made it a family camp this time to help everyone get acquainted and just have fellowship. Every one enjoyed it so much we are already planning another one.
There are several small communities close to the church where I pastor. Since they are so close we have started a bus route to bring them to church. We started this month. We thank God and Paul Hatcher for giving us the buses to use. There are many people around the area that do not have transportation. We have a group that does visitation on Saturday afternoon. Pray that those who come will trust the Lord as Savior and for safety as they are brought to church.
We are also training some of our youth to help in the Sunday School and the different kids clubs we have in the different communities. Also I am sending different men that have shown an interest in preaching and helping with the mission points. A very interesting thing has happened here in our ministry that Kathy and I have not experience anywhere else. Most of the time and in most churches the women complain that the men don’t want to help. We have the opposite here. The young men as well as the married men all help. Wow!
We thank each one of you who faithfully pray and support our ministry. May God bless each of you. Your love, prayers, and support are important to us. We are thankful. Please continue to pray for those that work with us here and for those being saved—and that God would keep guiding us as we reach out to those around us.
Love,
Odali & Kathy
Odali & Kathy Barros
Caixa Postal 1
Iranduba, Amazonas 69.415.000
Brasil, S.A.
odali_kathy[at]hotmail.com
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Missionary Update: Philip & Amanda Hatcher for John Mark & Judy in France [March 2016]
Philip, Amanda, and their four daughters.
Philip and Amanda Hatcher for
John and Judy Hatcher
March 1, 2016
Hello from Plaisance-du-Touch!
As John and Judy are currently in Florida with John’s parents, we’re taking the opportunity to share with you where we see God working. As a family with 4 girls in grades 5 through 9, much of our activity is centered around young people.
We continue to be encouraged by the level of enthusiasm of the teenagers who come to our monthly youth evenings (attached picture). We usually have somewhere between 12-15 kids and the majority of them come from unchurched families. Their active participation during the Bible study shows a real hunger for the truth. Please pray with us for the salvation of these friends and classmates of our daughters.
Amanda has been leading a Bible study for college-aged girls from our church. Since November, they have already finished the book of James and are into 1 Peter. We’re very excited to see their interest and commitment to studying the Bible during this very busy time in their lives.
Teenagers at the monthly youth meeting
Besides these regularly scheduled ministries, we also have numerous unscheduled opportunities to touch the lives of the families around us. Amanda’s piano students come and go every week. We often have extra kids in our home during the lunch break from school, (which is 2 hours and 15 minutes!) and a young neighbor surprised her mother when she started praying at meals. Hosting study sessions for school projects is a great way to build bridges with middle-schoolers. God has even used our dog and a sprained ankle to deepen our relationship with the family who lives behind us.
This is our daily prayer – that we may live such good lives among our neighbors and friends, that they may see our good deeds and glorify God on the day He visits us.
Encouraged in France,
Philip and Amanda,
Abigail, Nathalie, Camille and Emily
—-
John and Judy Hatcher
4, rue d’Aspin
31170 Tournefeuille, France
JMHatcher[at]aol.com
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