“Jesus Is Better”: A Kenyan Student’s Insightful Reflection on Hebrews
October 10, 2025
Greetings in the Name of Jesus Christ,
While I enjoy teaching and mentoring very much it is not always fun and sometimes quite frustrating. Sometimes a teacher can wonder whether what he or she is teaching is getting through to the students at all. I have had some frustrating times recently but also some very encouraging times as well. I have been teaching our upper classmen a class entitled Hebrews & General Epistles. It is a good class and my students are great, so it is profitable to them and to me. When I finished the Hebrews portion of the class, I gave them an assignment to write a short essay on the purpose of Hebrews. The responses I received from my students were so good and so encouraging. They all did a great job on the assignment and so I wanted to pick one to reproduce for you. The following essay is titled Jesus is Better by Qephax Peter Ndiba, one of my third-year students. The grammar may not be perfect, but the content is excellent and shows me that they are learning. Enjoy.
The book of Hebrews powerfully explains how Jesus is better than all significant figures and systems found in the Old Testament. “Jesus is better” is a theme that is central and the foundation of the book. It is woven between the many warnings and the explanations to show that without Jesus there is no other option or comparison. The writer explains the insufficiency of the Old Covenant hence Jesus is better. This encouragement reminds us that while the old covenant was established by God, it was merely a shadow of the perfect reality that Christ reveals. This message resonates deeply with the Church even today, urging believers to stay grounded in Jesus, the ultimate fulfillment of God’s promises.
Throughout the book, the author consistently refers to the Old Testament. Heb 1:1-4, the prophets were faithful messengers of God, but Jesus is the son, the exact representation of God’s essence and radiance. He doesn’t just convey a message, he embodies it. Heb 1:5 -2:9, He is better than angels. Angels played a crucial role in delivering God’s law, but Jesus is exalted above them, having inherited promises and a name that is far superior. Heb 3:1-6, He is better than Moses. While Moses was a faithful servant in God’s house, Christ is faithful as a Son over that house. His authority far exceeds that of Moses. In Heb 3:7-4:13, while Joshua led Israelites into the promised land, Jesus offers a better rest. An eternal rest in the presence of God. In Heb. 4:14-10:18 Jesus is better than the high priests for they were limited by sin and death but He is the perfect High Priest, sinless and eternal, who offers Himself once and for all. In Heb 8:1-13 we see Him as better than the promises. While the Old covenant was based on the law which couldn’t perfect people, the New Covenant, through Jesus’ blood, brings heart transformation and lasting reconciliation with God. Heb 9:11- 10:18 explains how He is better than the sacrifices which had to be slaughtered repeatedly over and over but Christ’s sacrifice was once and sufficient for all at all times. Lastly, Jesus is better than the tabernacle and the heavenly Jerusalem, 9:1-28, 12:22. The earthly tabernacle was just a shadow of the heavenly reality that awaits us which is now accessed through the blood of the lamb. It was situated at one location but Jesus gives us access to God from all places at all times.
Jesus stands out as better because He not only fulfills but also exceeds every part of the Old Covenant and systems. He is not just a continuation, He is the perfect and the best. The one who the law and the prophets were always pointing toward. His priesthood is eternal, His sacrifice was for once and remains to be for all. His covenant is rooted in grace and inner transformation instead of just following rules. His supremacy is beyond theology, it’s about relationship and transformation. He perfectly reveals God, serves as the ideal mediator between God and humanity, and is the ultimate sacrifice for our sins. In Him, we discover true rest, lasting forgiveness, and an unshakeable hope.
Today’s church needs to cling tightly to the truth that Jesus is better, better than traditions, better than worldly achievements, and better than any alternative the world throws our way. The call in Hebrews encourages us to persevere, to avoid drifting away, and to embrace the “better” rest that can only be found in Christ. This theme prompts the church to reflect on its priorities: Are we putting Jesus at the center of everything? Are we relying on His completed work instead of our own efforts?
Blessings to all,
Roger, Julie, & Chloe
Contact Info:
Roger & Julie Tate
Moffat Bible College
P.O. Box 70
Kijabe, Kenya 00220
rojuta@gmail.com
For ministry donations:
Pastor George Sledd, Treasurer of BFM
P.O. Box 471280 | Lake Monroe, FL 32747-1280
or click here to donate to BFM online.
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Reflections of a Foreigner in Two Lands
September 7, 2025
Greetings in the name of Jesus Christ,
I think I am “out of touch.” I’m like a fish out of water.
I had the privilege of spending a month in the United States, mostly visiting my adult children who live scattered around America, my parents, and my home church in Ohio. I had a mostly good and busy time and bit of an eye opening one as well. I have known very well for the last eighteen years in Kenya that I am a foreigner in a foreign place. I know that when I sit down in a public place there will be conversations going on all around me that I cannot follow or understand. All the faces, hair, and skin are different than mine. I’m the only one wearing Levi’s. I’m the only one who doesn’t feel at home.
When I go to church, I don’t know the songs that everyone else can sing by heart. I don’t like the volume of the music. I can’t dance. We worship the same Lord, the same Savior, the same Jesus but they are noticeably on the inside, I am noticeably on the outside. They have a strong sense of community; I have no community. At the college I have the privilege of teaching and mentoring young (and some old) followers of Jesus, teaching them about the Word of God and training them to be better ministers to their people, their churches, and even the world. This has been my goal from the beginning of my ministry in Kenya (began in 2008), to work together with the Kenyan people to further expand the Kingdom of Christ here and around the world and together with the Kenyan people to bring glory to our God and Savior Jesus Christ. What a joy to know that we are able to do that and to accomplish that goal and to know that we are doing what we can to serve Jesus, to expand the Kingdom, and to help the Kenyan people do the same. But I am still an outsider – I know it and they know it and I feel it every day.
Strangely enough, I felt the same way this time around in the United States as well. Take, for instance, all the new words that I didn’t even know about. I learned how to be “shook,” I discovered what a “tradwife” was and what a “tradwife” wasn’t and whether I had one or not. And, of course, everything was “boujee.” It took me a long time to figure out the meaning of that word and even longer to learn how to pronounce it correctly. People kept asking me what it was like to be back in the U.S. and I found it difficult to answer. I love my home country, but my answer was “everything is weird, a little off.” Explaining that answer means that everything was very familiar, and felt familiar, and yet nothing was quite the same. Different restaurants abound. There are roundabouts instead of traffic lights. Different products. My parents are older. I have a daughter living in Utah, of all places. Cell phones and AI have the answers to everything. And, of course, everything is boujee. I went to my home church and, yes, it was different. PLEASE CONTINUE TO READ AFTER I WRITE THE END OF THIS SENTENCE, but I felt like a foreigner. Now, the beloved people of my beloved home church DID NOT make me feel like an outsider. They treated me with love (agape and philo), grace, compassion, acceptance, warmth, and appreciation. I felt from the beloved people of my home church a Biblical, Christian love put into practice. So the fault is not theirs and completely mine – but I felt like a foreigner (again, read me well – this was all my own fault and a making of my own mentality). Most of the songs sung were new and thus unfamiliar to me. Many of the members were new and unfamiliar to me. I had never met the song leader or the piano player before (I am glad to have made their acquaintance now). The young people I used to know are now grown up and married. And the church now has a different pastor since the last time I visited the States and from the pastor I have known all my life. He is a good, godly man doing a good, godly work. I am glad to have finally met him and I know God will bless the good work he is doing and the church. But it all adds to the differentness of it all, to the weirdness of my home country. I guess it comes with the territory of being eighteen years on the mission field and should not be unexpected.
So, yes, I am out of touch. I am a fish out of water. I am a foreigner in both my host country and my home country even though I can operate in both and flip back and forth with relative ease. Maybe you feel like a foreigner in your place too. I encourage you with this thought: If you are a follower of Jesus then your country, your home, your place is with him. Ephesians 2:19 says that through Jesus we are no longer “strangers and foreigners.” Thank you, Jesus, for that. But the second half of the verse is important as well. It states that we are “fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God.” Jesus knew that some of us have a propensity to feel like strangers and foreigners and that we need the community of His people and His followers in one of His churches. I encourage you to find your country, your home, and your place in the community of your home church as well. I, for one, miss it and didn’t recognize the importance of it until I didn’t have it.
I pray that God will continue to use this out of touch, fish out of water here in Kenya to train His future ministers, to strengthen His churches, to further expand His kingdom, and to bring glory to His Name.
Blessings to all,
Roger, Julie, & Chloe
Contact Info:
Roger & Julie Tate
Moffat Bible College
P.O. Box 70
Kijabe, Kenya 00220
rojuta@gmail.com
For ministry donations:
Pastor George Sledd, Treasurer of BFM
P.O. Box 471280 | Lake Monroe, FL 32747-1280
or click here to donate to BFM online.
Read more
Preaching Under Banana Trees, Gifted with a Chicken
June 10, 2025
Greetings in the Name of Jesus Christ,
I do have some new things to report, but before I do I want to touch briefly on some items and situations that I have written about in previous reports, so that you all can be updated on some of the serious issues I spoke about previously.
First, regarding the student “Solomon” who had been threatened by the violent gang and was being extorted for money. As I reported earlier, Solomon stood his ground and refused to pay or to stand down to these thugs. As of now, a couple of months later, there has been no action taken in this situation. We are presuming one of three options is happening: 1) It was a hoax made by a non-gang member simply trying to get some money, 2) The gang doesn’t want to escalate matters and has moved on since Solomon stood up to them, or, 3) They are biding their time. At this time, since a couple of months have passed since the initial threats, we are trusting that God is protecting him and that maybe things will settle down and the situation will “pass away” without further trouble.
Second, since the death of Chloe’s teacher, things have settled down a bit. We have been able to find a new teacher for Chloe and both Chloe and the new teacher are getting along well, and we pray the new teacher will be a long-term fixture in our home and in Chloe’s life.
Third, Julie has recovered very well from her fall and subsequent serious concussion. She was pretty much holed-up for a couple of weeks in a dark, quiet, and secluded room. Her progress for the first two to three weeks was pretty slow and we were a little concerned that her recovery was going to be a very long and arduous process, but after about three weeks of slow progress she made rapid advances, and it seemed like in just a couple of days’ time she recovered to almost 100% very quickly. Although she may disagree with my analysis, I do not see any lingering symptoms of her concussion. We are very thankful to God for this ultimate recovery.
With all that has been going on I haven’t been able to relate to you all my week’s trip to Meru county, the hometown of one of my students who will be graduating in July. This student, Mark, has kind of “adopted” me, calling me “Dad” and jokingly accusing me of being “lost” if I haven’t seen him in a day or two. We wanted to take this trip to his home before he graduates because after he graduates and leaves school I will be “lost” for a long time. We went with two other students, one from India and one from Indonesia. So, this trip and my car were very international as we had one person from America, one from Kenya, one from India, and one from Indonesia. This obviously led to some very interesting discussions as these four cultures are very diverse. It was a long road trip but very worth the time in getting to our destination. We were able to preach, teach, sing, and share the gospel in many “official” and “unofficial” settings. I enjoyed teaching and preaching in a couple of churches, but my favorite time came when we walked a couple of hours through the forests, hills, and banana trees to get to Mark’s grandmother’s house. When we got there, grandmother had collected the entire family and small village at her house set within her banana orchard. We sang, prayed, and taught the Word of God there in the banana orchard with American accented English, Indian accented English, and Indonesian accented English being faithfully translated into Kimeru for the sake of grandmother and the villagers. Singing and teaching the gospel in multiple languages in the middle of a banana orchard in the heart of Kenya is really pretty cool. What a special privilege and honor it was to talk to these beloved people about our Savior Jesus and the salvation offered through His death on the cross and resurrection. To be welcomed with opened arms into such a place to share the gospel is quite awesome and we thank our God for such an opportunity. I was even ceremoniously gifted a chicken, live and kicking, from grandmother for having come. However, I made Mark carry it home.
Thank You, God, for such an amazing opportunity to meet some of Your Meru people and be able to share the good news of Your Son with them. May You bless Your Word and send Your Spirit amongst them.
Blessings to all,
Roger, Julie, & Chloe
Contact Info:
Roger & Julie Tate
Moffat Bible College
P.O. Box 70
Kijabe, Kenya 00220
rojuta@gmail.com
For ministry donations:
Pastor George Sledd, Treasurer of BFM
P.O. Box 471280 | Lake Monroe, FL 32747-1280
or click here to donate to BFM online.
Read more
Funny (and Frustrating) Experiences on the Mission Field
April 9, 2025
Greetings in the Name of Jesus Christ,
We are currently in between terms here in Kijabe and so there is not a whole lot going on. I am currently preparing for my next set of classes, but the students are all on break and back home (except for the international ones) and so things are a bit quiet. That gives me a little time to get my classes prepared and my heart prepared for the return of the students later this month.
Since there is not a whole lot going on currently, I will relate a funny (I mean, frustrating) situation I went through this month. So, here in Kenya we have many government documents that we need to keep up to date in order to remain in the country. When I say many, I mean MANY. One of those documents is an Alien ID card (I think the name has recently changed to the more innocuous Foreign National ID). Once you get it renewed it is good for two years. So, two years ago when my ID expired, I applied for a new one, jumping through all the required hoops and payments and trips to Nairobi to accomplish the task. I was supposed to receive my new card within three weeks. After a month went by and I still had not received my card I started inquiring to see where it might have escaped to. I was told there was no problem but that I just needed to wait, and it would come. I kept checking every month after that in order to try and get my new card. I kept on being told the same thing for about a year until someone finally admitted to me that it might have gotten lost and that I should file a formal inquiry into the situation, which I did. A month later I checked to see what had become of my formal inquiry. I was told it never made it into the system and was probably lost. I filed another one. The next time I inquired as to its status I was told to be patient because it was being looked into. Finally, last month, I was told that my card was officially lost and that I would need to re-apply for a new one (I would have to make a new application and pay the fee all over again because the fee I paid for the last one, that I never received, couldn’t be used for the new application). Thus, I reapplied, repaid, and made the necessary trip to Nairobi with my filled-out documents in hand so that I could go to the seventeenth story of Nyayo House (where the immigration department is housed), get fingerprinted, and submit my application. When I took my documents into the office and sat down in front of the immigration officer, she typed some things into her computer and then she asked me why I was applying for a new ID before picking up my previous one. I told her that it had been lost in their system for almost two years and that this is what I was told to do. She told me to wait and got up from her desk and left the office. I waited. Three minutes later she returned, with my lost Alien ID card in hand and handed it over to me, looking very smug. Here was my card that had been lost in the system for almost two years, and she had found it in under three minutes. I couldn’t believe it. However, when I looked closely at my card that she had just retrieved for me I noticed that it was going to expire in ten days. That’s right. It had been renewed two years ago, sat inside someone’s office for two years, and now would expire in ten days. I asked the immigration lady if I could just go ahead and apply for my new card seeing that this one was going to expire in ten days, I already had the renewal application documents in my hand right now, I had already paid (again) for the new application and was already in Nairobi at the immigration office. She promptly told me that I couldn’t apply for the new card until my previous card (the one she just gave me) was expired because the computer wouldn’t allow her to do it. So, I left her office with my card ready to expire in ten days and waited until it expired. Once it expired, I drove back to Nairobi to reapply. Arriving at the office I was told that the system was down and not functioning because the government had not paid their fees to the outsourced company that wrote the program. The outsourced company had shut down the system and was holding it hostage until such time as they would get paid. As of yet it hasn’t gotten paid. I now have an expired card in my pocket with no way to renew it. At least I had a valid card for ten days!
If you wish to minister the gospel of Jesus in Kenya, these are some of the things you have to learn to put up with.
For the glory of God in Kenya.
Blessings to all,
Roger, Julie, & Chloe
Contact Info:
Roger & Julie Tate
Moffat Bible College
P.O. Box 70
Kijabe, Kenya 00220
rojuta@gmail.com
For ministry donations:
Pastor George Sledd, Treasurer of BFM
P.O. Box 471280 | Lake Monroe, FL 32747-1280
or click here to donate to BFM online.
Read more
Faith & Fortitude in the Face of Persecution
March 10, 2025
Greetings in the name of Jesus Christ,
I had somber news last month when I talked about the wars and conflicts in Congo and our students who are living and ministering there. I guess I will have to follow up last month’s somber news with some additional somber news for this month. I’m not being somber on purpose, folks, believe me. Some things just strike me hard and those are sometimes the things I feel like I should report so that you all can know what life here in Kenya is really like and what it means to be a follower of Christ in other places of the world.
Here at the school, we have small groups where faculty have a number of students that they can meet with multiple times per week and they can mentor and disciple the students in life, ministry, and other practical areas. I have ten great guys in my group and we meet a couple of times every week to talk about…well…life, ministry, and other practical things. It is a good time for the guys to talk, ask questions, pray, and on occasion, eat. One of our past meetings was spent allowing just one of our guys to talk, express his fears and anxieties, and for us to advise him and pray for him. I will refer to him with a pseudonym (Solomon) in order to keep him safe. Solomon is one of our few “older” students who is already married with some children. He is already a pastor of a church and is attending school here to learn how to better minister the Word of God to God’s people.
After last Sunday’s service, Solomon received a phone call, a call no one ever wants to receive. The call was from a local gang of thugs, the name of which I will also omit from this report. After a few pleasantries, the gang leader informed Solomon that he knew all about him, that he knew Solomon’s wife (which he named), his children (which he named and the names of their schools), his church (which he named), and his house (which location he gave). The gang leader then informed Solomon of the amount of money Solomon was going to give him. The gang leader then threatened Solomon, telling him that if he did not pay the required money that the gang would burn his church to the ground, kill his wife and children, and then kill Solomon. Beloved, this is no idle or empty threat. This is a real threat and the danger is very real. All the students in my small group verified that these gangs exist and their threats can and often are carried out. Solomon was obviously distraught. He fears for the safety of his family. He fears for his own life. I told Solomon that his fear was legitimate and understandable, and all the students agreed. Solomon went to the police and reported the threat, but you can believe that this does not give him any comfort.
Our group spent a great amount of time praying for Solomon and his family, but we all feel helpless to know what else we can do for him, besides prayer and advice. I remain impressed by Solomon’s faith and fortitude in this situation. He himself says that we serve a mighty God and that like Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the fiery furnace, God can protect him from the threats of the evil gang. While Solomon does not want to be afraid, he is still afraid. I would be too (terrified would be a better word to describe my feelings if I were in the same circumstances). He also does not want to die but says he is willing to die if that is the outcome that God wants and will bring Him the most glory. Solomon is determined to not pay the gang (he couldn’t pay their exorbitant extortion fee anyway) and to continue ministering to his people in Jesus’ name.
Father God, I pray that you would continue to protect this good and godly man, Solomon. I pray that you would protect his family and keep them safe from harm. Make the threats of the gang empty. Remove any power that this gang has to threaten or harm Solomon or anyone else. Protect his church and his people so that they might be able to continue to proclaim the gospel and spread the love of Jesus in their community. Oh God, do this for your glory and for the good of your people in Kenya. Amen.
Blessings to all,
Roger, Julie & Chloe
CONTACT INFO
Roger & Julie Tate
Moffat Bible College
P.O. Box 70
Kijabe, Kenya 00220
rojuta@gmail.com
For ministry donations:
Pastor George Sledd, Treasurer of BFM
P.O. Box 471280 | Lake Monroe, FL 32747-1280
or click here to donate to BFM online.
Read more
Praying for the Persecuted in the Congo
February 10, 2025
Greetings in the name of Jesus Christ,
How up are you on African current events? Probably not so much if you are anything like me. But because I live here and love Africa and the people of Africa, I may hear more about current events than y’all back in the States. So, what do you hear about the conflicts in Congo? Congo is “near” to Kenya, and although the conflict, fighting, and violence that is going on there does not affect us here in Kenya at all, we are still concerned about the people that live there and that are having to face the extreme hardships that surround them.
The conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo, especially in the eastern region, has escalated significantly recently. I don’t know what they should be called, rebels or terrorists or what, but the group called M23, supported by the Rwandan government, has been on a rampage, causing widespread displacement of people and a severe humanitarian crisis. Over 700,000 thousand people have been displaced along with widespread reports of violence, executions and murders, sexual assault, and the burning of villages and crops. There are also concerns that the fighting will extend to surrounding countries like Burundi and Uganda (neighboring countries of Kenya).
I can’t pretend to say I understand any of the political, military, economic, or religious reasons behind the tragedies going on in Congo. Most assuredly they are fueled by decades of ethnic tensions, political rivalries, and probably corruption. But stripping all that stuff away, which I don’t understand, there are thousands, if not millions, of people and families that are being adversely and harmfully affected by the violence and viciousness of the uncaring and callous fighters/rebels/terrorists.
So, why am I telling you all of this? Well, first of all, because I want you to pray for the people and the country of Congo. Precious people and families are being destroyed, and we need to lift them up to our loving and powerful God. But, second, because I know people who are there in the midst of the suffering, doing the work of God and of the Kingdom, right in the center of the violence. You may recall that we had four students from Congo at our school who graduated just back in July of last year.
Our four students were Steven, David, Jiresse, and Asifiwe. After graduation back in July, Steven and David remained in Kenya to continue their education but Jiresse and Asifiwe returned to Congo to begin ministering to their beloved Congolese people. As I write this, Jiresse and Asifiwe find themselves right in the mist of these conflicts and directly in the line of fire of the violence and aggression. We have been able to hear from them when they get a chance to communicate. They are part of the displaced people who are struggling to obtain food and water for themselves and their people. They have no electricity or amenities and basically no shelter. But they have not abandoned their training or their calling, even in the midst of suffering and distress. They are determined to continue to proclaim and teach the gospel message of Jesus to the refugees and broken families of Congo. They are seeing people being saved and entering the Kingdom of Christ even in the midst of tragedy. They are trying to help desperate people find food, water, and shelter, all in the name of our Savior. They are being true ministers and servants of our precious Lord, doing the same thing Jesus did when he came to minister to hurting people: “Proclaiming good news to the poor; Proclaiming liberty to the captives; Setting at liberty those who are oppressed; and Proclaiming the year of the Lord’s favor.”
It is impossible to know how you might touch someone’s life who will then go on to touch someone else’s life, and so on and so on. I know that we have been able to touch the lives of Jiresse and Asifiwe in significant ways, for which we are thankful and blessed. Now, they are touching others with the love of Jesus in a place where we cannot reach. Please be in prayer for Jiresse and Asifiwe. Pray that God would watch over them and protect them from harm. Pray that they would have effective ministries to their beloved Congolese people. Pray that many Congolese people would know and experience the love of Jesus through their lives and service.
Thank you, beloved, for your prayers.
Blessings to all,
Roger, Julie, & Chloe
CONTACT INFO
Roger & Julie Tate
Moffat Bible College
P.O. Box 70
Kijabe, Kenya 00220
rojuta@gmail.com
For ministry donations:
Pastor George Sledd, Treasurer of BFM
P.O. Box 471280 | Lake Monroe, FL 32747-1280
or click here to donate to BFM online.
Read more
Recovering from Surgery; New Term Started
January 10, 2025
Greetings in the name of Jesus Christ,
First, let me give you all an update on Julie and her health. If you remember, Julie had to be rushed to the emergency room last month and, after being admitted to the hospital, ended up having surgery to remove her gall bladder. She came home a couple days later and spent the majority of December recovering from her surgery and from having an organ removed. She is recovering nicely, although with Chloe around she wasn’t able to rest as much as we would have liked (Chloe can be a little demanding). Anyway, Julie is mostly recovered from her surgery. I don’t think she is experiencing any more pain, but she still is getting tired quickly so she’s not quite at 100%. But we thank God for watching over her and that she is almost back to full strength. Thank you all for your prayers.
In other news, we have started a new term at the school. I am still the Finance Manager of the school. I find this position challenging because most students constantly struggle to pay their fees. To a westerner, their fees are small, but to them, their fees are large and overwhelming. As Finance Manager I have to balance helping these beloved students stay in school and continue their Bible education with also ensuring that they pay their fees. It is definitely stressful for both them and me. To date, I have never made a student leave the school because they couldn’t pay their fees. God has always helped us to together come up with a plan to cover their fees. This term has been a bit different, though.
Way too many students are not able to pay and it is causing me a lot of grief and heartache. I stress over and over to them that my goal for them is to mightily serve the Kingdom of Christ and God’s people. How can they do that if they drop out of school because of finances? God, please help us.
In Class news, I am teaching Pauline Epistles and Basic Theology 1. Pauline Epistles is a new class for me to teach but what a joy and privilege to teach these beloved students the things that Paul taught his first century churches and believers. Basic Theology is a course I have taught before. Why teach these students theology? It is not just to fill their young minds with information even though Peter did say to “grow in the grace and KNOWLEDGE of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 3:18) and Paul instructed Titus to “teach sound doctrine” (Titus 2:1).
Blessings to all,
Roger, Julie, & Chloe
CONTACT INFO
Roger & Julie Tate
Moffat Bible College
P.O. Box 70
Kijabe, Kenya 00220
rojuta@gmail.com
For ministry donations:
Pastor George Sledd, Treasurer of BFM
P.O. Box 471280 | Lake Monroe, FL 32747-1280
or click here to donate to BFM online.
Read more
More Important than Grades; Surgery & Prayers Needed
December 10, 2024
Greetings in the name of Jesus Christ,
I’m trying to get this newsletter out at the latest possible date. I usually do get my newsletters out late but this month I have a legitimate excuse. Last Wednesday evening Julie became very sick. I ended up taking her to the emergency room where we spent the night. By the next morning, she was admitted to the hospital with suspicions about her gall bladder. After extensive tests and a couple of days in the hospital the doctors decided it was indeed her gall bladder and that it needed to be removed.
She underwent some kind of surgery, the technical/medical name of which I cannot remember. The bottom line is that she had her gall bladder removed and spent the next couple of days in the hospital. When the doctors saw her gall bladder they knew they had made the right decision to remove it. It was severely inflamed, contained many stones, and was fraying/flaying/fileting (I can’t remember what the doctor said or how he pronounced it but the bottom line was that the tissue was very soft and beginning to come apart). It definitely needed to come out before it became very dangerous. I was able to bring Julie back home from the hospital yesterday and she is now home slowly recovering. Four nights in hospital in Kenya is no fun, let me tell you. Hopefully removing her gall bladder will help with some stomach issues she has been having lately. We shall see. Please pray for a full recovery and a future better health condition for my wife. Julie’s surgery occurred during term break, which I suppose is a blessing.
This past term I began to learn something very important about my students. I learned that to many of them, the grade they will get in my class is too important. For many of them, getting a good grade is of utmost importance. To me, however, the grade is just an assessment of whether they are possibly learning the material or not. Many of my students become obsessed with grades. I suppose that is typical among students worldwide. I tell them that the grade is important, but not all important. I have been telling them that the learning of the Bible is important. I stress that their learning of how to minister to God’s people and God’s churches and God’s Kingdom is really what is important. That is what they are here at this school to learn and the grade is more my way of telling whether they are importing and processing the information in the best possible way. I want them all to get a good grade. However, more than that, I want them to learn how to minister the message of the Bible, the gospel, and the love of Jesus to God’s people. I tell them that when they are done and “out there” ministering the gospel to God’s people that nobody is going to ask them what grade they received in Mr. Tate’s hermeneutics and interpretation class. It will be important, however, for them to interpret and teach the Bible correctly, which Mr. Tate’s hermeneutics and interpretation class will help them do. Nobody is going to care if they got an “A” in Mr. Tate’s General Epistles class. However, they will care that these students and future pastors can help them in their suffering the way Peter teaches in his letters, or help them work out their faith in action the way James teaches in his epistle, or help them love one another in word and in deed the way John teaches in his letters. My beloved students, keep your eyes on the prize – not a grade, but the ability to minister to God’s people and glorify God in doing so.
Please pray for me, beloved. I am really struggling with Chloe right now. Her whining, screaming, and throwing things is really starting to wear me down and I feel anger rising up within me that I need God’s help to control. Even in the middle of writing this newsletter I had to stop because Chloe was mad and threw a big container of powdered, pink paint on the dining room floor. I don’t know where she got it, but it exploded and powdered, pink paint was everywhere. To add to the problem, before she threw the paint, she threw a full bottle of shampoo, which also exploded. The powdered, pink paint mixed with the shampoo to make an extremely hard to clean, pink sloppy mess. I spent the next hour on my hands and knees trying to clean it up (all while fuming in my heart and muttering under my breath). God, please help Roger to have patience and to care more about Chloe than he does about himself.
Blessings to all,
Roger, Julie & Chloe
CONTACT INFO
Roger & Julie Tate
Moffat Bible College
P.O. Box 70
Kijabe, Kenya 00220
rojuta@gmail.com
For ministry donations:
Pastor George Sledd, Treasurer of BFM
P.O. Box 471280 | Lake Monroe, FL 32747-1280
or click here to donate to BFM online.
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