Teaching Men in Taito about Prayer

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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.

July 5, 2022

Dear praying friends,

We hope this finds each of you doing well. We thank the Lord for each one of you, and your heart for missions. We could not do the work here in Kenya without you. This update will share current updates as well as prayer requests.

There has been much going on in the missionary community in Kitale since we have returned to Kenya. Several families have moved from Kitale to different parts of Kenya. While this is not easy, and these families were our good friends, we wish each of them well in this transitionary period. The westerners are few in Kitale now, so it is difficult, but we are trusting the Lord to provide other families in His timing and plan.

We have heard of interest from other missionaries coming to Kitale later in the year, and we are praying and trusting the Lord for His will during these transitionary times. Psalm 28:7 says “The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in Him, and I am helped: therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth; and with my song will I praise Him.” Please pray with us as we trust the Lord to provide families here in Kitale.

Another big prayer request now is for the presidential election scheduled for August 9th. Lord willing, we are going to be stocking up and buying extra supplies in case of any problems. The last few elections have gone peacefully, and we are trusting the Lord for the election this year. Kitale has a good safety record, as there are multiple tribes in this area and violence is rare. However, we are still taking precautions and seeking to stay as safe as we can. We will let you know how it is going in the coming weeks. Psalm 9:9 says “The Lord also will be a refuge for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble.” Amen. May we trust Him in the coming days and weeks, as He will protect us.

The family is doing well. Our daughters are continuing along well in their homeschooling studies, and my wife is doing a great job teaching them faithfully. Please pray for her, as she has a big responsibility with educating our children. Please also pray for us as parents, as we have a big responsibility as we raise them.

I (Nathan) am continuing in the discipleship studies in the village of Taito. I have recently been teaching on prayer and we have learned much about the subject. In Psalm 55:16-17, David says “As for me, I will call upon God; and the Lord shall save me. Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray, and cry aloud: and He shall hear my voice.” I challenged the men to begin to commit to prayer, and showed them many verses from the Word of God that show the importance of prayer in our daily lives. Please pray with me that the Lord would raise up men who would be discipled, trained, and then sent out to start churches in their respective villages. God is in control.

We again thank you so much for your heart for missions. Each of you are such a blessing to us.

Until next month,
Nathan and Carrie Radford

Contact Info:
Nathan and Carrie Radford
naterad[at]yahoo.com
P.O. Box 4150
Kitale, Kenya
East Africa 30200

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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Travel for Church & Family Visits, Good Reports

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Jud and Raquel Hatcher are third generation missionaries serving the Lord in São Paulo, Brazil. They are part of the “SeedFactory” church planting initiative, which is a movement to plant churches in all 26 Brazilian capitals. Since 2006, 43 churches have been started in 5 states.

June 17, 2022

Hello Friends!

Summer is fully on board! Here is the latest from us. Please, read on.

My grandfather John Albert Hatcher passed on May 14th. He and my grandmother went to Brazil after WWI and served faithfully as missionaries for 60 years. The Lord allowed me to fly to Florida to participate in the funeral services. This may have been one of the last extended Hatcher family gatherings, but it was great to be with so many of my aunts, uncles & cousins. I am grateful to my parents who took care of him for the last 8 years (along with his wife, my Grandma Alta Hatcher, and Grannie Willa McGary, from my mother’s side of the family). I was blessed to see my parents’ faithfulness and commitment to their parents in their later years. They truly exemplified what it means to “honor your parents”. We scheduled to be with my parents in Kentucky for one week. I pray our time together will be an encouragement to them.

Laura (15) was awarded a scholarship to attend Summit Ministries in Colorado at the beginning of this month. It was a two-week Christian worldview & current hot topics intensive designed for high school and college students. She had an incredible experience and highly recommended it. Sarah left for Manaus this past Monday for a two-month mission trip in the Amazon with Jonatas and Charis. Pray with us as the Lord uses her during this time and that the Lord will move mightily in her heart.

Laura’s last visit to the audiologist was yesterday. She continues to progress well as she adjusts to the cochlear implant and learns to hear through it. I had my oncologist visit this morning. Everything looks good, and the port catheter should be removed within the next few months. Everyone else is in good health.

Last week I spoke at the Ignited Sunday School class at Wheaton Bible Church, this weekend we plan to be at Durbin Memorial Baptist Church, Lexington, KY, and soon in Calvary Baptist Church, Teays Valley, WV. This last month there were several decisions in São Paulo with new opportunities for discipleship. I continue to mentor leaders through Zoom. We are currently finalizing arrangements for eleven pastors and wives (from four different states) to fly to Manaus to attend the church ministries & pastors conference organized by Nova Baptist Church, where my uncle David Hatcher is pastor.

Our hearts are ready to return to Brazil, but we must wait. Our current plans are to remain in the States until the end of the year to complete health treatments and follow-ups.

Attached is my article on disciple-making “The Zaccheaus Approach” and photos.

Grateful always,
Judson & Raquel

Contact Info:
Jud & Raquel Hatcher
São Paulo, Brazil
judsonhatcher@gmail.com
(872) 400-6522

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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Teaching in New Area (Taito) & Annex Prison

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.


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Road Improvements, New School Wing, and Discipling

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, 2019

Dear praying friends,

We are now in the month of February, and there are many things to update you on. We ask that you would please pray for us in the areas provided, as there are some things we need prayer for currently. Thanks so much to each of you for your heart for missions. We truly do appreciate you.

One prayer request we have currently is for the health of our family. There is work being done to tarmac one of the main roads in Milimani, where we reside. This is actually a very good thing and will bring many improvements, such as removing the potholes from the roads, reducing the amount of dust in the air, providing smooth transport for those in Milimani, etc. It is always challenging to drive in rainy season, as the roads are mainly hard forms of mud and when it rains, the vehicles go over the road, creating big ruts and potholes. Now, with the tarmac (hopefully to be completed by March this year), this will be greatly reduced. However, a big problem is the amount of dust created from digging up the road and smoothing it. McKenna and I both struggle with asthma and this dust is making it worse. McKenna has had to miss some school days, so we would appreciate your prayers not only for us, but for all those within the Milimani area. Please pray that they would conclude the tarmac project on time, as this will be a great help.

Please also pray for the new school wing that my wife and daughters are involved with. There have been some bumps along the way, as is expected, so please pray for the beginning of the school, for the teachers, the parents, the students, and the directors. Please pray that God would be glorified and all would be done for His glory. Please also pray for our daughters and the friendships that they are currently making. God is in control and we trust Him for all these things. I am reminded of 1 Corinthians 10:31, which says “Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.”
I (Nathan) have been discipling a younger Kenyan, Emmanuel, in Milimani. He has done very well so far through the course and is volunteering to lead once a month in a home group Bible study. I think there are around 14 families attending this study, so this is a big step for him and a great way to reach multiple families. Emmanuel has given very positive feedback to the course so far, so please pray for him as he now plans to start teaching others. This is the model I wish to pursue currently, to train, disciple qualified Kenyan men who God will raise up, who in turn will go to teach others. This reminds me of the model given in 2 Timothy 2:2, which says “And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also.” One of the key phrases in this verse is “faithful men.” I would covet your prayers for God to raise up “faithful men” who will go and teach others.

Something that has been emphasized to me (Nathan) while training is to work with employed young men, ages 20-30. Why? I have been told from several people that have lived here for years that youths don’t have the same level of expectations to receive material items from the missionary. This doesn’t mean that there are not some expectations, but hopefully they will be reduced by working with youths. Hopefully this will help with the dependency issue some. Also, to work with those that have jobs. Why? Because those with jobs already have taken the initiative to provide for their families and have a strong work ethic. This also should help some with the dependency issue. So, please, please pray for God to raise up employed young men to train. I would greatly appreciate prayers about this. I am willing to be patient and wait on the Lord to provide these kind of men. God will provide in His time.

We will be sure to keep you updated and we thank the Lord for each of you. May we commit ourselves fully to the Lord in 2019, serving until He comes.

Blessings,
Nathan and Carrie Radford

Nathan and Carrie Radford
P.O. Box 4150
Kitale, Kenya
East Africa 30200

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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Missionary Update: The Hensleys in Brazil [July 2014]

The Hensleys have spent nearly 15 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.

Dear friends and family,

Here we are again at the end of the month and I feel like we have just begun the month.

Praise God we have had an AWESOME month: We have had a group here that dedicated themselves to evangelism. They came from various Churches in various states and met here in Caraguatatuba. We spent 2 days training and then headed out into the neighborhoods around the Church. We shared the Gospel with many people and in 10 days 64 people came to know the Lord as their Savior. We began the following week to have small group meetings in the homes of those who accepted Christ. At the first meeting, we had over 17 people in attendance. These small groups are to disciple those who are new in the faith and to train them how to do daily Bible studies and have quiet time with the Lord. The next step is to train our Church members to be disciplers so that they can teach these new Christians.

From all of this we have seen an increase in attendance at Church. We are having from 2 to 6 visitors each service. God is at work here in Caraguatatuba. To Him be the glory!

During this time, two of our youth accepted Christ as their Savior. It is so exciting to see them on fire for the Lord. We took a group of young people to an orphanage on the other side of Sao Paulo to spend a week taking care of the children and the home while the regular caregiver takes a vacation. These young people got up at 6:45 every morning and had their quiet time from 7 to 7:30. Then their day began…… They made breakfast, helped the children with their personal hygiene, cleaned bathrooms, cleaned bedrooms. While some went to the wash room to do clothes, others went to the kitchen to start lunch. After lunch they had another time of Bible study. Then there was time to play with the children and then help them with their home work. During that time, the adults were building a playground for the children. Don’t forget the evening meal that had to be prepared and dishes and pots and pans that had to be washed. After all that was done, they gathered together again for a time of devotional lead each night by one of the young people. There were 6 adults that were there to help also, but it warmed my heart to see those young people taking the lead in these activities. Two of the children at the orphanage accepted Christ as their Savior during that week. Even more impressive was today I returned to finish some work with some of the men from our church and four more of the children had accepted Christ and they were having their time of Bible study and Quiet time. God is AWESOME!!!!!!

Sao Paulo Orphanage

I think we have conquered the mechanical work on our vehicles. Only Barb’s car now needs the overhaul job finished. Then we will be ready to start it all over again. But that is the way it is with old cars–there is always something to be done. God has been good through all this expense, and He is providing through you, our faithful givers, so that we are able to pay monthly on the bills. THANK YOU ALL.

We are expecting visitors the middle of the month and one of the things that we are planning to do is go back to the prison and resume the work that we have been doing there. Please pray for the inmates there and that God would greatly use us there.

Summer is about half over so that means you still have time to come down and enjoy our winter weather. We are having temperatures of about 69 to 72. So if you want to get out of the heat, come on down! Your room is ready and we will put more water in the beans. Come see what your mission dollars sent through Baptist Faith Missions are doing here in Caraguatatuba, Brasil.

In His service,

Aj and Barbara Hensley
ajcaragua[at]gmail.com

Click here to give. | Like them on Facebook.


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Missionary Update: John Mark & Judy Hatcher in France [February 2014]

Missionaries John Mark and Judy Hatcher have been serving the Lord in Tournefeuille, France since 1999. They define their ministry as “disciple-making.”

February 5, 2014

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

We feel for you who are having a harsh winter in the USA. The weather here has been milder than usual for this time of the year. Thank you for your participation in the proclamation of the Gospel here in France.

All of the Bible studies and meetings are going well. I am including a picture of a ladies Bible study that meets in the home of Wendy Hinzman on Thursdays at noon. The tall young lady on the right is a member of our congregation who is a chiropractor. Her office is near Wendy’s house so the ladies meet there during her lunch break on Thursdays. They have Bible study and then eat their sack lunches together for a time of fellowship. All of the ladies in this Bible study are believers. We are encouraged by the growth that we see in them. Everyone in this Bible study also serves in ministries to children and some are involved in reaching students and other outreaches.

During the month of February we encouraged folks to read a book of the Bible they had never read before or had not read for some time. The interesting thing is that some who did the reading have not made professions of faith. Our hope is that they will soon trust the Lord and express this faith by following the Lord in baptism.

These ladies in France hold a Bible Study every Thursday at noon on their lunch break.

We have had a youth meeting since our last letter and another one is scheduled for this coming Saturday. The Lord continues to bless this means of outreach as those who come return and bring friends. Our the Bible discussion for the next meeting is “The Two Great Commands”.

The most recent Bible study in the city of Mazere (a one hour drive to the South) was packed out. Four people who do not usually come were there. Two of the four were fellows that were in our Bible study in the past. One, who is nicknamed “Jeff” has really grown in the Lord and is now holding two Bibles studies weekly. The two other special guests were individuals who have been saved as they studied the Bible with Jeff. One was saved two years ago and the other just six months ago. It was really encouraging to see God at work through Jeff whom we had discipled earlier. Jeff wanted to bring the two individuals so they could see how we do the Bible studies. We certainly want to follow the Apostle Paul’s admonition to Timothy “And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also.” We are happy when we see evidence that it is taking place.

Our thoughts and prayers are with Judy Archer and her family. Glenn’s move to glory will certainly leave a void in our hearts, but we are thankful for the fact that He is no longer suffering as he did during the past months. May the Lord’s Spirit comfort all of those who are touched by Glenn’s absence.

Your fellow laborers,
John and Judy

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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Missionary Update: The Radfords in Kenya [November 2012]

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.

November 1, 2012

Dear praying friends,

Another month has quickly passed, and we are now at the end months of the year 2012. It is hard to believe that 2013 is just around the corner. Each year seems to go by faster and faster. I pray that we will commit ourselves anew to service to the Lord, wherever He leads us. I like Deuteronomy 13:4, which says “Ye shall walk after the LORD your God, and fear him, and keep his commandments, and obey his voice, and ye shall serve him, and cleave unto him.” I pray that this would be our heart’s desire, that we would walk with the Lord, fear Him, keep His commandments, obey Him, serve Him, and cleave to Him. What a challenging verse from the Word of God.

The church plant in the village of Shangalamwe is continuing along well, for which I thank the Lord. My friend Roger Tate and I have been working with these dear people for several months now, and we have been able to see spiritual growth and progress. Some of the church members have grown discouraged as they have been faithful to go and share their faith, yet the work has been difficult and others have been giving excuses, etc. I tried to encourage them by sharing the verse in Galatians 6:9, which states “And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.” I reminded the church that we are to be faithful in serving the Lord, and leave the results with Him. Please pray for these members, that they would find strength and encouragement from the Lord and faithfully serve Him, no matter what the difficulties are.

We are also now meeting with a national, as he has been faithful to go and start different Bible study groups in the Kitale area. We have been meeting with him, sharing with him and training him to go and teach the lessons to other groups. The time will be coming where he will ask to see if the groups desire to be churches of the Lord Jesus Christ, so please be praying for him in the days ahead, that the Lord’s will would be done. It is good to do church planting using different ways, to compare and and see which is more effective in this culture. We covet your prayers as we continue to plant churches, with the Lord’s help, in the Kitale area.

The Annex prison ministry is continuing along well. We are now near the end of the course “Firm Foundations – From Creation to Christ.” The men coming seem to be really growing and doing well. I thank the Lord for this, and for their faithfulness to come and study the Word of God. I am also thankful for the cooperation of the head office of the Annex prison and also for the cooperation of the chaplains. Please pray for these men and their spiritual growth as they learn from the Word, as well as for the other men who have not yet decided to trust Christ and follow Him. How we need to share the Gospel message and share it with the lost. I love Luke 19:10, which says “For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.” We will keep you updated of this ministry.

In family news, please pray for each of us, and for our health and safety daily as we serve here. There are many health hazards here, and we would appreciate your prayers for our continued health as we serve in Kitale. Please also pray for us as it is now near the holiday season, and it is always hard to be away from those that we love. The Lord gives strength daily, and we are thankful for this. His strength is perfect when our strength is gone. We wish you all a great holiday season in America, and will be sure to keep you updated. God’s blessings to each of you.

Serving in Kitale,
Nathan and Carrie Radford
P.O. Box 4150
Kitale, Kenya
East Africa 30200

Click here to donate to BFM.

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Spring Conference Recap [Tuesday Evening]

The Lord blessed the Tuesday evening service at the 2012 BFM Spring Conference.

After the congregation sang “Blessed Assurance” and “Saved, Saved, Saved,” Bro. Randy Jones presented the future goals of BFM, all of which are in the Lord’s hand.

 

 

 

Future Goals of BFM: 

  • eliminate monthly deficits and increase income to the General Fund by 25% over a three-year period (approximately $125,000)
  • increase the number of missionaries pending available funds
    -one to be added in November 2013
    -one to be added in November 2014
    -one to be added in November 2015
  • increase the base salary of our missionaries by 20% over a three-year period pending available funds
    -5% appreciation lump-sum bonus in December 2012 ($1030)
    -5% base salary increase beginning January 2013 ($1802)
    -5% base salary increase by January 2014 ($1893)
    -10% base salary increase beginning January 2015 ($2082)
    [Current Salaries: $1717/month]
  • Change the retirement plan for new missionaries to a 401K or 403B type plan: match 6% to 10% of their salary placed in an individual account.
  • Encourage the missionaries to support BFM and extol the benefits of the organization to them and their ministry during furlough visits.
  • On a three-year cycle each missionary and his works shall be visited by a Director(s) and a Representative from his sending church beginning in 2013.
  • Eliminate the “Car Fund” category
  • Establish a repository of BFM documents
  • Encourage visits by sponsoring churches to the mission field
  • Establish a schedule of church visitation: every supporting church shall be visited by a Director of BFM representative once every three years.

Bro. Jones then discussed the importance of the General Fund and the necessity of keeping it replenished. He ended his message by reading John 14:9-12. “He that believeth on Me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.”


Bro. Paul Hatcher, missionary to Brazil, delivered the 8:20 sermon, sharing the heartbeat of his and his family’s heart. He spoke about what he has learned through years of church planting and discipling.

If one person shared the Gospel with one other person and taught them everything they knew about God for a year, and then the next year, the same person and the new person each agreed to do the same thing (sharing with one other person and teaching them for a year), then in 34 years, there would be more than 8 billion people following Christ. Nothing is impossible with God!

Bro. Hatcher mentioned that his son-in-law calculated out how long it took Paul (in the Bible) to plant a church amongst Jews: 42 days. Flabbergasted, Hatcher wanted to know how much longer it took the biblical Paul to plant a church amongst Gentiles: 42 days. Shocked once again, Hatcher said, “What did Paul know that this Paul doesn’t know?”

It has to be more than the minister doing the work of the Lord. You have to make sure every sheep in the flock is producing. It must involve every believer sharing the Gospel and teaching what they know.

When you’re teaching new Christians everything you know about God, keep these things in mind about the Old Testament and don’t complicate it. The Old Testament was written to teach us to love God and love our neighbor. (This is the interpretation of the Author, our Lord, given in Matthew 22:36-40.) The second objective is to keep Christ at the forefront because without Christ, you can’t love God or your neighbor.

The Gospel must be simple enough that the simple can understand. There are many good examples in John of how to keep the Gospel simple—straight shots of truth. (John 17:3; 1 John 5:11; 1 John 3:23; 1 John 4:11, John 5:19)

The problem with the Gospel is that we talk. Love! What they notice is love. They see something different and want what you have.

Three important things to remember:
1) Know God = Eternal Life
2) Trust God = Our Challenge
3) Love like He’s loved us (sacrificially)

Bro. Hatcher told a story about a cell phone to illustrate building trust in God. When he first bought his cell phone, all he wanted to use it for was to call people. But as he learned what else his cell phone could do, he started to use it for other things. Pretty soon, he’d gotten rid of his alarm clock and was using his phone. He’d tossed his address book and used the contact list in his phone. He threw away his planner and used the calendar on his phone. But all he had planned to use it for was to make phone calls. It’s the same way with God. As we grow in knowledge, your trust in Him and Him alone begins to grow. As you know God, you lay off the things of the old man. And the most beautiful part? Everything you don’t know about Him is already there.

As we get to know God better, we begin to imitate Him and His character. “The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise.” (John 5:19) You don’t model what you don’t see. To trust Him, you have to know Him. To imitate Him, you have to know Him. When we become so fascinated with Christ and become so excited about Him, we become like Him. “For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you.” (John 13:15) “Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children.” (Ephesians 5:1)

All of us must know what the essentials are. Learn to know God together and love Him more together.

To read a recap of previous conference services, click here.
[You can view a full schedule for the rest of the conference by clicking here.]

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