Trying Times, Strengthened Faith

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.

September 30, 2016

Dear praying friends,

Another month has come and gone, and we are nearing the end of 2016. It is hard to believe that another year has passed by so quickly. I am reminded of how short life really is and how we need to be involved in serving the Lord while there is still time. Now is the time to invest in eternity. I hope and pray that we will be focused on the spiritual things that will last forever. Colossians 3:2 says “Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.” May this be the sincere desire of our lives.

Some of you do not receive the prayer letter by email, so if others have already heard of the unrest in Kitale recently, please bear with me. I want to briefly explain what has been going on so people will be informed and know how to pray not only for us, but all those living, working, and serving in Kitale. Earlier this year, over about an 8 week period, there were repeated break in attempts at our compound. The thieves tried to enter several different ways, from breaking the wood fence on the back, to cutting the hedges around our compound, shining a light late at night around our gate, shaking our gate, etc. We praise the Lord that they never gained access inside the compound, but they tried repeatedly. This was going on in different parts of Kitale, but we felt that we were being targeted specifically.

I (Nathan) tried to get to the bottom of what was going on, as this is very unusual for Kitale and nothing like this has ever happened over such an extended time period since we have lived there. We talked to a neighbor who knows the culture, and he said he believed the thieves were after something specifically on our compound. What? We don’t really know. There is nothing of high value on the compound that belongs to us, just our normal living items. When we moved into our compound, there were several holes that were covered up. One theory is that the thieves believe something of value was buried on the compound by a previous tenant. This would make sense. In fact, the first time the thieves came, they were asking to collect their items from the tenant who lived there several years prior. I contacted this tenant myself and he said he left nothing of value on the compound and knows nothing of what is going on. So, it is all very mysterious.

After I (Nathan) left to come home just a few weeks ago, there was another attempt where they were trying to cut the barb wire on the back fence, but our day guard managed to catch two of them. They were turned over to the police and will be disciplined, so we hope this will be a deterrent to the others. Please pray for everyone in Kitale now, as this is abnormal and we need to pray that all these thugs will be caught soon and justice will be swift. God is in complete control and we trust Him. I definitely feel that spiritual warfare is a major challenge while on the mission field, and satan will do anything to try to discourage us, derail us, or oppose us. I take comfort in a verse such as John 16:33, which says “These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.” These were definitely trying times, and trials, but the Lord has used it to strengthen our faith in Him. We have since received a good report from our day guard that nothing has happened in the past few weeks, so we are praying that this will be over soon and go back to normal. God is in control, at all times, in all circumstances.

Please pray for our family, as we are going through many adjustments. One good adjustment is that our daughters are going to Calvary Baptist Academy in Hurricane, WV. This will be good for them, teaching them time management, getting their homework done in a timely manner, and having friends to relate to while we are here. It will also be good for them to get used to having teachers in a regular school setting, along with all the activities that go along with being in school. I am sure mommy misses having them right now, as she enjoys homeschooling in Kenya, but we both agree this is a good thing for them to have now while we are on furlough. Socialization for missionary children is very important, and is one of the major challenges of missions. This time of socialization will teach them many things, and will be a good experience for them. Please pray for them now, and as they continue along through the school year.

I (Nathan) am in the process of scheduling churches for furlough. We plan to be here through at least April of next year, so if you are interested in scheduling a meeting, you can reach me at: naterad@yahoo.com.

Please pray for each of us while we are in America for our furlough. It is great to be in our home culture, where we are used to how things are, speak the same language, etc. However, we miss our compound in Kitale, our animals, and our friends there. God is so good to help us during each time of transition, and He is so faithful. 2 Thessalonians 3:3 says “But the Lord is faithful, who shall stablish you, and keep you from evil.” Thanks so much to each of you for your interest in missions and your encouragement. We appreciate you all so much.

Serving in Kitale,
Nathan and Carrie Radford
Furlough Address:
56 Lobo Lane
Culloden, WV 25510

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 Radfords in Kenya [June 2014]

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.

June 2, 2014

Dear praying friends,

As I type this letter, it is so hard to believe that we board a plane later this week and begin our journey to Nairobi, Kenya. From Nairobi, Lord willing, we will then travel to Kitale after a few days of busyness and government paperwork. This is certainly a hectic week with much to do. Please pray for my wife as she has the massive job of deciding what to pack, leave, etc., for our term in Kenya. Please also pray for our daughters, as they will be going through transitions in the days ahead. They seem excited to be getting back, for which we are thankful. They are excited to get back and settled into Kitale and miss our animals. It is always nice to reunite and get back with our friends, missionary family, and others. I hear that Kitale has changed some since leaving, so we are excited to see what the changes are.

Thanks so much to each one who has been interested in the hospital ministry and also for those who have donated blankets and other supplies. We really appreciate your heart for the babies and the mothers and the Lord will bless you for your generosity. Proverbs 22:9 states “He that hath a bountiful eye shall be blessed; for he giveth of his bread to the poor.” We appreciate each of you so much.

Please also pray for us as we apply for the hospital work permit for my wife. As I said before, she now needs her own permit. I also will most likely need to apply for a permit for the Annex prison upon returning. The Lord knows all of this and we trust Him for the necessary permits and paperwork. We need to trust Him and remember He is in control of all things. A quote I liked said “He is calm who believes God is sovereign.” How true this is. Proverbs 16:9 says “A man’s heart deviseth his way: but the Lord directeth his steps.” How we need the Lord to direct our steps and wisdom from Him. Please keep these things above in prayer as well.

I will do my best to keep each of you updated who are interested, pray for us, give sacrificially, or are involved in any way in the Lord’s work in Kitale. We cannot thank each of you enough for your heart for missions and your assistance in any way. You are such an important part of the work. The famous missionary, William Carey, said “I will go down if you will hold the rope.” Thanks to each of you for “holding the rope” for us while we are in Kenya. May the Lord bless you abundantly for all you do. Please pray for our flights ahead, that they will proceed without any issues, and also for our transitions to Kenya and ultimately, Lord willing, Kitale. We will keep you updated. Please note and use our mailing address for Kitale, Kenya.

Serving in Kenya,
Nathan and Carrie Radford

P.O. Box 4150
Kitale, Kenya
East Africa, 30200

Click here to donate to BFM.


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Missionary Update: The Radfords on Furlough from Kenya [March 2014]

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.

March 4, 2014

Dear praying friends,

Another month has come and passed, and it is hard to believe it is already the month of March. We have enjoyed so much our time of furlough and getting to spend time with friends, family, and supporters. Each of you are so special to us, and it is always good to get back home to get refreshed. This reminds me of a verse that I remind myself of often, and is an encouragement. It is Matthew 11:28, which says, “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” How we need to come to the Lord when we feel overwhelmed, discouraged, or need refreshed. What a great promise from the Scriptures.

Please pray for the various ministries as they continue along while we are home. One major prayer request we have currently is for the hospital ministry. As some of you may not be aware, the government has now made it mandatory for my wife to get a work permit to continue along with this ministry. Previously, she worked under my work permit, but now things have changed and she needs her own. Of course, we trust the Lord for this, and we plan to get working on the permit immediately upon our return in June, Lord willing. We know the Lord will keep the door open there as long as He wants her there. A verse that has been a comfort is Psalm 62:8, which says “Trust in him at all times; ye people, pour out your heart before him: God is a refuge for us. Selah.” How we need to trust in the Lord all through our lives, and realize He is our refuge. Thanks so much to each one who sends supplies for this ministry, prays for my wife, or sends finances sacrificially. Each of you are a blessing. We will keep you updated.

Our daughter Camille turned three years old last month. That is hard to believe. It was so good that we got to celebrate her birthday together as a family. McKenna will turn six years old next month, Lord willing. Parenting is a privilege, and we thank the Lord for both of our daughters. If you are a parent, it would be wise to cherish the times that you have together, as time passes so quickly and before you know it, the children are all grown up. Please continue to pray for both of them as they grow and progress along in their young lives.

Please also pray for our vehicle as we have had to travel many miles while we have been home. Please pray that it will do well along all the miles, through all the snow and roads of this rough winter, and that it would not have any major repairs. So far, it has done well, but there is still much traveling ahead.

God bless each of you. We will keep you updated.

Nathan and Carrie Radford

315 College Street
Youngsville, PA 16371

Click here to donate to BFM.


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Missionary Update: The Tates on Furlough from Kenya [March 2014]

The Tate Family has served the Lord in Kitale, Kenya since January 2008. Their main ministry is indigenous church planting.

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

I can hardly believe that this furlough is coming to an end and that this is the month that we return to Kenya (minus Emily).  I can’t believe how quickly it has passed and how much I will miss you all once we return.  But, since we are gearing up to return to Kitale, let me do two things in this newsletter.  First, let me quickly recap this furlough time and, second, I would like to summarize again what we would like to see happen in this upcoming term in Kenya.

So, first, how has this furlough gone?  Well, it certainly has been rough at times but in all I think we have managed it the best we could.  There are two things that make furlough tough.  The first is instability.  When you don’t have a firm, permanent place to stay, life tends to be a bit unhinged.  Jumping from one place to another is volatile and erratic.  Next time we will want to find a “permanent” place to stay as soon as we arrive in the States.  The second problem with furlough is travel.  Every weekend takes us on the road again.  Most of the churches I visit are centrally located in states surrounding Ohio but most still require at least a three hour drive to reach.  If I travel alone it takes me away from my family.  If I travel with the family, that brings its own challenges.  Among many other things, instability and travel especially make furlough tough.  The other difficulty with this particular furlough has been weather.  We have received a considerable amount of snow and ice this winter, as you know.  It hasn’t prevented me from traveling much, but it has prevented me from attending services at our home church.  It seems that every weekend I wasn’t traveling and had an opportunity to be spiritually fed at our home church, the weather would turn sour and all the worship services for the weekend would be cancelled.  This happened often enough that I began predicting weekend weather.  If it was a weekend in which I would be at home I would predict a large amount of snow and ice for Saturday night and, sure enough, the snow would inevitably come Saturday night and Sunday morning and all worship services for the day would be cancelled.  I’m not sure why God wanted this to happen for me but it sure seemed to happen every time.  I enjoyed the snow, I just wish I had been able to spend more time at our home church.  I have, however, been able to enjoy some pizza, big macs, donuts, and the endless cereal aisle at Walmart so now I am trying to take off the weight I have gained this furlough.  I guess I need to get back to the Kenyan beans and rice.

Next, let me briefly summarize what I envision for our ministry in Kenya for our third term.  Once we return to Kenya I will be searching for two important ingredients.  First, I will be searching for a house to rent in order to start training faithful Kenyan men our model of independent, self-reliant, reproducible church planting.  Remember, I want this house to look just like the houses the men who will be trained are living in so that it resembles their own houses.  They need to know they can do in their own home what I have been modeling for them in a house just like their own home.  The second component I will be searching for is, of course, faithful men to teach.  We want to teach them how to reach their own people with the gospel and how to start, organize and maintain New Testament Baptist churches.  Definitely something you all can be praying about with us.

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)

rojuta[at]gmail.com
Visit their blog!

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Missionary Update: The Tates in Kenya [August 2013]

The Tate Family has served the Lord in Kitale, Kenya since January 2008. Their main ministry is indigenous church planting.

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Well, the time is almost upon us. We are just a couple of weeks from departing Kenya and returning to the United States for furlough / home assignment. We are all excited about this but because we are so close to returning we are in almost total and complete shut-down mode here in Kitale. Shutting down operations here in Kenya while we are gone takes a great amount of time and a good amount of money. We have tried from the beginning of our ministries this term to build independency into the people and churches. We have been training them for a long time now and we believe they are ready to begin to stand on their own and lean on the Holy Spirit alone for their strength, wisdom and leadership. Thus, while we are not abandoning these ministries, they will be forging on ahead without us during the time we are in the States. I know it will be hard for them to carry on but it will be hard on me also as I wonder in what way they will proceed in my absence. I wonder if Paul worried much about the churches he started and the men he trained when he left a city and went to another city to continue to preach the gospel. OK, I guess I don’t have to wonder because he said did worry. In 2 Corinthians 11:28 he spoke of his “deep concern for all the churches”. But he also was able to trust in the Holy Spirit to take care of them and knew they were better off in God’s hands then in his own.

We are also in full shut-down mode with all our personal and living arrangements. Making sure everything here will run smoothly for six months is not easy. If there are problems I will certainly not be able to “run back to Africa” to see to things. The logistics of leaving everything for that long can be overwhelming, especially knowing there is little you can do if something goes wrong. Much of it we will have to leave in God’s hands.

Obviously, since we will returning home soon for furlough, we will also begin traveling to our various supporting churches in order to see you all and to give updates and reports of our work here in Kenya. After we have returned and spent some time with family and our home church, Emmanuel Baptist in Bellbrook, Ohio, I will begin contacting you pastors and churches to set up times for us to visit. So, I hope you will be expecting to hear from me. I can also be contacted via email at rojuta[at]gmail.com. We do not currently have a US phone so that is not currently an option. Looking forward to seeing you all soon.

For the glory of God in East Africa,
Roger & Julie Tate (and Emily, Amy, & Josiah)
P.O. Box 96
Kitale, Kenya 30200
rojuta[at]gmail.com
Visit their blog!

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Missionary Update: Sheridan & Anita Stanton on furlough from Peru [November 2012]

Sheridan and Anita Stanton have served the Lord in Peru for 28 years. Their main ministry is church planting and they have helped establish churches all over the country. Sheridan also works to train pastors and Anita works with the ladies’ ministry and developing children’s material.

Dear friends,

The autumn mix of red, yellow, gold and orange has been amazing as Anita and I have traveled the interstates this past month. The first of the month we were in Michigan and had the opportunity to visit Niagara Falls for a few days on the Canadian side for Anita’s birthday. Then we came back to Michigan in time for the Annual Mission Conference sponsored by the Grace Baptist Church of Holly, Michigan –Pastor Bob Hopkins and the Lake Road Baptist Church of Clio, Michigan –Pastor Doug Armstrong.

October – 7 in the morning with the Grace Baptist Church, Holly, Michigan, and then with the Liberty Baptist Church, Burton, Michigan in the evening -Pastor Tim Works.

October – 14 with the Grace Baptist Church, Fairborn, Ohio, pastor Mark Pyle (am service). Emmanuel Baptist Church, Bellbrook, Ohio, pastor Darrell Messer (pm service), then back on Wednesday – 17 with Emmanuel Baptist for their Annual Missions Conference.

October – 19 we headed to Florida so we could be with our home/sending church, Jordan Missionary Baptist of Sanford, Florida on the 21st.

October- 18 we began a four day Revival Meeting with the Grace Baptist Church of Bradenton, Florida, Pastor Jim Burnham. The Lord blessed our meeting with power of the Spirit of God being gloriously manifested. We would have enjoyed attending the Annual Mission Conference of the Bryan Station Baptist Church of Lexington, Kentucky, but the dates conflicted with the meeting in Florida.

At this time Anita and I are in Atlanta, Georgia attending a conference sponsored by the NCCA – National Christian Counselors Association. We head for Glenville, Georgia tomorrow.

We continue to be graciously received by each church. New friends have been made and a lot of old friendships have been strengthened. The amount of miles travelled on furloughs never changes but Anita and I feel this furlough has been a little less stressful due to your faithful prayers. Thank you all so much!

PRAYER REQUESTS:

  • Hilda Bayhi (Anita’s sister) has finished taking chemotherapy and radiation treatments for brain cancer and will undergo cyber-knife surgery to remove the four brain tumors on November 5th.
  • Our son, Major Joshua Stanton, USAF, for his safety as a pilot flying missions in Afghanistan. Hopefully he will return to the States soon and see his new born son, Benjamin for the first time.
  • God’s grace and protection as we continue our furlough travels.
  • Anita’s knees are doing a bit better but still hurting her.
  • For the Calvary Baptist Mission of Huánuco, Peru and all the churches and pastors of Peru.

For the churches reading this letter please consider giving a special, generous, Thanksgiving Offering designated for the General Fund of Baptist Faith Mission.

Until next month,

In HIM by HIS grace,

Sheridan and Anita Stanton
Furlough Address:
1012 Balsam Drive
Lexington, KY 40504
(859) 277-3716 – mission house
(859) 490-5370 – cell in States
(614) 500-8823
sestantonperu[at]hotmail.com – Sheridan
arstantonperu[at]gmail.com – Anita

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