Missionary Update: The Radfords in Kenya [January 2013]

Nathan and Carrie Radford serve the Lord in Kitale, Kenya. Their main ministries include indigenous church planting, a prison ministry, and a hospital ministry for mothers with premature babies.

Dear praying friends,                                    

Lord willing, by the time you receive this prayer letter, it will be the year 2013. I know at this time that many people make “New Year’s resolutions” for the upcoming year. My prayer is that we would make resolutions to follow the Lord closely this year, be committed to serving Him, and reaching the lost with the Gospel message. Would these be good resolutions for us to follow this upcoming year? I think so, and I hope and pray that these would be some of the goals for this year. May we have more zeal to serve the Lord this year that is ahead. Romans 12:10-11 says “Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another; Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord.” This update will share ministry progress as well as prayer requests.

Before discussing ministry, I would ask prayer for two specific things. The first is our work permit. To legally continue in the ministries here in Kenya, a work permit from the government is needed. These usually expire every two to three years. Our permit expires in April of this year. Please pray that if it would be the Lord’s will, that the renewal of the permit would be granted with no issues or problems. We have heard of other permits having problems, so this is why I ask prayer for this specifically. We know the Lord is in complete control, and we trust Him with it. What a comfort it is to know that God is sovereign, nothing takes Him by surprise, and we can trust Him with everything in our lives. Psalm 115:3 says “But our God is in the heavens: he hath done whatsoever he hath pleased.” Thanks for prayers for this.

Also, the election of Kenya is drawing near. As you may recall from the previous election, the country had unrest and certain areas were dangerous. We praise the Lord that during the last election Kitale was calm and peaceful. I believe the election is scheduled for March, so please pray for the whole election process, that it would be done fairly and that it would remain peaceful.  During our recent missionary community meeting we discussed the election and it was recommended to have additional supplies at home to last one to two months. This way, in case of any unrest or problems, we would have our necessary supplies. Even while Kitale is usually peaceful, other communities on the route from Nairobi to Kitale aren’t and this causes problems for the delivery trucks, thus a shortage of supplies.  How thankful we are to have a close missionary community who takes care of each other. We are truly blessed. John 14:27 says “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” What a great verse for us to know and claim, wherever we are or whatever situation we are in.

The church plant in the village of Shangalamwe is continuing along. There have been definite challenges along the way such as high dependence on the missionary, and I am so thankful for my good friend Roger Tate and our co-laboring in this village.  I thank the Lord for his family’s willingness to live and serve here in Kenya. Life here is difficult as we are often homesick, lonely and experiencing culture fatigue but what a blessing they are not only to us, but so many others.

Please pray for this church in Shangalamwe, that they would follow the Scriptures in their faith and practice. There are many requests such as that they would recognize the authority of the Word of God and follow it wholeheartedly. Also that they would have a heart to serve others and that they would seek to be independent of us and rely on the Lord. Please pray also for us as missionaries, that we would faithfully teach the Scriptures in love and that we would be an encouragement to this church. Please pray that we would be a good example before others and be the “salt and light” that the Bible calls us to be. There are so many things to pray about, and these are just some of the current prayer requests. A quote I like is “There is much to pray about and nothing to worry about.” We will keep you updated of this ministry.

The Annex prison is continuing along well. We are now near the end of the “Firm Foundations” course. It has been exciting to watch the growth spiritually in these men. The next plan is to teach the men how to study the Word of God inductively, verse by verse, chapter by chapter. In this way, Lord willing, when they are released, they can go and teach others in their areas and villages. These men come from all over the country, and when I discussed this option with the men, they were very excited about it. I thank the Lord for the cooperation of the main office and the chaplains. We will keep you updated of this also.

In family prayer requests, one of our current requests is for playmates for our two daughters. Unfortunately, it has not been very easy for our children to have other children their age to play with. Most of the missionary children here are older. So, a big family prayer request is that our daughters will have children their age to play with. There has been a recent opportunity for them to go weekly to a nearby children’s home to play with the Kenyan children, and this has greatly helped. However, it would still be good for them to have American children to play with also that are their age. We would appreciate prayers for this, as this is specifically for our children.

In closing, may we all be zealous for the Lord this year. We do not know the day the Lord will return. It could be anytime. If the Lord were to come today, would He find us faithfully serving Him? I hope and pray so. There is no better time to serve the Lord than right now. I pray that we would be the living sacrifice the Bible calls us to be. I will close with Romans 12:1-2, which says “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.”

God’s blessings to each of you.

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

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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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Missionary Update: The Radfords in Kenya [July 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.

July 3, 2012

Dear praying friends,

We have now passed the halfway point into the year 2012. As I reflect on this past year, and how quickly time passes, I am reminded how we need to be investing ourselves in service to the Lord and His kingdom. Our life here on earth is just a breath compared to eternity. James 4:14 states “Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.” May we use the opportunities the Lord gives us to serve Him. This update will give ministry progress as well as share prayer requests.

This past month was an exciting one in relation to church planting here in Kitale. My good friend Roger Tate and I have been teaching the Word of God to a special family in a small village named Shangalamwe which is located here in Kitale. We have covered many different studies with them, and prepared them to become a church of the Lord Jesus Christ. On June 24th of last month, we had an official ceremony to open Shangalamwe Baptist Church. What an exciting time it is for these people. Please pray for this church, and also for the people in the village of Shangalamwe. Pray for my friend Roger and I, that we would continue to be faithful to help and assist these people through mentoring them to grow spiritually, and reach others for Christ. Please pray that the Lord would raise up leaders for this church that love the Lord and desire to faithfully serve Him. Please pray that these people would continue to pray, rely on the Lord, and study the Word of God. The Word of God is profitable in so many ways, and how we need to faithfully study it. 2 Timothy 2:15 says “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”

The Annex prison ministry is continuing along well. The Lord has provided faithful men to come and study His Word. It has been exciting to watch how the Lord has been working in their lives, and I thank the Lord for each one who has been coming. I also am thankful for the cooperation of the officials at the Annex prison. We are now over halfway through the course “Firm Foundations – from Creation to Christ.” I am aware of all the many challenges that these men face, and am thankful for their faithfulness. Many of them receive discouragement in many ways, yet they continue to faithfully study. Please pray for these men and also for their spiritual growth. Pray that I would be faithful to share the Gospel message as well as teach the Word, relying on the Lord for the results. Nothing can happen without the Lord and His help. 1 Corinthians 3:6 says “I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase.” May we all remember to rely on the Lord as we serve Him.

In family news, it has been exciting to watch our daughters grow and develop. McKenna is now four years old and very active. She is such a blessing and what a privilege it is for my wife and I to be her parents. Camille is 16 months old, and has not yet started walking, but is certainly crawling all over. It will not be long before she is walking. She can mutter some words now and then, such as “dada,” which thrills my heart. What a blessed man I am, with such a wonderful wife and daughters. Please pray for unity in our family, and that my wife and I would be the examples before our children that we need to be. It is a big responsibility. Our children watch our actions more than our words. A statement that has really challenged me is “Example speaks louder than words.” May we be the examples for the Lord that we need to be throughout our daily lives.

We hope you all have a great fourth of July there in the States as we celebrate here in Kenya. May we be in prayer for our nation, and the leaders of the United States of America. How we need to heed the words of Proverbs 14:34, which says “Righteousness exalteth a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people.” God bless you and we will keep you updated.

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

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Missionary Update: The Radfords in Kenya [April 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.

April 3, 2012

Another month has come and passed so quickly, and it is hard to believe that we are already in the month of April. May we be committed to serving the Lord, wherever He calls us to serve, and use our opportunities that He gives us for Him. This update will share ministry progress, as well as prayer requests.

We would request prayer for the health of our family. It is difficult to stay healthy here. Our daughter Camille contracted malaria, right after her first birthday. I recently contracted amoeba (a stomach illness), and am doing much better now. Camille is also doing fine now. We praise the Lord for the good medical facilities that we have here in Kitale, and the good care we have received. There are good places to go for medical help here, and we praise the Lord for this. Please pray for our continued health, as we are now upon rainy season, which brings more mosquitoes for malaria and water-borne illnesses.

This month, we celebrate two birthdays of people who are very special to me. McKenna has a birthday later in the month, and my wife has a birthday the middle of the month. I thank the Lord so much for both of them and how much they mean to me. Camille turned one year old in February, and is already crawling well, and will be walking soon, Lord willing. Please pray for our family, that we would stay in unity, love each other, and be committed to serving the Lord. One of my favorite quotes is “The family that prays together stays together.”

The Annex prison ministry is continuing well. I praise the Lord for the cooperation that I have seen of the chaplains, as well as the staff, and their support. So many prisoners feel forgotten and struggle in many areas. Hebrews 13:3 states “Remember them that are in bonds, as bound with them; and them which suffer adversity, as being yourselves also in the body.” I recently received news that one of the main chaplains that I have worked with from the beginning of this ministry is being transferred soon. Please pray for him and his adjustments ahead, as well as for myself and the prisoners as we continue with the ministry.

As far as church planting, one of the groups my friend Roger Tate and I have been working with has expressed a definite desire and purpose to move in the direction of becoming a church. The people coming have been active in sharing their faith and teaching others as well. How exciting this is, and we ask prayers for us, as we continue to teach and train this group in church planting. We need a lot of wisdom from the Lord, and would covet your prayers for this. James 1:5 says “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.” We will be sure to keep you updated on the progress of this ministry as well.

We hope each of you are continuing well in the year 2012, and we thank the Lord so much for your sacrificial giving, prayer support, and encouragement. We appreciate each one who sends a card, letter, or email. It means so much to us. There are many challenges here, and God many times tests our faith in Him. What I have discovered is that God is so faithful, even during the difficult times. God tests our faith to teach us to trust Him, and I am sure that many of you can identify with that at home as well. May we be faithful to serve, love, and surrender ourselves to Him. 1 Corinthians 4:2 states “Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful.” I hope and pray that this is our desire. God bless you all and we will be sure to keep you updated.

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

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