Bits and Pieces
The Tate Family has served the Lord in Kitale, Kenya since January 2008. Their main ministry is indigenous church planting.
September 22, 2017
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
Bits and pieces.
Election re-do. Well, our August 8th presidential election was held and a president was elected. Two weeks later the supreme court of Kenya annulled the August 8th election saying there were “anomalies”. Exactly what those anomalies were I can’t say because I really don’t know. Thus, the elections were rescheduled for October 17th. Then they were rescheduled for October 23rd. Now they have been rescheduled for October 26th. At least, that is the last date that I have heard. Now we have to do everything all over again: Prepare for the election; buy extra food, water and fuel; pray that all goes well; ride out any storm that may come. All of this is very disappointing to me as I really just wanted the whole election process over and done with. I was planning a trip to the United States for the month of November. Now that trip has been postponed indefinitely as I cannot leave my wife and kids here to ride out any potential violence on their own. Beloved, once again please pray for peace in Kenya and closure to this presidential election process of 2017.
Julie has spent the last month in the US. She has been able to visit family and friends and also made a quick trip to Dayton to visit with our home church, Emmanuel Baptist in Bellbrook, OH. I am writing this report in Nairobi as I wait for her plane to arrive in just a little over two hours. We will be very happy to have her home and back with us. Our family is just not complete without our matriarch and man (aka, me) was not meant to be alone. With Julie being gone for a month I have been the sole caretaker of Chloe and the household duties. As a result, much of my “out of the house” duties were put on hold.
I have been preparing to teach a financial management class at the local theological college. I try and teach classes at this college whenever I have time and an opportunity. The class begins this Monday (three days from now). It is an important class for current and future Kenyan pastors. Biblical financial management is almost unheard of among the churches and pastors that I know here. There are no controls, no safeguards, no accountability, no audits or checks and balances, no rules and very little integrity. Pastors and leaders feel like they can do whatever they want with church money, including putting it in their own pockets. My goal in the upcoming class is NOT to make them financial wizards (anyway, I could not teach them to be what I am not). Nor is my goal to make them money wise. I simply want them to know the Biblical principles about money management and how to apply those principles into their church finances and structure and into their family finances as well. What I want them to know is that “Business practices comes from Biblical principles”. I want them to have integrity when it comes to their finances at church and at home. I want them to have Biblical wisdom concerning money. I want them to glorify God and expand the Kingdom of Jesus Christ in the way they spend and use the money that God gives to them. It will be a tall task.
Amy and Josiah have started new school years at RVA. Amy is now a Junior and Josiah is a Sophomore. I like to constantly remind Josiah that the word Sophomore basically comes from two Greek words: Sofos – meaning wise, and Moros – meaning moron, dull, stupid and foolish. I never get tired of telling him he is a wise moron. Doesn’t that just perfectly describe someone about 15 years of age? They think they know everything and in reality, they know nothing. Well, I guess I can’t knock Josiah too much. I don’t know much of anything either and I’m almost 48 years old. That’s why I’ve been growing my beard out – to make me look wiser. However, when Julie gets here in about two hours and sees it she’s going to make me shave it.
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 Amy, Josiah & Chloe)
rojuta[at]gmail.com
Visit their blog!
Read more
Awaiting News on Kenyan Presidential Election; Preparing to Return
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 31, 2017
Dear praying friends,
As I type this, we are now a little over a week from the presidential election in Kenya. It is scheduled for August 8th, and we would ask prayer specifically for the country, for the response of the nation after the results are announced, and for peace and stability. We just simply don’t know how things will turn out. We trust God in all these matters and know He is in complete control of all things. What a mighty God we serve.
I (Nathan) have been working hard in translating materials on church planting from English into Swahili, the national language of Kenya. It has been a challenge, and definitely a good refresher to brush up on the words that I have learned. I still have some more translating to do, but am pleased with the progress so far. I have needed to refer to a dictionary as I have translated, as there are still many words that are used that I struggle to get the meaning. This is one of the main challenges on the mission field, using the language and trying to understand what others are saying. Many times the words are said so quickly that even if you do understand the meanings, it is still hard to follow. Please pray for me as I continue along, that I would get it all translated. It is a big project, but God has been helping me with it.
Please continue to pray for our family, especially for our health when we return. It has been good for our family to get a break from all the many health issues overseas and to give our bodies a time of refreshment and stability. Please also continue to pray that God would provide friends for our daughters, as this is a big need for them on the mission field. We are thankful for these prayers and God has been answering. He is so faithful.
I will give a much more in-depth update on the country of Kenya and how things are going once I know in more detail in the next few days. We definitely plan to return, but want to wait and ensure the country is safe and stable before returning. It is all in God’s hands. Not only is the election in His hands, but our times are in His hands. I am reminded of Psalm 31:15, which says, “My times are in thy hand: deliver me from the hands of mine enemies, and from them that persecute me.” Thanks so much for your faithfulness, prayers, and sacrificial giving. We appreciate you each so much.
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.
Read more
Praying for Peaceful Elections and Protection in Kenya
The Tate Family has served the Lord in Kitale, Kenya since January 2008. Their main ministry is indigenous church planting.
July 29, 2017
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
Do you all remember what was going on in the States a little less than a year ago, in November of 2016 to be exact? Yes, that’s right…it was the presidential elections. Wasn’t that fun? Or was it not so fun after all? I’m sure you were all fed up with the whole process by the time election day rolled around.
Well, we are also right in the middle of an election process here in Kenya. In fact, we are almost at the tail-end of the campaign. And we are all fed up with the process here as well. The current president of Kenya is even in Kitale today campaigning, which brings lots of extra people to town, lots of police and security, lots of traffic, lots of noise and lots of headaches. The main campaigning and advertising tactic for politicians in Kenya is to hire a pickup truck, load it full of enormous speakers and drive it around town all day blaring music and campaign slogans. And there has been a lot of that seeing as every elected position in Kenya is up for grabs right now – President/VP, Members of Parliament, Governors, Ministers, Cabinet. Everything. Local, regional, and federal. And it all comes to a head as Kenyans head to the polls on August 8th.
So, while we will be glad to have this election year in the past, we head into August 8th with a bit of anxiety and trepidation. You see, elections in Kenya are not quite the docile affair you expect in the States. We really have no idea what to expect as a result of these upcoming elections. In 2007 there were riots, thousands of people were killed all over the country, churches were burned with people hiding inside of them, businesses were destroyed, and supply lines were cut off as tribe went to war against tribe. This went on for about 2 months. In 2012 the elections were held mostly peacefully and there were only little pockets of violence across the country. But this year is shaping up more like 2007 than 2012. The same tribes are involved and the same man is running for president that lost in 2007 and who sparked the riots back then. He has already vowed not to accept the results as legitimate if they should go against him. That will lead to more trouble here in Kenya.
I have tried to keep my finger on the pulse of what is going on around here. There are European Union representatives here that predict trouble. Also, the last few months I have been asking a lot of people here in Kitale what they are thinking. Many think we will have no trouble. But many others are not so sure. Most business will be shutting down over the elections and will not be re-opening until they know it is safe to re-open. At home we have been in preparations also. I’ve purchased extra cans of diesel for the car, extra tanks of gas for the stove, extra water, extra food and extra phone credit. Most of the other missionaries have left or are leaving Kenya in the next week in order to avoid the elections. They will return when things have settled down. But we are not able to leave Kenya on account of the fact that we cannot travel with Chloe outside of the country. We will have to ride out any storm that may arise. We are placing ourselves in God’s hands and praying that everything will go smoothly and that He will protect us from any potential violence that may occur.
Please also be in prayer concerning our elections here on August 8th. We are really more concerned about out Kenyan brothers and sisters than for ourselves. If there is trouble they will be the ones most likely to suffer and not us. There is much unrest and people are not happy with the current administration. We do not wish to see our Kenyan brothers and sisters hurting and killing each other.
Lord, may there be peace in Kenya throughout this election process and may the peace that results also cause Your kingdom here to grow, prosper and bring You much glory.
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 Amy, Josiah & Chloe)
rojuta[at]gmail.com
Visit their blog!
Read more
Missionary Update: The Radfords in Kenya [April 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,
Another month has come and gone, and there are many things to update you about. We praise the Lord for health, strength, His protection, and the opportunities He gives us to serve Him. This update will give a current ministry update as well as prayer requests.
As I write this letter, we are now in the final stages of our move. Praise the Lord! It has been a long, difficult three months since we found we had to move out, but the Lord has been so faithful and provided another place nearby to live. We also met with the caretaker, who was very friendly, and we are pleased. We have still not unpacked everything, as there are still some boxes around, but we are getting there step by step. Isn’t it wonderful to know that throughout the seasons of life, God is so faithful and will care for us each step of the way? I am thankful for His guidance and provisions. Psalm 48:14 says “For this God is our God for ever and ever: he will be our guide even unto death.” Thanks so much for each one who has prayed for us during this transition. We are now getting settled and appreciate your prayers for us during this time.
Concerning the election, it has been very interesting. The election was originally held on March 4th. One of the presidential candidates was declared the president elect, yet the other challenger has taken the matter to the Kenya Supreme Court. It has been in the court for a few days now, and we are awaiting the final decision. I have been pleasantly surprised by the lack of unrest. It seems things are calmer this time than last election. However, there is still very much the potential for unrest when the final decision is made. Please continue to pray for us, the other missionaries, and the country and people of Kenya. We desire to see this spirit of peace continue. Ultimately, God is in control, no matter what happens. He is always on the throne and we can trust Him with everything. There are many good verses regarding God’s sovereignty, but one of my favorites is Psalm 115:3, which says “But our God is in the heavens: he hath done whatsoever he hath pleased.” What a blessing to know we serve the sovereign God of the universe, and He is always completely, absolutely in control.
The church in Shangalamwe is continuing along. My good friend Roger Tate and I are now in the stage of observing the elder as he leads the church. This stage is very important, to ensure that the elder has grasped the teaching and follows the Scripture as he leads and guides the church to follow the Lord. Please pray for the elder as he has taken on this role, and for us also, as we seek to help him any way that we can. We are also continuing to work with a national to plant churches, and this is going along well. Out of one group many other groups have started, and many of these groups desire to be churches. Please pray for him, and also for us, as we instruct and teach him weekly to plant these churches, Lord willing.
My wife is continuing along in the hospital ministry. We thank the Lord for the opportunities He has given her to serve there over the years. There are so many there who are suffering and we thank the Lord for the doors He has opened for her to serve there. Thanks to each one who prays for this ministry or sends supplies for the mothers and children. Psalm 68:5 says “A father of the fatherless, and a judge of the widows, is God in his holy habitation.” God cares about these children and the conditions they face, and we are honored to have a small part to minister and care for them.
Thanks so much to each one who sends us notes, emails, or letters of encouragement. It means so much. Many days here we face the typical challenges of missionary life, and certainly homesickness, loneliness, and other issues can come. Your letters and emails brighten our days. God bless each of you for your prayers, sacrificial giving, and encouragement. We will keep you updated.
In Kenya,
Nathan and Carrie Radford
P.O. Box 4150
Kitale, Kenya
East Africa 30200
Read more
