Lack of Faith
December 10, 2022
Greetings in the name of Jesus Christ,
Lack of faith.
Lack of faith is my trouble. When something terrible happens this week, my first reaction is “Why God?” Why did that horrible thing have to happen? Why, if you love me, did you allow that, when you could have changed it?
Lack of faith is my trouble. Why God, is my life like this? This is not what I designed for myself. I want my mind to think differently, and, God, I’ve asked you for help to trust. Why don’t you help me?
Lack of faith is my trouble. Why, God, does your Word not work for me the way that it works for others? Why do they find such comfort in it while I only struggle? Why do others find faith while I doubt?
Do you know what is interesting, though (for this newsletter)? I find the faith of Kenyan believers astounding.
Roger: “You have no money and no job. How are you going to provide for your family?”
Kenyan believer: “I don’t know. But God will feed us.”
Roger: “You have no income, no savings, and no friends with resources, and no plans. How are you going to pay your school fees?”
Kenyan believer: “I don’t know. But God wants me to go to this school and so he will provide my school fees.”
Roger: “Your husband has died after a long sickness. The hospital is demanding money. The mortuary won’t release his body until you pay. He was the only one with an income. What are you going to do?”
Kenyan believer: “I don’t know. I will trust in God.”
We are all in school together, my Kenyan students and me. We are all trying to learn God and learn God’s ways together. Our faith, theirs and mine, are constantly being stretched at the same time, but sometimes in different ways.
I have a lot of Biblical knowledge after years of study and I hopefully have a little wisdom from trying to apply that Biblical knowledge to everyday life for many years. I have a lot I can teach them. They have a simple faith (not a simplistic faith) that trusts God against reason, and joyfully. They have a lot they can teach me.
We are approaching the Christmas season. In Kenya, December is pretty much just like any other month of the year. Christmas consists of about three days for most Kenyans. Day 1: Travel back to your birthplace/homeplace. Day 2: Celebrate Christmas with your family by eating some roasted goat. Day 3: Travel back home. Whether we are rush-rush in the United States or eating goat in Kenya, may we all come and adore the King, our Savior, Jesus.
Joy to the world. 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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Ministering to the Guarani Indians
November 20, 2021
Dear friends and family,
Since our trip to Brazil last month was a very long one, I thought I would just continue my relating about that trip. As I told you before, we met with many pastors and encouraged them and the other students, but I did not tell you how they were an encouragement to us as we traveled around. The stories that I heard this trip was one of how so many were thankful for the seminary and the training that they have received, and also how they are anticipating the next classes. You can only imagine how this has blessed our hearts to know that we are following God’s will in the continuation of this Seminary.
When we had finished the meetings with the Pastors about the new schedules, we had some extra time, so we went to visit our Pastor friend Valdival and his wife Rosa. They are the Missionaries to the Guarani Indians located near the city or Paraty, just over the state line of São Paulo into Rio de Janairo about 3 hours from Caraguatatuba (the city of our last church plant). We helped minister to this tribe with our Church in Caraguatatuba.
They are a group of Indians who have been placed on a reservation and are very much in need of all the basics: food, clothing, and other life necessities. They live in mud huts or other pieced-together houses (houses that they have gathered bits and pieces from everywhere). The mud houses are made of bamboo and mud and the process takes many different layers with time between the applications. The floors are just dirt, and many are just one room. Electric is furnished by the Government but there is no heat nor air nor running water. Many of the older Indians speak only their native language, but the younger ones also speak Portuguese.
While in our last church there in Caraguatatuba we visited this tribe with our church people and groups from the States, taking them some of those basic needs that I was talking about, and bringing the gospel to them also. We were encouraged to know that 7 of the tribe accepted Jesus as their Savior and Lord.
Here is where Barbara and I need some extra help. We want to purchase Bibles in their native language. We were able to do this a few years back, but there are none of these Bibles left. The wife of one of the women of the tribe said that she was the proud owner of three of these Bibles, but when someone from the tribe sees them, they have begged her to give them one. Needless to say, she has not refused to give two of her stash, but she says that she hides her last one now so she does not feel guilty for not giving it to those who ask. Because these Bibles have to be translated into their language and be special ordered they are expensive. Pray with us to be able to get these Bibles into the Caragua Baptist Church and then into the hands of the Guarani Indians.
After the holidays, we would like to start a fund to purchase Bibles for this tribe. If you or your church would like to help with this purchase, please donate to the Indian Bible fund. We thank you in advance for your help.
As always, we covet your prayers for us in general and for our health and safety as we minister and travel. Miracles happen because of prayers. Also pray for BFM and all who are involved everyone who contributes and all our missionaries. Remembering Philippians 4:6 says pray about everything.
In His service,
Aj and Barbara
CONTACT INFO
AJ & Barbara Hensley
592 Emery Court
Lexington, KY 40505
AJ: 859-539-2302 | Barbara: 859-539-1424
ajcaragua@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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Fine Tuning Presentation and Praying for Next Term
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 we are now into the month of March. Time passes so quickly and the weather of spring is already beginning to start in the state of West Virginia. We had a cold spell for several days this past month and our electricity even went out several times. We are thankful for the nice, sunny weather that is coming ahead.
I (Nathan) have been in the process of contacting churches to speak for furlough. I worked hard on my missions dvd this past month, got it finished, and am waiting for the final copies to arrive soon. I have also been working on my missions presentation, so it has been a busy past month. Our new prayer cards are also finished, so I am thankful for all the accomplishments of the past few weeks. Please pray for me as I am working on fine tuning my missions presentation, and that God would receive all the glory. Please also pray that churches will begin to open up and get back to some normalcy after all the challenging months of coronavirus. God is in control.
My wife Carrie has been busy with homeschooling our daughters. She is doing a great job, although it can be overwhelming at times. Education is no small matter, and she wants to ensure that she is doing her best and that our daughters are getting schooling materials that will prepare them well for high school and university. Please pray for her for strength, wisdom, and guidance as she prepares for each year.
Kenya is still getting hit with the coronavirus. I saw also that Tanzania, which is right next to Kenya, is also seeing a surge in its cases. They are many medical challenges all over Africa at the moment, so would you please pray for the continent of Africa in general? That the doctors, nurses, and medical facilities would not be overwhelmed, that a treatment/vaccine would come quickly, and that those who have contracted the virus would be recovering and healing. Hopefully things will start to get back to normal in the coming months.
Please also pray for the young men that I hope to train in our next term. Please pray that God would lead me to the right men for ministry, those that are hungry for the Word of God, have a servant spirit, and desire to see others discipled and churches started. Matthew 4:4 says But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.” Amen. May we be hungry for the Word of God, and allow it to feed us each day spiritually. Also, consider Matthew 23:11 “But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant.” A servant spirit is something I desire in my students, and I am trusting God to lead me to these men in His plan.
We will be sure to keep you updated. Thanks so much for your prayer support, letters of encouragement, sacrificial giving, and interest in the work of God in Kitale, Kenya. You each are such a blessing.
Until next month,
Nathan & Carrie Radford
Contact Info:
Nathan and Carrie Radford
1126 Smith Street
Milton, WV 25541
naterad@yahoo.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
