March 5, 2005
Dear praying friends,
It is already the third month of 2005, as the time has passed so quickly. My wife and I appreciate the emails of encouragement from many of you, and also for the letters sent to us directly. Each of you are a big blessing to us, and we thank God for you. We read each email and letter with appreciation, and thank you for your interest in the ministry.
This prayer letter is an extension of last month's prayer letter, where I described my missionary call and also was able to discuss the ministries that were conducted during my first term. Although things done in the past are very important, it is also essential
to look to the future and have a vision for where God is leading. In Proverbs it states, "Where there is no vision, the people perish." May
we always be looking to the future and prepare to serve the Lord in even greater ways than before.
Below are several of the future items that I will pursue upon my return to Kenya during my second term,
Lord willing. Also, there is a section for where my wife will assist me in the ministry, as so many
have asked about her and where she desires to be used overseas as well.
Future ministries in Kitale, Kenya:
- Church plant: There has been a possibility for months within the Kitale main prison to start a church. Not only have prisoners been interested, but also guards and high ranking officials. Many new believers through the evangelism ministry have desired to be baptized, but there have been some government barriers to this. Although there have been obstacles, the Lord is continuing to open this door for a church plant and I continue to be in fervent prayer about it. I continue to trust Him and look forward to how He will work in this new area of ministry. This is a very exciting possibility and I would like to pursue this upon return into the country again.
- Evangelism/Discipleship: I would like to further increase and expand this ministry not only in the prison but also in the churches. I feel that many of the Christians in Kitale were not interested in this ministry, yet God was working on them to be more available to be used in evangelizing to others. I would like to get other Kenyans involved in this ministry who were not previously involved, not only to challenge them, but to give them practical experience in reaching others for the kingdom of God. The goal of a successful missionary is multiplication, and this ministry is essential to reach this goal effectively.
- Prison ministry: There were many prisoners/guards who wanted me to expand the works even further. There were possibilities of an AIDS awareness class, more Biblical theology, other Bible school branches, and other opportunities with the women's prison. There is also a need to move our ministry into a bigger location to be able to reach more prisoners within a shorter amount of time. Chairs and pews are being built presently and hopefully we can move into a larger location upon my return, thereby reaching more and training/equipping more prisoners. There is also a possibility of expanding the work into branches, with two other prisons interested in the Bible teaching, one prison with over 1,000 prisoners and the other with over 300 prisoners. Many exciting opportunities exist in this area. The Lord has opened so many doors for these ministries, and many of you have asked about them. Several of the prisoners have visited the churches upon their departure and many are interested in also being trained in our Bible school in theology. This is very exciting, so please continue to be in prayer about this as well.
- Orphanage: The premier desire for ministry of my future wife is to work with orphans. She has been called to missions since 9th grade and originally wanted to work in China with orphanage work. When she came to Kenya in August of 2003, she saw the need to work with the orphans and has been burdened in this area for quite some time. My mother works part-time presently in an established orphanage to get experience and see how a professional orphanage is run and conducted. Carrie could go with my mother to get valuable experience in this area as well, until we could get the funds and staff necessary to carry on an orphanage of our own. There are around 1,000 orphans in Kitale, so there is a huge need for this area of ministry. Many missionaries have pursued ministries with orphans, as we think of the great missionary George Mueller, who established several orphanages. The possibilities with working with orphans in Kitale are endless, so pray that the Lord would give us wisdom for how to set up this type of ministry during our second term.
These are the future ministries that we hope to pursue upon our return. As you can see, we have many goals and also many opportunities that we are pursuing. We invite you to come and personally see the ministries after we return to the country. As several from my home church came to Kenya last year, their lives were radically and forever changed. This will certainly be the case for you as well, as it is truly a life-changing experience that you will never forget. The Lord may even call you to be a missionary and reach these areas of the world, so pray about your involvement with a personal trip to Kenya.
Concerning our financial needs, we have lost some previous support, but are excited that we have gained
some extra support this past month. We underestimated our financial needs when we originally drafted
our budget, as there will be many more expenses than we considered before. We are presently around
79% of our support, and we are trusting the Lord to provide the remaining funds. Please pray, either
as a church or an individual, how the Lord would use you to further His work in Kitale, Kenya. 1 Thessalonians
5:23 states "Faithful is He Who called you, Who also will do it." We are trusting the Lord
completely for our needs. For present supporters, please continue to faithfully send your funds, as
we depend on this assistance heavily each month and have many expenses here. We are also saving for
further expenses upon our return to Kenya, as there will be many. If the Lord would burden you to begin
supporting this work, please send your assistance to the address listed below. God bless you.
Tunaendelea kumwamini Mungu,
(We continue to trust God- Swahili language)
Nathan and Carrie Radford
For ministry donations:
Pastor George Sledd
Treasurer of BFM
P.O. Box 471280
Lake Monroe, FL 32747-1280