August 3, 2006

Dear praying friends,

Another month has come and passed so quickly, and there are many items to update each of you upon. My wife and I praise the Lord for good health, good ministry opportunities, and the many other blessings He provides for us each day. This update will share current ministry needs, as well as prayer requests.

This past month, we were privileged to have a team come from our home church, Calvary Baptist Church, in Hurricane, WV. The team was composed of five from our church, each with their own gifts and ministries. They were able to get involved in many ministry activities, such as youth Bible clubs, the helicopter ministry, Sunday School, and the prison ministry. I praise the Lord that there appears to be more openness for having visitors to the prison ministry, as in the past, it has been very difficult to enter. We praise the Lord that He has been opening the doors for the visitors to come and see the work of the prison, and pray that even more opportunities may open in the future.

I am presently teaching several courses through TEE, or Theological Education by Extension. This is another curriculum that is available here in Kenya, in the capital city of Nairobi. I am very grateful that they allowed me to purchase the materials in Nairobi and create an extension of their program here in Kitale. We are presently learning about wisdom in the book of Proverbs, and wisdom as it applies to six very crucial areas of our lives. The students are really enjoying the curriculum, and will be taking their exams in the near future to measure their progress. Please be in prayer for each student and their spiritual growth. Our numbers for the classes have increased and we are around maximum capacity for the building we presently meet in. I have already purchased the materials for extra seats to be built, so hopefully this will be completed soon, as our class is very congested.

We have been meeting in a building for the past three years that has multiple uses, including educational classes from the government. I am on a very strict schedule with the prison system, allowed to teach certain hours per day. Also, there has been much congestion in the class with other projects. I have approached the pastor of the prison with this problem, and have asked his advice. He strongly suggested to me to put up my own building, which would not only allow me more flexibility with my schedule, but also be used only for spiritual work. There is also the potential to use it also as a church building in the future. I have prayed about it, and feel this is the next step the Lord has for the ministry. This building has been needed for some time, but now especially, as we have outgrown our present capacity. To achieve the financial challenges of the building, I would need to raise an additional 1,500 dollars. The cost is lower because here is no fee for the labor, as prisoners already trained in building projects will build it. There is already a team available, along with a supervisor, who is willing to build this much needed structure. I praise the Lord that it would be labor free, as all of the funds would be used for building, and not payment of workers. This would allow more space for the building. We are praying and asking the Lord to either burden individuals or churches to give to this project. If this were not necessary, I would not be pursuing it, but it is necessary for the furtherance of this ministry. Would you pray, and ask the Lord how He would use you to vitally impact the lives of prisoners in Kitale, both now and in future years to come? We know it is not possible by ourselves to do this, but according to Luke 1:37, "All things are possible with God." We claim this verse by faith and believe the Lord will touch individuals or churches to give to this much needed building. We would like to have all the funds by October, so please consider how the Lord would use you to assist. When giving to our fund, you can indicate on the check, "Kitale Prison Building Project."

That is all to report presently from Kitale. We will be sure to keep you updated on the many challenges of the ministry here, and how you can pray for us. God bless you.

In Kenya,
Nathan and Carrie Radford

Nathan Radford with some of the men he ministers to through the prison ministry.