December 3, 2002

Dear praying friends,

I have now arrived safely back in Kitale after four very challenging months of language school in Tanzania . I am so happy to be back, and I have missed the people of Calvary Baptist Church of Kitale so much.

My last weeks of language school were very tough, as I was trying to remember all that I had studied during my four months. There were sixty lessons of Swahili, and fourteen examinations, so it was very challenging. Also, I had two major projects, as I wrote my written project concerning my three trips to Africa , as well as the project of writing my speech for graduation in Swahili. It was an honor to be asked to speak; however, there was much effort in the preparation of the speech, so it challenged me as well.

This past Sunday was my first Sunday at Calvary Baptist Church of Kitale in over four months. It was great to be able to see familiar faces and renew friendships that I have made since I have arrived in Africa . I was told to prepare a speech in Swahili to greet the people, so I spent much time preparing for my speech. I was introduced to speak in the morning service, and I talked about my time in Tanzania , how much I missed the people of Kitale, as well as my goals for learning the language this upcoming year. It went well, and God was so faithful to help as He has promised in His Word. I am looking forward to developing my skills further this upcoming year. I received a great foundation in the language; now it is my responsibility to develop on the foundation that I have received. I would appreciate your prayers, for it is never easy to learn another language; however, it is very important to be able to speak and minister to the people in their own language.

I have several projects going this month. I will soon begin to put the packets together for the prison ministry, which I will start later this month. Thank you so much to the many who gave for this project. With the money that you gave, I was able to buy all the necessary supplies. It will be a challenge to put over 1,000 packets together, but I am looking forward to what God will do in this ministry. Please pray that the prisoner’s hearts will be open to the Word of God. There is so much to be done in Kitale Main Prison, and I pray that God will use me and others to build into the lives of these prisoners and to help them learn and apply the Word of God to their lives.

I also am taking a more active role with the youth of our church. There are so many youth in our church with so much potential, and I want to build into their lives and make an impact. I am pleased with the spirit of service in our youth, as well as their desire to know the Word of God. Please pray that this ministry will prosper in the days to come.

Thank you so much to the many of you who have written to me and told me that you are praying for me, as well as asking about any needs I may have. It means so much to me, and I pray that God will bless you abundantly. Have a great upcoming Christmas season. May we never forget the true meaning of Christmas, the birth of Christ and its impact in our lives. God bless you.

Sincerely,

Nathan Radford