JOHN AND ALTA HATCHER | APRIL 2011

John & Alta Hatcher | Caixa Postal 112 | Urai, PR – Brazil 86280-000

E-mail: jhatcher@uol.com.br

Dear Brethren and Fellow Workers,

At this writing, my body feels like I do not have many Mission Sheets letters to write. Alta and I are well and still going. However, we have been having some old age pains and problems that are somewhat debilitating.

THE GOOD NEWS – Three persons were baptized into the fellowship of Urai Baptist Church: a young man and his wife who were saved in Japan and baptized there in an irregular church, and the third person is the father of Willer, one of the faithful young people. The story of Willer is a wonderful story of what God can do with a young person. He was a very active leader among the youth in the Catholic church. One Sunday his aunt, who had been saved in England, brought him to a service. He trusted the Lord as Savior and said to his family, “I want to be a preacher like Brother Hatcher!” He was nine years old at that time. Now he is twenty-one. His mother has been saved and baptized. His grandmother has been saved. His father has been saved and baptized. His grandfather is a great person, but opposed to the Lord’s work. He is showing signs of an inward need. Pray for salvation.

ASSAI – Due to a city ordinance, the building is stopped in Assai. Neighbors on four sides have to sign a document stating they have no opposition to the building. By next week we should know if we go or stop.  While we were at the City Hall at Assai taking care of red tape, I had the opportunity to witness at length to two of the workers who were helping us.

SEED SOWN TAKING EFFECT – For many years we had a weekly Children’s Bible Hour in our home. The children who attended are now married and have children. This past month one mother started bringing her two children and a niece to Sunday School. Another came to our house. She has had five children, been to many churches, but has not found one that teaches what she learned as a child. Problems in her home and life brought her to seek help. Pray for her and her family that they will find the will of God for their lives.

Sincerely, in the Name of our Lord, John and Alta Hatcher

MIKE AND BEV CREIGLOW  |  APRIL 2011

Michael D. Creiglow | Caixa Postal 24     69980 | Cruzeiro do Sul, Acre  Brazil

April 11, 2011
Dear Brethren,
Hudson, Eliésio and I just returned from our longest mission trip ever. It wasn’t our longest in time (16 days), but beat all records in distance. We traveled over 3,000 miles going to and returning from the mouth of the Juruá River.
Before I tell you a little about this trip, here is some background. In 2006 and 2007 we preached the gospel in every house on 22 rivers and streams up stream from Cruzeiro do Sul. In 2009 we turned our sights toward the lower Juruá. The first step was to gather as much info on the section of river between Cruzeiro do Sul and Eirunepé.
Since then our guys have preached house to house on all 260 miles of river. They also established 4 permanent works. We also were able to get the churches at Ipixuna and Eirunepé to participate in the mission effort.
This last trip to the mouth of the Juruá River was to gather data for the next phase. I put my boat on a barge and the 3 of us went along to save on the gas cost. It took us 10 days to reach the mouth where the river flows into the Amazon. That was over 1500 miles downstream from Cruzeiro do Sul. During the trip I was able to repair the engine of the tug boat that was pushing us along, help transfer cargo to another barge and help with some of the regular duties on board. We had great opportunities to witness to the crew members.
Once we finally reached the mouth the next stop was 7 miles down the Amazon to a village called Itamamnicoá, where we unloaded my boat and got ready for the long trip back up stream. We left the same day and it took us 6 days to make it back to Cruzeiro do Sul.
It had been right at 50 years since I saw the mouth of the Juruá River for the first time. I was just 13 years old at the time and was on a paddle wheel steamboat. Our family had left Manaus on the 50 day adventure that finally took us to Cruzeiro for the very first time. Although the river is 2000 feet wide, it seemed then and now to be no more than a small creek compared to the Amazon River. Seeing it and being there again was an emotional experience. Back then it was just adventure, but now it is a missions adventure!
On our way back up river we gathered info on the number of houses, villages and towns along the whole section as far as Eirunepé. There are not nearly as many people on this section of river as there are up stream. However, we counted 1085 houses, 85 villages with 10 or more households and 3 cities. All 3 towns have Baptist churches, but none of them are doing any mission work along the river. We have good contacts with the leadership of these churches now and they have shown interest in helping out in our effort to get the gospel to every person on the whole length of the river. The culture and lifestyle of the folks on the lower Juruá is quite different from our stretch. The poverty is much worse and fishing is all the talk. There is little or no agriculture or ranching.
I piloted my boat the whole distance back home. It seems almost unreal to think that I have now driven my boat all the way from the mouth of the river to the last indian village on the Peruvian side: 2,100 miles! Well I needed to give you this general report, but I sure wish there was time and space to share some of or great experiences from this trip.
In 3 weeks Bev and I will be leaving Brazil for our short furlough. Hope to see you then.
Thanks for all of your prayers and support. God bless you as much as He has us.
In Christ, Mike Creiglow

NATHAN AND CARRIE RADFORD  | APRIL 2011

April 7, 2011
Dear praying friends,

Another month has come and passed, and we are now into the month of April. Time goes so quickly, and may we ever be mindful of our opportunities to serve the Lord. One quote that has always challenged me says, “Only one life will soon be past, only what’s done for Christ will last.” May we be committed to serving the Lord and using our time to bring Him glory with our lives. This update will share current prayer requests, as well as other items.
Thanks so much to each one who has sent cards, gifts, finances, or supplies to help with having Camille, our second daughter. We appreciate so much each one who has reached out to us. Having two children is a special privilege and responsibility we have as parents. Please pray that we would be the example that we need to be before our children. A quote I read recently on parenting that I thought was good said it this way: “The best inheritance a parent can leave is a Godly example.” What a tremendous statement. What kind of example are we setting for our children? Are we the Godly parents that we need to be before our children who watch us each day? What a sobering thought. Proverbs 22:6 says:  “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” May this truly be our desire as parents to teach and train our children in the ways of the Lord.  Please pray for Camille and her health at this time, as it is easy to get sick, and also for McKenna, as she is learning and adjusting to her new role as the big sister. We appreciate so much your prayers for our family.
This past month was busy with traveling and sharing the ministry in Kenya with churches, and I still have availability to come through July to early August of this year, Lord willing. If anyone would be interested in contacting me in regards to coming, I can be reached at: 814-688-4703 or through email at naterad@yahoo.com. Thanks again to each one who has shown interest in the work in Kenya, come out personally to visit, prays for us and the work there, or sacrificially financially supports the work. You are a big part of the work in Kenya, and we could not do it without your help. You all are such a blessing to us and thanks for being “missions minded.”
Please pray for the ministries in our absence, for the hospital ministry, the prison ministry, and the church planting ministry in Rafiki. We covet your prayers for these ministries, and also for the nationals who are continuing the ministries in our absence. Please also pray that the people would trust the Lord exclusively for their needs, and not anyone else.  Psalms 118:8-9 states “It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man. It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in princes.” What tremendous verses these are for all of us, to put our trust in the Lord and watch Him provide for the needs of our lives. We can trust in the promises of the Lord day by day, and what a blessing and comfort this is.
I will leave you with this thought: “God’s promises have no expiration date.” So many things in our lives expire – food, car insurance, driver’s license, etc., but what a comfort to know that God’s promises do not expire and we can trust Him and His promises each day of our lives. May the Lord bless you as you serve in the United States and we serve in Kenya.
Until next month, Nathan, Carrie, McKenna, and Camille Radford

315 College Street  |  Youngsville, PA   16371

For ministry donations:  Pastor George Sledd, Treasurer of BFM

P.O. Box 471280  |  Lake Monroe, FL 32747-1280

BOBBY AND CHARLENE WACASER  | APRIL 2011

April 11, 2011
Manoel Valdomiro de Macedo, 2281
81170-150 Curitiba, PR   Brasil
Ph: (813) 436-9980
E-mail: robertmw@brturbo.com.br
Dear Friends,
Again I have come running in from the construction site to write to you about the progress of the work. Many of our neighbors have commented on how amazed they are with the speed at which the new building is going up. Our bricklayers told us this past week that they have never laid so many bricks in one week. In this part of Brazil, large red brick is used in the place of concrete blocks in the most construction projects. The brick is later plastered with a cement based coat and smoothed for painting. All of our ministry team has volunteered many hours to mix the cement for laying the brick and has poured the columns and beams. It is heavy work, but they have been real troopers, not only doing great work, but doing it with great attitudes.
Our meetings are being held within the bare walls and with no roof. We still have to raise the exterior walls another 10 feet in order to build our trusses and then place our roof. The folks attending don’t seem to mind walking on packed dirt floors and sitting on plastic stools and our times of praise and study of God’s word are sweet.
Last night, one man who attends regularly told me that I was stepping on his toes in my message. I wasn’t aware of any specific area in his life which I should target, but it is evident that the Lord knows what he needs to hear and applied the message appropriately. I am praying that he will surrender his life completely to Christ to be saved shortly. He, his wife and their daughter have attended nearly all our meetings since the beginning of the work back in January. Pray that they will all come to Christ as His word is preached and lived before them by us.

The week after Easter we will be coordinating the evangelistic outreach of a group of 97 people made up of a youth group from Brandon, Florida, their leaders, 12 translators and 45 missionaries from our Project Life ministry. We will be working in two small towns an hour and a half’s drive from our home. We all will be staying at a camp for a week, going out each day to public schools and parks to share the gospel through drama skits, testimonies, music and preaching. These two towns have recently suffered some major devastation from mudslides and flooding. Our prayer is that these disasters may be used of the Lord to impress upon the lost in these towns how much they need Christ as Savior and Lord. Please pray that God will honor Himself and bless the efforts to reach these folks with the Gospel. We also hope to see many of the volunteer youth discovering God’s call upon them to use their lives for ministry from having participated in this week of service.

Thank you for your loving prayers and support. May you too be blessed in your sphere of service to our Savior, Jesus Christ.
In Jesus’ love,
Bobby, Charlene and Brennen Wacaser

JOHN AND JUDY HATCHER  | APRIL 2011

April 11, 2011

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Though it will history by the time you read this, we are praying today for you to have a good conference in Lexington.  We are very interested in the welfare of the churches and believers in the United States, especially those with which we are acquainted.  We thank God for your support and we pray that the Lord will open doors around you for the progress of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Today is Judy’s birthday. Last month, we completed 38 years of marriage.  Judy is truly God’s gift to me and I cannot thank the Lord enough for giving her to me. He certainly knew what I needed.  Not only is Judy a wonderful companion to me, she is also a committed, tireless and wise fellow laborer in the work of the Lord.
One of the outstanding blessings of the past month is that most of the adult believers have decided to read their Bibles daily for 15 minutes.  This will enable them to completely read through the Bible in less than a year.  They are expressing the joy they are receiving from this time in the Word of the Lord and telling of the things they have learned.  My mother and father strongly encouraged us to read through the Bible regular and help me establish this practice in my life. It has been passed on to our children and many others.   If you haven’t read through your Bible recently, why not start today?
The Lord has given many opportunities to witness to folks who really show an interest this past month.  The believers are showing signs of spiritual growth and some who attend but have not made professions of faith indicate a concern for spiritual things.
Saturday, a week ago, we had another youth meeting.  We read and discussed the parable of the rich fool recorded in Luke chapter 12 and the request of the brother that led to Jesus telling the parable.  We had more questions and discussion than we had time for.  Afterward, they wanted to sing and we did that for quite some time.  Finally, a mother of a couple of the boys said, “I have got to get their friends home or their mothers will wonder what happened to them.” The teenagers who come to services from time to time brought a number of friends.  We are delighted at the way God is at work in these young people.
Thanks again for your prayers and support.  May God richly bless you.
Witnessing for Christ in France,
John and Judy

SHERIDAN AND ANITA STANTON  | APRIL 2011

Mailing Address:

Sheridan and Anita Stanton | Apartado Postal 140 | Huanuco, Perú

Vonage phone: 859-514-0929

sestantonperu@hotmail.com – Sheridan

arstantonperu@hotmail.com – Anita

April 10, 2011

Dear friends and family,

Today, April 10, is Presidential Election Day in Peru and there are no church services anywhere in Peru during the morning hours.  Elections are always on Sundays and one of their election laws prohibits any type of public meetings during voting hours, so we have church services in the evening after the polls are closed. The voting process requires that they dip the tip of their index finger into a bottle of permanent purple dye; this avoids allowing people to vote more than once (very practical) and for a week or so after the election everyone walks around with a purple finger!   Another election law is that all Peruvians of voting age must vote or pay a heavy fine.  As a result of this law the Peruvian people take their politics seriously.  Peru has numerous political parties ranging from the far left to the far right and all sorts of ideologies in between.  This also creates a lot of travel for these dear folks because they have to vote wherever they were last registered.  Since registering to vote in a new town is a bureaucratic process and takes money, the majority of the people just travel back to wherever they came from in order to vote.  The bus lines always take advantage of this and raise the price of bus tickets; so is life during election time, heavy traffic on the roads and purple fingers!  Anita and I have lived in this country for twenty-eight years and it has always been this way; life is interesting on the mission field!

Each month I ask you to continue to pray for our son, Capt. Joshua Stanton USAF.  He proudly serves our country as an Air Force pilot overseas.  He has a wife and two small, precious, little girls waiting for him back home.  We also ask you to continue to remember my father, Ralph Stanton, in your prayers; he is battling with prostate cancer, and is back in the hospital again in Dickson, Tennessee with a kidney infection.  He is also having test done for Alzheimer and dementia while being treated for the kidney infection. This ordeal has been understandably hard on my mother, she needs our prayers also.  Mom and Dad have been married for sixty-three years now, truly an example and inspiration to all of us.  Anita and I will be traveling back to the States for four weeks from the middle of May to the middle of June.  We plan to see our grand-kids (one we’ve never seen and she will soon be a year old!) but we plan to spend most of the time with my mom and dad.  Thank you so much for your prayers.

Do you all remember the young lady, twenty-three years old, Dany Luz Presentacion?  Many of you helped her financially back in the fall of last year when she was going through Chemo Therapy for ovarian cancer.  She also had open heart surgery when she was sixteen years old.  Well, she is doing great now; finished her college degree in elementary education and recently got a job teaching in a private school here in Huánuco.  Danitza is one of many young folks that are like sons and daughters to Anita and me.  She came by the house the other day to visit and show us how much her hair has grown back; so I had to take a picture and show you this radiant trophy of God’s mercy and grace!  We thank all of you again that had a part in helping us to help this fine and faithful young Christian woman.

Sufficient funds have come in to help the Cayumba Grande Baptist Mission with the purchase of their property in Tingo Maria.  Thanks to those of you that had a part in this project.

We still need more funds to help with construction for the Calvary Baptist Mission I pastor here in Huánuco.  Anita and I hope to have something built and secure by the time we leave for the States the middle of May.  This work has grown numerically and matured spiritually during this past year and it is time for us to move to a larger location.  The property has some old, adobe mud structures that will be torn down so we can build to suite or needs.  We know our heavenly Father will provide the funds; maybe He will use you to help with this project.

Another matter of prayer is the need to increase giving to the General Fund of Baptist Faith Mission.  BFM has financially aided Anita and me since 1983.  We work under the authority of our home church, Jordan Missionary Baptist Church, of Sanford, Florida, but Jordan Baptist is not large enough to support us full time, and thus, BFM helps our home church with the funds to keep us on the field in Peru.  The Mission provides excellent medical insurance, monthly stipends for housing, transportation cost and other expenditures necessary to live in a foreign country.  The directors of BFM have calculated that if each household and church that supports the General Fund of BFM could increase their giving by $10.00 more per month, the financial needs would be met.  Pray about it and give as the Lord leads you.  If you would like more details of the financial workings and situation of BFM you can go the webpage: www.baptistfaithmissions.org.

Thanks again for all the prayers and support.  We look forward to seeing everyone next year (2012) when we come to the States for furlough.  Until next month.

In HIM by HIS grace, Sheridan and Anita Stanton

JUDSON AND RAQUEL HATCHER  |  APRIL 2011

Hello my friend!

We have some great family news, a personal missions challenge and an awesome encouragement to share regarding what we have seen in the States. I sure love Jesus, don’t you? Read on!

Pregnant with 4th Child

This week we discovered we are expecting our fourth child. It was interesting to see our children’s response when we announced the big news to them. Sarah (6) was upset, she expected the “surprise” to be an actual present she could unwrap and play with. Laura (4 ½) was happy with eyes full of glee as she smiled and suggested we call the baby “Emily”. (It is too soon to know if we have a boy or a girl. But, we told her it was a good suggestion.) Benjamin (3) excitedly grinned, yet slightly confused, since he could not “see” the baby. Children are a blessing from God and we are ecstatic to receive God’s special gift to us. Pray for Raquel and our baby during the prenatal.

Spokesperson for the “Navy Seals of World Missions”

Since August of last year we have visited so many churches, seen good friends & met several new ones. It is truly a delight for us to connect with great folks. I also enjoy meeting with pastors who have not heard or are yet familiar with Baptist Faith Missions. Most people do not know that BFM’s financial effectiveness in missions is unsurpassed. As I’ve had the chance to converse with missionaries linked with other organizations I am made fully aware of the great blessing we have through Baptist Faith Missions. I encourage you to continue giving faithfully to the General Fund. Speaking of which, I have a special request.

Can you think of a church/pastor that has not heard of BFM & the missionaries it serves? Now, ask the Lord to give you an opportunity to excitedly share about Baptist Faith Missions. Tell them why they should participate in missions giving, praying, attending the missions conferences and going on mission trips through BFM Mission Adventures. I know it sounds like I am asking you to give a “sales pitch”. Yet, it is not about a “sales pitch”!  It is about the Gospel being spread, people being reached & churches being planted. In actuality, I’d like you to be an enthusiastic spokesperson.  Baptist Faith Missions is one of the most effective local church partnerships existent in world missions today. Dollar for dollar, there is none like it. The integrity & organization of the board of directors is amazing. The passion & ministry results of the missionaries is astounding. BFM missionaries are known as the “Navy Seals of World Missions”. For these and many other reasons a grassroots missions mobilization is underway and you should join. Here is your missions challenge: to be a Missions Spokesperson for BFM missionaries. Post on your Facebook or Twitter why you pray & support BFM. Invite a friend for dinner and tell them all about it. At your child or grandchild’s basketball game share this opportunity with those around you. Let all 50 states (and beyond) know about the efficacy of Baptist Faith Missions, tell them why & how every Christian should become personally involved.

Church Planting in America

We have journeyed as far North as Flint, MI, westward to Kirksville, MO, eastbound to Virginia Beach, VA & reached down to Gotha/Orlando, FL.  Throughout our travels we are encouraged by the many new churches & church plants in America. Christ’s message flourishes in the hearts of new believers through local churches passionate about Evangelism & Discipleship. What a joy this has been to our hearts! We are encouraged!!!

Thanks for all you do!

Grateful always, Jud & Raquel (Sarah, Laura & Benjamin)

AJ AND BARBARA HENSLEY  | APRIL 2011

Dear friends,
The Lord really knows how to bless a Church—adding more members. We have had another baptism with 5 participants. Within this group was a couple who realized that they were not saved when they were baptized before, so we were able to counsel them and they asked for official baptism. So Pastor Jay and I were to baptize them together and at the same time. What a beautiful picture of their love for each other and their love for God. We have been making visits and this week has been no exception the only difference this week was that we lost the truck. What I mean is that as we making our way to the home we were visiting we were going in the rain and were able to dodge most of the potholes filled with water until we came to one that stretched across the entire road. I looked at Barb and asked, “You reckon which side do you think we should take?” When she gave no answer I made an executive decision and took the middle ground. MISTAKE. The truck was lost in this gigantic abyss. We were up past the running board and the truck would not climb out of the hole neither forward nor backward. So we called the couple that we were going to visit and asked for help. After about an hour and help from people and another car we were able to get the truck out of the puddle.  The visit, although late was AWESOME.
We have AWESOME news—we are grandparents again. Our daughter Mary gave birth on the 25th of March to a bouncing baby girl. Her name is AshLey. This is the second child for Mary and her husband Walmir. Mother and baby are both doing well. “Looks like grandpa” (lol)
Other news about our daughter and her husband–they have accepted an invitation for Walmir to become the pastor of the Good News Baptist Church about 9 hours from Caraguatatuba. Pray for them as they move after the 15th of May to this new location to serve the Lord.  It really hurts to see them go–but it is AWESOME knowing that they are doing the Lord´s will.
We are planning a pastor’s conference in Nov. 2011.  We will have 2 pastors from the States to bring the messages and teach at this conference. Our theme will be ” Rescuing our Happiness to serve.” We are anticipating around 100 pastors to be present. Our goal is to encourage our national brothers in preaching the word. Pray for this congress of pastors. This will be our church’s first major “out-reach”.
Our Church has had continual, gradual growth–this past month we were in the low 90´s–how AWESOME is our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!!!  As with all growth there are some “growing pains”. Some examples — we need more Sunday School space, more teachers, and lastly, here is the great need—a BUS!!  For our people to get to Church they would have to pay $16.50 per week to ride the public bus. Per month that would be $66.00 per month.  Knowing the minimum wage here you could see how it would be impossible for them to spend that much money on bus fare. So therefore the need for a bus. A couple of weeks ago the van arrived at church with 34 people aboard ( this is a 16 passenger van). Pray with us and for us for our transportation needs.
We have been very busy at the vocational school this month, building and working in the shop. We have also found someone to live in the house where Mary and Walmire lives. He is retired and is excited about taking care of our tools and teaching the vocational students. It seems that the Lord is putting everything in order. It looks like we will get the dormitory ready for tile before the groups start to come in June. If you would like to help with the tile work, come on down. But if you can’t come, send your offerings to buy the tile and we will find someone to do the work. Pray for the school and the students that the Lord will send there.
We spoke of the groups that are coming this summer. If you are a part of one of those, we are anxiously awaiting your arrival. If you are not part of those groups, think about coming on a mission trip. Here in Caraguatatuba, Barbara and I would like to show you how your mission dollars are being spent and we would be happy to let you do some backbreaking work also.

PAUL AND WANDA HATCHER  |  APRIL 2011

April 10, 2011

Dear friends,

Let me update you on the progress of our pastors’ health.  Pastor Nildo is recovering well from the heart attacks.  Exams revealed that he has a congenital problem in which the veins around the heart are very, very small.  With medication, his blood pressure has been reduced to around 100 over 50, which has made him very sluggish.  Pastor Michael is recovering from back surgery; he is doing physical therapy, has been able to be up and around some, and is encouraged by his progress.

March 13^th, we celebrated our 40^th wedding anniversary. Our church couples did a nice party for us.  Last September we also completed 36 years as missionaries with BFM in Brazil. We continue to be excited with the opportunity that the Lord has given us to reach people with the gospel and start churches.  We are grateful for your lifting us up before the Lord and for your support all these years.

We are, at this moment, in Lexington for the mission conference and looking forward to seeing friends and sharing what God is doing with us in Brazil. We are staying with Jud and Raquel at the mission house in Lexington and enjoying our three grandchildren.  Wanda’s mom is with us and planning to go back home with us for a couple of months at the end of April.

May God bless you richly. We send you our love and thanks.  Paul and Wanda