God is Saving a Wide Spectrum of Sinners!
Bobby and Charlene Wacaser have served the Lord as church planters in Curitiba, Parana, Brazil, since 1985.
June 4, 2019
After all our weekly services are over, Charlene and I like to sit together to talk and reflect on what the Lord did during that week. This past weekend we were strongly impressed by how balanced His blessings are on the entire mission work. Our local members are really stepping up to the plate to serve in every needed area. We keep having new converts asking to be baptized in obedience to Christ. Our traveling evangelistic teams are as excited as we’ve ever seen them as they go to some of the most difficult regions of the country. And our church has joyfully increased their giving to further the ministries. She and I have seen all of these aspects many times in our work, but we are especially impressed that they are all occurring at the same time and we know that this is God’s doing. We are thankful.
Speaking of baptisms, we rejoice to see such a wide spectrum of conversions. Last week I baptized an 11-year-old girl who was raised in a Christian home all her life. She had come to realize that she was a sinner in need of the Savior, but anyone who knew her well could hardly point out any particular sins. This coming weekend I will be baptizing an elderly lady who has been an idolater nearly all her life. She raised several children who are spiritists, but now, late in life, she has found God’s grace and has surrendered her life to Christ. God continues to work in and through her life also. One of her granddaughters is a student in my English class and she also recently came to Christ.
Our outreach team, Projeto Vida, will be leaving again tomorrow to be ministering in three different interior towns. While giving our base church their last trip’s report, we could see an excitement that usually wanes about this time of the year. The Lord has blessed them with a unity among themselves which is often tested due to their 24/7 togetherness for 3 weeks of each month. You can imagine having 12 people (even sanctified ones) together in one vehicle and staying at the same locations, eating together every day for 9 months of the year, how that could begin to cause friction. But we were thrilled to see and hear how united they are and excited about how God is using them to reach the lost with the gospel.
We thank you for your faithful prayers and support for us and our ministries.
In Christ’s love,
Bobby and Charlene Wacaser
Bobby and Charlene Wacaser
Rua Laudelino Ferreira Lopes, 279
Sobrado 1, Novo Mundo
81050-310 Curitiba, PR. Brasil
Phone: 55-41-99899-2333
bobbymichael_1[at]hotmail.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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Studying Genesis in the Annex Prison
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.
June 4, 2019
Dear praying friends,
Another month has come and passed, and we are now halfway through 2019. Where has the time gone? Time passes so quickly, and may we be mindful of the opportunities that the Lord gives us to serve each day. This update will share current ministries as well as prayer requests.
One of our current prayer requests is for the health of our daughters, the teachers, and the other students at the new school in Kitale. This past week was a rough one, with our daughter McKenna missing several days and Camille also missing a few days. Several teachers were also struggling with sickness, so please pray that everyone will get back to good health soon. We are so thankful for the school and the many activities it provides for children in the Kitale area. Today they had their field trip, to the Saiwa Swamp. The girls were so excited, wanting to find the Sitatungas (small antelope like creatures), as well as looking at the monkeys and variety of birds. There are a few field trips during the year, and both our daughters were so excited for this one. Please pray that the school would get new students as well, and that God would provide the teachers and staff that are needed.
I (Nathan) am continuing to disciple a younger Kenyan man named Emmanuel. Emmanuel has been such a good student and has a good attitude. He is currently taking the teachings I have been teaching him and going out to teach others. We recently considered the lesson “The will of God.” There were many good teachings in this lesson, and multiple verse references. One of my favorite verses in the lesson is Psalm 37:4, which says “Delight thyself also in the Lord: and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.” Also, the Lord Jesus Christ laid down a principle that should govern all our life. In Matthew 6:33, we read “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” Please pray for these teachings to seek deep into Emmanuel’s heart and life, and for him to go out and reach others. What a blessing he has been.
I also am continuing at the Annex prison. I am thankful for the chaplains and the head officer for allowing this ministry to continue. We are currently in Genesis, and we recently studied about creation, as well as God creating Eve from the rib of Adam. Lord willing, next week we will consider the fall of man in the Garden of Eden and the terrible consequences. From there we will proceed to Cain and Abel, the Tower of Babel, Abraham and Isaac, etc. Please pray for the prisoners and for me as I teach them weekly. Thanks to each one who sacrificially gives or prays for this ministry.
My wife is staying busy volunteering at the school and also enjoys the hospital ministry. She has been much busier and much happier this term, and we are so thankful for the opportunities that God has given her to serve here in Kitale.
The road near us has finally been tarmacked, so we are thankful for this. There are big speed bumps along it to discourage any speeding. This is a huge blessing and help, and now my wife can finally drive again.
God bless you and thanks to each of you for your interest in what God is doing in this corner of the world.
May God bless you for your heart for missions.
In Kitale,
Nathan and Carrie Radford
Nathan and Carrie Radford
P.O. Box 4150
Kitale, Kenya
East Africa 30200
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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Not Guilty!
Odali and Kathy Barros served the Lord in Sao Paulo, Brazil together from 1987-2013. In late 2013, they transitioned to Manaus in Northern Brazil to start sharing the Gospel and planting churches in villages along the river.
June 1, 2019
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
This month we have been blessed in many ways. God gave us a great opportunity to be in the USA and visit with family and friends. But one of the greatest blessings we didn’t expect at this moment was the result from the court process against us from the Alpha and Omega Home. Maybe some don’t remember. We were closed being accused of mistreating the kids. The sentence was given! NOT GUILTY!!!! Praise the Lord! Thanks to you for your prayers and support to us in these difficult moments.
The lawyer and his family
Let me explain something very fantastic about this. Lawyers are expensive as you probably know. Well, one of the first boys we took into our home was a drug addict. He got saved and matured and stayed with us the whole time. He got married to a girl who came to teach at the home. He worked hard at changing. He studied and went to college. God blessed him and today he is a lawyer. He did much of the work on the court case. What a blessing! We have contact with many of the kids that were from the home. They decided to celebrate! They asked us to go to Garça where we had the home and have a Christmas party like we had when we had the home.
Paul, Odali, their former sports teacher, and their son Gabriel. Paul was the first boy to live with the Barros Family. He stayed with them and helped with others.
We always prayed that God would bless those who came to work as volunteers at the home. So many young people dedicated several years with us. Today they are in many different places. While we have been in the US, we have had contact with several of these people. It is so wonderful to see what God has done in their lives. Paul is one of the first boys we helped. He grew into a man and worked with us for many years. Today he lives in Missouri. Then there is Vilmar, Jennifer and Leonardo who also dedicated several years there. God has blessed them. We are thankful to God and to them for their love for souls.
Even though our time here is short we have been able to see many friends and visited several churches. The fellowship has been wonderful. God bless each of you. Your prayers and support are greatly appreciated!
Love in Christ,
Odali and Kathy
Odali & Kathy Barros
Amazonas, Brasil, S.A.
odali_kathy[at]hotmail.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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Foundational Teaching from Colossians; Battling the Flu
The Tate Family has served the Lord in Kitale, Kenya since January 2008. Their main ministry is church planting.
May 30, 2019
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
Thank you, Lord, for Your mercy and grace, especially (this month, at least) for mercy and grace towards your missionaries doing your Kingdom work. This missionary, for one, desperately needs it.
I need God’s mercy and grace to do the work He has called me to do here. I can’t help thinking “Maybe I shouldn’t be trying to be a pastor of a church here”. The culture is against me. My inability is against me. Satan is against me. Kitale, in general, is against me. Even nature is against me (yea, I got really sick this past month). But God is for me and I don’t yet feel like He has changed what He wants me to be doing. Thus, I need to trust Him and obey Him and keep doing what He wants.
Things at the Upper Room Baptist Chapel are progressing. I’ve been wondering if a Sunday would come when nobody would show up. I thought that Sunday had come a couple of weeks ago. When 10am rolled around nobody else was there. When 10:07 rolled around there was still no one else there. But at 10:08 someone showed up and a few more trickled in after that. But our attendance that day was only 6. I worried that the low attendance would stay low but the next week we were back up to 16. Again, it is not about numbers. URBC is about proclaiming and living the Word of God and we will continue to be faithful to do just that.
I have finished preaching through the book of Colossians at URBC. The great foundational teachings of this book are vital to the people here in Kitale. Through this book, we at the Chapel learned who Jesus really is, who we are in Jesus, and what Jesus has done for those who trust and follow Him. If we could just learn and master this one book of the Bible, we would go a long way in our walk and relationship with God and in the Kingdom of Jesus. Last week I began a new short series preaching through some of the Psalms. It will be short because I obviously will not be preaching through every Psalm. I will probably only preach through 4 or 5 of them before moving on to something else, maybe to return to Psalms again at some future date. Last Sunday I preached through Psalm 1. It would be difficult for me to say whether the message was good or not (although I pray that it was). You see, I got really sick with the flu. I prepared my message while sick with the flu. I preached my message while sick with the flu. Then I came home and collapsed on the couch. Even for the next two days I was pretty much incoherent on the couch while sick with the flu. I am even late writing this update because I have been sick with the flu. It was a pretty nasty bug that Chloe and I shared but hopefully Julie will avoid. I will have to ask my Chapel members whether the message last Sunday was coherent or not. I am very glad to be feeling better now.
In family news, we have more transitions facing us in the near future. Amy turns 19 in June and then in July she will be graduating from Rift Valley Academy where she has boarded and gone to school for the last five years. Following graduation, she will be leaving Kenya and returning to the States to go to college. I’m sure I will be providing more on this transition in the months to come but I want you all to be praying for Amy (and us) even now as she prepares to make this huge transition in her life. [Read Amy’s testimony here.]
Until next month, beloved.
May God’s peace and joy be with you.
For the glory of God in Kenya,
Roger & Julie Tate (and Amy, Josiah & Chloe)
rojuta[at]gmail.com
Visit their blog!
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
VMP: Paul & Wanda Hatcher
PAUL & WANDA HATCHER
Paul and Wanda Hatcher served the Lord in partnership with BFM for over 40 years.
Paul grew up in Manaus, Brazil in the John and Alta Hatcher family. After marrying Wanda and pastoring here in the U.S., they returned to Manaus to serve in the Tabernacle Baptist Church. When John and Alta transitioned their church-planting ministry to the states in the south, Paul assumed the pastorate and leadership of Tabernacle Baptist Church. The church experienced phenomenal growth under his leadership and numerous churches were planted in the neighborhoods of Manaus.
In still later years, even while they were reaching Manaus, God laid it on their hearts to reach the states in NE Brazil. Through their outreach burden, vision, and efforts, numerous church-planting teams were sent out by Tabernacle Baptist Church, Manaus, Brazil, into the states and cities of the northeast. Churches that had been established in previous years were re-vitalized, and other church plants were established.
Just a few years ago, the Lord directed them to return to the States to provide care for their aging parents. They have faithfully fulfilled these services as well. They continue to serve and assist in their current home church in Clermont, FL.
Pray for them! Reach out to them through every means you can (call, write, e-mail), and let them know you still appreciate them and their service. They would love to hear from you personally, or from your Sunday School class, or your church leadership. Reach out via our Contact Page.
When you designate your offerings for ‘Veteran Missionaries Pension’ or for ‘Founder’s Month Offering’ [they are the same], they will be applied toward the continuing and on-going financial honor and support of these faithful life-long servants of Christ.
Click here to give now or you can mail your offering to:
BFM, c/o George Sledd
P.O. Box 471280
Lake Monroe, FL 32747-1280
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VMP: John A. Hatcher
JOHN A. HATCHER
[Alta is with the Lord]
John and Alta Hatcher served the Lord in church-planting missions for over 50 years in Brazil. Alta is now in Heaven with our Lord.
John spent the first terms of their missionary service pastoring Tabernacle Baptist Church in Manaus, Brazil. Then, during their later terms, they planted churches in the southern states of Brazil, especially Sao Paulo and Parana. Literally scores of Baptist churches were established and are still multiplying through their efforts.
John is currently living with their son, Paul Hatcher, and his wife Wanda.
Pray for him! Reach out to him through every means you can (call, write, e-mail), and let him know you still appreciate him and his service. He would love to hear from you personally, or from your Sunday School class, or your church leadership.
John A. Hatcher
15905 Mercott Ct
Clermont, FL 34714
229-529-8497 / home
jhatcher1925@gmail.com
When you designate your offerings for ‘Veteran Missionaries Pension’ or for ‘Founder’s Month Offering’ [they are the same], they will be applied toward the continuing and on-going financial honor and support of these faithful life-long servants of Christ.
Click here to give now or you can mail your offering to:
BFM, c/o George Sledd
P.O. Box 471280
Lake Monroe, FL 32747-1280
Read more
VMP: Wanda Turner
Richard and Wanda Turner served in partnership with BFM in Brazil from 1971-1987. Richard is now in Heaven with our Lord.
They began their missionary ministry in Manaus, Brazil during 1971-1973. Richard supply-pastored in Quatorze de Dezembro Baptist Church while Harold and Marie Bratcher were in the States on furlough.
Then they continued their missionary service in Cuiaba, State of Mato Grosso, during the years 1973-1985. It was during this time that Richard started and planted Boa Esperanca Baptist Church. They started meeting in their home living room, then moved to their carport. They came to the States on furlough around this same time, and Bobby Creiglow came to continue the building of the church until they returned. A building was constructed shortly thereafter. Richard also ministered and preached to the lepers in their own church located in the leper colony.
After fulfilling their work in Cuiaba, Mato Grosso, Richard supply-pastored in a church in Manaus from 1986-1987.
Wanda bears testimony to the sustaining Grace of God and His faithfulness to them and to her through all of their seasons of joy and difficulties: “four major surgeries for me, much demonic opposition, dangers on land and in air – and thankful for all the prayers offered for us and God who has kept us!”
Wanda is enjoying living in Lynchburg, VA where she is striving to live a Christ-like life and continue to be a witness for Christ. Oh! and she also greatly enjoys her seven grandkids and two great-grands!
Pray for her! Reach out to her through every means you can (call, write, e-mail), and let her know you still appreciate her and her service. She would love to hear from you personally, or from your Sunday School class, or your church leadership. Reach out via our Contact Page.
When you designate your offerings for ‘Veteran Missionaries Pension’ or for ‘Founder’s Month Offering’ [they are the same], they will be applied toward the continuing and on-going financial honor and support of these faithful life-long servants of Christ.
Click here to give now or you can mail your offering to:
BFM, c/o George Sledd
P.O. Box 471280
Lake Monroe, FL 32747-1280
Read more
VMP: Louie Carver
Louie and Mary served in partnership with BFM from 1971-1987. They served as missionaries to Korea and the Philippines from 1971-81. Then, from 1981-1987, Louie served as Field Representative for BFM.
Here are just a few of the numerous churches they either established or nurtured during their tenure of missionary service:
- Shin Nae Baptist Church – Seoul, S. Korea
- Faith Baptist Church – Seoul, S. Korea
- Doo Mill Baptist Church – Doo Mill Dong, S. Korea
- Kai Pyoung Baptist Church – Kai Pyoung Dong, S. Korea
- First Baptist Church – Kai Pyoung Dong, S. Korea
- Open Bible Baptist Church – Saint Maria, Philippine Islands
- BFM Stateside Field Representative: 1981-1987
“I had to retire from active missionary activities due to illness. However, I am a member of Rocky Creek Baptist Church in Simpsonville SC. I have been in temperament counseling for 30 years. Due to progressing illnesses I have suffered over the past few years, I cannot preach or teach, however, I still conduct counseling through the ministry of our church as I am able to do so.”
Pray for him! Reach out to him through every means you can (call, write, e-mail), and let him know you still appreciate him and his service. He would love to hear from you personally, or from your Sunday School class, or your church leadership.
Louie Carver
259 Finley Hill Ct | Simpsonville SC 29681
864-346-5734 cell phone
wlc1939@earthlink.net
When you designate your offerings for ‘Veteran Missionaries Pension’ or for ‘Founder’s Month Offering’ [they are the same], they will be applied toward the continuing and on-going financial honor and support of these faithful life-long servants of Christ.
Click here to give now or you can mail your offering to:
BFM, c/o George Sledd
P.O. Box 471280
Lake Monroe, FL 32747-1280
Read more
