Glimpses of God at Work in São Paulo
Jud and Raquel Hatcher serve the Lord in São Paulo, Brazil. They are part of the “SeedFactory” church planting initiative, which is a movement to plant churches in all 26 Brazilian capitals. Since 2006, 43 churches have been started in 5 states.
November 22, 2019
Dear friends,
FAMILY
All our children are doing well in school. Melissa (our youngest) is still working on catching up to her grade level. She has made great strides in comparison to where she was a year ago. Sarah and Laura just recently went on a trip to participate in the school’s junior varsity tournament camp with other schools. They returned home with the 2nd place trophy. A week later Sarah participated in the senior varsity tournament camp and her team returned with 1st place prize. Raquel and I are grateful and blessed by the academic, athletic and spiritual impact this school is having on our four children.
VISIT FROM A FRIEND
Several months ago, a friend asked if he could come to visit us in Brazil in October or November. We met Mike Secondino in 2000, during the time I served as youth minister at church in Norfolk, VA. Mike was in high school at the time. He was part of our ministry and twice traveled with us to Brazil in 2000 and 2002.
On this trip, Mike stayed with us for 5 weeks. Our children, Raquel, and I enjoyed his visit thoroughly. He ministered, sang and played the guitar at church and in our home, participated in ministry routines and activities. We were especially grateful for his time with us – as he ministered tremendously to our four children. Together, we have marvelous new memories for our family to cherish forever.
IMAGINE
During this last month, two new families invited us for dinner in their homes. The first family prepared a marvelous Brazilian BBQ (churrasco). Over the course of the afternoon, we shared a meal; talked about life, Skyped with friends, sang karaoke, swam in the pool and shared the love of Jesus. The second family invited us for a day at their fish farm, we toured the fish nurseries and the multiple lakes, played ball, went four-wheeling, visited a gorgeous waterfall and shared Jesus. It is amazing to see the doors the Lord is opening through friends.
Several other short visits to families in their homes and discipleship gatherings have brought a lot of enthusiasm amongst our steadily growing church plant. I also had a chance to take Benjamin (my son) to watch a professional soccer game with one of the guys I am discipling. Our team did not win the game, but the evening was awesome.
HOPE
Every week we get a chance to minister more deeply into the lives of the children and their parents. It is amazing to see how people love to come and participate in our Jesus gatherings. This weekend we have a guest ministry team coming to join us for some special memories, meals, and ministry. Everyone is excited.
CHURCH REVITALIZATION
This next Sunday, we have a day camp with 65 people. We are excited to see how the Lord is preparing this church as they prepare to receive a full-time pastor in January. I have served as an interim pastor since August 2019. I recommended a pastor (and friend) from Manaus for this church to consider as a candidate. After much prayer and getting to know him and his family, they called him as their pastor in September. This church has been without a pastor for 11 years and almost closed the doors twice. They have proven to be very generous as they prepare for him and his family’s arrival.
SEMINARY MOBILIZATION
In December, I will be in the city of Garça, São Paulo at the church my grandfather John Hatcher started in the ’70s. There will be a gathering with several local church pastors from the region. Pastors mentored by John Hatcher and Odali Barros have asked for months for me to come and invest time with them so we can dream about the future together. I am delighted to be with them. During my weekend there, we will participate in the graduation ceremony for “Centro de Garça” Baptist Seminary and hold meetings regarding seminary training at each church in the region.
Thank you always for your support and prayers.
Jud Hatcher
Judson & Raquel Hatcher
(859) 544-9040
judsonhatcher@gmail.com
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God has Blessed in the Village of Ubim
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.
November 22, 2019
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
Hope all is well with each of you partners in our ministry. We are thankful for your prayer and support. We are doing great and are excited with what God is doing in the ministry here.
We want to thank those who have given for the work in the village of Ubim. God has blessed us with donations for the glass for the windows, tile for the floor, and money for the well we want too. The glass has been bought and we need to pick it up in Manaus. We are working hard to get things bought and get a group to go do the work. God bless all those who gave. As things get done, we will send pictures for you to see.
This month Kathy had a special day for the kids to bring their parents. We had around 100 people. It was great! Kathy was sad because she took a bunch of pictures to use for the mission sheet and when she got home the pictures had disappeared. This village is not very big but there are lots of kids and teens. Please continue to pray for this work as we continue to reach out to them.
The last day of this month we are having one of our reach-out festivals! Our goal is always to reach out to the people that have not come to our church.
The work in the city of Iranduba is doing great. We have started the Sunday night service. Things are coming along well there, and more adults are being reached. They still have the Monday Bible Study which has been a great way to bring people in to the Sunday Service. Continue to pray for the pastor and his wife who are working there. Their names are Pastor Amauri and his wife is Mirian. We have had several saved and soon we will set a date for baptism.
In the other village where we had a special service last month, we have had some people interested in having service in their home. Pray that God will work in the hearts of these families for them to be saved.
Thank God for each for you. God bless you and your families and churches.
Love in Christ our Savior,
Odali and Kathy Barros
Odali & Kathy Barros
Iranduba, 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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Seminary Stats for 2019
The Hensleys have spent nearly 20 years serving in Brazil. They have established a church in Caraguatatuba and mission points throughout the city. They have also recently started a seminary to train pastors.
November 20, 2019
Dear friends and family,
It has been an AWESOME month and one half for our Seminary. First of all, we have a new name. Because of the accreditation process there in Brasil, we have to have an American name. So, we are now Bluegrass Baptist Seminary. The students are having a good time discovering what bluegrass is.
I want to use this letter to give you a yearly report on our work in Brasil. The cumulative report provides impacts for the Seminary and preview of the upcoming work.
Here are the Seminary statistics through the Fall of 2019:
- 32 classes, delivering 9 courses in 6 different cities since our beginning.
- Total enrollment is 277 students including pastors, church leaders and missionaries.
- Students are from 90 churches who have memberships of more than 10,011 people total
- These Churches are located in 34 cities and in 5 States
- 84 students have graduated with a certificate in Pastoral Ministries. This includes the first 4 courses: Systematic Theology, Survey of the New Testament, Survey of the Old Testament, and Pastoral Ministries
- 51 students at 2 locations are enrolled in our Masters Program. We have students in São Paulo and Orlandia that are in the middle of their Masters courses and will continue these courses in 2020. There has been an increased interest in the Masters Program. HOW AWESOME is the Lord we serve!!
- We have 3 new locations for classes in 2020: Ribeirao Preto in the state of São Paulo, Manaus in the state of Amazonas, and Porto Velho in the state of Rondonia. In Rondonia, we will be working with missionaries who work in missions established in the high jungle or North Western Brasil.
As planned in 2020, we are expecting to have an AWESOME year! It would be good to have you, our prayer warriors, praying for me and our Professors: Derek Coleman, Raymond Edge, Russell Zik, Terry Leap, Steven Scherer, and Greg Waltermire, as there will be much traveling this upcoming year. Also pray for the Churches of these pastors who send their pastors to help in this ministry. Without these Churches and these pastors, we would not have Bluegrass Baptist Seminary.
This ministry, Reaching Brasil, is made possible because of caring people like you giving to Baptist Faith Missions. Thank you for your generosity and your prayers.
Happy Holidays!
In His service,
Aj and Barbara
Aj and Barbara Hensley
ajcaragua[at]gmail.com
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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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Thanksgiving Conference, Pray for Jean-Luc, Visiting Churches in USA
Missionaries John Mark and Judy Hatcher have been serving the Lord in Tournefeuille, France since 1999. They define their ministry as “disciple-making.”
November 15, 2019
Dear Brothers and Sister,
Judy and I just returned from the Annual Thanksgiving Conference held in the facilities of New Hope Baptist Church, Dearborn Heights, MI. The folks from Grace Baptist Church, Wyandotte, MI, and New Hope worked together seamlessly to provide unforgettable hospitality and meals. We thoroughly enjoyed the time with you folks and were greatly blessed by the communication of God’s Word through the speakers.
As we returned home, we received the news that Jean-Luc Veuillet, a faithful member of the church in Tournefeuille. France, was in the hospital being treated for a torn carotid artery. Jean-Luc is a faithful believer and leader in the church. He and his family help in teaching and music ministries and are a source of great encouragement to the whole church. We would appreciate your prayers for this man of God.
We continue to hear good news from our home church in France. The church has an internet site for our church body only where the members can speak to one another sharing news, prayer requests and blessings. Judy and I are able to keep up with what is happening there and they can get first handed news from us.
I am scheduling meetings with churches in the USA between now and the end of January. We would love to come to your church to tell about the work in France and/or share what God has placed on our hearts that might help your church serve where you are. It is our desire to do whatever we can to be a blessing and glorify God. Contact me at jmhatcher@aol.com if you would like for us to come to your church.
Thank you for your faithful support and prayers.
Your team members,
John and Judy Hatcher
John Mark & Judy Hatcher
JMHatcher[at]aol.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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A Unique Story of the Church in Barão; New Engines Needed for Boat Missions
Mike and Beverly Creiglow have served the Lord in Cruzeiro do Sul, Acre, Brazil together since 1971. In addition to pastoring First Baptist of Cruzeiro do Sul, Mike builds his own boats and frequently travels up and down rivers to share the Gospel with those who have never heard.
November 15, 2019
Dear Brethren,
Let me begin with a prayer request this time: Cruzeiro do Sul and indeed Brazil is under the worse epidemic of dengue fever ever – please pray. A young woman from our church just died of hemorrhagic dengue and we have many in the hospital or recovering at home right now. In fact, I have been sick for the past couple of weeks and the doctor initially thought that I had dengue. Turns out that I had an infection and am taking antibiotics. Yesterday I finally started to feel a little bit better. The epidemic is so severe that I even got a letter from the U.S. Embassy telling us what precautions to take, etc.!
Since my return from the States a few months ago I had noticed that our attendance had been flat at First Baptist Church. I have been getting all 7 of the pastors together once or twice a week to discuss what is wrong. We have taken care of some disciplinary problems. I have been doing some much-needed teaching in several areas of concern. The attendance has been edging up again and we have had several more saved. In fact, we had our best Wednesday crowd of the year this week. Pastor Ezi brought a lesson about resolving conflicts between members. He had already called on prayer to close the service, when a man came forward and made a profession of faith! We held a baptism and Lord’s supper service earlier this month. We had a big crowd and added 27 new members.
Bev and I were with the Getsêmani congregation at Colônia São Francisco for a weekend meeting. Really big crowds and great services.
Bev also went with me to visit our church at Barão. This is one of our oldest churches. Its story is unique. The original founder of Cruzeiro do Sul, Mâncio Lima, a rubber baron, went up the Moa River, enslaved the Puyanawa Indians, and took over their lands. For years we had a church there, but he or his descendants would not allow the construction of a church building. When I was a boy they still met in the preacher’s home. Later the federal government gave the land back to the tribe. Now they have a nice big brick building. The reservation is now accessible by road. The pastor is Brother Amós, who is the chief’s son. Even though the church is in what is officially an Indian reservation, you really wouldn’t notice a whole lot of difference from any of our other towns. Bev and I visited them for a couple’s meeting on a Saturday night. It rained all afternoon and we did a lot of slipping and sliding in my jeep to get there. There were well over a hundred present.
Last week I was scheduled to be with Igreja Batista da Bíblia at Igarapé Pentecostes, but had to cancel because of my illness. They just lost their pastor, so pray for them.
South America is boiling with all kinds of political upheavals. Please pray for Venezuela, Argentina, Chile, Peru and Bolívia. Brazil has also had some setbacks and needs your prayer, too.
I am in the process of renewing my outboard motors. My 60HP and 25HP are both over 10 years old. Calvary Baptist Church of Hurricane, West Virginia has provided the new 60HP. It has been ordered and is on the road somewhere between São Paulo and Cruzeiro do Sul. It has taken well over a month to get this thing rolling. The trucking company says the engine won’t be delivered until December 6. I have saved back a little money toward the new 25HP motor. It will cost about $5,000.00 with shipping cost included. My first 2 trips with this new engine are to take place in January 2020. One of these trips is to the Purús River. We just sent a new missionary couple there and I need to survey the river from the bridge crossing to Santa Rosa. I will trailer my boat and motor east for 280 miles to the bridge then make my way almost 300 miles up the Purús stopping at some 45 villages just to gather data. That data will be shared with our missionary Lucas. He will then begin the actual mission work along the river. Would you help me buy the new 25HP outboard? These may well be the last engines we ever have to buy for Mike Creiglow. I am now 71 years old. If these 2 engines last 10 more years (like the old ones did) then I would be 81 and it might just be time to slow down and let others take over. We will see what the Lord wants to happen.
Thanks for all of your prayers and support. God bless you as much as He has us.
In Christ,
Mike Creiglow
Mike and Beverly Creiglow
Caixa Postal 24
Cruzeiro do Sul, Acre, Brazil 69980
mdcreig [at] hotmail.com
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The Lord Shall Fight for You
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.
November 5, 2019
Dear praying friends,
Another month has come and passed quickly, and we are now near the holiday season. We wish each of you a happy holiday season and upcoming time with your families. We are blessed this year to have my wife’s sister visit with us later this month, so this will help us during this time on the mission field. Please pray for her and her safety while she travels, as well as her return to America, Lord willing.
Please pray for me as I (Nathan) am continuing to disciple younger Kenyan men in the Word of God. I have been in the village of Wiyeta for a few months now and am thankful for the men that God has provided. They desire to learn the Word, and Lord willing, to go out and reach others. Today I began a lesson on prayer in which we looked at the importance of prayer, why should I pray, an example of a Biblical prayer (Colossians 1:3-13), and how to pray. This was just a basic overview on prayer and I plan to go deeper in the next couple of weeks. We studied Luke 18:1 which says, “And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint;” The idea is to persist in prayer – don’t give up. Trust God to answer in His way and His time. We also looked at the example of Jesus. Mark 1:35 says, “And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed.” Jesus prayed early in the morning, went to a place with no distractions, and gave us a good example to follow. Please continue to pray for the men and their spiritual growth.
I recently taught at the Annex prison on Moses and the Red Sea, as well as the manna that God provided while the Israelites were in the desert. Although Pharaoh was trying to recapture the Israelites, God protected them and made a way when there was no way. Even when being pursued relentlessly, Moses trusted in God and told the Israelites to also believe God. Moses was encouraging the people to have courage and believe God in an impossible situation. Exodus 14:14 says “The Lord shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace.” Do we have the same faith today to trust Him to fight for us? He will fight for us as we trust and follow Him. Please pray for the men that are coming and that even others would attend in the future.
The school will be closing for several weeks during the holiday season, so please be praying for our daughters at this time. They sometimes get bored and miss school, so please pray for them to have some activities during this break period. There is also another young girl their age here now in Kitale, so this helps as well. We trust in God’s provisions each day.
We wish each of you a wonderful Thanksgiving and upcoming Christmas. As I think of Thanksgiving, I am reminded of 1 Thessalonians 5:18, which says “In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.” God bless and we will keep you updated.
In Kenya,
Nathan & 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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THANKSGIVING OFFERING FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)
Will you please take the time to read this appeal for a much-needed generous Thanksgiving Offering? Maybe you have not given in previous years. May we explain the importance of the Thanksgiving Offering for the continued support of your missionaries? And may we invite you to join us this year in giving to supply the benefits and services we have committed to our missionaries?! Thank you!1. “WHY DO WE HAVE A THANKSGIVING OFFERING?”
We have a Thanksgiving Offering because WE NEED IT for the coming year to supply the financial commitments we have made to our missionaries for the services and benefits we provide from a common contribution receptacle account called the “Missionary Support Fund.” The monthly contributions we receive for the Missionary Support Fund are not sufficient to supply ALL of the benefits and services we commit to provide for our missionaries. So, we NEED the Thanksgiving Offering to supplement the monthly Missionary Support Fund offerings.
2. “WHY IS THE THANKSGIVING OFFERING SO IMPORTANT?”
The Thanksgiving Offering is ESSENTIAL because it is the only source of funds for supplying many of our missionaries’ needs during the coming year. Those services and benefits NOT sufficiently funded by monthly offerings to the Missionary Support Fund are supplied by contributions received in the Thanksgiving Offering.
3. “WHAT SERVICES AND BENEFITS DOES THE THANKSGIVING OFFERING HELP PROVIDE?”
The Thanksgiving Offering enables us to provide the services and benefits we have committed to our missionaries “as the Lord provides” – in addition to monthly salary, housing and ministry allowances, and hospitalization. These benefits include:
• reimbursements for missionaries’ Furlough (Home Assignment) airfare/transportation expenses to and from the field
• reimbursements for their hospitalization personal deductibles for the year (their personal deductible is $1000 and we reimburse them $600 of that amount)
• children’s school/education expenses (if funds are available)
• expenses for mailing BFM News & Reports (missionaries’ monthly letters, reports, updates — and a brief summary report of all offerings given through BFM that month)
• expenses for maintaining Stateside office for communication and daily services – there are a lot of activities that go on Stateside to keep our missionaries functioning on their fields of service
4. “HOW ELSE IS THE MISSIONARY SUPPORT FUND SUPPLIED?”
The primary supply for the Missionary Support Fund is from monthly offerings that are given to the Missionary Support Fund. These monthly Missionary Support Fund offerings are used to supply the “Essential Missionary Support” [EMS] that we have committed to the missionaries for their standard essential monthly expenses. These include:
• their monthly salary
• their monthly standard housing allowance
• their monthly standard ministry allowance
• their monthly hospitalization premium
• expenses for printing BFM News & Reports – their monthly newsletters, reports, and updates
We just wish to reiterate – and we cannot over-emphasize – that we have no sources of funding for these committed benefits other than the monthly Missionary Support Fund and the Thanksgiving Offering. If we do not receive the necessary funding through these two contribution streams, we cannot disburse the benefits.
5. “WHY IS THE THANKSGIVING OFFERING GIVEN AT THE THANKSGIVING SEASON?”
• The BFM Thanksgiving Offering began many years ago in conjunction with the annual Thanksgiving Missionary Conference in the Detroit-area and has continued that way to this day.
• Also, the Thanksgiving season is good reminder of the thanks we owe God for His Indescribable Gift in Jesus Christ – and our Thanksgiving Offering is a good way to express that thanks.
• And, the Thanksgiving season and Offering is a good occasion for us to give missionary offerings so others, also, may hear the blessed Good News of salvation through Christ…and, in this way, share our Thanksgivings to God with others and MULTIPLY STILL MORE THANKSGIVINGS TO GOD.
• See 2 Corinthians 9.11-15
6. “HOW CAN I GIVE MY THANKSGIVING OFFERING?”
If your church receives a Thanksgiving Offering for the missionaries supported through BFM, then we encourage you to give your offering through your church. Most of the Thanksgiving Offerings that are given by churches are made up by the voluntary offerings of individual members who give to the Offering. Pastors, we encourage you to give your church the opportunity to contribute to our BFM Thanksgiving Offering.
7. “WHAT IF MY CHURCH DOES NOT RECEIVE A BFM THANKSGIVING OFFERING?”
If your church does not participate in the Thanksgiving Offering, you may send your personal gift to the Treasurer of BFM and designate it “Thanksgiving Offering.”
Baptist Faith Missions / Pastor George Sledd,
Treasurer
P.O. Box 471280
Lake Monroe FL 32747-1280
You can also give online at www.bfmnow.org and click on ‘Give’ and designate for ‘Thanksgiving Offering’ in the memo field.
8. “CAN I GIVE MY THANKSGIVING OFFERING ONLY AROUND THANKSGIVING … OR DURING NOVEMBER?”
No. Many churches and individual Friends of BFM give on or around “Thanksgiving Sunday.” However, offerings begin coming in before November and continue to come in to the Treasurer during the months following November, and sometimes on into the next year. You can give your Thanksgiving Offering any time. But, all offerings designated “Thanksgiving Offering” go toward the same collective Offering for that year.
9. “HOW IS THE “EVERY FRIEND A GIVING FRIEND” PERSONAL GIVING MINISTRY PERTINENT TO THE THANKSGIVING OFFERING?”
We introduced the “EVERY FRIEND A GIVING FRIEND” ministry and plan during the 2003 Thanksgiving Conference. “Every Friend a Giving Friend” encourages each of our missionaries’ friends to personally participate in regular giving to the Missionary Support Fund. This plan is nothing new or unique; it is just another way to express and articulate what the Friends of BFM have been doing since the inception of the Mission.
It is also patterned after the instructions Paul gives us in 2 Corinthians 8 and 9: that is,
1. to purpose in your heart to give an offering (9:7)
2. to give as generous an offering as God enables you (8:1-3 & 9:6)
3. to ask God – and trust Him – to supply you with the funds you will need to give the offering (9:8)
4. to plan and begin preparing even a year ahead of time (as Paul instructed the Corinthians and the other churches to do) (8:10-11 & 9:2)
5. to give your offerings to the Lord and to the Lord’s missionaries willingly and cheerfully (9:7)
6. to express your love and obedience to the Lord through your generous giving (8:8 & 9:13)
7. to give as your response to Jesus Christ’s grace and gift of Himself to you (8:9 & 9:15)
We encourage every Friend of BFM to be a Giving Friend and give a personal Thanksgiving Offering to help supply our missionaries’ needs that are met through the monthly Missionary Support Fund.
“EVERY FRIEND A GIVING FRIEND” also challenges each Friend of BFM to personally participate in missions by giving monthly offerings over and above the regular tithes and offerings you give to your church to meet the needs of your local church’s ministries. We encourage each Giving Friend to make a personal commitment to either begin giving or increase your giving each month to the Missionary Support Fund.
10. “WHY DO YOU SET GOALS FOR THE THANKSGIVING OFFERING?”
We set goals because the goal amount is keyed to the projected needs we expect to provide for the coming year of missionary ministry. And, when we increase the commitments, services, and benefits we give our missionaries so they can better fulfill their ministries, our needs for the necessary funds increase also.
And, please remember with us that we cannot approve and commit to increasing the services and benefits we provide for our missionaries unless we believe the Lord will supply those funds through your giving.
THIS YEAR’S THANKSGIVING OFFERING GOAL IS $60,000.00.
Would you please pray and ask the Lord of the Harvest what he would have you give to this year’s Thanksgiving Offering? And then ask Him also to supply you with that gift from his inexhaustible resources of Grace?
Thank You, GIVING FRIENDS!
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The Good, the Bad, & the Ugly
Bobby and Charlene Wacaser have served the Lord as church planters in Curitiba, Parana, Brazil, since 1985.
November 3, 2019
Dear Friends,
Let me tell you about the good, the bad and the ugly. We are so blessed of the Lord in more ways than I can fully share, but one of them is that almost all of our evangelistic efforts in the public venues are very well received by civic leaders. This past month we were ministering in several neighborhoods of Rio de Janeiro. All of the schools received our team with open arms, except one. They did allow us to come in and to talk in front of the student body about avoiding illegal drugs, about suicide and depression, etc., but they warned us not to teach “religion” or to mention Jesus while using the microphone. That was the bad, but we were allowed to do our dramatic skits, which are done in mime, where Jesus was clearly portrayed as coming from the Father and giving his life as a sacrifice for man’s sin and resurrecting again. So, we still got to “preach” the gospel publicly and after the presentation ended, we were able to speak one-on-one with those who came to us privately to know more about what was presented in the dramas. That situation also helped to remind us that we are truly ministering in a world that is hostile to the Lord, but ultimately under His command. On the human level it is always a little disheartening to confront this type of resistance, but the Lord strengthened our faith by touching hearts even where our enemy sought to close the doors.
Two weeks ago, we launched a Jiu-Jitsu class at our church facilities on two days of the week. We have a very dedicated church member who is a black-belt instructor of Jiu-Jitsu and he has been asking me if we could provide these classes as a way to draw people from the neighborhood to the classes where the martial art is taught, but also to share Christ with the students. I thought it would be a great opportunity and we have 16 students already participating. We begin the classes with a time of devotional teaching and prayer, and we end with a reminder of the lesson taught. I joined the class myself, hoping to stay better fit and also to encourage others to participate.
Charlene is working with several of our volunteer ladies getting ready for our final couples’ event of the year. She always works hard and does a great job of preparing the environment for a meeting where the couples can enjoy themselves, relax and focus on listening to biblical marriage counseling and an evangelistic message. We are expecting a good crowd this month and we hope to leave the couples with a strong desire to be better mates and better fitted for serving the Lord as families.
Thank you for praying for us and for your faithful support. We know that God’s blessings will rest on you who seek to serve Him. Please know that He is using you beyond your own sphere of influence.
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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