Missionary Update: Paul & Wanda Hatcher on Furlough from Brazil [September 2014]
Paul and Wanda Hatcher have been serving the Lord together in Brazil since 1974. Paul pastors Tabernacle Baptist Church in Manaus, Brazil. Their main ministry is church planting.
August 30, 2014
Dear Friends,
Blessed be the one and only true God and our Lord Jesus Christ. Each new day we are richly blessed in Christ, therefore we rejoice and are glad in Him. Certainly the Lord has provided each and every need and that with much abundance.
We are thankful to God for our friends and the help provided. We moved my mother-in-law, Mrs. Willa McGary’s furniture from Kentucky to Florida. I Thank the Lord for Pastor Ronnie Stinson Jr. and members of Trace Creek Baptist Church, Mayfield, Ky, who helped load the moving van. I then drove to Moultrie Ga. to pick up furniture donated to Dad and Mom, John and Alta Hatcher, by our dear friends in Georgia. Our special thanks to Katie and Curtis Samples who coordinated all the collection of furniture and utensils and refurbished much of the furniture. Bro. Curtis Samples and Larry Hood re-managed and loaded the furniture donated in Georgia. Katie came to Florida for a week to help unpack and get things set up. Arriving in Florida, the Chapel Baptist Church family and Pastor Cris Luppino helped unload and carry furniture and boxes; it happened to be the hottest day of the year in Florida. Many answered prayers and so many dear friends praying. Thank you for your prayers. God is always good and gracious, His mercies endure for ever.
We all, Dad, Mom, Willa, Wanda and I, had a great time at the Tabernacle Baptist Church in Mims, Fl – Pastor David Humphreys. I am thankful for the opportunity to minister the word in the morning and evening worship times. The church had dinner on the church grounds. The food was delicious and we had time to fellowship, visit and talk about God and the great things He is doing here in the States and in churches in Brazil.
God bless each of you. Thanks for your prayers and generous support to the work of missions in Brazil; may God be your great reward. We pray for you that your remembrance and knowledge of our Lord, the only true God, may abundantly increase in wisdom and discernment, that your trust and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ may be steadfast always, and that the love of his Holy Spirit may fill and overflow in your every word and action, with thanksgiving to God though Jesus Christ our only Lord and Life.
Love,
Paul and Wanda
Paul and Wanda Hatcher
rphatcher[at]gmail.com
15905 Mercott Court
Clermont, FL 34714
(239)227-6551
Click here to give.
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Missionary Update: John & Alta Hatcher on Furlough from Brazil [September 2014]
Missionaries John and Alta Hatcher have served the Lord in Brazil since 1955, planting over 70 churches that are still in existence.
August 30, 2014
Dear Brethren and Friends,
Greetings from our new home in Florida, warm sunny Florida. Paul and Wanda have purchased a home in Clermont, Florida. It is a lovely large home that has a three-room apartment in the back where we are living. The address is: John and Alta Hatcher, 15905 Mercott Court, Clermont, FL 34714
Our new phone number is: 229-529-8497. John’s E-mail is: jhatcher[at]uol.com.br Paul’s cell phone is: 239-227-6551. Paul’s E-mail is: rphatcher[at]gmail.com You can get in touch with us through any of these contacts.
Moving from the rented house and getting everything moved in and set up has been a lot of work for Paul and Wanda. We have helped when and however possible. Our health has been well for old folk. Alta has a pestering cough, which she thinks is from neck bone misalignment; please pray for her to be relieved of it, if it be the Lord’s will.
We are physically not capable of doing what we once were able to do. We do take every advantage to spread the Gospel each day as the Lord opens opportunities. Pray with us for the Lord to open doors and opportunities to sow the message of the Gospel.
Work in Brazil. This past week the Chapada Baptist Church had its annual Conference. 700 persons were registered from places outside of Manaus. The work is progressing well. In the city of Cascavel, a Church was begun out of the Chapada Church by Colonel Jefferson, an army officer. Three days of special services at that Church brought a total of 1,800 decisions.
Finally, Psalm 1 continues to be a daily blessing to my spiritual life.
Psalm 1 – Instructions for a happy and blessed life. Four promises.
1-Be like a tree planted by living waters.
2-Bring forth fruit in his season.
3-Leaf shall not wither.
4-All that he does shall prosper. (There is no greater promise than this!)
We love you and thank God for your prayers and support through many years.
Sincerely,
John A. and Alta Hatcher
15905 Mercott Court
Clermont FL 34714
229-529-8497
Sincerely in Jesus Name,
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Missionary Update: The Tates in Kenya [September 2014]
The Tate Family has served the Lord in Kitale, Kenya since January 2008. Their main ministry is indigenous church planting.
September 4, 2014
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
As I was reading my Bible the other day I came across a passage of Scripture in Exodus that struck me because I saw many similarities between what was happening to Moses and the children of Israel and what was happening to me and the people of Kitale, Kenya. Now, before I continue you need to know that the people of Kitale are no children of Israel and I am certainly no Moses. I am no deliverer like Moses was to the children of Israel, no great spiritual leader, no worker of miracles and no author of parts of Scripture. I have never seen God in a burning bush, never heard the audible voice of God, never conversed with God face-to-face and the only lice I’ve ever dealt with was the ones found on my kids heads. So, I guess the similarities aren’t that many. But there was one that did strike me. In the midst of the story where Moses is striving with Pharaoh and Pharaoh refuses to listen to Moses or to God and refuses to let the children of Israel go and worship God, Moses gets frustrated with God because God is not doing what Moses thinks He should be doing. God had promised Moses that He would rescue His people from the slavery of Egypt. But in Exodus 5:22 Moses complains to the Lord and says “since I came to Pharaoh to speak in Your name, he has done evil to this people; neither have You delivered Your people at all”. This is where I totally relate to Moses. I look around at the people of Kitale and the lack of progress we have made in our ministry and I think, “God, you sent me here with the saving message of the good news of Jesus Christ, the dynamite in Your hands that You use to change hardened hearts into followers of Christ and with the promise that Your word does not return to you empty but it accomplishes all that you sent it out to accomplish and with the promise that you will redeem Your people from every tribe, tongue, people and nation. AND YET, WHEN I LOOK AROUND I SEE THAT YOU HAVE NOT DELIVERED YOUR PEOPLE AT ALL”. I ask God, why has Your word had such little effect? Why has Your Spirit changed so few lives? Like Moses I complain. Why haven’t You delivered Your people here in Kenya? Ever ask a question similar to that?
Well, don’t stop reading in Exodus, even though the chapter ends, because in Exodus 6:1 God responds to Moses and says, “NOW you shall see WHAT I WILL DO”. And what does God do? He goes on to fulfill his promise to His people and through a series of supernatural events delivers His people from slavery in Egypt. And I am glad that I didn’t stop reading at the end of chapter 5 because I am encouraged to know that, like God did with His people in Egypt, He will accomplish in Kenya what He wants to accomplish and He WILL redeem His people in His own timing. And although He doesn’t need me to accomplish His purposes, I pray that He will. And while we don’t always see the results we want to see, we do see God moving in this place. I am excited about the new class of church planters that will start at the training center this week. We are expecting anywhere from three to ten new students who we will begin to train to be church planters in their home villages. We pray that these men will be faithful, dependable, God-fearing, Christ-following, future church planters in Kitale.
On a more personal note, we are down to one child left at our house for nine months of the year as we delivered Amy to her new home at Rift Valley Academy for the beginning of her eighth grade year. This is the beginning of her tenure as a boarding school student 300 miles away from home. I never thought that boarding school would ever be an option for our children but we feel very confident that this is what God wants for Amy, at least for now. Please be in much prayer, especially for Amy, but also for Julie, Josiah and me as we all make this difficult transition. Pray that she settles in well and that God would be with her and bless her.
Until next month, beloved.
May God’s peace and joy be with you.
For the glory of God in East Africa,
Roger & Julie Tate (and Emily, Amy, & Josiah)
rojuta[at]gmail.com
Visit their blog!
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Missionary Update: The Radfords in Kenya [September 2014]
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.
September 4, 2014
Dear praying friends,
We are now in the latter part of 2014. I keep asking myself, “Where has the time gone?” It seems the older I get, the faster the time passes by. How we need to take time for that which is important during our lives, as this life is so short and brief in comparison to eternity.
This past month was a difficult one for our family, as my grandmother, Mrs. Ruby Harris, passed away at the age of 90. My mother’s mother was such a blessing to me all through my life, and such a prayer warrior and supporter of the missionary work God has called us to. She was a strong Christian, and is now in the presence of the Lord and in a far better place. Some verses that come to my mind are Psalm 116:15, which says “Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints.” Another great verse to claim is 2 Corinthians 5:8, which states, “We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.” Please keep the family in prayer at this time.
It is now rainy season in Kitale, and it can be tricky at times to travel on the Milimani roads, which become very muddy after the rains. I recall at one point several years ago where it rained so hard that even taxis would not come to pick us for fear of getting stuck! Please pray for our safety as we travel. The rain is certainly a blessing, and it is a total switch from the seasons of where I am from in America, so it takes some getting adjusted to.
Speaking of adjustments, our daughter McKenna officially starts school this week. Please pray for both mother and daughter as my wife will be home schooling her. This will be a big change for my daughter and the years ahead. Please pray she will do well, as she is a smart little girl.
My wife has begun the hospital ministry and it is going well. The staff have been very friendly and inviting, and we thank the Lord for that. God has kept the door of ministry open there for her to minister to mothers, children, and abandoned babies.
Church planting endeavors need much prayer, as there are many challenges, which I have shared previously in monthly updates. Please pray the Lord would give us wisdom in regards to who to work with, etc. We know He is in control and we trust Him. Lord willing, we will also be offering a basic Christianity course. What is a Christian? What does it mean to follow Christ? These are some of the questions that we will be answering from the Word of God, in addition to other teachings.
Please pray for us as we seek to follow Him daily. One of my favorite verses is Luke 9:23, which says “And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.” Are we willing to follow Him today and every day? I hope and pray so. God bless you all and thanks so much for your prayers, encouragement, and sacrificial giving. We will keep you updated.
Serving in Kenya,
Nathan and Carrie Radford
P.O. Box 4150
Kitale, Kenya
East Africa, 30200
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2014 BFM Thanksgiving Conference
60th ANNUAL THANKSGIVING MISSIONS CONFERENCE
November 10-12, 2014 – New Hope Baptist Church
Dearborn Heights, MI – Pastor Terry Adkins
Conference Theme: Abounding in the work of the Lord – I Corinthians 15:58
* Sister Sue Jones will be conducting a Bible study during each session of the conference for children ages 3 thru 10. Please bring your children.
* Everyone is invited to sing in our Conference Choir on Monday evening at 6:45.
* For directions to New Hope Baptist Church and/or information on lodging, please contact: Pastor Terry Adkins (313) 562-5579 | pastorterrynewhope@yahoo.com
MONDAY EVENING, NOVEMBER 10TH
5:00p.m. Dinner
6:30p.m. Music
6:45p.m. Singing
7:15p.m. Message, Pastor George Sledd – Jordan Baptist Church, Sanford, FL
8:00p.m. Singing
8:25p.m. Message, Paul Hatcher – Missionary to Brazil
TUESDAY MORNING, NOVEMBER 11TH
9:15A.M. Music
9:30a.m. Singing
9:45a.m. Message, Pastor Ben Glover – Park Ridge Baptist Church, Gotha, FL
10:30a.m. Message, Pastor Mike Farmer – Covenant Baptist Church, Troy MI
11:10a.m. Break
11:15a.m. Message, John Hatcher – Missionary to Brazil
12:00 Noon Lunch
TUESDAY AFTERNOON, NOVEMBER 11TH
1:30p.m. BFM open-forum advisory meeting (everyone is invited to attend)
TUESDAY EVENING, NOVEMBER 11TH
5:00p.m. Dinner
6:30p.m. Music
6:45p.m. Singing
7:15p.m. Message, Teaching-Pastor David Mitchell – Calvary Baptist Church, Hurricane, WV
8:00p.m. Singing
8:25p.m. Message, Pastor Ken Hurst – Storms Creek Baptist Church, Ironton OH
WEDNESDAY MORNING, NOVEMBER 12TH:
9:45a.m Music
10:00a.m. Singing
10:15a.m. Message, Pastor Bobby Greene – Calvary Baptist Church, Richmond, KY
11:00a.m. Singing
11:15a.m Message, Pastor Doug Armstrong – Lake Road Baptist Church, Clio, MI
12:00 Noon Thanksgiving Lunch
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FaithWORKS Report [August 2014]
PRAY AND PRAISE in this issue…
- MIKE AND BEV CREIGLOW— PRAISE GOD for a time of fellowship, especially with Henry. PRAY for the people being saved in Bolivia in spite of persecution. PRAISE GOD for full Sunday evening services at First Baptist and in the chapels. PRAY for Idevaldo and his wife, the newest missionaries who will be sent to the field later this year.
- JOHN AND ALTA HATCHER—PRAISE GOD for His glorious Gospel He has given us the privilege of sharing with others. PRAY that you will be a faithful witness.
- JOHN MARK AND JUDY HATCHER—PRAISE GOD for the birth of grandchild #10! PRAY for committed first-generation leaders. PRAISE GOD for Philip and Amanda serving in France with them.
- PAUL AND WANDA HATCHER—PRAISE GOD for always providing. PRAISE GOD for working in the life of Francisco Santiago and for the 66th anniversary of Tabernacle Baptist Church in Manaus! Through this ministry, your giving and prayers, children, grandchildren, great children, and even great-great grandchildren churches have spread in more than half of the state of Brazil. PRAY as His work continues to spread.
- AJ AND BARBARA HENSLEY—PRAISE GOD for open doors to share the Gospel at a large new school! PRAISE GOD and PRAY for 52 young prisoners who put their faith & trust in Christ! PRAY that the Lord would open legal doors for vocational classes at the prison. PRAY for their upcoming “Mission Awareness” month. PRAY that the Lord would provide the finances for their blown motor.
- NATHAN AND CARRIE RADFORD—PRAISE GOD for Carrie’s permit for the hospital ministry being renewed! PRAISE GOD for answering prayers for safety. PRAY that the Lord will provide other children in Kitale who are their girls’ ages. PRAISE GOD for their new four-legged family member!
- ROGER AND JULIE TATE—PRAISE GOD for a sweet time of worship in a tiny village at night. PRAY for the witch doctor’s village and for the Pokot Christians to be burdened to share the Gospel with their own people. PRAISE GOD for light in the darkness and PRAY that His Gospel will penetrate resistant hearts.
- BOBBY AND CHARLENE WACASER—PRAISE GOD for His protection during an armed robbery. PRAY for the safety of new missionary Alysson, a new missionary they just sent out to the Tupi Indians, and that the Gospel would go forth with great success! PRAISE GOD for growing their church and for the volunteers who are helping work on the building.
CHANGED DATES FOR THANKSGIVING CONFERENCE
The New Hope Missionary Baptist Church will be hosting the Thanksgiving Conference again this November – but it will not be during Thanksgiving week this year. The new dates will be Monday-Wednesday – November 10, 11, 12. Please note and mark these new dates – plan to attend. [You can view the full schedule here.]
FOUNDERS DAY OFFERINGS
You should have received last month your special Founders Day Offering issue of the Mission Sheets along with one of our new brochures: “Caring For Those Who Care For the World” which will explain the need and function of the General Fund to supply our missionaries’ monthly needs.
The contributions we receive from your Founders Day Offering go toward supplementing the monthly General Fund offerings to supply the monthly commitments we make to your missionaries. These offerings provide for their essential living and ministry expenses. Every month, we must disburse at least $43,300.00 just to maintain the standard essential commitments we have made to our 11 faithful, full-time missionary families.
When the monthly General Fund offerings do not cover those commitments, then we must reduce the amounts we disburse to the missionaries that month. What it always comes down to is reducing the amounts we disburse to them for their modest salaries and personal/ministry expenses allowances.
To date, June’s and July’s offerings total $14,280.00. The 2013 Founders Day Offering was $23,176.00. We really need to at least match that offering – and better yet, exceed it. The Founders Day Offering last year enabled us to carry over supplies into the latter months of 2013 and prevented us from having to reduce the missionaries’ monthly disbursements.
Please respond as generously as God enables you to give. Whether it is June, July, August – or whenever – just designate your offering “Founders Day Offering” and we will apply it to keeping your missionaries’ proverbial heads above the proverbial financial water for that month! I promise you: they will need it!
BFM BROCHURES
We now have TWO very attractive and informative professionally-produced brochures. We want you to help us get these promotional messages into the hands of anyone and everyone who is interested in the mission work the Lord is accomplishing through the missionaries who are supported by your offerings through BFM.
(1) The first of these brochures is one that will introduce you to BFM and inform you about the basic principles by which BFM functions. (click here to view)
(2) The second brochure is just now ‘hot off the press.’ This one is entitled “Caring for those who care for the world,” and is designed to inform and explain just how essential the monthly General Fund is to the daily living and ministry needs of our missionaries. (click here to view)
Both of them are full-color, either 6 or 8 pages 8 ½ x 11 format, pictorial, and informative. Will you please help us distribute these brochures as widely as you can?
If you will send your name and mailing address to:
Dave Parks, 3985 Boston Road, Lexington KY 40514
email: daveparks[at]twc.com | phone: 859.223.8374 –
and tell us how many sets of these brochures you want – we will get them back to you by return shipping.
For now, you can access an electronic flip-through version of the new brochure by going to our website and clicking on the brochure cover.
Again, please serve as ambassadors for your missionaries by helping us get either single-copy sets to interested persons or bundles to distribute in our churches. The brochures will ‘speak for themselves’ – for our missionaries.
MISSIONARIES ON FURLOUGH
Two of our longest-serving missionary families are on furlough in the States together at this time: John and Alta Hatcher and Paul and Wanda Hatcher. Paul has written in his Mission Sheets newsletter, “Wanda and I have been in Brazil for 40 years. During this period, we have taken only one full-year furlough.” But, they all have come together to the States for a year’s furlough. John and Alta Hatcher have been serving our Lord in partnership with Baptist Faith Missions for 60 years and wanted to come Stateside for this furlough. Paul and Wanda have come with them to accompany and help them. Also with them is Wanda’s mom, Willa McGary. ‘Miss Willa’ and Wanda’s deceased dad, Wilford, served as church-planting missionaries in Eastern Kentucky Appalachia for 35 years. Willa has also been living with Paul and Wanda in Manaus since December 2013.
So, they are all living and traveling together. They plan to set up their residence in Florida during this time to give them better access to Brazil, especially for family and friends in Brazil to come and visit with them during this year.
Paul says: ‘We will be available to speak and share missions. We can be contacted at: (239)227-6551 or rphatcher[at]gmail.com.’ We encourage you to pray for them and correspond with them.
Their present address is: 615 Key West Avenue, Davenport FL 33897-3600
Telephone: (863) 438-6922
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Missionary Update: Mike & Beverly Creiglow in Brazil [August 2014]
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.
August 13, 2014
Dear Brethren,
This month I spent 2 weeks on a motorcycle trip leaving Brazil and visiting Peru, Bolivia and Chile. This was for adventure, but the Kingdom is ever present. One of the things I wanted to do in Chile was buy a new computer at the Free Zone in Iquiqui. Baptist churches are not as prevalent or visible as in Brazil. The Andean culture is ancient and dominant. Very different from what I am used to here in Brazil. Nevertheless, while in Puno (city on the shores of Lake Titicaca) I met a great Baptist named Henry. He was saved at age 20 and is a member of a Baptist church of about 200 members. He teaches a Bible class 3 times a week. He went to Copacabana, Bolivia with us. There are no more American missionaries in Bolivia, or so I was told. The president there hates all Americans. Henry says that many Bolivians are being saved in spite of the persecution by the president who he described as “tonto” or CRAZY! My good friend Sherman Smith was along for this trip and we almost got caught in “no man’s land” for Americans on the border between Bolivia and Peru. It was tense. I won’t be going back to Bolivia any time soon. Anyway we traveled 3500 miles through the Andes. Much of the trip was at 15,000 feet. One mountain pass was 16,000 feet. The winds were violent. We were in temps at or below 0º much of the time. We stayed one night at a little town called Macusani which is almost 16,000 feet. There was no heat in the rooms and no water in the communal bathroom. Most of our guys were fainting, vomiting, dizzy and out of breath. I was fine. Like I said: adventure!
We had a good month here at church. There was another baptism with 26 new members. Last weekend we had 3 days of special services. The main feature was the tenth anniversary of our theatre group. Each night they presented a play which they created around a pirate theme. The message was about the true treasure of salvation in Christ. There were 9 people saved just this weekend and 5 more requests for baptism.
The five pastors of First Baptist Church have been busy working with our chapels and chapel pastors. At the beginning of this year we allowed our chapels to have Sunday evening services. For a short time this put a dent in our attendance at the mother church. Now it looks like we have already grown back the ones who now attend the chapel services. Sunday night we were at capacity again. This past weekend the Catholic church had their biggest festivity of the year, but had no impact on our attendance.
Zico, our missions director, took Idevaldo and wife to visit the town of Jordão on the upper reaches of the Tarauacá River. They are our newest missionary couple and we will be sending them to the field later this year. The church has already approved them and put them on full time salary.
Thanks for all of your prayers and support. God bless you as much as He has us.
In Christ,
Mike and Beverly Creiglow
Caixa Postal 24
Cruzeiro do Sul, Acre, Brazil 69980
mdcreig [at] hotmail.com
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Missionary Update: Paul & Wanda Hatcher on Furlough from Brazil [August 2014]
Paul and Wanda Hatcher have been serving the Lord together in Brazil since 1974. Paul pastors Tabernacle Baptist Church in Manaus, Brazil. Their main ministry is church planting.
July 30, 2014
Dear Friends,
Praise God for all His wonderful blessings. We are half way through this year; and, God has been so marvelous in providing each need. First, He has given us hope of eternal life by His side, and even now, the presence of His indwelling spirit. He also provides the very smallest needs of each day as well as the monumental ones. God is awesome – always good, just, and true.
At the beginning of the month, I was in Brazil for ten days meeting with pastors and staff concerning the planning and follow-up of projects underway. One of the special moments was Tabernacle Baptist Church’s celebration of our 66th homecoming. The church was organized July 4, 1948, under the leadership of Pastor Francisco Santiago (who also performed my baptism when I was a child). The church beginnings were very simple, in a small rented house, with backless, board benches, in a short alley called Beco Vila Mamão. The mother church was First Baptist Church of Cruzeiro do Sul, Acre, that had been started by BFM’s first missionary to the Amazon, Joe Brandon. Pastor Santiago had been the first convert and baptized believer under Bro. Brandon’s ministry in Cruzeiro do Sul. By the way, Francisco Santiago’s intent when he went to Bro. Brandon’s street meeting was to interrupt and run him out of town. Upon hearing the word, he became motionless in his hiding place behind a bush and commented to a friend who had come along to help him, “This is not of the devil.” The next night they came back to hear more and were saved! A few months later, a statue in the local catholic church fell and broke and the believers were blamed for it; an intense persecution began. Francisco Santiago, along with his family, fled for his life. That’s how he wound up in Manaus, almost a thousand miles down river. Praise God; how marvelous indeed is our God. Sixty-six years later, children, grandchildren, great grandchildren and great-great grandchildren churches have spread in more than half of the states of Brazil. Aren’t you glad to be a part of the great things God is doing through your giving and prayers? God is awesome!
God bless each of you. Thanks for your prayer and faithful support to the work of missions; may God be your great reward. We pray for you that your remembrance and knowledge of our Lord, the only true God, may abundantly increase, that your trust and faith in him may be steadfast in all things, and that the love of the Spirit may fill and overflow in your every word and action, with thanksgiving to God though Jesus Christ our only Lord and Life.
Love,
Paul and Wanda
Paul and Wanda Hatcher
rphatcher[at]gmail.com
615 Key West Avenue
Davenport, Fl 33897-6300
(239)227-6551
Click here to give.
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