Missionary Update: Mike & Beverly Creiglow in Brazil [March 2014]
Mike and Beverly Creiglow have served the Lord in Cruzeiro do Sul, Acre, Brazil together for 40 years. 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.
March 8, 2014
Dear Brethren,
The state of Acre has 22 “county seats” (municipalities). First Baptist Church has planted churches in 6 of those, including the 2 largest -Rio Branco (347,000) and Cruzeiro do Sul (80,000). Most of the others have some kind of Baptist church, so we have not done much to get into those cities. There are still 2 of these cities that do not have a Baptist church. They are Jordão on the upper Tarauacá River and Santa Rosa do Purús on the upper Purús River and right on the Peruvian border.
We have taken the gospel to most of the cities through Projeto Ide (Project Go). This year we took Ide to the city of Jordão. Usually we take as many as 70 people. Since Jordão is so remote and hard to get to, we only took 35 people.
Projeto Ide gives medical and dental assistance to the local population, with free medicine. We also have haircuts, hygiene classes and dental hygiene classes. There are arts & crafts classes, as well as culinary classes. Sometimes we distribute used clothing and have a soup kitchen. There are activities for the kids. We do door-to-door evangelism and hold services every night.
The first service held by a Baptist Church in the town of Jordao, Acre.
Jordão is a LONG way from anywhere. Thirteen of our team went by truck to Tarauacá. That is 150 miles from Cruzeiro do Sul. Then they took all the supplies and went up the Tarauacá River for another 215 miles in a big flat bottom boat. It took them 4 days. Hudson and I trailered one of my small boats with 25HP outboard to Tarauacá where we spent the night. The next morning we left early and it took us 10 and a half hours to Jordão. The next day we flew 20 more team members in on 4 MAF flights.
After all arrived and setup finished we started work. 800 people received medical and dental attention over 3 days. We had big crowds for the all the activities. The gospel was shared in every home. Our members had to wade some major mud to reach some of the houses. There were 157 professions of faith. 34 of those were made publicly during evening services.
The total population of Jordão is 7,147. Over half of these are Kaxinauá Indians. The need for a church there is great. At the close of our final service, after my message, Zico (our missions director) asked for a show of hands of those who wanted us to plant a church there. Every hand went up. Then a surprising thing happened. The crowd broke in to spontaneous applause. I think they want a church!
Last night we presented our report to almost 400 people during our prayer meeting. The church is excited about sending a missionary there. It was one great service. We are praying and fasting that God will give us the right folks to send.
The trip was hard on me and the equipment. I had to order $958.51 of parts for the outboard. A new prop shaft, props and seals. Ouch! It is worth the effort though. Thousands heard the gospel and 157 saved.
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: The Stantons in Peru [March 2014]
Sheridan and Anita Stanton have served the Lord in Peru since 1983. Their main ministry is church planting and they have helped establish churches all over the country. Sheridan also works to train pastors and Anita works with the ladies’ ministry and developing children’s material.
March 8, 2014
Dear friends,
Construction continues at a steady pace on the Calvary Baptist Church building here in Huánuco, Peru. Counseling and construction has consumed most of my time during the month of February. The concrete roof is still drying for the second floor, and we have most of the exterior walls finished on the third floor. The ceiling support braces will be removed on Monday and the cement plastering of the brick walls will commence the same day. Our men have one week to finish the plastering until our drywall instructor from the States comes on the 18th. Please continue to pray that all goes according to schedule without delays or accidents. The folks of Calvary Baptist are excited about getting into the new building. We have been in and out of temporary rental buildings for several years, but through it all, the members have been constant and faithful in giving and attendance. The Lord willing we will organize this work around the end of the year. Thanks for your prayers and please continue to give if you feel led so we can finish the building completely.
Counseling is an everyday part of my ministry. It seems the Lord keeps opening this door wider and wider each month. I have been counseling with two people in Spain by way of the internet using Skype. Not as good as face-to-face counseling but it is a new alternative. One the counselees in Spain has asked me to ask all of you to pray for her. She is a 43 year old single, Christian woman that is severely depressed and has begun to have doubts about God and salvation. There are very few Evangelical Christians in Spain and those that are there are spiritually starving for fellowship. Dear friends never take for granted the blessing of fellowship you have in your local church. Many Christians around the world are isolated and discouraged; please say a prayer for them once in a while.
A young 21 year old mother of a three year old was referred to me by a local psychologist here in Huánuco. The girl was chronically depressed and suicidal with no family support. She has a history of trauma and sexual abuse but after taking her history and listening to her pain and desperation I presented her with the gospel and she trusted Christ as her Savior. She comes to sessions now with a smile on her face and hope in her heart. There are still a lot of issues to work through but she is faithful in what I call “discipleship therapy” and she even comes on time (not a common practice in Peru!). Confidentiality prohibits me from giving you her name, but please pray for this young mother also. Thanks.
I am actively working with four other counselees besides the two I’ve mentioned. Three of them have also manifested suicidal ideations. I’m not sure why, but it appears this is the field of counseling the Lord has called me to for now. Seeing people at their very worst, day after day, and listening to some of the most horrendous stories of abuse takes a toll on me too. Please continue to pray for me to have wisdom and compassion to work with them and that my life would manifest the love of Jesus to them. The Holy Spirit of God is the real counselor and I continue to be amazed each time I see HIM work in the lives of these desperate souls by turning them to trust and joy in Jesus.
Anita is doing a wonderful job with her Women’s Bible Study each week. She puts a lot of time into preparation and the women are very faithful in their attendance. One of the ladies comes periodically for counseling and told me Anita’s Bible class was the highlight of her week! Please remember Anita in your prayers also, her knees continue to cause her a lot of pain. Other than that we both continue to be in pretty good health, just getting older like the rest of you!
I traveled to the Central Jungle town of Pucallpa the third week of February for an anniversary meeting with the Liberty Baptist Church. It was a good meeting but spiritually difficult.
The work here in Peru is the Lord’s work and HE uses you all to keep it going. God continues to bless here and Anita and I thank HIM every day for the calling HE has given us to work in this beautiful country. Thanks again for all of your prayers and support.
Thank you and may God continue to bless you all. Until next month.
Being “In Christ” by God’s grace,
Sheridan and Anita Stanton
Apartado Postal 140
Huanuco, Peru
South America
(614) 500-8823 – Internet Number
sestantonperu[at]hotmail.com – Sheridan
arstantonperu[at]gmail.com – Anita
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Missionary Update: The Radfords on Furlough from Kenya [March 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.
March 4, 2014
Dear praying friends,
Another month has come and passed, and it is hard to believe it is already the month of March. We have enjoyed so much our time of furlough and getting to spend time with friends, family, and supporters. Each of you are so special to us, and it is always good to get back home to get refreshed. This reminds me of a verse that I remind myself of often, and is an encouragement. It is Matthew 11:28, which says, “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” How we need to come to the Lord when we feel overwhelmed, discouraged, or need refreshed. What a great promise from the Scriptures.
Please pray for the various ministries as they continue along while we are home. One major prayer request we have currently is for the hospital ministry. As some of you may not be aware, the government has now made it mandatory for my wife to get a work permit to continue along with this ministry. Previously, she worked under my work permit, but now things have changed and she needs her own. Of course, we trust the Lord for this, and we plan to get working on the permit immediately upon our return in June, Lord willing. We know the Lord will keep the door open there as long as He wants her there. A verse that has been a comfort is Psalm 62:8, which says “Trust in him at all times; ye people, pour out your heart before him: God is a refuge for us. Selah.” How we need to trust in the Lord all through our lives, and realize He is our refuge. Thanks so much to each one who sends supplies for this ministry, prays for my wife, or sends finances sacrificially. Each of you are a blessing. We will keep you updated.
Our daughter Camille turned three years old last month. That is hard to believe. It was so good that we got to celebrate her birthday together as a family. McKenna will turn six years old next month, Lord willing. Parenting is a privilege, and we thank the Lord for both of our daughters. If you are a parent, it would be wise to cherish the times that you have together, as time passes so quickly and before you know it, the children are all grown up. Please continue to pray for both of them as they grow and progress along in their young lives.
Please also pray for our vehicle as we have had to travel many miles while we have been home. Please pray that it will do well along all the miles, through all the snow and roads of this rough winter, and that it would not have any major repairs. So far, it has done well, but there is still much traveling ahead.
God bless each of you. We will keep you updated.
315 College Street
Youngsville, PA 16371
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Missionary Update: The Tates on Furlough from Kenya [March 2014]
The Tate Family has served the Lord in Kitale, Kenya since January 2008. Their main ministry is indigenous church planting.
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
I can hardly believe that this furlough is coming to an end and that this is the month that we return to Kenya (minus Emily). I can’t believe how quickly it has passed and how much I will miss you all once we return. But, since we are gearing up to return to Kitale, let me do two things in this newsletter. First, let me quickly recap this furlough time and, second, I would like to summarize again what we would like to see happen in this upcoming term in Kenya.
So, first, how has this furlough gone? Well, it certainly has been rough at times but in all I think we have managed it the best we could. There are two things that make furlough tough. The first is instability. When you don’t have a firm, permanent place to stay, life tends to be a bit unhinged. Jumping from one place to another is volatile and erratic. Next time we will want to find a “permanent” place to stay as soon as we arrive in the States. The second problem with furlough is travel. Every weekend takes us on the road again. Most of the churches I visit are centrally located in states surrounding Ohio but most still require at least a three hour drive to reach. If I travel alone it takes me away from my family. If I travel with the family, that brings its own challenges. Among many other things, instability and travel especially make furlough tough. The other difficulty with this particular furlough has been weather. We have received a considerable amount of snow and ice this winter, as you know. It hasn’t prevented me from traveling much, but it has prevented me from attending services at our home church. It seems that every weekend I wasn’t traveling and had an opportunity to be spiritually fed at our home church, the weather would turn sour and all the worship services for the weekend would be cancelled. This happened often enough that I began predicting weekend weather. If it was a weekend in which I would be at home I would predict a large amount of snow and ice for Saturday night and, sure enough, the snow would inevitably come Saturday night and Sunday morning and all worship services for the day would be cancelled. I’m not sure why God wanted this to happen for me but it sure seemed to happen every time. I enjoyed the snow, I just wish I had been able to spend more time at our home church. I have, however, been able to enjoy some pizza, big macs, donuts, and the endless cereal aisle at Walmart so now I am trying to take off the weight I have gained this furlough. I guess I need to get back to the Kenyan beans and rice.
Next, let me briefly summarize what I envision for our ministry in Kenya for our third term. Once we return to Kenya I will be searching for two important ingredients. First, I will be searching for a house to rent in order to start training faithful Kenyan men our model of independent, self-reliant, reproducible church planting. Remember, I want this house to look just like the houses the men who will be trained are living in so that it resembles their own houses. They need to know they can do in their own home what I have been modeling for them in a house just like their own home. The second component I will be searching for is, of course, faithful men to teach. We want to teach them how to reach their own people with the gospel and how to start, organize and maintain New Testament Baptist churches. Definitely something you all can be praying about with us.
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: John & Alta Hatcher in Brazil [March 2014]
Missionaries John and Alta Hatcher have served the Lord in Brazil since 1955, planting over 70 churches that are still in existence.
February 24, 2014
Dear Brothers, Sisters and Friends of Baptist Faith Missions,
It is a great blessing for an old man to be able to write another letter to dear Friends like you. Alta and I are eighty-eight years old and you have been our dear supporting and praying partners for over fifty-five years for our ministry here in Brazil. It is a very emotional moment for me.
As I was preparing to write, the phone rang. Sebastian Oliveira, a blind person from birth, was calling from two thousand miles away to greet Alta and me and to thank us for the blessing we had been to him. Sebastian was saved in the interior village of Mira Aua, about 1960, when we lived in Manaus and traveled to the interiors on the launch you dear friends helped to build. He has been a Baptist pastor for over thirty-five years.
Our first church plant was in an area called Chapada. It was in the boonies. It was begun through the Tabernacle Baptist Church where we were members. It was started with 24 members. Among the 24 were four future mothers of pastors; there were five future Baptist pastors, including Paul, John Mark, and David Hatcher. The mothers of Baptist preachers were Alta, Guilermina, our daughters, Lynn (now in heaven) and Kathy. We praise God for His promises and unfailing faithfulness.
God touched the Chapada plant in a special way with its pastors and work. On February 23, 2014, there were 5,000 persons in morning services and 6,300 persons in evening services. In the evening services there were over 300 decisions. Praise the Lord for the ministry of church planting!
Our praises to the Lord for His blessings to our family. Alta and I thank Him for our parents and homes who taught us the fear of the Lord and the power of His Word. God has blessed our dear children: three sons are Baptist pastors, two daughters are wives of pastors and mothers of pastors. We have fifteen grandchildren, all of whom are serving the Lord with their partners in definite church planting projects. We have 26 great grandchildren, and eight of those have trusted the Lord as Savior.
WORKS GOING WELL – The mission points are going well here. There are congregations in Assai, Urai, Sussumo, and Rancho Alegre. There are several faithful young pastors. Some are not married; please pray for God to give them the right partners.
The Lord willing, we hope to be at the Spring Missionary Conference in Lexington. Our son, Paul, is planning our trip with him and Wanda. We may be in the States by the time this letter gets to you.
God bless you each one. We love you in the Lord,
Caixa Postal 112
Urai, PR, Brazil 86280-000
jhatcher[at]uol.com.br
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FaithWORKS Report [February 2014]
PRAY AND PRAISE in this issue…
- MIKE AND BEV CREIGLOW—PRAISE GOD for several professions of faith, baptisms, and church letters. PRAY that they will be able to come up with the funds to buy new camera equipment for their TV program.
- JOHN AND ALTA HATCHER—PRAISE GOD for the opportunity to witness on a cruise. PRAY for the young man who does not believe in Christ, but heard the Gospel. PRAY that we would all be faithful to share the Gospel wherever we are.
- JOHN MARK AND JUDY HATCHER—PRAISE GOD for faithful ladies who hold a weekly Bible Study on their lunch break every Thursday. PRAY for leaders who are starting new Bible Study groups. PRAY that the Word would pierce hearts, especially as it is being read by unbelievers.
- AJ AND BARBARA HENSLEY—PRAISE GOD for the growth of their mission church at its one-year anniversary. PRAY for the many physical and spiritual needs in their church and their personal ministry. PRAISE GOD for the opportunity to help at an orphanage.
- NATHAN AND CARRIE RADFORD—PRAY about how the Lord would have you involved in the harvest. PRAISE GOD for His harvest in Kitale and all around the globe.
- SHERIDAN AND ANITA STANTON—PRAISE GOD for answering prayers about a drywall teacher and for continued progress on the Calvary building. PRAY for the families of three saints killed in a car wreck. PRAISE GOD for the faithfulness of those in the Ladies’ Bible Class and Pastors’ Theology Class.
- ROGER AND JULIE TATE—PRAISE GOD for uplifting visits to supporting churches. PRAY that God would prepare their hearts and minds for their upcoming return to Kenya.
- BOBBY AND CHARLENE WACASER—PRAISE GOD for young ladies with zeal for reaching others for Christ! PRAY for them as they adapt to life without kids at home. PRAISE GOD for new converts after teams were sent out. PRAY for two more teams that will be sent out this month and for their school ministries to be effective.
YOUR JANUARY GENERAL FUND OFFERINGS…
When you review the Contributions page in this issue, you will note that the monthly General Fund Offerings total given in January is $26,723.10. First, we thank God and commend every one of you gives to the monthly General Fund. Without your faithful and sacrificial giving, our missionaries would not be receiving month-by-month what we are able to provide for them.
However, that being said, our total monthly commitments to our missionary families – which must be supplied from the monthly General Fund – amount to $43,300.54. Every month, that same amount must be disbursed just for their essential maintenance. If each of us will remember that number as we give to the monthly General Fund – $43,300.00 – it will help remind us of the gigantic financial responsibility just to ‘keep them on the field,’ ‘keep the lights on,’ and supply their essential living and ministry expenses.
The way we were able to NOT reduce their deposits this month is because last month, the Lord supplied us with an extraordinarily generous monthly General Fund offering. (These were offerings given in December 2013 and disbursed in January 2014.) So, with the ‘surplus’ we received last month, we carried it over to supply deficits in future months – this month, February, being one of them.
But, when those ‘surplus’ balances are depleted, if the monthly General Fund Offering doesn’t increase to meet the disbursement threshold [$43,300.00], then we will do what we’ve had to do before – we will reduce the amount of disbursements to our missionary families by the proportionate amount we did not receive in General Fund offerings.
Please help your missionaries by increasing your offerings to the monthly General Fund.
You can give online by going to our website: baptistfaithmissions.org and click on the ‘Donate/Support’ tab. Designate your offering for ‘General Fund’. Thank you on behalf of our missionaries!
Click here to make a one-time donation.
Click here to set up a recurring donation.
2013-14 THANKSGIVING OFFERING UPDATE: $48,638.41.
We have received three months’ Thanksgiving Offerings:
November 2013, $17,036.91
December 2013, $26,701.50
January 2014, $4,900.00
That brings us to a total of $48,638.41.
Just to give you a little comparison perspective – the 2012-13 Thanksgiving Offering was $52,348.17 and we ran out of those funds before 2013 was completed. This year’s offering so far – where it stands now – is still below last year’s total amount.
So, will you please help us with your continued offerings to the Thanksgiving Offering? We use the funds we receive from the Thanksgiving Offering to supply the other services, benefits, and commitments we make to our missionaries which are not supplied from the Monthly General Fund Offering.
When we don’t receive sufficient Thanksgiving Offering funds, we cannot grant the missionaries’ requests for those benefits we otherwise would give them to help relieve that additional financial burden on them.
2014 is shaping up to be a demanding year for those needs – so please help your missionaries all you can!
We must receive a very generous Thanksgiving Offering to give our missionaries the services and benefits we have committed to give them “as the Lord provides”. The Lord provides through our sharing of the Grace He has given us.
NOTE: the Thanksgiving Offering is always open any time for your contributions. Just designate your offering ‘Thanksgiving Offering’, and it will be applied and included.
“I speak not be commandment, but by occasion of the forwardness of others, and to prove the sincerity of your love.” [2 Corinthians 8.8].
“For the administration of this service not only supplieth the want of the saints, but is abundant also by many thanksgivings unto God; whiles by the experiment of this ministration they glorify God for your professed subjection unto the Gospel of Christ, and for your liberal distribution unto them, and unto all men; and by their prayer for you, which long after you for the exceeding Grace of God in you.” [2 Corinthians 9.12-14].
You can also contribute online at baptistfaithmissions.org on the ‘Donate/Support’ tab. Designate your offering for ‘Thanksgiving Offering’. Thank You! on behalf of our missionaries!
______________________________
THANKSGIVING OFFERINGS YEAR-BY-YEAR
1996-97 $73,380.83 2005-06 $66,313.44
1997-98 $66,118.67 2006-07 $99,246.86
1998-99 $59,498.19 2007-08 $64,650.57
1999-00 $56,026.50 2008-09 $87,588.47
2000-01 $67,251.50 2009-10 $92,264.30
2001-02 $56,906.13 2010-11 $63,720.13
2002-03 $55,164.30 2011-12 $56,365.38
2003-04 $62,195.80 2012-13 $52,348.17
2004-05 $77,347.47 2013-14 $48,638.41 [To Date]
2014 SPRING MISSIONS CONFERENCE
April 28, 29, 30
Thompson Road Baptist Church – Lexington KY
“BEHOLD…NOW…IS THE DAY OF SALVATION!”
2 Corinthians 6:2
Please mark these dates and plan to join us for times of refreshing from the Presence of the Lord, challenges from His Word, and opportunities for commitment and participation in taking Christ’s Gospel to the nations of the world!
TRIBUTE TO GLENN ARCHER
Glenn Archer passed through the valley of the shadow of death – from this life into the Presence of his Lord and Savior – on Friday, January 31. He had suffered from pulmonary fibrosis for the past year or so.
Glenn served his Lord and the missionaries who are supported through BFM as a Director for 34 years and as Treasurer for 11 years. He was a pastor of Baptist churches for 50 years, serving church families in Indiana, West Virginia, Kentucky, and Missouri.
For those of us who served with him in the service of our missionaries, Glenn was our friend, brother in Christ, confidante, counselor, and our ‘true yokefellow’ [Philippians 4.3] in the ministry of the Gospel and missions.
He was always the model of impeccable integrity, a ‘sterling character of a man,’ and the consummate voice of wisdom, reason, and grace. We could always depend on Glenn to be faithfully insistent on his convictions and principles, and yet be a moderating influence. He was always “easy to be intreated’ [James 3.17], and deliberately so. He often quoted the Scripture “Speaking the truth in love” (Ephesians 4.15) as one of his cardinal rules for wisdom and counsel – and he lived by it.
Glenn taught us how to live in the faith…and he modeled for us how to die in the same faith. And, he was a life-long lover of missions and missionaries.
Here is, in full, the daily blog he sent out to many of us for years as he led us through the Bible with his Daily Devotions. Listen to his faith in Christ in his dying days and his continuing love for Gospel missions:
11.4.13
Dear Friends:
Death is an ugly enemy. “The last enemy [that] shall be destroyed [is] death.” (1 Corinthians 15:26). However death is ours. “All things are yours: life or death. All are yours.” We are in everything to give thanks unto God. How we handle death will either resound to His honor and His glory or to our shame. We can die grumpy old men and women, or we can die counting our blessings, knowing that we have received better than we deserve.
Just now, we are waiting for the adoption, to wit: the redemption of the body. (Romans 8:23). When Christ died, He paid the price of our redemption. This old body that once served sin, has been by the presence of the Spirit of God made to serve righteousness. Yet, we are confined to this body of death (Romans 7:24). It is as though Christ has put us on lay-a-way, but He did so while we are still in this corruptible, mortal body. But this is not the body He bought. The body He bought will greet Him at the resurrection, when this mortal shall have put on immortality, when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption. In that day we will have a body like unto His glorious body (Philippians 3:21). “Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.” (1 John 3:2)
Just now I ask an interest in your prayers, not that I might not see death, but that I will handle this approach to death in a manner well pleasing in His sight. Ask that God grant me the favor of His grace to live for Him during all these struggles. Pray for Judy. She is a gracious soul. Many are her labors because of my sickness. Both of us need the grace of God to carry on for Him. I am glad I am saved.
Don’t spend more time praying to keep saints out of Heaven than you do praying to keep sinners out of Hell.
I am yours in Christ, Glenn
Glenn’s family would like to express their thanks to our BFM fellowship with this note:
“Our family would like to express our gratitude to BFM, its directors, missionaries, and supporters for their love, encouragement, and prayers during the last several months. We also give thanks for the basket that was sent to the funeral home and to the directors who were able to attend the funeral and serve as honorary pallbearers despite the weather.
Glenn Archer’s greatest desire was for people all over the world to come to know the saving grace of our Lord Jesus Christ.
May God continue to bless the work of BFM.
Judy and the entire Archer family”
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@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’ FURLOUGH SCHEDULE
Harold Bratcher has retired from active and faithful missionary service in Brazil and has relocated to live here in the States. His mailing address is: 1950 Falling Leaves Lane, Lexington KY 40509 | telephone: (859)806-9827.
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Missionary Update: John Mark & Judy Hatcher in France [March 2014]
Missionaries John Mark and Judy Hatcher have been serving the Lord in Tournefeuille, France since 1999. They define their ministry as “disciple-making.”
March 2, 2014
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
Tomorrow Judy and I celebrate our 41st wedding anniversary. What an exciting life it has been. Six weeks after getting married we moved to Manaus, Brazil. I would not advise any man to begin marriage the way I did. On arrival in Manaus, I began pastoring a church and a mission, preached 14 times each week, taught 35 classes. The first class started at 7 am and the last ended at 11pm. Judy was seriously neglected but took it like a champ. She learned Portuguese taught English classes, gave piano lessons and, among many other activities, learned to cook starting with meat hacked off a beef quarter with a large butcher knife. A bit of advice to all grooms or newly married men. DON’T DO WHAT I DID!
Judy the Missionary
However, God’s grace is sufficient for His daughters who are married to stupid men. For this I will be eternally thankful. Judy hung in there with me as I grew (a little) in wisdom and has been a great team mate, lover, spouse and mother as we have served God together on 3 different continents. It has been a wonderful life!
Judy the Grandmother
Thank you for your prayers and faithful support. Though you may live at a distance, you are an essential part of what God has called us to do in France. We thank God for what He has done during the past month. We have witnessed to those who need Christ. We have spent time in one on one counseling and discipleship, Bible studies, youth meeting, Sunday school classes, prayer, outreach to lost. Sometimes we are encouraged, sometimes we are frustrated. We would like to see more disciples and quicker growth in some we work with, but God enables us to continue. You are a part of the gracious process God is using to bring others to Himself.
One thing Judy and I have learned in our wonderful life of service together is that God has many wonderful surprises in store for us. We want to be faithful and become more like Christ as we serve Him here.
Communicating the Good News in France,
John and Judy Hatcher
4, rue d’Aspin
31170 Tournefeuille, France
JMHatcher[at]aol.com
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Missionary Update: The Hensleys in Brazil [February 2014]
The Hensleys have spent nearly 15 years serving in Brazil. They run a vocational school and orphanage in Caraguatatuba and have also established a church and mission points throughout the city.
February 11, 2014
Dear Friends and Family,
Sometimes it is hard to imagine how busy we can get.
The new Year began with our New Year Eve service and here being a good Baptist, we had an AWESOME meal. Lots of good fellowship and good food. We started praying at 7 minutes til midnight and prayed in the new year. There was something that made the New Year special, and that was that we had our good friends from the States with us, PJ and Jenny Thompson, from Cornerstone Baptist Church. They are here for 3 months to get better acquainted with the work and to help with the ministeries. AWESOME! It is great when I think about it, PJ retired in 2013, and now he is experiencing missions to help him decide where he can be used by the Lord in his retirement. He is very active in Prison ministries in the States and various other ministries.
Just a little plug more+++++++ What are you doing in your retirement? I think sometimes we forget just how useful we can be. Just an extra hand here or there can make all the difference in the world, not to mention how much the encouragement can be. Discover where God is working in your retirement and get involved!!
Right after the New Year, our mission Church celebrated it’s first year of ministry. How AWESOME is that!! We have some great children. Now I am not saying that we have a Sunday School full of angels, but it is great to see them in Church on Sunday mornings, eager to hear about God. We have around 40 in regular attendance, but with the holidays we are playing catch up right now. The kids are getting back to their normal routine.
Our Church membership is now 30 and growing. This past week we had a baptism with 4 more new members added and this week we will be having another baptism. Pray for this new work and the new members. Our attendance on Sunday nights, which is our major service, is running from 50 to 80 people. God is truly in this new work.
As it is with many Churches, we have been having much sickness in our membership. We are asking that you join with us in prayer for these in their treatment and recovery: Mrs. Gloria, one of our widows, is receiving treatment for cancer, both radiation and chemotherapy. Barb has been taking her to the Dr.’s appointments and treatments from 3 times per week until even more. Mrs. Jandira has circulation problems in her legs and has been bedfast for about 3 months. Leo had a motorcycle accident and broke his leg in several places and busted his knee cap. Damion has had surgery on his ear and is having problems with the healing. Cesar had a piece of equipment fall on him at work and has not been able to work for some time. Rosevaldo, our Brasillian Pastor, is having all of his teeth pulled and some of you know what he is going through with that. Maria Ivete has problems with her knees and is having physical therapy. Kiser has had by-pass surgery and is recovering at home. In all of these sicknesses, we can only give thanks. Sometimes we think, how awful is this, but we as a Church have taken it as a blessing. It has put us in our place, on our knees and looking up! Please join us in prayer for all these that are in need.
Along with Pj and Jenny, our Brasilllian son Edson has been with us here in Caragua for the holidays. Always great to have him here with us. When the holidays are over he will return to college he will start his 4th year of vet training. How AWESOME is that !!! God is so good.
Our daughter Mary and her family also got to spend some time with us. We got to spoil the grandchildren for almost 2 weeks. It is always great when they visit. For many of you, I don’t have to tell you how grandparents feel about grandchildren, they are AWESOME!!!
Well, it would not be another month without car problems. Barb’s car needs shocks and the air conditioner is broken. My truck has starter problems and is in the garage with suspension problems. We had to wait two weeks for the parts and when we got them, we took it to the garage to be fixed. Last night the mechanic came by the house to tell me that the parts were not the right parts. So now we will be another week without the truck. These cars are 15 years old and need lots of prayers! Just another month on the field.
This week we went to Sao Paulo to do some work in an orphanage. There were many needs there getting their buildings back up to code. We were able to help with the ceilings. We had to rip out the old ceiling because they were not fire code and the replacement will be fire rated material. Seven men of our Church made the trip. Yes, it was hot, messy and tiring, but playing with the children made it all worth while. We were able to let them see what 7 men can do when they set their minds to it and we had fun doing it.
For the first year in our new work, we have laid a great foundation. We have been preaching and teaching on prayer. Now that the foundation has been laid, we are moving on to the walls, and that is evangelism. We will be preaching on evangelism and putting this knowledge into practice on Wednesday nights. We are preparing ourselves to witness without fear. The theme for this year is “Each one reach one.”
So with all of our problems and blessings I ask that you pray with us and for us, and watch us grow!!!
You too can be a part of this work that God is doing in Caraguatatuba. Come on down and get your feet wet in the river of God’s blessings. Your bed is made and the beans are on the stove.
In His service,
Aj and Barbara Hensley
ajcaragua[at]gmail.com
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