Missionary Update: John Mark & Judy Hatcher in France [October 2013]
Missionaries John Mark and Judy Hatcher have been serving the Lord in Tournefeuille, France since 1999. They define their ministry as “disciple-making.”
October 2, 2013
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
The beginning of the school year is always a time for changing gears. It is the beginning of a new year of Bible curriculum for our children’s Sunday School classes. We seek to give the children a good overview of the entire Bible during their primary years. Unfortunately, there is not available in French the large quantity of materials for visuals and reinforcing activities as there are in English and even Spanish and Portuguese. This is due to the fact that the number of French-speaking believers and churches there are is much smaller than those who speak English, Spanish and Portuguese. This means that we spend a lot of time preparing teaching materials. However, this is an activity that I enjoy.
I should say that preparation is much easier with computers, printers and internet than it was earlier in my life when the main tools were books in print, mimeograph (remember those beasts?) and similar tools. Sometimes, retrograde makes a good impression. Kids who are accustomed to television and videos love flannel graph.
Part of our preparation involves getting ready for Vacation Bible School. We have found through trial and error that it works better having this ministry oriented toward children during the first Fall school break (which is two weeks long) than during summer vacation. Among other reasons, our attendance is much better at this time of the year because few families leave town in the Fall as compared to Summer. This year are lessons focus on the Creation, Fall, Flood and Jesus Christ, the Savior.
The first of our monthly youth meetings for this school year will take place next week. There are now a number of young people who come to these who are children of our friends–people who do not (yet) attend church or Bible studies but who trust us with their children. They ask to contribute food and drinks for the break time. We are thrilled about this and for a similar situation with children who attend Vacation Bible School. Loving and faithful service toward peoples children usually opens the ears and hearts of the parents, as well.
Generally, children and young people are more open to God’s Word and the Bible than adults. They have built up less defenses against God. We love reaching out to adults, but the process is much longer term with most adults. Also, children and young people who trust the Lord generally are easier to disciple and are more likely to put in place habits which they need for spiritual growth.
We are happy that the number of workers is slowly increasing. Our goal is believers who are disciples functioning in all the essential parts of the church which is the Body of Christ.
Thank you for your investment of what God gives you in the ministry in France.
May God’s richest blessing be evident to you today.
In France serving God together with you,
John and Judy Hatcher
4, rue d’Aspin
31170 Tournefeuille, France
JMHatcher[at]aol.com
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Missionary Update: The Radfords in Kenya [October 2013]
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.
October 2, 2013
Dear praying friends,
We are now near the end of our term here in Kitale, and the past two years have passed by so fast. When we come to the mission field after furlough, we think that two years is a long time to be away from friends, culture, family, etc. And, to be honest, it is a long time. But it never ceases to amaze me at the end of a term that I think about how quickly the time passed. I am sure that many of you at home can relate to this as well. Our days on this earth are few and fly by. It reminds me of the verse in Psalm 90:12, which says “So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.” May we use our time wisely in service to our Lord.
Please pray for us, as there is much to be done. Coming home to America seems like an easy process, but in reality, it is not. We have many things to be done, schedules to be arranged, schooling for children to be arranged, leaving ministries behind, etc. It can be very overwhelming, and we take one thing at a time. Soon I will need to be thinking about scheduling churches for furlough and our furlough schedule. One thing I forgot to ask prayer for is for our girls, McKenna and Camille. In all the rush and busyness that furlough brings, it is easy to overlook them and their needs. This will be a big adjustment for them also, as they are used to life here in Kitale. Please pray for my wife also, as she is now trying to arrange homeschooling around all the traveling and visits. We thank the Lord for the strength He provides each day. I begin to get overwhelmed when I look at it all at once. I am sure this is the same for my wife as well. Like the old saying goes, “His strength is perfect when our strength is gone.” How true this is, and we need to rely on Him.
We are still continuing to pray about our needs for furlough, mainly for housing in WV while we are in America. We would need the housing around mid December 2013. Any assistance in the area of housing would be greatly appreciated, even if you know of people we could talk to. Our contact is naterad[at]yahoo.com. We would appreciate your prayers for us, as we wait on Him. We seek the Lord for these things. 1 Chronicles 16:11 says “Seek the Lord and his strength, seek his face continually.” What a challenge for all of us, to seek the Lord throughout our lives.
By now, I am sure you have heard of the terrorist attack at Westgate Mall in Nairobi. This has been very hard to watch on the news. We have been to this mall a few times. Apparently the terrorists had been planning the attacks for a year, and possibly had a shop in the mall while they were in the planning stages. Please pray for all the families affected by this, and for those who did these acts to be brought to justice. It truly is sad what is the mind and hearts of people, and even when we do not understand, we need to continue to trust the Lord. I feel so badly for all those affected by this and would ask you to remember those affected in your prayers.
Please keep us in your prayers over the next weeks, and for us later this year, as we make changes and adjustments back to life in America for a few months. God bless each of you and thanks again so much for your interest and sacrifice to missions across the world in Kitale, Kenya.
Until Next Month,
Nathan and Carrie Radford
P.O. Box 4150
Kitale, Kenya
East Africa 30200
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September 2013 Mission Sheet [PDF & Flip-Through]
Your September 2013 Mission Sheet is now available in PDF format. Follow the link below to view it!
BFM Mission Sheet September 2013
You can also flip through the mission sheet at this link: Click to view the flip-through version. When flipping through, you can enlarge the pages by clicking the magnifying glass with the arrow in it. ( <–> ) Flip by clicking on the curled up page corner.
(Once you get there, click at the bottom of the page to flip through.)
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Missionary Update: John & Alta Hatcher in Brazil [October 2013]
Missionaries John and Alta Hatcher have served the Lord in Brazil since 1955, planting over 70 churches that are still in existence.
September 26, 2013
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
Greetings in Jesus’ Name from Brazil. Alta and I are doing well for two oldies. Alta has so much energy that I have a difficult task to keep up with her. Our weather is still very changeable and if you do not like what you have, just wait about five minutes and what you like will be along. Here, when you are having winter in the States, we are having summer. At this time, you are having Fall and we are having Spring; changeable temperatures every two days. Oh well, variety is the spice of life.
URAI–The work in Urai is going well with services being maintained at Sussumo mission, and Rancho Alegre. Presently, plans are being made to begin a new work in Serra Morena and in Nova America da Colina. Seminary Classes continue on Tuesday and Thursday nights with seven or eight students.
CHAPADA BAPTIST CHURCH CELEBRATED 53 years of existence on the 25 of September. The Pastor of the church is David Hatcher who was five years old when the church was established. When the work was begun, it was out in the boonies. Today, that area is the most active center in Manaus. The church has an attendance of about 5,000 each week. Let me tell you of one marvelous work of the Lord that happened recently. The Church had two special days of an Evangelistic program. One young man invited his father to attend. He attended with his son. Two weeks later the man was returning home and had a car wreck. He broke his neck and died. What a wonderful joy filled the hearts of many when they discovered that the dead man had trusted the Lord as his Savior on the night he came to the special service!
ASSAI–The new family working in this large town is being a blessing to many. Daniel, his wife Leticia, and their nine year-old daughter Milena, are working hard and God is blessing. They have special services for children and young people and then regular services for all. Several have been baptized. Please continue to pray for this family and this city.
SPECIAL NEED–Please pray for Sonha dos Santos. She is starting her light treatment for cancer and Valdir, her husband, has to take her every day for thirty days to the city of Londrina. This is a trip of 100 miles every day. Pray that God will provide their needs and heal this dear sister.
Pray for Alta and me that God will be our strength, wisdom and peace as we at weakened old age try to serve Him in spreading the Gospel through personal witnessing and prayer. We thank you who have been faithful in praying for and supporting us these many years. We love you.
Sincerely in Jesus’ Name,
John and Alta Hatcher
Caixa Postal 112
Urai, PR, Brazil 86280-000
jhatcher[at]uol.com.br
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Prayer Request: Projeto Vida Wreck in Brazil
From Bobby Wacaser, Missionary to Brazil on September 11, 2013
My dear brothers and sisters in Christ, please pray for our ministry partners, Projeto Vida! I just got word from Pastor Paulo that our Alpha team was involved in a collision with a small delivery truck. The driver and the passenger in the truck were killed. On our bus/motorhome there were some cuts and bruises, but nothing extremely serious.
Our prayers are with the families of the occupants of the truck. May the Lord comfort them and use this event to help them find Him to be their only source of strength and hope. Our prayers are with Victor, our driver who is terribly shaken by this event and all the other 12 missionaries who, too, are understandably distraught at this time. Thank you for your prayers.
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FaithWORKS Report [September 2013]
PRAY AND PRAISE in this issue…
- ODALI AND KATHY BARROS – PRAISE GOD for the ministries of past and present BFM missionaries in the lives of other BFM missionaries. Read how Bobby Creiglow and John and Alta Hatcher have been instrumental in these ministries that are still going on. PRAY that God will direct the steps and course of their future ministry.
- HAROLD BRATCHER – PRAY for God to give him strength to continue serving Him in his ministry here in the States. PRAISE GOD for providing the way for him to purchase and move into his new home.
- MIKE AND BEVERLY CREIGLOW – PRAY that God will give all of them full recovery from the sicknesses they have suffered. PRAY ALSO that God will provide the needed funds to make the payments on their new property purchase. PRAISE GOD for the new works that are flourishing and for increased fruitfulness in their established churches.
- JOHN AND ALTA HATCHER – PRAISE GOD for the encouragements they receive from conversations and visits from their faithful children…and for the continuing good reports, especially from Assai.
- PAUL AND WANDA HATCHER – PRAISE GOD for the fruitful response from their recent Men’s Camp. PRAY that God will raise up more men and women to be faithful servants of the Lord. PRAY also for Herman and his wife during this health crisis.
- JOHN AND JUDY HATCHER – PRAISE GOD for the work of God’s Grace in the hearts and lives of people they have witnessed to for years. PRAY always for the seeds they are sowing every day in every conversation. PRAY that God will give them strength and encouragement in their daily Bible Studies and witnessing opportunities.
- AJ AND BARBARA HENSLEY – PRAISE GOD for the continued growth of their church, and for the helpers the Lord has sent them from the States. PRAY for the pastoral assistant who is coming to help them in their church. PRAY also for their upcoming Pastors’ Conference.
- NATHAN AND CARRIE RADFORD – PRAISE GOD for the new churches that have been established. PRAY that God will protect them during their upcoming furlough travels to the States.
- ROGER AND JULIE TATE – PRAISE GOD for their safe arrival in the States. PRAY for all the transitions they will be experiencing here over the next few months, and especially for their children’s adjustments to all their changes. PRAY also for their spiritual strength and revival as they re-connect with their families and home church – and visit other churches.
- BOBBY AND CHARLENE WACASER – PRAISE GOD for the response God has given them in their Bible-reading encouragement. PRAY for Charlene and her family in the recent death of her brother. PRAISE GOD for saving their PROJECT LIFE ministry team from more severe injuries in their recent auto accident.
We heartily invite you to join us for the 59th Annual Thanksgiving Missions Conference in the interests of BAPTIST FAITH MISSIONS.
November 25-27, 2013
New Hope Baptist Church
Dearborn Heights, MI
Pastor Terry Adkins
Conference Theme: “Redeemed How I Love to Proclaim It” – Psalm 107:2-3
A full post with details can be found here.
THANKSGIVING OFFERING
Please be making your plans to give as generously as the LORD enables you to our upcoming Thanksgiving Offering. We encourage EVERY friend of our missionaries to be a GIVING FRIEND!
Pastors, will you be willing to announce and promote the Thanksgiving Offering in your church – and encourage your people to give to it? Our missionaries’ needs continue to be great and the Thanksgiving Offering is essential to providing those financial commitments we have made to them.
We continue to struggle every month just to maintain the commitments we have made to our missionaries – but we want to do so much more than just MAINTAIN. We want to INCREASE and ADD TO the provisions of their needs.
And, remember – you can give your Thanksgiving Offering either through your church’s offering, or by mailing your personal check to our Treasurer, or by giving online through our website.
Click here to make a one-time donation.
Click here to set up a recurring donation.
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2013 BFM Thanksgiving Conference
We heartily invite you to join us for the
59th Annual Thanksgiving Missions Conference
in the interests of BAPTIST FAITH MISSIONS
November 25-27, 2013 | New Hope Baptist Church
Dearborn Heights, MI | Pastor Terry Adkins
Conference Theme: “Redeemed How I Love to Proclaim It”
“Redeemed How I Love to Proclaim It”
– Psalm 107:2-3 –
Sister Sue Jones will be conducting a Bible Study during each session of the conference for children ages 3-10. 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[at]yahoo.com
MONDAY EVENING, NOVEMBER 25
5:00 pm Dinner
6:30 pm Music
6:45 pm Singing
7:15 pm Message, Pastor George Sledd
Jordan Baptist Church, Sanford, FL
8:00 pm Singing
8:25 pm Message, Pastor Denny Herndon
Immanuel Baptist Church, Riverview, MI
TUESDAY MORNING, NOVEMBER 26
9:15 am Music
9:30 am Singing
9:45 am Message, Nathan Radford
Missionary, Kitale, Kenya, Africa
10:30 am Message, Harold Bratcher
Missionary, Brazil (retired)
11:10 am Break
11:15 am Message, Isaac Hiel
Former Missionary, Turkey
12:00 noon Lunch
TUESDAY AFTERNOON, NOVEMBER 26
1:30 pm BFM Advisory Meeting
(Everyone is invited to attend)
TUESDAY EVENING, NOVEMBER 26
5:00 pm Dinner
6:30 pm Music
6:45 pm Singing
7:15 pm Message, Pastor Gary Harrah
Grace Missionary Baptist Church, Wyandotte, MI
8:00 pm Singing
8:25 pm Message, Roger Tate
Missionary, Kitale, Kenya, Africa
WEDNESDAY MORNING, NOVEMBER 27
9:45 am Music
10:00 am Singing
10:15 am Message, Evangelist Bob Jones
Clays Mill Road Baptist Church, Lexington, KY
11:00 am Singing
11:15 am Message, Pastor Walter Jones
Warren Missionary Baptist Church, Warren, MI
12:00 noon Thanksgiving Lunch
———————————-
A Word document of the conference schedule is available for download here:
BFM 2013 Thanksgiving Conference Program
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Missionary Update: AJ & Barbara Hensley in Brazil [September 2013]
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.
Friends and family,
What an exciting time we are having here in Caragua with the new Church start. This past Sunday we had 72 for our morning Sunday School program and 52 for our Sunday night services. God is really working in our Church. How AWESOME it is to serve our Lord and Savior.
Along with being an AWESOME month it has also been a lonesome month. Barbara visited her mother in the States and I had to serve alone for three weeks. Barb had a real good visit with family and was greatly missed here.
Our Church work continues to expand. We have started one small group meeting on Friday nights with 2 more being planned. This first group has already produced fruits in that 2 young people have confirmed their faith in Christ and have requested baptism. How AWESOME!!!
Sunday School!
Now for some more AWESOME news: We now have a Brazilian coming alongside to help in our ministry. His name is Rosevaldo Cavalcante and he is from Manaus. He is a product of Bro. Paul Hatcher’s work there in Manaus, Brasil. He his wife and two daughters will be a great asset for our Church. He will be serving in a 2nd Pastor position and his ordination will be Oct 27th . This date will be the Sunday before our Pastors Conference. This will be significant because two years ago at our first Pastors Conference Rosevaldo surrendered to be a pastor. God has been planning this for quite some time. His plans are AWESOME.
Speaking of the Pastors Conference our Church is sponsoring here in Caragua, we are expecting around 200 pastors from all over Brasil. This conference is to encourage Pastors!! The last conference we had almost 100 in attendance and was a very exciting conference. We had lots of positive comments and many questions about when we would do another. We are having this conference in conjunction with Second Baptist Church in Warner Robbins, Georgia and their pastor Jim Perdue and Pastor Mike Dorough. Also First Baptist Centerville, Georgia with Pastor Allen and Pastor David Grantham. And lest we forget the ladies, the ex-first-lady of the State of Georgia, Mary Purdue, will be speaking to our ladies in attendance. We are really excited about our Conference—pray with us for an AWESOME turnout and all of us to be refreshed our ministries. The conference will be held in one of our local Hotels here and the owner is a great Christian and has helped with this conference. Our theme is “TIMOTHY AND BARNABAS: Instructions and Encouragement.”
When Barb got home here in Brasil we began preparations for the group that was coming from Bastrop, Texas. They have been a tremendous help in the preparations of the house that the new pastor and his family will be living in. We are fixing the dormitory house on the lot for them to live. There has been painting, cabinet building, scrubbing of walls and floors and every other dirty and grungy job you can think of. But these servants of God did not cull any one of these jobs but did them with a joyful heart. I am commending them because when we invite some of you to come down and help us you say that you are too old to be of any help. So let me tell you that you are never too old. The youngest member of this group is 54 and the oldest is 82. So suck it up and come serve the Lord here in Brasil. You will love it!!!
As our Church continues its growth Igreja Batista Caragua [Caragua Baptist Church ] keep us in your prayers. The work continues because of AWESOME prayer warriors and supporters like you.!!
Thanks to all for your help financially and prayerfully. Sometimes just saying “THANKS” does not seem like enough— however, for now THANKS.
Come on down and see your mission dollars at work. The temperature is getting warmer and the water is getting just the right temperature so come see us and we will treat you so many ways you will have to like one of them.
In His service,
Aj and Barbara Hensley
ajcaragua[at]gmail.com
Click here to give. | Like them on Facebook. (Their Facebook page has some videos of stuff they have written about!)
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