Missionary Update: Mike & Beverly Creiglow in Brazil [December 2012]
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.
December 4, 2012
Dear Brethren,
The problem is: What news to include and what to leave out?
The church at Assis Brasil celebrated her 50th anniversary with a conference mid November. They wanted Dad, the founder, to be the speaker, but he couldn’t be here. They had to settle for a second choice and second rate speaker: ME. The house was packed with over 400 present every night, but one.
The next night I preached at a meeting at our Cruzeirinho chapel.
I have been working day and night to get the steel structure and roof on the third floor of our annex. On the 15th, which was the same day as the anniversary at Assis Brasil, I had over 30 guys helping me put up the trusses. We wanted to have the roof on for our Thanksgiving dinner. On Thanksgiving day we had over 200 people setting up for the dinner while my crew was finishing up the roofing. I finished up the electrical at 7:00PM. I finished up my work, ran home to shave and shower and arrived back at church a half hour late. When I came up the last flight of stairs onto the terrace there were over 900 people sitting and standing around 200 tables. They were patiently waiting for me for Thanksgiving dinner to be served. This was the greatest Thanksgiving ever. It was a very emotional time. I spoke to the church for about 15 minutes then dinner was served. There was plenty to go around. Many of us were still there at 2:00 in the morning. I was the last person to leave and didn’t get to bed until after 3:00AM.
Singing at the 50th Anniversary Celebration in Assis
One weekend last month was visiting the church at Thaumaturgo, 300 KM up river. We dedicated a new work they started in a new location at the edge of town. They have a couple that they trained to take care of this new chapel. This trip was a real vacation for me. I preached 5 services in 3 days. There was time to prepare 2 lessons for here at my home church, too. That light of a schedule is a real vacation compared to the hours I have been putting in here in Cruzeiro do Sul. The church at Thaumaturgo continues to do very well though. The attendance is great, souls are being saved and their small groups are starting to take off.
We have had an extraordinary month here at First Baptist. There have been at least 13 professions of faith and about that many requests for baptism. Many who were out of fellowship have come back and several others have come confessing sin. I preached last Sunday night to an overflow crowd. There were 5 more saved in that service.
Celebrating 50 years at Assis!
Andrew leads the small group that Bev and I participate in. This is a couples group, so there are supposed to be no more than 7 couples. Last week we had 17 couples! We had a first time couple: the former governor and his wife. He has 2 kinds of cancer, just had some major surgery and is having chemo. He is a staunch Catholic. I have witnessed to him before. He is in São Paulo right now having another treatment, but he will be coming to our house when he gets back for us to have a serious talk about his soul. A few weeks ago, while he was in SP recovering from surgery, I gave him a call to let him know that the church was praying for him. Later I found out that he mentioned that call during an interview for a radio program. It must have made an impression. So pray for him, for his health and that I will be used to win him to Christ. One of his boys is already saved and baptized at our church. His youngest son is now attending church regularly and is part of our small group. The 2 boys’ wives are already saved and baptized, too.
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: Harold Bratcher in Brazil [December 2012]
Harold Bratcher has served the Lord in the Amazon Valley since July 15, 1959. His dear wife Marie, faithfully served with him for 52 years until her death in February 2011. The Bratchers organized over 20 Baptist churches and many other missions in Brazil, and he currently serves at the 24th of March Baptist Church in Manaus.
Dear Brothers of the Blessed Lord and Sisters of the Savior:
Once again we greet you from the Amazon Valley of Brazil, South America. The 1 million 832 thousand and 423 residents of Manaus, the capital of the state of Amazonas are enjoying the pleasant weather of not-quite-so-hot, due to the frequent rains. The rainy season is in full force, with windstorms, flooding, blackouts, and even whole roofs being blown away.
During these last two months, each Sunday morning and evening, Wednesday evening, and some Saturdays, I have left my house and home and gone by the taxi of one of our members, Bro. Raimundo, or the car of Bro. Mario Jorge, to the 24th of March Baptist Church, where I either preached or heard a sermon by another preacher. My assistant pastor, Bro. Williams Mendes, was ordained to the gospel ministry on Saturday, November 10th. After the ordination sermon on: “The True Man of God”, I led the ordination prayer and over 20 pastors participated with an overflow crowd. Also, two Saturdays before, I attended in the wedding ceremony of dear Bro. Raimundo and Maria de Nazare Braz. It was a joy to witness this event after 25 years of living together. It was also Bro. Raimundo’s birthday. Continue to pray for them and for us.
This Mission Sheets month began October 5th and finishes today. During this period I preached 12 sermons, all at the 24th of March Baptist Church where I serve as pastor.
During this period I heard a total of 4 sermons preached at 3 different places. One was at the Second Baptist Church of Manaus where the pastors of the Amazonas chapter of the Brazilian Baptist pastors were offering a service of honor and celebration for my 53 and a half years of ministry here in the Amazon Valley. Pastor Norton Riker Lajes of the First Baptist Church of Manaus brought a most appropriate and inspiring message. Then we enjoyed the fellowship afterwards. The other 2 were at the Communion Baptist Church on November 17th, and 18th. On those nights, we were celebrating the ordination to the gospel ministry of Bro. Arao Alves Damasceno dos Santos. On Saturday night, I led the ordination prayer and over 30 pastors participated with many standing. On Sunday night, Bro. Arao was installed as pastor of the Communion Baptist Church in Manaus. Also, I was able to pray at Marie’s and Joel’s grave, on November 2nd, the “Day of the Dead” here in Brasil and hear Bro. Aurindo Folha preach at the grave site of E.A. Nelson, the Apostle of the Amazonia.
I conclude this letter asking that you pray for our future plans. At this time, we are seeking to purchase a house and car in the States. Our home of 47 years has sold, but I haven’t received the money yet due to many complications transacting the legal documents here. We appreciate the help of Bro. Paul Hatcher and Dave Parks in this matter and hope everything will be concluded by next week.
May we all continue to heed the pleas of Pastor Dave Parks for more offerings for the Baptist Faith Missions General Fund. I am thankful that during the remainder of this year of 2012 so far, he has not had to reduce the benefits and salaries that the missionaries of Baptist Faith Missions receive, and also for the good news of the raise, given and received by faith!
The Bratchers in Brasil need the prayers of those we love, as well as those that love us. I am doing well, physically, emotionally, and spiritually. I am looking to conclude my mission here, and continue it in my new Nineveh, as He sees fit. To God and Him only, be the Glory, for what He has done, is doing, and will still do through His humble servants.
Until next month, I am yours in the Service of the Savior,
Harold Bratcher
Rua Francisco Jose Furtado No. 2
Bairro de Sao Francisco
69.079-200 Manaus, Amazonas
Brasil, S.A.
harold_bratcher[at]yahoo.com
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Missionary Update: Jud & Raquel Hatcher in Brazil [December 2012]
Jud and Raquel Hatcher serve the Lord in Manaus, 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.
Family
We’ve had a great month with the family. Just two weeks ago Melissa gave her first steps on her own. It was a tremendous joy to see her walk and watch her excitement in response to our enthused reaction. We celebrated her 1st birthday on December 1st. Sarah, Laura and Benjamin are on school break and are gearing up their bikes to go to the park whenever they get a chance.
Evangelistic Cookout
This last month we had an Evangelistic cookout with 72 guests on a holiday called “day of the deceased.” We had fantastic opportunities to share the Gospel. Before eating I preached concerning the resurrection of Christ and our new life in Him. Secondly, we shared individually as we ate with our friends. One man came to Christ. I’ve also had the chance to meet weekly with a couple as a result of the connection made that day.
Christmas Evangelism Camp
We scheduled a Christmas camp on December 15 & 16. We already have several families signed-up and look forward to an exciting and fun time with our unsaved and unchurched friends. Please, pray as we make preparations for the camp and for the hearts of those who will hear the Word.
Their latest Evangelistic Cookout had 72 guests.
Christmas Gift Baskets
This week we begin making our Christmas gift baskets and visiting peoples’ homes to present them with a basket and the Christmas message. It’s much easier to visit people with whom a previous contact has already been made, as opposed to “cold turkey” visits. We’ve made many new contacts through cookouts and other gatherings. We hope to make a lasting impact through this simple gesture of love.
The current members of Ativa gathered for the Lord’s Supper.
Mens’ Fishing Trip
In January we will have a men’s fishing trip. We will leave on a Friday and return on Saturday. We will spend the night at a local lodge. Many of our unchurched friends are already inviting their friends to join us. The Gospel message is always clearly announced at everything we do together. Pray for salvation decisions during this fishing trip.
Thanks
Thank you for you prayer and support. Please, continue to invest and pray as we work together until Christ’s second coming.
Grateful,
Jud & Raquel Hatcher
judsonhatcher@hotmail.com
Website | Twitter
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Missionary Update: The Radfords in Kenya [December 2012]
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.
Dear praying friends,
Another month has come and passed, and we are now very near the end of 2012. During this holiday season, may we never forget the true reason and meaning for Christmas, the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. One of my favorite verses concerning the Christmas season is Isaiah 7:14, which says “Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.” I pray that we would be thankful during this season and remember the birth of our Savior.
I wanted to send a recent photo of our family (above), as we have not sent once in several months. It is hard to believe that McKenna will be five years old soon and starting school next year. Camille is continuing to grow and develop, and Lord willing, will be two next February. A challenging verse to me as a father is Ephesians 6:4, which says “And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.” Please pray for our family, for us as parents, and also for our children as they grow and develop.
The church plant in Shangalamwe is continuing along, but a prayer request that I have now for this church is for the dependency issues. The dependency has seemed to have increased in the past few weeks, and I ask for prayers specifically for my friend Roger Tate and I, that we would patiently teach the people the truth from the Word of God and that the Lord would work in hearts. Please also pray for the elder of the church, that the church chose, as he eventually will be stepping into more responsibility for leading the church. We have covered the main teachings to the church, have been modeling for the church over the past few months, and are continuing to progress along well. Again, if prayers could be made for the church to really lean upon the Lord and not anyone or anything else, that would be much appreciated. Psalm 118:8 states “It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man.” We will keep you updated of this ministry.
The Annex prison is continuing along well. We are continuing along well in the course “Firm Foundations – From Creation to Christ.” The men have been coming faithfully and seem to have a real desire to learn from the Word of God and follow and obey it. Please pray for each of the men, that they would be doers of the Word. One of my favorite verses is James 1:22, which says “But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.” What a challenging verse for all of us. We will be sure to keep you updated of the Annex prison ministry.
As for how to pray for us specifically, the holiday season here is always difficult. It is hard to be separated by thousands of miles from friends, family, culture, etc. We are doing the best we can, but there are definitely difficult times. I am so thankful for the Lord and for the strength He provides. His strength is perfect when our strength is gone. We wish you all a wonderful holiday season. Also, a great 2013.
May the Lord bless each of you.
Nathan and Carrie Radford
P.O. Box 4150
Kitale, Kenya
East Africa 30200
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Missionary Update: John Mark & Judy Hatcher [December 2012]
Missionaries John Mark and Judy Hatcher have been serving the Lord in Tournefeuille, France since 1999. They define their ministry as “disciple-making,”
November 30, 2012
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
The Vacation Bible School in Tournefeuille held the first week of November went wonderfully well. The teachers were all well prepared and worked together flawlessly. The theme was reaching children around the world. We had special emphasis on Latin America, Asia, India and Africa. This included information on people groups and stories about missionaries to each of these continents, Bible stories, memory verses and a number of other activities. The gospel was clearly presented through the spoken and sung Word. It is really encouraging to observe the diligent and joyful service of the believers. Our oldest granddaughter, Abigail, participated for the first time as a leader. The primary purpose of this effort is to proclaim the Gospel. So, everyone involved was delighted that we had a good number of children participate who were from families outside the church. This underscores the importance of faithfully sowing and living the Word. Most of these who came were from ongoing contacts of many years.
John Mark Hatcher teaching VBS in France
On November 15 Judy and I left France to spend 6 weeks with our daughter Lydia to help her and her family after the birth of her and Adam’s 3rd child. Elias James Reece was born as we traveled. Mother and child are doing well. We are enjoying the visit with them and have also been able to spend time with our daughter Laura, son David and family, and a number of fellow believers. The Lord willing, we will return to Tournefeuille, France on January 1.
Three of the girls at VBS!
This trip to the US made it possible to attend the Thanksgiving Conference sponsored by New Hope Baptist Church in Dearborn Heights, MI. Thanks to all from this church and Grace Baptist Church, Wyandotte, MI for making the Conference a blessing to us and all who attended. We were able to fellowship with many brothers and sisters in Christ from Michigan whom we had not seen for many years. This was only our second time attending this conference since going to France in 1999. It was also delightful to visit with Sheridan and Anita Stanton, my aunt Neree, cousin Bob and wife Sharon and the Gerig Family who drove from Columbus, OH to see us.*
The time spent with the directors was fruitful. We thank God for each of these who serve us and our supporters faithfully. Their continuous labor, your support and the prayers of many are being used by God to enable us and the other missionaries associated with Baptist Faith Missions to proclaim the Good News, disciple believers and establish churches in France in and many other parts of the World.
Judy Hatcher serving at VBS
The news from France is encouraging. Some of our Bible studies and activities must be put on hold while we are away, but the Church at Tournefeuille and many of its activities continue because of those that are faithfully serving there. It is truly a team effort.
May each of you enjoy God’s blessings and be fruitful in the service of the Lord.
Serving the Lord in France,
John and Judy
John and Judy Hatcher
4, rue d’Aspin
31170 Tournefeuille, France
JMHatcher[at]aol.com
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*Editor’s Addendum: You can listen to Bro. John Mark & Bro. Sheridan Stanton sing “I Love to Tell the Story” together at the Thanksgiving Conference on the BFM Youtube Channel.
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Missionary Update: The Wacasers [December 2012]
Bobby, Charlene, Jessie, and Brennen Wacaser have served the Lord as church planters in Curitiba, Parana, Brazil, since 1985.
Dear Friends,
Our outreach trip to Argentina was a tremendous success in terms of evangelism. Our Projeto Vida (Project Life) team called “Doulos”, had a full week of opportunities sharing the gospel in the public schools and parks just across the Brazil/Argentina border. When their activities had come to a conclusion and the bus began to return home the motor blew up and over 35 workers were stranded on a deserted stretch of highway. The broken down bus is our newest, so it was the least likely expected to have major mechanical problems.
The newest Projeto Vida bus broke down on their Argentina trip.
But, now it is nearly a thousand miles away in a shop waiting on expensive repairs to be done. We had to find alternative travel arrangements for the team and volunteers to get back to our base and that too brought on an unexpected expense. We realize that trials like these are a part of serving the Lord in this fallen world and that this kind of difficulty (and much worse) faces every generation of God’s children. We are not discouraged. We are thankful that we had the opportunity to take the love of Christ beyond our borders and for the privilege of seeing many turn to Christ. We also realize that this breakdown in equipment didn’t catch the Lord by surprise, so we’ll look to Him to meet our needs to keep this effective ministry going.
American Football is becoming popular in Brazil, which has presented unique evangelistic opportunities.
As I’m writing this, there are a couple of football coaches in the US meeting to discuss the details of a plan to come down to Brazil next June to hold an evangelistic football camp/workshop. One of these men came last year to work in a different town in Brazil and he and his group had great results, both in evangelism and sports. The football team they ministered to just won the Brazilian national championship last week. I am in a unique situation in Brazil because of the rapidly growing interest in American football here and some of the head coaches are my friends and are asking me to introduce the gospel to their teams. We still have openings for other volunteers who either play or coach football and who would like to use this opportunity to share their faith with many who do not know Christ. We are also in great need of inexpensive or donated football equipment, so you can also be greatly helpful through that means. Please contact me at the attached addresses and/or phone number.
My leg and foot are nearly mended after breaking them a few weeks ago. The injury did slow me down more than I wanted to admit. I discovered that I am not as patient as I need to be with things that are beyond my control, but I also learned that I just have to be.
Bro. Bobby has had to learn to be patient after breaking his leg and foot.
There are things “beyond my control”, and making broken bones heal faster is one of them. I was grateful to learn that there were no ligaments or tendons torn and thus, no need for surgery. I probably won’t be able to take a group to hike in the nearby mountains until next year, though.
Each week we go out to a new community called “Corbellia” to share the gospel and seek an open door among the people there. We are very well received by the people, but we have yet to locate a strategic meeting place to hold Bible studies for groups. The Lord has placed a desire in our hearts to plant a church in this community, so we will continue to minister to them as we keep our eyes open for the opportunities to expand the ministry there.
We are very grateful to you who have prayed faithfully for us throughout the year of 2012. We are also thankful to God for you who have contributed financially so that we might be able to carry on the various ministries here in southern Brazil. We trust that the Lord will bless you and that you will rejoice to know that you have been a true blessing to us in this partnership. We hope you have a wonderful 2013!
In Christ’s love,
Bobby, Charlene and Brennen Wacaser
Rua Laudelino Ferreira Lopes, 279-1
Bairro Novo Mundo
81050-310 Curitiba, PR Brasil
(813)436-9980
robertmw[at]brturbo.com.br
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HAROLD DRAPER SURGERY
Missionary-Pastor Harold Draper underwent double knee-replacement surgery yesterday,[Thursday, 29 November] at Lourdes Hospital in Paducah KY. The surgery went well, for which we praise God. He and his wife, Ursula, faithfully served the Lord in Brasil for more than 30 years as missionaries supported through Baptist Faith Missions. He is currently pastor of the Seventh Street Baptist Church in Cannelton IN.
I spoke with Sister Draper about an hour after the surgery, and she told me everything at that time was going the ways they had anticipated. He was in recovery, and the surgeons had told her the two replacements were successful.
They anticipate he will be there at Lourdes for maybe 3-4 days, and then be transferred to a rehabilitation facility for an additional 7-10 days. Estimated time for total recovery before being discharged home – maybe two weeks.
The hospital switchboard number is 270.444.2444. He is in room #618.
Ursula was corresponding with me from his cell #: 270.562.5523.
She [and he] are especially requesting that we continue to pray for them.
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FaithWORKS Report [December 2012]
THANKSGIVING CONFERENCE
[You can also read service-by-service recaps of all our Conference sessions by scrolling through these posts on our FaithWORKS blog.]
The Lord blessed us with an encouraging Thanksgiving Conference hosted by New Hope Missionary Baptist Church in Dearborn Heights, Michigan. Terry Adkins is the pastor of these gracious and missions-faithful saints of the Lord.
The theme of our Conference was “PLANTING CHURCHES IN ALL KINDS OF SOIL” and was inspired by 1 Corinthians 3.6: “I have planted, Apollos watered; BUT GOD GAVE THE INCREASE.”
The Lord was glorified in the messages preached from His Word. They all emphasized, not only God’s sovereignty over the increase of His own Gospel, but also His promises to make His Kingdom and churches grow when we obediently and faithfully plant and water His Word. We all renewed our own commitments to plant and water faithfully and IN DEPENDENCE UPON GOD TO MAKE HIS WORKS GROW!
Two of our missionaries were present and preached: Sheridan Stanton and John Mark Hatcher. God blessed us to have them among us and benefit from their ministries in the Word.
There is an enthusiastic spirit of interest and involvement in the ministry of Baptist Faith Missions that is increasingly demonstrated among our fellowshipping churches. We are continuously praying to God for this, and we are committed to doing everything we can to see it come to fruition.
Randy Jones, the President of BFM, also presented to the Conference some of the activities we have pursued this past year in our efforts to expand our outreach and cultivate our relationships with our contributors. We believe that cultivating personal relationships with our supporting churches and Giving Friends in our fellowship is one of the Lord’s means of stabilizing, strengthening, and increasing our missionaries’ support funds. Fellowship [partnership] in the Gospel is God’s ordained mandate, model, and means for our participation in His Mission…serving God together in this, our mutual ministry in the Gospel.
Several churches were represented by the attendance of their pastors and members, and especially from the greater-Detroit area. We are increasingly encouraged by that. We are especially appreciative also for Pastor Gary Harrah and the brothers and sisters of the Grace Missionary Baptist Church in Wyandotte, who not only came to attend the Conference services, but also joined in with New Hope’s members to help serve us with the meals and the hospitality.
[You can view several pictures from the Conference on our Facebook Page.]
SALARY INCREASE
One of the goals we had set for ourselves this past year [2012] was to be solvent enough to give each of our missionaries a 5% year-end lump sum appreciation bonus [which would have amounted to about $1,030.00 per year]. However, when we presented and discussed our prospective budgets for 2013, We don’t have remaining funds to do that.
But, after considering and praying over one of our other goals – to give them a 5% increase in their base salary – we did move to adopt that proposal. So, beginning in 2013, trusting God to provide it, we will increase their salary base from $1,717.00 to $1,803.00 per month. The Lord has given us an increase of about 3% in the monthly General Fund offerings during 2012 [when compared to the same offerings during 2011].
We are communicating this also to all of you, their Giving Friends, praying to God and hoping we will all respond together with commensurate increases to the monthly General Fund.
For the past six years or so, we have been appealing to all of us in our BFM fellowship to take note of the on-going needs of our missionaries for increases in their monthly General Fund offerings. We have been paraphrasing an appeal Abigail made to King David in 1 Samuel 25.17: “Now therefore KNOW and CONSIDER WHAT YOU WILL DO.”
Will you help us provide this much-needed and belated salary increase for our missionaries’ basic and essential living expenses BY INCREASING YOUR PERSONAL OFFERINGS TO THE MONTHLY GENERAL BY JUST 5% – or more – as the Lord enables you?
If everyone of us increases our contributions to the monthly General Fund by even that amount, we can more than supply this modest salary increase for our missionaries.
WINTER CONFERENCE
January 20-23, 2013
Hosted by Park Ridge Baptist Church, Gotha FL
Host Pastor, Ben Glover | 407.719.9861 | bentonglover@aol.com
Please make your plans to attend this Conference. We will be posting the
program and other additional information on our website’s Events page
and also on our FaithWorks Blog page soon!
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