Portugal Mission

The Wacasers recently visited their missionaries in Portugal, Yago and Manoela. Continue to pray for this young couple as they passionately share the Gospel and disciple new believers there.

Yago and Manoela Guedes doing a great work.

You can read more updates about Yago & Manoela from months past by clicking here.

Bobby and Charlene Wacaser have served the Lord as church planters in Curitiba, Parana, Brazil, since 1985.

Contact Info:
Bobby & Charlene Wacaser
Currently Stateside on Furlough from Brazil
Phone: (813) 501-9328
E-mail: bobbymichael_1@hotmail.com

For ministry donations:
Pastor George Sledd, Treasurer of BFM
P.O. Box 471280
Lake Monroe, FL 32747-1280
or click here to donate to BFM online


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A Year of Harvest + Traveling to Portugal

Bobby and Charlene Wacaser have served the Lord as church planters in Curitiba, Parana, Brazil, since 1985.

January 12, 2024

Dear Friends,

We are happy to report that, during the final quarter of 2023, every one of our ministries experienced growth through conversions and baptisms. The Lord has truly done great things!

Southern Brazil:

Our traveling evangelistic team, Projeto Vida, had the opportunity to minister in 3 different states in southern Brazil. The team of 12 missionaries presented gospel skits, shared their personal testimonies, and preached in 11 public schools. In each of these schools, many lives were changed eternally. It usually isn’t possible in these venues to get a precise number of decisions for Christ because it’s not permitted to give an “altar call” at the conclusion, but in the one-on-one conversations immediately following the presentations many people share how they sensed the Lord convicting them of sin and their need for Christ’s salvation.

The year 2023 was definitely a harvest year for Projeto Vida. All total, there were over 2,000 public professions of faith in Christ. There were also over 40,000 people who heard the gospel proclaimed clearly through our mission efforts. We are looking forward to even greater opportunities and results in 2024.

Portugal:

Our missionary couple to Portugal, Yago and Manoela Guedes, also experienced God’s blessings on their mission endeavors. They have now finished their first full year in Portugal. They have three Bible study groups who meet regularly. Although it is difficult to find a convenient location to hold services, the Lord blessed them with a conference center that allows them to rent by the hour on scheduled meeting days. The cost is reasonable, especially when compared to what it would cost to lease or buy a permanent location. Yago and Manoela are a highly motivated and dedicated couple. Portugal speaks the same language as their native Brazil, but the cultural and spiritual climate in Portugal is much different. In Brazil, a large majority of the population is openly receptive to gospel conversations or presentations, whereas in Portugal, the people are predominantly agnostic or apathetic toward biblical truth. Although the results are slower to come in, Yago and Manoela know that it is their calling to be faithful in sharing the love of Christ, both in word and in actions and leave the results to the Lord.

Charlene and I will be traveling to visit them at the end of January. I will be assisting by teaching at some of their meetings and Charlene will assist Manoela from her wealth of cross-cultural experience.

We are presently working on the itinerary for outreach among some native Indian tribes in Argentina and Paraguay that we plan to minister to in early March. If any of you are interested in accompanying our group, feel free to contact me as early as possible. We are excited about this unique experience and the privilege of making Christ known to these tribes.

Charlene and I are very grateful for your faithful prayers and support so that we may minister as the Lord guides us.

In Christ’s love,

Bobby and Charlene Wacaser

Contact Info:
Bobby & Charlene Wacaser
Currently Stateside on Furlough from Brazil
Phone: (813) 501-9328
E-mail: bobbymichael_1@hotmail.com

For ministry donations:
Pastor George Sledd, Treasurer of BFM
P.O. Box 471280
Lake Monroe, FL 32747-1280
or click here to donate to BFM online


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Reflecting on Blessings in 2023

Bobby and Charlene Wacaser have served the Lord as church planters in Curitiba, Parana, Brazil, since 1985.

December 15, 2023

Dear Friends,

As this year nears its end, we reflect on just how much the Lord has blessed us and our ministries. We moved to larger facilities in February and that allowed us to continue to grow and hold well-attended evangelistic events. Through those events, we reached dozens of neighbors and visitors and many of them, upon hearing the gospel, surrendered to Christ and have followed Him in believer’s baptism. Pastor Cledson is doing a fantastic job of guiding the church in this, his first, senior pastorate. They are presently putting on a Christmas musical play and we pray and expect to see many more people come to Christ as a result.

Projeto Vida is out on their last evangelistic trip into the public schools this year. Brazil’s academic year follows its below-the-equator seasonal pattern. School will be out for the summer from December to February. Our team will still minister in some public parks and at several end-of-the-year events during this period, but they won’t have the “captive audience” of 300-1500 students at one time that the school rallies provide. They will also take this window of opportunity to do some maintenance on our van and equipment. The Lord truly blessed throughout the year, and we were able to speak in person to over 40,000 people of Christ. Hundreds of those believed the message of God’s grace and surrendered to Jesus as their Lord and Savior.

The young missionary couple that we sent to Portugal, Yago and Manoela, called this week to report that the attendance at their worship and Bible study meetings continues to increase regularly. They are super excited about how the Lord is using and blessing them. Charlene and I plan to visit with them at the end of January for about a week. Portugal is in desperate need of the word of God and the love of Christ lived out before them by those who profess Him as Lord and Savior. May the Lord continue to supply Yago and Manoela’s spiritual and material needs and use them to bring many to salvation.

Charlene and I want to take this opportunity to wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a blessed New Year.

In Christ’s love,

Bobby and Charlene Wacaser

Contact Info:
Bobby & Charlene Wacaser
Currently Stateside on Furlough from Brazil
Phone: (813) 501-9328
E-mail: bobbymichael_1@hotmail.com

For ministry donations:
Pastor George Sledd, Treasurer of BFM
P.O. Box 471280
Lake Monroe, FL 32747-1280
or click here to donate to BFM online


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God Orchestrates Events for His Glory

Bobby and Charlene Wacaser have served the Lord as church planters in Curitiba, Parana, Brazil, since 1985.

November 19, 2023

Dear Friends,

Charlene and I had the privilege of fellowshipping with several of our faithful brothers and sisters in Christ last week at the annual Thanksgiving Conference in Detroit, Michigan. It was at that same event 39 years ago that the Lord called me to Brazil as a missionary. There were so many blessings and memories re-lived at this most recent event. Also present at this conference was Brother Mike Creiglow, who was my professor of Cross-cultural Missions while in Bible college in Clarksville, Tennessee back in 1980. An added blessing was that Brother David Mitchell and his dear wife, Ellen, were present. I learned from him that he had invited Mike Creiglow to lecture at the college that year while he was in the USA on furlough. Now I can see a little part of how the Lord was working to expose me to the missionaries and their works in Brazil, the field to which He would call me as my career-long ministry. And there we were, 39 years later, enjoying the fellowship, and the fact that God had orchestrated these events so that hundreds of thousands of people have heard the gospel, and thousands have surrendered to Christ because of His sovereign and loving hand on our lives. What a great and loving Savior!

Yago and Manoela, our missionaries to Portugal sent us a video yesterday of how their ministry is progressing there. It was a joy to see their growing group meeting together to study God’s word and share the gospel with the lost Portuguese people. The Lord provided them with a place to meet temporarily, but they are still searching for a more permanent place of assembling. They do a fantastic job of teaching the Bible to the new converts and even to some who have been in church for years but have never been taught the Bible thoroughly.

Our traveling evangelistic team, Projeto Vida, has had a productive month of ministry. We continue to have open invitations into public schools to share gospel skits and personal testimonies to God’s grace and forgiveness. The Lord has shown them, and us, that He is still on His throne and is still transforming lives through the preaching of the gospel.

We are so grateful to you, our ministry partners, for your faithful prayers and support. We hope and pray that you are blessed with a joyous Christmas season and a prosperous New Year.

In Christ’s love,

Bobby and Charlene Wacaser

Contact Info:
Bobby & Charlene Wacaser
Currently Stateside on Furlough from Brazil
Phone: (813) 501-9328
E-mail: bobbymichael_1@hotmail.com

For ministry donations:
Pastor George Sledd, Treasurer of BFM
P.O. Box 471280
Lake Monroe, FL 32747-1280
or click here to donate to BFM online


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3 Students Saved at School!

Bobby and Charlene Wacaser have served the Lord as church planters in Curitiba, Parana, Brazil, since 1985.

October 25, 2023

Dear Friends,

One of the subjects that I teach to high school students is Personal Finances. Many of you are familiar with the radio show host and author, Dave Ramsey, who seeks to inform his listeners with biblical principles on how to handle money. His organization did a wonderful job of developing a high school curriculum on personal finances. As I am teaching this course, I realize just how unprepared teens are to face real-world jobs, paychecks, bank accounts, credit cards, loans, and living on a budget. I’m reminded of how little I knew when I was their age, so I know there’s hope that they can be even better equipped through this course than I was. Using the Bible and the curriculum, I have had several opportunities to share God’s financial principles for His children and His plan of salvation for the lost. This past month, three of our enrolled students professed Christ as their Lord and Savior and two have already been baptized into church fellowship. We are only ten weeks into the school year, so I am very excited about how much more the Lord will do through us.

Yago and Manoela continue ministering faithfully in Portugal. They are encouraged to remain steady in their witnessing and teaching the new converts. They are coming up on their first anniversary of beginning their ministry in Portugal on November 22, 2023. They knew that it was not going to be

easy to evangelize in a country where less than 1% of the population claims to be a born-again believer in Jesus Christ, but the contrast of such dire spiritual conditions compared to the spiritual harvest time in Brazil is stark. We believe that the Lord uses your and our prayers to supply them with motivation and ideas for effective evangelism and biblical teaching. We ask that you continue to pray for them and that

the Lord would bless them with fruit for their labors.

The loud-speakers were replaced for our traveling evangelistic team, Projeto Vida. We had already replaced two tires on their van, then our speakers quit. But because of the generosity of a faithful brother (he prefers to remain anonymous), they were replaced immediately, and the team didn’t miss a single scheduled evangelistic event. The team still has a month and a half of the school year remaining and several public schools and parks in which to minister. The Lord willing, our team will share the gospel with over three to four thousand students and adults by Christmas. May He see fit to bring many to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ through them.

Our church in Curitiba, Brazil has just concluded a weekend evangelistic event. The Lord blessed by bringing 14 persons to a saving knowledge of Jesus. A “Next Steps” class is scheduled to begin this Sunday for these new believers to begin to study the Bible as God’s handbook for Christian living. There were over 100 members of the church involved in preparing for and putting on the gospel presentation during a three-month period of practice and rehearsals. We thank God for providing the resources and dedication of these faithful servants.

Charlene and I were privileged to visit with Bro. Mark Pyles and his dear church, Grace Baptist, in Fairfield, Ohio and with Pastor Jared Via and the good folk at Hope Valley Baptist Church in Christiansburg, Virginia in October. We are very grateful for the hospitality and generosity shown to Charlene and me while we were with them.

In a few days we will be traveling to Detroit, Michigan to participate in the Thanksgiving Conference on behalf of Baptist Faith Missions sponsored by the New Hope Baptist Church and pastor Terry Adkins. We’d love to see you there.

Charlene and I want to express our gratitude and appreciation to you who pray and give so that we may serve the Lord where He has called us.

In Christ’s love,

Bobby and Charlene Wacaser

Contact Info:
Bobby & Charlene Wacaser
Currently Stateside on Furlough from Brazil
Phone: (813) 501-9328
E-mail: bobbymichael_1@hotmail.com

For ministry donations:
Pastor George Sledd, Treasurer of BFM
P.O. Box 471280
Lake Monroe, FL 32747-1280
or click here to donate to BFM online


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Sharing Christ at School + Another Baptismal Candidate in Portugal

Bobby and Charlene Wacaser have served the Lord as church planters in Curitiba, Parana, Brazil, since 1985.

September 23, 2023

Almost immediately after our return from Brazil, I began teaching at a high school near Tampa, Florida. The school is operated out of a local Baptist church and is administrated by Christian faculty and staff. I found out very quickly, though, that that doesn’t mean that all the students are Christians. I am very grateful and thankful to the Lord for the privilege of being able to share the gospel and biblical precepts with the students in each of the 6 subjects that I teach. Almost every day I find a situation where I can share the gospel or apply the Word of God in practical ways to my students. I have come to love them, and I pray that the Lord will use me to win as many of them as will surrender to Christ this school year. 

Our missionary couple to Portugal, Yago and Manoela, report that their little group is growing weekly. There is another baptismal candidate, Beatriz, whom we are praying for. She professed faith in Christ some time back but was not baptized then. After she told Manoela and Yago that she was ready to be baptized, several issues arose that have caused her to waver. I ask you to pray with us for Beatriz, that she may be firm in her decision to follow Christ boldly in the waters of baptism. We know that she is enduring demonic attacks and our prayers will be used of the Lord for her victory. She and her sister, Bruna, had never gotten along well until Beatriz fully committed to Christ. Since then, they have both been serving joyfully in outreach ministries at the fledgling church. That’s when the attacks on Beatriz’s faith began. We know the enemy seeks to cause damage to anything that speaks of Christ’s love and forgiveness, but we also know that “greater is He who is in them than he who is in the world.”

Our mobile evangelistic team, Projeto Vida, had a very fruitful month of outreach. The Lord blessed and each of the 14 volunteers had the privilege of leading some to repent and surrender to Christ as Lord and Savior. Of course, where there is faithfulness, there is testing. Our van’s tires went as far as they could, but two of them wore out this month. We are grateful to some of you readers who, when you heard of the need, gave funds to help replace them. The team only had to stop long enough to purchase new ones, change them, and continue their mission journeys. They are already in another town this week sharing the gospel, thanks to your willingness to help. May the Lord bless your generosity.

In Christ’s love,

Bobby and Charlene Wacaser

Contact Info:
Bobby & Charlene Wacaser
Currently Stateside on Furlough from Brazil
Phone: (813) 501-9328
E-mail: bobbymichael_1@hotmail.com

For ministry donations:
Pastor George Sledd, Treasurer of BFM
P.O. Box 471280
Lake Monroe, FL 32747-1280
or click here to donate to BFM online


Read more

Professions of Faith in Public Schools

Bobby and Charlene Wacaser have served the Lord as church planters in Curitiba, Parana, Brazil, since 1985.

August 11, 2023

Dear Friends,

Charlene and I returned from Brazil this week after 3 weeks of hosting two groups from 3 different churches from the USA, one from Florida and two from Virginia. The Lord blessed tremendously, and we shared the gospel in 8 public schools to 4,260 students and staff. There were over 200 people who professed Christ as their Lord and Savior. We are still rejoicing in the privilege of being used to make Christ known and to be a part in many coming to salvation.

I spoke with our missionaries to Portugal, Yago and Manoela, and they are excited about the second baptism they have been privileged to perform since arriving there last November. They still haven’t been able to move to the capital, Lisbon, but they did find a meeting place there that they can rent for a very reasonable price just for the time they are using it. It is a community center that puts no limitations on the types of activities they have, which is very important in Portugal. Very few public places are that gracious, especially concerning evangelical outreach and worship. They plan to meet there with those new converts that are already coming to their meetings and with the new contacts they’ll meet in their outreach efforts.

Charlene and I have scheduled to visit with them in January of the new year to encourage and to assist them in this new work. Please pray for this new church plant in Portugal.

The newly established pastor of our former church in Curitiba, Brazil is doing an excellent job. I met with several charter members who all said that he is doing great. We were already confident that he would, but it was reassuring to hear that from the longtime members. The church has continued to see growth under his leadership. This month they are engaged in WordFest, which is a 3-week challenge to read several books of the Bible, memorized over 45 Bible verses and spend at least 45 minutes in guided Bible study. Last year over 90 percent of the congregation completed the challenge and I expect similar results this year as well.

While on furlough, I will be teaching high school students at a Christian school, during the weekdays. On weekends, Charlene and I are available to accept invitations to come and present our ministries. If you or your church would be interested in having us, feel free to contact me at (813) 501-9328, or at my e-mail: bobbymichael_1@hotmail.com.

We are so thankful for your faithful prayers and support.

In Christ’s love,

Bobby and Charlene Wacaser

Contact Info:
Bobby & Charlene Wacaser
Currently Stateside on Furlough from Brazil
Phone: (813) 501-9328
E-mail: bobbymichael_1@hotmail.com

For ministry donations:
Pastor George Sledd, Treasurer of BFM
P.O. Box 471280
Lake Monroe, FL 32747-1280
or click here to donate to BFM online


Read more

Projeto Vida Presenting the Gospel in Public Schools & Parks

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Bobby and Charlene Wacaser have served the Lord as church planters in Curitiba, Parana, Brazil, since 1985.

July 24, 2023

Dear Friends,

Although Charlene and I have begun our US furlough, at the present, we are back in Brazil ministering together with our evangelistic team Projeto Vida. We also had the privilege to worship and serve together with our former church during their 11th anniversary. The new pastor, Cledson, asked me to bring the message and it was an honor and joy to do so. It is clearly evident that the Lord guided me correctly in choosing Cledson as the lead pastor. The church is very united and growing under his leadership.

The missionary couple that we sent to Portugal is doing well. Yago and Manoela recently held a community event to establish friendships and bridges with neighbors to win opportunities for sharing the gospel. They were joined by a couple of other Brazilian Christians and the worked together to share Christ’s love. They had dozens of neighbors show up and doors for future opportunities were opened. Please continue to pray for Yago and Manoela to locate the right home to hold the weekly meetings.

Projeto Vida had an amazing month of activities. The first week had to be spent doing maintenance work on the van and equipment, but the very next week was a whirlwind of ministering in 8 different public schools during 13 gospel presentations. Through evangelistic skits and personal testimonies, they shared the gospel to 1,635 students and staff in just one day. At the end of each presentation our missionaries interacted directly with the students, many of whom would seek them out to ask questions and share how they could identify with the message. Although we can’t ask the students to come forward and profess Christ publicly at the schools, these personal conversations revealed that at least dozens of students understood their need to surrender to Christ and did so at those meetings. We are so thankful to the Lord for this privilege to make Him known to so many that wouldn’t ordinarily step inside the doors of a New Testament church!

Charlene and I still have two more weeks of working together here in Brazil with Projeto Vida in the public schools and parks. We are helping by translating for some groups of American volunteers who are using their last weeks of the summer vacation to share Christ internationally. May the Lord use us for His glory. Thank you for your prayers and faithful support.

In Christ’s love,
Bobby and Charlene Wacaser

Contact Info:
Bobby & Charlene Wacaser
Currently Stateside on Furlough from Brazil
Phone: (813) 501-9328
E-mail: bobbymichael_1@hotmail.com

For ministry donations:
Pastor George Sledd, Treasurer of BFM
P.O. Box 471280
Lake Monroe, FL 32747-1280
or click here to donate to BFM online


Read more
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