Let Your Light Shine: Stories of Salvation and Discipleship in Mazère
July 22, 2025
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
We hope you are enjoying your life in Christ and seeing Him at work around you. As I was finishing an online live Bible study a few minutes ago, it dawned on me that I had not yet communicated with you about God’s work here during the past month.
A couple of weeks ago, a young man who participates in the Bible study at Mazère followed the Lord in baptism. He was touched by friends and enthusiastically expresses his faith in Christ. This is the way it works: Friends, family and fellow workers touching the lives of others with whom they have contact and relationships; bringing to Christ those who are searching.
A couple of months ago, as Judy and I were getting on the plane to be in the USA for a month, I received a wonderful surprise. Christopher, a paratrooper in the same company as the young man whose baptism I just mentioned, sent me a text asking me about the possibility of getting baptized. He just recently started coming to the Mazère Bible study. He has expressed his faith in Christ clearly during the Bible studies. He will not be baptized immediately because he is with his troop on a training mission in New Caledonia for four months.
It is wonderful to witness God at work in the lives of those who have trusted Him. Roxanne, one of the very active believers in our college-age group was saved and baptized two years ago. She is in the pictures included with last month’s newsletter (also shown below). She is an active reader and student of the Bible. She has been having Bible studies with a couple of friends who were seeking God. In a Bible study last week with our granddaughters, Camille and Emily, along with Roxane, Léonie expressed faith in Christ and a desire to follow Christ in baptism. She is one of the friends with whom Roxane has been having investigative Bible studies for the past few months.
These believers did not come to Christ through our witness alone. Most people trust Jesus as Savior through the witness of a number of His disciples. We don’t have to do it all. You don’t have to do it all. We do need to ask our Father to enable us to live out our calling, “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” (Matthew 5:14-16 – Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount)
May God bless you and use His light through you. Thank you for serving with us.
John and Judy Hatcher
Contact Info:
John Mark & Judy Hatcher
2 T Impasse de la Picardie
31830 Plaisance du Touch
France
jmhatcher@aol.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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Online Giving Temporarily Unavailable
We are currently experiencing a technical issue with our online giving platform, and we’re working diligently to restore it as soon as possible. We apologize for the inconvenience.
We are so grateful for your generosity and your desire to support BFM. In the meantime, here are a few ways you can still make a difference:
Mail offerings to:
George Sledd, Treasurer
P.O. Box 471280
Lake Monroe, FL 32747-1280
Discuss Planned Giving with one of our Directors:
Thank you for your patience and continued partnership in the Gospel!
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Equipping the Called: Bluegrass Baptist Seminary Prepares for New Semester
July 9, 2025
Dear friends and family,
July for me is always a good month— why—I love July the 4th celebrations, the food. That is the one time of the year I get to eat a lot of “hot dogs” and of course I know how good they are health wise for me— it’s the 4th!!!
The students in Bluegrass Baptist Seminary are happy for the intermission. No classes!! We are anticipating around 50 to 65 students in our classes starting in August. There will be four classes. Our professor who teaches two of those classes may not be able to teach this semester due to his wife’s cancer. Today they found out that she will be leaving the hospital tomorrow. They were planning treatments; radiation and chemo, but the cancer is so accelerated that she has elected NOT to do any treatments. She is in lots of pain and now is just waiting to go home to be with the Lord. Pray for her peaceful passing and for Pastor Edge.
The classes for this upcoming semester in August are: Evangelism, Discipleship, Biblical Proclamation, and Survey of Church History. Please pray for the students and the Professors (especially if Dr. Edge is unable to teach this semester).
For the Graduation in September we have ten students prepared to graduate of these 10 three will receive Master’s in Biblical Studies and seven will receive a Master’s in Pastoral Ministries. All seven are pastoring churches here in Brazil.
Our September is going to be a very full month. We will be having this graduation on Saturday night then on a Sunday, we will be a part of a new church dedication, then Tuesday we will fly to another state here in Brazil to attend a Pastors’ Conference for three days. Our part in this Conference will be to give them information on Bluegrass Baptist Seminary and how they can be a part of it. Getting the word out—how AWESOME for these pastors to learn how they can better spread the Word. Our God is an AWESOME God!!! With all that is going on in our world today we need more and more well-trained Pastors.
This seminary is only possible because of Baptist Faith Missions and those who donate financially and with the faithful prayer warriors. Thanks to all.
Our prayer requests for the month: Pastor Edge and his wife in Texas, Barbara’s health, the work of BFM and their missionaries, the travels in September, and health for ALL.
In His service,
Aj and Barbara
Contact Info:
AJ & Barbara Hensley
30524 Mimi St
Sebring, FL 33870-0530
AJ: 859-539-2302 | Barbara: 859-539-1424
ajcaragua@gmail.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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Opportunity to Be a Blessing to a Church in Garca
Dear Supporters of Baptist Faith Missions,
I would like to bring to your attention a pressing need in Brazil. In 2023, my sister and I had the privilege of traveling to Brazil and visiting some churches. While in Garca, we stayed in the home of Pastor Sergio Balbo and his lovely wife, Cris. We got to know them and enjoyed our stay with them. Pastor Sergio is the pastor of Igreja Batista da Fe, or Faith Baptist Church, in Garca, São Paulo. They are in the process of building a new building.
To complete the project, they need to install the windows and roof. They have paid for much of the project themselves with help from other Brazilian churches. To cut costs, Pastor Sergio has taken on some of the construction work himself. However, they require some financial assistance. To finish the roof and install windows, they will need approximately $17,000.
Missionary Jud Hatcher is very familiar with this church and her pastor. He agrees that they are worthy of financial help, and he is willing to receive offerings to meet this need. If you would like to give, please mark your offering “Judson Hatcher: Faith Baptist Church in Garca”. All offerings designated for this need will be transferred to the church in Garca to assist in their building project.
Thank you,
Jonathan Turner
BFM Director
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News & Reports – July 2025
The Online Edition of the July 2025 BFM News & Reports is available at the link below.
*Remember you can click on any headline to view the post/letter on our website.
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Celebrating 40 Years of Gospel Ministry in Brazil—and the Story’s Still Unfolding
June 29, 2025
I can hardly believe it, but it was 40 years ago that Charlene and I arrived in Brazil as young (in our mid-twenties) missionaries. The Lord has blessed us with the privilege of making Him known to thousands of Brazilians during these years. We are thankful that He still sees fit to use us for His glory in sharing the gospel and assist in planting New Testament churches.
A little different from my usual reports, I wanted to share with you a testimonial from a mission team volunteer who was with us recently. This report comes from Janet, a grandmother who came and spent a week with us in evangelistic outreach in public schools and parks. In Janet’s own words:
“For many years, my husband and I have been very blessed to go on mission trips together. On our recent trip to Brazil, we had the privilege of going into junior and senior high schools with missionaries Bobby and Charlene Wacaser and Projeto Vida. We had the freedom to share what Jesus meant to us and what He could do for each of them. One particular day, I was asked if I would share the Gospel to a very large group of students and teachers. I was okay sharing in small groups, but I was not so sure about sharing with the entire school assembly.
As the program of Gospel skits and testimonies began, I watched the faces of those teens. Many of them were in tears. The Holy Spirit was already beginning to touch hearts. It was then that I was reminded that many years ago as a young 16 year-old, I was as lost, desperate and lonely as many of these young people were. I was searching for something, or someone, to fill the great void in my heart. Then someone shared with me that Jesus was the only One who could rescue me. In that moment, the quiet voice of Jesus spoke to my heart to remind that these precious teenagers of Brazil needed to be rescued as well. They needed someone to tell them that Jesus loved them and gave His life for them. I am so thankful that so many of these young people surrendered their hearts and lives to Jesus that day. After the program, dozens and dozens of them stayed around to meet in small groups to speak one-on-one. It was such a joy to rejoice with them about the decision they had made to follow Jesus. It was also a great reminder to me that, “…how can they believe in Him if they have not heard of Him? And how can they hear of Him, unless someone tells them?” Romans 10:14.
I am so grateful that God can use even me.” – Janet Via
In just a few weeks, we will be hosting another group from the church where Janet is a member, and we pray that many souls will be saved and that the lives of those who come to minister will also be blessed by faithfully sharing the Gospel to the lost in our city.
Thank you so much for your faithful prayers and support. May the Lord richly bless.
In Christ’s love,
Bobby and Charlene Wacaser
Contact Info:
Bobby & Charlene Wacaser
Currently Stateside ministering to 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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Across Oceans, United in Christ: Back in France after Fellowship with Friends & Family
June 24, 2025
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
We hope this finds you enjoying blessings from our Lord and Savior. Our last letter was earlier than usual and this one a bit late because we have had an active month and traveled thousands of miles. “Furloughs” or “stateside service” are not a part of our ministry. However, we usually try to spend 2 to 4 weeks in the USA to visit our children, grandchildren, people from our years of ministry in Indiana and some aging members of our extended family. A few hours ago we stepped off the plane back in Southern France.
While we were gone believers here continue to serve God reaching out to unbelievers, encouraging one another, and meeting together. Our Father has blessed us in ways that we can not imagine. You are an encouraging part of these blessings. A couple of weeks ago Philip and Amanda hosted the the College and Career young adults for a weekend retreat in the foothills of the Pyrenees Mountains. These young adults are excitedly active in the ministry of Jesus Christ as they study and work.
On the third Saturday of June two of our group Bible studies, one in the city of L’Union and the other in the city of Mazère, had a picnic together in a natural bird park. These two cities are about an hour and a half apart. This is the third year that these two groups have met together for this event. There are two primary reasons they began this annual event; for fellowship and to invite all of there family members. Some of these family members are atheist. All are unbelievers. This picnic opens doors for friendships between believers and non-believers for the sharing of the good news.
Judy and I managed, with the help of believers here, to take the time to go Florida, Illinois, Kentucky, Ohio, and Indiana to see believers and family members. There are many hundreds that we would have liked to see but were unable to do so with the time we had available. We are blessed in these times with means to use God’s amazing created elements to visit each other at a distance. And … God has united us in His Spirit in a way that is wonderful though beyond human comprehension.
We arranged this trip so that we could see my brother Paul. Most of you know and have supported Paul and Wanda and Judson (their son) and Raquel. Paul has leukemia and is undergoing procedures for a bone marrow transplant. We were able to see them for four days. Please pray for Paul who also serves presently as a director for Baptist Faith Missions.
We are grateful that God has united us with you in His family.
In our Fathers love,
Judy and John
Contact Info:
John Mark & Judy Hatcher
2 T Impasse de la Picardie
31830 Plaisance du Touch
France
jmhatcher@aol.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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Preaching Under Banana Trees, Gifted with a Chicken
June 10, 2025
Greetings in the Name of Jesus Christ,
I do have some new things to report, but before I do I want to touch briefly on some items and situations that I have written about in previous reports, so that you all can be updated on some of the serious issues I spoke about previously.
First, regarding the student “Solomon” who had been threatened by the violent gang and was being extorted for money. As I reported earlier, Solomon stood his ground and refused to pay or to stand down to these thugs. As of now, a couple of months later, there has been no action taken in this situation. We are presuming one of three options is happening: 1) It was a hoax made by a non-gang member simply trying to get some money, 2) The gang doesn’t want to escalate matters and has moved on since Solomon stood up to them, or, 3) They are biding their time. At this time, since a couple of months have passed since the initial threats, we are trusting that God is protecting him and that maybe things will settle down and the situation will “pass away” without further trouble.
Second, since the death of Chloe’s teacher, things have settled down a bit. We have been able to find a new teacher for Chloe and both Chloe and the new teacher are getting along well, and we pray the new teacher will be a long-term fixture in our home and in Chloe’s life.
Third, Julie has recovered very well from her fall and subsequent serious concussion. She was pretty much holed-up for a couple of weeks in a dark, quiet, and secluded room. Her progress for the first two to three weeks was pretty slow and we were a little concerned that her recovery was going to be a very long and arduous process, but after about three weeks of slow progress she made rapid advances, and it seemed like in just a couple of days’ time she recovered to almost 100% very quickly. Although she may disagree with my analysis, I do not see any lingering symptoms of her concussion. We are very thankful to God for this ultimate recovery.
With all that has been going on I haven’t been able to relate to you all my week’s trip to Meru county, the hometown of one of my students who will be graduating in July. This student, Mark, has kind of “adopted” me, calling me “Dad” and jokingly accusing me of being “lost” if I haven’t seen him in a day or two. We wanted to take this trip to his home before he graduates because after he graduates and leaves school I will be “lost” for a long time. We went with two other students, one from India and one from Indonesia. So, this trip and my car were very international as we had one person from America, one from Kenya, one from India, and one from Indonesia. This obviously led to some very interesting discussions as these four cultures are very diverse. It was a long road trip but very worth the time in getting to our destination. We were able to preach, teach, sing, and share the gospel in many “official” and “unofficial” settings. I enjoyed teaching and preaching in a couple of churches, but my favorite time came when we walked a couple of hours through the forests, hills, and banana trees to get to Mark’s grandmother’s house. When we got there, grandmother had collected the entire family and small village at her house set within her banana orchard. We sang, prayed, and taught the Word of God there in the banana orchard with American accented English, Indian accented English, and Indonesian accented English being faithfully translated into Kimeru for the sake of grandmother and the villagers. Singing and teaching the gospel in multiple languages in the middle of a banana orchard in the heart of Kenya is really pretty cool. What a special privilege and honor it was to talk to these beloved people about our Savior Jesus and the salvation offered through His death on the cross and resurrection. To be welcomed with opened arms into such a place to share the gospel is quite awesome and we thank our God for such an opportunity. I was even ceremoniously gifted a chicken, live and kicking, from grandmother for having come. However, I made Mark carry it home.
Thank You, God, for such an amazing opportunity to meet some of Your Meru people and be able to share the good news of Your Son with them. May You bless Your Word and send Your Spirit amongst them.
Blessings to all,
Roger, Julie, & Chloe
Contact Info:
Roger & Julie Tate
Moffat Bible College
P.O. Box 70
Kijabe, Kenya 00220
rojuta@gmail.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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