Faith & Fortitude in the Face of Persecution
March 10, 2025
Greetings in the name of Jesus Christ,
I had somber news last month when I talked about the wars and conflicts in Congo and our students who are living and ministering there. I guess I will have to follow up last month’s somber news with some additional somber news for this month. I’m not being somber on purpose, folks, believe me. Some things just strike me hard and those are sometimes the things I feel like I should report so that you all can know what life here in Kenya is really like and what it means to be a follower of Christ in other places of the world.
Here at the school, we have small groups where faculty have a number of students that they can meet with multiple times per week and they can mentor and disciple the students in life, ministry, and other practical areas. I have ten great guys in my group and we meet a couple of times every week to talk about…well…life, ministry, and other practical things. It is a good time for the guys to talk, ask questions, pray, and on occasion, eat. One of our past meetings was spent allowing just one of our guys to talk, express his fears and anxieties, and for us to advise him and pray for him. I will refer to him with a pseudonym (Solomon) in order to keep him safe. Solomon is one of our few “older” students who is already married with some children. He is already a pastor of a church and is attending school here to learn how to better minister the Word of God to God’s people.
After last Sunday’s service, Solomon received a phone call, a call no one ever wants to receive. The call was from a local gang of thugs, the name of which I will also omit from this report. After a few pleasantries, the gang leader informed Solomon that he knew all about him, that he knew Solomon’s wife (which he named), his children (which he named and the names of their schools), his church (which he named), and his house (which location he gave). The gang leader then informed Solomon of the amount of money Solomon was going to give him. The gang leader then threatened Solomon, telling him that if he did not pay the required money that the gang would burn his church to the ground, kill his wife and children, and then kill Solomon. Beloved, this is no idle or empty threat. This is a real threat and the danger is very real. All the students in my small group verified that these gangs exist and their threats can and often are carried out. Solomon was obviously distraught. He fears for the safety of his family. He fears for his own life. I told Solomon that his fear was legitimate and understandable, and all the students agreed. Solomon went to the police and reported the threat, but you can believe that this does not give him any comfort.
Our group spent a great amount of time praying for Solomon and his family, but we all feel helpless to know what else we can do for him, besides prayer and advice. I remain impressed by Solomon’s faith and fortitude in this situation. He himself says that we serve a mighty God and that like Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the fiery furnace, God can protect him from the threats of the evil gang. While Solomon does not want to be afraid, he is still afraid. I would be too (terrified would be a better word to describe my feelings if I were in the same circumstances). He also does not want to die but says he is willing to die if that is the outcome that God wants and will bring Him the most glory. Solomon is determined to not pay the gang (he couldn’t pay their exorbitant extortion fee anyway) and to continue ministering to his people in Jesus’ name.
Father God, I pray that you would continue to protect this good and godly man, Solomon. I pray that you would protect his family and keep them safe from harm. Make the threats of the gang empty. Remove any power that this gang has to threaten or harm Solomon or anyone else. Protect his church and his people so that they might be able to continue to proclaim the gospel and spread the love of Jesus in their community. Oh God, do this for your glory and for the good of your people in Kenya. Amen.
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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109 Profess Faith in Christ in Southern Brazilian Vacation Town
March 3, 2025
Dear Friends,
Everybody needs a little vacation time, of course, but I’m glad that Brazil’s summer vacation has come to an end. Remembering that, south of the equator, the seasons are the opposite of those in the USA. Fall is beginning and students are returning to school, our main venue for evangelistic outreach. We did take advantage of the summer break, though, to host a volunteer missionary training seminar and the results were wonderful. After two weeks of study on the biblical foundation of missions and evangelism, we took our team of 17 full-time missionaries and 16 first-time volunteers to a vacation town on the coast of southern Brazil to minister in the public squares and parks. Our team had the opportunity to share the gospel to over 1600 people. Of these, there were 109 who made a public profession of faith in Jesus. There were also 79 more who rededicated their lives to Christ who realized that they had left their first love and were living in disobedience to God. Now that the summer break is over, though, we have the whole school year scheduled for gospel presentations to thousands of students and staff. Please pray that the Lord will use our teams to bring many of them to a saving knowledge of Christ.
Yago and Manoela are doing well in Portugal. Not without extreme trials, though. I shared last month that they got the news that Manoela was pregnant and that they are both very excited about the coming of their first baby. A few weeks ago, Manoela experienced some strange pains and discomfort and sought medical attention. Not to go into details, I ask that you pray for the Lord to miraculously heal Manoela and her baby. Both are in grave danger of loss of life. They were counseled to abort the baby, but they both refused to do this. May the Lord do what only He can do.
A group of our missions partners are scheduled to arrive in Curitiba this week for a week of evangelistic ministry with Projeto Vida, our outreach team. We are excited to see all that God will do through them together as they share the gospel in several public schools and parks. We know that they will be both a blessing and be blessed as they allow the Lord to use them in this ministry.
Thank you for your faithful prayers and support.
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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A Note from David Pitman, President
Through the generosity of our donors we were able to send a $500 “bonus” at the end of 2024 to our missionaries and retirees. A small token but much appreciated. I was so blessed by Brother Asa Mark Bratcher’s response and I share it now with his permission:
“Dear Bro. David: Just a note to express my deepest appreciation to you and the directors of BFM, for the bonus I just received. It is so amazing how our Lord works sometimes. Exactly 2 minutes earlier I had transferred to a couple in Manaus, 500 dollars as a down payment for a piece of property, next to the building of the Bratcher Memorial Baptist Church in the middle of the rain forest. Thanks once again, and to our Faithful God, whom we try to serve, all the glory!”
We are very thankful for how our retirees continue to represent BFM so well. Please give to the Missionary Support Fund!
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Odali Barros Announces Retirement
Odali Barros has faithfully served as a BFM missionary in Brazil for over 30 years, ministering in São Paulo and later moving to Manaus. He will be retiring this month. Odali, a native Brazilian, was saved under the ministry of Mike Creiglow. He is married to Kathy, the youngest daughter of John and Alta Hatcher. Their ministry together has had a special emphasis on children over the years, including many orphans.
Odali and Kathy have expressed a desire to continue working among the people of Manaus for as long as they are able. We pray that God will continue to bless Odali and Kathy as they seek to bring yet more
lost souls to Christ.
A Note from Odali
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
We want to thank each one that supports Baptist Faith Missions. We are thankful for your support and prayers for our ministry. I’m grateful for BFM because it was through this mission that I heard the gospel and was saved. Time has gone by so fast. We are retiring but will continue serving God where we are.
May God continue blessing each one and Baptist Faith Missions.
Love in Christ,
Odali and Kathy
“Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers, remembering without ceasing your work of faith, labor of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the sight of our God and Father…” -1 Thessalonians 1:1b-3
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Disciples in France Sharing the Gospel with Others!
February 17, 2025
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
Greetings from Southern France which is far north of where most of you live. Plaisance du Touch is about the same distance from the North Pole as Toronto, Canada. However, our winters are not extremely cold due to the Gulf Stream that warms western Europe.
God continues to touch lives around us. It is wonderful to be sharers of the Good News here and to be used by God to disciple those who have trusted Christ as Lord and Savior. Yesterday, Rose, a lady who was diagnosed with cancer a couple of years ago, told us excitedly about a door that God opened for her to share the Good News. She was waiting for minor surgery to remove the chemotherapy port that had been used for her treatment. A conversation with another lady awaiting the same procedure began and God guided her to be able to give her testimony and share about her faith as the other lady asked questions.
Roxane, a young lady who is a member of our congregation, studying to be an engineer, shared how God had given her the opportunity to share the Gospel with a friend for whom she had been praying. Roxane trusted the Lord and followed Him in baptism less than two years ago. She is the only believer in her family, but a flame of fire for the Lord in her gentle way of passionately seeking the lost and sharing the Good News.
We have regular Bible studies in six different locations in addition to the regular church meetings. Some of these are groups of saved people growing in the Lord and encouraging each other and some are groups of seekers meeting in the home of a believer with whom they are friends.
Several of those who were seekers have trusted Christ in the last year and are reading through their Bibles. It is exciting to receive phone calls or text messages from these new believers asking questions from their reading. Here are a couple of questions I received this past Saturday: “How come prophet Nahum proclaims condemnation of Nineveh when Jonah tells about their repentance and forgiveness?” “How were Pharaoh’s men able to do some of the same signs as Moses?” How would you answer these questions? If you need help, ask one of your spiritual leaders.
We are very grateful for your contribution to what God is doing here.
Your Fellow Servants in France,
John and Judy
Contact Info:
John & Judy Hatcher
2 T Impasse de la Picardie
31830 Plaisance du Touch
France
JMHatcher@aol.com
Present USA phone 1-812-416-1033
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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Praying for the Persecuted in the Congo
February 10, 2025
Greetings in the name of Jesus Christ,
How up are you on African current events? Probably not so much if you are anything like me. But because I live here and love Africa and the people of Africa, I may hear more about current events than y’all back in the States. So, what do you hear about the conflicts in Congo? Congo is “near” to Kenya, and although the conflict, fighting, and violence that is going on there does not affect us here in Kenya at all, we are still concerned about the people that live there and that are having to face the extreme hardships that surround them.
The conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo, especially in the eastern region, has escalated significantly recently. I don’t know what they should be called, rebels or terrorists or what, but the group called M23, supported by the Rwandan government, has been on a rampage, causing widespread displacement of people and a severe humanitarian crisis. Over 700,000 thousand people have been displaced along with widespread reports of violence, executions and murders, sexual assault, and the burning of villages and crops. There are also concerns that the fighting will extend to surrounding countries like Burundi and Uganda (neighboring countries of Kenya).
I can’t pretend to say I understand any of the political, military, economic, or religious reasons behind the tragedies going on in Congo. Most assuredly they are fueled by decades of ethnic tensions, political rivalries, and probably corruption. But stripping all that stuff away, which I don’t understand, there are thousands, if not millions, of people and families that are being adversely and harmfully affected by the violence and viciousness of the uncaring and callous fighters/rebels/terrorists.
So, why am I telling you all of this? Well, first of all, because I want you to pray for the people and the country of Congo. Precious people and families are being destroyed, and we need to lift them up to our loving and powerful God. But, second, because I know people who are there in the midst of the suffering, doing the work of God and of the Kingdom, right in the center of the violence. You may recall that we had four students from Congo at our school who graduated just back in July of last year.
Our four students were Steven, David, Jiresse, and Asifiwe. After graduation back in July, Steven and David remained in Kenya to continue their education but Jiresse and Asifiwe returned to Congo to begin ministering to their beloved Congolese people. As I write this, Jiresse and Asifiwe find themselves right in the mist of these conflicts and directly in the line of fire of the violence and aggression. We have been able to hear from them when they get a chance to communicate. They are part of the displaced people who are struggling to obtain food and water for themselves and their people. They have no electricity or amenities and basically no shelter. But they have not abandoned their training or their calling, even in the midst of suffering and distress. They are determined to continue to proclaim and teach the gospel message of Jesus to the refugees and broken families of Congo. They are seeing people being saved and entering the Kingdom of Christ even in the midst of tragedy. They are trying to help desperate people find food, water, and shelter, all in the name of our Savior. They are being true ministers and servants of our precious Lord, doing the same thing Jesus did when he came to minister to hurting people: “Proclaiming good news to the poor; Proclaiming liberty to the captives; Setting at liberty those who are oppressed; and Proclaiming the year of the Lord’s favor.”
It is impossible to know how you might touch someone’s life who will then go on to touch someone else’s life, and so on and so on. I know that we have been able to touch the lives of Jiresse and Asifiwe in significant ways, for which we are thankful and blessed. Now, they are touching others with the love of Jesus in a place where we cannot reach. Please be in prayer for Jiresse and Asifiwe. Pray that God would watch over them and protect them from harm. Pray that they would have effective ministries to their beloved Congolese people. Pray that many Congolese people would know and experience the love of Jesus through their lives and service.
Thank you, beloved, for your prayers.
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.
Read more
18 New Apprentices in Training & Sharing the Gospel
February 2, 2025
Dear Friends,
I was in Brazil the last couple of weeks training a new group of missionary volunteers for this new year. Our traveling evangelism ministry partner, Projeto Vida, tries to put together at least two training seminars per year: one in January and one in July. This past month we had 18 new volunteer apprentices coming from four different states. A couple of other veteran missionaries and I were the speakers/mentors for this conference. We spent one week in the biblical study of missions and evangelism and then the students accompanied our experienced team of missionaries on a 10-hour trip to the southernmost state of Brazil, Rio Grande do Sul. There in a coastal city called Canoas, they spent the final week in one-on-one evangelism and outreach. The Lord blessed tremendously in at least two predominant ways: Lost listeners heard the gospel message and surrendered their lives to Christ and, also, our new volunteers were overwhelmed with how much the Lord used them to share the love of Jesus to the lost and are excited about getting out there and participating more.
While in Brazil, my former co-pastor, now senior pastor, invited me to speak to my former church. The good folks gave me such a warm reception. It was very encouraging to see how well Cledson has taken up the reins and how well he and his wife, Fabiane, are leading the church. One of the impressive details about Cledson’s leadership is how he guided the church through a very difficult and painful move to other facilities. I know how hard that can be since I’ve done it a couple of times throughout our ministry. It was clear that the Lord was doing the leading, because of the better location and lower costs. The former building was located quite a distance from a major road or street, but their new location is right in front of a main city bus terminal and a neighborhood park. During the course of a week, tens of thousands of residents pass right in front of the new location. The park also offers ample opportunities for evangelistic outreach through social interaction with the visitors and residents. And, as I mentioned, this better location also comes with a better price. God is so good!
I spoke with Yago and Manoela, our missionaries to Portugal this week. They shared the news that Manoela’s pregnancy is going fine. Yago got some good news about his “tent-making” vocational income as well. Microsoft Portugal has handed him a new set of working orders which assure that they will continue to receive a good portion of their financial support for an extended period. He had told me a couple of months ago that they had not received any contract information, and they were concerned that their income might cease. Yago conveyed to me, though, that he and Manoela were certain that the Lord was not finished using them in Portugal yet, so they were prayerfully seeking His leading and sustenance. With this new work order information, they can rejoice now that the Lord has confirmed their presence there for some time. We continue to pray for them to win lost Portuguese people to Christ and to build the church there.
On a personal note: After nearly three months, Charlene and I were able to move out of the hotel back into our home. The repairs after Hurricane Milton are nearly done, lacking only the kitchen cabinet tops and a little bit of electrical work. We still have not had much success getting our insurance companies to pay their due protection, but we will continue to appeal the process and pray that the Lord will lead us to a viable solution.
Thank you for your faithful prayers and kind support. We pray that 2025 will be a year full of ministry opportunities and results.
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
Read more
News & Reports – February 2025
The Online Edition of the February 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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