Worldwide Worship
Missionaries John and Judy Hatcher have been serving the Lord in Tournefeuille, France since 1999. They define their ministry as “disciple-making.”
September 13, 2020
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
Praise the Lord with me. My heart overflows. During our walks the last couple of days Judy and I have chatted about the Beatitudes. We are blessed!
Our church meetings during the past month have been quite a blessing. The church is able to meet again in person with masks. The Sunday before last there was a houseful including four or five visitors. One lady, a relative of one of the church families, was there for the first time. Judy and I have known her for many years.
Today the house was full and the attendance was from Indiana to Austria. Besides the group meeting in Tournefeuille, there were members in 5 other locations in three countries participating. These are young people from our congregation who are working or studying elsewhere. Two of them could not be around others because of their contact with people who have tested positive with the Covid virus. What a joy to sing, study God’s Word and fellowship with the folks from our church family in France.
We thank God for your faithful support and partnership with us in the Kingdom of God. We thank God for the ability to fellowship with our home church. We thank God for the way He is working in the lives of the young adults who have come to Christ and grown up in our fellowship of believers. We thank God for many opportunities to minister (at a social distance) to folks in our temporary neighborhood. We thank God … and our hearts are overflowing.
Praising God from Whom all blessings flow,
John and Judy
Contact Info:
John & Judy Hatcher
4, rue d’Aspin
31170 Tournefeuille, 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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Renewing Work Permits & Planning for Furlough
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 gone, and we are entering the last part of 2020. Time really does pass so quickly, and may we be busy serving where the Lord has us. This update will share current prayer requests as well as current updates.
This past month has been very busy. So many things to do. We made a big “to do” list, and you never really realize what a job it is until you start shutting down for furlough. Various insurances to be paid, trying to find someone to stay in our house while we are away, arranging for paying bills here while we are in America, and the list goes on and on. It can be overwhelming and you have to take one thing at a time. We are thankful to have neighbors now so if there are any urgent matters, they can inform and assist us.
We also were working on our work permits that expire next April. We did get the documentation done, and there are just a few minor items to send in soon. We are thankful for the progress that we made on the permits, and ask that you would pray with us that they will be renewed without any issues.
In health news, I (Nathan) had to see a dermatologist recently and she recommended the removal of seven different moles. There is a history of melanoma in the family, so I need to be seen regularly and need to be careful with sun exposure. I did have all seven moles removed and have been able to recover well, for which I am thankful. The sun is strong here in Kenya and you need to take precautions. Thanks for your prayers in regards to not only my health, but the health of the entire family.
We appreciate each of you so much. Thanks so much for your prayers, sacrificial giving, and encouragement. You are such a blessing.
Contact Info:
Nathan and Carrie Radford
P.O. Box 4150
Kitale, Kenya
East Africa 30200
naterad@yahoo.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 Testimony to God’s Grace & Power
It is so wonderful to be back to having worship services together with our brothers and sisters in Christ in person. We are glad that we got the opportunity to learn how to use technology to increase our outreach while in quarantine, but nothing replaces the warmth of physical fellowship.
The great majority of our members are attending regularly and we have quite a few new people attending. Or at least I think they are new people. With everyone wearing masks, it is sometimes hard to identify everyone. We are hoping that this safety measure and municipal requirement will soon be removed.
Charlene and I had an opportunity to minister to a young man named Elizeu a couple of weeks ago. Elizeu’s story is such a testimony to God’s grace and power. For several years he suffered from debilitating headaches and seizures. The doctors discovered that he had a tumor on his brain that was causing this and they were able to remove it. Because of Elizeu’s gratitude to God for relief from his suffering, he offered to work as an unpaid volunteer for a social services organization that helps the underprivileged and shares the gospel.
Neither Charlene nor I knew Elizeu or anything about him before, but one of our church members heard that his family was in great need and asked if we would make a visit. It was suggested to us to donate some special medical supplies and nutritional supplements that he needed. I don’t like to just throw money at people’s circumstances without using the opportunity to speak of Christ’s love and grace. That was our intention when we went to visit Elizeu and his family. Instead, God spoke to us through Elizeu. This man had lived years with great suffering. A successful surgery had relieved that, but then he discovered that he had cancer in his stomach and it had to be removed. It would be easy to understand how someone in his circumstances could become bitter or cynical, but not Elizeu. We went to his home to minister to him, to share a word of hope, but it was he who ministered to us. We did deliver the medical and nutritional supplies to him, but God delivered to us a message of courage, faith and joy in suffering that we’ve rarely seen. Most of this man’s life has been one of hardship and pain, but he was so grateful to God for his salvation and for his purpose in life to tell of God’s goodness that we were amazed. Humanly speaking, Elizeu’s life expectancy isn’t very promising, but, WOW!, what a life lived for God’s glory!
Because of COVID-19 and the cancellation of the in-person school year, our traveling outreach team won’t be able to get into public schools until next February. We have been praying for and working on ways to get the gospel message out and we have found some that, we believe, will be used of the Lord. The whole country is tired of being cooped up indoors and we are planning some outdoor presentations of skits and gospel films in public parks where people are gathering. Our volunteers are trained to interact with the spectators at these events and seek opportunities to share the gospel one-on-one. Please pray that the Lord will help us to be successful in these endeavors.
In Christ’s love,
Bobby and Charlene Wacaser
Contact Info:
Bobby & Charlene Wacaser
Rua Laudelino Ferreira Lopes, 279
Sobrado 1, Novo Mundo
81050-310 Curitiba, PR. Brasil
Phone: 55-41-99899-2333
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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News & Reports – September 2020
The Online Edition of the September 2020 BFM News & Reports is available at the link below. Read how God is working through the lives of our faithful missionaries and continue to pray for them.
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Getting Back to Normal; Drilling a Well in Ubim
August 19, 2020
Greetings from the jungle! We are all doing well and hope all our friends and supporters are doing well also! We thank God for each of you! Your prayers and support are important to us and our ministry.
Things here in the different churches are gradually getting back to normal. The virus in our area seems to be under control! But we are still taking the precautions necessary.
Since things have gotten better, we are working on things that we had planned but could not do. One of these things is drilling a well in the village of Ubim. There is no running water in this village. So, a well to use at the church is needed and we also plan on helping with water for the villagers. Having a well helps with several diseases especially malária. A young man who learned and lived at the Alpha and Omega Home since he was little is going to be drilling the well. He is married and lives in a village close to us. He and two other brothers stayed at the A&O Home for many years. I asked him if he would like to help me with the well and he said, “Sure’. The Lord willing, we should start this coming Thursday. When you read this letter, the Lord willing, the well should be done. The final cost, pump and all, is $2000. Thanks to donations made, we are able to have the well.
The work in the village of Mutirão is doing great. Their services are back and they are also being very careful.
Pray for the work at the village of Cacau. It is growing and we need to make a decision to sell the old building or remodel. The main problem is that when the water comes up in high season it gets into the church. We want to make the right decision.
Things are a little different for me now because Kathy went to the US to help Paul and Wanda with Bro. John. Paul hurt his arm pushing his dad in a wheelchair on a rainy day. So, Kathy is there to help, and we hope Paul gets to feeling better.
Thanks so much for you love, prayers and support. God bless you!
Odali and Kathy
Ubim 
Ubim 
Ubim 
Ubim 
Paul, Wanda, & Kathy 
Mutirão 
Mutirão 
Kathy & her dad, John A. Hatcher 
Getting ready to drill the well 
Drilling the well 
Cacau 
Cacau 
Teens
Contact Info:
Odali & Kathy Barros
Iranduba, Amazonas
Brasil, SA
odali_kathy@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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Jesus is the Only Hope!
August 24, 2020
Dear friends,
From one of our latest visits on the street:
On one of the coldest mornings of the year (39o F—it is Winter in the Southern Hemisphere), under a drizzle characteristic of São Paulo City, I woke up early to meet downtown with a team. I was received at a friend’s home with a warm smile. I feel right at home; we started talking while he finished preparing the hot chocolate to take, along with cake, sandwiches, juice, and water. After a few minutes, other volunteers from the team arrive, making the environment even more cozy. After taking the donations (large bags containing handmade wool caps, clothes, shoes, warm clothes, socks, and blankets), we went out towards the viaduct bridge where young people and children stay. We parked the cars, shared the bags and sacks among the team, and walked to the location. Once there, we were received with joy and plenty of hugs amid loving greetings. It’s strange, but I feel very comfortable there, as if it’s not my first time. People come out of their tents, get up from their mattresses or sleeping bags, others get closer, and in a few minutes, everyone is enjoying a delicious breakfast. I hear many “thank you”, and I look at the faces, as if saying: “What would become of us without you?”. Finishing the coffee, in other words, the hot chocolate, we started to distribute the blankets, warm clothes, wool caps, socks, and kits. The place is again full of gratitude and satisfaction. Joy is evident in the faces of everyone there. Two young men then address us and say that they would like to leave the streets and go to a shelter. One of them says he really wants to go to a place where there is a church so that he can get close to God and leave that life. In the next few minutes, an attempt is made to find a place to welcome these two young people, many calls are made, messages are sent, and contacts are made. To our delight, both were received in a shelter. Meanwhile, the team members talked to each of them, listening to their stories, their complaints, offering understanding, empathy, care, and hope. One of the stories I heard was of a young man telling about his adventures and travels. He talked about when he took a ride on the freight trains, and so he got to know various tourist spots and how he had fun in those days. But he also told about sad moments, like when a friend jumped off the train, but when he fell, he left his leg on the track, which resulted in a leg amputation. Others talked about books they had read, about places they had been, others laughed and messed up with friends who tried to put on the mask they had just received, others asked for something to take to a friend in the other tent, in short, there was a mood cheerful, as if for a few hours, they forgot their sad reality.
In one of the tents there was a girl with a cough and fever. She didn’t go out, she stayed inside all the time. She was being taken care of by her boyfriend who took to her everything we gave. Another girl was doing the same thing with her pregnant friend, who also did not leave her tent, which was further away. Despite the friendly climate, I couldn’t help but notice the precariousness of the place. Garbage everywhere, a strong odor, pigeons feeding on the remains, rats passing by, in short, a human being should never be in a place like that. I wondered how much they had suffered within their families that would lead them there, living in those inhuman conditions. Talking to one of the guys, I asked if he had a family. He said he did, and that his family lived in Guarulhos. So, I asked if he wanted to go home. He replied that if he returned, he would kill his stepfather. So, I thought, how much pain, how much trauma, how much suffering this young man has already experienced to have so much hatred within himself. In the end, it was time to say goodbye. We shared Jesus, prayed with them, blessed them as best we could. As I walked back to the car, my heart was filled with mixed emotions. I was happy to have experienced that moment, but at the same time it was unsettling to know that I would be going home, with my family, with a warm meal waiting for me, but they would not. That evening, a cold night would fall upon them. Next morn, sunrise. It would be dusk, dark dusk, dawn, and they would be there. I arrived home, and as I had imagined, a table set, a hot soup prepared on the stove, spouse and happy children talking, happy to see me back.
Jesus is the only hope!
Grateful always,
Judson & Raquel Hatcher
Contact Info:
Jud & Raquel Hatcher
São Paulo, Brazil
judsonhatcher@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
Studies Being Taught in BBS
August 19, 2020
Dear friends and family,
This month has flown by with little change so we thought we would show you the studies that are being taught in Bluegrass Baptist Seminary. These are the classes with a description of them.
Bluegrass Baptist Seminary Course Listing/ Descriptions
- BBS:101 Systematic-Theology
The Christian church has a long tradition of systematic theology, that is, studying theology and doctrine organized around fairly standard categories. This course presents material in each of these categories for the purpose of preparing students for ministry within the local church. The categories are examined in depth with an in-depth focus of contemporary application for today’s church.
- BBS-102 Old Testament Survey
This course is designed to provide a basic introduction to each book of the Old Testament. While traditional topics such as authorship, date, and historical context will be covered, there will be special focus on the revelation of Jesus Christ in each book. There also is a focus on providing keys to understanding each book in the context of the entirety of the Scriptures.
- BBS-103 New Testament Survey
This course is designed to provide a basic introduction to each book of the New Testament. While traditional topics such as authorship, date, and historical context will be covered, there will be special focus on the revelation of Jesus Christ in each book. There also is a focus on providing keys to understanding each book in the context of the entirety of the Scriptures
- BBS-104 Pastoral Ministries
This course is designed to equip students for pastoral ministry by examining the various aspects of ministry required of pastors serving in local congregations. Also, it includes identifying the biblical absolutes, priorities, and qualifications needed for effective pastoral ministry within the local church.
- BBS-105 Theology of Evangelism
This course provides a general introduction to the theology of evangelism. The course is divided into three major units: (1) Foundational Tenets of Evangelism; (2) Preaching Components of Evangelism; and (3) Practical Aspects of Evangelism. The purpose of this course is to provide the local pastor with basic theological understanding and tools for implementing a biblical plan of evangelism in the local church.
- BBS-106 Theology of Discipleship
This course provides a general introduction to the theology of discipleship. The course is divided into three major units: (1) Evaluation of Today’s Discipleship in the Local Church; (2) Biblical Foundations for Discipleship; and (3) Church-Based Discipleship. The purpose of this course is to provide the local pastor with basic theological understanding and tools for implementing a biblical plan of discipleship in the local church.
- BBS-107 Lexical Hebrew
This course provides the student with the basics for working in the Hebrew biblical language. It includes a basic presentation of Hebrew grammar, such as recognizing vowel markings and sentence structure. This is not a language course, per se, but provides tools for use such as lexicons, dictionaries, and grammars, to assist the student in gaining a better understanding of a biblical text.
- BBS-108 Lexical Greek
This course provides the student with the basics for working in the Greek biblical language. It includes a basic presentation of Greek grammar, such as recognizing verb endings and sentence structure. This is not a language course, per se, but provides tools for use such as lexicons, dictionaries, and grammars, to assist the student in gaining a better understanding of a biblical text.
- BBS-109 Biblical Proclamation
This course provides a general introduction for developing an expository sermon. The course is divided into four major units: (1) The Need for Expository Preaching; (2) Expository Sermon Preparation; and (3) Expository Preaching Hermeneutics, and (4) Delivering an Expository Sermon. The purpose of this course is to provide the local pastor with basic theological understanding and tools for preparing and delivering expository sermons.
- BBS-110 Survey of Church History
This course provides a general overview of the history of the church. The course covers the major events and philosophies of the church from 6 BCE to the end of the 20th century. It focuses on the historical setting and explanation of Christian ideas and institutions. The purpose of this course is to provide students with an annotated timeline of the church’s develop from the 1st century through the 20th century.
- BBS-111 Introduction to Christian Apologetics
This course studies Christian apologetics and its implications for and application to evangelism. It provides students with an explanation of key components within Christian apologetics. Points of tension between and within various apologetic methods are explored in the course as well. The purpose of this course is to aid students in the development of effective apologetic approaches for evangelizing people in the contemporary culture.
- BBS-112 Thesis Paper Writing
This course serves as an information class for writing a thesis paper. The student will learn techniques and styles for researching and writing a thesis paper. The course includes one week of in-class instruction and 4 months of research and writing. Upon completion of the thesis paper the student will defend their work to a seminary thesis committee. Upon successful defense (defined as receiving a passing grade), the course is complete.
These are the classes we are scheduling for 2021. Please pray for the courses and the professors and the Pastors planning to attend the classes. We serve an AWESOME God and we know that He is in control of everything that is happening. So, we are trusting that He will make everything right and in His timing.
In His service,
AJ and Barb
CONTACT INFO
AJ & Barbara Hensley
592 Emery Court
Lexington, KY 40505
AJ: 859-539-2302Barbara: 859-539-1424
ajcaragua@gmail.com
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Touched Through the Least of These
August 14, 2020
Dear Friend,
This is a second letter in just a few days. My cup is overflowing…like a geyser!
Today was a bit unusual. Judy and I went trekking much later than usual. Due to the heat we have been getting out earlier. Just a few minutes into our walk God touched us by “one of the least” of His. We had just done a loop through the shady end of a school parking lot we cross nearly every time we trek. I heard a loud voice at a distance and assumed that it was a student somewhere in the vicinity.
Then Judy twisted around trying to determine the source of the voice. Just as we got back on pace a loud voice called our names. We turned around and saw Susie. We walked back to her and noticed on approaching her that she was nearly breathless and quite excited. This special lady about our age says, “You have to come back this way. There is something you got to see.” I don’t know what Judy was thinking, but I was trying to figure out what kind of disaster needed our attention. As we approached the rear of the yard where she lives with family, Susie apologized for not knowing our last name. Now I was totally confused!
“Where have you been?” Susie asked. We explained that we had been getting out earlier. Just then we arrived at what she wanted us to see. Here, you can see it for yourself:
She said, “I made the first-time sign weeks ago and then I didn’t see you anymore. I took it in when it rained and at night so it wouldn’t get wet. It got to looking bad so I made another one.”
I had been talking to God this morning, but I declare, my Heavenly Father was now talking to me through the “least” of His. Judy and I were in a glorious daze. You know the passage, “If you do it to the least of these … you do it to me.” But, Eternal God, Almighty, my Heavenly Father was speaking to me through “the least of these”.
I first met Susie nearly three and a half years ago when here caring for Judy (remember…broken kneecap) and her sister, Peggy. Sometimes this unknown lady would be mowing the large yard behind the home where she lives when I was out trekking. The first time we spoke she was confused about what was happening behind her house. I explained to her about the church and school parking lot being expanded and assured her all was well.
A few months ago, she came running out as Judy and I trekked under the trees behind the backyard she often mowed. She pointed out that she always loved seeing us and therefore had trimmed (extensively) the tree branches that would be in our way. We were touched and thanked her. When we passed and she was out Susie always greeted us exuberantly. And, this morning God spoke through this little one. I will remember His voice eternally!
So, maybe you are upset. Maybe, you are in a quandary about the future or the value of your life or actions. “I don’t know about the future, but I know Who holds the future…” and He often speaks through the little ones on our pathway!
Hearing the Father’s Love through the little ones,
John and Judy Hatcher
CONTACT INFO
John & Judy Hatcher
4, rue d’Aspin
31170 Tournefeuille, France
JMHatcher@aol.com
Present USA phone: 1-812-416-1033
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