Surprising Connections, Lasting Fruit: God at Work in Mazère
August 16, 2025
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
It is always good to have unexpected, good surprises. This was the case at the Mazère Bible study three days ago. We expected the attendance at this meeting to be low because we knew of some who were away from their homes and because a major storm hit us on the road on the way to Mazère. About the time we arrived at the home of Jean-Daniel and Jacqueline news came through another participant that Florian, the young man I mentioned getting baptized in my last letter, was going to be a bit late. However, when he arrived just a few minutes late, he was accompanied by his mother and his girlfriend.
His mother had come from her home in the Island of Reunion to attend his baptism and had met several members of the study. The girlfriend showed a great interest in the Bible Study. Afterwards, I asked her about her spiritual life, and she excitedly explained how she was thrilled to have understood and trusted Jesus Christ as her Savior three years ago. She expressed to another lady in the study how much she enjoyed it and then sent a message to the group indicating how wonderful she thought the meeting was and thanking everyone for the good reception she received. She is from Dunkirk (far north of us) and has only lived in our region for about a year. She met Florian on a hike with mutual friends. This is the way it works. Every day we have encounters. Often these encounters lead to spiritual life and fellowship.
The day before the above-mentioned study, one of the participants contacted me about her son coming to youth meetings at our home. He moved to our area for university several years ago. When he was just a boy, his mother brought him to children’s classes taught by Judy during the Mazère meetings. Patricia, the mother, trusted Christ several years ago as she had regular Bible studies with Douceline, the young lady who hosted the meetings for many years. Patricia met Douceline at the library and museum where she works. Patricia is relatively quiet, but passionate about her faith in Christ.
Disciples of Jesus bringing others to their Savior.
What a blessing to be a branch of the vine, Jesus!
Your brother and sister in France,
John and Judy
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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News & Reports – August 2025
The Online Edition of the August 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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From Graduation to Greater Vision: God’s Work in Paraná and Beyond
August 7, 2025
Dear friends and family,
This has been another busy month planning for the graduation and the Pastors’ Conference we are going to be doing in Paraná, Brazil. The graduation has grown from nine to fifteen. How AWESOME is the God we serve!!!! And another blessing is there are 40 pastors already signed up to participate in the conference.
With this class that is graduating in September, there are nine Pastors receiving their Masters of Arts Degree in Pastoral Ministries and the other six will be receiving their Masters of Arts Degree in Biblical Studies.
The new program we are starting to use (experiment with) is proving to be a great addition for the Seminary. Changing times, changing methods—but the message remains the same! Our translators are, however, being used even more now as their duties are also occasionally to monitor the classes. Sometimes the Biblical terminology is difficult to translate, and since they are all live, we do not have time to lose in searching for an easier translation; there needs to be a more ready translation for them. So, this new program is that ready translation.
Speaking of speed, I think about the end times, how everything is faster (communication, travel, etc.), and that helps me to be more focused on the Seminary giving pastors more tools to help them reach the people effectively, which is needed as never before.
As we are talking about reaching more—out of the September class, we have four of the pastors who have signed up for our Doctoral program. Again, AWESOME!!!!!!! That brings it to 10 Pastors in the Doctoral program!!! That has almost doubled!!!
Now I could use a lot of prayers because I will be giving the challenge to the September graduating class. That seems like an honor, but I am a little bit ANXIOUS. So take me to the Lord in your prayers at this time please.
While on the topic of prayer, our family in Brazil needs lots of prayer. Our daughter Mary is having lots of problems with the pressure in her eyes. Our younger granddaughter Ashley—the problems she had a couple of years with intolerance of MANY foods has returned in a different twist. Our oldest granddaughter Chelsea is on heart meds and is now having eye problems like her mother. So, when it is family, it makes praying even more important. So, thanks to all for your prayer support. Keep praying for BFM, the contributors, our professor Dr. Edge in Texas as he just lost his wife to cancer, Bluegrass Baptist Seminary, our health, and our upcoming travels.
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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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.
Read more
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.
Read more
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
Read more
