Continued Open Doors with Unbelievers
February 5, 2022
Dear Fellow Servants of Christ,
We thank God that you are a part of our team as we seek to communicate the Good News of Jesus Christ and make disciples here in France. Many in our assembly are touched by Covid and other medical issues but our Lord and Savior is not stymied by the apparent problems of this fallen world.
Three months ago, we mentioned in our letter to you the beginning of English conversation meetings. One of the participants, N—–, is a lady that we met in our daily trekking. Last week she was the only one able to be present as the others had conflicting obligations. It was God’s appointment for her to hear the Gospel. On the Catholic calendar it was the day celebrating the presentation of Jesus at the Temple. Judy mentioned this and it opened the door for which we had been praying.
This lady came from a typical non-religious French family in Brittany. However, they sent her to a Catholic school because of the higher quality education. The religious teaching convinced her that there is a God and she became a practicing Catholic. She is frustrated that her daughter has not had her children baptized. This opened the door to talk about our Savior and the difference between religion and faith. We showed her the Sunday School room and the invited her to participate in Bible studies.
About a month ago we received a phone call “out of the blue”. It was Mireille, who along with her husband, Jean-Luc, moved into our neighborhood when we had only been here a few years. If you have been supporting us for a long time you may remember that early on she announced that she was and always had been an atheist. We had conversations with them nearly every day. About 8 years after we met them she excitedly announced that she now believed that there is a God and that He had worked personally in her life.
Then, due to job changes, they moved to a neighboring city. Two or three years later we were invited to Jean-Luc’s retirement and they moved hundreds of miles away to work as hosts at a vineyard reception Chateau where marriages and events are held. Judy had some contact with Mireille through the internet, and then this unexpected call. They have moved to a town about 50 miles from us and are anxious to host us for a meal. It was to be last week but had to be canceled because of Covid in their family.
So, the doors continue to open and we seek to walk through them to make disciples for Christ.
Thank you for your prayers,
John and Judy
Youth Meeting in France 
Youth Meeting in France
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.
Read more
News & Reports – February 2022
The Online Edition of the February 2022 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.
*Remember you can click on any headline to view the post/story on our website.
Read more
Save the Date! BFM Spring Missions Conference 2022
We hope you will make plans to join us for the BFM Spring Conference!
Friday, April 1 – Saturday, April 2, 2022
Grace Baptist Church of Fairborn, Ohio
2920 Beaver Valley Road | Fairborn, OH 45324
Pastor Mark Pyles | Cell: (304) 545-0603 | pastormark@gbcfairborn.com
The Spring Conference on April 1-2 at Grace Baptist Church in Fairborn, Ohio will begin at 6:30 PM on Friday and will end around 3:00 PM on Saturday. Speakers will be Harold Draper, John Patterson, Philip Dubarry, Steve Wainright and Bruce Winner.
We will be zooming with 3 missionaries during the conference. We will also be video recording all messages and posting them on our web site, BFMNow.org. The topic will be “Obstacles to the Gospel in our Day”. We will be hearing about the commitment to gospel purity and how to deal with the obstacles of CRT/Wokeism, the Big Tech cancel culture, false teaching in the church, and COVID with its vaccine and mask mandates.
Lunch will be provided by Grace Baptist on Saturday.
We recommend the following reasonably priced hotels in the area:
Clarion Inn | 2500 Paramount Place, Fairborn, OH 45324 | (937) 427-0800
Hampton Inn | 2550 Paramount Place, Fairborn, OH 45324 | (937) 429-5505
Comfort Inn and Suites (closest) | 730 East Xenia Drive, Fairborn, OH 45324 | (937) 754-9109
Read more
BFM National Conferences Outreach
An Update from Pastor George Sledd
“Sheridan Stanton and I represented BFM at the annual 2022 Founders Conference in Fort Myers, FL over January 20-23. It was a great time of fellowship and hearing the Word of God. We were able to distribute nearly 100 BFM books/outreach handouts to those who came by our display booth. We are hoping that God will lead other pastors and churches to come on board to partner and help us with missions.”
Thank you to those who have given and to those who are giving to help with the expenses for these outreach efforts!
Read more
Appeal from Odali & Kathy Barros for Foz de Iguaçu Church Building
We are asking for help for help for a ministry in Paraná where Pastor John Hatcher lived last. The ministry in the city of Foz de Iguaçu was started by us. Pastor Edson was saved under Brother John’s ministry. They have been in the city for over 10 years. Now the Pastor that is helping all the churches that Brother John and we started is Pastor Gilberto. The church in Foz de Iguaçu wants to build a church building. They are already paying for the lots, and they need help for the building. Any help will be appreciated. You can help by making designated offerings to us [Odali & Kathy Barros] and designating them for “Foz de Iguaçu Building.”
Pastor Edson preaching in the Foz de Iguaçu church that wants to build. 
Pastor Gilberto 
This is the Foz de Iguaçu church who wants to build. 
This is the plan of the building the Foz de Iguaçu church wants to build. 
This is the lot the Foz de Iguaçu church is paying for to build on. 
This is Pastor Edson. He is leading the Foz de Iguaçu church who wants to build.
Read more
Ministry & Leadership Training Continues; Health & Family Updates
January 29, 2022
Thank you for your faithful prayers and generosity.
Family
Thank you for praying for our family. I am currently undergoing radiation treatment five times a week. Laura is adjusting to her cochlear implant. The device was activated three weeks ago. Hearing again does not come automatically, it will take almost a year for her to gain maximum hearing through the implant. She wears it every day at school as part of the initial process of learning to hear again. Her first hearing therapy this week provided a glimpse of her progress. There is still a lot of work, as the learning curve for the brain to adjust to the implant is a lengthy development. As she adjusts to the new hearing process the cochlear implant must also receive fine tuning. This fine tuning requires the audiologist and the cochlear implant technician to work in conjunction with Laura to customize the programing based on her monthly hearing progress. We are praising the Lord for each positive step as she regains hearing from her left ear.
Regarding my cancer care, a PETscan in mid-February will provide us with the current status of the cancer. Chemotherapy is completed and now I go in for radiation sessions five times a week. At this point, the main side effect is fatigue. I keep a healthy dietary plan along with a consistent workout regimen at the gym with my son Benjamin. He is a great workout partner, and his avid participation is an encouragement to maintain our exercise routine. The cold winter makes it hard to get out in the early mornings, especially when it is snowing. I have glided on the ice a few times on the way to and from the clinic, but the Lord has provided safety on the roads.
Our oldest, Sarah, recently received her drivers permit and just this week began her first job working at Culver’s restaurant. Melissa (10 years old) has maximized her time in the snow. There are several kids in the neighborhood that enjoy playing in the snow with her. She is having the time of her life every time she goes outside. Raquel has participated in several conferences and training seminars over the last several months and acquired a new counseling technique called EMDR, which is a tool that allows past traumas to be processed with new insights. This season in the States has been full of first-time experiences and wonderful opportunities for our family. We praise the Lord for each one.
Ministry
Jonatas and Charis are currently in the States as part of their mentoring and exposure trip. They have invested time in West Palm Beach with our dear friend Todd Thomas who serves at Family Church (First Baptist Church WPB) at the Sherbrook campus. While in Lynchburg, VA they stayed with our dear friends Scott and Cindy Phillips, and connected with folks at Living Word Baptist Church. They also attended classes at Liberty University in the Pastoral Leadership program of the School of Divinity, under the leadership of my beloved mentor, Dave Adams. Jonatas and Charis also had quality time with Scott Bullman, Matt Wilmington, Tim Grandstaff, Russ Dean and Doug Randlett at Thomas Road Baptist Church. This next Monday they arrive in Chicago and will remain with us for one week prior to their return to Brazil. This time with us will also be filled with mentorship and learning opportunities at Wheaton College and Moody Bible Institute. Please, continue to pray and to financially contribute as we make concerted training efforts in training leaders.
The ministry in São Paulo is regaining momentum as COVID tensions cause less disruption. Pastor Helder´s wife, Renatha, lost her father this last month and will be greatly missed by all who knew him. Please, pray for the family as they mourn his loss.
Again, thank you for your solid commitment to prayer and for your generous giving through Baptist Faith Missions.
Grateful,
Jud Hatcher
Contact Info:
Jud & Raquel Hatcher
São Paulo, Brazil
judsonhatcher@gmail.com
(872) 400-6522
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
Blessings in the Battles
January 25, 2022
Dear Friends,
Life is a battle! It isn’t ONLY a battle, but it is a battle. We thank the Lord that we are “more than conquerors through him that loves us.” Throughout 2020, the first year of COVID-19 in the USA and in Brazil, people commented on how bad of a year it was, anxiously waiting for 2021 to arrive. During that same year, our ministries and our personal lives were greatly challenged, yet we saw some of the biggest increases we’d ever experienced. Jesus was Lord in that year! Then, 2021 rolled in and the battles continued. We nearly lost our daughter to COVID, we did lose some church members and we had to adapt our ministries in ways that required extra funding while several of our members were out of work or income. The Lord still blessed, and the congregation grew, and more people were baptized, and we were blessed with the gift of an outreach ministry that only came about BECAUSE of COVID. The battles have been real and not pleasant at all, but through them all, Jesus continued to be our Captain and Lord.
This all brings me to the beginning of 2022. It has begun with more battles. At our first Missionary Training Seminar we were hosting volunteer missionaries from several states for two weeks of evangelistic outreach. The first week of Bible study went without a hitch. Then we proceeded to travel with them into the interior of two states to share the gospel publicly in parks and squares. In just a short time more than half of the team developed symptoms of COVID and the trip had to be aborted. Several of the leaders and volunteers are in isolation, even as I write. Charlene and I both contracted COVID for the second time, but by the grace of God, we have fully recovered. We don’t see these circumstances as being signs of another “bad year.” Rather, we see them as proofs that Jesus’ words that, “in this world, ye shall have tribulation” are true. But we also firmly believe that the rest of that sentence He spoke is true as well, “but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.” We know we are in good hands. I can’t honestly say, “Bring on the battles,” without trepidation, but I can say that I know for certain that the Lord will be with us no matter what troubles come our way and I joyfully look forward to the victories that will be ours in Christ Jesus.
Oh, and by the way, we are dealing with the issue of not having enough space for the increase in attendance at our services and we have baptized more new converts in the last several months than in any other equal period in our 36 years of ministry. The Lord is so faithful to keep His promises! We love Him and praise Him.
Thank you who pray faithfully for us, and you who give so that we may be here to serve. We know that you are co-laborers with us in what the Lord is doing here in southern Brazil.
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
Read more
Training Church Leaders, Fruit of A&O
January 20, 2022
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
We pray and hope that all you are doing well. We are doing well thanks to our wonderful Lord. I have been ill with cold symptoms but thank God I’m feeling better.
The virus problems seem to be increasing some so we are having the care we need to have. But we still are having services.
On Sunday we are doing training for church leaders and for music and children’s classes. We are having services in homes since everyone lives far away from church and many people do not have a car. So, we want to prepare more leaders to be able to have services in more places.
We had a wonderful time in Garça at the Alpha and Omega Home. There are several who were from the home who are married and live there. The fellowship was fantastic and a blessing. We also went and visited one of the young men that lived in the home and today he is a mayor of the city he came from.
One of the things that we need is to get a van that can carry more people than our truck and safer and that can go into the villages easier than our bus.
We want to thank each of you for your prayers and support! God bless each one of you!
Love in Christ,
Odali and Kathy
This young man is the one of the first kids Odali & Kathy Barros brought into their home. Today he is a minister of music, a lawyer, and takes care of all the Alpha & Omega things. 
We hope and pray with them that God will also use this young teen they have taken into their home now. 
This man was also at the A&O Home, now he is mayor of a city near Garça. 
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.
Read more
