News & Reports – August 2021
The Online Edition of the August 2021 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.
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Numbering Our Days
August 2, 2021
Dear praying friends,
Another month has come and gone, and we are now heading to the end of summer and school is almost starting up again. Where has the time gone? The summer months are definitely busy, and time passes so quickly. May we make the best use of the time that God gives each each day, as we will never get time back once it is gone. Time is truly a gift from God. Psalm 90:12 says “So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.” Amen.
Please continue to pray for Kenya and the struggles of coronavirus. Our understanding is that public gatherings and meetings have been closed for the past several weeks, and this is likely to continue if the coronavirus cases continue to rise. Neighboring Uganda has also been hit with the coronavirus, and much of Africa. It seems just like when things start to get better, then cases start to break out again and many things are either locked down or shut down.
We know that God is in control of all these things and we trust Him during these challenging times. I like the statement “I don’t know what the future holds, but I know Who holds the future.” May we trust God during these difficult times, all over the world. This pandemic has really stretched our faith and taught us to trust God more. God frequently tests our faith to see if we will falter or trust Him during the uncertainties of life. May we trust Him more than ever before.
Please pray for me (Nathan) as I am continuing to travel and report during our time of furlough. I am thankful that our vehicle has done well throughout all the traveling and I would ask that you would pray it would do well throughout the duration of my time reporting in the States. So many of you have been so kind, friendly, inquired about the ministry, etc.
This means so much to us. We truly do appreciate each of you and God will bless you for your heart for missions. I am reminded of Isaiah 6:8, which says “Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me.” We thank each of you for your mindfulness of missions, either by praying, sacrificially giving, or going personally to see what God is doing all around the world.
Please continue to pray for my wife as she is educating our daughters. She does a great job at homeschooling and has her degree in education. She is an excellent teacher but there are certainly more challenges in the coming years as high school is approaching. Please pray for her for wisdom, guidance, and direction as she does the best she can to educate our daughters. I am truly blessed to have a wife who has served faithfully in Kenya alongside me. She is truly a blessing and helpmeet.
We will be sure to keep you updated. Until next month, may God bless you all.
Nathan and Carrie Radford
Contact Info:
Nathan and Carrie Radford
naterad[at]yahoo.com
Furlough Address
1126 Smith Street
Milton, WV 25541
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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God is Still Changing Lives!
July 21, 2021
Greetings to all of our supporters and prayer partners! We hope and pray that each of you are doing great and are blessed! Thank God we are doing great. Things here are doing well and are more and more getting back to normal.
The church activities are getting back, too. More and more people are coming. There is a project near the church I pastor that works with men with addictions. Since the church isn’t using the bus, we have we have let the project use the bus. They bring around 40 men on Sunday night. Several have made professions of faith. Also, we have had other visitors and several of them have accepted Christ as Savior also. What a blessing!
We have 4 men working with us who finished the treatment and the project. Pray that they will continue to be encouraged to stay firm and have strength. One of them has two daughters. He got so deep into the drugs that he lived on the streets and lost his family. He is now working on his father-daughter relationship. We let him bring his daughters here to spend some time with him. It was a great time.
Daughters of the recovering drug addict 
Friday Night Service 
Men from “Project Life” singing 
Men from “Project Life” 
Service in Cacau
Also the services we had in homes on Friday night are back. We want to expand the areas where we have the services to reach more people. There are so many little communities in the area. Also so many of the people do not have transportation, so having these services is a great way to reach more people.
The water in the area where it was flooded is going down—almost down to where getting around is easier.
If you are looking for a specific project, we have small and large projects—from buying a lot to build a church in a new subdivision with no church, to a well for portable water in these communities!
We want to thank all of you for your prayers and support. May God bless each of you!
In Christ,
Odali and Kathy
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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A Visit to Caraguatatuba
July 22, 2021
Dear friends and family,
It has been totally AWESOME to have been in Brazil and then good to have come back to the States. Brazil is about where the United States was about 9 months ago with the COVID virus. Our travel was restricted, but while there, we found the enforcement was loosely applied.
The Church services were observing social distancing and using masks. It was a pleasure to get to preach in all services and to also visit other Churches to tell about the Seminary. Also was able to preach in those other Churches (while using no mask).
The COVID in Brasil is limiting the in-person classes and it is also limiting the classes financially as the Pastors are unable to work their second job and that limits their income.
While we were in Caraguatatuba, we were able to visit the widow that helped us as we began the last Church plant. It was on the very porch that this picture was taken that we had the first services. We remained there until we were able to rent a building. We were also able to talk with some more people that are interested in the Seminary classes. We are looking at holding these classes in the Hotel where we have held Pastors conferences in years past. The owner of the Hotel has always worked with us when we have asked for his help. He has also attended our classes in years past.
We have not let this COVID stop us from teaching the classes. We have used the same methods that many pastors here in the States have used: the internet. We have had 4 zoom classes but the pastors are chomping at the bit to get back to the face-to-face classes. Pray for the upcoming classes and the people who will be impacted by these classes. In everything we do, we see the AWESOME hand of God.
Thank you in advance for your continued prayers for the Pastors and others that will be continuing their learning about our Savior and how to spread the GOOD news about our returning Savior.
Continue praying for our granddaughters Chelsea and Ashley as they are going through some serious health problems. Also pray for their parents as they search for the right doctors to treat them.
Thank you for your continued support for us in prayer and financially. Thank you to Baptist Faith Missions for believing in us and for always giving us the added backing to continue the good fight.
In His service,
Aj and Barbara
CONTACT INFO
AJ & Barbara Hensley
592 Emery Court
Lexington, KY 40505
AJ: 859-539-2302 | Barbara: 859-539-1424
ajcaragua@gmail.com
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Back in the States!
Jud and Raquel Hatcher are third generation missionaries serving the Lord in São Paulo, Brazil. They are part of the “SeedFactory” church planting initiative, which is a movement to plant churches in all 26 Brazilian capitals. Since 2006, 43 churches have been started in 5 states.
July 21, 2021
Hello friends!
WE ARE BACK IN AMERICA! Yes, we were due back a year ago, but COVID kept us from coming. We arrived in Florida on June 18th and got our vaccines. We will settle in Wheaton, IL for the kids´ academic school year. Our one-year Stateside assignment/furlough will last until July 2022. We desire to visit your family and/or church. If you’d like for us to come visit, please reach out to me. My cellphone is (872) 400-6522, and my email is judsonhatcher@gmail.com. We’d love to catch up with you! And, as they say on TV, “call us today!” Pun aside, we want to invest time with you and personally share what the Lord has done over the last 5 years. Yes, it has been five years since we last were in the States and we want to catch up and take pictures with you.
During our first month in the US, we enjoyed quality time at my parents’ home in Florida. It is a blessing to our four kids (and us) to have time with their Grandparents Paul & Wanda Hatcher and with their Great Grandpa John Hatcher. The Lord also allowed us to visit a few of our supporting churches and friends. For 4th of July weekend, my sister Michelle and her family came from Georgia, and we had a great time together. Sarah, Laura, Benjamin and Melissa were invited by our dear friend Todd Thomas to attend Family Church´s student camp at Lake Placid. The spiritual impact on their lives was tremendous. This last Monday our beloved friends Jason & Nikki Estes took us to Busch Gardens – Tampa Bay. The following day, we celebrated our daughter Laura´s 15th birthday at her favorite restaurant, at a plaster painting workshop and ice-cream with Grandpa, Grandma and cousin Luke.
In the meantime, the ministry in Sâo Paulo is well taken care of. But, we also have Zoom conference calls and individual follow-ups with people, even while in the US. In a nutshell, during the last 5 years in São Paulo, the Lord allowed us to start and/or revitalize five churches and assist several orphaned children into foster care. We are grateful to serve the Lord in His Kingdom!
Always grateful,
Jud and Raquel 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.
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Seeing God’s Hand at Work in the Lives of Others
July 14, 2021
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
Today is Bastille Day in France. It is similar to the 4th of July in the USA. This celebrates the overthrow of the monarchy in France. At this moment all is quite and at 11 o’clock in the morning it is 61 degrees Fahrenheit. While the western part of America has had extreme heat this summer, we have had unusually cool and rainy weather here.
The Lord has blessed the church meetings during the past month. It is good to see God at work in the lives of the members. There have also been some special moments that exemplify God’s continual work in our lives and the opportunities that He gives us to be His witnesses where He has placed us.
Last Sunday we had a surprise contact with Amelia, the first lady to make a profession of faith here. She has lived south of Barcelona, Spain for quite a while and it had been about 10 years since we had last seen her. We enjoyed having her in our home for dinner and having a time of fellowship with her. I am including the a “selfie” she took with us on her way out.
Earlier this week, we were at our local grocery store when a young lady in store worker clothing ran up to us (all wearing masks) and excitedly told us how great it was to see us and how she wanted to spend time with us and tell us about what is happening in her life. This girl was a school mate of our oldest granddaughter, Abigail, and for many years came to youth meetings. Judy invited her for dinner this past week and she poured our her heart. She needs Christ and the Lord has reopened this door. Please pray for I..s and our witness to her. The Lord will know for whom you are praying.
Judy and I just finished listening to a recent message by Brian Nussmeier. He and his wife Sherri became a part of our congregation in Evansville in the late 70s three weeks after he had trusted the Lord in the state of Washington. He had just completed service in the Navy and God led them along with two very small children to the church in Evansville, his hometown. What a blessing it was to hear his message on discipleship to the church where he is now an elder.
Our Heavenly Father has and is good to us beyond our imagination. My reading this morning in Romans included chapter five where Paul tells of God pouring His love into our hearts. May it overflow to those who are so needy around us.
We are inexpressibly grateful to God for placing you in our lives!
From Tournefeuille, France,
Judy and John Hatcher
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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Riots and Risks: Is It Worth It?
Greetings in the name of Jesus Christ,
A few events that occurred over the last month have caused me to stop and once again think about my current situation here in the country of Kenya.
First, I was traveling home from a supply trip to Eldoret and I was passing through a town about 15 miles from our house. Up ahead I saw a van stopped in the middle of the road and was annoyed with the driver as I drove in the ditch to get around him. As soon as I got around him and back on the road I noticed why he had stopped. A hundred yards ahead the road was blocked. Old tires had been hauled up onto the road, the smoke of their burning ascending into the sky. Dozens of men were gathered around them, yelling, jumping, and shaking sticks and clubs. It was a riot of some kind and I knew immediately and instinctively that I should not be there (Don’t worry, I live through this ordeal). One of the first things you learn when you come to live in Kenya is to avoid mobs and riots at all costs. They can be very dangerous. So, I immediately got off the road and turned around. I was surrounded by people (friendly people, mind you, but nerve-wracking nonetheless) who told me I could not continue up that road because there was a riot. That seemed obvious. They told me about a side “road” I could take to get around the riot to the other side. I should have just turned around and gone back to Eldoret, even if I had to stay the night there. But I decided to take the side road. All seemed well at first and the side road looked like it was taking me around the riot and would eventually take me back to the main road which, indeed, it was doing. I was following another car ahead of me which seemed to know where it was going, so this gave me some confidence. After about ten minutes I was about 1/2 of a mile from merging back onto the main road when I saw up ahead that this side road was also blocked by men and tires (not burning). They stopped the car ahead of me and I saw there was no place to go. After talking with that driver for a minute they pulled back the tires and made a path for him to pass through. Then they came towards me and I cracked the window open so I could talk with them. As soon as they saw me they began yelling and jumping and screaming to the men on the road up ahead “FUNGA NJIA! FUNGA NJIA! FUNGA NJIA!” (Close the path, Close the path, Close the path!). I didn’t wait to find out what they had in store for me once the path was closed. I took off while the men up ahead scrambled to get the tires back across the road. I drove off the road and through a field to get around their roadblock, raced as fast as I could back to the main road, got on the main road, turned toward home and left the mob, yells and smoke behind. Exciting missionary life, right? Right!
The second thing that occurred happened right here in our own neighborhood where we live, within a half mile of our current house but only two doors down from our previous residence where we lived for 10 years. At only 8:30pm some men broke into a mission compound of some missionary friends of ours. Fortunately, this is only a mission station and no one actually lives there. Anyway, very early in the evening, certainly before everyone on the street was in bed asleep, the men broke into the compound, tied up the night guard and stole some things. Very unfortunately, before they left, they violently murdered the night guard. Dead men don’t talk. Exciting missionary life, right? Right!
A third incident did occur as well (that I don’t have space to report) that turned out to be completely harmless but made me extremely nervous at the time.
When these things occur I wonder if I’m sitting on a powder keg that could go off at any time. I re-evaluate what I’m doing here and whether I should be putting myself at risk. Then I remember that there are risks and dangers everywhere, both here and the US. That many of you often put yourselves at risk as well. And I remember how much this fallen world needs the gospel and needs the love and saving grace of Jesus. I remember the cross and that Jesus came to redeem us. I remember that I and the Kenyan people need to trust him, love him and serve him. And then I remember that this is where I need to be.
Blessings to you all,
Roger, Julie & Chloe
CONTACT INFO
Roger & Julie Tate
P.O. Box 96
Kitale, Kenya 30200
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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New Missionary & First Baptism Service of the Year
July 7, 2021
Dear Brethren,
Time flies when you are having fun. It has been a long time since I reported to you. For several months there wasn’t much positive to tell. For most of this year, it has been kinda rough. Things are improving a little though, so here goes.
After the last trip to the Moa the rivers went down quickly. Just as I was to go to the upper Juruá River the bottom dropped out and things opened up for us to start having public services again. For the first six weeks I put in a lot of long hours on the building and sermon/lesson prep. At first, we were having all the services streamed live until folks could get used to coming back to the in house services. Now we stream just the Sunday night service. Attendance has not yet gotten back to normal levels. However, we feel that things are looking pretty good, given the level of fear that so many people suffered. We have services on Wednesday, Sunday AM and Sunday PM. For the 2 months that we have been back there have been at least 300 people in every service.
We had our first baptism service of the year. There were 528 people present and 41 new members were baptized. Pastor Ezi baptized the adults, and I baptized the children. We also observed the Lord’s Supper.
Here is a little side story about this particular baptism. My granddaughter Kayla came to my office to talk to me. She had already requested baptism at church, but wanted to talk to me about her baptism. First she gave me a pretty good lesson on the doctrine of baptism. Not bad for an 8-year-old. Then she got down to talking to me about what she really wanted. She wanted to know if grandpa could “bapticize” her. Now I am not sure that I got the spelling right, but I got the meaning!
She is Crissy’s only girl. Later Andrew’s youngest came with the same request. So that is how I came to baptize (or “bapticize”) the 17 children, Kayla and Devin among them.
Last Saturday we had an activity here at the house. Occasionally we have what we call “Breakfast with the Pastors”. It is an opportunity for people to have some casual time with the 7 pastors. About 80 people showed up at 7:00AM. We spent a great couple of hours together. We had a surprise announcement during the gathering. One of our evangelists, who works at our chapel at Cruzeirinho, announced that he was going into full time mission work. His name is Jeverton. The pastor of the chapel and he had met with me 3 other times over the past few weeks to talk about the fields that are ready and waiting. He is going to be our itinerant missionary on the Juruá River from Ipixuna to the border. He will be checking in on all of our congregations and preaching the gospel house to house. Next, we need those other 2 missionaries, for those 2 other fields!
There have been one or more saved on all weekends since we started services again. Also, our youth (15-24) and Youth+ (25 and older) have started back. The nursery is also back. We are still not able to have our children’s programs, but hope to begin soon. The lockdown here has been severe, to say the least, but we are getting things back as soon as possible, trying not to have the authorities breathing down our necks. We still have whistle blowers reporting us all the time. We are doing our best at trying to be bold and wise at the same time.
Well, that is pretty much what is going on. Busy, tired and happy. Hope you are, too.
Thanks for all your prayers and support. God bless you as much as He has us.
In Christ,
Mike Creiglow
CONTACT INFO
Mike & Beverly Creiglow
Caixa Postal 24
69980 Cruzeiro do Sul, Acre
Brasil, SA
mdcreig@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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