Visits with Family; Recalling Bro. Overbey’s Impact
Missionaries John Mark and Judy Hatcher have been serving the Lord in Tournefeuille, France since 1999. They define their ministry as “disciple-making.”
March 1, 2017
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
Hope this finds you enjoying the Lord. What a blessing to be united with Christ for eternity. In the last couple of days we have been touched by the deaths of several friends. We sorrow, but not as those who have no hope.
Just this morning I received news that Edward Overbey is now at rest in the presence of Christ. He was my pastor for most of the years that I was in College. He had a very positive impact on my life in a number of ways. Among other things, he helped me have a more accurate exegesis. His gentle spirit was always a great encouragement to me. I also had the opportunity to serve with him as a director for Baptist Faith Missions and know personally his and Jackie’s passion for helping missionaries. Jackie, Martha, Grace and David, our hearts are with you and we ask God to comfort you.
At the beginning of February, Judy and I were with my parents for a couple of weeks. We thank God for the parents that He gave to both of us and we were very happy to be able to spend this time with them. During a few days of that time we also got to be with my sister Kathy who came to see our parents as well. We had a great visit. The Lord worked it out for us to tack on at a very low price a stop in Chicago on the way home. We had a wonderful though brief visit with our children, grandchildren and Peggy, Judy’s sister.
I was very blessed by the service at our church here in Tournefeuille this last Sunday. It is good to see God at work in the lives of His children. Contrary to what we had planned, Judy did not return with me to France. Just hours before leaving we received the news that Peggy has a serious health situation so Judy rented a car and drove to Evansville to be with her sister. Please, pray for Peggy and Judy during this difficult time.
Thank you for your faithful support. May God bless you and meet your needs.
In Christ in France,
John
John and Judy Hatcher
4, rue d’Aspin
31170 Tournefeuille, France
JMHatcher[at]aol.com
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God’s Children Living Love
Missionaries John Mark and Judy Hatcher have been serving the Lord in Tournefeuille, France since 1999. They define their ministry as “disciple-making.”
January 28, 2017
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
I am writing this letter ahead of time because very early Monday morning Judy and I will be heading to Florida to spend a couple of weeks with my parents, John and Alta Hatcher. They will both be turning 92 years old this year. Judy and I are very thankful for the parents that God gave to us. They led us to the Lord, discipled us and were excellent examples of serving the Lord faithfully. Our Heavenly Father has blessed us beyond our imagination.
Before sharing a little news from here, I wanted to mention how blessed I was to read the Hensley’s letter which told about hosting the French Bikers for Thanksgiving Dinner and overnight “camping”. Who knows how God will use this in their lives. Half of French people proclaim to be atheist. Atheists are not brought to Christ by arguing with them. You must start by letting “your light so shine … that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” God has chosen to use the example of His children living love to draw unbelievers to Himself Who “so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son”. When they are amazed by our love they will listen to the gospel. This is true in America as it is in France and around the world.
Judy is known in our neighborhood as the lady that delivers blueberry muffins to new arrivals. In the middle of last year, a new family moved into our neighborhood and Judy made her “delivery”. The husband let us know that they loved them. The lady was expecting their third child and one day as she was out walking she stopped to say “hi” as I was trimming the hedges. I stopped and invited her in to visit with Judy and me. She came in and we had an excellent “get acquainted” visit. When she gave birth, Judy took a gift to them for the baby and had a good visit with the mother. The mother let Judy know that I could come and see the baby, too. A few days later she saw Judy and me arriving home and invited us over for coffee.
During this coffee visit I asked her about her beliefs. She nicely said that she did not believe in God. I asked her if she had ever read the Bible. She said, “No, but I like the stories from the roots of religions.” Today I took her a copy of a book which is a compilation of the exact text of all of the major Bible events. It begins with Genesis and goes through the New Heavens and New Earth in the Revelation including the Gospels. She was very appreciative and we pray the she will come to faith through the Word. She offered to water indoor plants while we were gone, so I gave her the keys to the house. We have found that when you trust them, they open the doors of their houses and hearts to us.
Part of the group that meets at Bible studies in the Arriège department south of the Hatchers.
Things have been busy around here. Besides getting ready for tomorrow’s church gathering and traveling we also hosted the regular men’s prayer breakfast here this morning. As I write this on Saturday evening, Judy should be on her way home from a ladies’ gathering.
I will close by telling a bit about the picture I am including. It is part of the group that meets at Bible studies in the Arriège department south of us. As I mentioned in one of my recent letters, three different people are now hosting these meetings in their homes. Judy took this picture after our last meeting. The lady third from the right is a believer who hosts us in her home which is the background. The young man on the right is her husband who is an atheist. However, he always visits with us before and after the meetings in their home and I suspect that he listens to the Bible study from the other room.
Until next month from France,
John and Judy Hatcher
John and Judy Hatcher
4, rue d’Aspin
31170 Tournefeuille, France
JMHatcher[at]aol.com
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Encouraging Services, Ministry to Shut-Ins
Missionaries John Mark and Judy Hatcher have been serving the Lord in Tournefeuille, France since 1999. They define their ministry as “disciple-making.”
January 2, 2017
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
Today is a typical gray winter day in Tournefeuille, but beyond the clouds I know the sun is shining. That is often the way it is in our daily lives. We may be surrounded by circumstances that may be dark, but “the Sun of righteousness” has arisen “with healing in His wings” and He is above all.
I have been particularly encouraged by the services of our church the past two Sundays. Since these Sundays were on holidays we decided to have the service at 4pm followed by a time of snacking and fellowship. In our informal time of sharing, the spiritual growth of some was evident. Two of the Sunday services during the month of December were led by men in the church besides Philip and me. Our goal is to make disciples and to commit God’s word to “faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also.”
On Christmas Day part of the worship time was a musical presentation by our children and young people. It was thrilling to watch and to have unsaved visitors here to hear the gospel because their grandchildren were singing. The young people were repeating for us a special program they had done earlier in the month for senior citizens at a meeting sponsored by the city of L’Union.
How this came about is in itself a blessing. Paulette, the oldest member of our congregation lives in the city of L’Union. About a year ago she decided to become a volunteer for the city government and a non-profit organization whose goals are to contact older people who are shut in. Though Paulette’s health itself is not the best, she has been faithful in this new endeavor and as a result has had the opportunity to talk about her faith to the shut ins. She has also had many opportunities to talk about Christ with other volunteers with whom she makes the visits. She organized this special Christmas party where testimony for Christ could be given.
Thank you for your prayers and support. May God bless each of you as you begin this New Calendar year and let us all remember to use our time on earth to invest into eternity.
In France,
John and Judy
John and Judy Hatcher
4, rue d’Aspin
31170 Tournefeuille, France
JMHatcher[at]aol.com
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New Video from France!
A new video with information about John Mark & Judy Hatcher’s ministry in France is available on our YouTube channel.
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How God Has Blessed 2016
Missionaries John Mark and Judy Hatcher have been serving the Lord in Tournefeuille, France since 1999. They define their ministry as “disciple-making.”
November 28, 2016
The Hatcher Family
God has added people in the meetings that we have in the Department of Ariege south of us and those involved seem to have a renewed interest and are participating actively. We now meet on a rotating basis in four different homes in three different towns of this department. The meetings in this area started years ago when Judy and I started driving weekly to the city of Mazere to have Bible studies with Douceline. This young lady was a believer who had moved there to take a new job. She was very discouraged. There were no churches less than about 50 miles from her. She has now become a very effective missionary in this region. Her grandmother, an atheist until the end of her earthly life, as far as we know, died last week at the age of 95.
John and Judy Hatcher
4, rue d’Aspin
31170 Tournefeuille, France
JMHatcher[at]aol.com
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Encouraging Month of Events in France
Missionaries John Mark and Judy Hatcher have been serving the Lord in Tournefeuille, France since 1999. They define their ministry as “disciple-making.”
November 6, 2016
Dear Partners in the service of the Lord,
The month has seemed to pass so quickly. Sitting near bedtime after a wonderful Sunday I remembered that I was overdue on sending you news of how things have been going here.
The events of this month have been very encouraging to us. Earlier in the month we had Vacation Bible School and most of the teaching was done by those who years ago participated as children. They have trusted the Lord and have a good knowledge of His Word as a result of daily Bible reading, good teaching and mentoring. It is great to see the commitment and development of these young people.
Our youth meeting this past week was again well attended with 16 young people. A couple of these were here for the first time. The interest of teens who keep coming and show an interest in the Bible studies causes us to rejoice. Two young ladies who have been attending the youth meetings for some time were in church for the first time this morning. One is from a Muslim family and the other from a family that has no religious practice.
We are very encouraged by what is taking place in the Bible Study centered in Mazere. This Bible Study is now meeting on a rotating basis in 4 different homes and the folks in this area are really stepping up to the plate. There are more participants and the interest is very good. Seeing believers grow up and reach out to others is very encouraging.
There are a number of other ways that we see God at work in the lives of His children and seeing how He has answered our prayers is very encouraging. Our church has meetings in 8 different cities now. However, there are still many all around us who need Christ. Please pray with us that God will give them a hunger for Christ and that they will respond to the Good News of Jesus Christ.
There are scores of cities within an hour’s driving distance of us that have no Gospel witness of any kind; no church of any kind that gives even the most rudimentary presentation of salvation in Jesus Christ. Please ask God to open doors, to raise up messengers of the Good News, and to enable us to effectively present Jesus Christ.
Thank you for your faithful support.
From France,
John and Judy Hatcher
John and Judy Hatcher
4, rue d’Aspin
31170 Tournefeuille, France
JMHatcher[at]aol.com
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Packed House! Ministering through Youth Meetings, English Nights, & More
Missionaries John Mark and Judy Hatcher have been serving the Lord in Tournefeuille, France since 1999. They define their ministry as “disciple-making.”
October 3, 2016
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
In many ways the past month seems to have gone by very quickly. It has been an encouraging month. Yesterday, we had a packed out house and were glad that we had purchased additional folding chairs a couple of weeks ago. On Saturday night, there were 18 young people at the youth meeting and some who wanted to come were not unable to do so. The topic for the meeting was the injustice in the world and in us and how Jesus Christ is just and justifier of those who believe.
At the same time as the youth meeting was going on, Judy was across the Metropolitan Area of Toulouse assisting Wendy with English night. Wendy has been doing this effectively for many years now. It is open to all who would like to attend and work on improving their English communication skills. This is very important to those who want to advance in jobs. They share a meal, watch an English video and then discuss the content. The purpose is to share the good news of Jesus Christ.
In these two meetings taking place on the same night, there were people from middle school to middle age (older if you count Judy and me) representing many different orientations in life. A few are believers and want their friends to know Christ. People come to the meetings because they feel loved and welcomed. Some who used to come with friends come of their own initiative and invite others. We want to love others as Christ loved us and gave Himself for us. Thank you for helping us be ambassadors for Christ here.
Nearly all who come to Christ are touched first by encounter outside of church meetings. The church meetings have as their primary purpose helping God’s children learn and put into practice what Jesus has taught us.
Last week we had the privilege of dinner with Joachim who was in town briefly for a job-related activity. He was the first person baptized here. He and his family are now actively serving the Lord near Hamburg, Germany. Thirteen years ago Judy, Amanda and I were at a city park and Amanda met a young mother from former East Germany. Amanda cultivated a friendship with this lady who desperately needed encouraging friends and that led to Amanda meeting Angela. Angela had recently become a Christian before moving to France. God brought them to us when we were praying for a person who could translate from French to German. God answered our prayers and along with Angela brought Joachim into our lives. He was friendly, intrigued by Angela’s belief, but not particularly interested himself. For a couple of years, they met with Philip and Amanda to study the Bible. This is a very short version of how God brought Joachim to Himself.
We were also surprised to see Samuel show up Sunday. He is now active in a church in Paris where he now lives. About three years ago he began studying the Bible with me. A year later he trusted Christ and then publicly professed his faith in baptism.
It is always a thrill to see those to whom God has allowed us to be light and salt following Him. So, we continue to ask God to keep our eyes open as we walk. We ask God to help us seek those who are lost. We continue the Bible studies and prayer meetings with believers and seek ways to help them put into practice the life to which Christ has called all of us. There are believers hosting Bible studies, prayer meetings and serving in various ways in their surroundings and God is giving Life through His Son!
Thank you for helping us be a light here. May God help you be a light where you are.
In France for Christ,
John and Judy Hatcher
John and Judy Hatcher
4, rue d’Aspin
31170 Tournefeuille, France
JMHatcher[at]aol.com
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Rotating Bible Studies in Mazere, Sowing in Hope
Missionaries John Mark and Judy Hatcher have been serving the Lord in Tournefeuille, France since 1999. They define their ministry as “disciple-making.”
September 7, 2016
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
I hope this finds you well and enjoying the Lord’s faithfulness. It just dawned on me that I have not written a letter this month to update you on what God is doing here. I have been affected a bit by sciatica the last couple of months and it is difficult to type at the computer. So, I have gotten out of my regular routines. This is not all bad. God uses all things for His glory! Thank each of you for the regularity of your giving and praying for us. Each of you is also living life in a physical body on a fallen earth and it is not always “a piece of cake”. We really do appreciate your faithfulness and pray for you.
One of the things that I can do is walk. So, I walk and walk. Besides keeping me in shape it also opens up doors of opportunity. During the past few days I have had a number of good conversations about spiritual matters and about what we are doing here. These have been with people that we know and whose path I crossed as I walked or new people that God has brought into our lives.
During the month of August we have had unusually well attended meetings. Normally at this time of the year many are on vacation, but this year seems to have been different and we have had excellent services and Bible studies.
Normally we do not have youth outreach meeting in August because there are few young people at home. However, our granddaughters were in contact with many of their friends who were already back home so Philip and Amanda decided to host an “early” youth meeting. We were all thrilled by the 14 young people who came and participated. About half of these are unsaved and from homes where there are no Christians.
This Bible Study in Mazere started around 2004 when John & Judy started driving down about an hour from their home to have weekly Bible Study with Douceline.
In addition to this Bible Study, Douceline also now leads two evangelistic Bible Studies with other ladies.
I am enclosing a couple of pictures of the Bible Study last night at Mazere which is about an hour south of us. You will see that we are eating. Douceline, the young lady in whose home this outreach started turned 43 yesterday. In the last couple of years some of the folks who were invited by Douceline asked if they could host it in their homes. So, this Bible study now rotates among 4 homes. You might find this strange, but it actually is a blessing. When members of the group host, they take “ownership”. They are more likely to invite their friends to their home. This study first started about a dozen years ago when Judy and I started driving down weekly to have a Bible study with Douceline, a believer who had just moved from our area to a job in Mazere, who knew no other believers in the area and was very discouraged. In addition to this Bible study, this single lady now leads two evangelistic Bible studies with other ladies.
There are multitudes who need Christ so we just keep sowing; asking God for wisdom to do so effectively. Our church in Tournefeuille is now reaching out to 7 other communities. This is not much when you consider the fact that there are about 35,000 communities in France that need the Gospel. We sow in hope and God produces!
May the Lord richly bless you,
John and Judy
John and Judy Hatcher
4, rue d’Aspin
31170 Tournefeuille, France
JMHatcher[at]aol.com
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