New Boat for Itinerant Missionary
August 15, 2023
Dear Brethren,
Hello from perfect weather Cruzeiro do Sul. We just had a cold front come through. There were 3 days of rain and temperatures in the low 70’s. We had just come off a 30-day drought. Now the grass is green again and clear blue skies. So good to be home. Speaking of being home: Bev and I have been back for exactly one month.
The church has been taking advantage of my return and put me to work big time. I have been preaching or teaching at least 3 times a week. Sometimes more. Besides these messages in our regular services, I have also been in the studio recording videos and have visited one of our chapels, too. This month they asked me to prepare a series of lessons about some of the “One to another” texts. I singled out 8 in the book of Romans. Sunday morning, I taught about having the “same mind” from Romans 12:16. Each lesson is supposed to be 1 hour. Mine took an hour and a half. When I closed, they broke into applause. My hope is that they enjoyed the lesson. Of course, there is always the possibility that they were just glad I shut up!
Bev and I visited Cruzeirinho last Sunday night to help them celebrate the Brazilian Father’s Day. Although it was raining, they had a really good crowd, and one lady came back into fellowship after being away for 3 years.
This is church camp season. The preteens went to Camp Salém (our own 400 acre camp) three weekends ago. They had 55 kids. The next week was the men’s retreat. They had over 170. This past weekend was the youth group. Don’t know exactly how many went. I was up there yesterday, and I am sure they had well over 100.
The church bought a brand new aluminum boat and 23HP motor for our itinerant missionary Geverton. The boat and motor were unveiled in the church parking lot 2 Sundays ago. The boat will carry 12 people. He has been taking care of all the congregations and mission points between here and Porto Walter. His last trip covered Valparaiso, Nova Cintra, Valquiria, Profeta and Luzeiro.
Since my last letter our evangelists have been back to Gama and Ramal 7, plus Generoso on the Boa Fé River.
Besides all the meetings and work at church, I have been trying to squeeze in as much repair work as possible. It is unreal how many things broke down while I was away for 6 months. It seems like every day I find something else that needs to be fixed. I have started up some new building projects, too. Nothing major yet, but things are starting to get back into a rhythm.
My health has improved. I have lost 13lbs so far and am getting my exercise pretty regularly. The medical bills are still trickling in, but nothing big of late. Thanks to all who have prayed and given. 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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26 Mile Hike to Remote Tribe
August 11, 2023
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
We pray and hope that all are doing well and blessed by our Lord and Savior Jesus. We are doing well, thanks to God. We want to thank each one of you for your prayers and support. You are an important part of our ministry.
My trip with my son Zinho was wonderful. Quite an experience! Just to get to the tribe was very hard. We walked 43 kilometers (26.7 miles). But God was wonderful and gave us strength. The people of the tribe plan on making the path a little wider so they can use a 4-wheeler to help carry things to the tribe and when there are people sick, they can bring them to go to the city for help. We plan on helping them with that. One of the things needed is to buy 2 chainsaws to help them widen the path.
Now that I’m back, we will get back to working at the camp building and the work at the church building at Cacau. The Lord willing, we should be able to get more done since it is not raining as much.
We are planning on having a special day on the river fishing for the couples in the church. We are also planning a festival at the church. The Lord willing, all will go well and be a blessing and will be a way to reach out to those near us to share God’s love and His salvation.
Thanks for your prayers and support!
God bless each one of you!
Love 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.
Read more
Professions of Faith in Public Schools
August 11, 2023
Dear Friends,
Charlene and I returned from Brazil this week after 3 weeks of hosting two groups from 3 different churches from the USA, one from Florida and two from Virginia. The Lord blessed tremendously, and we shared the gospel in 8 public schools to 4,260 students and staff. There were over 200 people who professed Christ as their Lord and Savior. We are still rejoicing in the privilege of being used to make Christ known and to be a part in many coming to salvation.
I spoke with our missionaries to Portugal, Yago and Manoela, and they are excited about the second baptism they have been privileged to perform since arriving there last November. They still haven’t been able to move to the capital, Lisbon, but they did find a meeting place there that they can rent for a very reasonable price just for the time they are using it. It is a community center that puts no limitations on the types of activities they have, which is very important in Portugal. Very few public places are that gracious, especially concerning evangelical outreach and worship. They plan to meet there with those new converts that are already coming to their meetings and with the new contacts they’ll meet in their outreach efforts.
Charlene and I have scheduled to visit with them in January of the new year to encourage and to assist them in this new work. Please pray for this new church plant in Portugal.
The newly established pastor of our former church in Curitiba, Brazil is doing an excellent job. I met with several charter members who all said that he is doing great. We were already confident that he would, but it was reassuring to hear that from the longtime members. The church has continued to see growth under his leadership. This month they are engaged in WordFest, which is a 3-week challenge to read several books of the Bible, memorized over 45 Bible verses and spend at least 45 minutes in guided Bible study. Last year over 90 percent of the congregation completed the challenge and I expect similar results this year as well.
While on furlough, I will be teaching high school students at a Christian school, during the weekdays. On weekends, Charlene and I are available to accept invitations to come and present our ministries. If you or your church would be interested in having us, feel free to contact me at (813) 501-9328, or at my e-mail: bobbymichael_1@hotmail.com.
We are so thankful for your faithful prayers and support.
In Christ’s love,
Bobby and Charlene Wacaser
Contact Info:
Bobby & Charlene Wacaser
Currently Stateside on Furlough from 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
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Prepping to Teach Classes in New Term
August 10, 2023
Greetings in the name of Jesus Christ,
I completed my church planting class. It was one my all-time favorite classes to have taught at any level or any capacity. To see the students grow and change in their thinking and perspectives about church planting was a joy and pleasure. Last month I included Paul’s paper on church planting because it brought me such joy to read it myself. I will conclude my church planting class by briefly telling you about Joe (Not his real name. I have changed his name because these letters make their way onto the internet, and I want to protect him). Joe was in my church planting class. He hasn’t graduated yet but when he does graduate, he wants to return to his home country of India. He desires to go to the northernmost part of India where the population is almost one-hundred percent Muslim and Christians are not really allowed. The things we talked about in class will really help him in his endeavor and I pray that God empower him and protect him and that many Muslim people in northern India will hear the gospel and churches will be planted where there are currently no churches.
I am currently on term break from school but that doesn’t mean I am not doing anything. I am busy preparing for my classes for next term: 1) General Principles of Interpretation and 2) The Pentateuch. I have taught General Principles of Interpretation before, so I am just brushing up on that class. I have never taught the Pentateuch before so I am currently immersing myself into the books of Moses so that I can teach it to all these new students. Understanding the first five books of the Bible is crucial for being able to understand the rest of it. Genesis alone is foundation for the rest of the Bible. So, I see this as a very important class.
Julie was teaching computer class last year for elementary students at Rift Valley Academy. It is strange to think that she is teaching at RVA, a place all our kids graduated from and a place we have been so familiar with for the last fifteen years. Anyway, they loved her so much up there that she is now not only going to teach computers in the upcoming year, but she will also be teaching Swahili to the fourth to sixth graders. She is going to be busy, but she likes it. And we both view this as very beneficial ministry and missionary work – She is ministering to children of other missionary families who are working and ministering throughout Africa. As parents who sent all our children to RVA, we know the value and importance of the school. Without it, missionary families around Africa would be finding it very difficult to educate and raise their Missionary Kids.
Finally, for this month, I want to give a quick Chloe update. So far nothing has changed in the adoption situation in the country. We were hoping and praying that the new president would reverse the hiatus on foreign and expatriate adoption. Unfortunately, he has not. He still may reverse it, but it would take a specific mandate for it to change. The current situation won’t just “go away”. In the meantime, Chloe is almost nine years old now. She is currently going through Occupational Therapy at the Kijabe Hospital on a regular basis and has a teacher that comes from Nairobi to help her in her education. She is a sweet, loving girl and while she has a considerable amount of special needs, she is loved by God and us.
Blessings to all,
Roger, Julie, and Chloe
CONTACT INFO
Roger & Julie Tate
Moffat Bible College
P.O. Box 70
Kijabe, Kenya 00220
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.
Read more
What Does Being a Missionary Entail?
August 9, 2023
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
We hope this finds you enjoying your summer. Judy and I walk daily for exercise and to keep our bodies from getting too creaky. It is a joy to talk to the Lord as we walk thanking Him for the beauties of creation He has placed around us. The good health God has given us is a great blessing.
You may wonder from time to time what being a missionary entails. We can not speak for others, but our lives involve people and the Lord. One aspect is keeping our eyes and hearts open to contacts that God brings across our paths. Seeking to display the love of God in actions and words is very important. We look for opportunities to tell about our Savior and what He has done and is doing for us and inviting them to trust Him.
We look for ways to connect regularly with people and seek opportunities to give a word of testimony here and there. A list of these activities would be quite long. One that we have been doing for about a year now is weekly English Conversation with two ladies who are 60 years old. One of them we crossed a few times in our daily walks. One day we began talking when we met and she indicated that she would like to be able to speak in English because her daughter’s future husband was Australian and could not speak French. The other lady was someone we had known for years. We crossed her one day in our walks as she was heading into the community center to sign up for English conversation classes so that she could speak to her only grandson whose father is Malaysian. Since the son-in-law doesn’t speaks French, their family language is English. So, each week we meet for one hour and speak only English. We have talked much about spiritual matters, not just in English, but outside the “hour” in French. We hope and pray that both of these ladies will trust Christ as Savior.
One part of our lives for Christ in France is leading three different groups in different cities to know God better through His Word. These are much like the Bible studies the Apostle Paul had daily in Ephesus when he was thrown out of the synagogue. Two are primarily groups of believers and one is all people who God has stirred to seek Him through their friendship with the hostess who really wants to see them saved.
We do counseling with believers to help them deal with issues in their lives and become God’s light where they are. We have prayer meetings and live Bible studies at a distance using the internet.
God has blessed us more than we can explain. He fills us with hope and encouragement and you are one of the ways through which He does this. May God continue to bless you.
Your sister and brother in Christ,
Judy and John
Contact Info:
John & Judy Hatcher
2 T Impasse de la Picardie
31830 Plaisance du Touch
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 – August 2023
The Online Edition of the August 2023 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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Construction, VBS, & Evangelistic Gatherings
July 25, 2023
Dear friends,
As we reflect on this last month, we celebrate the victories, thank God for His grace, and look forward to more opportunities to serve and share His love. Let us continue to build His kingdom.
Over the last month, we have had the honor of partnering with the mission team (28 people) from Cedar Grove Baptist Church in Stamping Ground, KY, and Igreja Batista Álvaro de Carvalho in the city of Alvaro de Carvalho, São Paulo. Their dedication, fervor, and ministry have made a remarkable difference in the community. My son, Benjamin, and I were invited by Pastor Eliezer Romero and Jennifer Celestino (US team coordinator) to join this vital mission project with the American team.
Construction Project
Firstly, as a team, we embarked on a robust construction project involving the installation of a metal structure and roof over four classrooms and a kitchen. The fruits of their labor are already evident, as these improvements have significantly enhanced the environment for education and meal preparation. A concrete slab was also poured, signaling the beginning of more exciting infrastructure projects for the local community.
Home Visits
Beyond physical construction, the team also built emotional bridges through community visits, where we distributed food supplies to multiple families. These home visits opened opportunities for heartwarming exchanges, shared prayers, and a deeper understanding of local families’ daily lives and struggles.
Vacation Bible School
One of the highlights of the mission trip was an intensive week of Vacation Bible School for the local children. The Cedar Grove and Nova Igreja teams’ energy and commitment resonated with the kids, inspiring them to engage eagerly in learning about Jesus’ teachings. The seeds of faith sown during this week will undoubtedly germinate and bear fruit in the lives of these young ones. The VBS theme was “Following Jesus Changes Everything”.
31 Salvation Decisions for Christ
Numerous evangelistic gatherings occurred throughout the week through the local church, Nova Igreja Batista de Álvaro de Carvalho. The positive response from the community was truly overwhelming. Many residents attended, and several found the courage to surrender their lives to Christ. In all, 31 decisions to follow Jesus were made during this trip.
Partnership
My son Benjamin and I had the privilege of serving Nova Igreja Batista de Álvaro de Carvalho (which is a part of Rede Convivência) with the Cedar Grove team during their mission. We engaged with them in ministry, translated, preached, and provided logistical support for Pastor Elieser. Witnessing Cedar Grove, Nova Igreja Batista, and the local community’s seamless collaboration has been heartening. The local mayor was also critical in opening doors during this mission project.
Thankful
The fervor and devotion displayed by the Cedar Grove mission team have reignited the community. I want to express my profound appreciation for their efforts and their impact at the church and in Alvaro de Carvalho.
Three Decisions at our Evangelistic Cookout
Our evangelistic gatherings in São Paulo city continue to flourish and bridge us into new relationships within the community. In the last one, we had rendered three decisions for Christ. This next weekend we plan to have an Italian-themed evangelistic gathering Sunday. Pray for us as we cook up great hospitality and present the Gospel.
Fundraising & Prayer Requests:
We humbly reach out to you, our faithful supporters, with two pressing fundraising needs:
1) Sound System, Stage, and Tent:
To enhance our church planting and network gatherings, we require a sound system, stage, and tent. The estimated cost for this essential equipment is 10,000 US dollars, considering the higher expenses for such equipment in Brazil.
2) Second Car Purchase:
Due to the increasing demand and rising expenditure on transportation, we urgently need to acquire a second vehicle. The estimated cost for this much-needed resource is also 10,000 US dollars.
We are humbled by the privilege of serving alongside faithful partners like yourselves. Your prayers and support have been instrumental in the progress and impact of these ministries. As we press forward, we invite you to pray that God’s Kingdom will continue to expand and transform lives in Brazil.
Grateful always,
Jud Hatcher
A Note from Raquel
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, thank you for your constant prayers for us. God is
doing amazing things because of your faithful support in praying and giving. This last
month (July), we certified two new families who will soon foster a child. It was a long
journey because there are so many steps: establishing contact with churches,
presenting at churches that open their doors to us, talking with families, having many
meetings with people, training families, visiting their houses, interviewing families,
preparing documents, reviewing contracts, and finally certifying them to foster. I have
a great team of professionals, volunteers, and interns who help me do that. I’m
very grateful to them. During the last five months, we also focused on getting all the
documents necessary to be approved as a public child protective/foster care
service in our district. Next week (August 2nd ), we’ll receive two inspectors from our
district juvenile court. Pray that we receive grace through their eyes. If everything goes
well, we should start receiving babies, children, and teenagers. In preparation for
this inspection, we’re trying to finish the nursery. If God touches your heart and you
would like to help us buy furniture, toys, baby items, decorations, etc, please donate
specifically to our foster care program. Thank you again for participating in this
ministry of protecting children when their parents and biological family can’t. My email
is raquelhatcher@hotmail.com
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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Projeto Vida Presenting the Gospel in Public Schools & Parks
July 24, 2023
Dear Friends,
Although Charlene and I have begun our US furlough, at the present, we are back in Brazil ministering together with our evangelistic team Projeto Vida. We also had the privilege to worship and serve together with our former church during their 11th anniversary. The new pastor, Cledson, asked me to bring the message and it was an honor and joy to do so. It is clearly evident that the Lord guided me correctly in choosing Cledson as the lead pastor. The church is very united and growing under his leadership.
The missionary couple that we sent to Portugal is doing well. Yago and Manoela recently held a community event to establish friendships and bridges with neighbors to win opportunities for sharing the gospel. They were joined by a couple of other Brazilian Christians and the worked together to share Christ’s love. They had dozens of neighbors show up and doors for future opportunities were opened. Please continue to pray for Yago and Manoela to locate the right home to hold the weekly meetings.
Projeto Vida had an amazing month of activities. The first week had to be spent doing maintenance work on the van and equipment, but the very next week was a whirlwind of ministering in 8 different public schools during 13 gospel presentations. Through evangelistic skits and personal testimonies, they shared the gospel to 1,635 students and staff in just one day. At the end of each presentation our missionaries interacted directly with the students, many of whom would seek them out to ask questions and share how they could identify with the message. Although we can’t ask the students to come forward and profess Christ publicly at the schools, these personal conversations revealed that at least dozens of students understood their need to surrender to Christ and did so at those meetings. We are so thankful to the Lord for this privilege to make Him known to so many that wouldn’t ordinarily step inside the doors of a New Testament church!
Charlene and I still have two more weeks of working together here in Brazil with Projeto Vida in the public schools and parks. We are helping by translating for some groups of American volunteers who are using their last weeks of the summer vacation to share Christ internationally. May the Lord use us for His glory. Thank you for your prayers and faithful support.
In Christ’s love,
Bobby and Charlene Wacaser
Contact Info:
Bobby & Charlene Wacaser
Currently Stateside on Furlough from 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
