Mission-Minded Churches & the Guarani Indians
December 22, 2021
Friends and family,
It is Barb and my wish is for all of you to have had a wonderful Christmas and to have an AWESOME 2022.
Continuing with our trip to Brazil in October, we were able to visit the missionaries to the Guarani Indians, Pastor Valdival and his wife Rose. On this visit we saw some needs in their ministry and for their personal lives. They have bought some property for them to get out from under the expenditure of rent so they could have more money to put into their ministry. Now this purchase is not a recent one, but they have had it for some years. As a matter of fact, some of you here in the States have been a part of the renovation of this property. When we showed our friends the house, some said they thought it should be torn down and started all over. But they started and little by little they renovated the house and are now living in it and are very thankful for their home. One of the reasons for the location of the home is to be closer to the tribe that they work with. As with many of the Pastors in Brazil, they can use some help. The home is needing some work on the front of the house because the lean to over their outdoor cooking area and laundry room is just about like it has no cover over it, even though it does have a covering. I got to examining it closer and it had been covered with clay roof tiles, but they were of various sizes, so when it rained, it rained inside as well as outside. When we got back to Caragua, I was able to talk to the Pastors of two of the Churches that we worked with, and they agreed to help with this project. The labor and workers to do the work were ready, now the money for the material was needed. In our estimate we would need around 2,000.00 and so Barbara and I gave some seed money and in the last month, these two Churches have raised the rest. I am elated to say that this month the work has been completed because these two Churches are mission-minded and saw a need and sacrificed to help a missionary. It is AWESOME when you can look back and see the Churches you have worked with living the truths you taught them.
Guarani Indians 
The two churches working on the missionary’s home 
Guarani Indians
Pastor Valdival’s ministry with the Indians is in need of Bibles in the native language of the Guarani. The cost for these Bibles will be around $1,500.00 for 40 because they have to be ordered and shipped. But when we went to visit them (the Indians), the wife of one of the leaders told of having three Bibles, but she now only has one because everyone who visits her asks for her Bible to keep. So, if we can get more printed, we can get more of God’s Word out to more people. Please be praying for this need and if God puts it on your mind to help, send donations to BFM designated for Bibles.
We want to take this time to express our deepest gratitude to each and every one who so faithfully supports Baptist Faith Missions and to Baptist Faith Missions for supporting us. Continue praying for our health and opportunities to serve the Lord in Brazil.
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
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
The Lord Used it for Good
December 16, 2021
Dear Friends,
The apostle, Paul, wrote from prison telling his readers to “rejoice always”. If he could say that honestly from a Roman prison cell, then we should certainly be able to rejoice in every situation in which we find ourselves today. We can and do.
We rejoice mainly because we are certain of our eternal salvation through the grace of God and sacrifice of Jesus Christ. We also rejoice because He not only saved us, but also sustains us every single day. These are facts that we can reflect on in any circumstance and find peace and comfort. I don’t want to lessen in any way the value of the knowledge of these truths because, to be honest, I often need to feed my heart and mind on them.
An amazing thing is that the Lord doesn’t stop there! Beyond His saving and sustaining grace, He has been pouring out large and small blessings on us and our ministries. Charlene is celebrating her 60th birthday tomorrow and I’m a little bit older than she, yet we both enjoy wonderful health due to God’s love and care. Our ministries are steadily increasing in the number of people involved and impacted. Certainly, the enemy attempted to hamper or destroy our evangelistic outreach with this horrible COVID pandemic, but the Lord used it for good, just as He promised. Some of our brothers and sisters in Christ were called home to heaven, yes, but that was to their benefit. The Lord even used the quarantines and lockdowns to teach us new ways to minister and touch people’s lives for good.
Our traveling evangelistic team, Projeto Vida, has just returned from their last trip of the 2021 year, and it was very fruitful. The team traveled to the nation’s capital, Brasilia, and was able to evangelize in the public schools in one of the most ungodly regions of the country. Many youth and several teachers/administrators surrendered their lives to Christ because of these efforts. The president himself asked our team to pray for him at one of his public appearances while they met with him and some other evangelical political leaders.
Early in January we will be hosting our first missions volunteer training seminar. We expect to have college-aged kids from several different states participating in this two-week training program. We will spend the first week teaching the biblical basis for missions/evangelism and then the next week we’ll be taking them to a city in the southernmost state of Brazil, Rio Grande do Sul. That region of Brazil has the reputation for being the most Satan-worshipping part of the country and we know that that is where the greatest need for the glorious, good news of Christ is. Please pray for our workers and the volunteers as they seek to win the lost for God’s glory.
Charlene and I are so grateful for your faithful prayers, concern, and support of our ministries. Thank you.
In Christ’s love,
Bobby and Charlene Wacaser
Enjoying blessed health! 
Worship Service in Curitiba 
Worship Service in Curitiba
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
Life & Ministry Updates
December 15, 2021
Family
Tomorrow (December 16), Laura will undergo a surgical procedure to install a cochlear implant in her left ear. The surgery takes 6 hours and a week to recover. The Lord provided us with one of the best doctors in the nation for this type of procedure at Lurie Children’s Hospital in Chicago. Once the device is activated, she will begin hearing therapy along with the device´s fine tuning. We are grateful to the Lord for making provisions for Laura to hear again from her left ear.
On December 1st we celebrated Melissa’s 10th birthday. She requested an astronaut themed party. We could not take her to outer space, but she had an out of this world party with her siblings, school and neighborhood friends. Sarah received her driver´s permit and is excited to practice driving as much as she can. Benjamin is part of the wrestling team at his middle school and is doing incredibly well, as this is his first experience with the sport.
Raquel has completed several training courses, including an EMDR certification. She is an amazing psychologist and loves assisting people in counseling. She is also able to serve several missionary families around the world through online platforms and continues to provide leadership and consultation for foster care families in Brazil.
My lymphoma treatment is developing successfully. I received all three cycles of chemotherapy, on December 27th will run a CT scan in preparation for the radiation treatment. This last cycle hit me the hardest, but I am grateful to see the glory of God manifested through it all. As if my hands were not full enough, God allowed me a new learning opportunity. I started an online PhD in Organizational Leadership at Columbia International University. This is a degree I have aspired for many years as it directly relates to the work of our ministry. It should take 27 months to complete, and I am excited to get back into academic life once again.
We are so thankful to God for His Sovereign hand, for your prayers, and encouragement through emails, text messages, phone calls and cards in the mail. Words cannot fully express our hearts’ gratitude.
Ministry
All things are on queue for Jonatas and Charis to arrive in the States on January 15th for their training and exposure trip. They will be visiting three universities: Palm Beach Atlantic University, Liberty University and Wheaton College. This trip will also include visits with several churches as part of a mentorship plan developed for them. Jonatas was recently ordained and is a gifted servant of the Lord. I am thankful for all who are assisting in making this trip a reality.
The ministry in São Paulo is strong under Pastor Helder’s leadership. Christmas Season is always a culminating moment for people to become involved in serving the local communities and people are more approachable. Christmas Cantatas are well underway and the 2022 calendar is loaded with plans for connecting with new people and making disciples.
I plan to participate in the Missions Conference at Park Ridge Baptist Church in Orlando on January 17, 18 and 19. Would love to have you join us if you are in Florida and able to come.
Grateful always,
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.
Read more
God at Work Through Bible Studies
December 15, 2021
Dear Fellow laborers,
A new year is beginning, and we have no idea how it will end. May our Lord and Savior through His Spirit indwelling us enable us to live each day in His presence. Judy and I are very thankful for the faithful support we receive from you. We hope that you will be encouraged by what God is doing here in the South of France.
It has been a blessing to see a good number of participants in the Sunday meetings during the past month. We would have to look back to the pre-Covid days to see as many in attendance. Better yet, in addition to the members and regular attendees, we have had several first-time visitors. A couple of these are ladies who have been involved in a weekly Bible study for some time. One grew up in a muslim family with a father who is an Imam.
The excellent question you may be asking is, “What gets these people to come to Bible studies or Sunday meetings?” The answer is, “They are touched by people just like you who are part of the congregation.” The two ladies I just mentioned were touched by Anaëlle, a lady who is part of our church. Ra— met Anaëlle when they were both getting their hair done. A conversation ensued and out of it a friendship. Anaëlle realized that her new friend was searching. She invited her to participate in an ongoing ladies Bible study and Ra— began participating and has become very interested.
Anaëlle is a chiropractor. Ste—– came for an adjustment. As Anaëlle listened to her, she realized that Ste—- was quite depressed and looking for answers. When Anaëlle suggested that she might find help in their Bible study, Ste—– began attending. She now gives evidence of having trusted the Lord and is planning on attending our Sunday meetings regularly.
Judy and I are also very encouraged by the Bible study that has restarted at Mazere. A couple of the attendees are ladies with whom Douceline has been having one-on-one Bible studies for years.
You may have asked the question, “How do these Bible studies work?” The participants get together, the leader asks questions that allows participants to share what is happening in their lives. A believer leads in prayer and then the Bible study gets underway. We begin a book of the Bible and continue to study it until we are completely through that book. After reading the passage for a given Bible study the leader asks questions to which the answers are in the passage just read and lets participants vocalize the answers as they find them in the text being studied. Sometimes background information from other books of the Bible or history are given but we do not lecture. The purpose is to help enquirers find the answers God has given in His written revelation. IT WORKS! This is how most to the people in our congregation have come to Christ.
Well, I have a Bible study starting in about an hour, so I had better wrap this letter up.
May God bless you, your family, your friends and your church as the new year begins.
From 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.
Read more
Reaching Other Communities, Need Van
December 15, 2021
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
Hope and pray that all are doing well. We have been praying for those where the tornados hit. May the Lord be with each one through this difficult moment.
We are doing well. God has blessed the services that we have started in the homes. This has opened doors in homes of people that don’t go to church. In the village of Serra Baixa we are giving soup on Wednesday nights. The number has grown. We were doing this in the open. Now we have been able to use a small auditorium that belongs to the community. This way we can have a service.
What has been really great, and was our plan, was to get more people from the church involved. One of the families that we first started at, we went to pick up to bring to church. The first time there were 3. The last time there were 12.
We plan to go into other communities. As you drive along the highway you see many exits of dirt roads. As you drive, you come into many small communities. Many of the people that live in these places don’t have cars, so it’s hard for them to go to a church. So, the best way to reach them is going and having services in their homes. We are praying for God to provide us a van. It is hard to bring so many in a pickup truck and it is not safe.
Kathy and I, our son Jonas and his wife, and the teen who lives with us are going to spend Christmas in Garça where we had the children’s home. Several who were from the home will spend Christmas with us.
God bless each of you. Pray that all of you have a great holiday season. Thanks for your prayers, love and support!
Love in Christ,
Odali and Kathy
Teens in Ubim 
Service in a Home 
Serving Soup 
Serving Soup
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
Preparing to Return to Kenya
December 3, 2021
Dear praying friends,
Another month has come and gone, and we are officially at the end of 2021. What a challenging year it has been, yet the Lord has been with us through it all. Through these challenging times, may we trust the Lord more than ever before. 1 Chronicles 16:11 says “Seek the Lord and his strength, seek his face continually.” Amen. May this be the desire of our hearts.
We have officially booked our return to Kenya, later this month. We were delayed a little, as I (Nathan) contracted coronavirus last month and had to quarantine. It was not a bad case, for which I am thankful, but there were definite symptoms, such as cold-like feelings, and a lot of lethargy. I had a great decrease in energy upon my diagnosis. Those who have also contracted it probably have had similar symptoms. I had to rest for several days and recover. This was one of the major delays, but I thank the Lord I am strong and healthy again.
Please pray for my wife as she is very stressed right now, trying to remember to pack everything, all the school materials, supplies, and making sure we have everything we need. She does a great job at it, but please pray for all of us, that we would do our best, cross off all our to do lists, and be able to get everything done in a timely manner. The weeks before is always the most stressful, but I hope and pray we get it all done.
Please also pray for this new strand of coronavirus called Omicron. It is already in various African countries (southern Africa), but it will probably be just a matter of time before it makes its way across the continent. We are trusting the Lord to keep us safe and healthy during our travels back, and also while we live in Kitale.
There are always adjustments upon our return, so please pray for us upon our return. There are also many things to do upon our arrival to catch up, so I (Nathan) need prayer that I will get all the major items done upon our return.
We wish you each a great upcoming holiday season. This Christmas, may we enjoy our time with friends and family, but never forget the birth of our Lord and Savior. I will close with Matthew 1:23, which says, ”Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.” May God bless you for your heart for missions.
Merry Christmas,
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.
Read more
The Season of Hope
December 1, 2021
Merry Christmas from the Tates, everyone!
This Christmas of 2021 marks the second Christmas marred by a general feeling of world-wide fear and trepidation. For some people, the words “Corona Virus” bring feelings of imminent threat. For others, it is more a feeling of caution but also uncertainty because of the way world governments are dealing with the situation. For some there is fear; for others there is angst. For some there is fear of disease, suffering, and even death; for others there is fear of corruption, oppression, and tyranny. Either way, there is more shared world-wide distress than I have ever seen in my adult lifetime.
I love how the Psalmist in Chapter 4 of the Book of Psalms says to God, “Hear me when I call…You HAVE relieved me in my distress.” David prayed because he was in need of relief, but he talked as if God had ALREADY given it. David assumed it; it was a foregone conclusion to him. He prayed with an expectation of hope. Not a “hope so,” but a “hope KNOW.”
Sometimes I’m not sure what specifically I need – I just know there is this anxiety, this longing…this emptiness that needs filling. This…dis-satisfaction with this world. It’s a longing for Hope – for the end of futility…the end of sin and its effects both around me and in me…the end to brokenness, disease, and death…the end to evil, poverty, and oppression…the end to division, hate, and violence…the end to suffering of all kinds.
But God teaches me through His Word that He has ALREADY relieved me in my distress. He has ALREADY sent His answer – in the greatest, most complete, and most comprehensive manner possible.
IMMANUEL.
GOD WITH US.
JESUS.
God IS the God of all Hope, and this is the Season of Hope because Jesus is our “Hope Know.”
This season especially (right now in 2021) is given to us as a reminder – a refocus.
“Take heart,” Jesus said, “for I have ALREADY overcome the world.” It’s done. It’s finished. Now we are simply waiting for it to work its way through – but it’s done – it’s a foregone conclusion.
All the suffering, the hate, the disease, the oppression, the death – it has ALREADY been dealt the death blow and lies writhing on the ground fighting for its last gasp of oxygen. The answer has ALREADY been given – the healing medicine ALREADY applied. It’s been done in the birth, the death, and the resurrection of Jesus. We long for peace, and the Prince of Peace has come.
So, God, hear us when we call. Have mercy on us. You HAVE relieved us in our distress. Now, fill us with the Peace You have ALREADY provided so we can love others with the love with which You have loved us. Help us be satisfied in our dis-satisfaction, knowing we hope (KNOW), along with all of creation, for the full coming of Your PERFECTED Kingdom.
The King is Coming!
Love,
Julie
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.
Read more
Bro. Mário Rodrigues, Missionary & a Hero of the Faith, Called Home
November 23, 2021
Dear Brethren,
We are home, earthly home, that is. It took us 54 hours. It was raining in all six cities that we went through. It was freezing in Kentucky. It is 80 degrees here in wonderful Cruzeiro do Sul. The trip was an ordeal, but He worked things out. I won’t bore you with the details. We are home! Thanks to all our family and friends who were so gracious to us in this long 3 months away from our home and life work.
We arrived here on Saturday, November 20th. The services at First Baptist Church were just amazing on Sunday. It was so good to hear a church really belt out praises to our wonderful Lord. Our church is known for how well she sings. Not always perfect pitch, but you can hear them! They wanted me to preach, but I declined. We had 4 adults saved, there was one request for baptism and another young woman for membership. Wow! What a homecoming.
On Sunday night one of our missionaries died. Brother Mário Rodrigues, 56 years old, died of cancer. He had been sick for many months and suffered terribly. What a story though. Let me share it with you. When Brother Joe Brandon came to Cruzeiro do Sul in the mid 1920’s, besides founding First Baptist Church (May 12, 1929), he also traveled the rivers with a small group of believers preaching the Gospel. He had a boat called “Peregrino” (The Pilgrim). It had a small inboard diesel engine, which was rare for that remote place and time. Everyone knew about this boat and her crew. On one of those first mission trips Brother Brandon planned to preach at a small village named Porto Walter. This is about 100 miles upstream on the Juruá River. As they approached the riverbank to land, Brother Leônidas grabbed the rope and prepared to jump ashore. Brother Leônidas was one of the original 13 members of First Baptist, a poet, musician and preacher.
However, there was a mob waiting on the riverbank. This mob had been sent by the Roman Catholic priest to prevent any “invasion” by the “crentes”, believers. One of the men in the crowd, wielding a machete, told Leônidas, “If you come ashore, I will chop the rope and chop you.”
Brother Brandon decided to back off and continue on upriver. From then on, the village continued to be sealed off and off limits to the Gospel. That was decades ago. For a long time, I was troubled by this. After much prayer and preparation God made it clear that “enough is enough”. When the time came for us to send a missionary there, Brother Mário Rodrigues stepped up. I personally went there ahead of him to survey the village and get property and a house for his young family. I went with him in 1994 to kick things off. He worked there faithfully for 15 years.
Every morning at 6:00 0’clock sharp the priests and nuns wake the town up with praises to mother Mary on a loud speaker atop the tower of the Catholic church. It was not easy. Plenty of resistance and even persecution. Mário was a mild, softspoken man. He was the most unlikely person to succeed in such a hostile setting. But, greater is He who is in us. Succeed he did. Today the church has over 200 members installed in a big 2 story building right downtown. The church is doing mission work on the river and tributaries. There are 3 congregations with over 100 baptized believers.
Although Mário is a big loss to the kingdom on earth, he is a hero of the faith. I count it a great honor to have known him, worked with him, spent many tearful hours with him and be a small part in the ministry of such a giant.
Well, I must close, but I still have an unusual request that I must make. Bev had cataract surgery on both eyes while we were in the States. They also corrected her distance vision. She couldn’t see much at all far away. They corrected the astigmatism and the glaucoma, too. It was a total success, but it was also very expensive. Our insurance covered a small part of it. We had to cover just over $9,500.00. This had to be paid before the surgery, so we plopped down the ole credit card. We have since borrowed money to cover this. If the Lord should lead you to help us with this, we would be much in your debt.
Oh! And did I mention? It sure is wonderful to be home again! Thank you, Lord.
Thanks for all of 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.
Read more
