Praying for a Young Teen to Stay Faithful to His Savior
September 22, 2021
Dear Friends,
I just came home from a visit with a 19-year-old young man who is reaping some results of bad choices. In case he or a friend reads this report, I will refrain from printing his name. In my conversations with his mother, his grandmother and with the young man himself, I can understand a lot of the factors that contributed to his getting onto the wrong path in life. His father has been a drug addict most of the son’s life and his parents eventually divorced and he has been without a father present in the home for several years. I had this young man as a student in my English classes a few years ago and I discovered that he is very intelligent and has a captivating personality. What I see in him is a lot of potential, but a lack of self-discipline and a lot of pent-up anger. Instead of applying his intelligence and natural charm to a constructive lifestyle, he has made a series of terrible choices. To assuage his anger about his absent father and lack of the nicer things in life, he chose to use marijuana and other drugs. His habit increased but his income didn’t, so he resorted to another horrible choice, to sell drugs to afford more. He got caught by the police and went to prison. His sentence was 5 years.
I had shared the gospel with him when he was my English student and, while he was in prison, he began to read the Bible vigorously. The Lord had mercy on him, and he came to a saving relationship with Christ. His behavior and his attitudes changed, and he was released from prison for good behavior after five months of serving his five-year sentence. He is on probation and must use an ankle monitor, but at least he is not still behind bars. My visit this morning was occasioned by a plea from his grandmother, who is a member of my church. She had started to see her grandson begin to make some bad choices again and she’s afraid that he’ll end up back on the same terrible path he was on before. I had a great conversation with him, and I believe that the Lord used me to help him work out some practical steps for him to avoid the pitfalls that led to his earlier situation. The great difference now is that he is a true child of God through faith in the Lord and he has the presence of the Holy Spirit to empower him to make right choices and to hold to them. On a very practical level, I am going to go and pick him up and take him to church this weekend to meet some dedicated youth that will be glad to befriend him and help him leave behind those bad habits and develop healthy new ones. As you think of him, please pray that he stays faithful to his Savior.
All praise to God, the COVID cases have nearly disappeared from our area and this has led our schools to have regular in-person classes again. Our evangelistic teams are getting invitations from several schools to come and minister to their students and staff. I know this sounds odd for public schools, and it is. The main reason this is happening is the work of the Lord, of course. On the human level, our strategy is helped by having “insiders” in some of the schools. Last week was one such case. A member of my church is one of the assistant principals and she presented to the head principal proof of our team’s track record of working with students who were unruly and problematic before, but who became well-behaved and cooperative after our evangelistic program in their school. We are excited that our team is getting more and more of these opportunities. Our volunteers are thrilled that they are again able to share the gospel nearly every week with hundreds of students and their school staff.
Please keep us in your prayers as we seek to honor the Lord with the opportunities afforded us. Thank you for your concern and faithful prayers on our behalf.
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
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Bible Studies Restarting in Mazere!
September 15, 2021
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
We are grateful to God for His continuous provision and your participation in what God has called us to do. Twenty-two years ago we arrived in France with a passion to communicate the Good News of Jesus Christ to French people and make disciples that God would put together in churches of Jesus Christ.
Two years after our arrival, God brought our son Philip and his wife Amanda to join us in the ministry here. They had felt God’s leadership to this part of the world for several years. Their daughter, Abigail, was five months old when they arrived. Today she is in her third year of preparation to be a doctor in Physical Therapy. So much has changed yet much remains the same. Only two or three French people out of each thousand profess personal faith in Jesus Christ. Many are atheist. We rejoice that some have come to faith in Christ, followed the Lord in baptism and are serving the Lord here, other places in France and other countries.
And, there is so much more to do.
The church at Tournefeuille is still meeting in person with some joining us live using the internet. We have had good services. The Covid virus has made it more complicated to interact with and communicate the Gospel to those who do not know Christ. However, God is not caught by surprise and does not change. We must continue to pray for wisdom to do what He wants us to do.
Next month we will restart Bible studies in the city of Mazere after a hiatus of four years that appeared to be permanent.
Your prayers for our home location and meeting place are greatly appreciated. It appears that by this time next year we will be living and meeting about a mile and a half west of where we are now. This will place us in the neighboring city of Plaisance du Touch. This city was established around 1000 A.D. Philip and his family have lived there for a number of years. We have had many church and youth meetings there and we hope that God will use the move to enable us to share the Good News with more people.
Thank you for your continuous participation and prayers. May God bless each of you.
From France,
John and Judy
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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News & Reports – September 2021
The Online Edition of the September 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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Seeing Stress in the States
September 3, 2021
Greetings in the name of Jesus Christ,
My, what turbulent times we all live in these days.
Most of you probably don’t know this but as I write this I am currently in the United States. I made an unplanned visit here for a month, mostly for personal reasons—to visit family and to attend to some issues I felt could use my assistance. My trip is now winding down and by the time you read this I will probably be back in Kenya with Julie and Chloë.
Being here in the States has shown me something: People all around the world are stressed. I’ve known for some time that the people in Kenya are stressed, after all I live with and around them. Now I know that the people of the United States are also stressed.
I’ve noticed that some are stressed about Covid and the possibilities of contracting the disease.
I’ve noticed that some are stressed about the economy and the downturns it has taken.
I’ve noticed that some are stressed about politics and the political status of the country.
I’ve noticed that you’re kids are stressed about returning to school, and wearing masks, and being sent home for being exposed to Covid, etc.
I’ve noticed that you’re very concerned about events in Afghanistan.
I’ve noticed that many of you are stressed about the constant state of flux and change.
I’ve noticed that a lot less people are attending church services on a weekly basis.
In short, I’ve noticed a lot of little changes from the last short trip I made to the United States 2 years ago. Yes, I’ve noticed. But, no, I am not lecturing you. I love you all and feel much compassion for your stress, your anxiety, and your concerns. And because of this, I plan on doing something when I return to Kenya.
Normally, I express in my newsletters the way that you can pray for the Kenyan people. If you’ve read any of my newsletters I know that you’ve seen many prayer requests like this. But this time around, when I return to Kenya, I’m going to gather together the believers that attend the Chapel in Kitale and we are going to pray specifically for you, you believers in the United States. Will that be OK with you, to have a few followers of Christ on the other side of the world, in a different culture, using a different language, praying for you? We are going to pray that God be with you, that you feel the presence of God in your lives daily and in a special way during these turbulent times. We are going to pray that God bless you with all spiritual blessings. We are going to pray that the love and grace of God shower down upon you. We are going to pray that you trust God and accept his will in your lives in all things. We are going to pray that when you are stressed and anxious that the peace of God would envelope you. We are going to pray that God would work in your politics to bring about his glory and your good. We are going to pray that your love for others would grow and grow.
This is different, I know, because normally I ask that you pray for us. However, this time we are going to pray for you. I hope you are OK with this.
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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Partial Lockdown in Kenya
September 2, 2021
Dear praying friends,
Another month has come and gone, and we are now at the end of summer and beginning the school year. It seems like the summer months just flew by, and now we are in the later months of 2021. It is hard to believe the school has already started. May we remember the students, teachers, and parents during this challenging year with coronavirus. We pray that all will be safe and healthy. We hope this finds each of you doing well and we thank you so much for your interest in missions around the world.
Please continue to pray for Kenya and the coronavirus. Our understanding is that there is a partial lockdown in the country now, with religious gatherings meeting in a limited capacity. There is also an extended curfew, which has been going on for months. Kenya is now getting some of the vaccines shipped to them from overseas, so please pray that the vaccines will get into the right places quickly and prevent the virus from spreading further. We trust the Lord in all these things and know He is in complete control.
Jeremiah 32:17 says “Ah Lord GOD! behold, thou hast made the heaven and the earth by thy great power and stretched out arm, and there is nothing too hard for thee:” Also, Psalm 121:2, ” My help cometh from the LORD, which made heaven and earth.” These verses remind us that our help comes from the Lord, and that nothing is too hard for Him. When we are going through challenging times, such as this past year, may we get into the Word and remind ourselves of the great promises of God. He will be with us and take care of us. May we trust Him always.
I (Nathan) am continuing to travel and report on the ministries in Kitale, Kenya. Please pray for me as I travel, for safety, as well as good meetings in the churches. So many of you have asked how you can pray for us, encourage us, etc. We are so thankful to each of you and your heart for missions. We could not do this without you and we are so thankful for your support and encouragement.
This month marks the 20th anniversary of the September 11 attacks in New York and Washington. May we be mindful of those who lost their lives on that tragic day, and keep the families in our prayers. Also, for the brave responders who perished in the efforts to save others. How we need to keep America in our prayers, for safety, freedom, and for the people to remember the Lord. In closing, I love Psalm 20:7, which says “Some trust in chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember the name of the Lord our God.” Amen. We will keep you updated.
Until next month,
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’s Hand in the Amazon Jungle
August 28, 2021
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
Greetings from the Amazon jungle! We hope and pray that each of you are doing well and being blessed. Thank God we are doing well and blessed! We know that so many families have been affected through this virus that is in the world. We pray that God will comfort and strengthen each one.
Things here around where we live and work have been pretty calm. Thank God the ministries we do are almost all back to normal. The services we have in homes are back and going to the homes that want us to come. We had service last week in a home of a brother of one of our church members. He had a motorcycle wreck over a year ago and was having problems with his broken leg, but through all these problems he accepted Christ as Savior. He can’t wait to be able to come to church to be baptized.
We also are still working with some men from the “Project Life” which have had problems with addictions. Pray that we can help them continue to be encouraged to not go back to their addiction and keep God as their focus.
On Sunday morning we have been having Christian growth studies and music classes. Now we are going to have a class to train those who want to serve in the ministry, preaching, visiting and reaching out to the communities. Pray that God will touch the hearts of those in the church who can help in these areas.
This young man grew up at Alpha & Omega Home in Garca.
He now helps in Ubim’s ministry.
Teens helping with the kids in Ubim
The work in Ubim continues doing well. Pray with us that God prepare someone who could take that ministry full time. There is so much that can be done there. There are lots of young people there and there is nothing for teens to do there. Like everywhere else, there are drugs.
We are involving some of the teenagers that have been coming since they were kids. It is so great to see them helping!
The difficulty in these areas is that people don’t all live close and many don’t have transportation, so there is a need to go where the people are. Pray that God will touch the hearts of more people so we can reach more people.
We have been working with 2 teenagers in our home. One was through the church and the other one is from a place where I went to catch fish. The teen would help me catch them and I brought him to our house a couple of times. Later he asked if he could come and stay a few days. Where he lives is the street of the drugs. Well, he came for a few days! And he is still here! Now he calls Kathy and I mom and dad. He says he doesn’t want to go back home because he doesn’t want to go into drugs. Praise the Lord. But the interesting thing is that after the 2 teens met each other, they found out they were cousins!! Pray for them that they can grow and reach their families!
Love in Christ,
Odali and Kathy
Father’s Day. The tallest is their son Jonas. The others have adopted Odali & Kathy as parents…and they have taken them in as their children! 
Service at the home of David, the man with a broken leg.
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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Healing Grace and Souls Saved
August 27, 2021
Dear Friends,
Charlene and I got a message from our daughter, Jessie, early in August telling us that she had COVID. She had been working at camp with a group of youth from her church the week before. Several members of her team had contracted COVID about the same time as she. Charlene and I have both had the virus, so we know it is a serious illness, but we both recovered quite well and were expecting that Jessie would do the same. After a week of Jessie getting sicker and being admitted into the hospital, Charlene and I decide that we should travel to Tampa, Florida to give our daughter some moral support. We wouldn’t be able to visit her in the hospital, but she would know that we were near. The day we arrived in Tampa, Jessie’s doctor called me and told me not to lose hope, that there were still a couple of things that they could do to try to help her. We didn’t even know that she was so sick that we should lose hope in the first place! The doctor made it very clear that Jessie was struggling for life. After getting off the phone with the doctor, Charlene and I nearly lost it. We cried like we have never cried before. Our baby girl was hanging in the balance of life and death and we weren’t even aware of it. In my prayer immediately after this call, I confessed to the Lord that I trusted completely in Him and that I knew that, before Jessie was my girl, she was His girl. I did also share with the Lord that I didn’t feel like I was ready for Him to take her home yet. I asked Him for mercy and healing grace. After our personal prayers, I contacted our sending church’s pastor, Darrell Messer, and the executive secretary of Baptist Faith Missions, Dave Parks, and asked them to spread the news of Jessie’s condition with everyone they could. I also contacted my church in Brazil and our ministry volunteers from Projeto Vida and asked them all to pray earnestly for Jessie’s healing. Folks, let me say to the Glory of God, He began immediately to bring healing into Jessie’s body. The very next morning, Jessie’s doctor called me again and told me that she was improving quickly. The next day she messaged me to say that if she continued to improve at the rate that she was improving that she would be released from the hospital in two to three days. It wasn’t two to three days, the next day she was released to go home. She was given some medicine to continue taking at home, but she never went backward after those prayers began to be offered on her behalf. Six days after the doctor first told me how sick Jessie was, she was already home from the hospital and back to work! Our God is an amazing God. He hears and He answers prayer. We know that He would still be God and He would still be good if He saw fit to take Jessie on to heaven, but we are extremely grateful that He had mercy on us, her parents, to heal her and give her more opportunities to serve Him here in this world. We praise His Name! We know that some of you heard of Jessie’s condition and prayed for her healing, and we want to take this opportunity to thank you for your earnest and effective prayers.
We are also happy to share that our evangelistic outreach teams are being able to get back into the public schools and parks here in Brazil. This past week they ministered in a small town about halfway across our state toward Paraguay. The Lord blessed and there were over 20 professions of faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. Many of those who surrendered to Christ had never heard a clear presentation of the gospel. The team’s volunteers were amazed at how the Lord used them to minister to people who felt hopeless. We pray that the doors of opportunity will remain open and that no more lockdowns will interfere with being able to get into the public schools and town squares with the message of God’s love.
We serve a mighty and good God, and we are grateful. Thank you to those who pray for us and give so that we may continue to serve Him 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
Two Seminary Classes Planned for October
August 24, 2021
Dear friends and family,
With all the things going on in the world, we all need to stay focused on the main thing: Jesus Christ our Savior, and how we can help others by teaching them about Him.
So, let’s talk about the Seminary and the progress we have been making in Brazil. We had plans made to go in October to have our first face-to-face classes in almost two years but AGAIN the COVID has interrupted our plans. But thanks to the internet and ZOOM, even though the trip has been called off, the classes are going to go on. We will be having the two classes as planned, just in a different venue. We have used the motto of the Marines: Improvise, Adapt, and Overcome. Dr. Derek from Lexington and Dr. Edge from Texas will be giving their lectures online. God is so AWESOME in every circumstance. He provides a way if you are faithful to wait on Him.
Pray for these professors, the translator, and the Brazilian pastors that are participating. These Brazilian Pastors are challenged spiritually, financially, and physically. The registering will begin on the 4th of October and will last for two weeks. Pray for the class to be full of open minds and willing spirits.
I am going to include two pictures of one of our biggest classes to graduate with certificates of completion. This was the first four classes that was offered by Bluegrass Baptist Seminary. Just to show that despite all the drawbacks, God has been and still is working within the Seminary.
There is a song that has spoken to me during this time. It is called “How Beautiful Heaven Must Be.” It makes me even more determined in my mission to “train Pastors and reach Brazil for Christ”. Pray for us to not lose our vision of reaching Brazil through the Bluegrass Baptist Seminary.
Thanks to Baptist Faith Missions for the support that keeps us going during these difficult times. And thanks to the prayer warriors who constantly pray for us. It is because of all of you that keeps us doing our job of reaching Brazilians for Christ.
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.
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