News & Reports – September 2020
The Online Edition of the September 2020 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.
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Getting Back to Normal; Drilling a Well in Ubim
August 19, 2020
Greetings from the jungle! We are all doing well and hope all our friends and supporters are doing well also! We thank God for each of you! Your prayers and support are important to us and our ministry.
Things here in the different churches are gradually getting back to normal. The virus in our area seems to be under control! But we are still taking the precautions necessary.
Since things have gotten better, we are working on things that we had planned but could not do. One of these things is drilling a well in the village of Ubim. There is no running water in this village. So, a well to use at the church is needed and we also plan on helping with water for the villagers. Having a well helps with several diseases especially malária. A young man who learned and lived at the Alpha and Omega Home since he was little is going to be drilling the well. He is married and lives in a village close to us. He and two other brothers stayed at the A&O Home for many years. I asked him if he would like to help me with the well and he said, “Sure’. The Lord willing, we should start this coming Thursday. When you read this letter, the Lord willing, the well should be done. The final cost, pump and all, is $2000. Thanks to donations made, we are able to have the well.
The work in the village of Mutirão is doing great. Their services are back and they are also being very careful.
Pray for the work at the village of Cacau. It is growing and we need to make a decision to sell the old building or remodel. The main problem is that when the water comes up in high season it gets into the church. We want to make the right decision.
Things are a little different for me now because Kathy went to the US to help Paul and Wanda with Bro. John. Paul hurt his arm pushing his dad in a wheelchair on a rainy day. So, Kathy is there to help, and we hope Paul gets to feeling better.
Thanks so much for you love, prayers and support. God bless you!
Odali and Kathy
Ubim 
Ubim 
Ubim 
Ubim 
Paul, Wanda, & Kathy 
Mutirão 
Mutirão 
Kathy & her dad, John A. Hatcher 
Getting ready to drill the well 
Drilling the well 
Cacau 
Cacau 
Teens
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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Jesus is the Only Hope!
August 24, 2020
Dear friends,
From one of our latest visits on the street:
On one of the coldest mornings of the year (39o F—it is Winter in the Southern Hemisphere), under a drizzle characteristic of São Paulo City, I woke up early to meet downtown with a team. I was received at a friend’s home with a warm smile. I feel right at home; we started talking while he finished preparing the hot chocolate to take, along with cake, sandwiches, juice, and water. After a few minutes, other volunteers from the team arrive, making the environment even more cozy. After taking the donations (large bags containing handmade wool caps, clothes, shoes, warm clothes, socks, and blankets), we went out towards the viaduct bridge where young people and children stay. We parked the cars, shared the bags and sacks among the team, and walked to the location. Once there, we were received with joy and plenty of hugs amid loving greetings. It’s strange, but I feel very comfortable there, as if it’s not my first time. People come out of their tents, get up from their mattresses or sleeping bags, others get closer, and in a few minutes, everyone is enjoying a delicious breakfast. I hear many “thank you”, and I look at the faces, as if saying: “What would become of us without you?”. Finishing the coffee, in other words, the hot chocolate, we started to distribute the blankets, warm clothes, wool caps, socks, and kits. The place is again full of gratitude and satisfaction. Joy is evident in the faces of everyone there. Two young men then address us and say that they would like to leave the streets and go to a shelter. One of them says he really wants to go to a place where there is a church so that he can get close to God and leave that life. In the next few minutes, an attempt is made to find a place to welcome these two young people, many calls are made, messages are sent, and contacts are made. To our delight, both were received in a shelter. Meanwhile, the team members talked to each of them, listening to their stories, their complaints, offering understanding, empathy, care, and hope. One of the stories I heard was of a young man telling about his adventures and travels. He talked about when he took a ride on the freight trains, and so he got to know various tourist spots and how he had fun in those days. But he also told about sad moments, like when a friend jumped off the train, but when he fell, he left his leg on the track, which resulted in a leg amputation. Others talked about books they had read, about places they had been, others laughed and messed up with friends who tried to put on the mask they had just received, others asked for something to take to a friend in the other tent, in short, there was a mood cheerful, as if for a few hours, they forgot their sad reality.
In one of the tents there was a girl with a cough and fever. She didn’t go out, she stayed inside all the time. She was being taken care of by her boyfriend who took to her everything we gave. Another girl was doing the same thing with her pregnant friend, who also did not leave her tent, which was further away. Despite the friendly climate, I couldn’t help but notice the precariousness of the place. Garbage everywhere, a strong odor, pigeons feeding on the remains, rats passing by, in short, a human being should never be in a place like that. I wondered how much they had suffered within their families that would lead them there, living in those inhuman conditions. Talking to one of the guys, I asked if he had a family. He said he did, and that his family lived in Guarulhos. So, I asked if he wanted to go home. He replied that if he returned, he would kill his stepfather. So, I thought, how much pain, how much trauma, how much suffering this young man has already experienced to have so much hatred within himself. In the end, it was time to say goodbye. We shared Jesus, prayed with them, blessed them as best we could. As I walked back to the car, my heart was filled with mixed emotions. I was happy to have experienced that moment, but at the same time it was unsettling to know that I would be going home, with my family, with a warm meal waiting for me, but they would not. That evening, a cold night would fall upon them. Next morn, sunrise. It would be dusk, dark dusk, dawn, and they would be there. I arrived home, and as I had imagined, a table set, a hot soup prepared on the stove, spouse and happy children talking, happy to see me back.
Jesus is the only hope!
Grateful always,
Judson & Raquel Hatcher
Contact Info:
Jud & Raquel Hatcher
São Paulo, Brazil
judsonhatcher@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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Studies Being Taught in BBS
August 19, 2020
Dear friends and family,
This month has flown by with little change so we thought we would show you the studies that are being taught in Bluegrass Baptist Seminary. These are the classes with a description of them.
Bluegrass Baptist Seminary Course Listing/ Descriptions
- BBS:101 Systematic-Theology
The Christian church has a long tradition of systematic theology, that is, studying theology and doctrine organized around fairly standard categories. This course presents material in each of these categories for the purpose of preparing students for ministry within the local church. The categories are examined in depth with an in-depth focus of contemporary application for today’s church.
- BBS-102 Old Testament Survey
This course is designed to provide a basic introduction to each book of the Old Testament. While traditional topics such as authorship, date, and historical context will be covered, there will be special focus on the revelation of Jesus Christ in each book. There also is a focus on providing keys to understanding each book in the context of the entirety of the Scriptures.
- BBS-103 New Testament Survey
This course is designed to provide a basic introduction to each book of the New Testament. While traditional topics such as authorship, date, and historical context will be covered, there will be special focus on the revelation of Jesus Christ in each book. There also is a focus on providing keys to understanding each book in the context of the entirety of the Scriptures
- BBS-104 Pastoral Ministries
This course is designed to equip students for pastoral ministry by examining the various aspects of ministry required of pastors serving in local congregations. Also, it includes identifying the biblical absolutes, priorities, and qualifications needed for effective pastoral ministry within the local church.
- BBS-105 Theology of Evangelism
This course provides a general introduction to the theology of evangelism. The course is divided into three major units: (1) Foundational Tenets of Evangelism; (2) Preaching Components of Evangelism; and (3) Practical Aspects of Evangelism. The purpose of this course is to provide the local pastor with basic theological understanding and tools for implementing a biblical plan of evangelism in the local church.
- BBS-106 Theology of Discipleship
This course provides a general introduction to the theology of discipleship. The course is divided into three major units: (1) Evaluation of Today’s Discipleship in the Local Church; (2) Biblical Foundations for Discipleship; and (3) Church-Based Discipleship. The purpose of this course is to provide the local pastor with basic theological understanding and tools for implementing a biblical plan of discipleship in the local church.
- BBS-107 Lexical Hebrew
This course provides the student with the basics for working in the Hebrew biblical language. It includes a basic presentation of Hebrew grammar, such as recognizing vowel markings and sentence structure. This is not a language course, per se, but provides tools for use such as lexicons, dictionaries, and grammars, to assist the student in gaining a better understanding of a biblical text.
- BBS-108 Lexical Greek
This course provides the student with the basics for working in the Greek biblical language. It includes a basic presentation of Greek grammar, such as recognizing verb endings and sentence structure. This is not a language course, per se, but provides tools for use such as lexicons, dictionaries, and grammars, to assist the student in gaining a better understanding of a biblical text.
- BBS-109 Biblical Proclamation
This course provides a general introduction for developing an expository sermon. The course is divided into four major units: (1) The Need for Expository Preaching; (2) Expository Sermon Preparation; and (3) Expository Preaching Hermeneutics, and (4) Delivering an Expository Sermon. The purpose of this course is to provide the local pastor with basic theological understanding and tools for preparing and delivering expository sermons.
- BBS-110 Survey of Church History
This course provides a general overview of the history of the church. The course covers the major events and philosophies of the church from 6 BCE to the end of the 20th century. It focuses on the historical setting and explanation of Christian ideas and institutions. The purpose of this course is to provide students with an annotated timeline of the church’s develop from the 1st century through the 20th century.
- BBS-111 Introduction to Christian Apologetics
This course studies Christian apologetics and its implications for and application to evangelism. It provides students with an explanation of key components within Christian apologetics. Points of tension between and within various apologetic methods are explored in the course as well. The purpose of this course is to aid students in the development of effective apologetic approaches for evangelizing people in the contemporary culture.
- BBS-112 Thesis Paper Writing
This course serves as an information class for writing a thesis paper. The student will learn techniques and styles for researching and writing a thesis paper. The course includes one week of in-class instruction and 4 months of research and writing. Upon completion of the thesis paper the student will defend their work to a seminary thesis committee. Upon successful defense (defined as receiving a passing grade), the course is complete.
These are the classes we are scheduling for 2021. Please pray for the courses and the professors and the Pastors planning to attend the classes. We serve an AWESOME God and we know that He is in control of everything that is happening. So, we are trusting that He will make everything right and in His timing.
In His service,
AJ and Barb
CONTACT INFO
AJ & Barbara Hensley
592 Emery Court
Lexington, KY 40505
AJ: 859-539-2302Barbara: 859-539-1424
ajcaragua@gmail.com
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Touched Through the Least of These
August 14, 2020
Dear Friend,
This is a second letter in just a few days. My cup is overflowing…like a geyser!
Today was a bit unusual. Judy and I went trekking much later than usual. Due to the heat we have been getting out earlier. Just a few minutes into our walk God touched us by “one of the least” of His. We had just done a loop through the shady end of a school parking lot we cross nearly every time we trek. I heard a loud voice at a distance and assumed that it was a student somewhere in the vicinity.
Then Judy twisted around trying to determine the source of the voice. Just as we got back on pace a loud voice called our names. We turned around and saw Susie. We walked back to her and noticed on approaching her that she was nearly breathless and quite excited. This special lady about our age says, “You have to come back this way. There is something you got to see.” I don’t know what Judy was thinking, but I was trying to figure out what kind of disaster needed our attention. As we approached the rear of the yard where she lives with family, Susie apologized for not knowing our last name. Now I was totally confused!
“Where have you been?” Susie asked. We explained that we had been getting out earlier. Just then we arrived at what she wanted us to see. Here, you can see it for yourself:
She said, “I made the first-time sign weeks ago and then I didn’t see you anymore. I took it in when it rained and at night so it wouldn’t get wet. It got to looking bad so I made another one.”
I had been talking to God this morning, but I declare, my Heavenly Father was now talking to me through the “least” of His. Judy and I were in a glorious daze. You know the passage, “If you do it to the least of these … you do it to me.” But, Eternal God, Almighty, my Heavenly Father was speaking to me through “the least of these”.
I first met Susie nearly three and a half years ago when here caring for Judy (remember…broken kneecap) and her sister, Peggy. Sometimes this unknown lady would be mowing the large yard behind the home where she lives when I was out trekking. The first time we spoke she was confused about what was happening behind her house. I explained to her about the church and school parking lot being expanded and assured her all was well.
A few months ago, she came running out as Judy and I trekked under the trees behind the backyard she often mowed. She pointed out that she always loved seeing us and therefore had trimmed (extensively) the tree branches that would be in our way. We were touched and thanked her. When we passed and she was out Susie always greeted us exuberantly. And, this morning God spoke through this little one. I will remember His voice eternally!
So, maybe you are upset. Maybe, you are in a quandary about the future or the value of your life or actions. “I don’t know about the future, but I know Who holds the future…” and He often speaks through the little ones on our pathway!
Hearing the Father’s Love through the little ones,
John and Judy Hatcher
CONTACT INFO
John & Judy Hatcher
4, rue d’Aspin
31170 Tournefeuille, France
JMHatcher@aol.com
Present USA phone: 1-812-416-1033
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Resuming Meeting Together
August 19, 2020
Dear Brethren,
Greetings from hot and sunny Cruzeiro do Sul. All of Brazil is hot and dry. We haven’t had any rain this month. The river is as low as it can be. Not much has changed here over the past few weeks.
A lady from our church is head of the health department and for the past 23 days she has been giving me daily reports about the evolution of the virus here in town. She gives me new cases, hospitalizations, discharged, cured, deaths and a few other categories. I now have a spreadsheet to be able to help evaluate the situation. Mostly though, I just spend lots of time in prayer in the wee hours, asking God to show me the way forward. Although the state and city have given permission for churches to meet, the restrictions are so severe that we have not returned.
We have given our congregations at Foz do Breu and the one in Peru, permission to meet. Last week we gave all of our interior works permission to hold public services. Also, this month we authorized our small groups to resume meeting. Today we will be giving our chapels here in town permission to resume regular services. So, little by little, we are coming back. I meet weekly with my staff to discuss and pray about each new step. We meet again this afternoon and I am going to recommend we have a morning service on August 30. This will be live streamed. We will add services incrementally from there. I have been informed that the city only has 4 “spies” on payroll and these refuse to work on Sundays, so that is good news. Pray for us. It has now been 5 full months since our last service at First Baptist Church.
We have been getting news from several of our mission works and missionaries. José Costa (border village) reports good attendance and at least one saved. José Maia (Tipisca, Peru) has been having limited crowds. He stays very busy though in the community. He even managed to find a plow to pull behind his ATV and has upped his gardening game! His son, who is our missionary at Santa Rosa do Purús, is now working part time in a cabinet shop and has started a small Bible study class. I just bought him a motor, so that when things get back to normal, he will be able to start mission work on the Purús River.
I have continued to work on construction jobs nonstop and pretty long hours. Don’t watch the news. Work keeps me content. Still hoping that things will get back to some kind of normal pretty soon.
Bev and I are doing well. The whole family is doing great. We have been meeting every Saturday night for our family time. Every Sunday afternoon we play a few innings of whiffle ball. Even the little squirts play. I even play! Only Grandma Bev sits on the sideline and watches to make sure nobody cheats. Bev had not been out for over 3 months. Last week she finally started to get out occasionally. She actually went to a supermarket for the first time in 5 months. On her last time out, she saw a guy from down south with a truck selling strawberries. She bought enough for the 3 families. She made me some shortcake and whipped cream. She really does love me after all!
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
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New Venue for the Chapel
August 19, 2020
Greetings in the name of Jesus Christ,
Fortunately, not every newsletter that I write is filled with gloom and woe. Fortunately, again, this one (unlike the last one) will not be filled with gloom and woe.
So I think in the place I left off last month in this story of church building missionary work in Kitale, I was relating to you that we had lost our place of worship again and I was looking for a new location. No place seemed perfect and each place had its pros and cons. But one place, in particular, seemed to offer the best possibilities and potential, albeit with the higher price. Thus, I snatched it up and signed a two-year lease on the accommodations. In the new venue the Chapel will have its own house with a larger living room in which we will worship and preach the Word of God. The house also has other rooms where Sunday School or children’s church can also be conducted. It will be refreshing having the building completely to ourselves so that we can use it however we wish. I got the place all set up and announced we would be worshiping together again on August 16, 2020 (the year of total unpredictability and chaos).
August 16th rolled around and, indeed, we held our worship service. Only four other people showed up. This is uncharacteristically low attendance for the Chapel. In fact, it is the lowest attendance in the history of the Chapel, since I started it in October 2018. I was anticipating a low attendance but not quite this low. But I did expect this. I knew that a family had moved out of town and that the government is still not allowing children under the age of 13 to attend (which includes most of the families attending the Chapel). So, I am not discouraged, yet. The four who returned were all very excited about returning and starting things back up. Since we were so few, I asked them if we should just spend some time praying together and reading a portion of Scripture and discussing it. They said, “No”, they wanted a normal time of singing and the preaching and teaching of the Word of God. Elphas said, “There are lots and lots of churches in Kitale but none of them actually teaches the Word of God”. While this is not exactly accurate it does show you the importance of the Chapel and the reason we exist in this place—Teach the Word of God, make disciples, start churches, spread the Kingdom, show and share the love of Jesus. So, we did that. We sang. We prayed. I taught about Jesus being the “God you can see and touch”. We discussed the Word of God together. Now we pray that more of our Chapel friends will make it back over the next couple of weeks.
In personal news, Julie will be visiting the States for a month, leaving only a few days after the writing of this report. We have not had an official furlough since 2013 because we are not able to leave the country with Chloe and Julie very much needs a short break from Kenya. So, she will be spending the month of September hopefully resting and visiting our stateside children and parents in Michigan. Chloe and I will remain in Kenya. Please pray for a safe and beneficial journey for Julie.
Blessings to you all,
Roger, Julie, Amy, Josiah & Chloe
CONTACT INFO
Roger & Julie Tate
P.O. Box 96
Kitale, Kenya 30200
rojuta@gmail.com
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Grace for the Next Generation
August 7, 2020
Dear Fellow Disciples of Jesus,
Let me share a piece of correspondence Judy and I received.
Welcome to my first newsletter!
Thank you again for your commitment to pray for me during my preparation time as well as during the 3 months I will be spending in Austria. The dates are set, I’m leaving in 2 weeks (!!), from Wednesday August 5th to Friday November 6th.
The Austrian borders are currently open to France, and I should be able to enter without problem. The organization where I will be volunteering is called the “Oasis”. It is affiliated with “One Collective”, an international Christian ministry. The Oasis is located in Traiskirchen, Austria, the town with the largest asylum seekers center in the country. These refugees, of which over 90% come from an Islamic background, are welcomed by the center, which aims to “reflect the heart of God to refugees and offer them the hope, life and refuge that can be found only in Jesus”.
As a part of the team, I will mainly be working with women and children to build relationships, help provide for their needs, accompany them in their adjustment to life in Europe and share the Gospel. This letter was intended to provide some background information; hopefully the next one will be a little less short and a little more interesting 🙂
Hope you have a nice day,
Nathalie Hatcher
Nathalie’s letter to her prayer partners explains itself. She is our second oldest granddaughter. Amanda, Philip and their family have been serving with us since 2001. This is a picture of Philip and their daughters, taken by Amanda. Nathalie is in the center. She is not exactly sure which direction God wants her to go in her next step of training and decided to take a year before college to serve and visit her worldwide family. She began serving in this refugee camp this week.
I decided to include this letter after reading Josiah Tate’s letter on the BFM site. He is also seeking God’s will for his life. The greatest investment we make in this life is in the lives of our children and grandchildren (natural or adopted as the Apostle Paul’s “son” Timothy.) This investment is in teaching, example, attitude, prayer, sustenance …
We continue to worship with our church family in France via Skype. They are now able to meet as a group, but those who are on vacation also join us. We receive encouraging news from other disciples outside the Toulouse region that we have served during the years of ministry in France.
So, may all of us keep on investing in the natural and spiritual offspring God has placed in our lives. To Him be the glory for the grace He allows us to pass on to them!
Your brother and sister in Christ,
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.
Read more
