Missionary Update: Paul & Wanda Hatcher in Brazil [March 2012]
Paul and Wanda Hatcher have been serving the Lord together in Brazil for 36 years. Paul pastors Tabernacle Baptist Church in Manaus, Brazil. Their main ministry is church planting.
Dear friends,
Another year is ended. This one went by so rapidly. We are grateful to God and rejoice in his blessings and mercies.
The Lord blessed; the missions (church starts) had a great year. In October, six of the missions were ready to organize and incorporate as Baptist churches. At the same time six new Baptist ministers were ordained to the gospel ministry. The legal paperwork was a little complicated, however, all was completed. The following month of November, an additional eight churches were organized and properly registered with the government. Six additional pastors were ordained to the Gospel Ministry. Certainly this is reason for us all to rejoice in the Lord. You share in these blessings through your prayers and contributions to missions here in Brazil. Together, we are making friends for eternity. It is certainly a priceless hope to have eternal life. Imagine the joy of being received by friends in eternity – Brazilian friends you never knew in this life time – friends you made by sending the Gospel of Jesus Christ; they believed and now are children of God even as you and me.
Wanda and I thank you, too. Thanks for being prayer partners and giving friends. Jesus Christ has promised “Great is your reward in heaven.”
Now, a news update regarding our family. Wanda and I are doing well. We have great joy seeing our children walking with God and serving our Lord. We are enjoying our wonderful grandchildren – two boys and four girls. All the children, spouses and grandchildren are doing well.
We ask that you remember us in prayer, here are some special requests for the year: that the gospel will continue to grow and those who believe will grow in the Lord. Pray that the door of opportunity for the gospel will stay open. Pray that we will be wise stewards of our time and resources to achieve maximum amount sowing and reaping of the good news of our Lord Jesus Christ. Pray that God will strengthen us in faith, love and persistence.
We love you in Christ Jesus. May God richly bless you with peace and grace in Jesus Christ.
Paul and Wanda Hatcher
Avenida J. Carlos Antony, 172
65063-150 Manaus
Amazonas, Brasil SA
hatcher[at]argo.com.br
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Missionary Update: Bobby & Charlene Wacaser in Brazil [March 2012]
Bobby, Charlene, Jessie, and Brennen Wacaser have served the Lord as church planters in Curitiba, Parana, Brazil, since 1985.
March 8, 2012
Dear Friends,
I nearly didn’t get this letter prepared! I have a group of 53 youth and adults coming in from the Tampa, Florida area tomorrow and, with all the preparations involved, I almost forgot to share with you what the Lord has been doing around here this past month. I mentioned last month that we were going to hold a family camp during Brazil’s Carnaval holidays. That camp went really well. We had a very good turnout and we were especially happy to have some families participate with whom we have been sharing the gospel for a while. These families were very receptive to everything we taught from God’s word and have seemed increase their interest in things relating to the Lord.
We had our missions training seminar near the beginning of the month followed up by a practical missions trip to four different towns. The Lord provided us with tremendous opportunities for sharing the gospel through dramatic skits, personal testimonies and Bible preaching. There were over 3500 people present at our meetings during the extended holiday and many listeners professed faith in Jesus Christ. We have begun regular Bible studies with 69 of those and hope to see them baptized and growing in their relationship with Christ soon.
The construction at our new church work continues steadily. All the plumbing should be working by the time you read this report and we have had a steady increase in attendance at our meetings. We are very grateful to you who have contributed to this new church plant. God has used you to do several things that we are aware of, and probably many others that we aren’t. Our own team members have given graciously, but they have been further encouraged by seeing that they are not alone as they economize in their family budgets. Having the joyful news that other brothers and sisters care and also want to see God’s name glorified in spreading the gospel is very motivating as they feel the pinch of tightened resources from their giving toward the new work. Now they are praising God for using you to assist them in making Him known. Thank you very much.
Like I mentioned at the beginning of this report, tomorrow a group of 53 is arriving to work with us. We will be taking the gospel to six public schools during the course of a week and reaching out also in public parks and squares. We are especially happy that our daughter, Jessie, will be coming with the group as their translator guide. My team and I will be very, very busy during the course of this week, but we are very excited about the fact that many thousands of people will hear of our Lord Jesus Christ from folks who have made a great effort to come share His love. We pray God will be glorified and many will come to know Him personally.
In Christ’s love,
Bobby, Charlene and Brennen Wacaser
Rua Manoel Valdomiro de Macedo, 2281
81170-150 Curitiba, PR Brasil
(813)436-9980
robertmw[at]brturbo.com.br
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Missionary Update: Mike & Beverly Creiglow in Brazil [March 2012]
Mike and Beverly Creiglow have served the Lord in Cruzeiro do Sul, Acre, Brazil together for 40 years. In addition to pastoring First Baptist of Cruzeiro do Sul, Mike builds his own boats and frequently travels up and down rivers to share the Gospel with those who have never heard.
March 7, 2012
Dear Brethren,
One of my trips this month was much longer than usual, but was not a river trip. While still in the States I received an invitation to be the keynote speaker at a seminary in southern Brazil. At the time, I didn’t know that we were going to be in the States longer than anticipated, nor did I realize how cramped for time after returning to the field. Anyway, I took out 10 days to speak to an average of 200 students and local pastors at Maranatha Bible Institute in the state of Paraná. It was their 50th anniversary celebration. The conference was 4 days and I spoke 7 times. All the lessons and theme were from John 3:30. Although my speaking style is much different from what they are used to, I am hoping that the Holy Spirit uses it to enlarge His kingdom.
The return trip was exhausting. One 9-hour leg by bus, followed by a 15-hour flight from São Paulo to Rio Branco, and a 12-hour layover before the 1-hour flight home.
Things are going great here. There have been a number of folks saved and several requests for baptism. One couple from our small group was saved and made a profession of faith in the Friday night prayer meeting at church. My son Andrew is the leader of our group, which meets every 2 weeks. Andrew pastors me in this group. He also pastors my son-in-law, Dauro, who is one of our local pastors, too. The group is already twice as big as it is supposed to be. We usually have over 20 people.
We held our first baptism service of the year on March 3. There were 29 people baptized. One more person was saved and there were other requests for baptism the same day.
We are working hard on the annex. It is already in limited use. We can use the garage and some of the second floor. We have been in desperate need of more space for some time. I have been devoting quite a bit of my time to getting the next floor poured. As soon as that is finished I plan to build the metal structure and roof for the third floor. What we really need to do is relocate, so pray that something will open up.
We are praying for you. We know that things have become extremely tough financially in the US. I can definitely say that I feel your pain, because our support has dropped dramatically over the past 5 months. So, as God blesses you, please try to bring up or bring back your offerings to the General Fund of Baptist Faith Missions.
Thanks for all of your prayers and support. God bless you as much as He has us.
In Christ,
Mike and Beverly Creiglow
Caixa Postal 24
Cruzeiro do Sul, Acre, Brazil 69980
mdcreig [at] hotmail.com
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Missionary Update: Harold Bratcher in Brazil [March 2012]
Dear Brothers of the Blessed Lord and Sisters of the Savior:
Once again we (Asa Mark and I) greet you from the Amazon Valley of Brazil, South America. The 2 million residents of Manaus, the capital of the state of Amazonas, are enjoying the pleasant weather of not quite so hot, due to the frequent rains. This rainy season we have had 2 city-wide blackouts, and several rains that flooded the city, and they are predicting this year the river will rise to record heights. During the month of February each Sunday morning, evening and Wednesday evening, I have left my house and home and gone by the taxi of one of our members Bro. Raimundo the 24th of March Baptist Church, where I either preached or heard a sermon by another preacher. Last month, the church voted for an evangelist from the Beautiful Garden (Belo Jardim) Baptist Church of Manaus, to serve the 24th of March Baptist Church as my assistant pastor, during 3 months at least. Pray for Bro. Williams Mendes, 49 years old, and his family.
This Mission Sheets month began January 11th and finishes today. During this period I preached 19 sermons, all at the 24th of March Baptist Church where I serve as the pastor. I have during this period heard a total of 19 sermons preached at 4 different places. Also, I was able to cross the river and travel by car about an hour to dedicate the new building of the mission at that community. I heard Pastor Sebastiao de Oliveira, the blind preacher from Minas Gerais, preach to a full house. One of my sermons was on Sunday night, February the 5th, in a memorial service, on the first anniversary of Marie’s Homegoing. I praised the Lord for her almost 84 years on this old earth, and our 56 years together, almost 52 here in Brasil. Sweet memories until we meet again.
May we all heed the pleas of Pastor Dave Parks for more offerings for Baptist Faith Missions. I am praying that during this new year of 2012 that the missionaries of Baptist Faith Missions, will receive their full salaries and benefits. The Bratchers in Brasil need the prayers of those we love, as well as those that love us. Please pray for Winnie Bratcher of Georgetown, because of the homegoing of her dear husband, Wes. Please pray for Stephen Bratcher, as he will turn 52 on Thursday, and at the end of the month, will arrive to be with us for 6 weeks. I am sure that he will be a blessing to us and the work here, as he always is.
Yours in the Service of the Savior,
Harold Bratcher
Rua Francisco Jose Furtado No. 2
Bairro de Sao Francisco
69.079-200 Manaus, Amazonas
Brasil, S.A.
harold_bratcher[at]yahoo.com
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Missionary Update: Roger & Julie Tate in Kenya [March 2012]
The Tate Family has served the Lord in Kitale, Kenya since January 2008. Their main ministry is indigenous church planting.
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
The short rains have kicked in here in Kitale. It rains every day again. These rains are needed so that the ground is ready for the farmers to plow and plant. These rains last only a couple of weeks, though, and then the dust season should return for a while. The skies are rumbling with thunder far off even as I speak. The rain is nice as it washes the dust off of everything and is refreshing. Thinking about rain reminds me about one of my favorite verses in Isaiah. Isaiah 55:10-11 says “For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven, And do not return there, But water the earth, And make it bring forth and bud, That it may give seed to the sower And bread to the eater, So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, But it shall accomplish what I please, And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it”. What a great promise to remind us that God shall accomplish all His purposes here in Kenya. The work that we do and the words that we speak in his name are not for nothing. He will take our feeble efforts and our ineffective words and somehow make them serve his purpose of bringing light and salvation to lost and dying people. If that is the case then I say let the rain fall on us in torrents and floods.
The works here are progressing, maybe not exactly according to my plan but certainly according to God’s plan. (Just returned to my computer after a short hiatus I needed to take to rescue Josiah’s pet goat. Pet goats are one of the “benefits” of living in Africa). I love to worship God with the Kenyan people and teach them from the Word of God. In recent lessons I have taught them about some of the basics of a relationship with God: Salvation, baptism, prayer, daily devotions, and the functions of a church. Some people know a lot already and some know practically nothing. Most are willing to follow the teachings of any man who calls himself a pastor. One of the cultural things that is taught here is that instead of immersing a person in water when baptizing, the person can just walk under a flag. I’m still not sure where that came from or the significance of it but it is still a common practice. Another strong cultural practice is to receive a baptism card when baptized. While there is nothing inherently wrong with receiving a baptism card, in Kenya these cards can be used for identification, job applications and so on. This makes a person want to be baptized just to receive that card and not because he is identifying himself as a follower of Christ. These and other errors can only be corrected by teaching them to live their lives according to the Scriptures and not according to man-made rules of religion. It is a long, uphill battle that we face.
Finally, my family and I are excited about the upcoming visit from my parents, Norm and Mary Tate. They will arrive inKenyajust five days from today. This will be their second visit to Kenya since we arrived in 2008. On their first visit in February 2009, the Tate family here in Kitale was about to enter a long, difficult battle with culture fatigue. My parents witnessed us falling off the cliff and into the dark abyss of depression and fatigue. Hopefully, they will not have to witness this plunge again this time. It will be so good to have them here with us for the month since we so very much miss ALL of our friends and family from the States.
Until next month, beloved. May God’s peace and joy be with you.
For the glory of God in East Africa,
Roger & Julie Tate (and Emily, Amy, & Josiah)
P.O. Box 761
Kitale, Kenya 30200
rojuta[at]gmail.com
Website
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Missionary Update: John Mark & Judy Hatcher in France [March 2012]
Missionaries John Mark and Judy Hatcher have been serving the Lord in Tournefeuille, France since 1999. They define their ministry as “disciple-making,”
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
The tornadoes and storms through which many of you are going have been in the news here. We think about you and pray that the Lord will protect you from harm. This relates indirectly to one of our Bible studies this week. This study is in the book of the Revelation of Jesus Christ. The judgments on the lost world symbolized by the blowing of the 7 trumpets draw our attention to the folly of human behavior.
Many people are concerned about protecting themselves from climate changes and the effects that these might bring on them. It is debatable whether we can do much to avoid these disasters. However, anyone can avoid the greatest disaster of all by trusting Christ and being eternally saved from all physical disasters. This is something that anyone, anywhere in the world can do. Yet, few are willing to surrender to Jesus Christ. Nevertheless, our mission here, and your mission there is to bring to the attention of folks around us that Jesus is the only sure hope. May our Lord help us to do the job effectively.
I want to mention three individuals for whom I am very grateful as we study the Word of God with others. The first two are my parents who are still serving as missionaries in Brazil at 86 years old. They taught me and, by example, encouraged me to read through the Bible and then continue reading through the Bible. This lifelong practice has helped me to see God’s revelation of Himself in a more complete and well rounded fashion than what is appropriated by reading most books and theological treatises and by listening to many well known preachers. Please, do not receive this as a condemnation of books or preachers. I am simply underscoring the value of knowing God’s word thoroughly and reviewing it regularly in its full scope. Thanks, mom and dad.
The other person who has had a great influence on me in understanding God’s revelation is Edward Overbey. As my pastor during my college years, he helped me greatly to work toward a correct exegesis of biblical texts. His patient and peaceful manner provided me with an outstanding example of applying Christlike principles in my interaction with others. Thanks, brother Overbey.
All of our Bible Studies are going well. We now have ongoing studies in Colossians, Revelation, II Timothy and the Gospel of John. God continues to open doors and we do the best that we know how in sowing the good seed. Last year three people who had professed faith followed the Lord in baptism. We would like to see many more saved and baptized, but our job is to display the light of the Gospel, sow the good seed, and disciple those who trust Christ.
The Hatchers sowing seeds in France!
As a boy, I was a charter member of the first church established in the work of my father in Manaus. Three baptized in one year would have been a banner year. Now that church, which has started many other churches, baptizes 50 – 100 hundred people every month. Last month they baptized 300 newly saved folks. These are folks who are serving the Lord and being discipled. I have been there among them. They are faithful to God’s word. So, what starts small can multiply…just as the Lord taught. This encourages us to keep working and trusting God.
Thank you for participating with us in the work of the Lord. Your praying and giving is not in vain. Many of you supported the planting of that little church in Manaus.
Today, Judy and I celebrate 39 years of married life serving the Lord together. It is a wonderful life. I asked God to give me the wife He wanted me to have. He gave and I have never been sorry for asking. Judy is a wonderful gift.
Serving the Lord in France,
John and Judy Hatcher
4, rue d’Aspin
31170 Tournefeuille, France
JMHatcher[at]aol.com
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Missionary Update: The Radfords in Kenya [March 2012]
Nathan and Carrie Radford serve the Lord in Kitale, Kenya. Their main ministries include indigenous church planting, a prison ministry, and a hospital ministry for mothers and premature babies.
Dear praying friends,
Another month has come and passed so quickly, and we are now already in the month of March for the year 2012. I am amazed at how fast time passes, and how we need to serve the Lord while there is still time and opportunity. One of my favorite quotes is: “Only one life will soon be past, only what’s done for Christ will last.” This update will share ministry progress as well as family updates.
This past month was a sad month in the life of our family. My grandfather, Mr. William Harris, passed away in February. What great childhood memories I have with him, and what a special member of our family he was. He is greatly missed by all in our family. We are thankful that he trusted Christ just a few days before he passed away. What an answer to prayer this is, and a reminder to never give up praying and to persist in prayer. It reminds me of the verse Luke 18:1, which says, “And He spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint.” May we never stop praying, no matter how discouraging things may appear or seem. We thank each of you for your prayers, love and encouragement that you gave to my grandfather over the years.
Our daughter Camille turned 1 year old this past month. That is hard to believe. She is now getting close to crawling, but not quite there. Please pray for us as parents, that we would lead and guide her in the ways of the Lord and be the example to her that we need to be. We are so thankful to have her in our family.
The church planting ministries are continuing well, for which we thank the Lord. My friend Roger Tate and I have been working to begin house churches in the Kitale area. It is exciting to watch those who have been coming to put into practice what they have been learning. Some of our goals are that the works would be sustainable and reproducible. In other words, that the people can sustain the ministries without us, and that they can reproduce to others what they are learning. Some of those coming have already led others to Christ. Others have shown or expressed excitement to teach others as well. Praise God! We are so excited about this and will keep you updated of these ministries.
The Annex prison ministry is continuing well. We have progressed through several of the lessons of “Firm Foundations – From Creation to Christ.” The men seem to be enjoying their study of the Word of God and growing spiritually, for which I thank the Lord. It reminds me of 1 Peter 2:2, where the Bible says, “As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby.” It is exciting to watch that God is doing in their lives and we will keep you updated of this ministry.
Please continue to keep us in your prayers. We need the Lord so much for all that is going on here. One thing I have discovered long ago is that the Lord doesn’t need us, but we certainly do need Him! Pray that we would stay close to Him, rely on Him, and trust in Him to lead and guide us and to follow where He leads. We appreciate each of you so much and thank you for your heart for missions. We will keep you updated.
In Kenya,
Nathan and Carrie Radford
P.O. Box 4150
Kitale, Kenya
East Africa 30200
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Missionary Update: John & Alta Hatcher in Brazil [March 2012]
Missionaries John and Alta Hatcher have served the Lord in Brazil since 1955, planting over 70 churches that are still in existence.
Dear Brethren and Friends,
The harvest is truly great and the reapers are not very abundant. We need laborers, urgently. People are needy, people are hurting and the only answer to their needs is Jesus. This past month Alta and I have gone to the city of Assai each Sunday and needless to say, we and the few who attend have been thrilled to have the new building that was graciously built by the Chapada Baptist Church in Manaus.
On February 20, about 45 persons came from the Duartina Baptist Church and spent two days in fellowship with the Urai and Cornelio Procopio churches. It was a great two days of Bible study and recreation. The Duartina Church was one we started in about 1976. Marcio Moraes, the pastor of Urai was saved there.
One morning the phone rang and a brother asked if he could come talk to me. He is a saved person, but his life is worse than that of the Samaritan woman. He has been married, separated and courted three others. God has been working in his life and he has come to realize his problem is: there has not been any emptying of self and surrendering to the Lord. He has made some serious commitments to the Lord and he seems to be growing in grace.
Another similar case was a medical doctor who asked me to sit down and listen to his case. He is a professing believer. This is a summary: “I have all that a man could desire. I have a great family, I have all the material things a man could want or need. I have money and I am not happy. I am very unhappy. When we leave our first love — Jesus — and confide in things the world offers, this is the result. The Manual for Joy is 1st John—that your joy may be complete.
There is a small circus here in town. Yesterday morning, I visited it to talk to the people about the Lord. They stopped and listened with attention and some were moved. I gave them some books of John and Romans. Pray with me that some of those families will be in Heaven. At eighty-six, life is not easy, but every day we seek to tell needy people about the Wonderful Savior who died on the cross, was buried and on the third day arose to save sinners.
Your servants for Jesus’ sake,
John and Alta Hatcher
Caixa Postal 112
Urai, PR, Brazil 86280-000
jhatcher[at]uol.com.br
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