Seminary Stats for 2019
The Hensleys have spent nearly 20 years serving in Brazil. They have established a church in Caraguatatuba and mission points throughout the city. They have also recently started a seminary to train pastors.
November 20, 2019
Dear friends and family,
It has been an AWESOME month and one half for our Seminary. First of all, we have a new name. Because of the accreditation process there in Brasil, we have to have an American name. So, we are now Bluegrass Baptist Seminary. The students are having a good time discovering what bluegrass is.
I want to use this letter to give you a yearly report on our work in Brasil. The cumulative report provides impacts for the Seminary and preview of the upcoming work.
Here are the Seminary statistics through the Fall of 2019:
- 32 classes, delivering 9 courses in 6 different cities since our beginning.
- Total enrollment is 277 students including pastors, church leaders and missionaries.
- Students are from 90 churches who have memberships of more than 10,011 people total
- These Churches are located in 34 cities and in 5 States
- 84 students have graduated with a certificate in Pastoral Ministries. This includes the first 4 courses: Systematic Theology, Survey of the New Testament, Survey of the Old Testament, and Pastoral Ministries
- 51 students at 2 locations are enrolled in our Masters Program. We have students in São Paulo and Orlandia that are in the middle of their Masters courses and will continue these courses in 2020. There has been an increased interest in the Masters Program. HOW AWESOME is the Lord we serve!!
- We have 3 new locations for classes in 2020: Ribeirao Preto in the state of São Paulo, Manaus in the state of Amazonas, and Porto Velho in the state of Rondonia. In Rondonia, we will be working with missionaries who work in missions established in the high jungle or North Western Brasil.
As planned in 2020, we are expecting to have an AWESOME year! It would be good to have you, our prayer warriors, praying for me and our Professors: Derek Coleman, Raymond Edge, Russell Zik, Terry Leap, Steven Scherer, and Greg Waltermire, as there will be much traveling this upcoming year. Also pray for the Churches of these pastors who send their pastors to help in this ministry. Without these Churches and these pastors, we would not have Bluegrass Baptist Seminary.
This ministry, Reaching Brasil, is made possible because of caring people like you giving to Baptist Faith Missions. Thank you for your generosity and your prayers.
Happy Holidays!
In His service,
Aj and Barbara
Aj and Barbara Hensley
ajcaragua[at]gmail.com
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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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Thanksgiving Conference, Pray for Jean-Luc, Visiting Churches in USA
Missionaries John Mark and Judy Hatcher have been serving the Lord in Tournefeuille, France since 1999. They define their ministry as “disciple-making.”
November 15, 2019
Dear Brothers and Sister,
Judy and I just returned from the Annual Thanksgiving Conference held in the facilities of New Hope Baptist Church, Dearborn Heights, MI. The folks from Grace Baptist Church, Wyandotte, MI, and New Hope worked together seamlessly to provide unforgettable hospitality and meals. We thoroughly enjoyed the time with you folks and were greatly blessed by the communication of God’s Word through the speakers.
As we returned home, we received the news that Jean-Luc Veuillet, a faithful member of the church in Tournefeuille. France, was in the hospital being treated for a torn carotid artery. Jean-Luc is a faithful believer and leader in the church. He and his family help in teaching and music ministries and are a source of great encouragement to the whole church. We would appreciate your prayers for this man of God.
We continue to hear good news from our home church in France. The church has an internet site for our church body only where the members can speak to one another sharing news, prayer requests and blessings. Judy and I are able to keep up with what is happening there and they can get first handed news from us.
I am scheduling meetings with churches in the USA between now and the end of January. We would love to come to your church to tell about the work in France and/or share what God has placed on our hearts that might help your church serve where you are. It is our desire to do whatever we can to be a blessing and glorify God. Contact me at jmhatcher@aol.com if you would like for us to come to your church.
Thank you for your faithful support and prayers.
Your team members,
John and Judy Hatcher
John Mark & Judy Hatcher
JMHatcher[at]aol.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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A Unique Story of the Church in Barão; New Engines Needed for Boat Missions
Mike and Beverly Creiglow have served the Lord in Cruzeiro do Sul, Acre, Brazil together since 1971. 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.
November 15, 2019
Dear Brethren,
Let me begin with a prayer request this time: Cruzeiro do Sul and indeed Brazil is under the worse epidemic of dengue fever ever – please pray. A young woman from our church just died of hemorrhagic dengue and we have many in the hospital or recovering at home right now. In fact, I have been sick for the past couple of weeks and the doctor initially thought that I had dengue. Turns out that I had an infection and am taking antibiotics. Yesterday I finally started to feel a little bit better. The epidemic is so severe that I even got a letter from the U.S. Embassy telling us what precautions to take, etc.!
Since my return from the States a few months ago I had noticed that our attendance had been flat at First Baptist Church. I have been getting all 7 of the pastors together once or twice a week to discuss what is wrong. We have taken care of some disciplinary problems. I have been doing some much-needed teaching in several areas of concern. The attendance has been edging up again and we have had several more saved. In fact, we had our best Wednesday crowd of the year this week. Pastor Ezi brought a lesson about resolving conflicts between members. He had already called on prayer to close the service, when a man came forward and made a profession of faith! We held a baptism and Lord’s supper service earlier this month. We had a big crowd and added 27 new members.
Bev and I were with the Getsêmani congregation at Colônia São Francisco for a weekend meeting. Really big crowds and great services.
Bev also went with me to visit our church at Barão. This is one of our oldest churches. Its story is unique. The original founder of Cruzeiro do Sul, Mâncio Lima, a rubber baron, went up the Moa River, enslaved the Puyanawa Indians, and took over their lands. For years we had a church there, but he or his descendants would not allow the construction of a church building. When I was a boy they still met in the preacher’s home. Later the federal government gave the land back to the tribe. Now they have a nice big brick building. The reservation is now accessible by road. The pastor is Brother Amós, who is the chief’s son. Even though the church is in what is officially an Indian reservation, you really wouldn’t notice a whole lot of difference from any of our other towns. Bev and I visited them for a couple’s meeting on a Saturday night. It rained all afternoon and we did a lot of slipping and sliding in my jeep to get there. There were well over a hundred present.
Last week I was scheduled to be with Igreja Batista da Bíblia at Igarapé Pentecostes, but had to cancel because of my illness. They just lost their pastor, so pray for them.
South America is boiling with all kinds of political upheavals. Please pray for Venezuela, Argentina, Chile, Peru and Bolívia. Brazil has also had some setbacks and needs your prayer, too.
I am in the process of renewing my outboard motors. My 60HP and 25HP are both over 10 years old. Calvary Baptist Church of Hurricane, West Virginia has provided the new 60HP. It has been ordered and is on the road somewhere between São Paulo and Cruzeiro do Sul. It has taken well over a month to get this thing rolling. The trucking company says the engine won’t be delivered until December 6. I have saved back a little money toward the new 25HP motor. It will cost about $5,000.00 with shipping cost included. My first 2 trips with this new engine are to take place in January 2020. One of these trips is to the Purús River. We just sent a new missionary couple there and I need to survey the river from the bridge crossing to Santa Rosa. I will trailer my boat and motor east for 280 miles to the bridge then make my way almost 300 miles up the Purús stopping at some 45 villages just to gather data. That data will be shared with our missionary Lucas. He will then begin the actual mission work along the river. Would you help me buy the new 25HP outboard? These may well be the last engines we ever have to buy for Mike Creiglow. I am now 71 years old. If these 2 engines last 10 more years (like the old ones did) then I would be 81 and it might just be time to slow down and let others take over. We will see what the Lord wants to happen.
Thanks for all of your prayers and support. God bless you as much as He has us.
In Christ,
Mike Creiglow
Mike and Beverly Creiglow
Caixa Postal 24
Cruzeiro do Sul, Acre, Brazil 69980
mdcreig [at] hotmail.com
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The Lord Shall Fight for You
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 with premature babies.
November 5, 2019
Dear praying friends,
Another month has come and passed quickly, and we are now near the holiday season. We wish each of you a happy holiday season and upcoming time with your families. We are blessed this year to have my wife’s sister visit with us later this month, so this will help us during this time on the mission field. Please pray for her and her safety while she travels, as well as her return to America, Lord willing.
Please pray for me as I (Nathan) am continuing to disciple younger Kenyan men in the Word of God. I have been in the village of Wiyeta for a few months now and am thankful for the men that God has provided. They desire to learn the Word, and Lord willing, to go out and reach others. Today I began a lesson on prayer in which we looked at the importance of prayer, why should I pray, an example of a Biblical prayer (Colossians 1:3-13), and how to pray. This was just a basic overview on prayer and I plan to go deeper in the next couple of weeks. We studied 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;” The idea is to persist in prayer – don’t give up. Trust God to answer in His way and His time. We also looked at the example of Jesus. Mark 1:35 says, “And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed.” Jesus prayed early in the morning, went to a place with no distractions, and gave us a good example to follow. Please continue to pray for the men and their spiritual growth.
I recently taught at the Annex prison on Moses and the Red Sea, as well as the manna that God provided while the Israelites were in the desert. Although Pharaoh was trying to recapture the Israelites, God protected them and made a way when there was no way. Even when being pursued relentlessly, Moses trusted in God and told the Israelites to also believe God. Moses was encouraging the people to have courage and believe God in an impossible situation. Exodus 14:14 says “The Lord shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace.” Do we have the same faith today to trust Him to fight for us? He will fight for us as we trust and follow Him. Please pray for the men that are coming and that even others would attend in the future.
The school will be closing for several weeks during the holiday season, so please be praying for our daughters at this time. They sometimes get bored and miss school, so please pray for them to have some activities during this break period. There is also another young girl their age here now in Kitale, so this helps as well. We trust in God’s provisions each day.
We wish each of you a wonderful Thanksgiving and upcoming Christmas. As I think of Thanksgiving, I am reminded of 1 Thessalonians 5:18, which says “In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.” God bless and we will keep you updated.
In Kenya,
Nathan & Carrie Radford
Nathan and Carrie Radford
P.O. Box 4150
Kitale, Kenya
East Africa 30200
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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The Good, the Bad, & the Ugly
Bobby and Charlene Wacaser have served the Lord as church planters in Curitiba, Parana, Brazil, since 1985.
November 3, 2019
Dear Friends,
Let me tell you about the good, the bad and the ugly. We are so blessed of the Lord in more ways than I can fully share, but one of them is that almost all of our evangelistic efforts in the public venues are very well received by civic leaders. This past month we were ministering in several neighborhoods of Rio de Janeiro. All of the schools received our team with open arms, except one. They did allow us to come in and to talk in front of the student body about avoiding illegal drugs, about suicide and depression, etc., but they warned us not to teach “religion” or to mention Jesus while using the microphone. That was the bad, but we were allowed to do our dramatic skits, which are done in mime, where Jesus was clearly portrayed as coming from the Father and giving his life as a sacrifice for man’s sin and resurrecting again. So, we still got to “preach” the gospel publicly and after the presentation ended, we were able to speak one-on-one with those who came to us privately to know more about what was presented in the dramas. That situation also helped to remind us that we are truly ministering in a world that is hostile to the Lord, but ultimately under His command. On the human level it is always a little disheartening to confront this type of resistance, but the Lord strengthened our faith by touching hearts even where our enemy sought to close the doors.
Two weeks ago, we launched a Jiu-Jitsu class at our church facilities on two days of the week. We have a very dedicated church member who is a black-belt instructor of Jiu-Jitsu and he has been asking me if we could provide these classes as a way to draw people from the neighborhood to the classes where the martial art is taught, but also to share Christ with the students. I thought it would be a great opportunity and we have 16 students already participating. We begin the classes with a time of devotional teaching and prayer, and we end with a reminder of the lesson taught. I joined the class myself, hoping to stay better fit and also to encourage others to participate.
Charlene is working with several of our volunteer ladies getting ready for our final couples’ event of the year. She always works hard and does a great job of preparing the environment for a meeting where the couples can enjoy themselves, relax and focus on listening to biblical marriage counseling and an evangelistic message. We are expecting a good crowd this month and we hope to leave the couples with a strong desire to be better mates and better fitted for serving the Lord as families.
Thank you for praying for us and for your faithful support. We know that God’s blessings will rest on you who seek to serve Him. Please know that He is using you beyond your own sphere of influence.
In Christ’s love,
Bobby and Charlene Wacaser
Bobby and Charlene Wacaser
Rua Laudelino Ferreira Lopes, 279
Sobrado 1, Novo Mundo
81050-310 Curitiba, PR. Brasil
Phone: 55-41-99899-2333
bobbymichael_1[at]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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Malaria, Moving, URBC Attendees Migrate to New Location
The Tate Family has served the Lord in Kitale, Kenya since January 2008. Their main ministry is church planting.
October 26, 2019
Greetings in the name of Jesus Christ,
I don’t know exactly how long this newsletter will be this month. It may be short because as I write this update, I am sick as a dog with malaria. I felt it coming on this morning after I woke up and within an hour all the symptoms were raging. No fun, this malaria.
So, a few quick updates. First, by the time some of you read this I will turning 50 years old. Half a century may not sound like a lot to some of you, but it sounds like a lot to me. The hair is graying, the beard is graying, and the body is aching (most of that today, however, is from the malaria). I hope I have gained some wisdom and experience in these 50 years, though. Honestly, I think most of any wisdom I may have gained has come in the last 12 years of being on the mission field. Believe me, being in a foreign country and a foreign culture for that long will definitely change a person. Maybe some for better and maybe some for the worse. But either way I am still in the hands of God and covered in the blood of Jesus. Thank you, God, for your sovereignty, wisdom and goodness.
Second, we have moved into a new house this past month. In the past 12 years prices in Kenya have gone way, way up and we decided we could no longer afford to live in our previous house and compound. We have moved to a shared compound and a smaller house. In case “shared compound” is an unfamiliar term to you, it means a yard enclosed by hedges with multiple residences on it. We hope the smaller place and the shared expenses will help our finances.
Third, Upper Room Baptist Chapel is doing well since we moved to the new venue. All of the regular attenders for our worship services have migrated to the new location with us and we have lost no one. Our main room where we now worship is considerably smaller than our old location and I’ve mentioned to our group that if we grow much more, we will have to go to two services. They all laugh at me and remind me that this is Kenya. They say we could easily fit two to three times more people in the room. That may be a stretch but I guess this being Kenya we probably could cram a lot more people into the room before it becomes too uncomfortable. One blessing of the new location is that it makes it a lot easier for Julie and Chloe to attend each week. Chloe did not do well in the other venue for various reasons. She does much better in the new location, for which Julie and I are very thankful.
I am currently preaching through the book of Galatians on Sunday mornings at the Chapel. What a wonderful and foundational book for Christianity and Christians today. My works and righteousness cannot add anything to the work of Jesus on my behalf. Faith in our beloved Savior is the only thing that can save me. Our people here in Kenya need to hear this age-old Biblical teaching and to learn to live by faith and in the Spirit.
Blessings to you all,
Roger, Julie, Amy, Josiah & Chloe
rojuta[at]gmail.com
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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 – November 2019 Issue [Online Edition]
The Online Edition of November 2019 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.
Note: You can click on any headline to view the story on our blog.
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Seminary Classes in São Paulo
The Hensleys have spent nearly 20 years serving in Brazil. They have established a church in Caraguatatuba and mission points throughout the city. They have also recently started a seminary to train pastors.
October 27, 2019
Dear friends and family,
This month has been fast and furious. Barbara left on the 1st of the month and I and Pastor Russell Zik from Durbin Memorial Baptist Church left on the 10th. We went to Caragua to visit the grand kids and Pastor Zik preached at Caragua Baptist Church.
We left Caragua Monday morning, driving to Garça, São Paulo. We got there around 6:00 and the first class started at 7:30. We were expecting 5 to 8 students and God sent 20. There are so many times that we sorely underestimate the Lord. The class that was taught was Pastoral Ministries. Out of the 20 students there were 8 pastors. The rest were church workers. This class was to be the last class taught in Garça but God had other plans for this area. We now have 21 students interested in continuing the seminary there in Garça. Again, we underestimated the Lord. During this week, one of the students called us to ask if we could come to his work to present the gospel. We found out that he works at a prison and the warden wanted us to preach to the prisoners. We did not hesitate nor think twice. Pastor Russell brought a salvation message and there were 12 inmates that made commitments. These inmates were getting ready to be released so God’s Word will be going home with these 12 people. There are many ways to spread the Word and we do not think of not even half of them. We serve an AWESOME God!
Pastor Zik and Barbara came back to the States and I met Pastor Greg Waltermire and Pastor Derek Coleman at the airport. And with this, we begin another week. Pastor Coleman of Gardenside Baptist Church is headed to Campins where he will be teaching Survey of the New Testament. And Pastor Waltermire of Heritage Baptist Church will stay in São Paulo to teach History of Christianity.
There were 29 students in the São Paulo class. One of the students got to class late on Monday and he told us that he had left home at 4:00 in the morning and only got to São Paulo after 7:30 that night. How many of us would travel that far to study God’s Word? He is staying with local pastors for the week. Another of the students is the Doctor that was in the class last year. The students hosted a birthday party for her 83rd birthday. In this class there are 7 different denominations represented. Each of them will be taught Baptist doctrine this week and if they stay for next week’s classes, they will also hear the same Baptist doctrine. Again, God works in wondrous ways His miracles to perform.
In Campinas we were looking for 20 students and there were only 11 students that showed up. But like the preacher who preached his whole sermon when only one person came to church, when he was asked why, he explained it this way: if you went to feed your cows and only one came you would not go home without feeding that one. So, the students received the whole class even though only less than half of the students showed up.
In these two weeks we will have had 5 classes in three cities to 60 students. More than 25 of these of these are pastors, serving 22 churches. It is hard to say how many people will be reached through these men.
I told you last month of my doctor’s appointment. Well I have had that appointment and the report is as follows: the test for the PSA is non-detectable, which means the cancer is not showing up on their test. What an AWESOME God we serve. I will have another checkup in 6 months and I am expecting to hear the same news.
Here are some pix.
In His service,
AJ and Barbara
Aj and Barbara Hensley
ajcaragua[at]gmail.com
Like them on Facebook.
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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