Missionary Update: The Tates on Furlough from Kenya [December 2013]
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 season in which we celebrate the birth of our Lord is now upon us. Lights are being displayed on houses. Festive music plays on radio stations and in all the stores. Black Friday money has already been spent. Church choirs prepare for cantatas while children are preparing their plays and memorizing their lines, all of which will revolve around the baby Jesus. Holiday food will be consumed in mass amounts: Turkey, ham, cookies, fruitcake, punch, dressing, sweet breads, etc. It is a great time to be in the United States. We always look forward to spending Christmastime in America if possible. I love the joy of the season.
Christmastime in Kenya is much different. Not as much joy. Holiday food consists of everyday fare like ugali (corn meal) and sukumawiki (cooked greens) or for the more fortunate, an anemic chicken. I have yet to see a children’s play. There is no such thing as Black Friday. Lights are non-existent and festive music rare. All of these things are simply not part of the Kenyan culture in Kitale. And yet Christians in Kenya are able to celebrate the exact same thing that Christians in America celebrate, namely, the coming of the Messiah, the coming of the Savior, the coming of the King.
As I progress through this holiday season I want to keep in mind what we share in celebration with the churches in Kenya and the churches where other BFM missionaries are found in Peru, France and Brazil, and the churches all around the world. That common thread through them all is the entrance of our Savior and our King into this world.
In furlough news, our travels have taken us to numerous states. We have reported on our Kenyan work in:
Ohio: Emmanuel Baptist in Bellbrook (Pastor Darrell Messer), Cornerstone Baptist in Cincinnati (Pastor Jonathan Gordon), Covenant Baptist in Dayton (Pastor Kelvin Benton), Union Baptist in Union (Pastor Bruce Winner)
West Virginia: Calvary in Hurricane (Pastor Jeff Hurst), Mt. Calvary in Charleston (Pastor Jesse Waggoner)
Kentucky: Emmanuel Baptist in Salyersville (Pastor Mark Campbell), Emmanuel Baptist in Oldtown (Pastor John Lybrook)
Michigan: Grace Baptist in Holly (Pastor Bob Hopkins), Lake Road Baptist in Clio (Pastor Doug Armstrong), New Hope Baptist in Dearborn (Pastor Terry Atkins)
Thank you, Lord Jesus, for loving us. Thank you for your churches that you have established in America, in Kenya, in Peru, France and Brazil, and all around the world. Thank you that they continue to proclaim your truth and your name on earth. Thank you for empowering them with your Holy Spirit to accomplish your purpose of spreading your kingdom to the ends of the earth. I pray that you would strengthen your churches that are called by your name. I pray that they would be kingdom minded. I pray that they would shine your light and your love to this lost world. I ask that they would stand firm on the truth in your word. I pray that through your churches you would receive honor and glory and praise. Amen.
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)
rojuta[at]gmail.com
Visit their blog!
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FaithWORKS Report [November 2013]
PRAY AND PRAISE in this issue…
- ODALI AND KATHY BARROS – PRAISE GOD for the people God continues to save in the church in Garca and for the smooth transition of leadership there. PRAISE GOD for the opportunities the Lord has given them to minister to Haitans who are working in the vicinity and for providing a French interpreter for them to witness to them. PRAY that the Lord will continue to give them guidance and provision for their transition into their new ministry.
- HAROLD BRATCHER – PRAISE GOD for providing them with a new home in Lexington KY where they are now living. PRAY that the Lord will continue to give him joy and a fruitful ministry in this season of his life. NOTE his new address on his newsletter.
- JOHN AND ALTA HATCHER – PRAISE GOD for the moving tribute Brother John gives to his dear wife, Alta – and all the missionary-wives. PRAISE GOD for them…and for the missionary children and families they have given to the Lord and His Kingdom.
- JOHN AND JUDY HATCHER – PRAISE GOD for the numbers of French people the Lord has given them to witness to – and saved. PRAISE GOD for the testimony of the sister the Lord has brought to them from another city and PRAISE GOD for His marvelous Providences that direct our paths and steps through life. PRAY for the family of the troubled believer who took her own life.
- JUDSON AND RAQUEL HATCHER – PRAISE GOD for the effective services and outreaches of Active Baptist Church. PRAY that God will give them wisdom and direction in their need to relocate their worship and ministry location. PRAY that God will give them hope, peace, and joy in their family’s sorrows they have suffered.
- NATHAN AND CARRIE RADFORD – PRAY that God will preserve and maintain the churches and outreach ministries in Kenya during their absence. PRAY that God will provide them with housing while on furlough. Read their newsletter for the specifics of their needs. PRAY that the Lord will give them wisdom and strength for their travels visiting with family and churches.
- SHERIDAN AND ANITA STANTON – PRAISE GOD for the visitors they have been receiving from the States. PRAY that God will provide their need for finances to complete the construction for the new Calvary Baptist Mission.
- ROGER AND JULIE TATE – PRAY that God will give them wisdom, patience, encouragement, and strength for all the challenges they will be facing and adjustments they will making during their furlough time here in the States.
- BOBBY AND CHARLENE WACASER – PRAISE GOD for the growth of the leaders God is raising up under their ministry. PRAISE GOD for delivering them from many adversities. PRAY for the upcoming ministries and for Bobby’s complete healing from his recent surgery.
THIS MONTH’S UPDATED REPORT…
WE CANNOT OVER-EMPHASIZE OUR MISSIONARIES’ NEEDS FOR BOTH INCREASED MONTHLY GENERAL FUND OFFERINGS – AND A VERY GENEROUS THANKSGIVING OFFERING!
Most of you are aware that the way your missionaries’ support offerings are administered through Baptist Faith Missions is that they are not required to spend months or even years doing deputation work and raising their own support funds. When a sending church asks Baptist Faith Missions to help them support their missionary – when the missionary is approved for support – Baptist Faith Missions makes certain financial commitments to them to supply their living and ministry needs – always with the understanding that we will disburse those commitments ‘as the Lord supplies’ the necessary funds.
All of those commitments are supplied from the GENERAL FUND. If the offerings are given to the General Fund, then we disburse those commitments to the missionaries. If the offerings are not given to the General Fund, then we don’t…we can’t…disburse what we do not receive.
When we don’t receive in General Fund offerings what we have committed to give the missionaries, then we reduce the amounts of those commitments by the same amounts we have not received. It is really that simple…and that painful!
I am writing now just after making the missionaries’ November support disbursements. We incurred a significant deficit in our General Fund offerings for November. So, what I had to do was proportionately divide up the deficit in funds not received [$4076.15] and reduce each missionary’s monthly support deposit by that amount. [Actually, the amount of the General Fund deficit from October’s offerings was $7475.79 – but we supplied $3399.64 from carried-over funds given for our Founders Day offerings back in June-July.]
Just ask any of our missionaries
how seriously these reductions impact them and their ministries –
and they can tell you!
We are asking each Giving Friend who loves and supports our missionaries to ask the Lord: “How much can I increase my monthly offerings to the GENERAL FUND?” If you are not giving to the GENERAL FUND, please know that the best way you can be sure your missionaries’ needs are being fully supplied is by giving generously, regularly, and faithfully to the GENERAL FUND. Otherwise, we will have to reduce the commitments we have made to them by the same amount we do not receive.
We heartily invite you to join us for the 59th Annual Thanksgiving Missions Conference in the interests of BAPTIST FAITH MISSIONS.
November 25-27, 2013
New Hope Baptist Church
Dearborn Heights, MI
Pastor Terry Adkins
Conference Theme: “Redeemed How I Love to Proclaim It” – Psalm 107:2-3
A full post with details can be found here.
For directions to New Hope Baptist Church and/or information on lodging please contact:
Pastor Terry Adkins | (313) 562-5579 | pastorterrynewhope[at]yahoo.com
THANKSGIVING OFFERING
Please be making your plans to give as generously as the LORD enables you to our upcoming Thanksgiving Offering. We encourage EVERY friend of our missionaries to be a GIVING FRIEND!
Pastors, will you be willing to announce and promote the Thanksgiving Offering in your church – and encourage your people to give to it? Our missionaries’ needs continue to be great and the Thanksgiving Offering is essential to providing those financial commitments we have made to them.
We continue to struggle every month just to maintain the commitments we have made to our missionaries – but we want to do so much more than just MAINTAIN. We want to INCREASE and ADD TO the provisions of their needs.
And, remember – you can give your Thanksgiving Offering either through your church’s offering, or by mailing your personal check to our Treasurer, or by giving online through our website www.baptistfaithmissions.org ‘Donate/Support’ tab.
Click here to make a one-time donation.
Click here to set up a recurring donation.
Block these dates and plan to attend…
2014 BFM WINTER MISSIONS CONFERENCE
January 19-22 | Sunday-Wednesday
PARK RIDGE BAPTIST CHURCH, Gotha FL [Orlando-area]
“LIGHT IN THE DARKNESS”
For more details, contact Pastor Ben Glover
BentonGlover[at]aol.com | 407.719.9861
Read more
2013-2014 Thanksgiving Offering
2013-14 THANKSGIVING OFFERING
Please be making your plans to give as generously as the LORD enables you to our upcoming Thanksgiving Offering. We encourage EVERY friend of our missionaries to be a GIVING FRIEND!
Pastors, will you be willing to announce and promote the Thanksgiving Offering in your church – and encourage your people to give to it? Our missionaries’ needs continue to be great and the Thanksgiving Offering is essential to providing those financial commitments we have made to them.
And, remember – you can give your Thanksgiving Offering either through your church’s offering, or by mailing your personal check to our Treasurer, or by giving online through our website www.baptistfaithmissions.org ‘Donate/Support’ tab and typing in Thanksgiving Offering in the memo field.
Click here to make a one-time donation.
Click here to set up a recurring donation.
A PERSONAL APPEAL FROM YOUR DIRECTORS
We who serve you and our missionaries as Directors have embraced the responsibility of acquainting you with their needs and appealing to you on their behalf. We represent them and their needs to you.
Baptist Faith Missions administers support contributions for twelve families of sound, committed, and faithful missionaries who are sacrificially serving the Lord in the nations where the Holy Spirit has called and sent them to minister. They have gone to their respective fields of service upon the commitment from us, their financial supporters, that if they will answer the Lord’s call to go where He sends them, we will give the offerings needed to supply their needs.
But, the only financial commitments we Directors have resources to give them are: “We will do everything we can to make your needs known to our supporting churches and friends and then forward them to you ‘as the Lord provides.’ If the Lord provides the support funds we have committed, then we will send them to you; if the Lord does not provide what we have committed, then we will send you what we have.”
WHAT DO WE DO WITH MONTHLY GENERAL FUND OFFERINGS?
WE NEED $46,600.00 EVERY MONTH IN OUR MONTHLY GENERAL FUND OFFERINGS TO SUPPLY THE MONTHLY ‘ESSENTIAL MAINTENANCE TRANSACTIONS’ OUR MISSIONARIES NEED JUST TO MAINTAIN THEIR DAILY LIVES AND MINISTRIES. This amount is for those 12 missionary families’ salaries, housing and ministry expenses allowances, hospitalization premiums, and the costs of publishing their newsletters and correspondences with you in The Mission Sheets. These commitments are funded by our monthly contributions to the GENERAL FUND. If we do not receive sufficient funds EACH MONTH, then we must reduce the commitments proportionately among them in the amount of the deficit of the monthly GENERAL FUND supplies.
So far in 2013, it has become necessary to reduce their monthly committed funds by an accrued total of $6800.00 divided proportionately among them. It may be necessary to do so again before the year is completed.
WHAT DO WE DO WITH THE ANNUAL THANKSGIVING OFFERING?
THE THANKSGIVING OFFERING IS USED TO SUPPLY ALL THE OTHER SUPPORT SERVICES AND BENEFITS WE PROVIDE FOR THEM THROUGHOUT THE YEAR AS THOSE COMMITMENTS BECOME DUE. Last year’s Thanksgiving Offering was $52,348.17. We are here in October at the time of this appeal, and those funds are all but depleted. We have been serving our 12 missionary families throughout the year with these funds. And, some of those services and benefits which are supplied from the Thanksgiving Offering were either not granted or were only partially granted due to shortages in the Thanksgiving Offering funds.
WE NEED A VERY GENEROUS THANKSGIVING OFFERING TO EXCEED LAST YEAR’S AMOUNT TO FULLY SUPPLY THEIR NEEDS THROUGHOUT 2014.
WE ARE, FIRST OF ALL, ASKING OUR HEAVENLY FATHER
We want to tell you something else: we also know that before we appeal to you, WE MUST APPEAL TO OUR HEAVENLY FATHER. He is the One who created, owns, and transfers all of the assets that are in the world…and which He has committed to our stewardship. Our Lord Jesus Christ taught us and promised us two different times in Matthew, chapter 6, that our Heavenly Father knows what we need before we ask Him (verses 8 & 32).
So, WE ARE, FIRST OF ALL, CALLING ON GOD to see their needs and hear our appeals. We are calling on our Father to please arise and give us “bread” to set before our friends as our Lord taught us to pray in the parable He preached in Luke 11.1-13. Then, we are asking Him to give every one of us His Grace and move our hearts to respond to Him. Our missionaries are His servants, they are ministering His Gospel, and they are aiming at His Glory in everything they do.
Click here to make a one-time donation.
Click here to set up a recurring donation.
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FaithWORKS [October 2013]
PRAY AND PRAISE in this issue…
- ODALI AND KATHY BARROS – PRAY that the Lord will give them wisdom and direction as they seek new places to evangelize and plant churches in the vicinities around Manaus, Brazil. PRAY for the Lord’s protection upon them as they move. PRAY for the continuing growth and outreach of the Lord’s churches in Garca. PRAY for the salvation of others in his family.
- MIKE AND BEVERLY CREIGLOW – PRAISE GOD for the good responses and participation in many family-oriented activities and outreaches. PRAISE GOD for good reports of people being saved in various churches and congregations. PRAY for struggling economies there, too. PRAY for strength for all their faithful workers.
- JOHN AND ALTA HATCHER – PRAY for the Lord to establish church starts and plants in several locations, especially from the Urai church. PRAY for healing for Sonha dos Santos. PRAISE GOD for new pastor and his family and the reports of God’s increase in the Assai church.
- PAUL AND WANDA HATCHER – PRAY for Brother Herman’s family. He was a faithful servant in the Tabernacle Baptist Church in Manaus who has been called Home to Heaven. PRAISE GOD for another church plant in Japiim.
- JOHN AND JUDY HATCHER – PRAY for their upcoming new year of Sunday School classes and also Fall-Break VBS. PRAISE GOD for the steady increase of numbers of believers who learning to be disciples and servants in the church. PRAY that God will develop and grow them.
- NATHAN AND CARRIE RADFORD – PRAY for all their preparations to come to the States for furlough…and for their safe travel here. PRAY also that the Lord will open up housing for them here in the States.
- SHERIDAN AND ANITA STANTON – PRAISE GOD for the purchase of the property and beginning of the work to build a chapel for the Calvary Baptist Mission in Huanuco. PRAISE GOD also for the opportunities and prospects of expanding their teaching and training with new technologies. PRAY that God will supply all the funds they need for these new outreaches.
- ROGER AND JULIE TATE – PRAY that God will continue to give them spiritual and physical strength to embark on their Stateside travels. PRAY that God will refresh their physical and spiritual strength. PRAY for the family of their dear friend from Kitale who was murdered in the recent terrorist attacks at the Westgate Mall in Nairobi.
- BOBBY AND CHARLENE WACASER – PRAISE GOD for the faithful servants the Lord is raising up in the churches there to increase their outreach into other cities. PRAY for the repair of their Project Life bus that was damaged in the recent accident – and for the funds to put it back into service.
We heartily invite you to join us for the 59th Annual Thanksgiving Missions Conference in the interests of BAPTIST FAITH MISSIONS.
November 25-27, 2013
New Hope Baptist Church
Dearborn Heights, MI
Pastor Terry Adkins
Conference Theme: “Redeemed How I Love to Proclaim It” – Psalm 107:2-3
A full post with details can be found here.
For directions to New Hope Baptist Church and/or information on lodging please contact:
Pastor Terry Adkins | (313) 562-5579 | pastorterrynewhope[at]yahoo.com
THANKSGIVING OFFERING
Please be making your plans to give as generously as the LORD enables you to our upcoming Thanksgiving Offering. We encourage EVERY friend of our missionaries to be a GIVING FRIEND!
Pastors, will you be willing to announce and promote the Thanksgiving Offering in your church – and encourage your people to give to it? Our missionaries’ needs continue to be great and the Thanksgiving Offering is essential to providing those financial commitments we have made to them.
We continue to struggle every month just to maintain the commitments we have made to our missionaries – but we want to do so much more than just MAINTAIN. We want to INCREASE and ADD TO the provisions of their needs.
And, remember – you can give your Thanksgiving Offering either through your church’s offering, or by mailing your personal check to our Treasurer, or by giving online through our website www.baptistfaithmissions.org ‘Donate/Support’ tab.
Click here to make a one-time donation.
Click here to set up a recurring donation.
Read more
Prayer Request: Projeto Vida Wreck in Brazil
From Bobby Wacaser, Missionary to Brazil on September 11, 2013
My dear brothers and sisters in Christ, please pray for our ministry partners, Projeto Vida! I just got word from Pastor Paulo that our Alpha team was involved in a collision with a small delivery truck. The driver and the passenger in the truck were killed. On our bus/motorhome there were some cuts and bruises, but nothing extremely serious.
Our prayers are with the families of the occupants of the truck. May the Lord comfort them and use this event to help them find Him to be their only source of strength and hope. Our prayers are with Victor, our driver who is terribly shaken by this event and all the other 12 missionaries who, too, are understandably distraught at this time. Thank you for your prayers.
Read more
FaithWORKS Report [September 2013]
PRAY AND PRAISE in this issue…
- ODALI AND KATHY BARROS – PRAISE GOD for the ministries of past and present BFM missionaries in the lives of other BFM missionaries. Read how Bobby Creiglow and John and Alta Hatcher have been instrumental in these ministries that are still going on. PRAY that God will direct the steps and course of their future ministry.
- HAROLD BRATCHER – PRAY for God to give him strength to continue serving Him in his ministry here in the States. PRAISE GOD for providing the way for him to purchase and move into his new home.
- MIKE AND BEVERLY CREIGLOW – PRAY that God will give all of them full recovery from the sicknesses they have suffered. PRAY ALSO that God will provide the needed funds to make the payments on their new property purchase. PRAISE GOD for the new works that are flourishing and for increased fruitfulness in their established churches.
- JOHN AND ALTA HATCHER – PRAISE GOD for the encouragements they receive from conversations and visits from their faithful children…and for the continuing good reports, especially from Assai.
- PAUL AND WANDA HATCHER – PRAISE GOD for the fruitful response from their recent Men’s Camp. PRAY that God will raise up more men and women to be faithful servants of the Lord. PRAY also for Herman and his wife during this health crisis.
- JOHN AND JUDY HATCHER – PRAISE GOD for the work of God’s Grace in the hearts and lives of people they have witnessed to for years. PRAY always for the seeds they are sowing every day in every conversation. PRAY that God will give them strength and encouragement in their daily Bible Studies and witnessing opportunities.
- AJ AND BARBARA HENSLEY – PRAISE GOD for the continued growth of their church, and for the helpers the Lord has sent them from the States. PRAY for the pastoral assistant who is coming to help them in their church. PRAY also for their upcoming Pastors’ Conference.
- NATHAN AND CARRIE RADFORD – PRAISE GOD for the new churches that have been established. PRAY that God will protect them during their upcoming furlough travels to the States.
- ROGER AND JULIE TATE – PRAISE GOD for their safe arrival in the States. PRAY for all the transitions they will be experiencing here over the next few months, and especially for their children’s adjustments to all their changes. PRAY also for their spiritual strength and revival as they re-connect with their families and home church – and visit other churches.
- BOBBY AND CHARLENE WACASER – PRAISE GOD for the response God has given them in their Bible-reading encouragement. PRAY for Charlene and her family in the recent death of her brother. PRAISE GOD for saving their PROJECT LIFE ministry team from more severe injuries in their recent auto accident.
We heartily invite you to join us for the 59th Annual Thanksgiving Missions Conference in the interests of BAPTIST FAITH MISSIONS.
November 25-27, 2013
New Hope Baptist Church
Dearborn Heights, MI
Pastor Terry Adkins
Conference Theme: “Redeemed How I Love to Proclaim It” – Psalm 107:2-3
A full post with details can be found here.
THANKSGIVING OFFERING
Please be making your plans to give as generously as the LORD enables you to our upcoming Thanksgiving Offering. We encourage EVERY friend of our missionaries to be a GIVING FRIEND!
Pastors, will you be willing to announce and promote the Thanksgiving Offering in your church – and encourage your people to give to it? Our missionaries’ needs continue to be great and the Thanksgiving Offering is essential to providing those financial commitments we have made to them.
We continue to struggle every month just to maintain the commitments we have made to our missionaries – but we want to do so much more than just MAINTAIN. We want to INCREASE and ADD TO the provisions of their needs.
And, remember – you can give your Thanksgiving Offering either through your church’s offering, or by mailing your personal check to our Treasurer, or by giving online through our website.
Click here to make a one-time donation.
Click here to set up a recurring donation.
Read more
2013 BFM Thanksgiving Conference
We heartily invite you to join us for the
59th Annual Thanksgiving Missions Conference
in the interests of BAPTIST FAITH MISSIONS
November 25-27, 2013 | New Hope Baptist Church
Dearborn Heights, MI | Pastor Terry Adkins
Conference Theme: “Redeemed How I Love to Proclaim It”
“Redeemed How I Love to Proclaim It”
– Psalm 107:2-3 –
Sister Sue Jones will be conducting a Bible Study during each session of the conference for children ages 3-10. Please bring your children.
Everyone is invited to sing in our Conference Choir on Monday evening at 6:45.
For directions to New Hope Baptist Church and/or information on lodging please contact:
Pastor Terry Adkins | (313) 562-5579 | pastorterrynewhope[at]yahoo.com
MONDAY EVENING, NOVEMBER 25
5:00 pm Dinner
6:30 pm Music
6:45 pm Singing
7:15 pm Message, Pastor George Sledd
Jordan Baptist Church, Sanford, FL
8:00 pm Singing
8:25 pm Message, Pastor Denny Herndon
Immanuel Baptist Church, Riverview, MI
TUESDAY MORNING, NOVEMBER 26
9:15 am Music
9:30 am Singing
9:45 am Message, Nathan Radford
Missionary, Kitale, Kenya, Africa
10:30 am Message, Harold Bratcher
Missionary, Brazil (retired)
11:10 am Break
11:15 am Message, Isaac Hiel
Former Missionary, Turkey
12:00 noon Lunch
TUESDAY AFTERNOON, NOVEMBER 26
1:30 pm BFM Advisory Meeting
(Everyone is invited to attend)
TUESDAY EVENING, NOVEMBER 26
5:00 pm Dinner
6:30 pm Music
6:45 pm Singing
7:15 pm Message, Pastor Gary Harrah
Grace Missionary Baptist Church, Wyandotte, MI
8:00 pm Singing
8:25 pm Message, Roger Tate
Missionary, Kitale, Kenya, Africa
WEDNESDAY MORNING, NOVEMBER 27
9:45 am Music
10:00 am Singing
10:15 am Message, Evangelist Bob Jones
Clays Mill Road Baptist Church, Lexington, KY
11:00 am Singing
11:15 am Message, Pastor Walter Jones
Warren Missionary Baptist Church, Warren, MI
12:00 noon Thanksgiving Lunch
———————————-
A Word document of the conference schedule is available for download here:
BFM 2013 Thanksgiving Conference Program
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Missionary Update: Odali & Kathy Barros in Brazil [September 2013]
- Odali and Kathy Barros have served the Lord in Sao Paulo, Brazil together since 1987. They are currently in the process of transitioning to Manaus to start sharing the Gospel and planting churches in villages along the river.
August 31, 2013
Greetings to all dear friends,
Twenty-seven years have passed since we began our ministry here in Sao Paulo. Looking back, it seems impossible that it has been that long. As we make new plans for our new place of work, we look back and see what God has allowed us to be a part of.
Our ministry with helping needy people, especially children, started in 1987 with a widow and her 5 children. Some of you may remember when we rented a home next to ours for them to live in. Those kids are all grown and on their own. As we come to a close of our ministry here, we were with these children as a new step in their lives took place. We buried the mother last Sunday. What an unusual situation. Our ministry started and ended with the same family. We praise God that she was saved. Her son Rodrigo is one of the teachers here in the Bible Institute.
Ever since I was saved, I have had the desire to work and reach people who lived in villages on the river. Ever since the home was closed and we could not reopen, we have been praying for God to show us what He wanted us to do and where. Last year in July, we had peace about where God wanted us. We then contacted the directors of BFM and informed them of our new plans. We appreciated their prayers for our move.
For the last year we have been getting thing ready for the changes here. One day at a time God has taken care of each detail. We have already started our move. We will be moving back to Manaus, Amazonas where Kathy and I met, got married, and started our work in the ministry. We have already sent to trucks of things. Wow–one can really accumulate many things in 27 years!!! We will be living across the river from Manaus on our land where we had a children’s home also. When we arrive, we will be visiting by road and by river the villages to see how many there are and if they have any Baptist work. We want to make a map of the cities and their sizes and their needs. Since roads have been opened, villages have started on roadsides. We will be using the big bus that we had at the home and we will need to purchase a boat for the river work. We are excited about the change–and what a change after 27 years of having dozens and even hundreds of people in our home every day. God has been good and we have been blessed in our ministry. Through good and hard times He has always been with us and given us the strength that only He can give.
I was saved through the work of a missionary from BFM who visited a village on the river, Bro. Bobby Creiglow. He visited my village once and when he left the village he believed it had not been worth the long trip. Little did He know that God had a purpose in that trip. I was not in the service he held, but my cousins told me about it and I wanted to know more about that God he had preached about.
So when my Grandmother got sick and had to go to Cruzeiro do Sul, I asked to go with her. When our boat arrived at the port, there stood the man that my cousin had mentioned. Not long after I was able to go to the church and hear the plan of salvation and receive God as my Savior. I thank God for those of you who have given so faithfully for so many years and continue to give. May God pour His blessing on your lives.
Please pray for us as we make our move. Everything is just about all packed. Kathy has been working hard to get things packed and things in order that need to be left for the church here. We are taking a couple that will be working with us in the ministry, Gilmar and his wife Lizene. She has worked with us for many years. Gilmar is a young man that came to live in the home and got saved here. We will support them, through the ministry.
Our main emphasis is preaching the gospel and church planting. It is amazing that everywhere you go you will find an Assembly of God church. We also plan on helping the communities in ways such as: education, clothing, health and food.
We would like to go to the U.S. some time in the near future. We applied for our sons’ immigrant visas over a year ago and we haven’t heard anything from the office since we paid all the fees. Please pray that they will arrive soon.
If you would like to know more you can contact us at : odali_kathy[at]hotmail.com.
Love in Christ,
Odali and Kathy
Tito, Jonas and Gabriel
Odali & Kathy Barros
odali_kathy[at]hotmail.com
Blog
Av. Victor Hugo Boaretto S/N
Garca, Sao Paulo 17.400,000
Brasil, SA
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