JOHN AND ALTA HATCHER.OCTOBER 2010

John and Alta Hatcher  |  Caixa Postal 112  |  Urai, PR – BRASIL 86280-000

jhatcher@uol.com.br

Dear Friends,

This has been a great month spiritually, but not so great physically for me. Alta, also, has some dental and gum problems.  Praise the Lord, they have been solved and she is feeling better.

On the 13^th of September, we flew to Manaus to be with our sons and their families for a few days and to attend the Workers Conference at the Chapada Baptist Church.  This Conference was held as part of the festivities celebrating 50 years of existence as a church.

Our son, David and his wife, Pennie, are the spiritual leaders.  This church was the first one we had the privilege to begin in Brazil.  The church has had several good pastors and the Lord has blessed through the years.

The church has just built a new building which will seat about four thousand people.

From September 22 to 26, the Chapada Church held a Conference for training workers in different areas.  There were 100 pastors who attended from eighteen States of Brazil.  On the 50^th Anniversary of the church, there were more than four thousand people present.

We praise God for His blessings on His work through the years.  The Chapada Church has fourteen churches and missions in Manaus and other States.  Our hearts were filled to overflowing with praise for our Lord.

Will you take a moment now to praise Him for goodness and blessings?  It is your work, also.

Continue to pray for the new building at Assai.  The builder of the prefabricated structure is dragging his feet.  Pray that he will complete the structure soon.

Old age is not just creeping up; it has got us.  But, we are still telling people that Jesus saves and trying to get a work started in the needy city of Assai.  We need your prayers.

In His Love and Grace, John and Alta Hatcher

JUDSON HATCHER.October 2010

Dear Friends,

In this months letter I’d like to share with you an opportunity I had of sharing Jesus to a man. I also want to tell you about some of the places we’ve been to preach and present the work in Brazil. If you’d like to have us come to our church or home, call me on my cellular phone at (859) 317-1192, or email me at judsonhatcher@gmail.com. An opportunity to serve is what we pray for!

Frantic Search

I have prayed the Lord would allow me to meet and witness to Brazilians who live in the States. As a result, one day when I was pulling into a parking space at Walmart I saw a car with a license plate with “BRZL” on it. As I was getting the kids out of the car a man walked up to the “BRZL” car. I approached and briefly spoke with him. He was from Portugal and his wife from Brazil.  He saw my kids and said he had a 4 year daughter who was on vacation with his wife in her home town. We didn’t speak much and went our ways. After a few minutes inside the store, the Portuguese man returned to the store and frantically began searching for me. Once he found us, he handed me a note with his name “Miguel” and phone number. He then said “I really need a friend, could you call me sometime. Actually, my wife left me and took my daughter. She tricked me into signing a consent form for our daughter to travel with her on vacation. A month later she called from Brazil and said they wouldn’t be returning.  I have not seen them in two months. I don’t have friends here & need someone who understands Portuguese to talk.” I shared Christ with him and have called him several times. I pray he will come to Christ soon. Please, pray for him.

These last few weeks the Lord has allowed us to visit several churches. We are grateful for the opportunity to share what God is doing in Brazil.

Thompson Road Baptist Church in Lexington, KY. Bro. Dave Parks and the church folks were very loving and caring. It was a real joy to be with them. As you know, Bro. Parks is the executive secretary of BFM. He has personally been a blessing to us in many ways, but especially in loving our children. The kids always look forward to seeing him.

Bluegrass Baptist Church in Lexington, KY. Bro. Donavan Stewart invited us to come share with them. Bro. Donavan and I have become good friends. His wife and kids have also been good friends to my wife and children. He is also the Lexington, KY Police Chaplain. He has introduced me to several of his friends at the LPD and to other pastors.

Bible Baptist Church in Harrisburg, IL. Bro Art Donley is the pastor there and is also on the board of directors of BFM.  Upon our arrival at the church we received a big, loving, enthusiastic bear hug! What a loving man. It was a real joy meeting the folks at the church. This was our first visit with them. The kids loved playing in the gym and the toys in the fellowship hall. Bro. Art Donley has already invited us to come back.

Bluegrass Baptist School in Lexington, KY. Bro. Steve Wainright is the interim principal. He was instrumental in getting our daughter Sarah enrolled at the school this year. I also studied here during my kindergarten and 7^th grade. Bro. Steve invited me to speak for chapel again. I enjoy speaking to the students for they are always so attentive. This is the school my aunt Lynn (Hatcher) McGary started in the 1969 at Fellowship Baptist Church as printed in the BGBS Beacon of 1976.

Over the next few weeks we look forward to being at:

• First Baptist Church, Science Hill, KY (Bro. Ed Massey)
• East Keys Baptist Church, Springfield, IL (Bro. Dan Hillard)
• Faith Baptist Church, Kirksville, MO (Bro. Glenn Archer)
• Calvary Baptist Church, Richmond, KY (Bro. Bobby Greene)
• New Hope Baptist Church, Dearborn Heights, MI (Bro. Terry Adkins)

It is such a blessing for us to be in the States and to serve the Lord as missionaries in Brazil. Thank you for your prayer and financial support. We are grateful.

We still have many dates available. If you’d like for us to come to your church and present the work in Brazil, please contact me at your earliest convenience.

Grateful always, Jud Hatcher

(859) 317-1192  |  judsonhatcher@gmail.com

PAUL HATCHER.October 2010

Dear friends,

National Pastors’ Conference This month we had our annual meeting with missionaries and pastors. 11 states and 17 area mission works were present with us here in Manaus. We scheduled our event so that these men could also participate in the Chapada Baptist Church home coming and conference (This is the church my father John A. Hatcher started 50 years ago.) We had good fellowship and encouragement.

Churches are all growing and looking forward to implementing the vision.

Red Tape To no surprise, the enemy is at large and strategizing to make life harder on churches to function. The government has just added an “Annual Church Permit” for churches to function. Congregations must renew the permit yearly in order to perform weekly meetings and activities within the licensed year. Basically, this adds more red tape for churches.

Presidential elections Brazil has a multiparty political system. Elections were held just recently, but none of the candidates received over 50% of the votes. If a single candidate does not receive over 50% of the vote, a run off election occurs.  At the end of November the two most voted presidential candidates from the 1^st round will be on the ballet for Brazilians to choose a new president. Pray for all that are in authority in government. 1 Timothy 2:1-3 “1 I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; 2For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty.  3For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour;’

Family News As a result of the Chapada Baptist Church home coming several family members flew into Manaus. We had a small family reunion during this time and present were John & Alta, John & Judy, David & Pennie, Odali & Kathy. We had a fabulous time as a family. It is very encouraging to see how the Lord has led us and our families to serve Him in so many parts of the world.

Pray for Michael Samples.  He will have to undergo gallbladder surgery.

Paul & Wanda Hatcher

HAROLD BRATCHER.OCTOBER 2010

Rua Francisco Jose Furtado 2, São Francisco, Manaus, Amazonas, 69079-200

Brazil, South America.  011-55-92-36112331; harold_bratcher@yahoo.com

October 11, 2010

Dear Brothers of the Blessed and Sisters of the Savior:

Once again we greet you in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ from the land of eternal summer.  By God’s grace we are able to once again greet you.  The city of Manaus and the whole state of the Amazonas are hot and dry!  The river has set a record low!  This MS month began September 9th and ends today, October 11th.  During this period, I preached 5 sermons and heard 7.  Sunday night the 26th of September, an eight year old boy made a profession of faith.  Anderson do Espirito Santo’s father is not a believer.  His mother is a faithful and active member of the 24th of March BC.  His two older sisters are also faithful members.  His twin sister, Amanda has not made a profession.  Pray for Anderson, his parents and his three sisters.

During the same period I heard seven sermons preached by six different preachers. Most of the six were laymen.  One of the sermons was preached by Pastor Mickey Hyder of the David’s Fork Baptist Church.  He preached his message in English and Dr. Asa Mark Bratcher translated his message into Portuguese. Five of Bro. Mickey’s members were present at the 24th of March BC where I serve as pastor. The six of them had arrived from Lexington, Kentucky the day before.  The six visitors visited us, Marie and me at our home the day they arrived and the day before they left.  Also we were blessed with the presence of a faithful member of the New Jerusalem Baptist Church in the interior, Elizete Ribeiro da Silva, who spent three nights with us.

Once again, we ask you to pray for Harold and Marie Bratcher because we grow less wise and weaker as the days are going by.

“Now concerning the collection”, we encourage you, readers of the MS to not forget the regular funds, the car fund, and last but not least, the Harold Bratcher funds.   We thus encourage you with the promise of I Corinthians 15:58: “Therefore my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, for as much as you know, that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.”  We thank all of you who have contributed to the regular fund and to our designated funds.

Please continue to pray for us that we will be steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord. Also pray for Asa Mark’s mother in law Sis. Lucilia, who has been in the hospital for two weeks.  She has diabetes, among other ailments. We thank all of you.  May the Lord Bless you is our prayer.  We love all of you in the Lord.

Yours in the Service of the Savior:  Harold and Marie Bratcher.

A. J. HENSLEY.OCTOBER 2010

Dear friends,
I no sooner turn around and another month is gone. But that’s OK because it gives us a chance to look back to see what has happened and lets us plan for the future.

This has been one of our most active months here in Brasil. Between funerals, ministry, discipleship, and construction it is just AWESOME what is getting done here.

Our new mission Church is going AWESOME.  For about 3 weeks straight, we were averaging in the 80`s; however we have slowed somewhat to the mid 70`s.  We are planning a baptism on the 24th of this month. We have between 20 to 30 candidates for baptism. How AWESOME He is!!!!!!

The discipleship we are doing is really taking from our schedules;  however, the results are worth it all. When your students come and ask how can they better study the Bible, it just makes you want to jump for joy.  Don´t tell anyone –but I can´t remember when I have had so much fun.

We have a couple that we are discipling and their backgrounds are opposite. He was raised in another denomination, and she was raised without any Church background. They are growing with leaps and bounds. He is knowledgeable in the Bible and she is not.  To watch them grow in the Lord is amazing.  He is wanting to work more in the Church, i.e., driving the Church van and working at the Church when he is not working his own business. (He installs air conditioning and works on appliances). And she is like a sponge, the more she learns the more she wants to know. He is in his late 40´s and now he is calling me Dad.

When you are starting a new mission there are always many needs and this time is no different. One of our greatest needs is transportation. Our van is doing more than double time work and still we need help with the transportation. This said, maybe this helps you understand that one of our primary needs right now is a bus. A dependable bus will run around $35,000 dollars or more. With the exchange of the dollar falling every day it will probably cost more. Pray with us for this need.

About the building that we are renting for our Church services: it is a warehouse and property which includes 3 rooms and one bath.  The main structure (the warehouse) opens into the area that is between it and the 3 rooms and one bathroom. We are remodeling the warehouse to be the meeting area and the 3 rooms are serving as Sunday School rooms. We had to take the small kitchen area and make it into a second bathroom.  Now we don´t have a line at the door of the one bathroom door. Now like all good Baptists, we are in need of a kitchen.  We are now using a 2 burner gas camp stove and the refrigerator sits alongside it. And it is always cool in the makeshift kitchen as it all sits outside  And with the rate of growth we are having we also need more Sunday School rooms.

At this time I am looking at how I can meet these needs but building temporarily because we are renting the area and someday will move to a permanent home. At that time we will want to take as much of the things we are building with us as possible. Building temporary will allow us to dismantle and take them with us. I can not put a cost on this construction until I have done some more research.

Another need that we have is a sign on the front of the building so that people will know where we are congregating. These are just some more things for you to pray with us about.

Here in Brasil we have Childrens Day and it is a holiday that is celebrated greatly as they love their children, as a matter of fact it is celebrated more than Christmas. So Yesterday our Church had Children´s Day at Church. We were blessed with 105 children and 55 parents and workers.In town one of the bus services loaned us a bus to pick up the children. This just showed us how much we need a bus of our own. Imagine bringing all those children to Church each Sunday.

You may be thinking why do they need so much help, do the Church members not help? Yes they are helping but our folks here are just everyday folks and here in Brasil the minimum wage is about $307 dollars a month. So the tithes and offerings is paying the rent and utilities and we need help with the other things. Thanks to you folks we are able to do much more and will continue doing with your help.

Thank you each and every one for reading and listening. What an AWESOME God we serve. And Thanks one more time for your continued financial and prayer support. Also for your support for Baptist Faith Missions because without them we would not be serving here in Brasil

In His service, AJ and Barbara Hensley

NATHAN RADFORD.OCTOBER 2010

Dear praying friends,                                                                           

Another month has come and passed, and it is now near the end of the year 2010. Time seems to pass so quickly, and may we ever be mindful of using the opportunities that the Lord gives us to serve Him, in whatever way He leads us. This update will share family news as well as ministry updates.

In our family news, a few weeks ago, we made the difficult decision to allow Carrie to return home a few weeks early due to her pregnancy and health concerns. There are so many health issues here that can seriously affect a pregnancy, and so after discussing and talking about the options, we both felt and decided it was best for her to return home early. It has been difficult to serve here single for a few weeks, but given all the circumstances, we felt this was the wisest decision, and others have gone home as well during a pregnancy. I am happy that Carrie and McKenna have had some quality family time with her parents and others, as they do not get to see them very often being on the mission field. That is one of the major challenges of missionary life, being separated from friends and family. So, we thank the Lord that Carrie’s pregnancy is continuing well and that she is getting good reports. Please continue to pray for the pregnancy and the health of the baby.

In the work at Rafiki, I would appreciate prayer, as the work has had many challenges. I have mentioned before the dependency aspect here, and it really does affect ministries, and brings challenges. I have heard of similar experiences from other missionaries, so I know these challenges are not unusual. From the beginning, I have worked hard to lay a foundation of dependence on the Lord and trusting the Lord. We would covet your prayers that the Lord would send faithful people who desire the Word of God and desire to stand on their own and depend on the Lord only. This is one of the elements in indigenous church planting – that the people stand on their own. I am continuing to be faithful to teach and preach the Word of God, and trust God for the results. Please pray that those remaining would have a desire to trust the Lord only and rely on Him.  God knows all of this and we would appreciate your prayers for this work. God is faithful and I trust Him each step of the way in this ministry. The Word of God has power to change lives. One of my favorite verses about the Word of God is Hebrews 4:12, which states “For the Word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.”  Please keep this ministry in your prayers.

The annex prison is continuing well. We are now almost completed with the course “Firm Foundations – from Creation to Christ.” The men seem to be responding well to the teachings and learning much from the Word of God. The Lord has provided some faithful men who want to hear and receive the Word of God, and have open ears and hearts to receiving the truth of the Bible. This has been such a blessing. The chaplaincy of the annex prison have also been very cooperative and worked with me well, so I appreciate this so much as well. We appreciate so much each one who prays for, financially supports, or has come personally to see this ministry. Thank you for having a part in this ministry, where so many of the men feel forgotten, both by their families and society. May God bless you for your heart for missions.

I am getting ready to depart Kenya later this month, so I would appreciate your prayers for me personally, that I would get all done here that is necessary. Leaving for several months is a lot of work and there are many details to cover, so I would greatly appreciate your prayers that I would get all done that needs to be done before leaving. I, as well as the rest of the family, am looking forward to seeing you all and spending time with you.

Again, thanks so much for your prayers and sacrificial giving to missions. We could not do this work without you. May each of us give our lives in service to the Lord, wherever He leads and directs us. I will leave you with the challenging words of D.L. Moody, who said “Let God have your life – He can do more with it than you can.” Please take note of our new address in the United States. God bless you all.

Nathan and Carrie Radford
315 College Street
Youngsville, PA 16371

For ministry donations:
Pastor George Sledd | P.O. Box 471280 | Lake Monroe, FL 32747-1280

MIKE CREIGLOW.OCTOBER 2010

October 6, 2010
Dear Brethren,

A week after the trip up river to visit the work at Porto Walter, I made a quick visit to Rodrigues Alves. Our missionary, Edson Lopes and I did some more work on the construction of the new church building there. The present building is pretty big, but is not big enough for the Sunday evening crowds. Their original plan was to incorporate the old building into a larger new one. My visits there lately have been to try to convince them that they should just go ahead a build new and bigger than they had planned. Their first and biggest problem was going to be having a place to meet once they started the reconstruction. Then even when finished they would have taken up valuable Sunday school space that would have to be built eventually. Well now they already have the foundation in for a bigger building than they had planned. Also the new building will be facing the main street, whereas what they had intended to do would have put the front of the new auditorium on a side street. Now they are all excited and on their way.

Another week later Bev and I went to be with them on a Sunday morning.  We had a pretty good crowd of about 70 people. I was not able to stay for the evening service, but hey have an average of a couple hundred. We held a baptism service, too. Ten were baptized.

Speaking of baptisms… We had out monthly baptism service here at First Baptist Church. This month I was the pastor selected to perform the baptism. We added 39 new members. We also had the Lord’s Supper, which was conducted by Pastor Dauro. Dauro is my son-in-law, married to my youngest daughter Crissy. This was in the morning service and we had just under 500 present.
We have had several professions of faith. We even had 3 during a Friday night prayer meeting. Most of the time we don’t have a formal invitation. When we do, it is usually in the Sunday afternoon and night services. This may sound a little strange to most of you, but the Holy Spirit brings around those who are saved.

During the last few days of September we had a group of around 60 workers go to Manaus with us. Over 30 of these were from First Baptist Church. Last October David Hatcher, Paul Hatcher, Bobby Wacaser, Milton Fielding, Hershael York and I met in Manaus to fellowship, fish and make plans. David agreed to take on the idea of a nation wide conference for independent Baptists to rally around our common doctrinal position, learn from each other, encourage one another and create a little identity. The Chapada Baptist Church (now Nova Baptist since their relocation) was getting ready to celebrate their 50th anniversary. David kicked off the celebration with a 3 day conference. Most of the conference was practical workshops. There were pastors and missionaries from all over Brazil. I don’t exactly how many states were represented, but almost all had a few workers. There were over 120 pastors and missionaries. I know that one of the workshops that I taught had almost 600 students. The expected crowd for the final service was 5000. I’m not sure, but I bet they made it! David, his fellow pastors and members of Nova Igreja Batista pulled off the best conference I have ever been to in my life. I don’t think any Baptist group in Brazil has ever had this kind of turnout for a conference. There have been evangelistic campaigns that drew people from all over and in large numbers. This conference was the most professionally done, most practical, best spirit, and (why not just go ahead and say it again) biggest conference ever in this country. Congratulations and thanks: Nova Igreja Batista.

Thanks for all of your prayers and support. God bless you as much as He has us.

In Christ, Mike Creiglow

JOHN MARK HATCHER.OCTOBER 2010

John and Judy Hatcher

October 8, 2010

Dear Brothers and Sisters,
A week ago, we arrived back to France from Manaus, Brazil. This trip was a wonderful blessing in many different ways. The opportunity to be with the two churches of which I was a member during the years of my childhood and youth was wonderful.

I was saved during the time my parents, John and Alta Hatcher were serving the Lord in Manaus in the Tabernacle Baptist Church. Dad, had started a mission out of Tabernacle church in an outlying part of Manaus. A taxi would take us close and then we would walk through a wooded area to arrive at the little wooden building with a palm roof. The area was known as Chapada. Chapada Baptist Church was organized September 25, 1960. Having been baptized into the Tabernacle church earlier that year, I had the privilege of going to the front and signing my name on the constitution.

On September 26, 2010, Chapada Baptist Church, in their fourth building which is on a much larger property, celebrated 50 years of existence. There were 4,000 people present. Most of these were members of the church. So far this year they have had 450 baptisms. Their new building is paid in full. You may be asking yourself, “Why do we support them through Baptist Faith Missions? The answer is, “You don’t!”  This church has not received outside help in over 44 years. It has had a number of pastors. David Hatcher, my younger brother and also a founding member has been its pastor for 10 years.

Chapada Baptist Church has started numerous churches and has many missions. None of these get support from the U.S.A. It is an example of the value of your investment in the service of the Lord. The church held a conference just prior to the birthday with participants from about 2 thirds of the states of Brasil. About 100 churches were represented. The purpose was to encourage outreach.

I was baptized by Francisco Santiago, one of the first disciples saved under the ministry of Joseph F. Brandon, the first missionary supported through Baptist Faith Missions. Tabernacle Baptist Church was one of several churches started by Francisco Santiago and Chapada is one of the many churches started out of Tabernacle. To God be all the glory.

Keep reaching out!

In France, we thank God for all He is doing.

His Servants in France, John and Judy Hatcher

ROGER TATE.OCTOBER 2010

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Greetings from East Africa.

Transitions, transitions, transitions.  We are certainly in full fledged transition mode now.  Let me explain why.

First, a transition in ministry.  After a long three years since we left the States we are now prepped to make this transition.  I have been working with the three churches and the pastors since I arrived in Kenya.  We have been working mostly with them to try and bring them to a point of self-governance, self-sustenance, and independence.  The first of these was fairly easy as each of the churches wanted to be self-governing.  That transition happened a long time ago.  The self-sustaining has been a little forced on my part and so has the independence.  I have taught them what I think they needed to know to be independent and I have helped them along the way in reaching for that goal.  And finally, I decided it was time for them to be independent whether they wanted to or not.  They were ready and able, not just willing.  I had a sit down talk for three and a half hours with all three churches on a recent Sunday morning and basically told them they could not continue to rely on the missionary to support their ministries, hold their hands, make their decisions and provide for everything they want and need.  It was a hard lesson for them but one which they needed to accept.  No, I didn’t just drop them.  We have been working towards this point for a long time and I will be available to advise and counsel them if they wish, but the ministries are now completely in the hands of the Kenyans.  I have given them their liberty and freedom to follow the Scriptures and the leading of the Holy Spirit as they see best.  I pray that they will do just that instead of looking for other “sponsors”.  Some in the meeting asked if they could look for new “sponsors” and I asked them why would they want to now that they are free.  Unfortunately, this is the mindset in Kenya and the churches will never grow up if they continue with this mindset.  Pray that the Holy Spirit would lead them to continue to maturity in their new found liberty!  Thankfully, this change will also free me up to do more church planting ministries when I return to Kenya in 2011.

Second, a transition in houses.  The owner of our previous house, the International Mission Board (Southern Baptist Convention), was renting that house to us for the past couple of years at a very good monthly rate.  However, the IMB has decided to sell their houses that they have held in Kenya for more than half a century.  They informed us that they were going to sell our house and would sell it out from underneath us even while we were in the States on furlough.  This put us in a bad predicament and a lot of uncertainty.  After much prayer and deliberation we decided to move to another house before heading home on furlough so that we could have a certain and fixed house to return to.  The last couple of weeks has been spent mostly getting the new house fixed up to our liking and moving out from the old house.  We couldn’t find a lot of boxes so the process was:  Pack a little, move a little to the new house, unpack a little, take the boxes back to the old house and start over.  I think we are finally moved in to the new place.  We thank the Lord for providing this place for our family to live in when we return to Kenya in 2011.

Third, a transition in continents.  As I write this, Julie and the kids are preparing to leave for the U.S.  They will leave Kenya on October 17^th, so by the time you get this letter they will already be home.  They are having to come home early especially to help Emily with some very serious personal issues that she is facing right now.  Missionary life for a teenager can be extremely difficult sometimes and she is in need of spiritual and emotional “filling-up”.  I will be remaining in Kenya until December as originally planned in order to shut everything down that needs to be shut down for while we are away.

Please pray for our family in these many transitions, especially for my children, as transitions of this magnitude can be very stressful on them.  We are all trusting that God will continue to take good care of us and rain his mercy and grace upon us at all times.

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)

SHERIDAN STANTON.OCTOBER 2010

Dear Friends,

Greetings from the beautiful town of Huánuco, Peru, nestled in the Central Andean Mountains, 6300ft above sea level.  Peruvians call Huánuco the town with the best climate in the world.  Those of you that have visited with us know that it is true!

Our national missionaries are all reporting blessings from the Lord, souls saved, and the truth of God’s Word being taught.  Here in Huánuco at the Calvary Baptist Mission Church we had several trust in Christ as their Lord and Savior also.  I only  baptized two in September because some other candidates had extenuating circumstances that prevented their being baptized; one with his leg in a cast, another traveled and one young lady’s parents would not give permission.  Our Monday night Bible class gets more interesting each week.  Many times I teach by playing the part of “devil’s advocate” in presenting heretical doctrinal points of view and have the pastors try and refute it with the truth.  These men of God really enjoy learning this way, as it makes them dig deeper and deeper into God’s Word for understanding of why we believe the way we do.  However, I must admit that at times the anxiety level runs quite high in these classes.  I remember one of my college professors, Pastor Berlin Hisle, also enjoyed this method of teaching.  I learned a lot sitting under his tutelage.  Thank you all, for allowing me to have the joy and privilege of serving the Lord here in Peru.  Our great God continues to bless in all areas of our lives and ministry.

Speaking of blessings, my wife, Anita, had surgery on her right foot on September 20th.  Now this may not sound like a blessing to most of you, but for years, she has suffered from bunions, Morton’s neuromas and hammertoes, on both of her feet making it more and more difficult each year to walk and now it has become possible for her to have the necessary surgery.  She should have had surgery years ago but just kept putting it off, until now.  Her foot has four different surgical incisions, two screws holding the bones of her big toe together, a six-inch pin (looks like a carpenter’s finishing nail) still protrudes from her second toe about half an inch, and her foot is in a cast until October 25th.  For long distances, she rides in her wheel chair but usually she can get around with her walker.  Her foot is healing up nicely and she is very anxious to be able to walk again like a normal person without pain.

The next day after her surgery, while in the hospital, her dental bridge came lose.  This meant an additional trip to a dentist where we discovered the bridge cannot be restored and she needs a new one.  Sooooo she had two root canals done and work on the new dental bridge await us when we return to Lima the first week of November, just a few days before we repeat the entire process when her left foot will be operated on for the same problems.  Therefore, my friends, the blessing is that when all this medical work is over my dear wife will have the most beautiful smile while she walks around without agony.

On October 5^th Anita was able to travel back to Huánuco by plane and we are rejoicing to be home again serving our Lord and enjoying the best climate in the world!  We want to thank those of you that have prayed for her during this time and say thanks for the special offerings some of you have given to help us with the extra expenses incurred in these medical procedures.  Please keep praying that she will continue to heal properly.  For those of you that know Anita, you know she is not used to sitting down and she is definitely not used to me cooking and waiting on her.  So remember to pray for me as well, that I will not cook something that will make her sick!  She is doing her best to teach me how to cook without losing patience, because I am a very slow learner!  Pray for us.

Danyluz Presentacion, the young girl I wrote about in my last letter that has ovarian cancer, continues undergoing chemotherapy in Lima at this time.  She will be receiving her last treatment on Friday, 15 October.  She appears to have responded well to the chemotherapy and Anita and I wish to thank so many of you that gave special offerings designated for her expenses while she struggles through this trial in her life.  Enough funds have come in to cover the cost of her housing expenses and many of the “extra incidentals” as well.  Thank you again for your love and concern for this wonderful, young, child of God.  Until next month.

In HIM by HIS grace,  Sheridan and Anita Stanton

ANITA STANTON UPDATE ON HER FOOT SURGERY | 18 October

Hi, again, to all of you!

Well, today was the day to remove the 6″ pin, and my hubby/doctor/nurse, did a fine job!!  It hurt only a little, but I had psyched myself up so much before starting that I felt sick.  Amazing what nerves, stress and worry do to us!!!  Anyway, it came out just fine.  That toe had been hurting me since Saturday and I think it was telling me that it was time to remove the pin.

I was able to soak my foot in warm water and then we began the process of trying to clean the dead skin off.  Since I have never had a procedure to call for a cast and dressing for a month, I was amazed at how much skin needed to be cleaned off.  Anyway, it looks better, still needs more soaks and cleaning, but little by little.

We re-wrapped my foot with clean gauze and a new bandage, but I will be able to remove this in order to soak my foot.  I had to reapply the cast for daily use for another week.  Right now the cast is basically helping to relieve pressure on the big toe where the bone was cut and 2 screws were placed.  Next Monday will be 5 weeks out of surgery and the doctor said I could begin to walk on the foot then.

From the looks of the foot now, I will need the 3 weeks to recuperate its use before having surgery on the left foot.

We plan to return to Lima around Nov. 8.  I will have to spend about 3 days with the dentist before having surgery.

I was hoping to do the “turkey trot” by Thanksgiving, but looks like I will miss that this year.  Hopefully I will be ready for some Christmas activity!

Thanks to all of you for your prayers and notes of encouragement.

Love, Anita