Judy – My Teammate «

Judy – My Teammate

Posted on 27Apr CATEGORIES: General, John Mark & Judy Hatcher [France], Letters, Missionary Wives 0

Missionaries John and Judy Hatcher have been serving the Lord in France since 1999. They define their ministry as “disciple-making.”

April 27, 2026

Yesterday, Sunday afternoon, just a bit before our evening church meeting, I saw an email reminder about Mother’s Day month and the yearly moment for missionary wives to write a newsletter to celebrate and share their ministry. Judy was finishing up her preparation for her children’s Sunday class. As I now write, on Monday morning, she is hosting our church ladies’ prayer group. By the time I got out of bed she was preparing apple muffins for her sisters-in-Christ. So, this year, I am going to write about the girl who has been my teammate for 53 years, the mother of 4 wonderful children, grandmother of 12, and an adopted mother, grandmother, sister and encourager for many others.

When I was 10 years old, my mother told me about a historic moment in her life when she was 10 years old. She heard a Christian lady telling her parents (my maternal grandparents) that they should pray for God to give their children the spouse He wanted them to have. Upon hearing this my mother began praying the God would give her the right spouse. That was the beginning of the path for her union with my father and their service together for over 70 years. Since I was the same age when I heard my mother’s testimony as she had been when it happened, I began asking God to give me the wife He wanted me to have. Our Father in Heaven answered my prayers beyond my imagination.

Six weeks into our marriage, Judy and I moved to Manaus in the middle of the Amazonian jungle. I immediately began pastoring two churches, directing two schools, teaching a double load of science classes; a program set up by my father, who assumed any of his children trusting God could walk on water (my way of expressing it). Judy was learning Portuguese, teaching organ (for free to girls in the church so they could be church organist on a pump organ), and teaching English to several classes. Our marriage, miraculously sustained by God, survived that first year and a half. Dad wanted us to stay and work with Him in Brazil, but in answer to prayer, our Heavenly Father led us to a wonderful ministry in Evansville, Indiana, where we enjoyed 25 years serving together and learning with our Saviour. He also gave Judy the patience, fortitude and tenacity to be my co-worker, mother of four children, shepherd to the church ladies, minister to children, and…I will try not to fall into my usual process of “telling the whole story.”

After 25 years in Evansville, God moved us to France where we have now served for nearly 26 years. Judy’s workload has always been greater than mine. Most of what we do is teamwork. She is actively involved in everything. She is a great encourager to me and many others. She is patient and loving. She is a wonderful soulmate; patient, persistent, loving, humble, and a gentle co-worker. God has answered my prayers beyond belief. God has enabled her to walk on water and often pull me out when I start sinking!

I usually ask Judy to read and improve my letters before I send them, but she didn’t read this one.

Thank You, Heavenly Father, for the great gift You gave me on March 3, 1973!

In Christ in France,
John Hatcher