Missionary Update: The Tates in Kenya [July 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,
Usually in my newsletters I speak mostly of the progress or needs of the ministry, or I speak to matters of the culture, or I give you general updates on how I think things are going. This month I feel compelled to take a slightly different turn and speak of things that touch me much more personally, both as a missionary and as a father. What has spawned this thinking and caused me to write as I am this month is that my oldest child, Emily, will graduate from high school in 10 days. It would be extremely difficult to explain the mixture of joy and sadness I feel just thinking about that fact. Joy, because of the great accomplishment she has achieved by graduating from a boarding school in Kenya. Sadness, because after I take her back to the States, in a couple of months I know I will leave her there, 8000 miles away, and return to Africa without the knowledge of when I will see her again. But this letter is not about me, it’s about her.
Emily is a very strong person. She draws strength from deep reserves that I cannot see. I am enormously proud of her. I believe that when I leave her in the States, her heart is prepared to fly straight and strong. But I want you to explore with me the tremendous amount of change this young lady will be going through over the next few months. 1. In 10 days she will graduate from Rift Valley Academy. She will leave all her friends as they scatter around the world, and it is likely she will never see any of them ever again. She will leave the campus where she has lived for most of the last four years and most likely never see it again. 2. In August she will leave the continent of Africa. She will leave her home, pets, and things behind with no knowledge of whether she will see these things again. She will leave the country and culture that has become familiar to her over the past 5 years. 3. She will enter into a culture which has become foreign to her, one in which she has not spent many of her formative years – Namely, the American culture. She is what is called a Third-Culture Kid. A Third Culture Kid is a child who was taken from their original culture (the American culture, to which they no longer relate) and moved to a new culture (the Kenyan culture, to which they never have related). Thus, because they no longer fit in to either culture, the original one or the new one, they form their own culture, a third one, which is different from all others. Third Culture Kids can find it very difficult to assimilate into either their original or host countries’ cultures, and they often find it difficult to adjust and get close to others. They can often seem emotionally aloof, though they don’t mean to. 4. She will probably have to find a job to help pay for college without any knowledge of American work culture. 5. She will have to learn to drive again (she obtained her driving license just a few days before we left to return to Kenya). 6. In January she will begin college in the States, breaking into that new university culture half way into the college year. Most of the incoming freshman will have already acclimated and formed new friendships by then. 7. A couple of months after starting college, her parents and siblings will leave her by herself and return to ministry in Africa, 8000 miles away (she may be looking forward to this but it will rip my own heart out).
I am writing this to help you contemplate the tremendous amount of change and challenges that a missionary kid, and in this case, my kid, Emily, faces. I’m not saying she feels this way, but I would be scared out of my skin to be facing these same challenges. I implore you, enter into prayer with me for Emily as she commences upon these new challenges and opportunities. Pray that God would shower her with His grace, that He would be with her every step of the way, that He would strengthen her with His love and faithfulness, and that she would thrive as she looks to Him in all things. And while you are praying for her, remember the other missionary kids that you know. I have two others (Amy and Josiah) and you probably know other MK’s as well. I can tell you from experience that the issue of their children is probably what worries missionaries on the field more than anything else in their lives. Pray with us, won’t you?
Until next month, beloved.
May God’s peace and joy be with you.
For the glory of God in East Africa,
Roger & Julie Tate (and Emily, Amy, & Josiah)
P.O. Box 96
Kitale, Kenya 30200
rojuta[at]gmail.com
Visit their blog!
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Missionary Update: John & Alta Hatcher [July 2013]
Missionaries John and Alta Hatcher have served the Lord in Brazil since 1955, planting over 70 churches that are still in existence.
Dear Brethren and Friends,
First of all, let me say a word to our wonderful missionary wives. I have read or am reading your wonderful letters of testimony as faithful partners with your husbands on the mission field. I am so touched by each one that I cannot read more than one at a time. Your dedication to your husbands and families cannot be fully understood except by those who have gone through a similar experience.
Dear Missionary friends and fellow-helpers, please pray faithfully for these missionary wives. On them depends the faithfulness of their missionary husbands, the spiritual development of their children, and the acceptance of the family among the people with whom they work to present the Gospel of Jesus Christ. God bless you, dear missionary wives.
MONTHLY MEETING OF PASTORS AND WIVES – Several years ago Valdir dos Santos, pastor of the Tabernacle Baptist Church in Cornelio Procopio began having a meeting of all the pastors of our churches and missions on the first Monday of each Month. The pastors met in the church auditorium and the wives met in his home that was on the second floor of the building. He asked Alta to bring a Bible Study for the ladies. She continues to prepare and bring this study each month.
For the Pastors, it was and continues to be an informal and profitable meeting. Each tell about their services, blessings and disappointments, what they have tried that worked and what did not work. Each Bible texts are discussed as well as subjects where there are doubts or truths discovered. Finally, the meeting is closed with Prayers by each for the works, special needs and new outreach. It is a time that each looks forward to and benefits in their spiritual fellowship with our brethren.
Pray for these dear servants and their wives.
Sincerely, in the Name above every Name,
John A. and Alta Hatcher
Caixa Postal 112
Urai, PR, Brazil 86280-000
jhatcher[at]uol.com.br
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FaithWORKS Report [June 2013]
PRAY AND PRAISE!
- ODALI AND KATHY BARROS – PRAISE GOD for the children who are learning about God’s love. PRAY for the salvation of lost family members.
- HAROLD BRATCHER – PRAISE GOD for continued health and opportunities to minister. PRAY for the Lord to work out the sale of their house in Manaus.
- JOHN AND ALTA HATCHER – PRAISE GOD for the breaking out of the church in Assai and for the new pastor there. PRAY for the Hatchers’ continued and health to keep up their witness for Christ.
- PAUL AND WANDA HATCHER – PRAISE GOD for the burden to plant yet more new churches in NE Brazil – and for the on-going work in Manaus. PRAY for all the church-planting pastors in their cities.
- JOHN AND JUDY HATCHER – PRAISE GOD for the continued interest and perseverance of believers in this difficult nation. PRAY that God will encourage both our missionaries and all the believers through difficult experiences.
- NATHAN AND CARRIE RADFORD – PRAISE GOD for the works that continue to go and grow in the several villages and neighborhoods. PRAY that God will give them wisdom to minister. PRAY also that God will provide them a vehicle to use during furlough.
- SHERIDAN AND ANITA STANTON – PRAISE GOD for all the teaching and training that continues to reach out and strengthen the churches in Peru. PRAY that God will build up His Kingdom in all parts of that nation.
- ROGER AND JULIE TATE – PRAISE GOD for the growth and blossoming of mission points and churches in the towns, villages, and neighborhoods around Kitale. PRAY for God’s continued wisdom and grace for our missionaries, the believers, and the leaders of the churches.
- BOBBY AND CHARLENE WACASER – PRAISE GOD for the works of His grace in saving and transforming lives in Curitiba. PRAY that God will continue to minister His grace through them to save many others and add them to His church.
URGENT NEED FOR $17,000.00 FURLOUGH REPLACEMENT FUNDS
We are all aware of the ever-spiking prices of all kinds of fuel. It is also showing up big-time with our missionaries’ furlough travel back to the States.
Baptist Faith Missions provides for your missionaries a 6-month furlough after at least 24 continuous months of service on their field and a 12-month furlough after 48 months of service.
BFM pays for their furlough travel expenses out of the General Fund “as the Lord provides”. But, there is never enough in the Monthly General Fund offerings to cover their essential monthly living and ministry expenses – much less the other commitments we have made to them over the course of the year as they come due. So, the benefits we provide for them for their ‘other-than-monthly’ commitments are supplied out of the Thanksgiving Offering funds.
Having said all that – we need to replace the funds we have disbursed for our two furloughing families to return to the States later this year. To transport the Tate and Radford families for their furloughs that are due to them will require more than $17,000.00. When we provide those furlough reimbursements to them, our General Fund will be all but broke. And, we are just now ½ of the way through 2013.
WILL YOU HELP US REPLENISH THE GENERAL FUND BY DESIGNATING YOUR OFFERINGS FOR ‘FURLOUGH FUNDS’? We will have already paid for the airfare tickets, but your offerings will help us replenish the account so we can provide the other future commitments we have made to them throughout the rest of this year.
“AS THE LORD PROVIDES”
This has always been the motto and mantra for all the commitments we have ever made to our missionaries. When the first missionary was sent back to Brazil by his church, Brother Hafford Overbey told him that he [Brother Overbey] would work to appeal to churches and other individual supporters to raise his support funds – and that he would forward those funds ‘as the Lord provides’.
We have always told our missionaries we approve for support that same thing. “We will work for you, to appeal for your support, but we can fulfill our commitments only as the Lord supplies the funds through the faithful, sacrificial giving of our supporters.”
It always pains us to not be able to fulfill every commitment we have made to our faithful missionaries – but we can give to them only what we receive to give them. We have had occasions already this year – and we fear there may be others to come – when we have had to tell our missionaries “We’re sorry, but the funds are not there” when they have asked for benefits we have previously given.
Please help us give in full the commitments we have made to them by faithfully giving your offerings to the Monthly General Fund.
MISSIONARIES’ FURLOUGH SCHEDULE
Harold Bratcher is retiring from active and faithful missionary service in Manaus, Brazil, and is relocating to live here in the States. He is selling his home in Manaus and is seeking to purchase a home here. If you wish to contact him before he establishes a permanent address, you may contact him at: 859.277.3716 / 1012 Balsam Drive, Lexington KY 40504 / or through his email address: harold_bratcher[at]yahoo.com
TATES AND RADFORDS – their plans at present are to be coming to the States in September and October respectively. You may correspond with them concerning any prospective plans you would like to make with them. Roger Tate rojuta[at]gmail.com & Nathan Radford naterad[at]yahoo.com
NEED FOR VEHICLES – Both the Tates and Radfords will need vehicles to use for their travels in the States during their upcoming furloughs. If anyone has a vehicle or vehicles you can loan them for their use, correspond with them at the above email addresses.
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Missionary Update: The Stantons in Peru [May 2013]
From Anita Stanton – April 29, 2013
Dear Friends,
Today is April 29, 2013. On April 29, 1983, we arrived in Iquitos, Peru to begin our ministry. Thirty years have passed quickly.
Thirty years ago, people dressed up when they took a plane trip. I clearly remember my polyester dress, panty hose and heels. Our children were dressed up too. I can’t remember what Sheridan wore, but I am sure I had him dressed up also! I vividly remember disembarking the plane in the jungle town of Iquitos. As I approached the door of the plane, the heat and humidity felt as though they were about to smack me to the ground. I can’t say for sure, but that might have been the last time I ever wore a polyester dress and panty hose!! Adjusting to the jungle heat was something that I really never did well. When one is cooking over a kerosene stove and the temperature outside is 115 degrees and there is no air conditioning indoors, it can get very unpleasant.
I have come a long way in adapting to our adopted country. I remember the sounds and smells of my first market visit. And to tell you the truth, that hasn’t changed in 30 years. Our first house was a long, narrow structure with adjoining neighbor walls. We had two rooms in the front, a living room and the children’s bedroom. The middle part, the bathroom, did not have a roof, and the back part of the house was the kitchen and our bedroom. One night after going to bed, I saw a family of rats crossing our bedroom rafter to get to the neighbors. Sheridan had seen those critters nights before and was trying to figure out a way to get rid of them before I saw them. Now, he not only had a problem with the rats, but also with me! We tried poison, traps and other suggested devices, but finally settled on an air rifle. We would sit in bed in the dark and wait for them to start across the rafter. I had the flashlight and he had aim with the rifle. At the precise moment, (when Sheridan said “now”), I would shine the light on them, they would freeze and he would blow them away. Living in the jungle for 7 years, I became accustomed to killing scorpions, tarantulas and many types of bugs, but I never overcame my fear of rats. I saw a dead rat on the street the other day, it had even been flattened by a car, and I was still afraid!
Naturally, I survived the jungle, and in 1990, we moved to Lima. There was a huge contrast between the capital city and the jungle town of Pucallpa. In Lima, our children were blessed to attend the Fetzer Memorial Christian Academy for their schooling. The school was a blessing to all of us. Even though Lima was a much more modern city than Pucallpa, we had to learn to contend with the enormous problems of a city built for three million people but home for ten million. There were constant black outs, water shortages, (many times no water at all for days), horrible traffic problems and congestion and a city full of pollution. Still, we were blessed as a family. God blessed the works, leading to their organization, and to date, they remain strong and growing. It was in Lima that Sheridan began traveling one week a month to a different town where we have established works to teach the pastors. This was the beginning of the Bible Institute.
Today, there are over 140 pastors studying. When the sessions are held in Huánuco, I have the pleasure of cooking for about 50 of them.
Sheridan and Anita Stanton have served the Lord in Peru since 1983. Their main ministry is church planting and they have helped establish churches all over the country. Sheridan also works to train pastors and Anita works with the ladies’ ministry and developing children’s material.
When our children graduated and left for the university in the States, Sheridan and I moved to Huánuco. Huánuco is a huge contrast to the jungle and the coastal city of Lima. We live at 6,300 above sea level, and enjoy the best climate in the world. Our temperatures average 70 – 90 degrees year round with 0% humidity! I have a wonderful view of the Andes Mountains from my kitchen window.
Our move to Huánuco came with the empty nest. During the years our children were at home, I did what time allowed me to do in the work. My belief was always that my family came before the work. I was always involved in teaching children’s classes, but I realized that my own children would soon be gone and I needed to focus on them.
Huánuco offered a new branch of service. With an empty nest, I could give much more time to various aspects of our ministry. I became very involved with women’s ministry and through the years, it has been rewarding. I am preparing to teach a women’s conference the first of June. Huánuco is where I have found time to develop a two year Sunday School curriculum for five different age groups. This project is not complete, but I am getting there! I offer the materials free of cost; they even come with accompanying music CDs, to anyone who is burdened to reach children.
When we arrived in Peru in 1983, we had no language training. We had listened to others who advised us to learn Spanish here. We soon found this advice to be a mistake, and I would never recommend that to any new missionary. However, we struggled and with the magnitude of our work, I guess we learned well! We had no one to guide us. We really spent our first year or more learning by trial and error. I often told Sheridan that if I had the chance to help new missionaries, I would gladly be there. God has given me various opportunities to serve in this capacity. I have had the honor to teach young missionary wives how to cook from scratch, how to make a substitute for some food or cleaning item, how and where to shop and hopefully some good advice on adjusting to the cultural differences.
Through the years, we have hosted many mission teams in our home. Someone once asked me if I got tired of taking care of so many people. Well, the truthful answer is, yes, I get tired, but when I see the fruits that the mission trips reap, my part seems very small. When I return to the States and a young college student says, “That trip changed my life”, it is worth much more than any physical sacrifice that I might give.
When our children left for college, we realized that our time with them was over. Yes, over the years we have spent time with them, but not much! It meant holidays, birthdays, births of grandchildren and family time as a whole family was over. Last year, while on furlough, I spent my first birthday with my daughter in 16 years! When our children left, we missed them, didn’t have e mail, Facebook, magic jack phones or any other technology to stay in touch. A phone call was very expensive and happened very few times. Still, it was a natural process. After all, isn’t that the goal of parenting to guide and instruct our children to maturity so they can learn to live on their own? However, when grandchildren started to come, we realized how “far away” we were! It’s great to have technology to see them grow, but it would be really great if that technology allowed us to physically touch, hug, kiss, squeeze and play with them! I recently told my daughter that I think God might just give missionaries a little extra “grandparent time” in heaven!
I close with love and thanksgiving for each of you for your love and support for the past thirty years.
In Him,
Anita Stanton
Sheridan and Anita Stanton
Apartado Postal 860
Huanuco, Peru
South America
(614) 500-8823 – Internet Number
sestantonperu[at]hotmail.com – Sheridan
arstantonperu[at]gmail.com – Anita
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Spring Conference 2013 [Ladies’ Seminar with Alta Hatcher]
The ladies at the Spring Conference had a special treat this morning by getting to hear Sis. Alta Hatcher share many stories from her life, all of which pointed us back to the sovereignty of God. {Romans 8:28}After serving in Brazil for 58 of the 87 years of her life, she is full of wisdom and still loves sharing the Gospel.
“My biggest interest is to see people saved so they can go to Heaven,” she began. “And it’s not just for missionaries to tell people how to be saved. It’s up to all Christians.”
One of her favorite verses that has been especially dear to her over the past few years comes from Matthew 21:22- “And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.” Be sure that what you’re asking as you pray is God’s will because He knows what’s good for us and we don’t.
Sis. Hatcher exhorted us to “Pray without ceasing.” (1 Thessalonians 5:17). “Do you pray all the time?” she asked. She prays when she’s cooking. She prays when she’s hooking the clasp on her necklace when she is getting ready, a task that has been a challenge in her older age.
She then shared several of her life experiences with us, all of which were used to point to the sovereignty of God. She was saved at the age of 7 years old after coming under conviction in her Elizabethtown church and begging her mother for several days to read all of John 3 to her. One evening, her mother finally read the chapter right before they went to bed. When they read verses 14-16, that is when Alta realized that Jesus died for her. She was familiar with the Numbers 21 story of the Israelites in the wilderness where they were dying after being bitten by serpents and how when they looked to the serpant on the pole they lived. The next day, she wanted to tell her 6 year old friend that she was saved!
Though saved, her mother thought she was too young and did not allow her to be baptized, telling her that she could be baptized the following Sunday if she obeyed all week long. When the Sunday came, she was not allowed to go forward for baptism because she had disobeyed one time. Therefore, she struggled with doubts because for a long time she thought that Christians didn’t sin. She encouraged all in the room to be careful what you say to children.
At 8 years old, she was trembling wanting to go forward, but she was scared her mother would spank her. She was saved four years before she was baptized and joined the church at the age of 11. At 9 years old, she was called to be a missionary while hearing her mother tell a friend about a single lady missionary in Africa whom they thought had died. She knew she wanted to be a missionary and knew that meant she needed to marry a missionary. She started to pray for a missionary husband at the age of 10 and strongly encourages children to start praying for their spouse at the ages of 7, 8, and 9.
God answers prayers in ways you don’t expect! She was a student at Georgetown College, where the students were all girls with the exception of 9 preachers. When World War II had just ended, she was invited to teach 3rd grade back in E-town. She walked 3 miles two times a week to study music and learn how to play piano. (She sees the sovereignty of God at work here because in all their years of planting churches, she has played the piano and taught children.)
The year she had left to teach, thousands of soldiers returned and enrolled at Georgetown, one of which was John Hatcher. A missionary from Rio came and preached and John was called to missions in Brazil. The missionary started a club for those interested in missions and one of the ministries they decided to do was pick up new students who needed a ride when they were returning for the new school year. They went through a list of new students and John asked if his friends knew of any students on there who wanted to be a missionary. All of Alta’s classmates screamed her name! John wrote her a letter to let her know he’d pick her up at the train station when she was coming back to school. And…he didn’t show. He was called to preach a revival that evening, but he met her the following morning. They courted two months and married six months later.
Alta Hatcher with 4 of her 5 children in Brazil circa 1958
(courtesy of Hershael York)
In 1955, they moved to Brazil. 70% of the people there did not know how to read or write so they started a school so they could learn how to read their Bibles. They started Chapada Baptist Church and left there with 23 members in 1961. Now the church has grown to 4000+ with their son David as pastor.
When they bought a house in Urai, children started to come visit them, so she started to teach them using flannelgraph. On teaching children: Always tell them HOW to be saved! “During every class, I always taught the Bible, but every class I should have also taught them HOW to be saved,” she said.
The Hatchers have always been good stewards. They received a $23,000 inheritance from her parents and after leaving it in the bank for about 10 years, they used it to build 4 churches. They are also still driving the same truck they’ve had for the last 43 years, which was bought by Bro. Fox’s 9-12 year old Sunday School class at Ashland Avenue Baptist Church.
This is only a snippet of what she shared with the ladies and by no means even an abridged biography of her extraordinary life, but her stories reminded us that God has a purpose in every little detail of our lives for His glory and our good.
“And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose.” -Romans 8:28
Aren’t you thankful for Alta Hatcher?
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Missionary Update: AJ & Barbara Hensley in Brazil [April 2013]
The Hensleys have spent nearly 15 years serving in Brazil. They run a vocational school and orphanage in Caraguatatuba and have also established a church and mission points throughout the city.
Dear friends and family,
The starting of this year has been just AWESOME. The past month we spent in the United States having our yearly check up. We have been given a clean bill of health except that I need to lose 10 pounds and do a diet adjustment.
Our new Church start is progressing by leaps and bounds. Our average for Sunday school is between 33 and 35 and for our Sunday night service, it is about the same average, it is just the reverse in adults to children with the greater number of children in the morning service. We were greatly blessed with 50 on Easter morning and 52 in the night service. These results are due to the blessing of being able to use our “New Bus” to pick up the children and adults. We have worked out the bus route schedule and plan on doing additional visitation in these neighborhoods to continue to build our attendance. How AWESOME is the God we serve!! These numbers are great but we only have 39 plastic chairs. I have made friends with a man who has a club next door to our Church (a private city soccer club where they meet to have their parties and come in the evenings to drink). He has loaned us chairs from his business. What is remarkable is that he went through his chairs and picked out chairs that did not have any beer names on the back of the chairs(advertising). We are being a light in the community.
While we were in the States we were blessed to have men from various Churches to take care of the work here. They were blessed by our people just as we are. We have a great little Church and the people are fantastic. Come down and meet them for yourself and you be the judge.
Building ping-pong tables for the prison.
The first three days back, while Barbara and Jenny are getting our house back in order, P.J. and I have been making ping pong tables for the prison. (P.J. and Jenny are visiting from Cornerstone Baptist Church). Just a reminder of what kind of prison we are working in–it is a prison for children. These inmates are from 14 to 24 years of age. This prison has no amenities, just four cement walls and a lot of steel bars.
It is an amazing story how God started this ministry in this prison: Myself and a couple of friends went to this prison to just visit and see the conditions in the prisons here in Brazil. While there, we got to go into the population and visit with the young men. Of course while I conversed with them, the warden saw that I was creating a friendship with the young men and that I talked different (you can take the man out of Kentucky but you cannot take the hillbilly out of the man)…the accent carries over into Portuguese. At the end of our tour of the prison we were asked where we were from and they were trying to relate the accent to the State, but were having some difficulty. We told them that we were from the United States. Then to my surprise the warden asked if I would be interested in giving English lessons for the young men and also to the administration. Of course was my resounding answer.
As you would guess, pastors and churches are not normally welcomed in this prison but God is still in the miracle business. So the next week I started a class with the young men. I prepared a lot of terms and phrases for them, but at the end of the class the monitor (guard) took up all the papers, pencils, etc. They were not allowed to keep the class materials in their cells. That would present a problem for learning English. We were told that there was nothing in their budget for books or material for this class and I asked if I could supply the books and the administration was glad to let us do that. So the next week when we showed up for the English class we had the study material and the English books in hand—-67 Bibles. These they were permitted to take into their cells. Where there is a will there is a way. For a prison that before this would not even let a Church or a pastor into their prison, God has made a way for a pastor and Bibles to enter into the prison.
While talking with the warden (a lady and an ex-principal), I told her of our Vocational School that we have here in town. She was immediately interested and asked if she could visit the School. The next day she and two of her top advisers visited the School and asked if we would be interested in training some of the most well behaved inmates at our School. The proposal was drawn up but with all of the tools and equipment that we have at the School the State will not give permission for the young men to come there. So we resolved to take the school to the prison. We now teach a refrigeration class on site at the prison on Saturday afternoon and two English classes during the day. How AWESOME is our God!!!
So now I pray before all classes, use the Bible for the English Class to teach morals, character, and skills useful in their return to society in these Vocational Classes. Simply AWESOME.
As a final touch to the prison ministry, they have asked if I would sit on their advisory board. Guess what the position is—not Chaplain , not Pastor —but Religious Adviser for the prison. Of course my answer was yes. God is so AWESOME.
We have stepped out on faith and purchased 60 chairs for the Church. They will be arriving in about 3 weeks.Our remodeling is still in progress and painting is the next step to getting everything in order. I am still having to talk very loud at this time because of not having any equipment right now. We have some microphones coming and some of the other needed equipment but until this gets here we will continue to holler. So what I am asking is that you continue to pray for this new work and our people and us as we move forward for the Kingdom’s Glory.
To see what God is doing here in Brasil come down and experience it personally. The bed is turned down and we will put a little more water in the beans. Come on down.
In His service,
Aj and Barbara
ajcaragua[at]gmail.com
Give to Baptist Faith Missions.
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Missionary Update: Harold Bratcher, on permanent furlough from Brazil [April 2013]
Harold Bratcher served the Lord in the Amazon Valley for 52 years from July 15, 1959 through December 29, 2012. His dear wife, Marie, faithfully served with him for 51 years until her death in February 2011. The Bratchers organized over 20 Baptist churches and many other missions in Brazil. He is now on permanent furlough in Kentucky, still in the service of the Savior.
April 8, 2013
Dear Brothers of the Blessed Lord and Sisters of the Savior:
Once again we (Asa Mark and I) greet you not from the Amazon Valley of Brazil, South America, but from my warm Kentucky home where the sun is shining bright!
This Mission Sheets month began February 11 and finishes today. During this period I heard 15 sermons, or Bible studies. I also had the privilege of preaching twice. Both times at the Fellowship Baptist Church in Richmond, Ky where Bro. Adrian McKinley is pastor. The first time was Sunday morning the 17th of March, celebrating the 85th Birthday of dear Brother Glyndon Dargavel. Afterwards we enjoyed a time of great food and fellowship. Then on Thursday the 28th, I preached the opening message of their revival meetings that went through Sunday. Then Sunday, the 24th of March, I celebrated my 86th Birthday. We attended Sunday morning at the David’s Fork Baptist Church and at 3pm, the Passion Play at the Gardenside Baptist Church. We had celebrated it in Frankfort with my Brother Charles and family on Saturday morning and that evening at the home of Pastor Mickey Hyder. One of the other messages we heard was at the funeral service of dear Sister Helen Palmer. She was a faithful friend of the Bratchers for over 60 years. Bro. Bob Jones preached a most comforting message on what awaits the faithful servants of our Lord.
On Easter Sunday, March 31st, we attended the third service at the Buck Run Baptist Church in Frankfort where dear Bro. Dr. Hershael York is pastor. We were royally received and heard a good message. Then at 1pm, we enjoyed a time of great food and fellowship at the home of Charles and Reva Bratcher, along with some 15 more family members. The following Wednesday we attended the service at the David’s Fork Baptist Church, where after a meal, we heard Charles and Alice Tillet, missionaries to Kenya. On Friday, the 5th of April, we met my sister in law, Deane Cruise, at the Richmond Cemetery, and honored Marie, on her 86th Birthday, by placing beautiful roses, at the grave of her mother and father, Sherman and Flossie Moore. What precious memories, how they linger! We also were able to visit Sis. Ella J. Casey, a dear family friend.
During this period, we were able also to visit the Bryan Station BC, Broadway BC, and Trinity BC, all in Lexington, among others. Continue to pray for Asa Mark, as he had the fourth surgery on his eye, on March the 12th, but the Doctor was not able to reattach the retina, because of so much scar tissue from the 3rd surgery, that in her opinion, should never have been done. We appreciate my granddaughter, Lucy Marie, coming from Houston and spending 10 days with us during this time.
I hope to be a blessing to many of you, during this first year of my permanent furlough. I would like to report and thank each of you that have supported us during these past years. We appreciate the invitations we have already for this month, May and June. I look forward to seeing many of you during the Spring Conference at Thompson Road Baptist Church. I will be speaking on Monday night, the 22nd, two weeks from today, The Lord permitting. Until then, or next month.
Yours in the Service of the Savior,
Harold Bratcher
1012 Balsam Drive
Lexington, KY 40504
(859) 277-3716
(859) 806-9827 cell
harold_bratcher[at]yahoo.com
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Missionary Update: The Wacasers in Brazil [April 2013]
Bobby, Charlene, Jessie, and Brennen Wacaser have served the Lord as church planters in Curitiba, Parana, Brazil, since 1985.
Dear Friends,
I want to start with some really great news! Next Sunday we will be baptizing 4 new converts. The Lord is blessing our efforts as we seek to share the gospel in our new community. We have seen a steady increase in attendance in our services and we hear great testimonies to what God is doing in the lives of those who are applying the messages from God’s Word in their lives. We have nearly completed the construction on the building, needing only to place the final one third of the ceiling tiles by the end of this week.
The group of teens from Bell Shoals Baptist Church in Brandon, Florida came last month and worked diligently sharing the gospel through skits and personal testimony. There were 55 of them, including their adult sponsors and we were privileged to have our daughter, Jessie, come with them as our translator coordinator. Our translators here in Brazil also did a wonderful job of voluntary service for nearly a week. The Lord used all the effort and dedication to bring many people to Christ in the public schools and parks. During the week, the group as a whole was able to share the gospel with over 4000 individuals. Projeto Vida, our outreach partners, served as an essential element in transporting the teams, providing the public address system and also prepared the meals for over 100 people twice daily. The service of hosting this group of young people each year has yielded marvelous results. Several of the teens who have come in the past years have since accepted the missionary call for overseas service. Also, many of those who have received Christ as Lord of their lives through their gospel presentations are now faithfully involved in local church ministries. We have another group of youth coming in August of this year from the Houston, Texas area. We are looking forward to seeing how God will use this group also for the glory of His name and for the salvation of many lost ones.
We had a mountaintop experience around the middle of the March, literally. As often as possible we schedule a mountain climb with those who’ll accept the challenge. Our purposes for these excursions are: 1) to provide an opportunity to establish a deeper friendship with folks who aren’t yet attending church, 2) seek to display our relationship with Christ in an “outside the church building” environment, 3) motivate both our church members and prospective converts to take care of their bodies through strenuous exercise, 4) teach all the participants to appreciate and praise the Lord for the beauty of His creation; the lovely mountains, rivers and forest around us. We have discovered that these mountain excursions serve as a good way to invite non-church goers to a church event that doesn’t seem threatening or “churchy.” Once they have participated with us on one of these climbs, they almost always follow up by coming to our church services.
Our American Football training camp is coming up in early June. We are still hammering out the details so that we might make the best use of the personnel who’ll be involved. We have the participation of at least one former NFL player (Johnny Mitchell – former Dallas Cowboys, and New York Jets), his brother, Gregg Booth – former Arena Football. We still have opportunities available for high school and college coaches and players to teach and execute the skills of the sport. Please pray that the Lord would give me wisdom on how to best administer this training camp for the spread of the gospel among the Brazilian athletes and their families and staff.
Thank you for your faithful prayers and support.
In Christ’s love,
Bobby, Charlene and Brennen Wacaser
Rua Laudelino Ferreira Lopes, 279-1
Bairro Novo Mundo
81050-310 Curitiba, PR Brasil
(813)436-9980
robertmw[at]brturbo.com.br
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