What’s a Missionary Wife’s Life Like?
April 22, 2022
Dear readers,
When I’m asked what a missionary wife’s life is like, I guess I have to say that it is as varied as there are missionary wives. This is true because every missionary wife has her own personality and her own set of skills and struggles that shape her. I’m certain that there are many circumstances and experiences that we missionary wives have in common just by the nature of our calling to leave our families, our home culture and language. But how we adjust to all of these is different in many ways because we are different in many ways.
Before anything else, though, I want you to know that I do not consider my life on the foreign mission field a sacrifice or a burden. I am thankful to the Lord for the life He has given me. Yes, I have my struggles and hardships, but I know that each and every one of you do too. Some of mine are completely different because of my calling, but many are very similar to yours. I am both happy and fulfilled in what the Lord is using me to do here in Brazil. I thank Him for the privilege to serve Him where I am.
Charlene 
Charlene & Bobby 
Charlene with some of their church ladies for Children’s Day 
Charlene
It is hard for me to put a title on my role, so I will just share some of the things that I do and not worry about titles. I help our couples’ ministry team leaders prepare for our outreach events. We usually hold 4 to 5 of these events per year. They are basically two-hour banquets, each with a different décor theme and different marital issues in focus. My husband, Bobby, usually brings a message addressing the marital principle in focus and always shares the gospel with the lost guests. My part is to help plan the décor and set up the auditorium for those who attend.
I also work with our children’s teaching ministry. We have put together a great team of volunteers who are gifted teachers and I assist them now. Through the course of our ministry and with each new church plant, I am usually the first and main children’s teacher as we begin to discover and develop new teachers from among our new converts.
Maybe one of my most important roles, though, is to assist Bobby in whatever he needs me to do. When he has to counsel women, he always has me with him, both for my female input and for ministerial integrity.
Our home life is one of the strongest illustrations of what we teach and of what he preaches, so I realize that I must give great attention to making it both pleasant and solid. We have raised our children and we now have an “empty nest,” but I want it to still be full of joy and love.
The hardest part for me as a woman is the absence of our children and our grandson. But I would rather be 5,000 miles away from them doing what the Lord wants me to do than to be in the same city with them when that’s not His will for me.
My prayer request is that Bobby and I will always be attentive to the Lord’s leading. We want to be in fellowship with Him so intimately that we will know when and where He is leading us to new opportunities to share the gospel and plant new churches.
I am really grateful to all of you who pray for us and for the faithful support to maintain our ministries.
Yours in the love of Jesus,
Charlene Wacaser
Contact Info:
Bobby & Charlene Wacaser
Rua Laudelino Ferreira Lopes, 279
Sobrado 1, Novo Mundo
81050-310 Curitiba, PR. Brasil
Phone: 55-41-99899-2333
bobbymichael_1@hotmail.com
For ministry donations:
Pastor George Sledd, Treasurer of BFM
P.O. Box 471280
Lake Monroe, FL 32747-1280
or click here to donate to BFM online
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Adjusting Back to Life in Kenya
March 5th, 2022
Dear praying friends,
Another month has come and gone, and we are already into the third month of 2022. Time passes so fast, and may we be busy in our service to the Lord. This prayer letter will share current prayer requests, as well as update you on my (Nathan’s) upcoming ministry plans.
I am in the process of recruiting potential younger Kenyan men to disciple, train, and send out to start churches in their village areas. I have spoken with different men who have lived in Africa or are living in Africa about church planting, and they had a basic model to follow: recruit the men, (preferably men who are already employed), disciple them so they have a firm foundation in their faith, then send them out to villages to start churches.
This is the model I followed this past term, and it was the best progress of any prior term. Unfortunately, covid came to Kenya and we had to close things down. Now that it is possible to meet again, by practicing social distancing, and also masks are encouraged, we can continue.
Lord willing, I plan to start in a village called Taito, which is about a fifteen minute drive from Kitale town. In all of these endeavors, it is God that gives the increase. I am reminded of 1 Corinthians 3:6, where Paul says “I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase.” Amen. It is the same today. We must trust God for the results in all our endeavors.
In family news, our daughters have adjusted well back to life here in Kenya. They are homeschooling, and my wife is doing a great job teaching them. She is very qualified, and I am blessed with all the sacrifices she makes daily, and for our family. Please pray both for her and our daughters as they continue along in this school year.
There have been many changes in the missionary community since we have returned, and unfortunately, the family that had a daughter our daughter’s ages moved away to another area. We are blessed that there are some Kenyan girls nearby who speak good English, and they are invited to play with them at any time. This is a major blessing. Would you please pray with us that God would provide other families with daughters that could be friends with our daughters? This is a big prayer request for us now, and we are waiting upon the Lord. Psalm 27:14 says “Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD.” May we wait in faith, trusting Him each step of the way.
Thanks so much to each of you for your heart for missions. We appreciate the prayers, sacrificial giving, and letters so much. May God bless each of you.
Until next month,
Nathan and Carrie Radford
Contact Info:
Nathan and Carrie Radford
naterad[at]yahoo.com
P.O. Box 4150
Kitale, Kenya
East Africa 30200
For ministry donations:
Pastor George Sledd, Treasurer of BFM
P.O. Box 471280 | Lake Monroe, FL 32747-1280
or click here to donate to BFM online.
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A Unique Story of the Church in Barão; New Engines Needed for Boat Missions
Mike and Beverly Creiglow have served the Lord in Cruzeiro do Sul, Acre, Brazil together since 1971. In addition to pastoring First Baptist of Cruzeiro do Sul, Mike builds his own boats and frequently travels up and down rivers to share the Gospel with those who have never heard.
November 15, 2019
Dear Brethren,
Let me begin with a prayer request this time: Cruzeiro do Sul and indeed Brazil is under the worse epidemic of dengue fever ever – please pray. A young woman from our church just died of hemorrhagic dengue and we have many in the hospital or recovering at home right now. In fact, I have been sick for the past couple of weeks and the doctor initially thought that I had dengue. Turns out that I had an infection and am taking antibiotics. Yesterday I finally started to feel a little bit better. The epidemic is so severe that I even got a letter from the U.S. Embassy telling us what precautions to take, etc.!
Since my return from the States a few months ago I had noticed that our attendance had been flat at First Baptist Church. I have been getting all 7 of the pastors together once or twice a week to discuss what is wrong. We have taken care of some disciplinary problems. I have been doing some much-needed teaching in several areas of concern. The attendance has been edging up again and we have had several more saved. In fact, we had our best Wednesday crowd of the year this week. Pastor Ezi brought a lesson about resolving conflicts between members. He had already called on prayer to close the service, when a man came forward and made a profession of faith! We held a baptism and Lord’s supper service earlier this month. We had a big crowd and added 27 new members.
Bev and I were with the Getsêmani congregation at Colônia São Francisco for a weekend meeting. Really big crowds and great services.
Bev also went with me to visit our church at Barão. This is one of our oldest churches. Its story is unique. The original founder of Cruzeiro do Sul, Mâncio Lima, a rubber baron, went up the Moa River, enslaved the Puyanawa Indians, and took over their lands. For years we had a church there, but he or his descendants would not allow the construction of a church building. When I was a boy they still met in the preacher’s home. Later the federal government gave the land back to the tribe. Now they have a nice big brick building. The reservation is now accessible by road. The pastor is Brother Amós, who is the chief’s son. Even though the church is in what is officially an Indian reservation, you really wouldn’t notice a whole lot of difference from any of our other towns. Bev and I visited them for a couple’s meeting on a Saturday night. It rained all afternoon and we did a lot of slipping and sliding in my jeep to get there. There were well over a hundred present.
Last week I was scheduled to be with Igreja Batista da Bíblia at Igarapé Pentecostes, but had to cancel because of my illness. They just lost their pastor, so pray for them.
South America is boiling with all kinds of political upheavals. Please pray for Venezuela, Argentina, Chile, Peru and Bolívia. Brazil has also had some setbacks and needs your prayer, too.
I am in the process of renewing my outboard motors. My 60HP and 25HP are both over 10 years old. Calvary Baptist Church of Hurricane, West Virginia has provided the new 60HP. It has been ordered and is on the road somewhere between São Paulo and Cruzeiro do Sul. It has taken well over a month to get this thing rolling. The trucking company says the engine won’t be delivered until December 6. I have saved back a little money toward the new 25HP motor. It will cost about $5,000.00 with shipping cost included. My first 2 trips with this new engine are to take place in January 2020. One of these trips is to the Purús River. We just sent a new missionary couple there and I need to survey the river from the bridge crossing to Santa Rosa. I will trailer my boat and motor east for 280 miles to the bridge then make my way almost 300 miles up the Purús stopping at some 45 villages just to gather data. That data will be shared with our missionary Lucas. He will then begin the actual mission work along the river. Would you help me buy the new 25HP outboard? These may well be the last engines we ever have to buy for Mike Creiglow. I am now 71 years old. If these 2 engines last 10 more years (like the old ones did) then I would be 81 and it might just be time to slow down and let others take over. We will see what the Lord wants to happen.
Thanks for all of your prayers and support. God bless you as much as He has us.
In Christ,
Mike Creiglow
Mike and Beverly Creiglow
Caixa Postal 24
Cruzeiro do Sul, Acre, Brazil 69980
mdcreig [at] hotmail.com
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Evangelism, Discipleship, Sharing Life Together
Jud and Raquel Hatcher serve the Lord in São Paulo, Brazil. They are part of the “SeedFactory” church planting initiative, which is a movement to plant churches in all 26 Brazilian capitals. Since 2006, 43 churches have been started in 5 states.
September 21, 2019
Dear friends,
We have had a great month. Keep reading.
FAMILY
This week Sarah is participating with her school team in a Basketball Tournament in Brasilia (the nation’s capital). The teachers and students are staying in host homes of the organizing school. We were excited to hear of the news for Sarah to join the team in this trip – Sarah was elated. It is a great opportunity to connect with new people and for her to shine the light during the games. Sarah’s team won the game this morning and classified to participate in the finals this afternoon. They travel back to São Paulo tonight. I am sure to hear about all the details of the trip on our way back from the airport later on tonight.
All of our kids are doing extremely well in school – Report cards show mostly “A”s. Going to school is definitely a highlight for our kids and we are extremely grateful that our children are experiencing an incredible academic and athletic life at the Pan American Christian Academy in São Paulo City.
MINISTRY
The Maria Virginia Baptist Church officially voted and approved a new pastor this month (I suggested his name as a candidate). I have enjoyed serving this beloved church as their interim pastor. I will continue in this capacity until the new pastor arrives in January 2020.
Imagine Baptist Church is doing well. We had a great dinner party last Thursday evening. Raquel decided to make tacos and taco salad. The majority of them had never eaten Mexican food before. Doing life together is an important part of this ministry. There is a lot of sharing about life’s difficulties, joys and how Christ guides us through each situation. It is a blessing to see how the Lord is working in the lives of all these people.
Hope Baptist Church is always fun, not that it does not have its challenges. Over the last few weeks, we were able to get a toilet bowl and a kitchen sink donated for a needy family. They were so grateful to receive the items.
Several evangelistic events occurred throughout the month with many decisions. We had a one-day women’s conference and next month we have a big youth gathering. We are currently in a teaching series in 1 John. It is interesting to see how so many people are engaging in talking and asking questions. There are 11 people currently being discipled with the book “Oneness with God” written by my uncle David Hatcher.
TRAINING
Our musical training is moving right along. Vocalists and instrument players are improving. Everyone loves the musical growth.
Tomorrow we have an all-day children’s ministry training seminar. Raquel is leading the sessions. She is ready and excited. We start with a hearty breakfast at 8am and dive into the content at 9am.
Grateful always,
Judson Hatcher
Judson & Raquel Hatcher
(859) 544-9040
judsonhatcher@gmail.com
Website | Twitter | Facebook
Click here to give now.
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Making New Friends, Introducing them to the Very Best Friend
Jud and Raquel Hatcher serve the Lord in São Paulo, Brazil. They are part of the “SeedFactory” church planting initiative, which is a movement to plant churches in all 26 Brazilian capitals. Since 2006, 43 churches have been started in 5 states.
August 21, 2019
Dear friends,
Here are a few key phrases to encourage you to keep reading and find out more: “Did she break her ankle?”, Darkness falls in the metropolis, Ministry explanation
I have been fighting a throat infection for the last few days. The strong antibiotic is taking a toll on my stomach. Sarah (8th grade) was invited to play in the Sr. Varsity basketball team this school year. She was surprised by the coach’s invitation. Even more surprised when he put her in to play twice during the first game of the season. Her coach is impressed by her development and drive. Unfortunately, she sprained her ankle this week. One of the coach’s first questions once we returned from the hospital was “Did she break her ankle?”. Thankfully, it was just the ligament. So, she may not get to play in the next game at the end of this week. We are thankful for no broken bones. Sarah & Laura adapted well with using braces. Melissa will be using special braces as some of her baby teeth fell out too early and the spaces for the teeth need to remain open until the new teeth drop. Benjamin is loving school and soccer – he is one happy dude. Raquel is doing well, whilst staying busy.
The last couple of weeks we’ve had very hot days followed by very cold days. The weather gets extremely melancholic during this time of the year. The day before yesterday was an even more bizarre day. Due to all the fires in another part of the country, the wind brought in a dark smog and by 4 pm it was dark as night.
Over the last month there was a lot of discipleship with new believers and planning with leadership. We had an evangelistic event this last Sunday. We had a “Friends Barbeque” at the church in Jardim Maria Virginia. We had an icebreaker before lunch began where people used a whole two minutes to talk about themselves to another person (some found it easier than others). Then, the person who listened had 30 seconds to introduce their new friend to another. It is interesting to see you people interact with having to talk about themselves and then listen to their introduction, yet they loved it. Making new friends is important, but meeting Jesus – hey, He is the best friend anyone can have. Almost 100 people turned out to the event. There were 6 decisions in all – 4 salvations, 1 reconciliation and 1 for baptism. I love interacting with the unchurched. They often don’t know what to expect and don’t know how to do the “church thing”. After we finished the altar call, one lady raised her hand and blurted out “Hey, I surrendered to Jesus several years ago but was never baptized. What do I need to do to get baptized?” I gave a brief explanation so that all could hear, and we scheduled a follow-up meeting to talk about baptism and what we believe.
This next Sunday we begin a new children’s ministry campaign to reach young children and their families. Raquel did the curriculum training and planning for the kick-off day (this coming Sunday). We are inviting families with children left and right, through social media and face-to-face. The team is excited, and the parents are encouraged that people want to invest in their children.
Grateful always,
Judson Hatcher
Judson & Raquel Hatcher
(859) 544-9040
judsonhatcher@gmail.com
Website | Twitter | Facebook
Click here to give now.
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Priorities and Planned Changes in 2019
Odali and Kathy Barros served the Lord in Sao Paulo, Brazil together from 1987-2013. In late 2013, they transitioned to Manaus in Northern Brazil to start sharing the Gospel and planting churches in villages along the river.
December 31, 2018
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
Well, we have come to the end of one more year. God has been faithful to us in every area of our lives. Ministry, health, protection and finances. We want to thank each of you that have been faithful in praying and supporting us and the ministry. May God richly bless each of you.
This end of year has been a time of evaluation of the churches we are working at and making changes for better results in 2019.
We invested a lot in music at the mother church Pedras Vivas the year and the results have been fantastic. We have six members that have learned different instruments and several members that are singing in the worship group. At the beginning of the year we only had one who played. Praise the Lord.
We are investing more time in reaching the teens and youth. This week Kathy and I and a group from church took some young teens and pre-teens to sleep in the jungle. What a great time. The kids loved it and at bed time were singing praises.
At the church of Iranduba we are making some changes. The main change is the change of address. The new place is in a neighborhood where lots of people live. We are going to change church hours to better reach each community. One of the problems we have here in these places is that many people do not have transportation. So, we try to work out the best way to reach the most people.
Reaching out to lost people is the number one priority for 2019 and along with that is to invest in getting more members involved in different ministries so we can better reach the communities. Please continue to pray for our ministry that God will lead us each step of the way.
Love in Christ,
Odali and Kathy
Odali & Kathy Barros
Caixa Postal 1
Iranduba, Amazonas 69.415.000
Brasil, S.A.
odali_kathy[at]hotmail.com
For ministry donations:
Pastor George Sledd, Treasurer of BFM
P.O. Box 471280
Lake Monroe, FL 32747-1280
or click here to donate to BFM online
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São Paulo & Paraná Churches Gather in Marília
Jud and Raquel Hatcher serve the Lord in São Paulo, Brazil. They are part of the “SeedFactory” church planting initiative, which is a movement to plant churches in all 26 Brazilian capitals. Since 2006, 43 churches have been started in 5 states.
October 26, 2018
Dear friends,
The Lord is doing some amazing things around us and we are so grateful for all He is doing.
Family
We were growing uneasy with the education the kids were receiving, despite the local public school being one of the best in São Paulo. Through a series of rapid events we were able to enroll our children in an American Christian private school. The kids went through the assessments and necessary interviews to start and are loving their new school. We are now on the American academic calendar which facilitates when we travel to and from the States, as their academic school year will no longer be goofed. We are grateful to the BFM directors as they worked with and assisted us in the process of making this decision.
The school is located on the other side of town and with morning rush hour it took 1 hour and 40 minutes to arrive. The Lord again showed us His hand of grace and provided a good house. The first day of school was also our move-in to the house. We are now three minutes away by car.
The school has a great athletic program. Sarah and Laura are on the JV basketball team and Benjamin is in the boy’s soccer team. Melissa is learning how to play basketball. We are overjoyed with the academic and athletic attention our kids are receiving.
Raquel is working hard at making our new house a home. I admire her “can do” attitude as we work together in this home and school transition with the kids.
Ministry
I recently had the privilege to serve as the key-note speaker at the Baptist Faith (informal) Association of São Paulo and Paraná churches. These were churches started by John Hatcher and Odali Barros during their ministries in that region. Churches from all over drove into the city of Marília for this holiday event. The event was organized by Baptist Faith Church, led by Pastor Gilberto Stefano. Gilberto was mentored in pastoral ministry by Grandpa and he is a tremendous leader. There were 588 people in attendance. Marilía is a 5-hour drive from the capitol. I went and returned on the same day to fulfill my other commitments in São Paulo. It was a sweet, sweet day and it was amazing to see so many friends.
Our move still allows us to continue working with the three home gatherings in the other part of the city. It also allows us to expand. In this next phase we are looking to lease a meeting hall or school for church gatherings. I met yesterday with a pastor whose English speaking church does not use their facilities on Sunday evenings and sent a lease proposal for their consideration for us to use the space on Sunday nights and once a week. The location is situated near two subway stations of a recently inaugurated train line. If the Lord opens this door, this will be our new base and training center. Our team is coming into place too. We have a worship leader and a “knows everyone” leader that will compose our leadership team. Pray for us as we wait for the decision to lease the church’s facility.
Grateful always,
Jud Hatcher
Judson & Raquel Hatcher
(859) 544-9040
judsonhatcher@gmail.com
Website | Twitter | Facebook
Click here to give now.
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Starting Worship Services in New Ministry!
The Tate Family has served the Lord in Kitale, Kenya since January 2008. Their main ministry is church planting.
September 28, 2018
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
I’m finally at the place where I can report I’m ready to begin a new ministry. I’ve informed you that I have had the desire and leading of the Lord to try and start a new church in Kitale and to pastor that church myself until it is ready to be on its own. “Does Kitale really need another church”, I’ve asked a thousand times? Yes, it needs a church that teaches the Word of God and worships God in Spirit and in truth. So, I’ve been planning and preparing for a long time. I rented a place to start in, worked on and prepared the room, and have been spreading the word about it for months. And now as we are about to close out September, I am able to say that we will be starting worship services in October, ready or not.
The name of the ministry for now will be called Upper Room Baptist Chapel. I would like to explain exactly why I am giving the ministry this name, so please bear with me as I give you the reasons for each part. First, Upper Room. Julie and I sat down and brain-stormed about the first part of this name. I wanted a simple name that kind of represented a significant meaning for the ministry. Nothing was sounding good until the Upper Room popped into my head. The reason this popped into my head is because the room I’ve rented is on the top floor of a four-story building in town. Get it? We’ll be meeting in the upper room of the building. But as I thought about it the name Upper Room seemed significant. I want to focus on the resurrection of Jesus, on following Jesus, and on knowing and having a relationship with God through Jesus – on fellowship with God. The Upper Room was a place where all of these things became a reality for the disciples of Jesus. So, the name seemed fitting for more than one reason. And, I thought we had come up with a unique name, that is until I started doing a few searches on the internet and found that there seem to be a number of churches with that name (In America, at least. There are none here with that name). Anyway, Julie and I still think it is a good and fitting name.
Second, Baptist. Is it old-fashioned and out-dated to call a church Baptist? Maybe to many it is, but not to me. Why? Let me tell you: Because I am a Baptist; Because I am sent out by a Baptist church and a Baptist organization; Because I believe in the Biblical doctrines of Baptist churches; Because I believe the history of Baptist churches is special and unique; Because the Baptist name represents who we are and what we will do and teach. For these reasons and more I will call the ministry Baptist.
Third, Chapel. I struggled a lot with this name too. It seemed like this part of the name should be easy, but it wasn’t. The word church made sense but the ministry won’t be a church yet. I hope and pray that someday, as God brings people into the ministry, as people are saved and baptized, that we will organize into a church. But at first, we will not yet be a church. So I ruled out that word. The word mission could also be used. However, in Kitale the word mission means a place where people can come and get things that they want, i.e., money and other material stuff. So I ruled out that word. I also, just personally, don’t care for Tabernacle or Temple because those words indicate Old Testament physical places where the Lord would meet with His people and I just don’t care for those terms for New Testament people. Worship Center sounds clunky. Training Center wasn’t fitting either. So, until a church is organized, I decided on Chapel – “a small building or room used for Christian worship in a school, prison, hospital or large private house”. That word seemed fitting and appropriate.
End result – Upper Room Baptist Chapel.
I am both excited and nervous about the start of this new ministry. I’m excited because I want to minister the Word of God and see the Spirit of God reaching into the lives of people, bringing them to salvation and fellowship with God. I’m nervous because I don’t know how things will go. If everyone attends who have said they will attend we will fill that upper room about five times over when our worship services start in October. Then again, maybe nobody will come. I just don’t know how God will initially work. So, how can you pray? Pray that God’s will be done and that He will bless this new work with fruit that will be pleasing to Him.
Until next month, beloved.
May God’s peace and joy be with you.
For the glory of God in Kenya,
Roger & Julie Tate (and Amy, Josiah & Chloe)
rojuta[at]gmail.com
Visit their blog!
For ministry donations:
Pastor George Sledd, Treasurer of BFM
P.O. Box 471280
Lake Monroe, FL 32747-1280
or click here to donate to BFM online.
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