Churches in Brazil Continue to Grow with National Pastors
April 3, 2025
We were pleased that our evangelistic partners from Roanoke, Virginia, were able to spend almost a week in ministry with our outreach team last month. The Lord blessed in so many ways. More than one hundred people surrendered to Christ through the gospel being shared in the schools and parks in a neighboring city, Araucaria. Our volunteers loved the time and effort spent with that team and look forward to future opportunities. One detail that stood out to me was how all four of them, though grandparents, were used so effectively among the youth of Brazil. We know that, first of all, God was working after much prayer in preparation for their trip. But I also believe that their compassion for the lost and their incredible work ethic and effort to get the word out to as many as possible were used of God for others to see Him in them. We have partnered with youth groups many times in the past, and will do so again, but observing grandparents like these minister with the passion and diligence these good folk demonstrated is inspiring.
Our traveling evangelistic team, Projeto Vida, just returned from their first full month of ministry in public schools for 2025 (the school year here begins in the middle of February). I was amazed at how the Lord opens doors of opportunity to get the gospel to so many people who may never set foot inside a church building. During this trip, our team had the privilege of sharing the gospel in 11 public schools, reaching 3056 people. Of those present, 203 professed publicly that they were trusting in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. Our partnering pastors now have the contact information of these new converts and will begin the discipleship process with them for continued growth in Christ. We are expecting an amazing year of fruit for God’s glory.
I spoke with two of our national pastors this month and their reports are very encouraging. In Northern Brazil, the Nova Igreja Batista of Itacoatiara is experiencing some impressive growth. Pastor Daniel Sombra and his wife, Neuliane have a new baby girl and a lot of new baby Christians to minister to. They are having to add on to their church building to accommodate the new growth, thanks to God.
Pastor Cledson and his team in Curitiba put together a couples’ dinner for outreach and marriage counseling. The church continues to grow under his faithful leadership.
Charlene and I want to thank you for your prayers and loving support.
In Christ’s love,
Bobby and Charlene Wacaser
Contact Info:
Bobby & Charlene Wacaser
Currently Stateside ministering to Brazil
Phone: (813) 501-9328
E-mail: 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
Read more
198 Profess Faith in Jesus Christ as Lord & Savior
November 9, 2024
Our traveling missionary team, Projeto Vida, experienced an amazing month of outreach in three different cities! In all, the team shared the gospel with 4,831 people. Of those people that heard the gospel, 198 made a public profession of faith in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. Oh, how great is the love and mercy of the God. Our team of missionaries returned to Curitiba, our home base, overflowing with gratitude and joy with how the Lord used and blessed their efforts. They had to spend a few days doing maintenance work and cleaning on the vehicles and equipment they use in their ministry, but they are now ready and excited to depart on what will be their last mission journey of the year. We pray that this next trip will be greatly blessed with many more individuals coming to know the Lord as well.
Our missionaries to Portugal, Yago and Manoela, called us a few days ago to share some joyful news. They are expecting their first baby! We rejoice with them at this news. Along with their ministry of Bible study and outreach in Portugal, they are working diligently on the translation of their children’s Bible study lessons into English for an upcoming mission effort in Egypt. The Lord has not opened the door for them to move there, as yet, but the ministry that called upon them to provide these Bible lessons is still in need of the material. They remain open to God’s direction in how He wants to use them. Please keep them in your prayers.
Charlene and I are traveling tomorrow to the annual Thanksgiving Missions Conference on behalf of Baptist Faith Missions at the New Hope Baptist Church of Dearborn Heights, MI. We hope to see some of you there and will miss those who can’t.
Thank you for your faithful love and support of our ministry. May the Lord bless you greatly.
In Christ’s love,
Bobby and Charlene Wacaser
Contact Info:
Bobby & Charlene Wacaser
Currently Stateside ministering to Brazil
Phone: (813) 501-9328
E-mail: 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
Read more
Rare Opportunity to Minister with Fellow Missionaries Judson & Raquel Hatcher
October 4, 2024
Dear Friends,
We have learned, though not perfectly, to look at everything around us through the lens of God’s sovereignty. Of course, that is both a challenge and a blessing. The apostle Peter began to sink when he got his eyes off Jesus, looking at the circumstances around him instead of focusing on the One who controlled the circumstances, who was with him. This past month we had some wonderful opportunities for evangelism and training. Of course, our enemy and the enemy of our Lord hates that, so he saw fit to bring on some distractions, and outright attacks. If the Lord had not reminded us daily of His sovereign rule and power over all things, we would have lost our focus and victories. But there was celebration in heaven over the many who surrendered to Christ during our evangelistic efforts in the public schools and squares, and our trials did not nullify that.
We had a rare privilege to minister together with some missions-minded churches and pastors and with our fellow missionary, Judson Hatcher. As many of you know, Brazil is a huge country. “Although the total area of the US is approximately 500,000 square miles larger than the total area of Brazil, Brazil is larger than the contiguous US by approximately 300,000 square miles. About 685,924 square miles of the US is covered by water compared to only 21,441 square miles of Brazil.” (worldatlas.com) Although Judson and Rachel minister in Brazil, we rarely get the privilege see one another or work together because of the distance between our fields of service. The time spent ministering together was a joy and we hope we’ll be able to do it again in the not-too-distant future.
Yago and Manoela continue faithfully in Portugal. They are having regular in-presence services after a few weeks of virtual meetings. Both they and their members are much happier. They are also working steadily on translating their children’s Bible study lessons into English to be used in Egypt and other Arab nations. Please continue to pray for them.
Projeto Vida worked alongside our visiting pastors and church teams in Curitiba, their home base, for a week, but they went immediately to some outlying towns to share the gospel after those days together. One of our missionaries, Julio, had been sidelined for some surgery, but he returned to full-time duty this month. He was really missing the daily joy of sharing the gospel to unreached youth and their families. He seems to be fully recovered, and we are thankful to the Lord for that.
Charlene and I are preparing to attend the Annual Thanksgiving Conference on behalf of Baptist Faith Missions at the New Hope Baptist Church in Dearborn Heights, Michigan, next month. We look forward to reacquainting with some of our dear brothers and sisters there, but we also hope to meet new friends and family in Christ. Thank you to pastor Terry Adkins for the invitation to attend and speak.
In Christ’s love,
Bobby and Charlene Wacaser
Contact Info:
Bobby & Charlene Wacaser
Currently Stateside on Furlough from Brazil
Phone: (813) 501-9328
E-mail: 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
Read more
Blessed by Team Visiting from Virginia
September 3, 2024
Dear Friends,
I really wanted to wait a few days to send my report last month because our visiting team from Virginia had just arrived and we were only beginning our week of ministry together in the schools and streets of Curitiba, Brazil. I can now share with you that it truly was a blessed few days of sharing the gospel with students and school staff. We were thrilled at the way the Lord moved in the hearts and lives of those that heard the gospel, and those that shared it. Pastor Jared Via has done a fantastic job of teaching and training his church what it means to be a follower of Jesus. His team of youth and their leaders boldly spoke in front of crowds, and one-on-one, about what it means to know Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. With the help of our volunteer translators, teens from 14 to 19 years of age were very intentional, yet perceptive in approaching the students who watched their gospel skits and listened to their personal testimonies and who seemed moved by the message. Only eternity will reveal exactly who and how many surrendered their lives to Christ through their efforts, but there were over 150 who publicly professed Jesus as their Lord and Savior during the course of our days of ministry together. We know from the Scriptures that there is rejoicing in heaven over the repentance of each lost person (Luke 15:7), but we’re also happy that these young witnesses of Christ had the privilege of being used by the Lord to have a part in that spiritual birth.
Our Projeto Vida team of evangelists loved the time spent together with their American brothers and sisters. They only knew from a prior visit a couple of the teens from the group of 18, but before the week was up, they seemed like lifelong family members. There was a lot of sadness and tears on the day of departure, but they know that goodbyes come with the territory of mission work. Our team of 13 missionaries went straight from their week of work with our Virginian friends to begin another week of outreach in a couple of coastal towns a little more than an hour from their home base. The Lord continued to bless and use their efforts in sharing the gospel. Hundreds of teens heard the Word and many came to know Christ.
Our missionaries to Portugal, Yago and Manoela, continue faithfully teaching and sharing the Word there. Portugal is definitely not “white unto harvest” like much of Brazil, but they are being obedient to preach the gospel to the “uttermost parts of the world.” Please remember them in your prayers.
Next week, Charlene and I are returning on another mission trip to Brazil with a small group of dedicated soul-winners. We have partnered with some of them on several occasions and we rejoice at the opportunity to do so again. Our ministry plan will be very similar to what we did with the group I mentioned earlier, but there are no teens in this group. What is evident is that the Lord can, and will, use anyone who is willing to offer themselves to Him to take the gospel to the lost and needy. Some of these volunteers are grandparents who are having the most fruitful times of their life. Why don’t you come too? There are no limits to how God can use you.
In Christ’s love,
Bobby and Charlene Wacaser
Contact Info:
Bobby & Charlene Wacaser
Currently Stateside on Furlough from Brazil
Phone: (813) 501-9328
E-mail: 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
Read more
Julio Boldly Shares the Gospel with Teens
July 2, 2024
Dear Friends,
Julio is one of our missionary volunteers who travels with Projeto Vida, our evangelistic travel team. Julio is a quiet man, usually not speaking unless spoken to. This changes, though, when he gets a chance to talk about Jesus. Recently, after our drama team performed some gospel skits in a public school, Julio was talking one-on-one with a teenaged boy. In just a few seconds, a whole group of the boy’s friends circled around to listen to what they were talking about. Julio saw the opportunity and sensed that the Lord was leading him to share with them all what Christ had done for them. He presented the gospel clearly and persuasively for several minutes. When he finished, he asked the whole group if any of them was willing to surrender their life to Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Savior. Fourteen teenagers’ hand shot up and they each confessed Christ as Lord right there in the school gymnasium! I am so thankful to have a part in Projeto Vida’s ministry and for young men like Julio for the boldness and spiritual insight to follow the Lord’s leading in presenting the gospel.
Pastor Cledson continues to lead the church in Curitiba in growth and outreach ministries. He has shown tremendous wisdom and awareness of God’s leading through some tough trials. There was an influential young man in his church who attempted to lead several other youth in an erroneous direction doctrinally, but Pastor Cledson was able to exhort the youth group as a whole using the Scriptures to show the fallacy the young man was trying to spread. The young man refused to repent of his error, but thankfully, the error was stopped from spreading on to the group through Cledson’s mature handling of the situation.
Yago and Manoela are still ministering faithfully in Portugal. Manoela still hasn’t received notice about her permanent visa, but they have Bible studies weekly with several believers and share the love of Christ through their daily contacts with the Portuguese people.
Charlene and I will be heading to Brazil in a couple of weeks to minister alongside Projeto Vida with a group of youth and their leaders from Virginia, USA. A couple of our old friends from Brazil, Rodrigo and Carol, have been teaching these young people some pantomime skits that we use in our public-school presentations. They have been practicing for several weeks and, when they arrive in Brazil, they will have the chance to perform these skits before the student body in several schools. Charlene and I will serve as translators, among several other functions, for this fine group. We ask that you pray the Lord will open hearts to turn to Christ.
Thank you so much for your faithful prayers and support.
In Christ’s love,
Bobby and Charlene Wacaser
Contact Info:
Bobby & Charlene Wacaser
Currently Stateside on Furlough from Brazil
Phone: (813) 501-9328
E-mail: 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
Read more
3 Students Saved at School!
October 25, 2023
Dear Friends,
One of the subjects that I teach to high school students is Personal Finances. Many of you are familiar with the radio show host and author, Dave Ramsey, who seeks to inform his listeners with biblical principles on how to handle money. His organization did a wonderful job of developing a high school
curriculum on personal finances. As I am teaching this course, I realize just how unprepared teens are to face real-world jobs, paychecks, bank accounts, credit cards, loans, and living on a budget. I’m reminded of how little I knew when I was their age, so I know there’s hope that they can be even better equipped through this course than I was. Using the Bible and the curriculum, I have had several opportunities to share God’s financial principles for His children and His plan of salvation for the lost. This past month, three of our enrolled students professed Christ as their Lord and Savior and two have already been baptized into church fellowship. We are only ten weeks into the school year, so I am very excited about how much more the Lord will do through us.
Yago and Manoela continue ministering faithfully in Portugal. They are encouraged to remain steady in their witnessing and teaching the new converts. They are coming up on their first anniversary of beginning their ministry in Portugal on November 22, 2023. They knew that it was not going to be
easy to evangelize in a country where less than 1% of the population claims to be a born-again believer in Jesus Christ, but the contrast of such dire spiritual conditions compared to the spiritual harvest time in Brazil is stark. We believe that the Lord uses your and our prayers to supply them with motivation and ideas for effective evangelism and biblical teaching. We ask that you continue to pray for them and that the Lord would bless them with fruit for their labors.
The loud-speakers were replaced for our traveling evangelistic team, Projeto Vida. We had already replaced two tires on their van, then our speakers quit. But because of the generosity of a faithful brother (he prefers to remain anonymous), they were replaced immediately, and the team didn’t miss a single scheduled evangelistic event. The team still has a month and a half of the school year remaining and several public schools and parks in which to minister. The Lord willing, our team will share the gospel with over three to four thousand students and adults by Christmas. May He see fit to bring many to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ through them.
Our church in Curitiba, Brazil has just concluded a weekend evangelistic event. The Lord blessed by bringing 14 persons to a saving knowledge of Jesus. A “Next Steps” class is scheduled to begin this Sunday for these new believers to begin to study the Bible as God’s handbook for Christian living. There were over 100 members of the church involved in preparing for and putting on the gospel presentation during a three-month period of practice and rehearsals. We thank God for providing the resources and dedication of these faithful servants.
Charlene and I were privileged to visit with Bro. Mark Pyles and his dear church, Grace Baptist, in Fairfield, Ohio and with Pastor Jared Via and the good folk at Hope Valley Baptist Church in Christiansburg, Virginia in October. We are very grateful for the hospitality and generosity shown to Charlene and me while we were with them.
In a few days we will be traveling to Detroit, Michigan to participate in the Thanksgiving Conference on behalf of Baptist Faith Missions sponsored by the New Hope Baptist Church and pastor Terry Adkins. We’d love to see you there.
Charlene and I want to express our gratitude and appreciation to you who pray and give so that we may serve the Lord where He has called us.
In Christ’s love,
Bobby and Charlene Wacaser
Contact Info:
Bobby & Charlene Wacaser
Currently Stateside on Furlough from Brazil
Phone: (813) 501-9328
E-mail: 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
Read more
3 Students Saved at School!
October 25, 2023
Dear Friends,
One of the subjects that I teach to high school students is Personal Finances. Many of you are familiar with the radio show host and author, Dave Ramsey, who seeks to inform his listeners with biblical principles on how to handle money. His organization did a wonderful job of developing a high school curriculum on personal finances. As I am teaching this course, I realize just how unprepared teens are to face real-world jobs, paychecks, bank accounts, credit cards, loans, and living on a budget. I’m reminded of how little I knew when I was their age, so I know there’s hope that they can be even better equipped through this course than I was. Using the Bible and the curriculum, I have had several opportunities to share God’s financial principles for His children and His plan of salvation for the lost. This past month, three of our enrolled students professed Christ as their Lord and Savior and two have already been baptized into church fellowship. We are only ten weeks into the school year, so I am very excited about how much more the Lord will do through us.
Yago and Manoela continue ministering faithfully in Portugal. They are encouraged to remain steady in their witnessing and teaching the new converts. They are coming up on their first anniversary of beginning their ministry in Portugal on November 22, 2023. They knew that it was not going to be
easy to evangelize in a country where less than 1% of the population claims to be a born-again believer in Jesus Christ, but the contrast of such dire spiritual conditions compared to the spiritual harvest time in Brazil is stark. We believe that the Lord uses your and our prayers to supply them with motivation and ideas for effective evangelism and biblical teaching. We ask that you continue to pray for them and that
the Lord would bless them with fruit for their labors.
The loud-speakers were replaced for our traveling evangelistic team, Projeto Vida. We had already replaced two tires on their van, then our speakers quit. But because of the generosity of a faithful brother (he prefers to remain anonymous), they were replaced immediately, and the team didn’t miss a single scheduled evangelistic event. The team still has a month and a half of the school year remaining and several public schools and parks in which to minister. The Lord willing, our team will share the gospel with over three to four thousand students and adults by Christmas. May He see fit to bring many to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ through them.
Our church in Curitiba, Brazil has just concluded a weekend evangelistic event. The Lord blessed by bringing 14 persons to a saving knowledge of Jesus. A “Next Steps” class is scheduled to begin this Sunday for these new believers to begin to study the Bible as God’s handbook for Christian living. There were over 100 members of the church involved in preparing for and putting on the gospel presentation during a three-month period of practice and rehearsals. We thank God for providing the resources and dedication of these faithful servants.
Charlene and I were privileged to visit with Bro. Mark Pyles and his dear church, Grace Baptist, in Fairfield, Ohio and with Pastor Jared Via and the good folk at Hope Valley Baptist Church in Christiansburg, Virginia in October. We are very grateful for the hospitality and generosity shown to Charlene and me while we were with them.
In a few days we will be traveling to Detroit, Michigan to participate in the Thanksgiving Conference on behalf of Baptist Faith Missions sponsored by the New Hope Baptist Church and pastor Terry Adkins. We’d love to see you there.
Charlene and I want to express our gratitude and appreciation to you who pray and give so that we may serve the Lord where He has called us.
In Christ’s love,
Bobby and Charlene Wacaser
Contact Info:
Bobby & Charlene Wacaser
Currently Stateside on Furlough from Brazil
Phone: (813) 501-9328
E-mail: 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
Read more
Warm Send Off, Currently Stateside, Gospel Presentations Continue
June 1, 2023
Dear Friends,
Let me start out by announcing that Charlene and I have begun our stateside furlough and will be available to visit and share our ministries with you or your church in the upcoming months. Our contact information is:
Phone: (813) 501-9328
E-mail: bobbymichael_1@hotmail.com
Before leaving Curitiba, Brazil last week, we had a very warm send-off service from our dear church family there. I have left the pastorate in the able hands of Pastor Cledson Xenofonte. He has been my co-pastor and youth pastor for the past five years and the church has grown significantly due to his and his assistants’ dedicated labors. His wife, Fabiane, and he have two children (both teens) who are involved and dedicated in the church ministries as well. I feel confident that God placed Cledson on my heart to succeed me as pastor and I believe the church will continue to grow steadily under his leadership.
Although Charlene and I will reside this year in the USA, we have several mission trips scheduled that will take us back to Brazil a couple of times and at least on one trip to our new church plant in Portugal to assist Yago and Manoela. This couple has shown tremendous wisdom and a great work ethic as they are constantly setting up Bible studies and personal discipleship meetings. They are still seeking the right house to move to near the capital, Lisbon, so that they can reach a greater number of people with less waste of time and money on the highway from their present residence. Our church in Curitiba is contributing as much as they can so that they can afford the higher rent there and Charlene and I give personally as well. But since the currency in Portugal is the Euro and more expensive, they still need about $200 per month more to meet the additional cost of rent in the capitol. If you feel led of the Lord to give toward this investment in reaching the lost in Portugal, you may contribute by labeling your offering: Wacaser – Portugal Mission.
Our traveling evangelistic team, Projeto Vida recently returned from a three-week trip to the northwestern part of the state of Paraná. In the public parks and schools where they ministered, the gospel was presented to 1743 students and adults. Of these, 151 made a public profession of faith in Jesus Christ. We are so thankful the Lord continues to keep this window of opportunity open to us. We know that this privilege is being lost in more and more locations throughout the world, so we seek to take advantage of it to get the gospel out there.
In Christ’s love,
Bobby and Charlene Wacaser
Contact Info:
Bobby & Charlene Wacaser
Currently Stateside on Furlough from Brazil
Phone: (813) 501-9328
E-mail: 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
Read more
