Bringing Hope to the Hopeless



Jud and Raquel Hatcher are third generation missionaries serving 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.

CODE RED

The COVID scenario appeared to be looking better because of the vaccines currently being distributed in Sao Paulo. Then, reports came out at the beginning of March stating that deaths by COVID are higher than ever and that more severe lockdowns are scheduled. As of this letter, we are in code RED for all of the city and state of São Paulo. Critical care bed capacity in our city hospitals are beyond 150%. Please, pray for the health workers in São Paulo, infected people, people we minister to, and our family´s health.

PRESSING FORWARD

We continue with online meetings for worship, prayer, discipleship and team planning. We assist several families with monthly groceries, housing rent, and emotional support. So many people have lost their source of income and several have lost loved ones. My heart breaks every time I hear of someone´s dire Coronavirus infection and in several cases death. It feels overwhelming because it is. Thankfully, we trust in the one who holds our future. The one person who holds us and everything together is the Lord. He is our steadfast hope. But not everyone we minister to believes this way. It is very hard for those who fear death to face the “end”. Our role is to keep pressing forward and pointing people to Jesus, for He alone is the only hope for this pandemic and for the greatest pandemic of them all that rests in people´s hearts.

IMMERSED

When not in lockdown, we actively pursue community engagement. While our kids play, we connect with parents and this has led to many new friendships and opportunities to share Christ and invite people into our home (please see pictures). “Jesus and a table” – this is such a rewarding ministry opportunity. As it is an incredible evangelism strategy is to invite people to our home to play games, eat dinner, and point people to Jesus (see picture). Pointing people to Jesus is our desire through occasions such as these.

HOPE FOR ORPHANS

In the last 18 months, Raquel (my wife) has taken on a new project. Raquel assists in placing orphaned children with loving foster parents. Foster parenting is still “new” in São Paulo and most children are sent to an orphanage and get lost in the system. She is serving as an advocate for orphaned children, raising awareness with judges; recruiting, training, and certifying parents to become legal foster parents through “Aslan Brazilian Beneficent Association” for local courts to assign children into loving families with homes.

Raquel is a licensed psychologist, holds a doctorate in psychology, is a member of “World Without Orphans”, and “Orphans Rights Movement”. She is earning the trust of local judges and city authorities as she works with them. The legal process in the court system is often challenging, as most judges find it easier to send the child to an overcrowded orphanage instead of a foster family. The benefits of a child placed with a foster family instead of a government orphanage are obvious – foster parents embrace, know them by name, and love the child as their own.

Raquel has received (court-assigned) newborn babies at local hospitals to place them into the arms of loving foster parents equipped to nurture them. We need your help. I ask you to consider a monthly contribution for this project. Please, designate “Judson Hatcher – HOPE Kids”.

Please, continue to pray with us.

Grateful,
Judson and Raquel Hatcher

Contact Info:
Jud & Raquel Hatcher
São Paulo, Brazil
judsonhatcher@gmail.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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Church Camp, Fellowship, and Encouraging Disciples in France

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

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

August 10, 2019

Dear Brother and Sisters,

We thank God for each of you who have been used by God to help and encourage us. In the middle of July Judy and I were able to be with East Keys Baptist Church in Springfield, IL. It is always a blessing to be with Dan and Marsha Hillard. Judy especially enjoyed Marsha’s enthusiasm in her service to the Lord. I have also known the Hicks family since a child, and it is always a blessing to be with them again. The entire church is always very welcoming, and we thank them for the fine reception they gave to us.

Church camp!

A week later we had a wonderful time with the Foster family at their reunion. Peggy, Judy and I were able to visit with members of their paternal and maternal families. On Sunday we were blessed in the services of First Baptist Church of Lloyd, KY where Russ Foster, a cousin, is pastor. I was encouraged by their desire to reach out to untouched families in their community. The next day the girls dropped me off at youth camp sponsored by the Addyston Baptist Church which included participants from Hope Baptist, Fairfield, OH; Bible Baptist, North Vernon, IN; Dearborn Baptist, Aurora, IN; Emmanuel Baptist, Bellbrook, OH; Trinity-Northbrook Baptist, Cincinnati, OH and Doorway Baptist, Charleston, SC.

Church camp

I enjoyed speaking to the campers and counselors and the great time of fellowship with David Pitman and Philip DuBarry, their families; Alicia and other members of my paternal family and many wonderful friends in Christ. I met several brothers and sisters in Christ that I did not know previously. I enjoyed the lessons by Pastor Pitman, Philip DuBarry and Russel as well as the message by Steve Hall. It was a blessing to see the joy of those who received Christ while there and the way the Lord was at work in many. I am including pictures of the participants and counselors. Thanks so much Deborah Hall for passing along the great pictures. Thanks, Addyston Baptist, and especially the ladies for your generous gifts.

We are glad to be able to be it regular contact with believers in France and to be able to have Bible studies and encourage disciples through internet communication. There, as well as here, some are touched by death, others by illness and other challenges of our world that is groaning in travail waiting to be delivered. However, the light of Jesus dissipates the darkness and we enjoy hearing testimonies about how God is at work.

May the light of Jesus shine through each of us.

Your brother and sister,
John and Judy

John Mark & Judy Hatcher
JMHatcher[at]aol.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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