Training Leadership, Headed to the States
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.
May 22, 2021
Dear friends,
In this month’s letter: Overcoming leadership training challenges, a Northeastern Brazil celebration visit in João Pessoa, “to COVID or not to COVID” and our plans to be in the US. Thanks for reading.
Leadership Training
This month we had an intense one-week online leadership training with 23 people from three different cities. In his book J. Oswald Sanders ‘Spiritual Leadership’ said “leadership is influence”. Our in depth discussions dealt with the needed influence for maximum mobilization and teamwork for the Gospel. The pandemic forced us to use a new format for meetings and training. There is a benefit to online training though. As people familiarize themselves with this format, new leaders from around the country can participate in these seminars and bring a broader base of experiences into the conversation. The live feed provides real time interaction between people that otherwise would not be in the same room due to the geographical distance. It was a great success.
Church in João Pessoa
Pastor Helder and I flew 3.5 hours from São Paulo to encourage the church, the pastor and the leadership in João Pessoa. In 2003, my father (Paul Hatcher) and I visited and surveyed 5 cities in Northeast Brazil. As a result, a new church planting project began to reach Brazil´s Northeastern region. Families were equipped, teams were selected and sent from Manaus. João Pessoa was one of the cities that received a church planting team. It’s the capital city on the coast of Paraiba state, and is home to beautiful people. Pastor Mizael and Jaqueline (his wife) were part of the original three families that moved from Manaus as part of the project. This church was started 15 years ago and Mizael and Jaqueline have faithfully served with their family. They developed leaders and influenced the region with the Gospel. We met with their leadership team and presented Pastor Mizael and Jaqueline with a “Here Am I” award during Sunday’s worship meeting in honor of their faithful service to the Lord to reach people with the Gospel.
Family Happenings
These last few weeks we´ve celebrated Sarah’s (16th) and Benjamin´s (13th) birthdays. It is hard to do much celebrating in the middle of a lockdown, but the Lord is faithful in caring for us and giving us great reason to rejoice.
Raquel, Benjamin and I tested positive with COVID-19. Our family remained in home lockdown for three weeks until full recovery. Benjamin was mostly asymptomatic, as he only had a congested nose for 3 nights. Raquel and I had fevers, inflammation of the joints and organs, coughing, and deep exhaustion. The Lord took care of us during this time through family and friends. We are now COVID free.
Stateside Assignment
We travel to the States on June 17 to stay for a one-year Stateside assignment / furlough. We plan to visit supporting churches, friends and family during this time. We were originally scheduled to be in the States last year, but the pandemic lockdown hindered us from making it. We are grateful to our supporting churches, friends and to the BFM board of directors in assisting us during this process. We will begin in Orlando, FL by visiting my parents for a few weeks. We would love to schedule a time with you and/or your church. Let’s connect! Shoot me an email so that we can plan the details to be with you.
Grateful always,
Judson and Raquel Hatcher
Family birthdays! 
Visiting church in João Pessoa (Northeastern Brazil) 
Visiting church in João Pessoa (Northeastern Brazil) 
Visiting Northeastern Brazil 
Visiting Northeastern Brazil 
Leadership Training 
Visiting Northeastern Brazil 
Visiting Northeastern Brazil 
Visiting church in João Pessoa (Northeastern Brazil) 
Visiting church in João Pessoa (Northeastern Brazil) 
Visiting church in João Pessoa (Northeastern Brazil) 
Visiting church in João Pessoa (Northeastern Brazil)
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.
Read more
Enjoying Time on Furlough
Greetings from WV!
It’s so nice to greet everyone from this side of the US! We are all doing well and are enjoying our time on furlough. I hope and pray this letter finds everyone else doing well and enjoying the spring weather. It’s certainly been a lovely time of year for us. We miss the deep green that surrounds us here during the spring and summer months. Kenya is beautiful and has many gorgeous plants and flowers, but the leaves and grass aren’t as green as they are here. We are looking forward to the warm weather of the coming months.
Our time at home has been a blessing to all of us. It’s hard to believe that in a few months, another school year will be finished. Kenna is currently in 7th grade and Cami is in 4th. Next year is the last year of middle school for Kenna, and the first year for Cami. They are growing up so quickly! I’ve been busy trying to figure out Kenna’s curriculum for next year, knowing that she is approaching high school and that everything then “counts,” so to speak. We are trying to enjoy each day and not get bogged down in the details.
Nathan is working hard to keep up to date with everyone and coordinate the travel plans and present the ministries to churches. He is doing a great job trying to meet all the needs of our family with all the transitions involved in missionary life. The girls, while enjoying their time on furlough, have also been lonely and miss their friends and pets in Kenya. Nathan does all he can to support and encourage them. He is a great father to our girls.
This year has been different for us, as it has been for all of you as well. Covid has changed many of our “normal” furlough activities, but we are thankful to be home during this time. The people of Kenya are experiencing a return of lockdowns in at least 5 counties, including Nairobi, as Covid is spreading very rapidly there. While we can get vaccinated here, vaccines are very limited in Kenya and there are few ICU beds in the country. Please continue to pray for the country of Kenya during this time.
Thank you all so much for your thoughts and wishes and prayers for our family. We appreciate them more than you know! We are so thankful to everyone who has invited us over to chat or offered for the girls to join in activities with your churches and groups. We pray everyone stays safe and healthy during this time. Blessings.
In Christ,
Carrie (and Nathan, McKenna and Camille)
Contact Info:
Nathan and Carrie Radford
naterad[at]yahoo.com
Furlough Address
1126 Smith Street
Milton, WV 25541
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
Traveling Begins
Nathan and Carrie Radford serve the Lord in Kitale, Kenya. Their main ministries include indigenous church planting, a prison ministry, and a hospital ministry for mothers with premature babies.
Please pray for Kenya, as they have increased the restrictions due to coronavirus. From what we understand, international flights are still allowed in the country, but you must produce a negative covid test within 96 hours of arrival in the country. Also, there are five counties around Nairobi that have very tight restrictions. There are no public gatherings of any kind, you cannot leave those counties, etc. This is very similar to how it was last year. It seemed like the cases continued to climb last year and eventually all flights were cancelled.
These restrictions are in place indefinitely, and it could go on for months. Kenya has seen a 22% increase in cases over the past few weeks, so it is concerning. It can also affect government paperwork, as our work permit is in process, so please pray that our permit will be granted on time with no delays or setbacks. Of course, this is all in God’s plan and timing, and we trust Him with it all. I think of Psalm 46:1, which says “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” I find myself returning to the book of Psalms for strength and comfort during these challenging times. What a treasure the Word of God is.
I (Nathan) am in the process of contacting churches and beginning to share, preach, and present the ministries in Kitale, so if you are interested in a visit, please contact me at naterad@yahoo.com and I will see what can be worked out. Of course with all the corona cases and restrictions in the
United States, it is challenging, but I will do my best.
That is about it for now. Of course we remember each of you in your respective areas and all the challenges you must be facing as well. You are in our thoughts and prayers. Let’s pray and uplift each other during these challenging times. We appreciate each of you who pray for us, sacrificially give, or encourage us in any way. You are all such a blessing.
Nathan and Carrie Radford
Contact Info:
Nathan and Carrie Radford
1126 Smith Street
Milton, WV 25541
naterad@yahoo.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
Fine Tuning Presentation and Praying for Next Term
Nathan and Carrie Radford serve the Lord in Kitale, Kenya. Their main ministries include indigenous church planting, a prison ministry, and a hospital ministry for mothers with premature babies.
Dear praying friends,
Another month has come and gone, and we are now into the month of March. Time passes so quickly and the weather of spring is already beginning to start in the state of West Virginia. We had a cold spell for several days this past month and our electricity even went out several times. We are thankful for the nice, sunny weather that is coming ahead.
I (Nathan) have been in the process of contacting churches to speak for furlough. I worked hard on my missions dvd this past month, got it finished, and am waiting for the final copies to arrive soon. I have also been working on my missions presentation, so it has been a busy past month. Our new prayer cards are also finished, so I am thankful for all the accomplishments of the past few weeks. Please pray for me as I am working on fine tuning my missions presentation, and that God would receive all the glory. Please also pray that churches will begin to open up and get back to some normalcy after all the challenging months of coronavirus. God is in control.
My wife Carrie has been busy with homeschooling our daughters. She is doing a great job, although it can be overwhelming at times. Education is no small matter, and she wants to ensure that she is doing her best and that our daughters are getting schooling materials that will prepare them well for high school and university. Please pray for her for strength, wisdom, and guidance as she prepares for each year.
Kenya is still getting hit with the coronavirus. I saw also that Tanzania, which is right next to Kenya, is also seeing a surge in its cases. They are many medical challenges all over Africa at the moment, so would you please pray for the continent of Africa in general? That the doctors, nurses, and medical facilities would not be overwhelmed, that a treatment/vaccine would come quickly, and that those who have contracted the virus would be recovering and healing. Hopefully things will start to get back to normal in the coming months.
Please also pray for the young men that I hope to train in our next term. Please pray that God would lead me to the right men for ministry, those that are hungry for the Word of God, have a servant spirit, and desire to see others discipled and churches started. Matthew 4:4 says But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.” Amen. May we be hungry for the Word of God, and allow it to feed us each day spiritually. Also, consider Matthew 23:11 “But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant.” A servant spirit is something I desire in my students, and I am trusting God to lead me to these men in His plan.
We will be sure to keep you updated. Thanks so much for your prayer support, letters of encouragement, sacrificial giving, and interest in the work of God in Kitale, Kenya. You each are such a blessing.
Until next month,
Nathan & Carrie Radford
Contact Info:
Nathan and Carrie Radford
1126 Smith Street
Milton, WV 25541
naterad@yahoo.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
Refining Missions Presentation on Furlough
Nathan and Carrie Radford serve the Lord in Kitale, Kenya. Their main ministries include indigenous church planting, a prison ministry, and a hospital ministry for mothers with premature babies.
February 4, 2021
Contact Info:
Nathan and Carrie Radford
1126 Smith Street
Milton, WV 25541
naterad@yahoo.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
Preparing DVD on Furlough
January 1, 2021
Dear praying friends,
Happy 2021! Hard to believe that another year has passed so quickly. I (Nathan) am sure many of us are wanting to get 2020 over, as it was a very challenging year with the coronavirus. It was certainly an unprecedented year, and one of the most challenging in my lifetime. I am sure many of you can say the same. With all the restrictions, lockdowns, etc. it was difficult, but God saw us through, and He will see us through 2021 as well. He is so faithful. Psalm 33:4 says “For the word of the Lord is right; and all his works are done in truth.” Amen.
In all of the challenges of this past year, I am comforted by many passages of the Scriptures, and have found many encouraging verses we can cling to in Psalm 34. I will mention just a few. Psalm 34:4 says “I sought the Lord, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears.” What an encouraging verse, with all the fears and distresses we faced this past year.
Also, Psalm 34:19, which says “Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the Lord delivereth him out of them all.” I could mention others, but these are a couple of my favorites. I would encourage you to read Psalm 34 completely through to find many promises from our faithful God in these challenging times. May we trust Him and His promises in the year ahead. D.L.Moody said “God never made a promise that was too good to be true.”
Our daughters are currently on break from their schooling and have worked hard in their studies. My wife has done a great job homeschooling them and they are really enjoying it. Of course, there are challenges with homeschooling, but my wife has done fine and has her degree in education, so she is well qualified. Please pray for her and our daughters, as they learn together. Life is truly all about learning. There are new things to be learned all the time, and we need His grace and help through it all.
Kenya has continued to get hit hard with the coronavirus. There are over 96,000 cases at the current time, so you can imagine that the health facilities, doctors, and nurses are getting overwhelmed. How they need us to remember them in prayer at this challenging time, as well as the missionaries that are currently serving in Kenya. Please pray for all involved in this difficult situation. Prayer changes things. Hopefully there will be a treatment in the near future, all over the world, so people get the help they need at this time.
I will very soon be working on my missions DVD, so I appreciate your prayers for that. There is always so much to do with it and it is a lot of work, but I am glad to be receiving help at this time with it. Please pray for me and the helpful man that I will be working with, that we will be efficient, get our work done in a timely manner, and develop a good missions DVD from our last term in Kenya.
I will be scheduling churches in the near future, so please be in prayer for this as well. I know there will be different challenges with coronavirus this furlough, so I am trusting the Lord for this. We are pleased with our housing situation in Milton, WV and God truly provided this for us. We have never lived in Milton, so pray for us with our adjustments to the area. We will trust God day by day, as you all do as well.
We will be sure to keep you updated on our furlough. We appreciate each of you so much for your letters, emails of encouragement, prayer support, and sacrificial giving. We could not do this without you. You are each a great blessing to us. Please note our new mailing address below.
Blessings,
Nathan and Carrie Radford
Contact Info:
Nathan and Carrie Radford
1126 Smith Street
Milton, WV 25541
naterad@yahoo.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
God Has Provided Furlough Housing
December 5, 2020
Dear praying friends,
We are now at the end of 2020, and just one month away from a new year. What a challenging and chaotic year this past year has been, with the coronavirus. Since our arrival back into America, we still see the effects of the coronavirus with the mask wearing, sanitizing, social distancing, and staying away from large groups of people. Our prayer is that a treatment will become readily available soon and things will return to some sense of normalcy. God is in control of it all, and we are doing our best to stay healthy at this challenging time.
Please be in prayer for Kenya at this time with the coronavirus. Our understanding from what we are reading and hearing is that the cases have increased recently, and the government is doing measures that were previously taken, such as an early curfew and banning large gatherings, in an effort to curb the spread of the virus. Please be in prayer for those in Kenya at this time, for their safety and health as they work with the people there.
We are in the process of adjustments to America. We did a three-year term this past term, and our adjustments have taken longer. Please be in prayer for all of us, that we would be well adjusted and rested. We have been going through something known as “reverse culture shock,” where you are in the process of adjusting to another culture. We are pretty much adjusted to this point and we thank the Lord for His help with this.
I (Nathan) will soon be working on my missions dvd, and we need to get our prayer cards done, and the other normal activities of furlough. My wife is staying busy homeschooling our daughters and she has done a great job at it. Our daughters enjoy homeschooling very much, and our daughter McKenna has done very well in her science studies. Please pray for my wife, for wisdom and understanding for how to guide them with their educations. Also, for daily strength as many challenges come through the school year.
The Lord has provided housing for us in Milton, WV. We are so thankful and we also thank each of you who wrote to help us in any way with this. Housing is always one of the big stresses of furlough, and we are so thankful for this provision.
We wish each of you a very Merry Christmas and a happy New Year. 2021 may have some of the samechallenges as 2020, but God will be faithful, as He always has been. How we can trust Him with our lives and futures. Proverbs 16:3 says “Commit thy works unto the LORD, and thy thoughts shall be established.” Also, Proverbs 3:5-6, which says “Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths.”
May we commit our works to the Lord, in anticipation of the new year, and may we not lean on our own understanding, but trust Him to direct our paths. Have a great upcoming Christmas holiday. I will close with Matthew 1:21, which says “And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call His name JESUS: for He shall save his people from their sins.”
We will be sure to keep you updated.
Blessings,
Nathan and Carrie Radford
Contact Info:
Nathan and Carrie Radford
315 College Street
Youngsville, PA 16371
naterad@yahoo.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
Prayer Requests for Furlough
Dear praying friends,
Another month has come and gone and we are now nearly at the end of 2020. Where has the year gone? As I look back, it seems to have flown by. 2020 was such a stressful and challenging year, with the coronavirus. I am sure it was for many of you all in the States as well. God was so faithful, and kept us safe and healthy. This update will share current updates as well as give our plans for our time of furlough.
We praise the Lord that we are all safe and sound on American soil at this time. We are looking forward to our time of furlough and seeing many of you all. This time of coronavirus was challenging to say the least. It seemed the cases were always a concern, and which parts of Kenya there were impacting.
The cases were climbing as the year went on, even in Kitale. We were very vigilant and did our best to take all the safety precautions, such as staying out of town as much as possible, avoiding large crowds, wearing face masks in public, sanitizing whenever in town, etc. We praise the Lord that none in our family contracted the virus and we are praying for those still in Kitale, as well as around the world, for their safety and health.
Please continue to pray for Kenya and the spread of the virus. The government has extended the curfew hours until January, as well as closing all big political gatherings, in an effort to stop the spread of the virus. Also, there are issues with children being in school, and an effort to help in that situation. Our prayer is that a vaccine will be developed soon and the fear of the virus would be reduced, as a treatment becomes available.
Please pray for me as I (Nathan) have much to do in the days ahead. I need to work on our family prayer card, getting our mission dvd done, and trying to secure housing in WV. At this time we don’t have housing in WV, so would you please pray with us that God would provide it soon, at a reasonable price? Furlough is always expensive and our prayer is that God would provide good housing for us in WV at an affordable price.
Please pray for my wife Carrie as she continues to homeschool our daughters. My wife loves homeschooling and does a great job at it. Her education is in teaching, so this is exactly what she is trained for. God has blessed me so much having her with me all these years on the mission field.
In regards to the uncertainty in the days ahead with the virus, I am reminded of a famous quote “I don’t know what the future holds, but I know Who holds the future.” Amen. Also, a few verses to encourage us: Psalm 112:7 “He shall not be afraid of evil tidings: his heart is fixed, trusting in the Lord.” Finally, Psalm 62:7 “In God is my salvation and my glory: the rock of my strength, and my refuge, is in God.” May we trust Him in these uncertain days, knowing He will be with us, and faithful each step of the way.
Serving in Kenya,
Nathan and Carrie Radford
Contact Info:
Nathan and Carrie Radford
315 College Street
Youngsville, PA 16371
naterad@yahoo.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
