God Orchestrates Events for His Glory
November 19, 2023
Dear Friends,
Charlene and I had the privilege of fellowshipping with several of our faithful brothers and sisters in Christ last week at the annual Thanksgiving Conference in Detroit, Michigan. It was at that same event 39 years ago that the Lord called me to Brazil as a missionary. There were so many blessings and memories re-lived at this most recent event. Also present at this conference was Brother Mike Creiglow, who was my professor of Cross-cultural Missions while in Bible college in Clarksville, Tennessee back in 1980. An added blessing was that Brother David Mitchell and his dear wife, Ellen, were present. I learned from him that he had invited Mike Creiglow to lecture at the college that year while he was in the USA on furlough. Now I can see a little part of how the Lord was working to expose me to the missionaries and their works in Brazil, the field to which He would call me as my career-long ministry. And there we were, 39 years later, enjoying the fellowship, and the fact that God had orchestrated these events so that hundreds of thousands of people have heard the gospel, and thousands have surrendered to Christ because of His sovereign and loving hand on our lives. What a great and loving Savior!
Yago and Manoela, our missionaries to Portugal sent us a video yesterday of how their ministry is progressing there. It was a joy to see their growing group meeting together to study God’s word and share the gospel with the lost Portuguese people. The Lord provided them with a place to meet temporarily, but they are still searching for a more permanent place of assembling. They do a fantastic job of teaching the Bible to the new converts and even to some who have been in church for years but have never been taught the Bible thoroughly.
Our traveling evangelistic team, Projeto Vida, has had a productive month of ministry. We continue to have open invitations into public schools to share gospel skits and personal testimonies to God’s grace and forgiveness. The Lord has shown them, and us, that He is still on His throne and is still transforming lives through the preaching of the gospel.
We are so grateful to you, our ministry partners, for your faithful prayers and support. We hope and pray that you are blessed with a joyous Christmas season and a prosperous New Year.
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
Sharing Christ at School + Another Baptismal Candidate in Portugal
September 23, 2023
Almost immediately after our return from Brazil, I began teaching at a high school near Tampa, Florida. The school is operated out of a local Baptist church and is administrated by Christian faculty and staff. I found out very quickly, though, that that doesn’t mean that all the students are Christians. I am very grateful and thankful to the Lord for the privilege of being able to share the gospel and biblical precepts with the students in each of the 6 subjects that I teach. Almost every day I find a situation where I can share the gospel or apply the Word of God in practical ways to my students. I have come to love them, and I pray that the Lord will use me to win as many of them as will surrender to Christ this school year.
Our missionary couple to Portugal, Yago and Manoela, report that their little group is growing weekly. There is another baptismal candidate, Beatriz, whom we are praying for. She professed faith in Christ some time back but was not baptized then. After she told Manoela and Yago that she was ready to be baptized, several issues arose that have caused her to waver. I ask you to pray with us for Beatriz, that she may be firm in her decision to follow Christ boldly in the waters of baptism. We know that she is enduring demonic attacks and our prayers will be used of the Lord for her victory. She and her sister, Bruna, had never gotten along well until Beatriz fully committed to Christ. Since then, they have both been serving joyfully in outreach ministries at the fledgling church. That’s when the attacks on Beatriz’s faith began. We know the enemy seeks to cause damage to anything that speaks of Christ’s love and forgiveness, but we also know that “greater is He who is in them than he who is in the world.”
Our mobile evangelistic team, Projeto Vida, had a very fruitful month of outreach. The Lord blessed and each of the 14 volunteers had the privilege of leading some to repent and surrender to Christ as Lord and Savior. Of course, where there is faithfulness, there is testing. Our van’s tires went as far as they could, but two of them wore out this month. We are grateful to some of you readers who, when you heard of the need, gave funds to help replace them. The team only had to stop long enough to purchase new ones, change them, and continue their mission journeys. They are already in another town this week sharing the gospel, thanks to your willingness to help. May the Lord bless your generosity.
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
Professions of Faith in Public Schools
August 11, 2023
Dear Friends,
Charlene and I returned from Brazil this week after 3 weeks of hosting two groups from 3 different churches from the USA, one from Florida and two from Virginia. The Lord blessed tremendously, and we shared the gospel in 8 public schools to 4,260 students and staff. There were over 200 people who professed Christ as their Lord and Savior. We are still rejoicing in the privilege of being used to make Christ known and to be a part in many coming to salvation.
I spoke with our missionaries to Portugal, Yago and Manoela, and they are excited about the second baptism they have been privileged to perform since arriving there last November. They still haven’t been able to move to the capital, Lisbon, but they did find a meeting place there that they can rent for a very reasonable price just for the time they are using it. It is a community center that puts no limitations on the types of activities they have, which is very important in Portugal. Very few public places are that gracious, especially concerning evangelical outreach and worship. They plan to meet there with those new converts that are already coming to their meetings and with the new contacts they’ll meet in their outreach efforts.
Charlene and I have scheduled to visit with them in January of the new year to encourage and to assist them in this new work. Please pray for this new church plant in Portugal.
The newly established pastor of our former church in Curitiba, Brazil is doing an excellent job. I met with several charter members who all said that he is doing great. We were already confident that he would, but it was reassuring to hear that from the longtime members. The church has continued to see growth under his leadership. This month they are engaged in WordFest, which is a 3-week challenge to read several books of the Bible, memorized over 45 Bible verses and spend at least 45 minutes in guided Bible study. Last year over 90 percent of the congregation completed the challenge and I expect similar results this year as well.
While on furlough, I will be teaching high school students at a Christian school, during the weekdays. On weekends, Charlene and I are available to accept invitations to come and present our ministries. If you or your church would be interested in having us, feel free to contact me at (813) 501-9328, or at my e-mail: bobbymichael_1@hotmail.com.
We are so thankful 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
Projeto Vida Presenting the Gospel in Public Schools & Parks
July 24, 2023
Dear Friends,
Although Charlene and I have begun our US furlough, at the present, we are back in Brazil ministering together with our evangelistic team Projeto Vida. We also had the privilege to worship and serve together with our former church during their 11th anniversary. The new pastor, Cledson, asked me to bring the message and it was an honor and joy to do so. It is clearly evident that the Lord guided me correctly in choosing Cledson as the lead pastor. The church is very united and growing under his leadership.
The missionary couple that we sent to Portugal is doing well. Yago and Manoela recently held a community event to establish friendships and bridges with neighbors to win opportunities for sharing the gospel. They were joined by a couple of other Brazilian Christians and the worked together to share Christ’s love. They had dozens of neighbors show up and doors for future opportunities were opened. Please continue to pray for Yago and Manoela to locate the right home to hold the weekly meetings.
Projeto Vida had an amazing month of activities. The first week had to be spent doing maintenance work on the van and equipment, but the very next week was a whirlwind of ministering in 8 different public schools during 13 gospel presentations. Through evangelistic skits and personal testimonies, they shared the gospel to 1,635 students and staff in just one day. At the end of each presentation our missionaries interacted directly with the students, many of whom would seek them out to ask questions and share how they could identify with the message. Although we can’t ask the students to come forward and profess Christ publicly at the schools, these personal conversations revealed that at least dozens of students understood their need to surrender to Christ and did so at those meetings. We are so thankful to the Lord for this privilege to make Him known to so many that wouldn’t ordinarily step inside the doors of a New Testament church!
Charlene and I still have two more weeks of working together here in Brazil with Projeto Vida in the public schools and parks. We are helping by translating for some groups of American volunteers who are using their last weeks of the summer vacation to share Christ internationally. May the Lord use us for His glory. Thank you for your prayers and faithful 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
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
Intensive Outreach
March 15, 2023
Dear Friends,
In my last correspondence I shared the marvelous news with you that Yago and Manoela, our missionaries to Portugal, were privileged to lead their first convert to Christ. Since then, they have kept up weekly Bible studies with Emanuel, the new disciple. This past Saturday, Emanuel braved the cold Atlantic waters and followed the Lord in baptism. He is thrilled with his daily walk with the Lord and the study of His word. At the same time, just as the Lord warned us, persecution has already begun. Some of his friends and family are trying to mock him and belittle his faith. Yago and Manoela were careful to point out to him to expect this kind of treatment and not to lose heart. In fact, it is a sign that the Lord is truly in and with him, for that is how the world and the devil treat God’s children.
Yago and Manoela are still searching for a house closer to Lisbon, the capital of Portugal. They have begun several home Bible studies with believers scattered about in that general region. Where they live now is not conveniently located due to the cost of time and money getting to Lisbon. We are praying for them to find an adequate house or apartment within their budget where they can hold small groups and a weekend Bible club for children. Please pray with us for them to locate the right house for their work.
At our church’s new location, we have discovered some, let’s say, “interesting” challenges. We knew that the building would need some work done on a leaky roof. That was included in the contract for the property owner to fix back in December. Here we are in the middle of March and almost daily we are having to haul out buckets full of rainwater that drops right in the middle of our auditorium. The problem is being resolved, but it’s taking way longer than we anticipated and the constant rains require that we spend quite an amount of time mopping up water and moving furniture so that it won’t get wet. The good thing about this challenge is that our members are getting a good taste of investing their energy and resources into the Lord’s kingdom. We will be putting on a major Easter play production and we expect the building to be near full for two services. A leaky roof in the middle of a packed house could cause some very unpleasant scenes. So, pray that the workers can get the job done in time for the presentations and that the leaks are truly eliminated, please.
Today we went to the airport to pick up a team of 8 volunteer evangelists from Virginia. This is their 4th or 5th visit in about two years. They are some of the sweetest and humblest people we’ve met. But they are very bold in evangelism. They witness everywhere they go. In the markets, in the restaurants, in the parks and schools and the Lord has seen fit to bless with many people turning to Christ. They will be with us for 6 days of intensive outreach to over 4000 people outside of the church building. Mostly non-believers, for now, but we hope that many will be saved in these next few days of outreach.
In Christ’s love,
Bobby and 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
Read more
New Believer in Portugal!
February 14, 2023
Dear Friends,
It has only been a couple of weeks since my last report, but we are so glad to report that some wonderful things have happened in that short period! I’ll jump straight to the best news of all. Our missionaries in Portugal, Yago and Manoela, were blessed to win their first Portuguese convert to Christ. You may have already read of this on the social media pages of Baptist Faith Missions, but we’re so happy for them and for God’s glory to shine, and we wanted to thank you who have been praying for their success.
They wasted no time after their arrival in Portugal in reaching out to the lost people there. The young man, Emanuel, whom they were privileged to evangelize, considered himself anti-God for much of his life. In fact, you may have watched the movies “God’s Not Dead”, 1 and 2,” that were in theaters a few years back. Emanuel was invited to go see # 2 by a Brazilian Christian friend living in Portugal and he accepted. While watching the movie, he identified himself with the atheist college professor. Similarly, his mother had died very young, and he was angry and confused at how a “good” God would let his mother die and it made it difficult for him to believe God was real. But at the same time, it got him wondering about the existence of God and, when Victoria, the Brazilian Christian friend asked him if he would accompany her to a Bible study, he accepted. Another interesting note is that Yago and Manoela did not know Victoria or she them, but on Baptist Faith Mission’s social media pages she read about their arrival in Portugal and she reached out to them to come help her evangelize her friend through a Bible study. They do not live in the same city, but they were happy to drive to meet them for this purpose. At the very first study, Emanuel, heard the gospel, believed in the Lord Jesus, and surrendered his life to Him for salvation! We are still praising God! Yago and Manoela have agreed to go weekly to meet with Victoria and Emanuel to begin discipleship training. Our continued prayer is that Emanuel will be instrumental in reaching his friends, family, and acquaintances with the gospel as well. It has only been a little over 2 months since this missionary couple arrived in Portugal and to already have a Portuguese adult turn to the Lord is astoundingly great news!
Our church did begin having services in our new location as we planned. What we didn’t plan for was the amazing turn-out in attendance. We had been having a packed house in our former location with an average of 225 in attendance. The very first service in our new location was attended by 309 people. A few of those were some curious neighbors as to what kind of church was moving into their neighborhood, but they were warmly welcomed, and some have decided to keep coming. We still have lot of renovations to do on the building and classrooms, but many of our members are stepping up to the challenge, coming out several times a week to build, paint, clean, and pray for spiritual growth. God is truly blessing our faith, and beyond it. We do at least have room now for continued numerical growth at our new location. May the Lord see fit to fill it quickly.
Thank you so much for your faithful prayers and support. Charlene and I are very grateful.
In Christ’s love,
Bobby and 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
Read more
God is Still Marvelously Saving Sinners!
January 31, 2023
Dear Friends,
“A blast from the past,” I think is an expression that seems to pop up occasionally. That is what I got a few days ago. And it was a good “blast.” She is a lady now, but was a nine-year-old girl when we met Tabitha in 1987. In our first church plant in Curitiba, Brazil, Tabitha was a round faced little girl who we invited to our children’s Bible school. She and two of her younger siblings would come regularly to church each week. She was taught the gospel and she memorized Scripture and learned a lot about God’s will for her life. Despite several years of showing her love and biblical teaching, Tabitha chose to lead her own life and it was not in the direction that she learned in our Bible studies and church services. For many years she was involved in demon worship and witchcraft. The “blast from the past” came last week when Tabitha messaged me, sharing that she had treasured all our teaching and examples in her heart and had finally surrendered her life to Christ! She has been marvelously saved from her life of sin and asked me if I would baptize her as she begins her new life in obedience to God. Oh, how amazing is our Savior’s grace!
Our evangelism team, Projeto Vida, has just completed its first Missions Training Seminar of the year. We had volunteers from several Brazilian states participating in this three-week experience. The first two weeks were spent in biblical and theoretical studies, and the last week was the practical application of what was learned in the classroom. During this edition of our training seminar, the volunteers accompanied our veteran team of missionaries to native Indian tribes in the neighboring countries of Paraguay and Argentina, as well as to a settlement on the Brazilian side of the shared border. Day and night the volunteers and veterans shared the gospel with hundreds of lost individuals, from little children, even to the tribal chiefs. The Lord blessed greatly and many of them openly confessed Jesus as their Savior. We’ve partnered with a local Baptist church to begin the discipleship process among those who have been converted.
Our missionaries to Portugal, Yago and Manoela, reported that they are learning some very important and helpful lessons as they reach out to the lost there. One such lesson was learned shortly after they arrived about the city where they thought they would reside in and begin a church plant. They discovered as they visited the city that most of the city’s population is made up of “vacationers”. That information helped them realize that it would be very difficult to establish a thriving church with a population that is mostly transient. They are in the process of moving to a city where the population is more permanently established. They have begun regular fellowship meetings with some other Brazilian Christians they discovered also reside in Portugal. Their main purpose, though, is to win the Portuguese people to Christ, not to form a Brazilian church in Portugal. Later this year, Charlene and I intend to go there to take some supplies and to lend some leadership training. Please pray for the success of Yago and Manoela’s ministry efforts in Portugal.
Our church will hold its first service in our “new” (for us) auditorium this coming Sunday. We held our last service in the old auditorium last week with standing room only. By God’s grace, we were packed! In my message to the congregation, I encouraged the members to invest themselves in what the Lord is doing. In an amazing show of enthusiasm and desire to serve Jesus, a large portion of the congregation showed up with tools and willing hands and hearts to move our equipment and furnishings to the new location. Many of them are working every day until 11:30 p.m. – 12:00 a.m. installing equipment and arranging furniture to be ready to launch our first service in the new location after having worked all day at their regular jobs. I thank the Lord for the privilege to pastor such a dedicated group of brothers and sisters in Christ. We have a lot of work ahead of us to adjust to our new installations, but this group of volunteers makes it a joy, and not a burden.
In Christ’s love,
Bobby and 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
Read more
