A Marriage & Ministry Ordained by the Lord
April 29, 2024
Hello our dear praying friends,
Charlene here, taking advantage of the opportunity to share with you a little of our ministry world from this missionary wife’s perspective. Above and before all else, I want to say that it is a privilege to serve the Lord alongside my husband, Bobby, and also say that I have always been thankful for this calling. There are unique challenges I face serving in Brazil, but I also know that everyone has their own set of challenges just because we, as God’s children, are not of this world. The Lord told us in advance in His Word that, if we wanted to be His followers, then we would face trials, obstacles and opposition in this world.
The Lord definitely ordained mine and Bobby’s marriage and ministry. We are so different from each other in personality and skills, but He uses those differences to complement and complete us as a team. Bobby is a more visionary and big-picture sort of person, and I am a more detailed and “give me the plan” type of person. Does this cause problems? Sometimes, of course, but more often it helps us accomplish more as our differences work together to fill in the gaps that normally come up when trying to pull off a ministry or event.
My role provides me with a wide variety of experiences. For example, recently I accompanied Bobby on an evangelistic trip to several native indigenous tribes in the jungles of Argentina. We shared God’s love with 6 different villages all in one day. Their material poverty was apparent, but thankfully, the riches of God’s grace were shared with them and many of them became heirs with Jesus through the word that was shared. We also evangelized in neighboring Paraguay in 120-degree temperatures. I have to be honest and admit that I was very uncomfortable, but I do count it a privilege to have done that for God’s glory.
One of my favorite roles is to be an encourager to our team leaders’ wives. I know what it feels like to move to a new place, leaving friends and family and starting a ministry from scratch alongside my spouse. I am able to share that experience with them and how God always comes through to supply everything we need to be faithful and pleasing to Him. I also realize that it is my role and privilege from the Lord to support and encourage Bobby in what the Lord has called him to do. We really are a team and I’m glad to be on it.
Let me close by telling you how grateful and thankful I am for your prayers, love, and faithful support on our behalf. May the Lord richly reward and bless you as well.
Yours in Christ,
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
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Ministering to Street People in Manaus
January 16, 2024
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
We pray and hope that all of you have had a blessed beginning to a new year. Things are going well here. Thanks for your prayers and support.
We had a great New Year’s Day dinner at church. After the dinner, I told the church that we were going to take all the food that was leftover to the street people in a plaza in Manaus. They all agreed. I went the next day with a group and we gave out several plates of food. We plan on doing this more times.
We have several new families coming to our church. The population is growing on this side of the river. What is great is that they are getting involved in the church ministries. Our fellowship meals have been wonderful. More couples are getting involved. It makes a great time for fellowship and also to talk about ministry.
We have started the next building at the camp. With this being rainy season, things are a little slower. Also, we plan on getting back to the church of Cacau. There we need to raise the floor. We have to take quite a few truckloads of dirt, then spread it out so we can concrete it. With the rain, that slows the work down. Since the church is right on the edge of the street, we can’t put too much dirt on the sidewalk. As the dirt is being dumped, we have to have workers put it inside the church. The Lord willing, we can get that done soon.
We have had several saved. The Lord willing, we will have baptism in the new baptistry. We used to baptize at the lake. Now the church has built a baptistry.
May God bless each of you. Thanks for your prayers and support. You are an important part of the ministry God has called us to do.
Love in Christ,
Odali and Kathy Barros
Contact Info:
Odali & Kathy Barros
Iranduba, Amazonas
Brasil, SA
odali_kathy@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
Fires in Kenya
March 9, 2023
Greetings in the name of Jesus Christ,
Last month I mentioned the drought that is currently plaguing Kenya. We have now entered the time of the short rains, but it has not rained. Yes, it rained a couple of times but then stopped again. We have not received the rain we should be getting in the short rainy season and the situation is no better. The students are back on campus, but we are now having to truck in water from outside sources and fill our water tanks in that way. It is still extremely dry throughout the country and that leads to the adventure I don’t want to experience again, and I’ll recount in the next paragraph.
We live in the middle of the Kijabe forest, half-way down the escarpment into the Great Rift Valley. When I look up the escarpment, I only see forest. When I look down the escarpment, I only see forest. With no rain, the trees, leaves, and ground all dry up. The forest becomes a tinderbox. We have no-burn policies right now because of the threat of fire. But most Kenyans cook their daily meals over open fires just outside their front doors and burn their trash to dispose of it. Here in Kijabe, the wind also races up and down the escarpment at a furious pace sometimes. The scenario provides for many unwatched fires which can then lead to, you guessed it, forest fires. About two weeks ago I was at the school, looking out my office window when I saw smoke rolling off the next hill over. I went over to the classroom block for a better look and saw half the hillside covered in smoke. I knew it was not a good sign, but I went home and didn’t hear any more about it. Later that night, Julie looked out our kitchen window and said, “Is that a fire?” I looked out and up the hill, and sure enough, it was a large fire. It looked like it was about 150 yards up the hill. I immediately began thinking about what important things we needed to grab before jumping in the car and getting the blazes out of here. We began making some quick phone calls and found out that what, in the night looked like a couple hundred yards, was in reality on a ridge about a mile away. A bit more comforting, but not too comforting. I walked back up to the classroom block for a better look and saw that the entire ridge on the hill next to ours was engulfed in flames, with the nighttime wind whipping around like crazy. I watched it for a few minutes, not knowing in what direction it was going to go – down the hill, away from us, or towards us? We spent a couple of restless hours waiting to hear what direction the fire was going before we heard that it was currently heading in the opposite direction. We eventually went to bed and went to a somewhat restless sleep, knowing that people in the area were staying awake to keep an eye on things. As a person who has always had a small fear of fire, I really didn’t like that experience and don’t want to go through it again. PRAY FOR RAIN IN KENYA.
On a happier note, I always like to know I’m doing something or involved with something that is making a difference and doing some good. Sometimes in ministry it can be hard to rate if you are making the kind of difference you desire. Julie reminds me that long-term change is generational. It can take a long time to make real changes. I oftentimes wish it was more like constructing a building where you can watch the progress and see the growth. But sometimes you get little hints that what you are doing is making a difference, and sometimes it comes in unexpected ways. In this case, I needed to go up the hill to “the city” and go to the bank, but Julie had the car. So, I asked one of my students who owns a car for taxiing purposes to drive me to the bank and back. We got to talking while he was driving (as he was driving very fast, I might add). He comes from and grew up in a church that teaches a wealth and health gospel, where the pastor needs to be the example of receiving God’s blessings by being rich and prosperous, and where church leadership/pastorate is a lucrative job opportunity funded by unsuspecting church members. My student Samuel (pronounced Samwel in Kenya) confessed that is what he thought the ministry was all about. Now, however, he says that he has learned that ministry is not about that, that ministry is about teaching the Word of God, sharing the gospel of Jesus, loving people and helping them know about salvation and following Jesus, and equipping the church for discipleship and reaching the nations. Now he wants to return to his own village and take the true gospel of Jesus back to a people who go to church every week but never hear about the true gospel. Making a difference one life at a time, folks. PRAY THAT SAMUEL’S NEWLY FOUND CONVICTIONS WILL STICK AND PERSERVERE UNTIL HE REACHES HIS VILLAGE WITH THE LOVE OF JESUS.
Blessings to all,
Roger, Julie & Chloe
CONTACT INFO
Roger & Julie Tate
Moffat Bible College
P.O. Box 70
Kijabe, Kenya 00220
rojuta@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
Ordinations, Outgrowing Space, & Couples Being Used in Ministry
October 20, 2021
Dear Friends,
I can’t use the word ‘proud’, because it would assume that some credit goes to us, but we are very grateful and thankful to the Lord for our couple’s ministry leaders, Edinei and Debora. The husband, Edinei was an eight-year-old boy when we met him 35 years ago. His dad was an alcoholic and his family had no interest in the things of the Lord. Charlene and I started a children’s Bible club in the garage behind our house and Edinei was one of the first kids from our neighborhood to accept an invitation to come. He started attending weekly and eventually brought several other members of his family. Edinei came to know Jesus as his Savior and Lord and has been faithful in Christian service for all these many years. His wife, Debora, was 11 when we met her. Her father and brother were doing some remodeling work for us on our house. We became friends with their entire family back in 1995 and since then, she, her mother, sister, brother, and several other family members have surrendered to Christ. Both Edinei and Debora volunteer many hours each month in ministering to the married couples in our church and in evangelistic events to married couples. This weekend they are holding a retreat where we will work together to evangelize and teach 30 couples for three days. Charlene and I feel like the two are practically our children, but more than that they are God’s children and our co-laborers in His service. We are thankful for them.
This next Sunday we’ll have the privilege of ordaining two young men to Gospel ministry, Cledson and Adriel. Cledson is our youth minister and has been doing a fantastic job together with his wife, Fabiane. Our youth group has grown from 8 to 35 under their leadership in the last year.
Adriel and his wife, Lorena, are our traveling evangelistic team leaders. That ministry is made up of 12 volunteers who travel by a 15 passenger van throughout Brazil and South America taking the gospel to public schools and parks. Adriel has proven to be a wise leader to his team and a very effective evangelist to students and adults. It will be a joy and blessing to ordain these two men as dedicated servants of the Lord in spreading the gospel and discipling converts.
October 12th is a national holiday in Brazil (a patron saint’s day). Informally it has become “Children’s Day” for more commercial reasons. For whatever reason the day is celebrated, we took advantage of the long weekend to do a special event to attract families with their kids to our ‘Children’s Day’ gospel play. Our drama team worked for many weeks in rehearsals and stage preparations to perform the play in two services. The team did an outstanding job, working with a great attitude and sweet spirit despite the long hours and the personal cost of travel back and forth to practice for several weeks. The Lord blessed and we did have one 11-year-old boy make a public profession of faith in the Lord. The folks who were on the team were also greatly motivated by their participation in the event and the great reviews from those who watched. In fact, someone who saw a video of the presentation who attends a different church has asked our drama team if they would give the presentation at their church as well.
The Children’s Day presentation also helped us to come to a huge decision. We must move to a larger building. For the event we just held, we asked the church members to divide into two groups in order have a smaller congregation at each presentation, allowing the people who would come as guests to have a seat in our crowded auditorium. It helped some, but our last service was stilled packed to the max. This with only half of our regular congregation in each service and more than 30 workers behind the curtains engaged in the presentation. We are presently in the process of signing papers on a larger building. We pray the Lord will guide and provide as we seek to grow this church and as we train leaders to go out to begin new works as well.
We are super excited with all that the Lord is doing through and in us.
Thank you for your prayers and concern for us.
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
Major Adjustments in the Last Year
Charlene Wacaser has served the Lord with her husband Bobby as a church planter in Curitiba, Parana, Brazil, since
1985.
Hello, dear friends,
It has been just a little over a year now that our life routines were drastically changed. With several lockdowns and worship services online only, I had to make some major adjustments. Added to this, our region went through a yearlong drought and water was rationed. The supply was cut off every thirty-six hours for thirty-six hours and I had to schedule my cleaning routine such as washing dishes, laundry and baths.
Our outreach ministries were also affected. We had to discontinue our English classes and suspend our children’s Bible classes. What I had to do was to learn how to teach and counsel through the Internet. That isn’t really how I prefer to communicate with others, but I had to adjust to the new restrictions.
Our fortieth wedding anniversary came around during this period and we had planned to take a small special vacation, but because of travel restrictions we had to stay home and be creative. It actually turned out pretty nice. Bobby helped me prepare a very nice romantic dinner and we thoroughly enjoyed our special day together.
Our grandson, Jayce, is now three years old and we miss him greatly. We thank God for the technology that allows us to interact with him and our children, even though we can’t be with them as often as we’d like. At least he knows us and recognizes us by sight and the sound of our voice.
My main prayer request is that I will stay encouraged in and through these new challenges. I need the Lord’s wisdom to know how to be effective for kingdom work with a whole new set of circumstances. I am very grateful to you who pray for us and support us faithfully.
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
Questioning God
Greetings in the name of Jesus Christ,
Have you ever questioned God’s character? Have you ever questioned his goodness? Have you ever questioned his justice? Have you ever asked him, “Hey, God, why are you doing this”? or “Why did you allow that to happen”?
You say: “Roger, good Christians and good followers of God don’t ask those kinds of questions” (At least, good missionaries don’t, right?). And I suppose you are right.
But I have been asking God some of these questions lately. “God, why won’t you let anything I do in your name succeed”? “God, why do you allow false teachers, false prophets and false pastors to thrive with seemingly no effort”? “God, why do I not have any energy or strength to do your work”? “God, why do you allow things to start well only to allow them to die a slow death”?
I am especially asking God about that last question, especially concerning the Chapel. Things were going so well at the Chapel to the point that I had begun to teach and preach about what constitutes a church and what is a church and what does it mean to organize and start a church. I was thinking the people of the Chapel were ready to hear these things and maybe we were ready to proceed to organize into a church. However, since we shut things down in March as a result of Covid the whole ministry has (in my estimation) imploded. Only three or four people show up to our services each week, some of those an hour late. Those that come have an apathetic spirit about worship and service. Others offer lame excuses for not coming. I can’t even seem to get electricity and water at our new venue.
I so much want this ministry to grow and thrive. I so much want the Kingdom of Jesus to grow in this place. I so much want Jesus to be loved and followed by those here who are called by his name. But every time it seems like we are heading in this direction it also seems like everything eventually falls apart.
So, yea, I’ve been asking God some of those kinds of questions, even though I know I am the problem and not him. But I am not alone in asking these kinds of questions. Various psalmists asked these kinds of questions. And most recently I noticed how Habakkuk asked these questions about God’s justice. Habakkuk looked around at his nation, Israel, and cried “ah, violence, iniquity, strife and wickedness everywhere. God, why won’t you do anything”? So God said, “I will send the unrighteous Babylonians to judge and destroy Israel”. Habakkuk responded, “Hey, wait a minute, God. That doesn’t sound right either. What are you thinking”?
See, others question God’s goodness sometimes too. So, starting this Sunday we will embark upon a study of Habakkuk at the Chapel – to see what God has to say to Habakkuk and to see what Habakkuk learns and how he responds to God. This study isn’t mainly for the three or four people who are attending the weekly service, but is mainly for me. If you haven’t read Habakkuk in a while, go check it out. It’s only three chapters long and has some good insight that you (and especially I) might need.
Blessings to you all,
Roger, Julie, Amy, Josiah & Chloe
CONTACT INFO
Roger & Julie Tate
P.O. Box 96
Kitale, Kenya 30200
rojuta@gmail.com
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Life and Ministry at Home
Hello to all.
These past weeks have been very different, not to say “weird.” It has been just a little over three weeks that Brazil has called for the “stay at home” quarantine. That has not been too difficult for me since I do not go out much anymore. My life is centered around church activities, but now that this has been taken away, I have a hard time remembering what day it is! I do a lot of crafts and reading to occupy my time. I do not get to see my grandkids as much as before. I miss the hugs.
Mike and I usually start our day with a cup of coffee, sitting in our comfortable chairs in the living room. Each individually read the Bible and then we share and pray together. I enjoy this time.
We have no more flights in and out of Cruzeiro do Sul. The only way in or out of here is by road and they wanted to even shut that down. Thankfully, the federal government would not allow it. We would have been completely shut off from any kind of food supplies. We had not had any positive cases of the virus here until a couple of days ago. Hopefully it will not spread. The media here is doing as in the States, making people panic.
People have asked what my ministry here is. For the last several years, it has been taking care of Mike. That in itself is a big job!! Kidding. He tries to live his life as he did twenty or so years ago. His mind wants to do it, but his body just is not as young as it was then. Mike is still very active and it is a struggle to get him to slow down. He records several videos a week to keep our church fed spiritually. My mind and body have a hard time cooperating with each other.
Mike and I always have spent a lot of time together. At this different time in the world, we have taken advantage of watching some movies together in the evenings. He hardly ever had time to do that before. He always lets me have his new recliner to sit in. He is a nice guy.
We are praying for the presidents of Brazil and the USA. Please help pray for them both. They both have so much in common. The opposition has made both their lives very difficult.
Please continue praying for us here.
Love to all, Beverly
Contact Info:
Mike & Beverly Creiglow
Caixa Postal 24
69980 Cruzeiro do Sul, Acre
Brasil, SA
mdcreig@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
Haircuts and ESL Classes Open Doors to Share Christ
Bobby and Charlene Wacaser have served the Lord as church planters in Curitiba, Parana, Brazil, since 1985.
March 1, 2019
Dear Friends,
Charlene and I started our English as a second language (ESL) classes in February and we are thrilled with the number of students who have signed up! These classes are offered for free on weekdays at our church facilities. Besides our English classes, other volunteers from our church give classes in their areas of expertise. These free classes draw students (and their parents) into contact with us which opens doors for sharing the love of Christ and the gospel to neighbors who wouldn’t ordinarily set foot in a Baptist church. Just yesterday, Charlene and I had the opportunity to minister to a young family who had started coming to our church through our English classes. The husband had a motorcycle accident and was taken to a local hospital. The wife didn’t know what hospital he was in and didn’t even know how to start looking for him. His cell phone battery had died and she couldn’t get in contact with him. In her nervous state, she could only think of our church to call on for help. One of our volunteers called around until they located her husband and was able to get them connected. Charlene and I took the wife to visit her husband in the hospital. I visited with him and prayed with him and was also able to visit two other motorcycle accident victims who were in the same room. Only God knows how those English classes might open doors of ministry through this family and others who participate.
One day I was cleaning out some unused material that was starting to accumulate at our church and I had an encounter with a gentleman named, Athanasios. He saw a piece of material that he wanted to use at his home and asked me if he could take it. I was happy to give it to him and that encounter opened a door of conversation about spiritual things. In our conversation I had the opportunity to share my testimony of how Jesus saved me from my sins. He listened to me graciously, told me where he lived and invited me to further conversations. I want to take him up on his invitation and will be praying for him to fully come to know Christ.
Our Projeto Vida teams have been working a little closer to home this past month. In a neighboring town, Sao Jose dos Pinhais, one of the workers was cutting a man’s hair. The man professed a certain knowledge of the Scriptures, but in the course of the conversation it was clear that he had never surrendered to Christ as Lord and Savior. He confessed that he was unhappy and was a guilty sinner. Our worker asked him if he was willing to repent of his sin and confess Jesus as his Lord right there, and the man accepted. He thought he had only gone there for a haircut, but he walked away from that meeting a changed man! We are so thankful that the Lord continues to give us so many opportunities for sharing His love and grace.
In Christ’s love,
Bobby and Charlene Wacaser
Bobby and Charlene Wacaser
Rua Laudelino Ferreira Lopes, 279
Sobrado 1, Novo Mundo
81050-310 Curitiba, PR. Brasil
Phone: 55-41-99899-2333
bobbymichael_1[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
Read more
