Back in 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.
July 21, 2021
Hello friends!
WE ARE BACK IN AMERICA! Yes, we were due back a year ago, but COVID kept us from coming. We arrived in Florida on June 18th and got our vaccines. We will settle in Wheaton, IL for the kids´ academic school year. Our one-year Stateside assignment/furlough will last until July 2022. We desire to visit your family and/or church. If you’d like for us to come visit, please reach out to me. My cellphone is (872) 400-6522, and my email is judsonhatcher@gmail.com. We’d love to catch up with you! And, as they say on TV, “call us today!” Pun aside, we want to invest time with you and personally share what the Lord has done over the last 5 years. Yes, it has been five years since we last were in the States and we want to catch up and take pictures with you.
During our first month in the US, we enjoyed quality time at my parents’ home in Florida. It is a blessing to our four kids (and us) to have time with their Grandparents Paul & Wanda Hatcher and with their Great Grandpa John Hatcher. The Lord also allowed us to visit a few of our supporting churches and friends. For 4th of July weekend, my sister Michelle and her family came from Georgia, and we had a great time together. Sarah, Laura, Benjamin and Melissa were invited by our dear friend Todd Thomas to attend Family Church´s student camp at Lake Placid. The spiritual impact on their lives was tremendous. This last Monday our beloved friends Jason & Nikki Estes took us to Busch Gardens – Tampa Bay. The following day, we celebrated our daughter Laura´s 15th birthday at her favorite restaurant, at a plaster painting workshop and ice-cream with Grandpa, Grandma and cousin Luke.
In the meantime, the ministry in Sâo Paulo is well taken care of. But, we also have Zoom conference calls and individual follow-ups with people, even while in the US. In a nutshell, during the last 5 years in São Paulo, the Lord allowed us to start and/or revitalize five churches and assist several orphaned children into foster care. We are grateful to serve the Lord in His Kingdom!
Always grateful,
Jud and Raquel Hatcher
Contact Info:
Jud & Raquel Hatcher
São Paulo, Brazil
judsonhatcher@gmail.com
(872) 400-6522
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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Return to France on the Horizon!
March 14, 2021
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
What a full month the past one has been. We have covered many miles on roads in seven different states since we last wrote to you. God has enabled us to spend wonderful moments with family and friends some for the first time in over a dozen years. Thank you for your continual prayers and support.
Meeting regularly with believers on three different continents via internet for prayer, study of the Word, worship of our LORD and Savior and counseling is a continuing blessing. And, the best news, our physical return to France appears to be on the horizon! We are hoping to complete the remaining task this week that will free us to return to Tournefeuille.
Judy and I celebrated 48 years of marriage on the third of March with a sirloin steak lunch and a nice walk along Lake Michigan. Paul (my brother) and Wanda Hatcher, missionaries to Brazil you helped for over 40 years celebrated 50 years of marriage yesterday… taking care of Dad… missionary helped by you for over 60 years in Brazil. They have all three been sick with the infamous Covid virus. Paul and Wanda are now well on their way to recovery and Dad is doing better. Our entire family is very grateful for the diligent care Paul and Wanda have provided for our parents. Paul tells me, “We are just contributing to your ministry so that you are able to serve where you serve.” Their contribution often includes sleepless nights.
We do not know all that you are going through, but our Heavenly Father, Eternal God and Creator of all does. He is reachable day and night … without internet. Feel free to email us using the address posted on the BFM site if you would like for us to pray for you.
May the blessings and peace of God be with you,
John and Judy Hatcher
PS – When you email indicate in the subject line some things that will help us know that it is not spam (church, or location, etc.).
Contact Info:
John & Judy Hatcher
4, rue d’Aspin
31170 Tournefeuille, France
JMHatcher@aol.com
Present USA phone 1-812-416-1033
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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Fellowship with Family
February 10, 2021
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
You are a source of encouragement and joy and to Judy and me. We are presently in the home of Paul and Wanda enjoying fellowship with them and Dad. David, our brother from Manaus, surprised us by arriving just a few hours after us earlier this week. The time together, so rare, is a blessing.
These have been trying times. A number of people we know in Manaus have died from Covid-19. The church that David pastors has been losing about 2 people each day as they pass from this world into the presence of the Lord. The church has been active in acquiring and distributing oxygen to the sick and supplying needs for the ill and families that are left with no living wage earner.
(David, John Mark, Paul, and John A.)
Judy and I have been working hard to wrap up things in the Evansville concerning Peggy’s estate so that we can return to France. There have been many complications, but God supplies abundantly and has displayed His love and grace in marvelous ways. Our spiritual and physical families have helped enormously in this process. All of our children have come to help for several days and we have enjoyed fellowship with them in the midst of intense activity.
We met twice physically with Resurgence church in January. It is very encouraging to witness the desires of this relatively young Baptist church. They want to reach the lost and help the saints. As with all of you, the meeting numbers are limited and many participate by means of the internet. It is a great blessing to have this medium available which also enables us to participate actively with our assembly in France.
Though there are many restrictions in France due the effort to minimize the spread of the Corona Virus, it appears that we can meet the requirements to return in the near future. Thank you for your prayers and support in every way. May God bless each of you as you seek His will in serving Him during these difficult times.
Your fellow servants,
John and Judy
Contact Info:
John & Judy Hatcher
4, rue d’Aspin
31170 Tournefeuille, France
JMHatcher@aol.com
Present USA phone 1-812-416-1033
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 at Work in the Lives of His Children
November 8, 2020
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
Two days after I wrote the last newsletter our lives met a steep curve in the road. The day before Judy and I planned on going to Florida to care for Dad while my brother Paul had surgery we received news that Dad had been taken by ambulance to the hospital. Within a couple of hours we were on the road south. Several other pieces of bad news pierced the next few days. But, God is in control.
Many of you are also faced with difficulties, often unexpected. But, as the eighth chapter of Romans assures us we will be delivered and in that hope we continue the race set before us. Dad is now in a Rehab facility. Paul, who is recovering well from surgery, is hoping Dad can return to his and Wanda’s home in a couple of weeks. Judy and I returned early to Evansville to care for Peggy. We are so grateful for the care given by Marilyn, Janet and Lisa during the days we were gone. The sisters in the Lord manifest God’s grace abundantly.
Meanwhile, France is back under heavy restrictions and our church can no longer have in person meetings. This morning our members met electronically from 9 different locations. Our text this morning was Romans 8:18-27. You might find encouragement in this passage! We are very encouraged by the fellowship with our French brothers and sisters and the work of God in their lives.
Four years ago, Jan, a lady with whom Peggy was having weekly Bible studies trusted Christ. We, along with Peggy, continue to meet for Bible studies with Jan and her husband. We are now doing this via Zoom. Two days ago, Tony professed faith in Christ and is to be baptized this coming Sunday.
Douceline, in whose home in Mazere we held Bible studies for many years, has Bible studies regular with a lady whose husband has vocally professed his atheism for years. This past week she very encouraged because she was able to witness to him and he was receptive. She also had some great opportunities to communicate the gospel at work.
Nathalie, our second granddaughter and member of the Tournefeuille Church, had extended her time of ministry in Austria. The mission project to refugees with which she has been serving has asked her to stay on until just a few days before Christmas. She is planning on doing so. She may also return to work there in the Spring.
So, along with the unwanted surprises we have many wonderful surprises. We are able to give thanks in all circumstances. Where sin abounds, God’s grace over-abounds.
Gratefully God’s children with you,
John and Judy
Contact Info:
John & Judy Hatcher
4, rue d’Aspin
31170 Tournefeuille, France
JMHatcher@aol.com
Present USA phone 1-812-416-1033
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
Encouraged by God at Work in the Lives of Believers
Missionaries John Mark and Judy Hatcher have been serving the Lord in Tournefeuille, France since 1999. They define their ministry as “disciple-making.”
January 13, 2020
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
We just arrived back in Evansville a few hours ago from a very enjoyable weekend with Emmanuel Baptist Church in Bellbrook, OH and Grace Baptist Church in Fairborn, OH. It was encouraging to see the hand of the Lord at work in these two congregations of disciples of Jesus. We met young believers, servants of the Lord and God’s children preparing to serve Him in other fields.
Meanwhile, God has given Judy and me opportunities to be His witness to folks we have met here in Evansville who need Christ and to encourage believers who are seeking to serve Him. In the month of December, we were able to meet with believers from several churches for encouragement, fellowship and service. We met some believers that we did not previously know and were greatly encouraged by the testimony of God at work in their lives. We were also able to spend a good amount of time in fellowship with believers that we had the privilege of serving when we lived in Evansville.
Not only has a new calendar year started for all of us this recently, a new year in my life also began. It is hard to believe how fast the years have passed. It is even more difficult to count the many blessings God had given us. They are innumerable. You are part of these blessings.
We request your prayers for the believers in France, those who need Christ in France and for God’s continuous direction in our lives.
In a couple of weeks, I am going to Florida for a few days to help prepare accommodations for Dad’s (John A. Hatcher) return to Florida. For the past six months Paul and Wanda Hatcher have been active in the Lord’s ministry in Manaus, Brazil. God has blessed tremendously this time in the city where they served for forty years and hundreds of believers have come together with them for the Glory of God in the city. I will be with them for a few days in the beginning of February. We request your prayers for the transition of Paul and Wanda along with Dad back to Florida. Dad is approaching the completion of his 95th year on earth.
May God richly bless each of you as He guides us this year.
With you in His service,
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
Read more
Seminary Classes Scheduled in Manaus
The Hensleys have spent nearly 20 years serving in Brazil. They have established a church in Caraguatatuba and mission points throughout the city. They have also recently started a seminary to train pastors.
August 12, 2019
Dear friends and family,
Hope your summer has been a good one. Barb and I have had an enjoyable one with just a few hiccups. Have you ever heard the saying, “Man makes plans and God laughs”? Well, He has had a belly laugh on us this past month. We have been planning a trip to Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil for about two months now. The reason for this trip was to scout out new places to take the Seminary. Places where we could help pastors of Brazil. So we had a Pastor in Manaus get in touch with us and ask us to come there. We went into planning mode. Since myself and Pastor Coleman were going on this trip and it was not a teaching trip we thought it would be good to take the wives along. So plans were made. We have a person that graciously helps with our tickets when going to Brasil so we called him and set in motion the booking of the tickets. But as Delta does not fly to Manaus anymore, we had to book the second leg of the trip with another airlines in Brasil. I am telling you all of this to get to the REST of the story. You know the quote I wrote at the first of the letter? Well, it goes into effect now. Barb, Linda and I went to Louisville on the 19th to fly to Atlanta, but the flight was delayed because of bad weather, so we continued behind a long line to the ticket counter. By the time we got to the counter there had been another delay of the flight. The agent then told us even if we got on this delayed flight, we would miss our connection to Brasil. And to top that off we would not have a chance to fly out til the 21st. All that resulted in us missing the flight in Brasil to Manaus. By that time Pastor Coleman’s wife had decided to not try again but I was persistent and decided that Barb and I would drive to Atlanta. Well, guess what. We were unable to get on the flight there either. But Pastor Coleman had gotten on his flight on Sunday and was able to make all his connections. Therefore, we had one representative to do the research in Manaus. Thanks to Pastor Paul Hatcher and Wanda and Rosevaldo who took special care of Pastor Coleman. As I was saying, God had His way for this trip to be accomplished and He did it His way without my help. Not only were we able to meet with all the Pastors, and Pr. Coleman got to speak at the conference on the scheduled dates, he was able to set the dates for the Seminary in Manaus for next year. These dates not only include Manaus, but also the State of Rondonia. Now our calendar is full for the next 18 months. We have 14 seminary classes scheduled in five different cities. Pray for travel mercies and for the professors, translators and for me. We are still jumping through hoops to get accreditation for the Seminary in Brasil. One of the things we had to do was change our name. The Brazilian law says that to be an American Seminary with Brazilian accreditation we have to have an American name. So let me introduce you to Bluegrass Baptist Seminary. We have officially changed from Caragua Baptist Seminary to Bluegrass Baptist Seminary. As those requirements have been met and we have scheduled the classes for 2020 we now have another problem. We are going to be needing some more professors. The requirements are these: pastors with PhDs and with churches that are willing to let their Pastors go to Brasil and help finance his trip. But what an AWESOME problem to have.
Also, as the Seminary is getting known, we were having more and more requests for us to come to other regions to teach. Another AWESOME problem to have. Pray with us and for us as we continue to take God’s Word to Brasil.
We do ask that everyone continue to pray and give to BFM to support this work. Without faithful givers and prayer warriors we could not do this work we are doing.
In His service,
Aj and Barbara
Aj and Barbara Hensley
ajcaragua[at]gmail.com
Like them on Facebook.
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
Tourism Boat Offered for Missions; Difficult Moments
Odali and Kathy Barros served the Lord in Sao Paulo, Brazil together from 1987-2013. In late 2013, they transitioned to Manaus in Northern Brazil to start sharing the Gospel and planting churches in villages along the river.
July 30, 2019
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
Time goes by so fast that it is hard to believe August is here. We pray and hope all is well with each of you. We have had wonderful moments and some difficult ones, but we know that God is in control and all we need is to trust Him.
Our son Jonas and his wife Kelly were expecting their first child, due at any moment, then the baby stopped moving. Well, they went to the doctor and there was no more heartbeat. The baby was born naturally at 9:45 pm tonight at the hospital and the mother is well. Pray for them that God will comfort their hearts.
Boat used for tourism that will be used for missions off-season
New building at Iranduba
John A. Hatcher back in Manaus with sons
Paul (left) and David (right)
We are so thankful for all the friends and supporters that gave special offerings for the needs we had. The freezers for camp and us and the money for the car documents and truck to be fixed. God bless each one.
There is a Christian man in the city nearby that works with fishing tourism. They are building a new boat to use, and I am helping with the woodwork. This boat is not used the whole year so the man said that we can use it for mission trips when it is not being used! That will give us about 5 months to use it! Pray that God will guide us in the ministry.
The work in Iranduba at the new building has started back. Looks like this new area will be really great to reach out to more people. There are many children in this neighborhood. Pray that God will help and guide us as we reach out to this new area.
Also, we had a great surprise with the return of Paul and Wanda to Manaus. This makes Dad be close to the three of his children! Dad enjoys having us near him!
Thanks for your prayers and support! God bless each of you.
Odali and Kathy
Odali & Kathy Barros
Iranduba, Amazonas
Brasil, S.A.
odali_kathy[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
Wherever We are is No Surprise to God
Missionaries John Mark and Judy Hatcher have been serving the Lord in Tournefeuille, France since 1999. They define their ministry as “disciple-making.”
July 9, 2019
Dear Brother and Sisters,
It is a joy to know that our Saviour will never leave us nor forsake. His presence has been evident to us this month and I hope the same is true in your life. Thanks to all of you who have been praying for us and Judy’s sister, Peggy. Some of the difficult symptoms she had when we arrived have improved. There have been a battery of doctor appointments and we have been glad to be here to get her to these. We are now awaiting answers on options for treatments in University Medical Research Centers.
I had the privilege of being with Paul and Wanda and our father, John A. Hatcher, last week in Florida. They are all moving back to Manaus, Brazil, today. Your prayers for them as they seek to minister would be greatly appreciated. During my time with them in Central Florida we had great fellowship.
The Lord has opened up doors to visit and speak in supporting churches and I am enjoying these opportunities and times of fellowship. If you are interested in us coming to share what God is doing in France or to minister to your church in any way, it would be delighted. Contact us through the email listed above.
Peggy has a couple of Bible studies that meet in her home and we have enjoyed participating in these. News from France is good and the brothers and sisters in Christ show great concern for Judy’s sister. With long distance communication today, it is possible for us to continue part of our ministry.
But, wherever we are is no surprise to God and He brings across our paths those who need to know Christ or believers who need to be encouraged and are and encouragement to us. Judy and I like to do Nordic Trekking for exercise. Since we do this on neighborhood streets and in public parks it, opens up many doors of contact. It is a bit unusual to see trekkers around this part of the country so people stop and ask us about it and one thing leads to another and Jesus shows up on the scene!
May God bless you and use you as His light where you live!
Thankfully yours,
John and Judy Hatcher
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
Read more
