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
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
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
Thanksgiving & Commissioning Service
November 19, 2022
Dear Friends,
This past week, our church celebrated our thanks to the Lord for this year’s provisions as well as His calling from our midst, Yago and Manoela Guedes, to go to Portugal as missionaries. We had a commissioning service for them and a Thanksgiving banquet at the same event. It was truly a joyous occasion. It was the first time that our entire church could get together at the same time and location for nearly two years. We met at a church member’s farm that has a pavilion that was large enough for us all. Yago and Manoela will have arrived in Foz do Arelho, Portugal by the time you are reading this letter. We will be praying for them and seeking to support their ministry efforts as they seek to reach the spiritually lost there. There is less than 1 percent of born-again believers in Portugal and this young couple will greatly need the Lord’s wisdom and power in sharing the gospel and winning lost souls. Please pray with us and for them as they seek to serve the Lord and obey His commission. If you believe the Lord is guiding you to aid this couple, you may contribute with the memo: “Wacaser-Portugal Mission”.
It has been many years since I have had any health issues and I am extremely grateful. These past two weeks, though, I have struggled with laryngitis and have had to call on my co-pastors to preach in my place. I haven’t felt very ill, but my voice was too weak and raspy to communicate without being a distraction. I am grateful to be able to count on these young men who are doing an excellent job of faithfully delivering the Word. I seem to be much better today (Saturday) and intend to preach at both services tomorrow. Challenges like this are great reminders to me of just how much I depend on the Lord for every large and small grace. I pray for His strength and ability to honor Him with my mind and my voice.
Just a little reminder that in Brazil, below the Equator, we are entering into our summer months and the 3-month school break. Since the public schools are our traveling evangelistic team’s main venue for outreach, we change our focus during this period to assist the home church with the Christmas program and to minister to the poor and homeless in our own city. The volunteers who are from other cities will get a couple of weeks to return home to visit with their families on the holidays but will return shortly after New Year’s Day to begin preparing for the outreach trips scheduled for next year. The Lord blessed greatly this past year as we were privileged to share the gospel to over 40,000 people in public venues. Thousands of those who heard responded by surrendering their lives to Christ. All honor and glory to our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ!
Charlene and I are so thankful for the faithful prayers and support on our behalf. We humbly acknowledge and recognize that you sacrifice from what you could use in any number of ways but choose to give so that we may minister here. We thank the Lord for you and pray that you may be eternally and richly blessed.
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
Young Couple Headed to Portugal as Missionaries
October 22, 2022
Dear Friends,
The young couple from our church, Yago and Manoela, have received their work visas to go to Portugal and have already purchased their airline tickets for November 22. Our church will be hosting a sending off meeting and gift shower before they travel. Their visas came out a couple of months sooner than expected, but this is good news, and they will be able to get settled in Portugal before the Christmas holidays. We are still praying and discussing ministry strategy with them and are guiding our church in how and how much we can support them. If you believe that the Lord is leading you or your church to partner with us in their support, feel free to contribute with a designated offering “Wacaser-Portugal Mission”.
Our home church just held an evangelistic drama presentation based on the story of Esther in the Bible. We had over 70 of our church members involved in this presentation in one form or another. We practiced, built, painted, sewed, and recorded music and voices for over 4 months in orders to produce a quality presentation with a gospel invitation at the conclusion. We received more than a dozen public responses to the invitation at the two meetings. Our “next steps” discipleship team is following up with Bible lessons for new believers.
I traveled to meet with Projeto Vida, our itinerate evangelistic team, in the state of Mato Grosso do Sul. We were thrilled to see how the Lord worked through our 12 volunteers in the public schools where we shared the gospel to 2300 students and staff within two weeks, resulting in over 140 professions of faith. The first school where our team was scheduled to minister got a message one day before our presentation that we would not be welcome. They canceled the engagement because we were evangelical (the principal is a spiritist). Almost immediately after the cancellation, we got a call from the secretary of education from a neighboring city inviting our team to come minister to a huge assembly of 4 schools at one location. We ended up reaching four times as many people than we would have reached at the other school, had it not canceled on us. The Lord’s plan is always the greatest.
Charlene and I are doing very well, and we thank you for your prayers for us and your faithful support.
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
Tampa Teens Share the Gospel, English Classes Resuming
August 9, 2022
Dear Friends,
Our church’s anniversary is on July 22nd. In celebration of its anniversary, each Sunday of that month, a different aged Bible study group gave a chorale presentation and culminated with a chorale formed with the church leaders. The church rejoiced in how God has blessed in so many ways. We have experienced phenomenal growth, by His grace.
During the month of July, we had the privilege to host a team from the Tampa, Florida area. The group consisted of 8 members who ministered with our Projeto Vida evangelistic team in 3 public schools, two drug rehab centers and in a homeless shelter. The group was very enthusiastic and helpful in each outreach effort. The Lord used them and there were many professions of faith in Christ through their sharing of the gospel. Half of the group were teenage girls who were very courageous in giving their testimonies in front of hundreds of students in middle school and high school auditoriums. I didn’t think about it at the time, but in retrospect, I’m sad that no young men/boys decided to come be a part of that group and share the gospel. In fact, we have noticed that more and more, visiting groups consist of mostly girls. Come on down, young men! Be valiant servants of the Lord! A big shout out to you young ladies who heed the call to share your faith despite the fears you face.
Our traveling evangelistic team leaves tomorrow for another two-week trip to the northwest corner of our state and then on to the Federal District where they have been invited to minister in several schools. We have the van fueled up and the team of 11 members is excited about the privilege of sharing the gospel to school staff and students. Please remember them in your prayers as they present the gospel in a variety of ways and venues. We do not take this privilege for granted because we know that it may not last long, just as it has been taken away in almost every other country in the world, including the USA. What we seek is to take advantage of it as long as it is open to us and seek to honor the Lord through the sharing of His word and love.
Because of COVID-19 the government shut down our in-person English classes back in 2020. This week Charlene is restarting one of those classes and she already has about 15 students signed up for it. The classes are offered free of charge to our community for the purpose of providing an opportunity to meet new people and share Christ’s love and gain an open door for evangelism. We have already had several conversions, baptisms, and church growth through this ministry effort in the past and we pray that this will be the result again. Please pray for Charlene as she teaches these students in the weeks and months to come.
In Christ’s love,
Bobby and Charlene Wacaser
Annabelle 
Mandy & Mark 
Taylor
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
