Missionary Update: The Tates in Kenya [July 2015]

Tate_profile

The Tate Family has served the Lord in Kitale, Kenya since January 2008. Their main ministry is indigenous church planting.

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

If you read my newsletter from last month, and I hope you did, then you read a little about my discouragement over not seeing as much spiritual growth in the disciples and churches I work with here in Kitale.  I tried to end my newsletter on a higher note and show that God’s work will be completed in each of his children, but when I finished my newsletter and hit the send button I was still discouraged.  But God has a way of encouraging his children and he did just that for me this month in the form of a message from a pastor back home.  Many, many months ago I received in the mail a message on CD.  This was a message taught by Tom Teall, pastor of Calvary Baptist Church in West Branch, Michigan.  The CD sat on my desk for a week or two before I got around to listening to it.  I tried playing the disk on various devices but because the disk had gotten scratched somewhere I could never get it to play past the first minute.  Because I could not get the message to play, it sat on my desk for the next couple of months…until last week.  Last week Julie and I were looking for something to listen to, pulled out this message by Pastor Tom, popped it into her computer, and, amazingly it worked.  And now I know why it never worked before – because I needed to listen to it last week and not months ago.  His message was from Psalm 1:2 –

            He shall be like a tree

            Planted by the rivers of water

            That brings forth fruit in its season

            Whose leaf also shall not wither

            And whatever he does shall prosper.

I won’t repeat the whole message here but I just wanted to point out that Pastor Tom spent a lot of time on that third line in the verse:  “That brings forth fruit in its season”.  The point of his message was that fruit is seasonal.  SEASONAL!  In other words, you shouldn’t expect to see all the fruit on all the trees at all times but that when the season is right (the season God has prepared) then the tree will bring forth the right fruit, in the right quantity and in the right quality.  Pastor Tom’s message encouraged me at the right time to press on and wait for the fruit that God will bring in his season. Be looking for fruit, beloved.  It will come.

On a bit of a lighter note, let me ask you what has ever happened in one of your worship services that has held up or delayed the proceedings?  Nathan and I were right in the middle of a worship/Bible study hour at the home where our group meets when a crazy chicken strutted in.  This crazy chicken strutted right to my feet where it stopped, cocked its head to one side and stared directly into my eyes. When I didn’t move the way the foolish fowl wanted me to, she jumped up into my lap and lept onto my shoulder.  At this point I was just hoping it would not release a bomb onto my shirt.  The boneheaded bird then walked across the back of my chair and jumped onto Nathan’s chair.  Nathan hastily extricated himself from the chair before the brainless biddy could land on his head or in his lap.  With Nathan’s chair now free from its occupant the pesky poultry took up residence there.  One of the Kenyan boys quickly removed the half-witted hen from the chair before it could nest down and lay its egg, which is what it wanted to do in the first place.  The removal of the chicken allowed our Bible study to recommence and proceed.  While being in Kenya I have now had worship services interrupted by a chicken, sheep, cow, dog and a snake.  The young boy relieving his bladder in the corner of the church building never fazed anyone, though, and the preacher never missed a beat in delivering his message.

Until next month, beloved.
May God’s peace and joy be with you.

For the glory of God in East Africa,
Roger & Julie Tate (and Emily, Amy, Josiah & Chloe)

rojuta[at]gmail.com
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Missionary Update: John & Alta Hatcher on Furlough from Brazil [September 2014]

Missionaries John and Alta Hatcher have served the Lord in Brazil since 1955, planting over 70 churches that are still in existence.

August 30, 2014

Dear Brethren and Friends,

Greetings from our new home in Florida, warm sunny Florida. Paul and Wanda have purchased a home in Clermont, Florida. It is a lovely large home that has a three-room apartment in the back where we are living. The address is: John and Alta Hatcher, 15905 Mercott Court, Clermont, FL 34714

Our new phone number is: 229-529-8497. John’s E-mail is: jhatcher[at]uol.com.br Paul’s cell phone is: 239-227-6551. Paul’s E-mail is: rphatcher[at]gmail.com You can get in touch with us through any of these contacts.

Moving from the rented house and getting everything moved in and set up has been a lot of work for Paul and Wanda. We have helped when and however possible. Our health has been well for old folk. Alta has a pestering cough, which she thinks is from neck bone misalignment; please pray for her to be relieved of it, if it be the Lord’s will.

We are physically not capable of doing what we once were able to do. We do take every advantage to spread the Gospel each day as the Lord opens opportunities. Pray with us for the Lord to open doors and opportunities to sow the message of the Gospel.

Work in Brazil. This past week the Chapada Baptist Church had its annual Conference. 700 persons were registered from places outside of Manaus. The work is progressing well. In the city of Cascavel, a Church was begun out of the Chapada Church by Colonel Jefferson, an army officer. Three days of special services at that Church brought a total of 1,800 decisions.

Finally, Psalm 1 continues to be a daily blessing to my spiritual life.
Psalm 1 – Instructions for a happy and blessed life. Four promises.
1-Be like a tree planted by living waters.
2-Bring forth fruit in his season.
3-Leaf shall not wither.
4-All that he does shall prosper. (There is no greater promise than this!)

We love you and thank God for your prayers and support through many years.

Sincerely,
John A. and Alta Hatcher
15905 Mercott Court
Clermont FL 34714
229-529-8497

Sincerely in Jesus Name,

John and Alta Hatcher

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Missionary Update: John & Alta Hatcher from Brazil [June 2014]

Missionaries John and Alta Hatcher have served the Lord in Brazil since 1955, planting over 70 churches that are still in existence.

May 29, 2014

Dear Brethren and Friends;

We (Alta and I) want to thank all of you that made our short visit to Lexington so pleasant and happy. Especially, we want to thank Brother Dave Parks and the people of Thompson Road Baptist Church for all the preparation of the Mission house. We lacked nothing and had more than enough. Thank you, Brother Parks, and your people!

As you know by now, our son Paul and his wife, Wanda, are caring for us in our traveling and housing. (It is not a sin to grow old, but sometimes it shows our weaknesses and inabilities.) Thank you, Paul and Wanda, for your care and love.

Hatchers Lexington

New Life Baptist Church in Lexington, Kentucky, was blessed to have the Hatchers visit on Mother’s Day.

We are sorry that there was not enough time to visit churches as we have always done. We thank the New Life Baptist Church and their pastor, Steve Wainright, and his wife for the special fellowship they shared with us.

MOVE TO FLORIDA. The Lord willing, we will spend the rest of our furlough in Florida where Paul arranged living quarters. Our address for a couple of months is:
615 Key West Ave.
Davenport, FL 33897-3600

The plan is for us to be at this address for about two months. Anyone desiring to write us can use this address. We will notify you of any future change of address.

INVITED TO PREACH. Brother Dave Parks invited me to preach on the next Sunday before we left Lexington. He did not think Paul would arrange our move before the end of that week. I had two sermons prepared, but we traveled on that Friday, and I did not get to bring the message. However, I decided to include one of the outlines in this letter. I hope it will be a blessing to someone.

THREE PSALMS TO GUIDE OUR LIVES

1. The Secret of Personal Spiritual Success. Psalm 1
(Verse 3 has one of the greatest promises made to man)

2. The Secret to having a Happy Family and Their Children. Psalm 127

3. The Blessed Future of a Godly Home. Psalm 128
Every word in this Psalm offers future hope and blessings for the Godly family.

May our Lord Bless each of you is our desire and prayer. We love you and thank you for all you have done for our ministry in Brazil.

Sincerely,
John and Alta Hatcher

615 Key West Ave.
Davenport, FL 33897-3600
jhatcher[at]uol.com.br

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