Missionary Update: John & Alta Hatcher [December 2013]
November 27, 2013
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
Greetings from Brazil. Here we are having summer weather and today is one of the most beautiful days you could imagine. Our day temperature runs in the upper nineties but the night temperature runs in the seventies. Alta and I are well in spite of my having some minor health problems. Yesterday, I changed an old water faucet and I spent a little time on my back with a small flashlight in my mouth. When it was time to get up I did not think I would make it–but I did. I went and bought a new faucet and, thank the Lord, I was able to install it. When done, there were no leaks and it is working perfectly. I told Alta, “Jesus was the carpenter of Nazareth and He is the plumber of Urai.” Believe me, without His help I would never have gotten the job done. I praise Him for His goodness in every phase of our lives.
MISSION WORKS GOING WELL
The church in URAI is doing well. The pastor, Marcio, is teaching a class in the Seminary on Tuesday nights. The young people are active and attendance is growing. SUSSUMO Mission is going well with a great group of primary and adolescents attending. RANCHO ALEGRE Mission is now being led by Wagner. He is married to a lovely lady and they have a beautiful family of three girls and a son.
SONIA DOS SANTOS
Please continue to pray for this dear sister, whose body had been taken over by cancer. Praise the Lord, our prayers have been answered and she has completed the treatment and is doing well. She has a year to go to finish the final treatment. Please continue to pray for the dear Sister. Amanda, the daughter of Valdir and Sonia, is expecting her first child the first of December. She is married to Clayton, a young preacher who pastors a Mission of the Tabernacle Baptist Church in Cornelio Procopio.
ODALI AND KATHY
Our youngest child, Kathy, and her husband are moving to the Amazon Valley to evangelize on the rivers. She flies out tonight with her three sons and the wife and baby of a couple who are going there to work with them. This takes our closest child to a distance of 3,000 miles from us. This is the most difficult aspect of being a missionary–to be so far from your children. However, we praise God that all are serving our wonderful Lord.
SOMETHING SPECIAL
Our son, David, has planned a special trip for his mother and me. He is taking us to Manaus to spend the month of December and also, to fly to Florida to make a cruise of eight days and to visit our sisters. He knows how I love the sea and ships. I was a Merchant Marine in the Second World War. I have prepared material in three languages for evangelizing while on board.
May God’s Grace be on each of you,
John and Alta Hatcher
Caixa Postal 112
Urai, PR, Brazil 86280-000
jhatcher[at]uol.com.br
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Missionary Update: John & Alta Hatcher in Brazil [October 2013]
September 26, 2013
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
Greetings in Jesus’ Name from Brazil. Alta and I are doing well for two oldies. Alta has so much energy that I have a difficult task to keep up with her. Our weather is still very changeable and if you do not like what you have, just wait about five minutes and what you like will be along. Here, when you are having winter in the States, we are having summer. At this time, you are having Fall and we are having Spring; changeable temperatures every two days. Oh well, variety is the spice of life.
URAI–The work in Urai is going well with services being maintained at Sussumo mission, and Rancho Alegre. Presently, plans are being made to begin a new work in Serra Morena and in Nova America da Colina. Seminary Classes continue on Tuesday and Thursday nights with seven or eight students.
CHAPADA BAPTIST CHURCH CELEBRATED 53 years of existence on the 25 of September. The Pastor of the church is David Hatcher who was five years old when the church was established. When the work was begun, it was out in the boonies. Today, that area is the most active center in Manaus. The church has an attendance of about 5,000 each week. Let me tell you of one marvelous work of the Lord that happened recently. The Church had two special days of an Evangelistic program. One young man invited his father to attend. He attended with his son. Two weeks later the man was returning home and had a car wreck. He broke his neck and died. What a wonderful joy filled the hearts of many when they discovered that the dead man had trusted the Lord as his Savior on the night he came to the special service!
ASSAI–The new family working in this large town is being a blessing to many. Daniel, his wife Leticia, and their nine year-old daughter Milena, are working hard and God is blessing. They have special services for children and young people and then regular services for all. Several have been baptized. Please continue to pray for this family and this city.
SPECIAL NEED–Please pray for Sonha dos Santos. She is starting her light treatment for cancer and Valdir, her husband, has to take her every day for thirty days to the city of Londrina. This is a trip of 100 miles every day. Pray that God will provide their needs and heal this dear sister.
Pray for Alta and me that God will be our strength, wisdom and peace as we at weakened old age try to serve Him in spreading the Gospel through personal witnessing and prayer. We thank you who have been faithful in praying for and supporting us these many years. We love you.
Sincerely in Jesus’ Name,
John and Alta Hatcher
Caixa Postal 112
Urai, PR, Brazil 86280-000
jhatcher[at]uol.com.br
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