Rare Opportunity to Minister with Fellow Missionaries Judson & Raquel Hatcher

Bobby and Charlene Wacaser have served the Lord as church planters in Curitiba, Parana, Brazil, since 1985.

October 4, 2024

Dear Friends,

We have learned, though not perfectly, to look at everything around us through the lens of God’s sovereignty. Of course, that is both a challenge and a blessing. The apostle Peter began to sink when he got his eyes off Jesus, looking at the circumstances around him instead of focusing on the One who controlled the circumstances, who was with him. This past month we had some wonderful opportunities for evangelism and training. Of course, our enemy and the enemy of our Lord hates that, so he saw fit to bring on some distractions, and outright attacks. If the Lord had not reminded us daily of His sovereign rule and power over all things, we would have lost our focus and victories. But there was celebration in heaven over the many who surrendered to Christ during our evangelistic efforts in the public schools and squares, and our trials did not nullify that.

We had a rare privilege to minister together with some missions-minded churches and pastors and with our fellow missionary, Judson Hatcher. As many of you know, Brazil is a huge country. “Although the total area of the US is approximately 500,000 square miles larger than the total area of Brazil, Brazil is larger than the contiguous US by approximately 300,000 square miles. About 685,924 square miles of the US is covered by water compared to only 21,441 square miles of Brazil.” (worldatlas.com) Although Judson and Rachel minister in Brazil, we rarely get the privilege see one another or work together because of the distance between our fields of service. The time spent ministering together was a joy and we hope we’ll be able to do it again in the not-too-distant future.

Yago and Manoela continue faithfully in Portugal. They are having regular in-presence services after a few weeks of virtual meetings. Both they and their members are much happier.  They are also working steadily on translating their children’s Bible study lessons into English to be used in Egypt and other Arab nations. Please continue to pray for them.

Projeto Vida worked alongside our visiting pastors and church teams in Curitiba, their home base, for a week, but they went immediately to some outlying towns to share the gospel after those days together. One of our missionaries, Julio, had been sidelined for some surgery, but he returned to full-time duty this month. He was really missing the daily joy of sharing the gospel to unreached youth and their families. He seems to be fully recovered, and we are thankful to the Lord for that. 

Charlene and I are preparing to attend the Annual Thanksgiving Conference on behalf of Baptist Faith Missions at the New Hope Baptist Church in Dearborn Heights, Michigan, next month. We look forward to reacquainting with some of our dear brothers and sisters there, but we also hope to meet new friends and family in Christ. Thank you to pastor Terry Adkins for the invitation to attend and speak.

In Christ’s love,
Bobby and Charlene Wacaser

The Wacasers with Judson Hatcher and visitors from Heritage Baptist Church in Lexington, Kentucky

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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A Vision Trip to Brazil

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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.

September 26, 2024

Dear Friends and Supporters,

Greetings in the name of our Lord! We hope this newsletter finds you well and filled with the joy of serving Christ. We are excited to have received Daniel Akers, Shamma Lorredan, and Glenn Tolson from Heritage Baptist Church, Lexington, KY. They were here on a vision trip to Brazil, which took place from September 3 to 17. The purpose of the trip was to map out future plans for yearly church mission trips to Brazil.

Together, we embarked on this journey with a heart full of anticipation and a desire to strengthen our partnerships in the field. The bulk of our trip was spent in São Paulo, where we visited our church planting framework for evangelism, discipleship, and leadership development. It was inspiring to see these men engage with Brazilian people and witness their dedication and passion for missions and our partnership to spread the Gospel in this vibrant city.

One of the key highlights was our visit to Raquel’s foster care ministry. This impactful initiative not only provides a safe haven for at-risk children but also serves as a platform for sharing the love of Christ with families in need. I was grateful for the opportunity to share Raquel’s passion for foster care, connect with those involved in this ministry, and explore ways to support those efforts.

The three men also joined us for a day at the soccer school and ministered to young athletes. While in São Paulo, they also learned of other sports evangelism opportunities in basketball and volleyball as potential opportunities for future sports mission trips. They received an invitation to speak at our kids’ school – PACA. Shamma shared his powerful testimony of salvation, how he became a professional musician, his survival of the 2010 Haiti earthquake, and how the Lord equipped him to serve as a pastor in Lexington, KY.

Additionally, we traveled to the Marília and Cornélio Procópio regions to connect with the pastors and churches of the Togetherness Network. In Cornélio, we gathered with pastors, pastors in training, and spouses to discuss a bilateral partnership in ministry. This meeting inspired everyone, and the repercussions will produce a lingering positive impact. Daniel and Shamma spoke at the Pastors’ Symposium in Duartina, where they preached on “The Legacy of Faithful Preaching in Pastoral Ministry” and “The Legacy of Integrity in Pastoral Ministry”. It was a significant symposium full of enthusiasm and encouragement for pastors, aspiring pastors, and spouses. Everyone’s dedication to the Gospel inspired us, and it was a time of mutual edification.

During the second weekend of our trip, we joined Bobby and Charlene Wacaser in Curitiba. Here, we learned about Projeto Vida and the church’s ongoing efforts to reach the community through evangelism and discipleship. Together, we were able to have a firsthand experience of the depth and scope of the Wacaser’s ministry in Curitiba. The significance of the church’s Bible training for adults and the children’s ministry is self-evident.

As we reflect on this trip, we are grateful for Heritage Baptist Church. We are also thankful for your continued support and prayers. Your partnership enables us to engage in this vital work, and we are excited about the future opportunities that lie ahead. Please offer prayers for the ongoing ministries in Brazil so that they may bear fruit for the Kingdom and that more people will experience the love of Christ.

On another note, the soccer school continues to be a powerful tool for evangelism in São Paulo. This last month, we had two friendly games with other soccer teams, during which I was able to openly share about Christ. Through this program, we can connect with athletes and their families, sharing the Gospel and fostering relationships that lead to discipleship. The soccer school not only opens doors for sharing the Good News but also provides us an opportunity for discipling new Christians and developing leadership within the sport. We have seen firsthand how the Lord uses this initiative to minister to numerous families in their homes, creating a ripple effect of faith and transformation.

Thank you for standing with us in this mission. We look forward to sharing more updates and stories of God’s faithfulness in the coming months.

Always grateful,
Jud & Raquel

The men from Heritage with Jud Hatcher and Bobby & Charlene Wacaser

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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Encouraging Brazilian Pastors, Evangelizing Students, & Youth Camp

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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 15, 2024

Family News

Everyone successfully completed their school year and was promoted to the next grade. Sarah graduated from high school and two weeks later was accepted into ESPM, a Brazilian university. She plans to study communications and publicity. I (Judson) celebrated my birthday with dengue fever. The fever lasted for almost a month. Thankfully, the cold sweats, brain fog, and constant itching are over! Raquel is in excellent health and is actively engaged in serving others.

Evangelism, Five Decisions at Camp, and Ministry At Large.

The soccer school allows us to evangelize students every week and build bridges with the parents. Our teams participated in a one-day tournament, winning half of the matches against other teams.

Through Rede Convivencia (Togetherness Network), under the leadership of Pastor Eliezer, we had a youth camp with 40 students, which rendered five salvation decisions. Benjamin (my son) traveled 6 hours to join the camp and also made important decisions during the camp.

Last week, I visited several pastors and their families in our Rede Convivencia. We made stops in São Paulo state in Pompeia, Marilia, Vera Cruz, Alvaro de Carvalho, Fernão. In Paraná state, we visited pastors in Cornélio Procópio, Assaí, and Urai. Pastor Elieser joined me on this journey to minister to pastors and their families.

The one-year-old church plant in Marilia, which meets in Américo and Paula Pinotti’s garage, celebrated three baptisms and their first Lord’s supper last week. Américo was mentored by Pastor Gilberto Steffano during his formative years. Recently, Américo requested my mentorship for pastoral ordination and guidance in organizing the new work.

Pastor Raimundo Pinto, the lead pastor for the church plant in Aracajú (Northeastern Brazil), inaugurates the new building at the beginning of August.

Our student ministry evangelism gathering drew several new students and made new connections. We played volleyball, indoor soccer, and foot-volleyball.

Foster Care

Raquel actively works in recruiting, training, equipping, and networking couples and families to serve as foster care parents to attend to the immense need of at-risk children in São Paulo city. She is a strong advocate and voice in one of the world’s largest metropolises – São Paulo city is still learning what foster care means and how it benefits children and society.  The court system recently inspected Raquel’s foster care intake facilities and received high marks from the city officials. We are grateful to Jason and Nikki Estes for their encouragement, mobilization, and partnership in significantly impacting the lives of precious children in foster care.

Prayer Requests

1) The purchase of a car.

2) Finances for Sarah’s first year in a Brazilian university.

3) The new school year is starting soon for Laura (12th), Benjamin (10th), and Melissa (7th).

4) Family health.

5) Evangelism and church growth

6) Judson’s doctoral studies and dissertation on pastoral succession in Brazilian churches. 

Grateful always,
Judson 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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Students Surrender to Christ in São Paulo

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.

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.


Read more

Seeing God at Work in the Lives of Our Children

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.

April 12, 2024

My dear brothers and sisters in Christ, it is with great joy I write you once more. It’s a privilege to share with you all God is doing here in São Paulo City.

First, I want to share about God’s work in our children’s lives. Sarah is graduating from High School on June 10th. We celebrate her accomplishments and a new phase as she prepares to go to college here in São Paulo. We are grateful for God’s work in Laura’s life, as she demonstrates daily her spiritual growth and knowledge about Jesus. We praise God for Benjamin’s life also. He gives us so much joy as he develops not only in stature and academics but also in his faith and love for Jesus. Melissa, from all four, is who has grown the most in every area of life. She really has improved in her learning abilities, her performance in sports, her social skills, her confidence, and interest in spiritual practices. It’s amazing to watch them becoming young adults, and Melissa becoming a teenager, with all that phase brings (LOL). I’m thankful for your prayers; we need it so much!

Second, I would like to share the results of our First TBRI National Conference, organized by ABBA (Associação Brasileira Beneficente Aslan). We had people from six states, and more than twenty cities. We had five speakers, three representing Texas Christian University – Karyn Purvis Institute of Child Development, one from Pontes de Amor, an Adoption Support Group, and me. This conference was done by faith. I’m thankful to partners like Nikki and Jason Estes (iCG Pay), who raised funds and supported us from the start. I’m thankful for Srini Sirigire, he owns Whiztek. I’m thankful for D & A Papéis, and FlySkyCare. Without their contributions it wouldn’t be possible. I’m also thankful for an amazing team, who worked non-stop to make this conference a success. If you would like to support our ministries with Foster Care, and children and adolescents in risk and social vulnerabilities, please make donations to BFM and specify “Jud & Raquel’s Foster Care Ministry”.

Prayer Requests:

Our family health. There is a dengue crisis going on here in Brazil.

Our kid’s last two months of school, and future education plans for Sarah.

My dad’s health. He almost had a heart attack on April 10th. He’s on the waiting list for a heart valve transplant. His heart is very weak, and he is having symptoms such as shortness of breath, high blood pressure, and stomach discomfort.

My mom’s health. She was diagnosed with lymphoma cancer in September 2023. She’ll go through chemotherapy and radio therapy in the next months.

We have two babies in our foster care program. Please pray God will send us more foster families, it’s a challenge to recruit Christians families to receive these little ones in their homes.

Our TBRI trainings. Many non-profit organizations ask us to train their staff and team. Pray for wisdom, and funds.

Pray for our Agape Baptist Church. We’ll have a community outreach this upcoming Sunday. Pray for salvation.

It’s an honor to serve Jesus Christ through Baptist Faith Missions. We feel privileged to be part of this great mission. Thank you for all you do for our family.

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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Scenes from São Paulo

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.

Here are some recent snapshots from their ministry.


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English Immersion VBS + Upcoming Conferences

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.

January 31, 2024

Dear friends,

Thank you for praying and holding the ropes as we minister to people in Brazil. Please, read how your participation is impacting the Kingdom.

English Immersion a Success

In January we experimented with an English immersion modular for teens: a type of Vacation Bible School for youth who desire to learn English through Biblical content—a lot of singing and activities, all done in English, with the purpose of teaching language and presenting the Gospel. Even an individual who has no experience with the language can learn a lot in a week. Our daughters Sarah and Laura helped me with this project. It was well received by the local community and several parents asked if there would be one for adults too. English immersion modules are intense, but by the end of the week, both the teens and their parents (just from listening to their kids) were singing in English.

Soccer Athletes & Families

Soccer practice with middle and high school students is in full throttle. Pray for us as we disciple students who recently became believers and for those who still need to surrender to Jesus. The Lord is opening several opportunities to engage with the parents of the student-athletes. In February we plan to have several families over to the house for dinner and engage them with home hospitality.

25th Wedding Anniversary

On January 8th, Raquel and I celebrated our 25th wedding anniversary. As is our family tradition, we celebrate our anniversary with our kids. We had a special time together when we went hiking in the woods and went to the beach, enjoyed time with each other, and made incredible memories.

Pastors & Leaders Conference in São Paulo

On March 9th, there will be a DayCamp conference for pastors, church leaders, and their families at a small campground near Marília, São Paulo. It will be a unique time of prayer, preaching, and playing together. The place has a pool and a synthetic soccer field. Our “Togetherness Network” (Rede Convivencia, in Portuguese) purpose is to foster fellowship among pastors and leaders to recruit, train, place, and network a new generation of pastors and leaders for local churches.

Church Conference in Paraná

On March 29th (Easter weekend), will have a Church Conference near Londrina, Paraná. Churches from São Paulo and Paraná will come together for a day of preaching, singing, and eating together. The purpose of this conference is to embolden churches to reach new people for Christ through Evangelism strategies and to inspire churches and their leaders to invest in training the next generation by providing ministry and service opportunities to challenge them to live out an audacious life in Christ, within their church and community.

Request

We humbly reach out to you, our faithful supporters, with a pressing fundraising need: purchase a car. Would you be willing to give for this urgent need?

Due to the increasing demand and rising expenditure on transportation, we urgently need to acquire this vehicle. The estimated cost for this much-needed resource is $10K.

As we step into the new month, we ask for your continued prayers and support. The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Let’s continue partnering in this Kingdom work.

Always grateful,

Judson 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.


Read more

A Remarkable End to the Year

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.

December 29, 2023

Dear friends,

What a remarkable end to the year for us here in São Paulo. Please, read and see (through the pictures) how God is working.

Pastors Gathering on Building Ministry Teams

This month our pastor’s gathering focused on training leadership through building ministry teams. Wilson went with me on this trip to Alvaro de Carvalho, where regional pastors and wives came to Pastor Elieser’s home for our time together.

35 Salvation Decisions at Soccer Camp

The incredible hand of God was observed at our student camp through the soccer school as 35 of the 57 campers surrendered to Christ. Our hearts overflowed and rejoiced in the Lord for each student who confessed Jesus as their Lord and Savior.

Family

Our family is doing well. Sarah was part of the worship team during the camp. She was invited to sing in a Christmas musical at the Chinese Baptist Church in São Paulo. All four of our kids are progressing well in their studies at school and are in good health. I ask that you pray for my left knee, as physical therapy is underway to recover from a minuscule tear. Raquel is doing well and is doing an incredible job in equipping and mobilizing couples for foster care.

From Raquel

Hello friends. I’m here to share we received our first child on November 23. It’s sad a baby has to go into foster care; all babies and children deserve to grow up in a loving and nurturing family, however, when their parents can’t protect or care for them, it’s better when a loving Christian family receives them into their home, than when they have to go to an institution. The child we are caring for is 1 year and four months old. He was hospitalized for 20 days, and when he was released from the hospital, CPS referred him to us. Today I accompanied his foster parents and baby “S” to the outpatient clinic so he could get treatment for a skin condition that is making him miserable. Please pray he will heal fast. He is a sweet one-year and four-month-old little boy. If God touches your heart and you decide you want to help, specify your offering to baby “S” and I will buy him diapers, clothes, special milk, and medicine the doctor prescribed him, and some baby books so his foster parents can read to him. By the way, the foster parents are a retired couple, who raised three children. They love Jesus and are doing everything they can, even staying awake at night, so they can be Jesus for this child. Thank you for your support and prayers. Your sister in Christ, Raquel.

Request

We humbly reach out to you, our faithful supporters, with pressing fundraising needs:

  a)     Car Purchase:

Due to the increasing demand and rising expenditure on transportation, we urgently need to acquire a second vehicle. The estimated cost for this much-needed resource is also 10,000 US dollars.

As we step into the new month, we ask for your continued prayers and support. The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Let’s continue partnering in this Kingdom work.

Always grateful,

Judson Hatcher

Contact Info:
Jud & Raquel Hatcher
São Paulo, Brazil
judsonhatcher@gmail.com
(872) 400-6522For 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
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