Missionary Update: John & Alta Hatcher Stateside from Brazil [August 2015]

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

July 23, 2015

Dear Brethren and Friends,

The pastors of churches we started in Brazil are sending us news about the work. We want to share two letters where they now pastor. One writes,

Pastor John, you will always be our pastor and spiritual leader.  Thank you for all that you  and Alta taught us. Thank you for your prayers. We miss you, but we know we will be with you in Heaven forever.

We are still serving the Lord and the work is growing. Many are trusting Christ as Savior and our Seminary here now has 16 students. Our children are serving the Lord. Thank you for teaching us how to rear our children to serve Him.

Thanks again for loving us so much! We love you. May God bless you!
Valdir and Sonia dos Santos 

We also, received letters from the wife and pastor of the church we started in our home where we lived before leaving Brazil.

When Alta’s parents passed away, some money was left to Alta. We built a church building across from the small park close to our house in the town of Urai. On Mother’s Day there were 100 persons present, including 34 mothers. The mission churches that these churches have planted are growing. God bless you, Marcio & Carol Moraes.

Friends, we hope these letters will bring joy to your hearts. We thank each who have supported us in offerings and prayers throughout 60 years in Brazil. God will give you rewards in Heaven and you will meet the Brazilians your efforts have brought to Salvation. We love each of you.

John A. and Alta Hatcher
15905 Mercott Court
Clermont FL 34714
229-529-8497
jhatcher1925[at]gmail.com

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Missionary Update: John & Alta Hatcher Stateside from Brazil [June 2015]

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

May 28, 2015

Dear Brethren and Friends and Fellow Partners in the Mission Work in Brazil,

Needless to say, we feel deeply the absence of the work and dear friends in Brazil. God is faithful. We are receiving wonderful news about the work there. We want to share it with you.

In II John he writes, “I rejoiced greatly that I found of thy children walking in truth…”

We rejoice in the news from Brazil. The work continues to grow and glow!

 THE FIRST PLANT 60 YEARS AGO
The Chapada Church was founded with 24 members, including Alta, four of our children, Lynn, Paul, John Mark, and David. Kathy was three years old and very present. God blessed this beginning and through its sixty years there have been some very good pastors. The present pastor is our son, David. The name of the church was changed from Chapada Baptist to Nova Igreja Batista (New Baptist Church). Every year in the month of April they observe The Word Festival. For the entire month special emphasis is given to reading and memorizing of the Scriptures. This past month the final night of this occasion there were 7,000 persons who attended in the two services.  We praise God for His blessings!

WORKS IN MOST STATES
It is not my purpose to give the names of all the cities and villages where work has been realized. I have worked in several states. The Tabernacle Baptist Church where Paul was pastor until last month has started dozens of churches in Manaus and in thirteen of the twenty-six States of  Brazil. Praise the Lord for the ministry of this church.

CORNELIO PROCOPIO
Valdir dos Santos, pastor of this church sent a letter telling of God’s blessings. He writes,  “We are writing to give you birthday greetings on your 90th. We are thankful for what you did for us here in Brazil. The joy of our hearts is: We will be together for all eternity. Our church has increased. We have sixteen students in the Seminary this semester. We love you and Alta.  Valdir and Family”

URAI–RANCHO ALEGRE
A letter from Pastor Marcio and family give good news about several places. The letter says, “Sunday, Mother’s Day, The building was full. There were thirty-four mothers. In Ranch Alegre we are building a new building. We were able to buy a lot at the entrance of the city.  Until built, the church is meeting in the house of brother Claudimir. Happy 90 years, Brother John!”

Dear Fellow-Partners, we thank each of you who have prayed and given offerings to make this work possible. May you rejoice in the results and may God continue to bless each of you.

Your missionaries,
John A. and Alta Hatcher

John A. and Alta Hatcher
15905 Mercott Court
Clermont FL 34714
229-529-8497
jhatcher1925[at]gmail.com

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Missionary Update: John & Alta Hatcher of Brazil [April 2014]

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

March 31, 2014

Dear Brethren and Friends,

Alta and I greet you from the Mission House in Lexington, KY. We arrived in the States on the 28th of March. Paul and Wanda had made arrangements for us to come to Manaus to bring Alta and I home for furlough. David came to Urai and helped us on the trip to Manaus. We were in Manaus for eight days. On our last Sunday before leaving Urai, the Church in Urai had a special service for us with pastors and people from all their missions and churches we had begun. It was an emotional experience.

The next day we flew from Londrina to Manaus. On the 28th of March, we arrived in Nashville where Paul rented a van. We arrived in Lexington with all our baggage on the 28th. We are living in the Mission House that was prepared and waiting for us. We plan to be in the Mission House for at least two months and to attend the Spring Missions Conference at Thompson Road Baptist Church on April 28, 29, 30.

On our first Sunday home, we attended the Bible School and morning service at the Thompson Road Baptist Church where Brother Dave Parks is pastor. That night we attended the services at the New Life Baptist Church where Brother Steve Wainright is pastor. We were blessed to have fellowship with the dear people of these two faithful churches.

Paul, our son, and Wanda are on furlough, also. They are caring for us. We will probably be living in Florida part of this year also.

WORK IN BRAZIL – Praise the Lord, the work in Brazil continues to grow and reach out.

Alta and I thank you for your prayers and financial support through our sixty years as missionaries in Brazil. God bless you.

In the Name of our Lord Jesus,
John and Alta Hatcher

1012 Balsam Drive
Lexington, KY 40504
859.277.3716
jhatcher[at]uol.com.br

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Missionary Update: John & Alta Hatcher in Brazil [March 2014]

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

February 24, 2014

Dear Brothers, Sisters and Friends of Baptist Faith Missions,

It is a great blessing for an old man to be able to write another letter to dear Friends like you. Alta and I are eighty-eight years old and you have been our dear supporting and praying partners for over fifty-five years for our ministry here in Brazil. It is a very emotional moment for me.

As I was preparing to write, the phone rang. Sebastian Oliveira, a blind person from birth, was calling from two thousand miles away to greet Alta and me and to thank us for the blessing we had been to him. Sebastian was saved in the interior village of Mira Aua, about 1960, when we lived in Manaus and traveled to the interiors on the launch you dear friends helped to build. He has been a Baptist pastor for over thirty-five years.

Our first church plant was in an area called Chapada. It was in the boonies. It was begun through the Tabernacle Baptist Church where we were members. It was started with 24 members. Among the 24 were four future mothers of pastors; there were five future Baptist pastors, including Paul, John Mark, and David Hatcher. The mothers of Baptist preachers were Alta, Guilermina, our daughters, Lynn (now in heaven) and Kathy. We praise God for His promises and unfailing faithfulness.

God touched the Chapada plant in a special way with its pastors and work. On February 23, 2014, there were 5,000 persons in morning services and 6,300 persons in evening services. In the evening services there were over 300 decisions. Praise the Lord for the ministry of church planting!

Our praises to the Lord for His blessings to our family. Alta and I thank Him for our parents and homes who taught us the fear of the Lord and the power of His Word. God has blessed our dear children: three sons are Baptist pastors, two daughters are wives of pastors and mothers of pastors. We have fifteen grandchildren, all of whom are serving the Lord with their partners in definite church planting projects. We have 26 great grandchildren, and eight of those have trusted the Lord as Savior.

WORKS GOING WELL – The mission points are going well here. There are congregations in Assai, Urai, Sussumo, and Rancho Alegre. There are several faithful young pastors. Some are not married; please pray for God to give them the right partners.

The Lord willing,  we hope to be at the Spring Missionary Conference in Lexington. Our son, Paul, is planning our trip with him and Wanda. We may be in the States by the time this letter gets to you.

God bless you each one. We love you in the Lord,

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 [December 2013]

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

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]

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

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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