Jud and Raquel Hatcher serve 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.

February 1, 2017

Dear friends,
Thank you for praying and supporting us. Your love for us is always an encouragement. In this newsletter, I will share about our family’s health, kids’ education and ministry. Come visit us in São Paulo to see firsthand what the Lord is doing.

Family
The end of year has been an interesting one for all of us. Raquel, Sarah and Melissa are in good health. Laura has an ear infection that just doesn’t want to leave her alone. The antibiotics don’t seem to be having much effect. She is on a third round of medication and we are praying that she will recuperate. Benjamin has complained of stomach aches for a while. We took him to the ER a few weeks ago, but the exams were inconclusive. There are still more tests to run as we search for the root problem. I’ve had a lot of muscle issues. My hands and arms will typically swell up, go numb and my joints ache after carrying heavy luggage or after driving long stretches or holding heavy items for long periods of time.

This year we opted to homeschool our children using the A Beka curriculum. We have never done this before and it has proven to be a challenge for us. We are in the process of reconsidering our decision and enrolling them in a local school.
We ask that you pray for our health and our children’s education.

Ministry
We have connected with Igreja Batista Memorial de Alphaville (IBMA) here in São Paulo. Sidney Costa is the senior pastor and is a friend since 2004. He is a great leader and has coached us along this transition process (i.e. housing, local culture, friendship, banking advice, etc.).

I have an office at the church and lead the English and Spanish Communities, which are extensions of IBMA. The average attendance on Sundays is 90-100 people between the two communities. We are excited by this connection as it is an intensely missional church and extremely focused on Jesus as it plans to branch out into all regions of Greater São Paulo. In March, a new location is queued to begin in a section of the city called Berrine. We are enthusiastic with what the Lord is doing.

I am scheduled to be in the States for 9 days as of February 22. I will attend the Liberty University Pastoral Leadership Advisory Board, led by Dr. Dave Adams. I shall also meet with several pastors and churches in VA, TN & KY. Pray as the Lord opens doors.

Adjusting
We have made several new friends since we arrived in São Paulo, including the English-speaking expatriate community. We are still adjusting to pace in this massive metropolis. While the region has a lot to offer and has its advantages, traffic is always a killer. Getting to different areas where we must go can often take up to 2 hours. This, whilst dealing with crazy motorcycles that weave between cars and often bump into cars. Getting around town without Google maps or Waze is almost impossible.

Finding a good car mechanic that is close to home has been a tough one. The Lord provided us with a great car though, (a KIA Rondo, 7 seat, compact mini-van), but we’ve already taken it in for repairs. Finding parts for it is a challenge. Just the other day I needed to change the engine belt and it took me two days to find the crazy thing. It is an inconspicuous vehicle, great on gas and runs well. Adjusting has been tougher than expected, particularly because the cost of living is higher than we anticipated.

Our Prayer Requests are:
1. Family’s health. (Laura’s infection, Benjamin’s stomach, and my hands and arms.)
2. Children’s education.
3. Finances.

Grateful always,
Jud Hatcher

Judson & Raquel Hatcher
(859) 608-4742
judsonhatcher@gmail.com
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