The Close of a Semester and Planning for the Next
October 8, 2024
Dear friends and family,
As we are approaching the end of the semester (October 31st), please be in prayer for our students (pastors, church workers, and leaders) as they prepare themselves for exams. This is somewhat of a stressful time with all the other things they are involved with: economics, pastoring, working, and everyday family necessities.
We are thanking the Lord for Bluegrass Baptist Seminary and the conference we were able to participate in Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil. There was lots of interest created, so we are looking forward to more students signing up for classes. As you know, after Covid, we were hit just like the churches with lower attendance; however, thanks to the AWESOME GOD WE SERVE, every semester there has been increased student applications.
As this semester is closing, we already have next semester’s planning in motion. There will be four classes offered and they will be: 1. Systemic Theology 2. New Testament Survey 3. Old Testament Survey 4. Pastoral Ministries
These classes will begin on the fourth day of February 2025. As our planning is in process, pray for the professors, the students, and the Zoom process to reach all the students effectively. Sometimes our communications systems are somewhat of a challenge and especially for me. And please remember the interpreters as it is super important that they do their job well, and also the many who volunteer in this endeavor for Christ.
Our church here in Florida, Second Baptist, is planning a trip on the 9th of October to Brazil. As you will know, Florida has experienced hurricanes and are expecting one on that day. So, if we have made the trip with no incident, please THANK GOD for His safe keeping and ask for His continued safe keeping. We are planning to see if our church can partner with Caraguatatuba to help expand the ministry there. Barbara and I will be staying after the others return back to the U.S.A. to take care of more business with the Seminary. Sounds as though our departure date may be complicated by a category 3 hurricane making landfall around noon. So, unless it turns north, we may be delayed. Keep us in your prayers.
In His service,
Aj and Barbara
CONTACT INFO
AJ & Barbara Hensley
30524 Mimi St
Sebring, FL 33870-0530
AJ: 859-539-2302 | Barbara: 859-539-1424
ajcaragua@gmail.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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Rare Opportunity to Minister with Fellow Missionaries Judson & Raquel Hatcher
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
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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News & Reports – October 2024
The Online Edition of the October 2024 BFM News & Reports is available at the link below.
*Remember you can click on any headline to view the post/letter on our website.
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31 Baptized, including Adriano from Florianópolis
Mike and Beverly Creiglow have served the Lord in Cruzeiro do Sul, Acre, Brazil together since 1971. In addition to pastoring First Baptist of Cruzeiro do Sul, Mike builds his own boats and frequently travels up and down rivers to share the Gospel with those who have never heard.
September 30, 2024
Dear Brethren,
Hello from Cruzeiro do Sul, Acre, Brazil. It has now been exactly 3 weeks since I arrived back home after a month in the States. While in the US I had 2 more malignant tumors removed from my head plus a couple of follow-up procedures on both eyes. I am feeling fine and went straight back to my usual work routine. I get up at about 5:00AM every day and turn in at about 11:00PM. I have been able to complete several catch up/maintenance projects and some new ones, too.
I haven’t made any mission trips yet. The river is at a record low level and only canoes are getting around. I have already installed an electric start kit on my 25HP engine and done all the maintenance before the rainy season comes around. I am also getting the new boat project organized. Andrew has finished the drawings and we are almost ready to start building. The engine and aluminum materials have already arrived. Hoping and praying that some of you can help me with this project.
Things are going very well at church even though we have had some major opposition in the last couple of weeks. Yesterday we had baptism and the Lord’s supper. I baptized 31. More people have been saved each week since my return. One of the ones who made a profession of faith was a young deaf woman. This ministry which finally launched a couple of year ago has grown steadily. We now have at least 5 who have been saved and 12 who attend services.
One of the men who I baptized yesterday has a unique story and was especially gratifying to me.
Adriano is from Florianópolis in southern Brazil. He manages a firm that operates here in Cruzeiro do Sul. Before he was transferred here, he had a spiritual shake up. He was Roman Catholic, but feeling empty and desperate. On a rainy day he “randomly” stopped into a Baptist church there in Florianópolis. A pastor talked to him about Christ and told him that as soon as he got to Cruzeiro do Sul to find a church. He came to our Sunday evening service here at First Baptist. He heard me preach the gospel. That was my last time in the pulpit just before my trip to the States. After the invitation and after the service he came and told me his story. I shared the gospel with him. He trusted in Christ that very night. After my one month absence, I was back in the pulpit on Sunday night, September 22. He made his public profession of faith that night. On Thursday night he attended a one-night course for candidates for baptism. Yesterday I was privileged to baptize him and 30 other new believers.
Some of those who were baptized are from our congregations out of town. Some of them came from our congregation in Guajará, state of Amazonas.
Our camp, Salém, has been busy all summer. There were 2 more retreats just since my return. The youth had one with 4 teens getting saved. Pastor Ezi who takes care of our older members also had a retreat for them. The women’s retreat was the weekend that I was headed back home. They always have about 250 ladies even though the camp only has room for about 150! Friday, I laid out the markings of a new 2,600 square foot metal structure. Saturday was the groundbreaking. We hope to have this building under roof in time for the first big youth camp next February.
Thanks for all of your prayers and support. God bless you as much as He has us.
In Christ,
Mike Creiglow
CONTACT INFO
Mike & Beverly Creiglow
Caixa Postal 24
69980 Cruzeiro do Sul, Acre
Brasil, SA
mdcreig@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
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
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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Families Encouraging One Another
September 19, 2024
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
We want to thank all those who support our ministry through your prayers and support. May God bless each of you.
The ministries are doing well. The ministry of Ubim has been blessed with new workers. They are doing great and enjoying the ministry. They are being a wonderful blessing.
They are planning a special day for children day in October. It is so wonderful to see young people getting involved.
We started a new thing at the Pedras Vivas Church where I pastor. We put the names of each family on a paper, then each family picks out a name to pray for during the week. This month we did this a little different. Two family names were picked out for them to pray for each other and get to have fellowship and know each other better. The families are really enjoying this. We pray that it well help them to encourage each other.
We are also planning baptism in the new baptistry.
We are encouraging the members to visit the people who live in the area they live in. Make friends and invite them to church. May God help us to reach out to more people. Since so many people live far from the church and many don’t have transportation, we want to start using the bus again. Pray with us that God will give us a driver willing to do this ministry.
Love in our Savior,
Odali and Kathy Barros
Contact Info:
Odali & Kathy Barros
Iranduba, Amazonas
Brasil, SA
odali_kathy@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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New Seminary Student from the Jungle
September 9, 2024
Dear friends and family,
With the conference and the first graduation for the Master of Arts in Pastoral Ministries behind us, we must get back to the work at hand. But just let me say what a blessed accomplishment it all was. AWESOME!!!! The end of classes for this semester and the completion of exams. The classes were Theology of Missions and Lexicon Hebrew. All passed with flying colors.
We are truly blessed because God has sent us a Brazilian to be one of our professors. He will teach for the Bluegrass Baptist Seminary in the class for Pastoral Ministries. He also is the Pastor of the Bible Baptist Church in the center of São Paulo.
This church sold their old building and are now in a construction project that hopefully will be completed in June of 2025. The plans for the grand opening is to coincide with the graduation of the first Zoom classes we were able to have after COVID. This opened a new era for us there in Brazil. These are friends of the Seminary and our friends also.
We would like to introduce you to one of our newest students. We met him in Manaus in July and he showed great interest in entering into the Seminary. We soon discovered that there would be some LARGE hurdles to jump but we always say, “There is nothing too big for God to conquer,” so the class is taught at 7 o’clock and that is 8 o’clock in Brazil. Not such a big obstacle, but this student lives and works in the jungle. And he only had solar powered energy so he could only receive the classes in the daylight hours. Not such a big deal, right? So, we are now recording the classes and he can listen during the day when the sun is shining. God will make a way, He is AWESOME!!!
Barbara and I will be returning to Brazil on October 9th with the church we are attending here in Sebring, Florida on a fact-finding trip. Our church wants to see if God is calling them to find a place where He is working and join with them to further His kingdom. We will be going to visit Caraguatatuba and see our family there and then go to Rio de Janeiro to visit an Indian tribe there.
We covet your prayers on this trip. Though we have been missionaries for many years there, we have always received the visitors, not been the people visiting. So, this will be a new journey for us.
In His service,
Aj and Barbara
CONTACT INFO
AJ & Barbara Hensley
30524 Mimi St
Sebring, FL 33870-0530
AJ: 859-539-2302 | Barbara: 859-539-1424
ajcaragua@gmail.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.
Read more
New School Year Starts with Students Representing 7 Different Countries
September 8, 2024
Greetings in the name of Jesus Christ,
First of all, let me apologize for not writing a newsletter last month. Here is my lame excuse – Julie was in the United States visiting family and I was struggling with Chloe here in Kenya and just trying to make it through the month. I felt like I didn’t have much to write about except: Monday – struggled with Chloe; Tuesday – struggled with Chloe; Wednesday – struggled with Chloe, etc. I recognize that it is a lame excuse so, again, I apologize.
This month, however, we have opened up a new school year after seeing our graduates off from last year. It is exciting to welcome the new students and to see what God is doing and is going to do with them in Kenya and the world. As always, one of my greatest prayer requests for many of these students is finances. The economy in Kenya continues to struggle (thus, the many riots and demonstrations by the Gen-Z’s in Nairobi and around the country that have caused so much trouble) and most of the students have difficulties even raising the money for their fees. But one of my goals is to see all of these students educated in the Bible and ministry and graduated at the end of their studies. Therefore, I continue to work with each of them to ensure they all eventually wear their regalia at graduation and go out to minister the Word and the love of Jesus to God’s people and the world.
One of the things that continues to thrill my heart is the growing group of international students that we have at the school. Our four Congolese students graduated in July and have moved on to either further studies or to return to Congo to minister to their people and their country. However, with returning and new students we now have seven countries represented within our student body. Of course, we have students from all over Kenya and many Kenyan tribes represented. Some of our returning students also come from Uganda, South Sudan, India, and Tanzania. Our South Sudanese student has not been home to see his wife and children in over two years because it would be too dangerous to try and travel in and out of his village. He wants to travel back just once, after he graduates this year, to minimize the travel and the danger. When he does return, there will be no open and usable roads to his home, and he will have to fly into a small airstrip and then continue his ministry to his people and his village. In addition to these returning students, we now have new students from other countries. We now have a student from Indonesia. He also will not return home until he graduates and returns to Indonesia to minister the Word and the love of Jesus to his people. The other two international students I need to be very careful about when I talk about them, because of their situations. I will not be able to disclose their origins or their destinations, in order to keep them safe.
One is from an undisclosed African country who also works as a missionary to another undisclosed African country. I wish I could describe even what he is doing for the Kingdom of Christ, but I want to keep him and his ministry safe. The other student comes from even farther away, but we need to keep him safe as well.
I mention these international students because I am excited to know we are teaching the Word and ministering to people who will be taking the gospel back with them to their own countries and ministering God’s grace to their own people. They are not more important or more exciting than our many Kenyan students, but it continues to thrill my heart to know that the reach of the gospel and the extent of Christ’s Kingdom is expanding as a result of our efforts and ministry. I am impressed with all of our students, and I love them all and continue to pray that God would use them mightily in His service and for the Kingdom of His Son. I hope you all will continue to pray for them in this way as well. To the glory of God.
Blessings to all,
Roger, Julie, & Chloe
CONTACT INFO
Roger & Julie Tate
Moffat Bible College
P.O. Box 70
Kijabe, Kenya 00220
rojuta@gmail.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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