Seeing God at Work in the Lives of Our Children
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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Growth in the Last Year
April 10, 2024
Greetings to you all from me all the way over here in Kenya. As I do every year, I went back to read my letter from last year and was so excited to see that we are in a very different place this year! Last year, we were coming off more years than I want to count of severe stress, trauma, and struggle. We were learning how to lean hard into God’s grace and be okay with holding our joy in Christ in one hand while simultaneously holding struggle and grief in the other.
Though I won’t pretend we don’t still struggle (a lot) from day-to-day, the struggle has been different this year. God has given us a chance to take deeper breaths as the seasons of trauma seem fewer and farther between. Having said that, the seasons of trauma are still intense, and I often pray to see more spiritual and mental growth in our precious Chloe. When I take a step back, though, I see the tremendous growth that actually has occurred – not just in Chloe, but also in Roger and me. And I am so thankful.
Speaking of growth, there has also been a lot of physical growth in Chloe. She’s only nine years old, and she’s over five feet tall! That’s over six inches taller than the average girl her age! Her shoe size is even bigger than mine! LOL!
There have been other exciting changes for me personally this year. Last year I began teaching the elementary computer classes at RVA (Rift Valley Academy, for those who are unfamiliar). Over the course of the past 12 months, I’ve gone from teaching all the elementary computer classes…to actually rewriting the curriculum…to adding teaching 4th-6th grade Swahili to my job description…to actually writing a brand new children’s Swahili curriculum complete with books, activities, songs, interactive PowerPoint games, picture playing cards, and assessments! And having fun doing it! This is all while still doing the computer classes and getting my teaching certificate from Bob Jones University.
It hasn’t all been roses, however. God has had to really stretch me into these roles. I remember clearly the day I walked into my principal’s office in tears after my Swahili students had mostly failed a pretty big assessment using the original curriculum. I sat down and said, “Katy, I don’t think I’m the right person for this job.” She looked at me and said, in her wonderfully Scottish, straightforward manner, “You are exactly the right person for this job. Nobody else has the skills you bring to the table. You’ll figure it out.” That was it. There was no more discussion on the matter other than she was available to bounce ideas off of. Forty-eight hours later, an entirely new and mostly complete curriculum was in my head.
This has been a theme from God in my life this past year. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve gone to Him with the heart cry of, “I’m not the right person for this job! I can’t do this!” And every time, He reminds me of two things. First, He reminds me that He chose me for this. Sure, there are probably reasons, but anything I bring to the table are things He built into me. I can’t take the credit for any of it – all the glory goes to Him. Second, he reminds me that His strength is made perfect in my weakness. I don’t have to pretend I have it all together. I don’t have to “fake-it-‘til-I-make-it,” I don’t have to give in to toxic positivity that totally ignores the entire book of the Psalms, of Lamentations, of Jeremiah…and so many others. Because it’s when I am most broken that I am most aware He must provide the strength for me to put one foot in front of the other. And when He does (which He always does) it’s so obviously Him, that I must praise Him!
Some quick prayer requests from my mother’s (and daughter’s) heart. 1. Pray for my parents. They are really struggling with their health. My older brother Jim and his wife were helping to care for them, but Jim suddenly lost his sight last summer. So, you can pray for him, too, please. 2. Pray for my adult children. Life isn’t always easy, but God is good. Pray that they will taste and see. 3. Pray for Chloe. The support worker who has been with her for two years suddenly quit (long story), and she has a new one who is learning the ropes. In some ways we’ve taken ten steps backward. Lynn leaving has left Chloe feeling like she’s trash – like she ruins everything. She often tells me how badly she feels about herself and that I should just throw her away. This absolutely breaks my heart. 4. Pray for a Western teacher for Chloe. I know that sounds terrible, but the educational system here simply isn’t great, and the mindset of educators is very harsh. I truly believe this would be a game changer for her.
Thank you for all your prayers and support! My love to you all!
Julie Tate
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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Changes in the Last Year
April 10, 2024
Wow! Another year of our lives has passed. Looking back, what do I see? What has changed? What is the same?
Last year at this time we were making final preparations to move house. We moved to France via suitcases…bit by bit. I often asked myself, “How on this earth have we accumulated so much stuff!” A gentle reminder of what are the truly important things to hold to. After a whirlwind of sorting, pitching, and packing we moved into our new place the first of June. Fortunately, we only moved about 2 miles from our old house, so it could be done in lots of small trips. Our church family helped with painting and moving the big items. We are settled and loving it! Of course, we have new neighbors and that opens doors for sharing the Good News. Also, we are closer to our son, Philip, his wife, Amanda and girls. No words can express the honor we have to be able to work alongside them.
Physically, John and I are well. We are thankful that we are able and capable of sharing the News!
To celebrate our 70 years of life and 50 years of marriage, our children gifted us with a trip to the States to be able to be together, all 22 of us for one whole week! We played, laughed, and just enjoyed being together. Our children knew that the best gift they could give us was time together.
The normal Bible studies restarted after the summer break. The Christians in Mazères continue to grow in their knowledge of God and how to live for Him. The group there are very attentive to one another’s needs and work together well.
The second year of the group in l’Union added a new person. We are having very in-depth and open discussions about Jesus and how He is the only Savior. Being on the front line and seeing the Holy Spirit move and work in ways we can’t imagine is exciting!
For the second year, John, Philip and Amanda and I have the privilege of going to the home of a Christian family that lives about an hour from us. There is no church in the area. John or Philip has Bible study with the mom and dad, and Amanda or I do a class for the 4 children. This past year the oldest child has trusted Jesus as Savior. What a privilege to share the Gospel and how to live it out wherever we are!
The hostess of the study in Mazères has had a burden for some of her friends who are English speakers. She asked if it would be possible for us to do an English-speaking study. Of course! It has been a blessing to see how God works!
Another new outreach is with a family that lives about 3 hours from us. I believe that John has shared how we came into contact with them. The lady continues to grow and bloom in her faith.
Lots of things have changed over the course of the year, but one thing is never changing: God’s immense love for us and the privilege of sharing it here in France! Thank you!
Judy Hatcher
Contact Info:
John & Judy Hatcher
2 T Impasse de la Picardie
31830 Plaisance du Touch
France
JMHatcher@aol.com
Present USA phone 1-812-416-1033
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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53 Years in Cruziero do Sul
April 9, 2024
Hello from Cruzeiro do Sul, the furthest northwest city in Brazil.
First of all, I am not good at writing this kind of letter. It is very hot right now, probably the hottest it has been in a long time. We do not run our air conditioning all the time either, mostly just at night. I run a fan most of the daytime.
Mike and I are the oldest active missionaries right now and he is very active! We have spent almost 53 years together in Cruzeiro do Sul. Most of what I do is scheduled around whatever he is doing. As age creeps on me, I am slower and do not travel very far with him, especially on river trips.
We recently had a visit from Mark and Valerie Pyles, from Grace Baptist Church in Fairborn, Ohio. It was a very enjoyable time. We were able to show them our lifestyle, the city and many congregations in and around town. Mike took them on a boat ride. They got to see our camp that has many retreats during the year. They also visited our wonderful church. I do not think I have ever been part of a church like Primeira Igreja Batista (First Baptist Church). It is like no other I have ever visited. It is very mission-minded, lots of missionaries, solid Bible teaching and our members love to praise the Lord. You should hear them sing! Just ask Mark and Valerie. There are many souls saved, people coming to our church from other churches, and every couple of months baptizing an average of 15 plus. Mark and Valerie got to see Mike baptizing at a mission point called Gama.
Last month we celebrated Jesus My King—the whole month dedicated to Him as our King. All the lessons, sermons, songs, Bible-reading and memorization were with this theme, Jesus My King. Love my church!
I enjoy doing all kinds of crafts, besides it is therapeutic for me. I have done macramé, costume jewelry, decorative bottles and boxes, plus several other crafts. I decided since I am not getting any younger, I would try as many crafts as possible. I either sell them or give as gifts.
Love to all,
Beverly
You can read letters from the Creiglows’ first years in Brazil in our Legacy Library.
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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Thanking God for My Mother & the Things She Taught Me
April 9, 2024
Dear Brothers and and Sisters,
Pray and hope that each of you have had a wonderful blessed month. Thanks for your prayers and support and God’s guidance in our lives, we are doing well.
Every day I thank God for my mother and the things she taught me. One of the things I remember the most was her visiting and inviting people to church every week. She did visitation with other ladies of the church and I always went with her. She always told me that whatever I did I must do it for the Lord. She would say, “For He died for us and is always faithful to care for us. Be thankful with your attitudes.” Wonderful memory!
God has helped me and given me the ministry of visiting and counseling mothers and helping them with their children. The ministry of the village of Ubim has been wonderful. The kids who came when we started there are now teenagers. We are working with them and are asking God for wisdom to help them accept Christ as Savior and for those who are saved to grow in the Lord. Things in this world today are so crazy and this village has nothing for them to do, so it’s really easy for them to get influenced to go the wrong way. So we try to spend as much time with them as possible. That is one of the reasons we are working on building the camp—to have a place for them to have fun and have some time learning more about God. When I go on Saturday to Ubim, I’m taking some of the teens from the mother church to help me and they are learning to work with the kids. As they learn, they can help at the mother church.
There are lots of small villages in this area. More and more the people are coming to live around here. Pray that God would help us and give us wisdom and strength to reach these people. Thanks for your love, prayers, and support!
Love in Christ,
Kathy
(Kathy’s mother Alta)
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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Ministering in Native Villages in Argentina, Paraguay, & Brazil
April 4, 2024
Dear Friends,
What a joy it was to minister alongside a fine group of visiting brothers and sisters from Virginia last month. We had doctors, lawyers, nurses, pastors, and students all working together to share the gospel in several native villages in Argentina, Paraguay, and Brazil. It was quite an experience to see how the Lord used people from 4 different languages and cultures to communicate His love through His Word and our efforts. We especially rejoiced that He saw fit to bring several people to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.
Our traveling evangelistic traveling team, Projeto Vida, has grown from 12 to 17 full-time volunteers. We are preparing to multiply into a second team in the very near future. Requests from public school principals have already filled the 2024 calendar for one team and part of 2025. In order to attend to more requests, we need to launch another team of 12 members, thereby doubling our ability to reach more schools and towns with the gospel. We only need 7 more full-time volunteers and there have been several college-aged boys and girls who have spoken with us about coming on board. Most of these are young people from our own church, so vetting and preparing them is less time-consuming. We have known them for years and they have demonstrated their character and relationship with Christ. It is such an encouragement to see that young men and women are seeking to serve the Lord and use their lives for His glory. We trust that there will be a bountiful harvest of souls coming to Christ through these dedicated servants of the Lord.
I was put in a position on this last mission journey that showed me that I need to learn to speak Spanish fluently. All of Brazil’s neighboring countries are Spanish speaking, as well as Spanish being the second language of most of the native tribes we ministered to. Also, with America’s southern border being as porous as a sieve, even in the USA, Spanish is almost as common as English in many communities. Rather than bemoan a situation that can’t be reversed, I believe I can better prepare myself to use it for God’s glory. At one of our recent evangelistic events, a preacher from Virginia brought a very clear and powerful message from God’s word in English, but the translator to Spanish struggled to convey the precise message to the audience. The Lord still used that less-than-perfect message, but I was stung with the urgency to learn Spanish well enough to fill in the gap next time. May the Lord help me to wrap my old brain (and my slightly limited hearing) around this challenge and be better equipped to make Him known when the next opportunities present themselves.
Charlene and are very grateful to you for your faithful prayers and support. We look forward to meeting many of you in person on our upcoming visits.
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 – April 2024
The Online Edition of the April 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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Scenes from São Paulo
Here are some recent snapshots from their ministry.
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