A Remarkable End to the Year
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.
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Back in Cruzeiro do Sul!
December 18, 2023
Dear Brethren,
Home at last! Bev and I are back in Cruzeiro do Sul after almost 2 more months in the States. Our return trip went very smoothly. It took us 6 days, but all went very well. Thanks for all the prayers. I finished all 14 doctor visits and procedures. They have agreed to have me back in just once a year. So, our next visit should not be until September next year, by His grace. I won’t mention names but a special “Thank you” to the family who took care of our housing while in Lexington. Another special “Thanks” to the very special sister who provided our wheels again.
After one of the driest seasons of our life we are now having a burst of rain to start the rainy season. We like it. Warm and wet. Saturday, we had another wedding here at the Creiglow place. It started raining Friday night and all day Saturday right up to time for the ceremony to start. Just after the couple kissed the rain started up again. The rain cuts into our attendance at church, but still we are grateful for the rain. Last night we had 600 some folks that came out. I taught in the morning and preached last night.
Since returning I have had a few meetings with our leadership. Things are moving along quite well. During the week I was able to get some things repaired and organized. There is still much to do to get back into the routine, but I will try to pace myself and things should start to fall in place soon.
During this first week I was able to buy the little generator. I went straight to the manager, who is a personal friend. He was able to give me a much better price than the folks in sales. Thanks to my long-time friend and brother who made this happen. You know who you are, and the Lord knows what to do next! Thank you.
As soon as the Christmas musical and new year’s services are over, I hope to get back to my trips along the rivers and roads. The health issues and 8 months away have put a major dent in my missions trips. Pray that the Lord will cure me so that I can get back out there.
Thanks for all 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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Continuing Remodel & Fellowship in Homes
December 16, 2023
Dear brothers and sisters,
We pray and hope that all of you are well. This year has been wonderful after so many hard years with the virus. This year, we were able to do much more amongst the people in our communities.
The work on the building of Cacau is coming along. We covered the building, which will help to be able to work inside and get more things done since this is rainy season. Soon the building will be ready so we can reach out to the people in that town. There are so many children there and we want to do special work with the children to reach out and bring them to church, which is a wonderful ministry. The children really need help because there are tons of drugs around but very few ministries. Pray that God will help us to reach out and have more people to join us from the church in this ministry. Thank you for your support and prayer.
Working on the camp is harder since it’s raining right now, but we are getting things ready when there’s a little bit more sun to be able to work there too.
At the mother church, Pedras Vivas, we’ve had many new people coming in and it looks like we’re going to be having more people to help with the ministry. One of the things that we’ve been doing to help people meet each other is that on Sundays, we have been having get-together dinners and lunches, which has really been exciting.
This week we will be starting a new group of visitation to bring people to the church and if they need transportation, we will be using the bus to bring them to church. The area we will be reaching is around 30 miles, most of which is on the highway. The bus will be coming by the village of Ubim also and those from there can come on the bus if they want to.
Thanks for your prayers and support! God bless each of you!
Love in Christ,
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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Reflecting on Blessings in 2023
December 15, 2023
Dear Friends,
As this year nears its end, we reflect on just how much the Lord has blessed us and our ministries. We moved to larger facilities in February and that allowed us to continue to grow and hold well-attended evangelistic events. Through those events, we reached dozens of neighbors and visitors and many of them, upon hearing the gospel, surrendered to Christ and have followed Him in believer’s baptism. Pastor Cledson is doing a fantastic job of guiding the church in this, his first, senior pastorate. They are presently putting on a Christmas musical play and we pray and expect to see many more people come to Christ as a result.
Projeto Vida is out on their last evangelistic trip into the public schools this year. Brazil’s academic year follows its below-the-equator seasonal pattern. School will be out for the summer from December to February. Our team will still minister in some public parks and at several end-of-the-year events during this period, but they won’t have the “captive audience” of 300-1500 students at one time that the school rallies provide. They will also take this window of opportunity to do some maintenance on our van and equipment. The Lord truly blessed throughout the year, and we were able to speak in person to over 40,000 people of Christ. Hundreds of those believed the message of God’s grace and surrendered to Jesus as their Lord and Savior.
The young missionary couple that we sent to Portugal, Yago and Manoela, called this week to report that the attendance at their worship and Bible study meetings continues to increase regularly. They are super excited about how the Lord is using and blessing them. Charlene and I plan to visit with them at the end of January for about a week. Portugal is in desperate need of the word of God and the love of Christ lived out before them by those who profess Him as Lord and Savior. May the Lord continue to supply Yago and Manoela’s spiritual and material needs and use them to bring many to salvation.
Charlene and I want to take this opportunity to wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a blessed New Year.
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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Many Opportunities to Witness Over Meals
December 15, 2023
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
We hope this finds you enjoying the New Year. Judy and I are very grateful for the many blessings received from our Heavenly Father during 2023. Among other things, our home and meeting place is now in a new house. More importantly, we have had new young people attending our meetings who show a great interest in spiritual matters and one young lady who trusted the Lord and participates regularly in Sunday worship. She is the only believer in her family.
In my last newsletter I mentioned that we were going to be dining in two different locations later in the week. The meals with friends were a great blessing. The first was in the home of a Swiss couple who are participants in the Bible study group in Mazere. They invited the whole group to their home for a Swiss Fondue. Two ladies who are believers and regular participants in this Bible study are married to men who claim to be atheists. Both of them were at the dinner and much of the conversation revolved around spiritual issues. It was a great witness to these two men.
The second dinner was in the home of our neighbors. They have eaten with us in our home, but it was the first time that we had been invited to eat in their home. When we sat down to eat the lady said, would you pray before we eat. She had liked it when we prayed before the meal at our table. Our evening was great, and the couple was very open with us about their lives. Please pray for them to trust Christ.
One of the ladies in our church who is a chiropractor loves to invite folks to her home for a Thanksgiving meal. Thanksgiving is not a Holiday in France, but most people know about it because they have seen American-made movies that include Thanksgiving meals. Because it is not a Holiday in France, Annaelle holds the Thanksgiving meal on a Sunday and invites the church to come for service at her house and eat some of the desserts. She invites her dinner guests to stay for the service. This is a wonderful opportunity to meet people and share the gospel with them. After the service, one of the ladies who Annaelle has brought to church meetings in the past, told me, “I have a lot of questions (about spiritual matters) I want to ask you.” God is clearly at work in this lady’s life.
May God bless you, your family and your church during the coming year and until Christ return for us,
John and Judy
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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The Importance of Biblical Financial Management
December 10, 2023
Greetings in the Name of Jesus Christ,
Julie and I are both currently on break from teaching duties as our students have all returned home for the Christmas break. This makes me say “boo” and “yea” at the same time. “Boo,” because I enjoy teaching and helping students to know the Bible better and to become better ministers for the Kingdom. “Yea,” because with the students all gone on break it makes my duties a little bit lighter for the month. I say a little bit lighter because now that the students are gone, I still have to spend the month preparing for my two classes next term. Next term I will be teaching Basic Theology 1 to our first-year students and Biblical Financial Management to our students who will be graduating in July. I have taught the Basic Theology course before so it will not take much time to prepare, and also, I know how much I enjoy the class. What a pleasure to teach and talk about Bible Theology with our new students, all of whom are so eager to learn and grow in the grace of God. I have not taught Biblical Financial Management at Moffat before so this is the class that will take up my free time in the month of December. It would probably be stretching the truth a little to tell my students that Biblical Financial Management is the most important course they will take at Moffat, but I will probably say it to them on their first day of class anyway (I have also said it to my Hermeneutics class, my Basic Theology class, my New Testament Survey class, and my Church Planting class). Yeah, it may not be their most important class, but for these students it is a very important class. These students need to know what the Bible says about money and the Biblical principles for handling money. They need to know that the way they use their money reflects the status of their hearts and their relationship with God. They need to know how to Biblically manage the financial resources of their churches in order to better fulfill their mission and to bring glory to God. Money is a really big issue in Kenyan churches. Church members fight over it, and most pastors are not trusted by their church members. Transparency is unheard of, but what is often heard of is the pastor taking money out of the offering plate and putting it into his pocket when he thinks he needs it more than the church does. And with the Prosperity gospel and the Health and Wealth gospel being so ubiquitous in Kenya, these students really need this class. All around them and on TV they see “pastors” fleecing the members of the church and getting rich. They need to know that these are not true ministers of Jesus, and they need to stand strong when the same temptation comes their way. There is even a book by an African author I may have them read called “Pastor, Stop Fleecing your Flock”. It really is that common of an occurrence. So, yes, we will be looking at budgets and income/expense worksheets, and bank reconciliations, and all that stuff. But the real purpose is not for them to get rich but for them to honor and glorify God in the way they conduct their personal finances and the financial management of their church resources. It is a good class. I am looking forward to it.
I am also looking forward to the Christmas season. I cannot believe it, but all my adult children and their spouses will be here with us for Christmas this year, the first two arriving in just two days from the writing of this letter. All my children (including Chloe) being together with us for Christmas has not happened in a very long time, so this event is very unique. Those of you who have been following my newsletters know that our first Christmas in Kenya was fifteen years ago: Emily was thirteen, Amy was eight, and Josiah was seven that year. Now Emily is twenty-eight and has been married for seven years, Amy is twenty-three and has been married for almost two years, and Josiah is twenty-two. In just a few days they will all be here, sitting on the porch, drinking my coffee, and looking out over the Rift Valley. How time flies.
I will make a missionary confession here: the sacrifice of time with my children is NOT a sacrifice I like making. I know I am supposed to be strong and to be able to say, like other missionaries of old, “I never made a sacrifice, and it was all worth it.” But being so far away from my kids is hard, and I don’t even have grandkids yet. You all can pray for me in this area. You can also pray for Chloe for the next two weeks. She is going to be overwhelmed, over-sensitized, out of sorts, and out of her routine. Pray that she might somehow not be anxious and that she somehow would be able to go with the flow and enjoy the season.
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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News & Reports – December 2023
The Online Edition of the December 2023 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
Jud and Raquel Hatcher are third generation missionaries serving the Lord with their family 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, at least 43 churches have been started in 5 states. Pray for their ministry and influence in Brazil.
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
