News & Reports – March 2024
The Online Edition of the March 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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Blessed with a New Helper in Ubim
February 20, 2024
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
Hope each of you have had a wonderful, blessed month. We have had a wonderful month. Kathy is really happy and feeling blessed. One of the ladies of the church who moved near us now is helping her with the ministry in Ubim. She is really great with preschool-aged kids and is really dedicated in what she does. Pray that God will continue blessing her as she is preparing some others to help.
On Carnival day this year we went to the friend of ours who has a farm on an island. We hadn’t been there for quite a while. We had planned on using our camp that we were making but we didn’t get the things done enough to be able to be used. So, we went across the river. He has a boat and came to get us. We had about 40-50 who went with us, and we had a wonderful time.
The camp is coming along well. We have two buildings under roof and are working on the third building. What we would like to do is to get the creek where it could be used to swim. That’s what people enjoy doing with the hot weather here. We also want to fix the field to play volleyball and soccer. Very soon, we will be able to be able to use it more often since it’s really close to where we are and to where everybody else is from the church in the neighborhood. So, the Lord willing, pretty soon we will be able to use it more often just to have special activities for the church families and youth. Since it’s rainy season right now there are things we can’t do all the time. But as we can get things done the sun comes out, we’re working on different projects. So, we hope that soon we’ll be able to do more things and finish the projects.
Thank you for your support and your prayers and pray that we’ll be able to do more things and finish the projects we have started.
Thanks for your prayers and support.
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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Bible Studies Going Well
February 14, 2024
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
Hope this finds you enjoying the Lord’s blessings. This past Sunday, Timo (a young man who started coming with his family when he was in Primary School) gave the message at our church service. He made a public profession of faith and was baptized about a year and a half ago. He has grown by leaps and bounds. Though he is a quiet guy, he has brought many friends.
Timo gave a message based on “A Case for Christ”. He got the word out to his friends, and we had a room full of university-aged young people. One young man who was present has recently left the Watch Tower Society religious group. He has trusted Christ and is excited about serving the Lord.
Our Bible Studies with the former Jehovah’s Witness participant are going well. She and her family desperately need a church with which they can fellowship. This is a great problem here in France. The closest Baptist church that we know of is over an hour drive from this family. They are about a three-hours’ drive from us. It would cost them about $50.00 in toll plus about the same amount in fuel. Judy and I are thankful that we are able to have Bible study with them using the Internet.
A couple of days before our Bible Study in L’Union last week, Blandine (the host) texted inviting us to dinner and indicating she would like to talk to us. We were not able to have dinner together as we had another Bible Study scheduled at this time. However, we did manage to get to her house a bit ahead of time. When asked what she wanted to discuss the answer was, “I want to get baptized.” She has been saved for many years and has had the dream of getting baptized in the Jordan River. She decided that she need to stop dreaming and follow the Lord in baptism. So, it is on the schedule!
There is a lady who comes to one of the Bible studies in Mazere has not made a profession of faith. She is married to a man who is a vocal atheist. Last night at the Bible study she mentioned someone that she wanted to invite to come.
We have been touched by deaths and serious surgeries during the last few days. Our hearts go out to the families touched by these painful circumstances here and in the USA. It reminds us of the necessity of sharing the Good News.
Thank you for your participation in the work God has sent us to do.
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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Baptizing New Disciples Along the Moa River
February 12, 2024
Dear Brethren,
The trip to the upper Moa River was great. Seven of us went all the way from the port here in Cruzeiro do Sul to the foothills in one day. Missionary Geverton was our pilot. He is our itinerant missionary since 2020. The church had a 10-meter aluminum canoe made for his ministry. The boat has a top that is the full length of the boat and the benches have cushions. I was able to kick back and just enjoy the trip. We left at 6:00 AM and arrived at 5:00 PM. There was plenty of water in the river and we only got into one rain.
The building was packed for all services. One of the reasons we were there was to celebrate the 27 years since we sent Missionary Rivaldo. Way back in 1967, I started preaching the Gospel all along the Moa River. At that time, I was just an 18 year-old, single, seminary student who had just been called to be a missionary. Still preaching there after all these years, I preached twice and performed a baptism. The river dropped quite a bit while we were there, so I had to go half the width of the river to have enough water to baptize. The schoolteacher was saved and was baptized. Also, one lady and a couple of her children were part of the group. She has 7 children. Her husband is in a federal prison on drug charges. He burns up the “salary” that the government gives each inmate on drugs, so she has to make a living on her own. What a trouper!
One of our guys got sick on the trip. 24 hours after our return, it was my turn. I was sick for a whole week. I was still able to get some work done in spurts, but not very productive for the whole week. We suspect that the hygiene at our missionary’s house is not ideal. He has a very bad outhouse and no well. He drinks out of the local creek. All kinds of livestock are in and out of this creek. We are going to build him a septic system and proper bathroom. We have also selected a location to dig a well and install a pump. Don’t worry, I and the team did not drink the creek water! We took enough bottled water for the 6-day trip.
Our attendance has been recovering at a snail’s pace since COVID. We are now having over 600 both morning and night in both Sunday services. Last Wednesday we had 378. The average for this service has been just over 300 for 2023. We had another couple saved this week and several requests for baptism.
It is Carnival in Brazil. Fortunately, it is slowly dwindling as more Brazilians trust in Christ. Way back in 1977 we started having retreats for the youth to have an option to get away from the madness of Carnival. The youth are up at Camp Salém right now. There are over 130 teens and a team of about 20 adults who take care of them. This is the first of many retreats of the year. We are under pressure to build more cabins. We built 8 more bathrooms last week and installed a new water tower just in time for camp. I will be checking in on them later today.
Thanks for all of your prayers and support. God bless you as much as He has us.
In Christ,
Mike Creiglow
“You will see a pole behind me. That pole is what I use to clear the river bottom of fresh water sting rays before the candidates come in. You don’t want to get stung by one of those critters. The pain is indescribable.”
“The pics are from my trip up the Moa River. Have you ever had to stuff your pant legs into your socks and tie plastic bags over your shoes to go to church on a Sunday morning? Not likely. We had plenty of mud from all the rain, so you do what you have to do. The other 2 pics are of the baptism service. So good to be back on the rivers again.“
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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Spring 2024 Classes for Bluegrass Baptist Seminary
February 8, 2024
Dear friends and family,
The holidays are over and some of our New Years resolutions are upon us! Well, all I need to do with mine is quit eating! With the holidays and trip to Brazil, my waistline has been enhanced. So—— well, I need not to go into explanation.
Our calendar for academia Spring 2024 is planned and the courses that will be offered have been finalized. The courses that will be offered are: Old Testament Elective, Introduction into Apologetics, New Testament Elective, Writing your Thesis, and Greek. They will be presented in March through May.
To better help the Pastors and others interested in a better understanding of the Scriptures, we are offering these courses 100% online and live. Hopefully and prayerfully this “online” offering will make our Seminary more accessible to all who are interested.
So, with this in mind I want all to understand our mission statement: “Our mission is dedicated to providing excellent training to enhance Pastors and Church leaders, empowering them to boldly and effectively spread the truth of the Gospel!”
Our second semester for the academic year 2024 will begin in August. Our prayer is for the Seminary to expand and reach out to many areas of Brazil. So, we are endeavoring to attend Pastors Conferences, Mission conferences and towns where we have previously had classes before COVID to help accomplish this goal. We went to a conference in November and our plans are to go to another in July this year.
There is a new four-year basic Seminary in Brazil that has been started by three of the graduates from Bluegrass Baptist Seminary. Its name is ETEBABI and it is backed by the Bible Baptist Church in São Paulo. Isn’t that AWESOME?!!!!!
I would like to ask for your help. Please pray for our progress with the Seminary and all our planned expansions. And for other countries to get interested in Bluegrass Baptist Seminary even though it’s accreditation is only in Brazil.
I went to Kentucky to have a promotion for Bluegrass Baptist Seminary so I took advantage of being there and went to my cancer doctor. He did all the necessary tests and even though they all seemed good he wanted me to have them done again. So, I am asking for your prayers for these tests and also for our travel. As per usual, please pray for BFM, for the supporting churches, and for those who help us with Bluegrass Baptist Seminary. We serve an AWESOME God and He uses each one of us to accomplish His purpose here on earth. So, pray for where He can best use you in His Kingdom’s work.
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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The Love of a Father
February 8, 2024
Greetings in the Name of Jesus Christ,
Kijabe is currently covered in thousands of little, white butterflies. I look out and in every direction I see little, white butterflies. They are all flying in the same direction, so they can’t just be the same butterflies flitting about. This has been going on for two weeks. I cannot even begin to imagine the number of butterflies that have flown by. At times it almost looks like it is snowing.
I am currently in the midst of this new term, and I am very much enjoying the classes and I think the students are as well. In Basic Theology class we have some awesome discussions on our various theological topics. These are my first-year students, but they are already good, deep thinkers. I know I have asked them a tough question, though, when the only response I get is silence. My other class is Biblical Financial Management with my last-year students who will graduate in July. We are having a good time and having deep discussions in this class as well, even though you might think it hard to have deep discussions over financial management. But my goal in the class, as I keep reminding my students over and over, is not to help them become rich (I could care less whether ever are or not) but that they might honor and glorify God with their money and in the way they manage the finances of their churches. The financial principles I focus on more are about integrity, stewardship, and honoring God rather than just budgeting, planning, reporting, and other financial stuff (although I do teach them budgeting, planning, reporting, and other financial stuff). These are critical issues for my Kenyan students. Pastoral and church ministry can actually be a trapping for unsuspecting ministers. It is so acceptable among many pastors to mismanage and even steal funds from the church that this generation of future pastors and church leaders need to learn these lessons before heading into the ministry of the kingdom of Christ.
It is not all just classes, classes, classes for me though. Some of my best moments for discipleship come in the everyday times of spending time with my students. I was sitting at lunch with some students, both male and female, and the discussion we had really hit me hard and made me realize just how much love and discipleship my beloved students need. Having finished our food, one of the female students said, “Mwalimu (teacher), I want to marry your son” (don’t worry, Josiah, I haven’t committed you to anyone). I have actually been told this from Kenyan women many times before and the reason has ALWAYS been the same. So, when I asked her why she wanted to marry my son I expected the usual answer – Because he is a rich American and I want to marry a rich American and not be poor. So, I was quite surprised when the dialogue went like the following. Student: You love your wife, right? Roger: Yes. Student: You show her that and tell her that right? Roger: Yes. Student: You love your daughters, right? Roger: Yes. Student: You show them that and tell them that right? Roger: Yes, all the time. Student: My father has never told me he loves me. He never calls me or talks with me. The only time I talk to him is when I call him to ask him for school fees. I want to marry your son because he will love me and love my daughters and they will know that they are loved. Roger: I’m sorry that your father doesn’t know how to communicate his love to you but I’m sure that he really does love you. Student: Mwalimu, I really don’t know that is true. I really don’t know that my father loves me. He has never said it or shown it to me.
At this point in the conversation the other female student spoke up and confirmed that this was the exact same relationship she had with her own father. Then all the male students that were sitting around the table piped up and said all of their relationships with their fathers were also the same. I felt very sad for my students and tried very hard to convince them that their fathers truly did love them but none of them were convinced. I am not a perfect man, husband, father, son, brother, teacher, missionary, or Christian by any means. At least I can try and model, as best I can, Christian love to these beloved students. I told them all, “I can’t promise you that your father loves you, but your Heavenly Father loves you, Jesus loves you, and I love you too.” It may have been the first time they had ever heard a father figure say that to them.
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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Portugal Mission
The Wacasers recently visited their missionaries in Portugal, Yago and Manoela. Continue to pray for this young couple as they passionately share the Gospel and disciple new believers there.
You can read more updates about Yago & Manoela from months past by clicking here.
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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English Immersion VBS + Upcoming Conferences
January 31, 2024
Dear friends,
Thank you for praying and holding the ropes as we minister to people in Brazil. Please, read how your participation is impacting the Kingdom.
English Immersion a Success
In January we experimented with an English immersion modular for teens: a type of Vacation Bible School for youth who desire to learn English through Biblical content—a lot of singing and activities, all done in English, with the purpose of teaching language and presenting the Gospel. Even an individual who has no experience with the language can learn a lot in a week. Our daughters Sarah and Laura helped me with this project. It was well received by the local community and several parents asked if there would be one for adults too. English immersion modules are intense, but by the end of the week, both the teens and their parents (just from listening to their kids) were singing in English.
Soccer Athletes & Families
Soccer practice with middle and high school students is in full throttle. Pray for us as we disciple students who recently became believers and for those who still need to surrender to Jesus. The Lord is opening several opportunities to engage with the parents of the student-athletes. In February we plan to have several families over to the house for dinner and engage them with home hospitality.
25th Wedding Anniversary
On January 8th, Raquel and I celebrated our 25th wedding anniversary. As is our family tradition, we celebrate our anniversary with our kids. We had a special time together when we went hiking in the woods and went to the beach, enjoyed time with each other, and made incredible memories.
Pastors & Leaders Conference in São Paulo
On March 9th, there will be a DayCamp conference for pastors, church leaders, and their families at a small campground near Marília, São Paulo. It will be a unique time of prayer, preaching, and playing together. The place has a pool and a synthetic soccer field. Our “Togetherness Network” (Rede Convivencia, in Portuguese) purpose is to foster fellowship among pastors and leaders to recruit, train, place, and network a new generation of pastors and leaders for local churches.
Church Conference in Paraná
On March 29th (Easter weekend), will have a Church Conference near Londrina, Paraná. Churches from São Paulo and Paraná will come together for a day of preaching, singing, and eating together. The purpose of this conference is to embolden churches to reach new people for Christ through Evangelism strategies and to inspire churches and their leaders to invest in training the next generation by providing ministry and service opportunities to challenge them to live out an audacious life in Christ, within their church and community.
Request
We humbly reach out to you, our faithful supporters, with a pressing fundraising need: purchase a car. Would you be willing to give for this urgent need?
Due to the increasing demand and rising expenditure on transportation, we urgently need to acquire this vehicle. The estimated cost for this much-needed resource is $10K.
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) 400-6522
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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