The Influence of My Mother on My Own Mothering & Ministry
April 18, 2023
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
Hope and pray that the mothers will have a wonderful day and that God will fill each one with His love and wisdom.
Every day as I pray, I always thank God for my mother and the wonderful example she was as a mother and also as a servant of the Lord. So many things in my life as a mother and missionary have been greatly influenced by her example. I remember as a young kid doing visitation and witnessing with my mom. Today, that is a great part of my ministry. Also, having worked for so many years with kids and teens with problems, the Lord has helped me to use that experience helping people here in our new ministry.
My prayer and desire is to help the young people and the parents to not give up, but to seek the Lord each day and ask for wisdom. The enemy is in the world working overtime to distract this generation. As the Lord’s return gets closer, things get worse. That what God has told us in His word. May God richly bless each one of you and that we may reach out to all those God leads us to.
In Christ,
Kathy Barros
Kathy’s parents, John & Alta Hatcher 
Kathy’s parents with her daughters: KathyLee & Amelia
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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News & Reports – May 2022
The Online Edition of the May 2022 BFM News & Reports is available at the link below. Read how God is working through the lives of our faithful missionaries and continue to pray for them.
*Remember you can click on any headline to view the post/story on our website.
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A Time of Renewal
May 5, 2022
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
…..“but they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.”
One year ago this week, John and I returned to our home in France, after spending almost 2 years in the states with my sister, Peggy. We were thankful that we could be there to walk with her through the difficult days of illness. It was heartbreaking to watch as her body faded, yet found rest and peace in the knowledge that, as she faded here, she would rise perfected and whole in the presence of our Savior!
We returned to our home that was made spic and span by our church family here. How blessed can we be?! France was still in partial lock down from Covid, so our movements were somewhat restricted. However, our friends and family made our re-entry here warm.
Our year has been filled with “renewals”. Church meetings…after attending via Skype (for which we were grateful). What a blessing to sing together, pray together, share blessings, share heart needs, study together, in the skin! Our recent study has been on how to be the light in a dark world.
Youth meetings…how invigorating to meet, play, eat, and discuss God’s word with teens! Most are ones that have come over the years, so we are blessed to see their growth and commitment.
Bible study group in Mazères…we are encouraged and blessed as we see the quiet growth and expansion of the gospel in this little town, mainly through the dedication of a single Christian lady who lets her light shine. Several have been saved as fruit of the group that meets at her house. Last meeting our hearts soared as an 80…something year old friend just started sharing verse after verse that God had used to “carry her through”.
Old friends…after three times of being cancelled by Covid, we were able to share a meal and afternoon with a couple who are former neighbors. We count each other as dear friends. We continue to pray that they will commit to Christ.
New encounters…just out for a daily walk brought about a weekly English conversation meeting where we have been able to discern their spiritual needs and share Jesus.
The more I write, the more I’m reminded of God’s goodness to us over the past year, however, I’ll stop as I’m sure your eyes are tired!
The verse thought at the beginning of this letter is actually the conclusion of a declaration that begins in the preceding verse, “Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall… but…”. Today, if you’re tired, weary, I want to assure you, renewal will come!
Thank you for being a part of God’s work here in France.
Judy Hatcher
Contact Info:
John & Judy Hatcher
4, rue d’Aspin
31170 Tournefeuille, 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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Life in Kitale
April 29, 2022
Greetings from Kenya!
I pray this update finds everyone doing well. This is Carrie writing this month for the annual missionary wives’ prayer letter. I hope the weather is getting warmer for all of you. I’m sure you’re ready for nicer weather after the winter months. Here in Kenya, we are finishing dry season and entering rainy season. The dry season was long this year and especially hot (up to 90 degrees and no air conditioning anywhere). Everything became very dry and dusty and lack of water was a concern. But thankfully, the rains have started and things are beginning to turn green again and the temperatures are cooling down a bit.
Currently there is a fuel shortage in the country. The suppliers are trying to increase the price, but the government is refusing to pay it, so there is a stalemate. The government is working to get the suppliers to lower the cost, but it’s taking a while to do it. There have been reports of people waiting in lines at the gas stations for up to 8 hours to get just a bit of gas for their vehicles. This is really affecting the livelihoods of people such as taxi drivers and piki=pikis (motorbike taxis). In addition, there are fewer supply trucks to bring goods, such as food, from Nairobi to Kitale. We’ve had extremely limited milk for the past couple weeks, and the price of goods is also increasing rapidly, which causes a huge burden on all families and businesses here. The people are struggling to buy the food they need for their families. Please pray that the fuel situation gets resolved quickly and that prices reduce for the people of this country.
Homeschooling continues to go well. The girls really enjoy their classes and are doing a great job working diligently. We’ve been doing some PE activities as a family, such as morning exercise, which has been really nice. Cami enjoys learning to cook and Kenna has taken some drawing classes online, which has been a huge blessing. We’ve gotten a new kitten who is an endless delight for the girls. He’s a snuggly little guy and such a blessing for us.
Please pray for the girls as they are needing friends. We had a family with some girls their ages here, but they’ve moved to another part of Kenya. This has been a big loss for our girls as they were close and played a lot together. There have been a lot of changes in our community with families leaving and we’re all struggling with it to some extent. Please pray for us as a family. Missions can be so difficult with all the goodbyes we say. There are very few “wazungus” (westerners) left in our town. Please pray for strength and for new families to come.
Thank you all for the encouragement you send and the prayers you say on our behalf. We appreciate them more than you know. Each of you is a blessing to us and we’re thankful for you. God bless you all as you head into the summer months.
In Christ,
Nathan and Carrie Radford
Contact Info:
Nathan and Carrie Radford
naterad[at]yahoo.com
P.O. Box 4150
Kitale, Kenya
East Africa 30200
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 Love for Children
April 27, 2022
Dear friends and family,
Looking back on our time serving the Lord in Brazil shows me where God wanted to use me. Over the last 26 years, my service to the Lord was through the children of Brazil.
Our first years in Garça were with Odali and Kathy Barros establishing an orphanage. There I worked mostly with boys 9-23 years of age. Then we moved to the city of Jacaree hoping to start another orphanage. This dream did not come to life as the mayor of that city did not want Americans opening an orphanage. As we lived there, I worked with the neighborhood children. Then God moved us to Caraguatatuba. In Caraguatatuba, we started Saturday Bible classes with children. When we started a new church in that same area, our first attending were those same children.
So, as you can see my area of service has been always with children in my life. God has always directed my heart to the area of children. Even as a child and teenager myself, anywhere I sat in church, there was always a group of children.
As we have now had to switch gears because of AJ’s cancer, my focus changes. We came back to the States for the treatment for his cancer. Because of this coming back, we thought God was through with us on the mission field. AJ went to Dave Parks to say that he would resign BUT Dave said that he did not think God was finished with him. So, we have entered a new episode of our lives. We now are focused on the Seminary that we had started years back. This way AJ can continue in his doctor’s care in the States but continue traveling to Brazil for the Seminary. I am looking for my place in this new work, asking God what he wants me to do. Can you pray with me as I seek God’s will?
Looking back over these past 26 years I realize that every life we touch leaves a lasting impression. For example, AJ and I have two children that God gifted us, but I have many more that God has placed in my heart from Brazil. When there is a special day for mothers, I not only get cards and calls from my biological children, I also get cards and cards from my heart children from Brazil. This is just a reminder of how God works through each life that passes through your life.
Continue praying for me as I wait for clear knowledge of God’s will in this new area of my life.
I am sending some pictures for you to see some of the beautiful children that God has put in my life in Brazil.
Serving a risen Lord,
Barbara Hensley
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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Faith Strengthened Through Cancer Journey
Wheaton, April 24, 2022
Dear friends,
It is with joy I write to all of you. I hope this letter finds you well.
Life in Chicago has been full of adventures. When God led us here last August 2021, we didn’t quite understand, nor did we know what was coming ahead. But our God is an omniscient God, He knows each one of our days, He knows our past and our future. Just a few weeks after we were settled in one of 24 missionaries’ apartments, Jud received the news of having lymphoma. I confess, it caught us by surprise. The days ahead were difficult, as Jud and I tried to swim in the waters of the unknown. We didn’t say much during those days, but we could almost read each other’s thoughts, one of them being: “It’s our turn to glorify God through pain and sorrow, and to continue to trust and love Him in the valley as on the mountain.” We didn’t question God. We chose to live one day at a time, without speculating into the future, or falling into the “what if” trap.
The most emotional time was when we shared it with our children. To see their tears and their eyes and their confused/sad faces broke our hearts, and we all cried together. But it wasn’t a cry of desperation, it was a cry of submission. During our journey, my faith was strengthened. Not because I had everything under control, quite the opposite, I had no idea what our future would be like, but I had someone, Jud, who modeled to our family what it means to be thankful in all situations. He showed us daily, what it means to trust God without asking “Why me?” or “Why now?” or “Why this way?”. He demonstrated to us what it means to have joy despite pain and uncertainties. In the middle of it all, Jud’s example helped me to have the same attitude. As Paul said in I Corinthians 11:1 “Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.” This verse has a personal meaning to me now.
Raquel & Jud 
Jud & Raquel
We, Christians, are called to glorify God with our lives in everything we do, and, as we do, we elevate Jesus Christ high for everyone to see. When people see Jesus, they can’t help it but give Him glory also. That is why faith without works is dead. How will people see Jesus if we don’t show Him with our actions? James 2:16 –17 “If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.”
More than ever, I understand it now. Before, I thought Paul could ask people to follow him as he followed Christ, because he was the chosen of God, he was special. But, we all, if we are Christians (disciples of Christ), we ought to do and say the same thing. We need each other on this journey. God knew we couldn’t make it without one another. We need to see in each other’s lives, what it means to love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength (Deuteronomy 6:5).
Jud is cancer free now; God chose to heal him. We don’t have enough words to describe how thankful we are to have received the gift of life on this earth, but we are even more thankful to have received eternal life through Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. I want to say thank you for your prayers, your supportive messages, your cards of encouragement, your gifts, and your financial assistance. Everything you did for us; you did it for Jesus. We’re forever grateful for Baptist Faith Missions, and all our brothers and sisters who live this journey with us during sad and joyful times.
Love,
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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What’s a Missionary Wife’s Life Like?
April 22, 2022
Dear readers,
When I’m asked what a missionary wife’s life is like, I guess I have to say that it is as varied as there are missionary wives. This is true because every missionary wife has her own personality and her own set of skills and struggles that shape her. I’m certain that there are many circumstances and experiences that we missionary wives have in common just by the nature of our calling to leave our families, our home culture and language. But how we adjust to all of these is different in many ways because we are different in many ways.
Before anything else, though, I want you to know that I do not consider my life on the foreign mission field a sacrifice or a burden. I am thankful to the Lord for the life He has given me. Yes, I have my struggles and hardships, but I know that each and every one of you do too. Some of mine are completely different because of my calling, but many are very similar to yours. I am both happy and fulfilled in what the Lord is using me to do here in Brazil. I thank Him for the privilege to serve Him where I am.
Charlene 
Charlene & Bobby 
Charlene with some of their church ladies for Children’s Day 
Charlene
It is hard for me to put a title on my role, so I will just share some of the things that I do and not worry about titles. I help our couples’ ministry team leaders prepare for our outreach events. We usually hold 4 to 5 of these events per year. They are basically two-hour banquets, each with a different décor theme and different marital issues in focus. My husband, Bobby, usually brings a message addressing the marital principle in focus and always shares the gospel with the lost guests. My part is to help plan the décor and set up the auditorium for those who attend.
I also work with our children’s teaching ministry. We have put together a great team of volunteers who are gifted teachers and I assist them now. Through the course of our ministry and with each new church plant, I am usually the first and main children’s teacher as we begin to discover and develop new teachers from among our new converts.
Maybe one of my most important roles, though, is to assist Bobby in whatever he needs me to do. When he has to counsel women, he always has me with him, both for my female input and for ministerial integrity.
Our home life is one of the strongest illustrations of what we teach and of what he preaches, so I realize that I must give great attention to making it both pleasant and solid. We have raised our children and we now have an “empty nest,” but I want it to still be full of joy and love.
The hardest part for me as a woman is the absence of our children and our grandson. But I would rather be 5,000 miles away from them doing what the Lord wants me to do than to be in the same city with them when that’s not His will for me.
My prayer request is that Bobby and I will always be attentive to the Lord’s leading. We want to be in fellowship with Him so intimately that we will know when and where He is leading us to new opportunities to share the gospel and plant new churches.
I am really grateful to all of you who pray for us and for the faithful support to maintain our ministries.
Yours in the love of Jesus,
Charlene Wacaser
Contact Info:
Bobby & Charlene Wacaser
Rua Laudelino Ferreira Lopes, 279
Sobrado 1, Novo Mundo
81050-310 Curitiba, PR. Brasil
Phone: 55-41-99899-2333
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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Ladies from Church Taking the Gospel to Villages
April 21, 2022
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
Pray and hope that all are doing well. We are doing great. This year has been unusually rainy. The virus problem has stopped, and we have been able to reach out to more communities. The work in the village of Ubim is growing more and more. I still have the work with the children during the afternoon and then at night, Odali is doing a service for adults. This has really been a blessing.
We are working more and more with the church members to get involved in the different ministries. I try more and more to involve the ladies in different ministries and try to help them find the area they can help in. More and more are starting to get involved.
Our plan is that as more members get involved, we can go to more places to have services in the villages. Thank God, more ladies in the church are getting involved. The greatest difficulty here is that most of the women do not drive and lots of the families do not have cars. So, this makes it harder for some. We want to make teams that can work together. Since I work with kids and teens, from time to time, I take some of the ladies and girls of the church to help me.
My request for prayer is that God open the eyes and hearts of the members of the church to see the need to take the gospel to these villages. Pray that the women see the need to get more involved and minister to the kids and young people. Most of them have never done things like this. Thank you for your love, prayers, and support!
God bless each of you ladies and your families.
Love in our Savior,
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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