Missionaries John Mark and Judy Hatcher have been serving the Lord in Tournefeuille, France since 1999. They define their ministry as “disciple-making,”

January 3, 2013

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

We are back home in Tournefeuille, France. We left Chicago early on the first day of 2013. The Lord has continued to bless the church here while we were gone. The faithfulness of those who are a part of the congregation encourages us. Our goal is to establish congregations that are independent and self-supporting with local leadership. Thank you for your faithful support which enables us to continue working toward this God-given goal.

The month of December was spent enjoying the fellowship of our family and friends in the Chicago and Evansville area. The time with our three children and their families who live in the United States was priceless. What a blessing it is to have children who are serving the Lord. Making the most of these rare moments with our grandchildren was a source of great joy.

John & Judy Hatcher with their children, children’s spouses, and grandchildren on Christmas Day

Judy and I were able to spend several delightful hours with Erna and Joe Stibi who are now members of First Baptist Church, Niles, Illinois. About the time we came to France, Erna worked as a crossing guard on the corner next to East Maine Baptist Church’s building in Niles, IL. Judy was entertaining some of the Ruth and Bob Rossman’s children while we met in the church and introduced herself to Erna. Since I was spending some time with the church there, Judy suggested that I might like talk to Erna some more. I followed her advice. Speaking to Erna, I learned that she had immigrated to the US with her family from the former Yugoslavia when she was just a girl. She was open to the Good News of Jesus Christ. I mentioned this to Emily Keys, a member of East Maine Church. She picked up the baton and was soon having Bible studies with Erna. Soon, Erna trusted Christ. Not long afterward, Joe, her husband trusted Christ and they were both baptized in fellowship with the East Maine Church. In December they took us out for lunch and we were thrilled to hear the story of how God moved both of them from Eastern Europe to the United States where they came to know and trust Christ personally. There are a lot of people who need to hear about Christ living around us. May God help each of us to “reach out and touch someone”.

While with Judy’s sister, Peggy, in Evansville we were able to see many of our loved ones in Christ. It had been quite a while since we had seen many of these brothers and sisters in the family of God and it warmed our heart. Separation is part of our earthly life, but we look forward to eternity when we shall be forever with the Lord and each other!

John & Judy’s latest grandson.

The six week sabbatical spent away was good for Judy and me. It is always good to have time to reflect on what the Lord has done, is doing and wants us to do. We have returned encouraged.

Please, ask God to give us wisdom to serve Him faithfully making the most of every opportunity. There are 60 million in the this country who need Christ and our efforts are like dust on the scale, but we have a wonderful Savior who “is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think.”

Thanking God for your partnership with us in Christ,

John and Judy Hatcher
4, rue d’Aspin
31170 Tournefeuille, France
JMHatcher[at]aol.com

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