Thanking God for My Mother & the Things She Taught Me

Odali and Kathy Barros served the Lord in Sao Paulo, Brazil together from 1987-2013. In late 2013, they transitioned to Manaus in Northern Brazil to start sharing the Gospel and planting churches in villages along the river.

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

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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The Influence of My Mother on My Own Mothering & Ministry

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Odali and Kathy Barros served the Lord in Sao Paulo, Brazil together from 1987-2013. In late 2013, they transitioned to Manaus in Northern Brazil to start sharing the Gospel and planting churches in villages along the river.

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

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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The Impact of a Godly Life

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

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

April 4, 2018

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Little did I realize when I wrote you last month that in 4 days my mother would be in the presence of the Lord with all of His children who have left this life. On March 8th I received a call from my brother to let us know that Mom had been promoted to heaven about thirty minutes earlier. I had the opportunity to speak to Mom about 12 hours before that call. Just hours after I spoke to her, and she to me, she was absent from the body and present with the Lord. Many of you have also experienced the loss of your parents and we thank all of you for your kind thoughts and prayers.

The Hatcher Family at Alta Hatcher’s Memorial Service (March 15, 2018)

Suddenly, the plans for the month changed. As soon as possible, Judy and I were on our way to Clermont, FL. We were there for a little over a week. During this time, members of our family began arriving from many distant places. It was a great blessing to fellowship with children, grandchildren, nieces, nephews, cousins, de facto family members, brothers and sisters in Christ, and many friends.  The memorial service was to God’s glory and underscores how He can use each of us to touch the lives of many. Beginning life in a farmhouse near Corbin, KY, Mom trusted Christ at age 7 and felt called to missions at age 10. Her life has touched thousands in many parts of the world. She was the one I went to when I was in despair because I knew I was lost and she pointed me to Jesus. She was my Bible teacher who taught through the Bible in my Sunday School classes as I was growing up in Brazil. She got me on the track of being a daily Bible reader and reading through the Bible annually. The wonderful fellowship that I have with my Heavenly Father was greatly cultivated by Mom.

I could write a book on the ways she touched my life. Her last words before she fell asleep were “I love You, Jesus”. She is now eternally in the presence of the One she loved so much and enjoying fellowship with others that went on before her. You may feel that you are just a “plain old Christian”, but I want to remind you that there is no such thing. You are a child of the King of kings, an ambassador for Christ, a seed planted in the soil of this world. My mother would say to you children, teenagers, mothers, fathers, singles, blue collar or white collar workers, “Do all things as unto the Lord…ask God for wisdom in everything…whatever your hands find to do, do with all your might.” I probably heard those scriptures hundreds of times.

May each of us live today for God’s glory.

Thanks for your prayers, encouragement and support. We pray that God will bless you and enable you to be “the light of the world” where you are today as Jesus lives in and through you.

In France for Jesus,
John and Judy Hatcher

John Mark & Judy Hatcher
4, rue d’Aspin
31170 Tournefeuille, France
JMHatcher[at]aol.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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Autobiography of Alta Hatcher

Click here to read the Autobiography of Alta Hatcher:
“The Story of My Life as a Missionary”

Muito Obrigado, Dona Alta Hatcher, for faithfully giving 60 years of your life to Brazil for the sake of the Gospel.


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Alta Hatcher, 60-year Missionary to Brazil, Meets Her Savior Face-to-Face

“…’Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy Lord.’”  -Matthew 25:23

Alta Hatcher, one of our beloved missionaries to Brazil, was promoted to Heaven about 6:00 a.m. on Thursday, March 8, 2018.

Alta married John A. Hatcher in December 1947, and they spent 70 years serving the Lord together, 60 of which were in Brazil. “We are thankful to God for having the joy of serving Him and telling people how they can be saved and go to Heaven,” Alta wrote in her autobiography. From 1955-2015, they worked and planted churches in about 60 Brazilian cities.

God gave them five children: Lynn, Paul, John Mark, David, and Kathy. He called all to be missionaries in foreign lands except the oldest, Lynn. She and her husband were missionaries to those with special needs in a Church in Nashville, Tennessee. Their 21 grandchildren are also serving the Lord! Some as pastors and others are missionaries some of the granddaughters are married to pastors or missionaries. Several of their 35 great-grandchildren have already trusted Jesus as their Savior.

Please continue your prayers to God for her husband, John, and their family.

ARRANGEMENTS / MEMORIALS
Celebration service: Thursday, March 15, 2018 at 5:00pm
The Celebration Service will be conducted at Chapel Baptist Church, Clermont FL
15744 County Road 474  |  Clermont FL 34714
www.chapelbaptist.org

They are expecting all of her children to be attending [Please be praying that God will grant all of them peace, joy, and safety as they travel…]

Becker Funeral Home, Clermont FL, is in charge of her services
www.beckerfamilyfuneral.com
Formal Obituary

In lieu of flowers, the family is requesting that Memorial gifts be made to Baptist Faith Missions “In memory of Alta Hatcher”
Pastor George Sledd, Treasurer of BFM
P.O. Box 471280
Lake Monroe, FL 32747-1280
or click here to donate to BFM online.
https://baptistfaithmissions.org/Donate_to_BFM.aspx

Correspondences to John A. Hatcher may be sent to:
15905 Mercott Court | Clermont FL 34714
Email: jhatcher1925@gmail.com

Click here to read the Autobiography of Alta Hatcher: “The Story of My Life as a Missionary”

“Disse-lhe o seu senhor: Muito bem, servo bom e fiel; sobre o pouco foste fiel, sobre muito te colocarei; entra no gozo do teu senhor.”  –Mateus 25:23


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20+ Young People at First Youth Meeting of the School Year in France

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

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

September 28, 2017

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Thank you for your continuous prayers and support. We thank God for each of you. At the beginning of this month we were able to spend a few minutes in a video conference with more than 20 young people who were meeting in France for the first Youth Meeting of this school year. This is something that the young people wanted to do. How encouraging it is to see their interest in spiritual things.

Reports from the church in Tournefeuille are good. We miss the fellowship of our church and congregations there as well as the daily front line opportunities that we have in France to connect with French people who need eternal life. However, we are very thankful for the leaders and participants who are faithfully serving Christ there and reaching others around them.

John, Judy, & Peggy

Judy has now been cleared by her doctor for full activity following her knee surgery and has graduated from physical therapy. She continues to work hard at getting full strength and usage back. She also participates with Peggy in an outreach to ladies who are in the United States from other cultures. We both enjoy participating in a weekly Bible study that meets here in Peggy’s home. It is always exciting to see young believers growing in the knowledge and application of God’s Word in their daily lives.

Peggy is doing better and we are encouraged by her progress.

During the first two weeks of the month I was able to be in Florida to celebrate with the family my mother’s 92nd birthday. What a blessing it is to have parents who love the Lord and encourage us and the whole extended family to serve the Lord. The days there turned out to be more exciting than we had planned. Hurricane Irma came directly over Paul and Wanda’s home where Dad, Mom and Wanda’s mother live. Despite a few exciting hours the Lord protected us all and I was glad to be there to help. Thanks to all who were praying for us and others during the storm. Our hearts go out to those poor folks in the islands who suffered so much.

This is a reminder to us that we live in a world that “groans in travail waiting to be delivered”. We look forward to new heavens and a new earth where we will be forever with the Lord. May God help us to display the love of Christ in our lives and communicate the Good News of Jesus to all around us who so desperately need it.

We are looking forward to seeing some of you during the Thanksgiving Conference hosted by New Hope Baptist Church in November. Look for the information on the Baptist Faith Missions site and join us if you are able.

In Christ,
John and Judy

John, Judy, Peggy, & Sarah

10/18/2017 – PS: I did not realize that this letter never made it out of my box. The news during the last couple of weeks from the field is good. We also had an enjoyable visit with Sarah Wainright this past Sunday. Besides being a friend and sister in Christ she works diligently to publish and post our news. We thank God for her faithful service.

 

Temporary Address
John and Judy Hatcher
1901 Shepherd Dr.
Evansville, IN 47715
jmhatcher[at]aol.com

Field Address
4, rue d’Aspin
31170 Tournefeuille, France
JMHatcher[at]aol.com

Click here to donate to BFM.


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Missionary Update: John & Alta Hatcher Stateside from Brazil [May 2016]

Missionaries John and Alta Hatcher have served the Lord in Brazil since 1955, planting over 70 churches that are still in existence.

May 16, 2016

Dear Brethren and Friends of Baptist Faith Missions:

In the sixty years Alta and I served in Brazil there were many wonderful experiences and individuals who became a permanent part of our lives. None was more vital than the two sisters, Maria and Maria Helena, who became a part of our family life. The youngest, Maria Helena, wrote the poem at the bottom. I translated the poem. I know you will enjoy knowing and thank God for what He did in their lives through the Gospel taken by the work of BFM.

The Hatcher Kids after one year in Brazil

The Hatcher Kids after one year in Brazil

LAST WEEK OF FIRST MISSIONARY TERM IN BRAZIL
In the year 1958, during the last week of our first term, I was invited to preach a revival at the Calvary Baptist Church.  Maria was a member of the small Church. During the week her father was saved.  Her mother had died. During the year we were home, her father passed away. We learned this soon after returning from furlough.

We got in touch and it was decided they would live with us as members of our family, as daughters. Maria Helena was thirteen and Maria was eighteen. They finished High School and Seminary and became school teachers. In time, Maria Helena married a preacher and became the mother of three children: two sons and a daughter. Maria never married but gave her life as a missionary working with mothers and children. She is eighty-eight and still serving the Lord. She is one of God’s greatest servants. Maria Helena lost her husband and oldest son in a car accident. She never married again but is faithful in serving the Lord.

With this short story of what the Gospel did in these lives, I know you will enjoy the poem better and thank God for what He did in our lives and in the lives of Maria and Maria Helena.

Thank you, Lord, for the years you gave us in Brazil, for the changes in lives as these two sisters and for the friends who have been so faithful to support us with their prayers and financial help.  Give thanks to our Lord for all He has done in Brazil!

Sincerely, In His Name,
John A. and Alta Hatcher

FOR PASTOR JOHN AND ALTA

Parana (State), beautiful and fertile land,
Where the sun shines with splendor.
In winter we warm ourselves
And hide from the cold winds.

Pastor and Sister Alta, beautiful and precious stones,
You, with your lives, brought us
New life, new vision, new light.

Stones, strong and brilliant,
That helped many persons
Recuperate their lives.

Many times it seemed that nothing went right,
You came, with great care,
And diminished the pain.

I remember in Garca (Garsa)
You worked in the city streets,
Spreading the Word of the Lord.

Many lives were changed;
Hearts were transformed;
By the outreach of your dear hands.

I ask God, our Lord
To protect you eternally!
You will always be a link
To bless sad hearts.

Thank you, soldiers of the Lord!
You, with all this love for souls and lives,
Have saved broken hearts
From danger and pain.

I ask God to keep you!
And you can be sure
You will always be greatly loved.
“With much love.”  Maria Helena

John A. and Alta Hatcher
15905 Mercott Court
Clermont FL 34714
229-529-8497
jhatcher1925[at]gmail.com

Click here to give.


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Missionary Update: Paul & Wanda Hatcher Stateside from Brazil [October 2015]

Paul and Wanda Hatcher have been serving the Lord together in Brazil since 1974. Paul pastors Tabernacle Baptist Church in Manaus, Brazil. Their main ministry is church planting.

Paul and Wanda Hatcher have been serving the Lord together in Brazil since 1974. Their main ministry is church planting.

October 01, 2015

Dear Friends and Co-laborers,

We greet each of you in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. We are so thankful for God’s goodness and grace. God is greatly to be praised for all His generous and gracious benevolence.

It seems that the year has flown by, October again – a great occasion to count the many blessings God has given each of us. It is great to see how God is so marvelous. September the fourteenth, mom, Alta Hatcher, celebrated her ninetieth birthday, a celebration of God’s blessing to her. We thank the Lord for the many years she has faithfully served in the mission of sharing the good news of our Lord Jesus. We thank God for the health He gives her and the joy she brings to so many. Dad and Mom were missionaries for sixty years in Brazil. Praise the Lord!

This month I was reminded of a fond memory and a great encouragement. The first church Dad established in Brazil was in a very difficult place to get to, a community controlled by the roman church. The Bible was a forbidden item – explanation for the prohibition was that the “ignorant would reap damnation for misinterpreting the Bible”. A seed was planted. This was the place I attended church as a child, had friends, and joined in the visitation for Bible School and service. The last week of September they celebrated the fifty-fifth homecoming. For many years the church struggled. God preserved it thru many difficulties; and today, they have over seven thousand in Sunday attendance and the Senior Pastor for the last few years is my youngest brother, David Hatcher, who was also part of the small church plant fifty-five years ago. Lesson – never despise the day of the small things. Blessing – God does awesome things beyond our greatest imagination. Praise be to the Lord Jesus Christ!

Pray for the ministries in Brazil as they continue to take the gospel to the regions near and far. Pray to the Father of the harvest to send laborers into a very ripe field of harvest. We know that all the fields are not ready to harvest at the same time; however, it is always timely to sow the gospel abundantly, water generously, and, as we have witnessed, God gives the increase.

We thank you for your prayers and financial support. We pray that our knowledge and remembrance of our Lord, the only true God, may abundantly increase in wisdom and discernment, that our trust and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ may be steadfast always, and that the love of his Holy Spirit may fill and overflow in our every word and action, with thanksgiving to God though Jesus Christ our only Lord and Life. God bless each of you richly through Jesus Christ.

Thanks for loving us,

Paul and Wanda Hatcher
rphatcher[at]gmail.com
15905 Mercott Court
Clermont, FL 34714
(239)227-6551

Click here to give.


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