A Remarkable End to the Year

Jud and Raquel Hatcher are third generation missionaries serving the Lord 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, 43 churches have been started in 5 states.

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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Four Generations of Missionaries Together in Manaus

Jud and Raquel Hatcher serve the Lord 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, 43 churches have been started in 5 states.

February 12, 2020

Dear Friends,

We are grateful for your prayers and generosity. Our family and ministries are blessed by you!

Our four children are in good health and doing well in school. Sarah is practicing softball, Laura is playing volleyball, Benjamin is engaged in soccer and basketball, and Melissa enjoys playing everything.

At the end of the year, we had a very special Christmas time at Maria Virginia Baptist Church. The neighborhoods near the building received a door-to-door Christmas cantata during the two weekends prior to Christmas.  Several guests visited us during services and attendance is increasing. Last week we received a couple that searched for us online and came to the main worship celebration.

Pastor Helder and family arrived in Sao Paulo on January 8th to assume leadership at Maria Virginia as the new senior pastor. Within the first month he visited most of the members at home and everyone is excited to have them in the fellowship and his encouraged by his leadership.

Our gatherings with Imagine are always full of laughter and filled enjoyable moments. People enjoy sharing life stories around our meals and prayer requests during small group meetings. We continue to gain momentum as more people arrive to do life together with us.

The children at Hope are always full of energy and excited to see us every time they see us. Contact with parents through the kids is ever increasing as the adults learn to trust us and seek our help in emotional and physical needs and on how to raise children.

For two weeks at the beginning of January, we traveled and stayed with my parents (Paul and Wanda Hatcher) in Manaus. (My parents were in Manaus for a short season to assist Tabernacle Baptist Church with transition.) We thoroughly enjoyed our time with them. This visit also gave us time with my grandfather John Hatcher (he is cared for by my parents).  We were also able to invest time with my uncles and aunts: David and Penny, and Odali and Kathy. We scheduled a photo op with a professional photographer to take our family portrait, with parents and Grandpa John. We took a great picture of four Hatcher generations in Brazil.

While in Manaus we visited several friends and churches. I had the privilege of preaching at Ativa Baptist Church in Manaus where Pastor Neto is pastor and at Pedras Vivas Baptist Church in Iranduba, where Odali Barros is pastor.

Please, continue to pray for us.

Grateful always,
Jud Hatcher

Judson & Raquel Hatcher
(859) 544-9040
judsonhatcher@gmail.com
Website | Twitter | Facebook
Click here to give now.


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Missionary Update: Jud & Raquel Hatcher in Brazil [April 2015]

Jud and Raquel Hatcher serve the Lord in Manaus, Brazil. They are part of the “SeedFactory” church planting initiative, which is a movement to plant churches in all 26 Brazilian capitals. Since 2006, 43 churches have been started in 5 states.

Dear friends,

Preaching at the State House of Representatives
I had the privilege of preaching twice at the Amazonas State House of Representatives. It is a rare opportunity to speak before these government officials and the Lord allowed me to speak two times just this year. The packed auditorium was full of energy and the Gospel. It is exciting to see how interested people were in listening to the plan of salvation.

Church Relocation
Five weeks ago the church plant moved from the restaurant to a private school. The new ministry location has a gym, a swimming pool (we now have a place for baptisms), an auditorium and air-conditioned classrooms. The church is riveting excitement. Every Sunday, we have first time visitors from the neighborhood. The Lord is moving mightily.

Church Ministries
We started a children’s club and a middle Ativa Middle School Ministryschool ministry on Saturday mornings. The kids love every moment when we are together and cannot wait for the following Saturday to arrive. Two of them call me on the phone every week just to tell me they plan to bring a friend. We share a Gospel story, a memory verse, scripture songs, activities and a snack for the kids.

Pastoral and Ministry Leadership
The Lord is preparing our leadership team thru some incredible twist of events. Up until just recently, the church plant struggled with ministerial leadership. We now have a great praise team leader, a youth pastor-in-training and a new senior pastor (My family and I are leaving for the US in July).

Stateside Assignment
Beginning in July, our family plans to be in the States for a year and reside in Lexington, KY. Pray for us as we make schooling arrangements for Sarah, Laura, Benjamin and Melissa. We are also praying for a good vehicle to use while in the US. Thank you for praying for us. I’ve attached several pictures for you to see. If you are on Facebook, friend me by using my email address judsonhatcher@gmail.com or search for Judson Hatcher. I post my thoughts, news updates and pictures on a regular basis.

Baptist Pastors’ Network & “CELEBRAI”Pastors in Manaus
Every month we have a Baptist Pastors’ Network fellowship. Last month we planned and organized a special service held at Tabernacle Baptist Church. We called it “Celebrai: Encontro de Igrejas Sementeiras” (Celebrate: A Gathering of Seed Factory Churches). It was a special service, as it was Dad’s (Paul Hatcher) last Sunday as senior pastor at Tabernacle Baptist Church. Churches came from all over town and a few pastors flew in from out of state. The main auditorium was packed, as were the overflow auditoriums equipped with projection screens containing images from the service. Michael Samples was introduced as the new senior pastor. All churches present are daughter, granddaughter or great granddaughter churches of Tabernacle Baptist Church under dad’s leadership as pastor.

Family
These last few months were tough. Our three-year-old daughter, Melissa, caught malaria. We suffered greatly as we saw her agony in pain, lose weight and cry in delirium. It was not a fun experience. We posted several updates and photos on Facebook and many of you prayed for her. THANK YOU! We truly are grateful for every word of encouragement and intercession. Truth is, all of us were sick during these last few weeks, but nothing compares to what Melissa endured. God always protects and gives grace to those in need. Lord knows we needed much.

We love you and are grateful for you. Thank you.

Jud Hatcher

judsonhatcher@hotmail.com
Website | Twitter | Facebook

Click here to give now.


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Missionary Update: Jud & Raquel Hatcher in Brazil [January 2014]

Jud and Raquel Hatcher serve the Lord in Manaus, Brazil. They are part of the “SeedFactory” church planting initiative, which is a movement to plant churches in all 26 Brazilian capitals. Since 2006, 43 churches have been started in 5 states.

Dear friends,

The Lord has blessed us tremendously! I will be brief as I am typing on my cell phone and have limited internet access at this time.

For 5 years I prayed for my middle school class reunion for the sole purpose of sharing the Gospel with each one. This last month of December the Lord granted the desire of my heart and we’ve already met twice with 16 of my childhood friends. In all, 33 of my classmates have been contacted. The last time I saw most of them was 22 years ago. Several of my friends’ families have also come to visit us at church. Two of them have attended every Sunday with their families since we first met and are listening attentively in services. Please, pray for each one to surrender to Christ.

Our Sunday services at Ativa are packed out. The children love going to church and their parents. Please, continue to pray as we search for a new location.

Grateful,
Jud Hatcher

judsonhatcher@hotmail.com
Website | Twitter

Click here to give now.

 


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Missionary Update: Jud & Raquel Hatcher in Brazil [March 2013]

Jud and Raquel Hatcher serve the Lord in Manaus, Brazil. They are part of the “SeedFactory” church planting initiative, which is a movement to plant churches in all 26 Brazilian capitals. Since 2006, 43 churches have been started in 5 states.

Dear Friends,

The Lord has opened several new opportunities for sharing the Gospel. Within this last week, I have shared the Gospel with four couples. Each one of these couples expressed their personal resistance of stepping inside any kind of church. All four of them confirmed they’d be present this coming Sunday. I am grateful for the work of the Holy Spirit in softening people’s hearts and opening their spiritual eyes. It is great to see their interest and willingness to participate and ask if they can invite others to come with them.

This month two new home small groups were started. We have a goal of 15 small groups by the end of the year. Our small groups work with a four week cycle. On the first week we meet for spiritual accountability, prayer and planning. Men and women meet separately for the accountability. On the second week we have a Bible study and share testimonies of faith at work. On the third week we share blessings, prayer requests, have Scripture reading and pray. On the fourth week, we have an Evangelistic dinner or outing with invited guests. This format has proven to be very effective in encouraging spiritual growth, accountability, connecting with new friends, Gospel witnessing and prayer.

Last week the women had their monthly get together. The men met two weeks ago as well. The relationship bonds are deepening and the new converts enjoy being a part of something they have never had before.

In March we celebrated one year since we held our first service. Albeit the first few services were not open to public and were mostly a time of prayer, Scripture study, and sharing among our small church planting team. God has truly blessed. On Easter Sunday we celebrate the resurrection of Christ with a special supper and will include all of our new friends. We expect well over 100 people to join us for Easter.

I plan to visit Goiania regarding the new church plant. I have not scheduled the flight, but plan to be there sometime in April. We have been talking by phone over the last several weeks. Two families are currently meeting weekly for a home Bible study. Pray that all goes well as we survey the city, plan and pray. Please, invest time praying for this new work.

Raquel is about to finish her doctorate. She will defend her dissertation by the end of this month. This is truly a highlight with many years of study invested and now she is finally reaching completion. We are excited and I am especially proud of her. The children are all doing well. Sarah, Laura and Benjamin all enjoying going to school. Melissa is like wildfire whenever she is not asleep. She manages to get into everything. I am sure thankful to the Lord for having a healthy family.

Thank you for your consistent support in prayer and through financial giving. Your investment in missions is greatly appreciated. We are grateful. Please, continue to give and encourage others to invest too. Please, be our state-side missions promoters.

Grateful,

Jud & Raquel Hatcher
judsonhatcher@hotmail.com
Website | Twitter | Ativa

Click here to give now.


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