Changes in the Last Year
April 10, 2024
Wow! Another year of our lives has passed. Looking back, what do I see? What has changed? What is the same?
Last year at this time we were making final preparations to move house. We moved to France via suitcases…bit by bit. I often asked myself, “How on this earth have we accumulated so much stuff!” A gentle reminder of what are the truly important things to hold to. After a whirlwind of sorting, pitching, and packing we moved into our new place the first of June. Fortunately, we only moved about 2 miles from our old house, so it could be done in lots of small trips. Our church family helped with painting and moving the big items. We are settled and loving it! Of course, we have new neighbors and that opens doors for sharing the Good News. Also, we are closer to our son, Philip, his wife, Amanda and girls. No words can express the honor we have to be able to work alongside them.
Physically, John and I are well. We are thankful that we are able and capable of sharing the News!
To celebrate our 70 years of life and 50 years of marriage, our children gifted us with a trip to the States to be able to be together, all 22 of us for one whole week! We played, laughed, and just enjoyed being together. Our children knew that the best gift they could give us was time together.
The normal Bible studies restarted after the summer break. The Christians in Mazères continue to grow in their knowledge of God and how to live for Him. The group there are very attentive to one another’s needs and work together well.
The second year of the group in l’Union added a new person. We are having very in-depth and open discussions about Jesus and how He is the only Savior. Being on the front line and seeing the Holy Spirit move and work in ways we can’t imagine is exciting!
For the second year, John, Philip and Amanda and I have the privilege of going to the home of a Christian family that lives about an hour from us. There is no church in the area. John or Philip has Bible study with the mom and dad, and Amanda or I do a class for the 4 children. This past year the oldest child has trusted Jesus as Savior. What a privilege to share the Gospel and how to live it out wherever we are!
The hostess of the study in Mazères has had a burden for some of her friends who are English speakers. She asked if it would be possible for us to do an English-speaking study. Of course! It has been a blessing to see how God works!
Another new outreach is with a family that lives about 3 hours from us. I believe that John has shared how we came into contact with them. The lady continues to grow and bloom in her faith.
Lots of things have changed over the course of the year, but one thing is never changing: God’s immense love for us and the privilege of sharing it here in France! Thank you!
Judy Hatcher
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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Numerous New Opportunities & Many Answered Prayers
January 17, 2024
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
We hope this finds you enjoying the beginning of the new calendar year. Thank you for your faithful support. Things are going well here and God has blessed us with good health.
The Lord has encouraged us during the last few months with numerous new opportunities and many answers to prayers. Here is one example: On the eve of the 29th day of December we received a lengthy text from someone we thought had brushed us off two months earlier. We had been having Bible studies with this individual and then it seemed like they were avoiding us by making excuses about not being able to schedule the next Bible study. My opinion of what had/was happening was totally wrong. We are now back to regular meetings with this lady. She has been through some trying times.
Our weeks are filled with meetings with individuals and groups. Some of these are with people who are seeking but not yet believers. Some are with people who have recently put their faith in God. Making disciples takes time. There are 9 different meetings in 7 different locations with people from 6 different cultures. Most are in person, but some are over internet. Each of these is a different study. Most of these meetings are with Judy and me. Some involve other believers. There are also other encounters that are one-time events that open new doors.
The enabling and wisdom we need come from God. Only God can give eternal life to people. However, just as our Father used many people to prepare us for the work that He has given us, He uses us to give the Good News and prepare other disciples to serve Him in the work He is doing. It is not mass production and simply ticking steps off the chart. Every individual is different and it is not a cookie cutter production. Our example is Jesus. No two encounters between Jesus and those who needed Him described in the Scriptures are the same. He sought the Father’s will and we want to do the same.
Thank you for your prayers and contribution to what God is doing here.
Serving the Savior with you,
Judy and John
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.
Read more
How God Has Blessed 2016
Missionaries John Mark and Judy Hatcher have been serving the Lord in Tournefeuille, France since 1999. They define their ministry as “disciple-making.”
November 28, 2016
The Hatcher Family
God has added people in the meetings that we have in the Department of Ariege south of us and those involved seem to have a renewed interest and are participating actively. We now meet on a rotating basis in four different homes in three different towns of this department. The meetings in this area started years ago when Judy and I started driving weekly to the city of Mazere to have Bible studies with Douceline. This young lady was a believer who had moved there to take a new job. She was very discouraged. There were no churches less than about 50 miles from her. She has now become a very effective missionary in this region. Her grandmother, an atheist until the end of her earthly life, as far as we know, died last week at the age of 95.
John and Judy Hatcher
4, rue d’Aspin
31170 Tournefeuille, France
JMHatcher[at]aol.com
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