Church Planting in Multiple “Municipíos”
May 16, 2017
Dear Brethren,
The state of Acre has 22 “counties”. Here they are called municípios (municipalities). We are trying to plant churches in all of them. So far, we have churches in 7 of the “county seats”. The 2 largest cities are the capital, Rio Branco, and Cruzeiro do Sul. These churches have been around for years. The other 5 churches are in smaller cities close to us. Now we are going for the most isolated towns that have no Baptist church. We sent a missionary family to the city of Jordão 2 years ago.
This month we made a visit to Jordão and a survey trip to Santa Rosa do Purús. We had to fly to these cities that are deep in the forest and along the Peruvian border. We chartered the New Tribes Mission plane. It was necessary to make and pay for 2 flights as the pilot had to come from way up north in Roraima to make our flights and others over a short 1 week period. New Tribes Mission has a plane here now and mechanics, but still don’t have a pilot stationed here.
Jordão is on the Tarauacá River. The population is 8000 and 60% of these are from the Jaminaus and Kaxinauwa tribes. Our missionary couple is Idevaldo, Queila and their daughters, Vitória and Ludmilla. They have already bought a house and rented a place to hold services. We had a low of 45 people and a high of over 70 in services. One young couple that they have won to Christ have already been trained to help with the music. The man did not play any kind of instrument. Idevaldo taught him to play bass in 3 months. Idevaldo plays guitar and actually made his own instrument! Very talented. Queila has started a kid’s club that has an average of 25 children attending. They have already acquired 2 lots for us to put up our first church building. They are also already doing mission work in the villages and along the streams out of town. I am so proud of them. On Sunday morning, I baptized the first 14 members.
Our visit to the town of Santa Rosa do Purús was exciting, too. This is the smallest town in the Acre: 6000 people. 70% of these are Kaxinauwa. It is almost 2 hours by air. For us to get there by land and river we have to go 250 miles east by road then up river from the bridge on the Purús River for another 225 miles. The Purús is another one of the major tributaries of the Amazon River that flows parallel to the Juruá River. It flows into the Amazon a few hundred miles downstream from the mouth of the Juruá River. In other words, we are getting into a completely new river valley.
There is already a small group of the Kaxinauwa who meet and hold services. The tribe is called “Kaxinauá” by most folks. The name means “people of the bat”, as in the animal. They call themselves “Huni Kuim”, which means “The True People”. Many of the tribes around us see themselves as the original people of the earth and superior to all others. Their “building” is really just a hut. There are 6 poles, thatch roof and dirt floor. We had 50+ in the one service we held. The singing and most of the service was in their native language. My message was NOT in Huni Kuim! They all understand Portuguese.
The town has 15 sects and cults, but no Baptist church, so we are going to try to open the work there soon. There are 46 villages along the river between the border and the bridge, so we have our work cut out for us.
I took Zico (our missions coordinator), Ruben (one of our businessmen), and Rondisson (one of our chapel pastors) along on this trip. Please pray for the new missionary that we need and the funds to support him, whoever he may be. So much to do and so few workers and funds.
Thanks for all of your prayers and support. God bless you as much as He has us.
In Christ,
Mike Creiglow
Mike and Beverly Creiglow
Caixa Postal 24
Cruzeiro do Sul, Acre, Brazil 69980
mdcreig [at] hotmail.com
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The God of Changing Circumstances
March 9, 2017
Dear Friends,
The Lord never ceases to amaze us as He demonstrates His sovereign control over all things. Circumstances come and go, and the result always gives glory to God. If it is not glorifying Him, it is not over yet. Always trust Him. So, during the last few months, the verse that has been ringing in my ears is “…the joy of the Lord is your strength.” Nehemiah 8:10b. We endure all things joyfully, so that He may receive the glory. He does strengthen us, everyday. How comforting it is to know there is nothing our Father cannot resolve. (Can I get an amen?)
Family
As mentioned in last month’s letter, we stopped homeschooling and enrolled our kids in a Brazilian public school for this school year. The educational calendar begins in February and goes through December, with a month break in July. Homeschooling just didn’t work out as we anticipated. We rejoice and are counting our blessings for these reasons: 1) the school is seven minutes away from home; 2) it is one of the best public schools in the country; 3) this change in plans did not incur extra monthly expenses (private schools in São Paulo are generally more expensive than in the States); 4) the kids like their teachers and friends – the are loving it; and, 5) We can interact with our neighborhood families more effectively. One thing is certain, we are so glad the Lord placed us in our current home, as we are within an exceptional school district.
Health wise, Raquel and I are doing well. The children had it rough this last month, everyone was sick with different issues. Laura and Melissa still have an infection and Benjamin continues to have mild stomach pains. All four of them are doing blood work and doctor’s follow-up visits.
Ministry
I was in the States for 9 days during February. I meet with Bros. Randy Jones, Dave Parks and Steve Wainright and was highly encouraged by changes being implemented within Baptist Faith Missions. While in Lexington I also met with several pastor friends – Russel Zik, Donovan Stewart, Tim Parsons and Todd Thomas. Then, drove down to Tennessee and onto Virginia where I participated in the Pastoral Leadership Advisory Board at Liberty University, led by Dr. Dave Adams. There were 41 pastors from across the country, with lectures from Pastors Jonathan Falwell, Ed Hindson, Dave Adams, Troy Temple and Elmer Towns. We also had small group discussions coordinated by Jason Suitt. I connected with pastor friends Russ Dean, Matt Willmington, Tim Grandstaff Sr., Daniel Broyles, Danny Campbell, and Joey Bray. A special thank you to Scott and Cindy Phillips for hosting me in their home. I enjoyed visiting Scott Phillips’ SS class and the folks at Thomas Road B.C. and Living Word B.C.
The Lord has opened incredible doors for sharing the Gospel and mentoring here in São Paulo. We are praying as the Lord is confirming in our hearts where to start the next new works, including something within our own neighborhood. In preparation for this, we need to purchase 100 chairs – each at roughly 40 dollars. As you read this (and, if the Lord lays on your heart), would you consider a financial contribution for chairs? I am thankful for your consideration on this matter.
Adjusting
We are grateful as the Lord has taught us so much over the last 6 months and has guided us over hurdles. As mentioned earlier, our children’s education has been a major adjustment to our original plans. We are also grateful for the local community of English-speaking Expatriates – an informal association of English speakers who meet each month and organize family activities. We all share similar experiences in adjusting to life in this massive metropolis. Raquel and I were glad to be the host home for February’s monthly brunch. We have met so many wonderful people and our kids love interacting with other children who also speak English. Friends are always an encouragement.
Prayer Requests
- Children’s health and education
- Opening new doors for church planting
- 100 chairs
- Personal finances
- Missions Conference at Thompson Road B.C. in Lexington, KY in April
Please, continue to pray for us. We are grateful for every prayer invested on our behalf.
Thankful always,
Jud Hatcher
Judson & Raquel Hatcher
(859) 608-4742
judsonhatcher@gmail.com
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New Full-Time Missionary in Tipisca; Two More Ready to Go
July 9, 2016
Dear Brethren,
Our missionary to Peru, Brother José Maia, just made another visit to the Kaxinauá tribe on the Breu River. This river is the border between Peru and Brazil. The tribe lives 35 miles upstream. This is a very hard trip this time of year. The river is tiny, shallow and full of log jams. He took a young and new arrival from another reservation on the Purús River. This missionary was recommended by a former worker, Eduardo Puricho, who is now working in Pucalpa, Peru. The new guy is Brother Fred. As you may recall, José always has to preach through an interpreter. This time Fred did the preaching in the native language. Seven made professions of faith. Two of these were the twins, Cosma and Damiana’s, parents. Fred has now gone back to bring his wife and children back to Tipisca. He will be our newest full time missionary. Now we are trying to get his support together. With the economic crisis that Brazil is going through, it will be a big challenge. The Lord will provide. We have two other missionaries ready to go to two other fields. They are also waiting for us to get their support together. Pray for us.
Last month I made a visit to our congregation at Serra do Moa on the upper reaches of the Moa River near the mountains. Two of my grandsons went with me. These are 2 of Crissy and Dauro’s boys. Caleb, their oldest, is 11 years old and Adriel is 8. The river is already at its lowest, so we went in and open boat with a jet drive outboard. The going was slow, but easy to get over the logs and shallows. They were really good travelling buddies. On Sunday morning we had a really big crowd. The building was as full as it could get, the porch was full and many standing in the field outside. We had folks from four of our congregations from three other tributaries of the Moa River. After the regular service we went down to the river for a baptism. The river is plenty wide, but very shallow. There is a beach on the church side of the river. The crowd was standing on the beach. I was almost on the other side of the river to find enough depth. Five were baptized. Some of these were Nukini Indians. For the first time ever I took a water proof camera out into the river with me and was able to take a picture of the congregation back on the beach. Pretty neat and I will send you one of those shots along with a picture of the candidates.
We held a baptism and Lord’s supper service at First Baptist Church on Sunday, June 26. There were 21 new members added. The crowds were as big as they could be for our “little” building, both in the morning and at night. It has been a while since both of these services have been this big.
Bev and I are in Rio Branco right now. She underwent some minor surgery and is recovering well. I am here to take care of her. We hope that the doctor will let us go home next Thursday.
Thanks for all of your prayers and support. God bless you as much as He has us.
In Christ,
Mike Creiglow
Mike and Beverly Creiglow
Caixa Postal 24
Cruzeiro do Sul, Acre, Brazil 69980
mdcreig [at] hotmail.com
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Missionary Update: Jud & Raquel Hatcher Stateside from Brazil [May 2016]
May 12, 2016
Dear friends,
We are so thankful to the Lord for you. Here is a snapshot of what has happened and our plans for the near future. Read and pray.
SPRING CONFERENCE
A few days ago Melissa (4 yrs. old) asked, “When will I get to see my friend from the church? He is funny. I want to play with him and hug him.” She was referring to Chaden (Dan & Traci Price’s son, Jim & Mary Miller’s grandson) at Thompson Road Baptist Church during the BFM conference. I was encouraged to see how quickly the two of them hit it off so well. They played, ran and laughed together. An enjoyable experience like this makes the conference even more special. Traci “Miller” Price is a long time family and college friend who travelled to Lexington from Tennessee for the BFM Conference in April. I am so glad the conference generated a meaningful friend for our little Melissa and that our families are connected because of Jesus. The conference was themed “Every disciple… A disciple-maker” and the speakers were a great encouragement to us all. I enjoyed speaking on a subject that is close to my heart, “Disciple-Makers”. I am so grateful to our friends at Thompson Road for the love demonstrated to us all during our time together.
FAMILY
We have a huge blessing to share. Sarah, Laura, Benjamin and Melissa have progressed well in their English language, reading & comprehension skills. When we first arrived in the States in July 2015, they spoke some English, but didn’t know how to read and write. Almost a year later, they are now fluently speaking, thinking and writing in English. The school year will be over on June 9th and they look forward to swimming, camping and hiking during the Summer (until our return to Brazil). In the meantime, we are having fun with the family, which includes Melissa having decided to cut her own hair after finding the scissors. Fun times. Raquel has the privilege of receiving Vanessa Martiny this week. Vanessa and Raquel were in the same doctoral program several years ago. She was also our neighbor for many years in Virginia Beach.
LIBERTY UNIVERSITY EXPERIENCE
The school year at Liberty University is officially over. During this time I was able to influence several hundred students within the undergraduate Pastoral Leadership Program at Liberty. I enjoyed meeting and befriending several world-renowned professors and pastors, locally and from around the country. Thanks to the Lord for the many lasting memories and connections made during this time. In addition to serving as adjunct faculty, I had the privilege of coordinating the LU Pastoral Advisory Board with 51 pastors. I also joined the Pastoral Leadership capstone course panel in oral finals for graduating seniors – an ordination simulation. It has been a blessing to serve under the leadership of my dear friend, Dr. Dave Adams. I was honored to be the recipient of the Liberty University’s “Church Leadership & Church Ministries Service Award” for my time and service invested at the School of Divinity. Following graduation next week, we will hit the road to be with the churches we’ve yet to visit.
VISION FOR CHURCH PLANTING
We are excited about returning to Brazil. Our plan is to move from Manaus to São Paulo as soon as we arrive. The vision in São Paulo City is to church plant using the subway system as our framework. There are 65 terminals and we plan to start churches within vicinity of each terminal entrance/exit. We need your prayers and support as we prepare the teams for each location. A lot of training and equipping is planned. Our vision is to recruit, train, place and network local church pastors for each church plant.
PRAYER REQUESTS
- Kids’ school – When we arrive, Brazilian schools will be in the second semester and we will need to find a school to enroll our four kids.
- Automotive – The sale of our car in the US and purchase of a new one in Brazil.
- Moving – Once we arrive in Brazil we will have to move our belongings from Manaus to São Paulo, a total distance of 2,507 miles by road and river.
- Housing – Upon arrival in São Paulo city we will be looking for a home to live. We are searching for a safe, yet strategic place to call home.
- Finances – Any moving endeavor is always expensive. Pray for the Lord’s provision.
Grateful always,
Jud Hatcher
Furlough Address:
216 Mill View Ln
Lynchburg, VA 24502
(859) 608-4742
judsonhatcher@gmail.com
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