Blessings in the Battles
January 25, 2022
Dear Friends,
Life is a battle! It isn’t ONLY a battle, but it is a battle. We thank the Lord that we are “more than conquerors through him that loves us.” Throughout 2020, the first year of COVID-19 in the USA and in Brazil, people commented on how bad of a year it was, anxiously waiting for 2021 to arrive. During that same year, our ministries and our personal lives were greatly challenged, yet we saw some of the biggest increases we’d ever experienced. Jesus was Lord in that year! Then, 2021 rolled in and the battles continued. We nearly lost our daughter to COVID, we did lose some church members and we had to adapt our ministries in ways that required extra funding while several of our members were out of work or income. The Lord still blessed, and the congregation grew, and more people were baptized, and we were blessed with the gift of an outreach ministry that only came about BECAUSE of COVID. The battles have been real and not pleasant at all, but through them all, Jesus continued to be our Captain and Lord.
This all brings me to the beginning of 2022. It has begun with more battles. At our first Missionary Training Seminar we were hosting volunteer missionaries from several states for two weeks of evangelistic outreach. The first week of Bible study went without a hitch. Then we proceeded to travel with them into the interior of two states to share the gospel publicly in parks and squares. In just a short time more than half of the team developed symptoms of COVID and the trip had to be aborted. Several of the leaders and volunteers are in isolation, even as I write. Charlene and I both contracted COVID for the second time, but by the grace of God, we have fully recovered. We don’t see these circumstances as being signs of another “bad year.” Rather, we see them as proofs that Jesus’ words that, “in this world, ye shall have tribulation” are true. But we also firmly believe that the rest of that sentence He spoke is true as well, “but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.” We know we are in good hands. I can’t honestly say, “Bring on the battles,” without trepidation, but I can say that I know for certain that the Lord will be with us no matter what troubles come our way and I joyfully look forward to the victories that will be ours in Christ Jesus.
Oh, and by the way, we are dealing with the issue of not having enough space for the increase in attendance at our services and we have baptized more new converts in the last several months than in any other equal period in our 36 years of ministry. The Lord is so faithful to keep His promises! We love Him and praise Him.
Thank you who pray faithfully for us, and you who give so that we may be here to serve. We know that you are co-laborers with us in what the Lord is doing here in southern Brazil.
In Christ’s love,
Bobby and Charlene Wacaser
Contact Info:
Bobby & Charlene Wacaser
Rua Laudelino Ferreira Lopes, 279
Sobrado 1, Novo Mundo
81050-310 Curitiba, PR. Brasil
Phone: 55-41-99899-2333
bobbymichael_1@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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Finally in Brazil!
June 21, 2021
Dear friends and family,
Well we are finally in Brazil. It took a lot of doing but we made it here on the 4th of June. We have been enjoying the time with the family, especially the granddaughters as it has been almost two years since we have seen them. Our time here in Brazil has reminded me of the luxuries that we enjoy in the United States. Some of these are Wi-fi, good cell reception — all the time. Then I start thinking about driving and its difference between the States and in Brazil. I truly do not miss all the challenges.
While here in Brazil I have visited many old friends, made new acquaintances, and talked with many pastors. It looks like there are some pastors here who have an interest in the seminary. God is AWESOME!!!
Finding pastors and leaders in churches to study in the seminary is not the problem we have with the Seminary, but where we are to have the seminary is the problem.
COVID restrictions are still very strenuous. And the people not yet received their injections for COVID. The churches where I have preached are in compliance with the restrictions. But with all these problems, the people are still very active and attentive for the gospel.
For us to be able to travel internationally, we had to jump through several hoops. All that being said, God took care of all our obstacles and most before we began our journey.
This month we are completing two Zoom classes and it has been great to have been here to help with all the problems. However, most of my help has been only with administration issues, i.e., classes students have taken, what do they need to finish, etc.
If all goes well, we are looking for October to be our first graduation in our Master’s program and that will be in São Paulo City.
As of now we are having classes in two cities and three other cities are waiting to be able to participate in person—this we hope to do in October. Several students have had complications and three of our students have died from COVID. Please pray for these families. Also continue to pray for all the students as they live through these problems as we do also. We do have more resources than they do. But one thing we all have in common is that we serve the same AWESOME God.
Our prayer requests: safe travels for our return to the US, the churches and their pastors here in Brazil, our Seminary professors, Dr. Derek, Dr. Edge, Dr. Waltermire, Dr. Scherer, and others who are planning to come on board. Thank you each and every one for your continued support through prayers and donations to us through Baptist Faith Missions.
In His service,
Aj and Barbara
CONTACT INFO
AJ & Barbara Hensley
592 Emery Court
Lexington, KY 40505
AJ: 859-539-2302 | Barbara: 859-539-1424
ajcaragua@gmail.com
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A Soldier Called Home
May 28, 2021
Dear Friends,
In a letter I wrote a couple of months ago I told about a dear couple, Emmanuel and Maria, who had retired from their secular jobs to engage in fulltime evangelism. Both, they and their grown children all contracted COVID in March and were treated with medications to recover. All six of them recovered from COVID, but sadly, Emmanuel suffered heart failure due to pre-existing conditions and the Lord saw fit to take him on to heaven. His family and our church family are very sad that he is no longer with us, but we do rejoice that Emmanuel has finished his race and is enjoying the presence of our Savior. Even while he was in the hospital he was a soldier for the Lord. Four people who were either roommates or visitors came to know Christ through his testimony and that of his family as they shared their faith through the gospel.
Nearly a year ago, a teenage girl who attended our services turned to Christ and was baptized. Her parents are divorced and she divides her time, living with both parents for a couple of weeks at a time. Both of her parents have been Spiritists (demon worshippers) all of her life. When she first wanted to be baptized, her father wouldn’t allow it. She respected her father’s will and waited to be baptized until he gave his permission. Her changed behavior after her conversion was so stark that her father was convicted of his own need for forgiveness and just last week we baptized him after his surrender to Christ! It is amazing to see how joyful this man has become. We are now praying for the girl’s mother to come to Christ also.
Charlene and I want to thank you who pray for us faithfully. We see constantly evidence of God’s blessings upon our health and fruit in our ministries and we are grateful to you who pray and give that we may continue serving here in Curitiba, Brazil.
In Christ’s love,
Bobby and Charlene Wacaser
Contact Info:
Bobby & Charlene Wacaser
Rua Laudelino Ferreira Lopes, 279
Sobrado 1, Novo Mundo
81050-310 Curitiba, PR. Brasil
Phone: 55-41-99899-2333
bobbymichael_1@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
Read more
Dedicated Students in Seminary Classes
Dear friends and family,
What an AWESOME God we serve! I have so much to tell about the problems and blessings and answered prayers it is almost impossible to tell it all in a short letter. But here goes—in April we have completed two virtual Seminary classes. There were two different locations participating: São Paulo and Campins. These cities joined together to take these classes. Normally in São Paulo we have 32 students and in Campins we have 14 students. The virtual classes for April we had 29 students combined. This is an AWESOME blessing considering the problems with COVID—lack of work and lockdowns going on there in Brasil.
We all know that when God is at work the devil will pop up his ugly head when and where he can. To begin with, one of our primary Brasilian leaders and supporters, Pastor Marco de Silva and his wife both contracted COVID. His symptoms were milder than hers, so she has been hospitalized and has been intubated. So please pray for them (more on their conditions after the classes). He, however, took the classes. How AWESOME is that type of dedication.
Another student was still in the hospital yet he took the classes from his hospital bed. Many others have similar stories showing their determination to improve their Pastoral leadership. They are simply amazing, not only overcoming COVID problems, but many others, one of those major problems being financial with job losses and many places being shut down temporarily and others being completely closed.
Through it all God answered prayers. We reached out to various churches and individuals and many donations for these classes came in. We were able, with your help, to grant scholarships to every student in these classes. It is always AWESOME to see God work in these matters.
So let me now give you the testimony of a new student to Bluegrass Baptist Seminary: Matheus Godoy, a new student to BBS who attended the virtual courses offered April 19-23 and 26-30. Previously Matheus attended a Bible College in the town where he lived. He had only taken one course when the COVID pandemic occurred and, due to the pandemic, he lost his job and could no longer pay for any more courses at the Bible College. After several months of waiting and struggling, he was forced to move back home to live with his parents. Discouragement overtook him as he lost faith of fulfilling God’s calling until one of our students and translators, Maycon Ribeiro, shared with him about BBS. Maycon invited Matheus to attend the virtual class being offered in April. Matheus’ discouragement turned into joy, especially when he found out that he had been given a scholarship for not just one course but for BOTH courses due to the donations to support the students in the Seminary. Just when Matheus thought his calling would go unanswered, God provided a way through YOU for that calling to continue.
So let us all give thanks for the contributions given by Churches, Pastors, BFM conference and many others to sponsor these seminary students during their very trying times. AWESOME is the God we serve. Two classes completed, all passed, all received scholarships—that makes for an AWESOME month.
Pastor Marcos is recovering very well and his wife who was 6 weeks hospitalized, intubated, and later tracked, is now home recovering—PRAYER WORKS!!!
We have scheduled 2 more virtual classes in June and will need help for some more scholarships for these students. Barbara and I will be leaving for Brasil on the 3rd of June to prepare for the next in country fall classes. Please pray for us and our protection from COVID as we travel internationally.
Once again THANKS for your financial support as we continue to follow God’s calling in our lives.
In His service,
Aj and Barbara
CONTACT INFO
AJ & Barbara Hensley
592 Emery Court
Lexington, KY 40505
AJ: 859-539-2302 | Barbara: 859-539-1424
ajcaragua@gmail.com
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Praying for Brazilian Pastors & Brothers
Friends and family,
I cannot say it has been a very busy month but I have had the privilege of getting to pray more for our Brazilian Pastors and brothers. There is one in particular and his name is Daniel. I made his acquaintance in Campinas, São Paulo in our Seminary class. He is a very active pastor and is working in three missions—quite an active pastor. He has been in the hospital with COVID for the past four weeks. He is now off the ventilator and is showing marked improvement. We have been able to follow his recovery through family and other Pastors. God is AWESOME.
Sometimes I feel a little guilty in that here in America we are getting the vaccine for COVID and other countries are so slow in gaining access to the same medicine.
We have been able to visit Virginia Beach where we have supporters. In the past we have had many visitors from the churches there. They have helped with the missions there and the ministry to the people. It still amazes the people in Brasil that people from America would use their vacation to come to work with them. What an AWESOME God we serve.
We have our tickets for our trip to Brasil for seminary classes in São Paulo. However, we are hearing that there is no improvement in the pandemic. But we all know who is in control and He will let us return at the appropriate time.
Please keep us in your prayers as we are on hold with our plans for Seminary and ministry to Brasil.
Many thanks to all who keep us in your prayers. Please continue to pray for the Seminary, the teachers, the students, and for Brasil.
Thanks to all of you who contribute to BFM and all the missionaries that are supported by those contributions.
In His service,
Aj and Barbara
CONTACT INFO
AJ & Barbara Hensley
592 Emery Court
Lexington, KY 40505
AJ: 859-539-2302 | Barbara: 859-539-1424
ajcaragua@gmail.com
Read more
Depending on God in Trying Times
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.
February 16, 2021
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
Hope all are doing well. We are doing well and being cared for by our Lord and Savior. So many times God protects us without us realizing how much. Our son Jonas and his wife were sick with some symptoms of Covid. So we decided to have them tested and we also decided to be tested to see if we had had it. Well, to our surprise, our son and his wife tested negative, and me and Kathy tested that we had been infected and were in the 2nd stage. We had felt no symptoms at all in the last 5 weeks. We praise God for His care and protection.
We had been without services since the last week of December. There had been lots of problems in the community around the church. We started back this last Sunday. We told the members that those who felt comfortable in coming to come. We had about 20-25 to come. Things in Manaus are really bad and many people are dying. Several people that we know have died. God, help us to be wise in doing our part and helping others. The real truth is that we depend on the Lord.
Kathy has not been going to the community of Ubim. Since she works with the children, she decided to wait until the situation in the village gets better. The virus had increased there and some people died. The Lord willing, she will start back next week. Kathy had planned on starting a project with the mothers of the kids that come to the kids’ ministry. That’s when the Covid virus broke out there. Pray that things will get better so that they can start this program with the mothers.
One of our new projects that we are doing with a pastor friend is drilling wells in communities where the people have no water. Where we live, there are many communities with that problem. The first one we did was at the church in Ubim. Now we are starting one in a village called Christ King. There are 40 families that live in this village. A pastor friend has a work there and his wife has a kids program she does there also.
We want to thank you so much for your prayers. Please continue to pray for God’s protection and for Him to give us the wisdom we need to do the ministry in the midst of all these difficult times. Thanks for your support. Things would be difficult if we didn’t have your help. We are helping a Venezuelan family that has 5 kids and 2 of them have physical problems.
Thank God for each of you!
Love in our Lord and Savior,
Odali and Kathy Barros
Drill for the well 
Kids in Christ King Community 
Church in Christ King Community
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.
Read more
Recovering from Covid-19
December 14, 2020
Dear Brethren,
Greetings from “I don’t even know how to describe this place anymore.” Cruzeiro is well in to its second wave of Covid-19, yet there is all kinds of construction going on, schools are closed (all year), restaurants are open and business seems to be booming.
As many of you already know, the Creiglow family is going through the virus phase. We are not sure how many of us have had it, but it seems to be somewhere between 8 and 10 of the 14 family members. It looks now like Bev may have been the first. Her test was the first to show antibodies. Now Andrew’s 2 oldest have it. I was the only one hospitalized. As it turns out I had the coronavirus and dengue fever at the same time. Recovery has been slow, but steady.
First Baptist was forced to halt services back on March 18th. We started back in September with one service and at only 50% of our normal attendance. It grew gradually in size and number of services per week. Then the second wave hit. We dropped 20%. Now we are back up to where we were before the second wave. The drop, by the way, coincided with our election frenzy here. Lots of big rallies every day for 2 months. This down period was also when I was out of commission.
Bev and I got to go back to church yesterday, December 13th. We had good crowds morning and evening. 624 for the day. I was surprised to see so many visitors. There was a young mom who came back into fellowship after being away for 6 years. There were also 2 professions of faith. Although Dauro and I are not preaching just yet, we were at the doors to dismiss the crowd in the evening service. It is so strange to just have to stand there smiling and speaking to folks, but not knowing if a person wants to shake your hand or get a hug. Many do, but some just walk by with a sheepish smile. Awkward!
Construction at Jordão
Continue to pray for us and for Cruzeiro do Sul. Many friends have left this earth during this year.
Thanks for all of your prayers and support. God bless you as much as He has us.
In Christ,
Mike Creiglow
CONTACT INFO
Mike & Beverly Creiglow
Caixa Postal 24
69980 Cruzeiro do Sul, Acre
Brasil, SA
mdcreig@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.
Read more
In Isolation with Covid
November 19, 2020
Good afternoon,
Time for me to report to you on some new health issues. 11 days ago I fell ill and had to stop all my work. The suspicion was Covid-19. Here in this part of the world they will not even test until you have 8 days of symptoms. For that reason, I have held off on what was happening. My doctor and a lab technician started caring for me until time for the test. The doctor got me on medication. On Tuesday she had me go to the hospital to run several tests. She kept me for 2 days. The state built a brand new wing on our hospital for Covid patients and treatment. After a cat scan, blood work and the swab test, they discovered that I do have Covid-19, plus dengue fever and an enlarged aorta. Bev was also tested and they discovered that she is positive and has antibodies. A full week before I got sick Bev had just one symptom that did not trigger any suspicion. At the same time my grandson Caleb had all the tell-tale symptoms including loss of smell and taste. Then my daughter Crissy and her husband Dauro also got it. So, we don’t know who got it first or where it came from. Anyway, I am home now. My treatment for the 2 diseases continues. It is challenging. For now, I seem to be recovering. Of course, the rumor mill is cranking out fake news. Bev just got a call from a friend in another city in Brazil who had heard that I am on my last leg in the ICU!
Bev and I are now in total isolation for the next 14 days. We are not allowed out and nobody is allowed in here. We would like for you to pray for our family. I felt like I needed to let you know about all of this. Sorry I had to wait this long, but now you know. Thanks to all of you.
In Christ,
Mike Creiglow
CONTACT INFO
Mike & Beverly Creiglow
Caixa Postal 24
69980 Cruzeiro do Sul, Acre
Brasil, SA
mdcreig@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.
Read more
