Missionary Update: John Mark & Judy Hatcher in France [November 2015]
Missionaries John Mark and Judy Hatcher have been serving the Lord in Tournefeuille, France since 1999. They define their ministry as “disciple-making.”
November 2, 2015
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
Yesterday our church message was “Surprised by God” from Acts 9 which revolves around Paul’s conversion. Paul was surprised, the soldiers were surprised, believers were surprised, Ananias was surprised, the Jewish leaders were surprised, we are surprised. There are dozens of surprises mentioned in these 31 verses concerning what happened, to whom it happened, how it happened. In all of this we see the hand of God working out His eternal plan of redemption.
And since God’s ways are far above our ways and past finding out, we are often surprised by God. I will share with you a few of these surprises we have seen this month. A couple of nights ago I received a call from Joachim, the first person baptized in the church here in Tournefeuille. That was the culmination of many wonderful surprises. His son trusted Christ and was baptized just before they moved to Hamburg, Germany three years ago. God brought him here where he was saved and moved him on to serve elsewhere. It was great to hear how God is working in his family. They are active in a church and God is at work in them. They were great members here and we miss them terribly. He will be down here for work related medical check-ups next month and we are looking forward to spending more time in fellowship for an evening.
Douceline, the single lady who hosts the Bible studies in Mazere, was surprised by a wild boar the week before last. Late in the evening, as she was driving home from a meeting where we had been together, the wild boar rammed the driver side door of her car, setting off the airbag and making her car a total loss. Just after it happened on a country road, the Lord graciously brought a car of police officers by who gave her a ride home. The car itself had been a gracious surprise a couple of years ago. Dutch missionaries with whom she was acquainted were retiring and leaving the country. Aware of her commitment as a “missionary” in her community and her modest income they gave her this small car which was in excellent shape. The insurance will help her replace the car. Besides the Bible study that we hold in her home with a number of people she also leads two other Bible studies with ladies.
On October 8th we received and a text from Eva. She had just been admitted to the hospital in danger of miscarrying at 20 weeks of pregnancy. On December 5th last year she gave very early birth and their son lived less than a week. Often surprises are unpleasant! She is still confined to bed in the hospital but the pregnancy is progressing. Last week, her doctor told her that he was very impressed by her positive outlook despite the bleak circumstances. She was thrilled to be able to tell her doctor about her faith in Christ. Eva and her husband host a Bible study that we lead in their home in the neighboring department. Sometimes Christ, the light in us, is more visible when we find ourselves in dark surroundings.
Yesterday Rose, who along with her husband and children is relatively new but are faithful members, told about a recent visit to the only person in their extended family besides them who is a believer. This couple was saved through the ministry of an American missionary in another region of France. A few years ago his niece called in tears because her life was falling apart and their changed lives gave her hope. They went to her, witnessed to her and she trusted the Lord. A friend of her mother is a medium and told her that she would not get married and never have any children. She is now active in the church led by the American missionary who led Rose and Jean-Luc to Christ. She met and married a fine young man in this church and just gave birth to their first child! The niece’s family resents the spiritual changes in her, but the last chapter has not yet been written!
This evening Amanda, our wonderful daughter-in-law missionary, is having the first college girls Bible Study with girls from our church. She and Philip also lead a Bible study Thursday. We have a Bible study here on Wednesday and Saturday we have our Youth Outreach. The Bible lesson this week is “God has Spoken through His Son”.
There is more to write, but I would like for you to keep reading our letters. So, I will stop! Thanks for your faithful support. Please keep praying.
Surprised by God in France,
John and Judy
John and Judy Hatcher
4, rue d’Aspin
31170 Tournefeuille, France
JMHatcher[at]aol.com
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Missionary Update: John Mark & Judy Hatcher in France [October 2015]
Missionaries John Mark and Judy Hatcher have been serving the Lord in Tournefeuille, France since 1999. They define their ministry as “disciple-making.”
October 2, 2015
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
Hope this finds you enjoying the Fall colors of our Father’s creation and many other blessings. Judy and I have been home for just a few hours from a month long trip to the United States.
A good part of this time was spent helping David and his wife Dulce following the birth of their 4th child, our 12th grandchild. The oldest child in their family is 7 years old. We were glad to be able to help them with the newborn Lua and others as the school year started. We were also able to spend some valuable time with our daughter Lydia and help them with their four children ages 2 months to 6 years old as Adam, our son-in-law recovered from surgery.
The same day that Adam had surgery in Chicago, Judy was in Cincinnati to help our oldest daughter Laura who was having a serious surgery to place a plate in her forearm to correct damage caused by an accident the week before. We were glad to be able to be of assistance.
Celebrating Alta Hatcher’s 90th birthday!
(Front: John & Alta Hatcher / Back L to R: Paul Hatcher, Kathy Barros, John Mark Hatcher)
On the very day the surgeries were taking place up north, September 14, I was in Clermont, FL with Mom and Dad, Paul (my brother) and Wanda and Kathy (my sister) celebrating Mom’s 90th birthday. The week spent with them was very enjoyable as I also got to spend time with many other friends and family members. We enjoyed a wonderful meal with many on September 15th to again celebrate Mom’s birthday. This allowed us to spend some quality time with Doug and Ramona King our long term friends and supporters.
I thoroughly enjoyed speaking at Hope Baptist Church in the Cincinnati area on September 6 and was blessed by the great hospitality of Steve and Debbie Hall and their family while in their home. Their heart to share the love and Good News of Christ to those in need is evident. We anticipate what God will be doing through this young church.
While in Evansville, IN for a few hours Judy and I were able to visit great friends and fellow servants whom we had the privilege of working with for a quarter of a century, Jim and Carolyn Evans and Frank and Sylvia Schofner. They still are on the front line serving the Lord in Evansville and they faithfully support our ministry in France. While we were rushing around the US, Judy’s dear sister shuttled us, loaned us her car and did many other things to help us as she always does. She also continues to be active daily in reaching others for Christ and discipling believers. God has blessed us far beyond our ability to enumerate.
Meanwhile, things are going well at the church in Tournefeuille and we restart all of our other Bible studies this coming week.
Thanks for your faithful support and prayers.
Sharing the Good News in France,
John and Judy Hatcher
John and Judy Hatcher
4, rue d’Aspin
31170 Tournefeuille, France
JMHatcher[at]aol.com
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Missionary Update: John Mark & Judy Hatcher in France [August 2015]
Missionaries John Mark and Judy Hatcher have been serving the Lord in Tournefeuille, France since 1999. They define their ministry as “disciple-making.”
August 1, 2015
Dear Fellow Servants,
We hope that you are enjoying the Lord’s blessings this summer. Many of you are busy with Vacation Bible School and Youth and Family camps. The effort invested in these summer ministries is well worth it. During our lifetime we have seen many come to Christ and mature spiritually through Christian camps and evangelistic outreach to youth.
The month of July was quite busy which makes me happy. On the 4th of July, the annual neighborhood dinner was held. We are very grateful for this gathering because it gives us the opportunity to build relationships, get acquainted with folks and witness. These usually start at about 6pm and continue to 1 or 2 o’clock in the morning. And at the end there is the clean up.
This year I had the opportunity to communicate our reason for believing with two neighbors. One of these is a professed atheist and the other is an agnostic. This is not the exception in France. Our yard is bordered by four other yards. Three of these four immediate neighbors are atheist. However, we have a cordial relationship with all of them. We sow in hope. According to Christ, our behavior is essential in communicating the gospel to these folks. Jesus said, “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.” Good works in this context does not seem to refer to church activities, but serving others for Jesus sake. Daily, we must ask ourselves, “How can I show the love of Christ to this (or that) individual in my actions?” The apostle Paul seems to mean this in the counsel to “walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil.”
Several years ago a new neighbor informed us that she was an atheist. A little while later she said, “You know I don’t believe in God, but we feel so good when you and Judy are around.” And…we did share meals together quite often. These usually included at least one other family. Often, this lady’s husband would say to everyone at the table, “I have just about come to agree with John” and then to me, “John, tell them what you believe.” About four years after meeting them, she invited us to help her celebrate her 50th birthday along with about 70 or 80 people from all over France. Just as everyone was getting ready to dig in, she stopped them and pointing to Judy and me, said, “These are some of our best friends. He is a pastor. John, please say a few words.” Unexpectedly, she called on me to share the gospel with her friends. Not too long before they moved to a neighboring town, she came running over, knocked on the door to tell us, “I want you to know that I now believe in God and that He has worked personally in my life.” From atheism to this point in her life was a stretch of about 10 years. We love what we are doing in France.
Evidence of God at work in new disciples has also been a part of the blessings this month. Many years ago Judy and I started driving weekly to the city of Mazere which is a bit over an hour’s drive each way. The purpose was to have a weekly Bible study with Douceline, a young Christian lady who lived there, and who was very discouraged because she was alone and over an hour’s drive from any church. She has grown in the Lord. She started to invite people she met to the Bible study. Some of them are now saved. She now sees herself as a missionary to this spiritually needy area. About a dozen persons come to the Bible study and she has individual Bibles studies with others. While she was gone on vacation this summer, a couple that has been coming for about two years invited us hold the Bible study in their home. Then another lady who has been coming for about a year invited us to hold the next one at her home and to stay for dinner afterwards. This is one of the individuals with whom Douceline has been having Bible studies investigating the Gospel. This lady who invited us is married to a likable young man who is an atheist. I will include some snapshots of the evening.
Well, I will save the rest for another month. This letter is beginning to look like a journal. Thank you for your regular participation in what God is doing here. We thank God for you daily. May His richest blessings fill your life.
Joyfully sharing the Good News in France,
John and Judy
John and Judy Hatcher
4, rue d’Aspin
31170 Tournefeuille, France
JMHatcher[at]aol.com
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Missionary Update: John Mark & Judy Hatcher in France [April 2015]
Missionaries John Mark and Judy Hatcher have been serving the Lord in Tournefeuille, France since 1999. They define their ministry as “disciple-making.”
April 7, 2015
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
The Spring Conference hosted by Thompson Rd. Baptist Church starts 3 weeks from yesterday and we hope to see you there. It has been six years since we last participated in this conference in Lexington, KY. It is not possible for us to be away from Tournefeuille, France for lengthy periods of time, particularly during the school year, without adversely affecting the work here. We will be in the USA for just a few days to celebrate Dad’s 90th birthday and to attend the Spring Missionary Conference.
The main work here in Tournefeuille is going quite well. I am including some pictures taken during the song part of the service Sunday. We have had new visitors and promises from several others to come as well. The Lord has given us a number of good contacts lately and we are grateful for these opportunities to share the Good News.
At Pujaudran, our newest Bible study there have been new folks at each meeting and a great participation. The couple who host this Bible study came here in a job transfer and we met them shortly after they arrived. They were already believers and are great recruiters. Eva, the wife, was born in Malta to Polish parents. She grew up in Australia where she was taken to a Baptist Youth camp by a friend. She trusted the Lord and was baptized in a Baptist church. He grew up in a family of believers and trusted the Lord early in life. Their example underscores the importance of making disciples who are in love with the Lord and ready to communicate that love with others.
In Mazere, things are also going quite well. At our meeting last Wednesday we had two first time participants. Douceline the young lady who hosts this study in her home also has Bible studies with two other ladies at other times during the week. We are very encouraged by what is happening in this town.
There are other Bible studies that we do not lead. Philip and Amanda have a Bible study once a week and Wendy, the single missionary who works with us also hosts a weekly Bible study.
Inductive Bible studies are the primary means that we use to communicate the Gospel to those who do not know Christ. After people trust the Lord, these continue and become the primary means of discipleship. When people do not know God or do not have any knowledge of His word, they must first understand before they can trust. Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God. A passage which encouraged us to move in this direction is Paul’s experience at Ephesus which led to Gospel being propagated throughout Asia Minor where Paul himself was not able to enter earlier, he departed from them and withdrew the disciples, reasoning daily in the school of Tyrannus. And this continued for two years, so that all who dwelt in Asia heard the word of the Lord Jesus, both Jews and Greeks. (Acts 19:9-10)
So, we continue and are thankful daily for your faith support.
Anticipating getting to see you at the Lexington Conference,
John and Judy
4, rue d’Aspin
31170 Tournefeuille, France
JMHatcher[at]aol.com
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Missionary Update: John Mark & Judy Hatcher in France [March 2015]
Missionaries John Mark and Judy Hatcher have been serving the Lord in Tournefeuille, France since 1999. They define their ministry as “disciple-making.”
March 5, 2015
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
We hope this finds you enjoying the Lord’s blessings. You are a blessing to us and the work of the Lord in France.
As mentioned in our last letter, Darrell and Shirley Messer were with us for a few days early in February. We certainly enjoyed visiting with them. Unfortunately, our winter school vacation started just as they arrived and our Sunday meeting was a record low for the last couple of years. Several of our regularly scheduled Bible studies and activities did not take place for the same reason, but the Messers were able to see some of what God is doing here.
Two days ago, Judy and I celebrated our 42nd wedding anniversary. It is hard to believe that it was really that long ago. When I was about ten years old, my mother encouraged us in one of our family devotional times to begin praying for the person God wanted us to marry. I began doing this on a regular basis and God certainly answered my prayers. As Christ and the apostle Paul tell us, some people receive the gift of being able to serve the Lord as a single person. I am so grateful for several believers that I know who have committed their lives to the service of God as single people. The Lord created us and knows us intimately. He certainly knew that I would not be very effective alone. I am thankful beyond words for the life and ministry mate God gave me.
Last week we started a new Bible study in the neighboring department. We had intended on starting it two months ago but the host couple lost a newborn child and postponed the first meeting. I had met this couple last November when they arrived in our area with a job transfer. What a wonderful surprise we had for the kick off last Wednesday. Thinking that there would be perhaps 6 individuals present, we were thrilled to have a dozen. This new couple are great recruiters. Judy and I both delightfully await what God will do through this Bible study. Our other Bible studies are going well as are the Sunday meetings.
Dad turns 90 in April and we are planning to be in the US for just a few days to celebrate this event with Dad and the family and also to attend the Spring Missions Conference hosted by Thompson Rd. Baptist Church in Lexington, KY. It has been 6 years since we were last at this conference. I would love to see you there.
We pray that God will meet your needs and use you as His light where you live. Please pray for us.
Proclaiming the Good News in France,
John and Judy Hatcher
4, rue d’Aspin
31170 Tournefeuille, France
JMHatcher[at]aol.com
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Missionary Update: John Mark & Judy Hatcher in France [February 2015]
Missionaries John Mark and Judy Hatcher have been serving the Lord in Tournefeuille, France since 1999. They define their ministry as “disciple-making.”
February 5, 2015
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
We hope this finds you well. Your faithful support reflects your faith in God whose grace is evident every day. In a couple of days we will be blessed with the arrival of Darrell and Shirley Messer. Since we are having unusually cold weather they will have a bit of adjustment to make. They are stopping by here on their return from the tropical climate of Kenya where they have been visiting the Tates and Radfords, our fellow missionaries. Modern travel is certainly easier than the way Paul and his companions traveled.
A few hours of travel can land you in a place that is very different from your place of departure. However, this past month shows us that a few hours can bring many surprises even if you are not traveling. The 7th of January was my birthday, just two days after I last wrote you. Little did I know as I was typing the letter to you how outstanding my birthday would be this year. On that day I received a notice from the Prefecture that I had been granted a 10 years resident card. It has been 10 years since we first applied for this card for which we then, in theory, were qualified. The granting of this status now means that we can avoid several days of navigating the administrative corridors each year. We hope to get Judy’s card later this year. Yes, it is a separate process.
The other event, more shocking, on my recent birthday, was the breaking news of the mass murders that took place in Paris. This became the subject of many conversations and has opened doors for sharing the gospel. Society here is very fractured and those in leadership scramble to find solutions. The attempted solutions, however, have led to more deeply embedded divisions. The need of the gospel and its application to the everyday lives of believers becomes more evident against the backdrop of animosity resulting from sinful behavior and rejection of the true God Who is love.
This is underscored by research done recently here that shows that 80% of French young men who have joined the jihad movement and become warriors (There have been a surprising number of these and it is often on the news.) are from mainline atheist families. It would seem that these young men are seeking a reason to live and in so doing are caught up in radical movements which claim to be doing God’s will.
Last week, just before our Bible study in Mazere started we heard about an incident that illustrates the hatred of human behavior. A young man about 12 years old who comes to this meeting had been threatened with death by a schoolmate because he represents “the other side”. His mother was quite worried about the safety of her son. Last night, I heard a wonderful ending to this story. In this Bible study we are studying the Sermon on the Mount. The command to “love your enemies” was imprinted on this young man’s heart and without saying anything to anyone he went back to school and told his “enemy” that he loved him. They have become friends though they live in different “camps”. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we, God’s children, really applied this principle daily?
Well, this is a glimpse of what has been happening here. Thank you for faithful support that enables us to announce the Good News from our wonderful Creator and Savior.
In France in Christ,
John and Judy
4, rue d’Aspin
31170 Tournefeuille, France
JMHatcher[at]aol.com
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Missionary Update: John Mark & Judy Hatcher in France [November 2014]
Missionaries John Mark and Judy Hatcher have been serving the Lord in Tournefeuille, France since 1999. They define their ministry as “disciple-making.”
November 5, 2014
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
Next week is the Thanksgiving Conference hosted annually by New Hope Baptist Church in Dearborn, MI. We are grateful, members of New Hope, for all the hard work and financial commitment that you give annually to this event because you love the Lord, those who need Christ and us. Our prayer is that God will use these meetings for His glory and the blessing of all who attend.
The Vacation Bible School, held the week before last, went well and some of the children attended for the first time. Our theme this year was the Word of God. Job commitments reduced the number of people from our congregation involved in teaching and helping with the children. However, the leadership team worked together smoothly and we were very happy with the outcome.
We are also happy with the development so far of the free English class for young children who live near us. This has opened a door with the parents. One of the parents mentioned that she told a friend of hers about our introduction of kids to “the faith” and that when we had Vacation Bible School next time this friend wanted to send her children.
Our next monthly youth meeting is this coming Saturday. We continue to have new children at nearly every meeting. Reaching children and young people is very important. Generally, people here think that believing in God and interest in spiritual things is a thing of the past and only for unintelligent people. Having contact with young folks who have not yet become hardened is a great opportunity.
During the past month we have had the opportunity to develop a number of new contacts and friendships. Some of these came unexpectedly as extensions of former relationships. We also reconnected with people we had not seen for a while. Please, pray with us that God will continue to open doors and that we will use the opportunities effectively.
May the Lord’s richest blessings be evident to you today.
John and Judy Hatcher in France
John and Judy Hatcher
4, rue d’Aspin
31170 Tournefeuille, France
JMHatcher[at]aol.com
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Missionary Update: John Mark & Judy Hatcher in France [July 2014]
Missionaries John Mark and Judy Hatcher have been serving the Lord in Tournefeuille, France since 1999. They define their ministry as “disciple-making.”
July 5, 2014
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
We hope this finds you enjoying the Lord. What a privilege we have as God’s children with continuous access to our Father and Saviour and with His Spirit united to ours. It is also a wonderful honor to represent the Eternal God, Creator of all things to the people who live around us.
Just after writing our last letter we participated in the annual outdoor dinner of our neighborhood which takes place in the street in front of our house. We made new friends and were able to reconnect with some people that we have not seen for a while.
During the past month we have spent part of our time reviewing the past year and making plans for the coming year. We discussed what we would teach in Sunday School, Vacation Bible School and Youth meetings. We determined changes that needed to be made in class groupings and how to effectively do what God has placed us here to do. We have also discussed ways that we can connect with the people that we are here to reach.
One of the things that Judy and I are going to be doing this coming year is an English Club to help young children in our neighborhood get started learning English. This is a result of a request made by the parents of these children. Judy and Amanda did this for several years in Tournefeuille and Judy and Wendy had an English Bible Club in the city of L’Union for several years. These have given us many long term opportunities. Several of the young people who now come to our monthly youth meetings are from families that we served in this way in the past. We follow the example of Paul who said, “I made myself servant unto all, that I might gain the more.” Judy also donated her time to teach English twice a week for several years in the past in one of our local public elementary schools.
English proficiency is required for anyone wanting to advance in white collar jobs and this is a need that opens doors for us. Parents are very interested in their children learning English to prepare them for the future. We want to serve them in this area to open the door to prepare them for eternity.
This is also a good time to remind you to pray for Philip, Amanda and their family, and Wendy who serve with us. Wendy is a single missionary who is supported by friends and churches in the US and Philip works as an engineer here to support his family while they serve with us. We thank God for your prayers and faithful support over many years.
Attendance in the services and Bible studies has been good and we see evidence of the Grace of God.
Serving with you for our Saviour in France,
John and Judy
John and Judy Hatcher
4, rue d’Aspin
31170 Tournefeuille, France
JMHatcher[at]aol.com
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