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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Missionary Update: John Mark & Judy Hatcher in France [November 2013]
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, 2013
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
The month of October was encouraging in many ways. We had a full house nearly every Sunday of the month. Forty people in our living room is a full house. There is good evidence of God at work in the lives of believers.
On the 12th of October we had the first youth meeting for this school year. We were expecting a pretty good turn out and we were not disappointed. We had 23 adolescents. This is all a result of friends bringing friends. This coming Saturday will be the 2nd youth meeting of this school year. We would appreciate your prayers for these meetings. It is really a great opportunity to communicate the Gospel. Since half of the French population is atheist, 10% muslim, 2 % active Catholics and the rest “non-practicing”, the general opinion is that only the mentally incompetent and freaks believe the Bible. By the time people reach adulthood they are very hardened and biased against Christ.
The week before last we had Vacation Bible School which also went very well. Our lessons this year were on the “big picture” of God’s plan for human beings. We taught about Creation, The Fall, The Flood and the ministry of Christ to save us. Amanda also prepared and wrote songs that emphasized the truths we studied. Nothing helps one remember the truth better than setting it to a memorable tune. The value of music in praise of God and retention of His revelation is emphasized throughout the Scriptures. It is really great to work with such a talented and committed team of workers.
Another opportunity this month was the result of a sad event. One of the ladies that made profession of faith a few years ago committed suicide. I believe that she really knew the Lord, but she certainly had a lot of ups and downs in her life. However, the funeral service did give an opportunity to proclaim the gospel to folks from different backgrounds including several Muslims. We are reminded regularly that we are here because our world is a fallen world that is filled with people who are in desperate need of Christ.
I will close with the testimony of a lady who is member here. She was not saved here, but came here from another Baptist Church after they moved to a city neighboring our city. She grew up in a home of atheists. Nevertheless, God gave her a hunger to know him and she went searching. She went to a reformation church to take religious classes but as it turned out the pastor who gave the classes did not even believe that the Bible was God’s word. Knowing of her interest in searching for God, someone invited her to a series of Bible studies where she trusted Christ. However, no one explained to her the need to participate in a church. When she was 17 years old she spent a few months in South Africa helping in an orphanage, I think. While she was there she read through the entire Bible. Two of many things that came out of reading her Bible was first, she was impressed by the faithfulness of God as revealed in the Old Testament. Secondly, she recognized the need to be a part of a body of believers. She was at that age more independent and able to follow through with what she realized was God’s will. Her parents still are not saved but she is married and she and her Christian husband have 2 children and participate regularly with us.
Thanks for participating with us in what God is doing here. God is using you to meet our needs as we seek to serve Him here.
Serving with You,
4, rue d’Aspin
31170 Tournefeuille, France
JMHatcher[at]aol.com
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Missionary Update: John Mark & Judy Hatcher in France [October 2013]
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, 2013
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
The beginning of the school year is always a time for changing gears. It is the beginning of a new year of Bible curriculum for our children’s Sunday School classes. We seek to give the children a good overview of the entire Bible during their primary years. Unfortunately, there is not available in French the large quantity of materials for visuals and reinforcing activities as there are in English and even Spanish and Portuguese. This is due to the fact that the number of French-speaking believers and churches there are is much smaller than those who speak English, Spanish and Portuguese. This means that we spend a lot of time preparing teaching materials. However, this is an activity that I enjoy.
I should say that preparation is much easier with computers, printers and internet than it was earlier in my life when the main tools were books in print, mimeograph (remember those beasts?) and similar tools. Sometimes, retrograde makes a good impression. Kids who are accustomed to television and videos love flannel graph.
Part of our preparation involves getting ready for Vacation Bible School. We have found through trial and error that it works better having this ministry oriented toward children during the first Fall school break (which is two weeks long) than during summer vacation. Among other reasons, our attendance is much better at this time of the year because few families leave town in the Fall as compared to Summer. This year are lessons focus on the Creation, Fall, Flood and Jesus Christ, the Savior.
The first of our monthly youth meetings for this school year will take place next week. There are now a number of young people who come to these who are children of our friends–people who do not (yet) attend church or Bible studies but who trust us with their children. They ask to contribute food and drinks for the break time. We are thrilled about this and for a similar situation with children who attend Vacation Bible School. Loving and faithful service toward peoples children usually opens the ears and hearts of the parents, as well.
Generally, children and young people are more open to God’s Word and the Bible than adults. They have built up less defenses against God. We love reaching out to adults, but the process is much longer term with most adults. Also, children and young people who trust the Lord generally are easier to disciple and are more likely to put in place habits which they need for spiritual growth.
We are happy that the number of workers is slowly increasing. Our goal is believers who are disciples functioning in all the essential parts of the church which is the Body of Christ.
Thank you for your investment of what God gives you in the ministry in France.
May God’s richest blessing be evident to you today.
In France serving God together with you,
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 2013]
Missionaries John Mark and Judy Hatcher have been serving the Lord in Tournefeuille, France since 1999. They define their ministry as “disciple-making.”
April 1, 2013
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
Thank you for your participation in the ministry here. Judy and I pray for you daily and thanking God for your faithfulness. Four weeks ago we celebrated 40 years of marriage. We enjoyed a quiet evening meal in a restaurant and reviewed God’s blessings on our lives. Little did we know, when we started our life together, what our Savior had in store for us. We are grateful for what He has done and is doing in the lives of children and grandchildren. Serving our Lord together has been a great joy as we have seen many come to new life in Christ. When Judy and I married, she had not been out of Kentucky too many times, but six weeks after committing ourselves to each other in the Lord we moved to Brazil. The Lord has enabled us to be witnesses on three different continents. The journey has truly been an adventure.
So, presently we are in France, a very different culture from Brazil or the United States of America. Our Creator and Redeemer, however, is “the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.” God has chosen us, His redeemed children, to be His witnesses in the sea of humanity so desperately in need of the eternal life that He offers.
A view of John Mark & Judy’s neighborhood from their front window.
Here are a few tidbits from our adventure this month. Early in the month, we were invited to dinner in the home of a couple who live just around the corner from us. They have been our neighbors for about a year and wanted to show their appreciation to us because we watched their house and watered their plants while they were away on vacation. During the evening we talked to them and another neighbor couple about faith in God. Neither of these couples have any religious practice.
About the same time, I had a lengthy discussion with a neighbor just across the street about God, homosexual marriages and abortion. This family, with three children, drive some distance on Sundays to go to a church that has mass in Latin, because, according to him, “it is the Universal language.” To our knowledge this family is the only one in our large neighborhood that goes to church anywhere. We pray that they will understand that they need Christ instead of a religion.
Yesterday, as we were heading home on a typical Sunday afternoon walk with our family here, I had the chance to spend some time talking to a young couple who live on a street parallel to ours. She recently began singing in the choir in which I sing. Yesterday, I met her husband for the first time and had a lengthy conversation with them. He was born in Israel and is a non-practicing Jew. His grandparents moved from Poland to France after the second World War. They left France to establish themselves in Israel in 1951. His father was born in Israel just a few months later. A few weeks ago, as we were waiting for choir practice to start, this lady asked me why we were in France. As I began to tell her, another lady, to whom I have witnessed on several occasions said, “Be careful, or he will convert you!”
There are countless other stories that could be told. There are multitudes of individuals who are lost and in need of a Savior. We have the Good News. I wish they were all saved. We keep sowing the seed and waiting for the Harvest. Thanks again for your participation in this endeavor.
Sowing the Good seed in France,
John and Judy Hatcher
4, rue d’Aspin
31170 Tournefeuille, France
JMHatcher[at]aol.com
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Missionary Update: The Radfords in Kenya [November 2012]
Nathan and Carrie Radford serve the Lord in Kitale, Kenya. Their main ministries include indigenous church planting, a prison ministry, and a hospital ministry for mothers with premature babies.
November 1, 2012
Dear praying friends,
Another month has quickly passed, and we are now at the end months of the year 2012. It is hard to believe that 2013 is just around the corner. Each year seems to go by faster and faster. I pray that we will commit ourselves anew to service to the Lord, wherever He leads us. I like Deuteronomy 13:4, which says “Ye shall walk after the LORD your God, and fear him, and keep his commandments, and obey his voice, and ye shall serve him, and cleave unto him.” I pray that this would be our heart’s desire, that we would walk with the Lord, fear Him, keep His commandments, obey Him, serve Him, and cleave to Him. What a challenging verse from the Word of God.
The church plant in the village of Shangalamwe is continuing along well, for which I thank the Lord. My friend Roger Tate and I have been working with these dear people for several months now, and we have been able to see spiritual growth and progress. Some of the church members have grown discouraged as they have been faithful to go and share their faith, yet the work has been difficult and others have been giving excuses, etc. I tried to encourage them by sharing the verse in Galatians 6:9, which states “And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.” I reminded the church that we are to be faithful in serving the Lord, and leave the results with Him. Please pray for these members, that they would find strength and encouragement from the Lord and faithfully serve Him, no matter what the difficulties are.
We are also now meeting with a national, as he has been faithful to go and start different Bible study groups in the Kitale area. We have been meeting with him, sharing with him and training him to go and teach the lessons to other groups. The time will be coming where he will ask to see if the groups desire to be churches of the Lord Jesus Christ, so please be praying for him in the days ahead, that the Lord’s will would be done. It is good to do church planting using different ways, to compare and and see which is more effective in this culture. We covet your prayers as we continue to plant churches, with the Lord’s help, in the Kitale area.
The Annex prison ministry is continuing along well. We are now near the end of the course “Firm Foundations – From Creation to Christ.” The men coming seem to be really growing and doing well. I thank the Lord for this, and for their faithfulness to come and study the Word of God. I am also thankful for the cooperation of the head office of the Annex prison and also for the cooperation of the chaplains. Please pray for these men and their spiritual growth as they learn from the Word, as well as for the other men who have not yet decided to trust Christ and follow Him. How we need to share the Gospel message and share it with the lost. I love Luke 19:10, which says “For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.” We will keep you updated of this ministry.
In family news, please pray for each of us, and for our health and safety daily as we serve here. There are many health hazards here, and we would appreciate your prayers for our continued health as we serve in Kitale. Please also pray for us as it is now near the holiday season, and it is always hard to be away from those that we love. The Lord gives strength daily, and we are thankful for this. His strength is perfect when our strength is gone. We wish you all a great holiday season in America, and will be sure to keep you updated. God’s blessings to each of you.
Serving in Kitale,
Nathan and Carrie Radford
P.O. Box 4150
Kitale, Kenya
East Africa 30200
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Missionary Update: John Mark & Judy Hatcher in France [July 2012]
Missionaries John Mark and Judy Hatcher have been serving the Lord in Tournefeuille, France since 1999. They define their ministry as “disciple-making,”
July 3, 2012
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
The month has gone by quickly. Yesterday, I realized that it was time to send you a letter telling how God has blessed here during the past month. Judy and I hope this finds you enjoying the Lord’s blessings.
The youth meeting we had shortly after I wrote the June letter went well. We did not have a large number, but sometimes more progress is made when there are less present. Young people, like older people, invest a lot of effort into appearances. As the size of the audience increases, the sincerity tends to decrease as an effort is made to impress others, especially those of the opposite sex. We discussed the parable of the rich fool who made great plans, but whose life ended the evening of the day when he made his seemingly important decisions. Included in this discussion was the nameless man’s request for Jesus to make his brother share the inheritance and Jesus’ refusal to do so. Reflecting on this text in God’s Word would do us all good. Please, pray that God will move in the hearts of these young people. None of them has made a profession of faith.
The ladies in our church also had a ladies day (afternoon). They do this two or three times each year to encourage one another to love and good works. Judy said that this was one of the best.
The young married man that I mentioned in my last letter continues to come regularly and shows great interest and understanding though he has not yet made a profession of faith. We are greatly encouraged by his interest and pray that he will soon trust the Lord.
Another young man who has been brought by his parents since he was an infant, trusted Christ at home and wants to be baptized. Two other grade school aged children have indicated privately that they have trusted Christ. We are thrilled that God has used the teaching of His Word in words and actions to touch the the lives of these youngsters. In both cases, the parents have taught the children and sought to obey the Lord in their daily walk. This reminds me of two important scriptural passages. “Let the children come unto me for of such is the Kingdom of God.” and “Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in heaven.”
We are greatly encouraged by another fifth grade aged girl who comes regularly, though no one else in her family comes. She is from a neighbor family. We pray that she will be saved and that God will use her life and words to lead her family to Him.
Our son Philip, his wife Amanda, and their children are in the USA for a few weeks to spend time with Amanda’s family, Philip’s siblings and aunt, and other family members. We are so grateful to have Philip and Amanda and their children serving together with us here. God has used them to multiply the outreach. As you pray for us, please pray for them. God has given Philip an engineering job here to meet their financial needs. They are an integral part of the missionary team here.
May God bless you and may your light shine for Christ where you are. Thanks for your faithful support and prayers.
In Christ in France,
4, rue d’Aspin
31170 Tournefeuille, France
JMHatcher[at]aol.com
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