Blessings in December

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is BARROS-Odali-Kathy-Profile-Pic-2020-Square.png
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.

December 22, 2022

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Hope that all of you have had a blessed year. God has been wonderful and things here are going well. The year went by so fast. It’s hard to believe it is December. God gave us the opportunity to visit our children in the USA. We are thankful for the people that God prepared to help with the works here while we are traveling. The new couple that is helping in the village of Ubim has really been a blessing. They are getting more and more involved with the youth. They are giving music classes to those teens that are interested. At the mother church, we are trying to reach out to the areas that have no churches nearby. Pray that God will guide us and open more doors. Also, for next year, we plan on doing some river ministry. Pray that God will direct us and send the help we will need.

When we arrived in the United States, our son Zinho picked us up in Florida. On our way up to Evansville, we realized we would be going by Lexington at the time of Sunday School. So, we decided to make a surprise for our dear friend, Pastor Steve Wainright, and his members. What a wonderful moment. We would love to see more people, but our trip is short.

The time we are having with our children and grandkids has been wonderful.

God bless each of you dear friends and supporters.

Love in Christ,
Odali and Kathy

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

Fellowship with Family

Missionaries John and Judy Hatcher have been serving the Lord in Tournefeuille, France since 1999. They define their ministry as “disciple-making.”

February 10, 2021

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

You are a source of encouragement and joy and to Judy and me. We are presently in the home of Paul and Wanda enjoying fellowship with them and Dad. David, our brother from Manaus, surprised us by arriving just a few hours after us earlier this week. The time together, so rare, is a blessing.

These have been trying times. A number of people we know in Manaus have died from Covid-19. The church that David pastors has been losing about 2 people each day as they pass from this world into the presence of the Lord. The church has been active in acquiring and distributing oxygen to the sick and supplying needs for the ill and families that are left with no living wage earner.

The Hatcher Brothers with their Dad
(David, John Mark, Paul, and John A.)

Judy and I have been working hard to wrap up things in the Evansville concerning Peggy’s estate so that we can return to France. There have been many complications, but God supplies abundantly and has displayed His love and grace in marvelous ways. Our spiritual and physical families have helped enormously in this process. All of our children have come to help for several days and we have enjoyed fellowship with them in the midst of intense activity.

We met twice physically with Resurgence church in January. It is very encouraging to witness the desires of this relatively young Baptist church. They want to reach the lost and help the saints. As with all of you, the meeting numbers are limited and many participate by means of the internet. It is a great blessing to have this medium available which also enables us to participate actively with our assembly in France.

Though there are many restrictions in France due the effort to minimize the spread of the Corona Virus, it appears that we can meet the requirements to return in the near future. Thank you for your prayers and support in every way. May God bless each of you as you seek His will in serving Him during these difficult times.

Your fellow servants,
John and Judy

Contact Info:
John & Judy Hatcher
4, rue d’Aspin
31170 Tournefeuille, France
JMHatcher@aol.com
Present USA phone 1-812-416-1033

For ministry donations:
Pastor George Sledd, Treasurer of BFM
P.O. Box 471280 | Lake Monroe, FL 32747-1280
or click here to donate to BFM online.




Read more

Encouraged by God at Work in the Lives of Believers

Missionaries John Mark and Judy Hatcher have been serving the Lord in Tournefeuille, France since 1999. They define their ministry as “disciple-making.”

Missionaries John Mark and Judy Hatcher have been serving the Lord in Tournefeuille, France since 1999. They define their ministry as “disciple-making.”

January 13, 2020

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

We just arrived back in Evansville a few hours ago from a very enjoyable weekend with Emmanuel Baptist Church in Bellbrook, OH and Grace Baptist Church in Fairborn, OH. It was encouraging to see the hand of the Lord at work in these two congregations of disciples of Jesus. We met young believers, servants of the Lord and God’s children preparing to serve Him in other fields.

Meanwhile, God has given Judy and me opportunities to be His witness to folks we have met here in Evansville who need Christ and to encourage believers who are seeking to serve Him. In the month of December, we were able to meet with believers from several churches for encouragement, fellowship and service. We met some believers that we did not previously know and were greatly encouraged by the testimony of God at work in their lives. We were also able to spend a good amount of time in fellowship with believers that we had the privilege of serving when we lived in Evansville.

Not only has a new calendar year started for all of us this recently, a new year in my life also began. It is hard to believe how fast the years have passed. It is even more difficult to count the many blessings God had given us. They are innumerable. You are part of these blessings.

We request your prayers for the believers in France, those who need Christ in France and for God’s continuous direction in our lives.

In a couple of weeks, I am going to Florida for a few days to help prepare accommodations for Dad’s (John A. Hatcher) return to Florida. For the past six months Paul and Wanda Hatcher have been active in the Lord’s ministry in Manaus, Brazil. God has blessed tremendously this time in the city where they served for forty years and hundreds of believers have come together with them for the Glory of God in the city. I will be with them for a few days in the beginning of February. We request your prayers for the transition of Paul and Wanda along with Dad back to Florida. Dad is approaching the completion of his 95th year on earth.

May God richly bless each of you as He guides us this year.

With you in His service,
John and Judy

John Mark & Judy Hatcher
JMHatcher[at]aol.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

There are Always Ups and Downs

Missionaries John Mark and Judy Hatcher have been serving the Lord in Tournefeuille, France since 1999. They define their ministry as “disciple-making.”

Missionaries John Mark and Judy Hatcher have been serving the Lord in Tournefeuille, France since 1999. They define their ministry as “disciple-making.”

June 11, 2019

Dear Brother and Sisters,

Last month I wrote, “There are always ups and downs. Sometimes what seems to be a down becomes an up.” At the time I certainly did not think that I would be writing the present letter from Evansville, IN. Many of you know Judy’s only sister and that she has been dealing with cancer the last few years. At the end of May, Judy and I decided that the Lord wanted us to come to Evansville to help Peggy because of the illness related circumstances that she was facing. The encouragement of the believers in our congregation in Tournefeuille helped us much in the decision process. They have really stepped up to the plate. We have now been here for two weeks and thank God for the opportunity that we have had to be of assistance to Peggy.

A blessing that came along with our trip to the US was getting to see my sister and dear brother-in-law, Kathy and Odali Barros. Though I had seen Kathy not long ago, it had been nearly 10 years since I had seen Odali. They are in the US for a short time and will be returning to Amazonas next week. What a blessing to spend a couple of days with these members of our family this week.

We are not sure exactly what the next few weeks hold for us. I would be glad to set a tentative date to come to your church to tell what God is doing in France and minister to the folks in your congregation. You can communicate with us using the email address above. If you include your phone number I can call you to finalize plans.

Thanks for your prayers and continual support.

Yours in Christ,
John and Judy Hatcher

John Mark & Judy Hatcher
JMHatcher[at]aol.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

Exhorting Churches and Exhorted in Return

Missionaries John Mark and Judy Hatcher have been serving the Lord in Tournefeuille, France since 1999. They define their ministry as “disciple-making.”

Missionaries John Mark and Judy Hatcher have been serving the Lord in Tournefeuille, France since 1999. They define their ministry as “disciple-making.”

August 3, 2017

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

This month I had the privilege of speaking in three churches and was blessed by observing what the Lord is doing in each. The first of these was Emmanuel Baptist Church in Oldtown, Kentucky. Judy’s father was pastor of this church for many years and was followed by John Lybrook who really has a shepherd’s heart. We have many friends in this church and it was a joy to reconnect with them. The reality of the passing years hit home to me as we visited with folks who are now parents that I remember as very young children.

The second church was Resurgence where we had the privilege of seeing a number of folks whom I had served as pastor. It is a fairly young church and is in the inner city of Evansville. There is good evidence that Tom, Grant and Odali, the three elders, are doing an excellent job and work with a group of committed believers who have a heart to reach others in their community.

This past Sunday we were in Lexington, Kentucky, enjoying the fellowship of the New Life Baptist Church. We have been friends with the pastor, Steve Wainright, and his family for many years and it was a joy to be in their home. I have known some of the folks in this church my entire life. Sarah Wainright is our media person who prepares the Mission Sheets for publishing and maintains the Baptist Faith Missions News website. We also had the blessing of visiting with Dave and Debbie Parks. Dave is our liaison with all the churches that support us and truly has a servant/shepherd heart. We enjoyed visiting with old and new friends alike in this congregation.

One of the things that I have (and Judy, when she has been with me) noticed is that these congregations have reached their families. All three of them are made up of children, young folks and those who are older. We think this indicates a healthy church body.

The news from France is encouraging. Please continue to pray for the believers there and for the salvation of those who need Christ.

Judy is well on her way to complete recovery from her injury. Thank you for your prayers for her and her sister, Peggy. Ask God to use us for His glory while we are in the USA.

May God richly bless each of you,
John and Judy Hatcher

Temporary Address
John and Judy Hatcher
1901 Shepherd Dr.
Evansville, IN 47715
jmhatcher[at]aol.com

Field Address
4, rue d’Aspin
31170 Tournefeuille, France
JMHatcher[at]aol.com

Click here to donate to BFM.


Read more

Believers in France Step Up to the Plate; Opportunities in Evansville

Missionaries John Mark and Judy Hatcher have been serving the Lord in Tournefeuille, France since 1999. They define their ministry as “disciple-making.”

Missionaries John Mark and Judy Hatcher have been serving the Lord in Tournefeuille, France since 1999. They define their ministry as “disciple-making.”

May 2, 2017

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Thanks to each of you for your prayers. Judy is progressing in her recovery from the broken patella. She is now in Physical Therapy twice a week along with daily exercises at home. The immobilizer is still in place around the clock, but Judy handles it quite well especially considering the fact that she is normally quite active. We are glad to be here and to be able to assist Peggy. She continues to be treated. Pray for the girls as they experience my cooking, housekeeping and driving.

God is providing fellowship and extra blessings through believers here in the Evansville area. It is a good time for us to remember and pray for those in a number of countries who cannot enjoy fellowship without risk of persecution and physical death. My brother Paul detoured to see us on the way from Florida to attend the Spring Missionary Conference at Thompson Rd. Baptist Church in Lexington, KY. We had a very enjoyable visit. My brother David should be arriving this afternoon to visit for a couple of days. He added us to a whirlwind trip from Manaus, Brazil to celebrate dad’s 92nd birthday. It is great to have family who love us and go out of their way for us. That is another blessing for which so many of us can be grateful.

News about activities in France is good. Sometimes our absence is good as it stirs some who are reticent to step up to the plate. We miss the interaction with folks who need Christ in France but there are opportunities for displaying the light of Christ wherever He places us. We have had doors of opportunity opened to touch lives here in Evansville. You can ask our Heavenly Father to enable us to see what He wants us to be doing here in the present.

Thanks for your prayers and faithful support.

Serving with you,
John and Judy

Stateside Address
John and Judy Hatcher
1901 Shepherd Dr.
Evansville, IN 47715
jmhatcher@aol.com

Field Address
4, rue d’Aspin
31170 Tournefeuille, France
JMHatcher[at]aol.com

Click here to donate to BFM.


Read more
^