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

April 4, 2018

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Little did I realize when I wrote you last month that in 4 days my mother would be in the presence of the Lord with all of His children who have left this life. On March 8^th I received a call from my brother to let us know that Mom had been promoted to heaven about thirty minutes earlier. I had the opportunity to speak to Mom about 12 hours before that call. Just hours after I spoke to her, and she to me, she was absent from the body and present with the Lord. Many of you have also experienced the loss of your parents and we thank all of you for your kind thoughts and prayers.

The Hatcher Family at Alta Hatcher’s Memorial Service (March 15, 2018)

Suddenly, the plans for the month changed. As soon as possible, Judy and I were on our way to Clermont, FL. We were there for a little over a week. During this time, members of our family began arriving from many distant places. It was a great blessing to fellowship with children, grandchildren, nieces, nephews, cousins, de facto family members, brothers and sisters in Christ, and many friends.  The memorial service was to God’s glory and underscores how He can use each of us to touch the lives of many. Beginning life in a farmhouse near Corbin, KY, Mom trusted Christ at age 7 and felt called to missions at age 10. Her life has touched thousands in many parts of the world. She was the one I went to when I was in despair because I knew I was lost and she pointed me to Jesus. She was my Bible teacher who taught through the Bible in my Sunday School classes as I was growing up in Brazil. She got me on the track of being a daily Bible reader and reading through the Bible annually. The wonderful fellowship that I have with my Heavenly Father was greatly cultivated by Mom.

I could write a book on the ways she touched my life. Her last words before she fell asleep were “I love You, Jesus”. She is now eternally in the presence of the One she loved so much and enjoying fellowship with others that went on before her. You may feel that you are just a “plain old Christian”, but I want to remind you that there is no such thing. You are a child of the King of kings, an ambassador for Christ, a seed planted in the soil of this world. My mother would say to you children, teenagers, mothers, fathers, singles, blue collar or white collar workers, “Do all things as unto the Lord…ask God for wisdom in everything…whatever your hands find to do, do with all your might.” I probably heard those scriptures hundreds of times.

May each of us live today for God’s glory.

Thanks for your prayers, encouragement and support. We pray that God will bless you and enable you to be “the light of the world” where you are today as Jesus lives in and through you.

In France for Jesus,
John and Judy Hatcher

John Mark & Judy Hatcher
4, rue d’Aspin
31170 Tournefeuille, France
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