A New Believer in Mazere
November 12, 2024
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
It’s Thanksgiving month and we have much for which to be thankful. You are on our Thanksgiving list.
Last week at our Bible Study in Mazere, a young man testified that He had put his faith in Christ the previous weekend. I mentioned this career soldier in army special forces in my last letter. He just recently started coming to the Bible study. It is great to see his interest and commitment to the Lord.
Once a month, we have a men’s prayer breakfast. This past Saturday there was a range of men from twenty years old to seventy-one years old present. It is very encouraging to see the interest that these men have in helping each other through fellowship, counsel and prayer. The ladies meet every other week for prayer.
Our Sunday meetings and other Bible studies in six other locations are going well and we are encouraged by what God is doing in the lives of the individuals who participate.
Patricia, a lady who lived not far from us when we met her in our former neighborhood, has been in long term hospital care for several weeks. We have witnessed to her as have others from our congregation over the last dozen or so years. Judy has picked her up and brought her to our church meetings. She shows greater interest now and asks for prayer, but has never made a clear commitment of faith in Jesus Christ for salvation. Barbara, one of the ladies from our congregation, has done a lot to help her. Your prayers for Patricia are greatly appreciated.
Thank you for your prayers and support. May God bless you and your ministry.
Your fellow servants,
John and Judy Hatcher
Contact Info:
John & Judy Hatcher
2 T Impasse de la Picardie
31830 Plaisance du Touch
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
Evangelism, Shepherding, & Training Across Southern France
October 17, 2024
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
Thank you for serving with us. God is changing lives in wonderful ways. Our ministry is quite broad, challenging and encouraging. It is a mixture of evangelism, shepherding and training. Judy and I spend time in personal counseling of individuals on a regular basis. We are driven to pray for wisdom, patience and the work of God in people’s heart. So, in the process, we grow in our relationship with our Father and Savior as well.
There is a new regular participant in our Bible study in the city of Mazeres. This young man is a carrier sub-officer in the army. This Bible study is made up of individuals who have already placed their faith in Christ. We are presently studying the Gospel of Luke.
We are starting a new Bible Study in the city of Auterive. A family from our church moved there a couple of years ago and are excited to host this Bible Study.
The Bible study in the city of L’Union is going very well. It is exciting to see the way God is touching the lives of the seekers who participate without missing. One lady seems to have trusted Christ though she has not made public profession of faith. The husband of the Iranian couple who fled their country years ago always thanks me with a great smile at the conclusion of each study.
Our three other studies are going well, and we are very encouraged by the way God is working in the lives of the participants. The regular Sunday meetings here in Plaisance du Touch are also going well. Philip is now doing the teaching as we study through the book of Acts. One young lady who trusted the Lord about a year ago is very involved in the study of the Word and church activities in addition to her Engineering Studies and job. She is the only believer in her family.
Philip and Amanda are self-supporting missionaries who work with us. A number of believers are passionately involved in serving the Lord and this is very encouraging to us.
May you enjoy God’s richest blessings,
John and Judy
Contact Info:
John & Judy Hatcher
2 T Impasse de la Picardie
31830 Plaisance du Touch
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
Celebrating 25 Years of Sharing the Good News in France
September 2, 2024
Dear Fellow laborers,
We are back in France following a good trip to the USA for the wedding or our oldest granddaughter, Abigail. It was great to see friends and extended family members. Judy and I spent the last couple of weeks in Chicago where we had great moments with our children, their good spouses and eight grandchildren! God has abundantly blessed us in more ways than we could ever count. Both of our children who live in Chicago celebrated 20 years of marriage this summer. Their children range from 9 to 16 years old and are very enjoyable to be around.
David and Dulce celebrated their twenty years of marriage by spending a week in Mozambique. Judy and I got to enjoy their children and Lydia and Adam’s children during this time. It was wonderful. But, “ya just gotta do whacha gotta do”!
Four days after our return we had a great baptismal service at the encounter of two mountain rivers. Blandine, the hostess for our Bible studies in the city of L’Union followed the Lord in baptism. She is the only person in this Bible study with “seekers” who has made a profession of faith. All of the participants are very interested. All of them drove nearly a couple of hours to be at the baptism. There were about 50 people at the baptismal service. Most of these were not believers. We tried to give a clear Gospel message, and all were very attentive.
After the baptism we had a picnic with those who attended. Judy, Philip, Amanda and I spent most of the afternoon discussing spiritual matters with those who were there. One lady, who started coming to the Bible study at Blandine’s home about a year ago, is delighted with what she is learning about Christ. She has not made a public profession of faith, but I would not be surprised if that happens soon. On March 15th (less than 6 months ago) she began reading her Bible. She has read the entire Old Testament, the Gospels and a good number of the epistles! Jesus declared, “Seek and you will find”!
Speaking of celebrations, in a couple of weeks Judy and I will complete 25 years of sharing the Good News in Southern France. Philip and Amanda have been our partners in ministry for 23 years. Time passes fast. We thank God for the privilege of serving our Savior here. What a delight to see God change lives. Thank you for your participation with us.
Thankfully in Christ,
John and Judy
Contact Info:
John & Judy Hatcher
2 T Impasse de la Picardie
31830 Plaisance du Touch
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
Young Family Back in Southern France!
July 28, 2024
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
It’s only been a couple of weeks since I last wrote you, but tomorrow we are flying to the USA to attend the wedding of our oldest granddaughter, Abigail. She grew up here in France and we have many wonderful memories of those years. She trusted the Lord early in life and was an active participant in our church and various areas of ministry.
We will be flying together with Abigail’s sister, Nathalie and her husband, Brice. It is great to see God at work in this couple who will celebrate two years of marriage this week. You may remember pictures of their wedding in the Alps. It has been great to have Brice in the family.
Yesterday evening after the church meeting, we celebrated the 6th wedding anniversary of Samuel and Laura. Samuel trusted Christ as Savior about 10 years ago after a year of weekly Bible studies with us. Not too long after that, he moved to Germany for a job. He met Laura in German language classes. She is from El Salvador and was temporarily in Germany. They became friends and he took her to church. She trusted Christ and they became engaged.
They were married in Toulouse but have been living in Paris since their marriage. Laura and Samuel along with their two-year-old son, Gabriel, recently moved back to southern France. Since arriving, they have been very active in our congregation. God works in wonderful ways to save, enable His children to grow, and bless them.
Sometimes tender moments arrive in the middle of ministry. Last weekend Judy was holding the children’s class in the backyard of our Bible study location in Campagne-sur-Arize. Emma, the four-year-old daughter of the hosting family, brought a dead bird to the table wrapped in a napkin. When her mother tried to lay the bird aside, Emma was lost in tears. She was sure that the bird, killed striking their window would return to consciousness at any moment. So, ministry life is not boring!
Thank you for serving the Lord along with us.
Yours in Christ,
John and Judy
Contact Info:
John & Judy Hatcher
2 T Impasse de la Picardie
31830 Plaisance du Touch
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
Disciples Making Disciples in France!
July 15, 2024
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
Thank you for your faithful support and prayers. Judy and I hope that your summer is going well. Shortly after I wrote the last letter, two of our Bible study groups met together for a picnic at a park that is home to many unusual birds. It is interesting to see this delightful part of God’s creation.
Even more delightful is a conversation that I had during this picnic with a young lady. She is the granddaughter of Marinette, the oldest participant in the Group that meets at Mazere. The granddaughter is in her early twenties and it had been a dozen or so years since we had last seen her. She was very interested in the fact that I had been a biology and chemistry teacher. She informed me that she used to be an atheist but now believed in a God that she described as “unknown”. This opened an excellent opportunity to discuss the one “I Am” God who is Spirit, but Who came to reveal Himself to us and save us.
Another blessing is the news shared by a young lady, Roxanne, who trusted the Lord and followed the Lord in baptism about a year ago. She is the only believer in her family. She faithfully participates in our church fellowship and has already read a good part of the Bible. She meets with two other young ladies, our granddaughters, for Bible studies on a regular basis. They are all college students. A couple of weeks ago, Roxanne, shared the blessing that she had just started having Bible studies with two of her friends who were interested in knowing about her faith. They are studying through the book of Romans. Disciples making disciples just as Jesus commanded.
It delights us to see our Savior at work in those who participate in church and Bible studies as well as stirring the hearts of those who are lost and drawing them to Himself.
Your fellow servants in France,
John and Judy Hatcher
Contact Info:
John & Judy Hatcher
2 T Impasse de la Picardie
31830 Plaisance du Touch
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
The Invisible Operation of God Surfacing
June 10, 2024
Dear Fellow Servants of Christ,
God is at work and we are delighted to see what He is doing. We have a number of meetings that take place an hour or hour and a half driving distance from our home in various directions. During these drive times we often contemplate and discuss what we notice our Savior is doing. There certainly are many things that He is doing that we do not see.
Last week was one of those weeks when the invisible operation of God begins to surface in an astounding way. At our meeting in Mazere on Tuesday three people came who do not normally participate in this Bible study. Two of them we had never met before. We had a great study of the parable of the rich man who planned his future after a great harvest only to die the evening of his planning. The twelve participants were really into the discussion of this lesson from Jesus.
The Thursday night meeting was moved to a location about 30 minutes further from our house than where it typically takes place. It would be in the home of a lady who has been coming to the meetings for over a year. She had turned her ankle and could not drive, so she asked if we could meet at her house. For various reasons there were only half as many as usual and two additional people who wanted to come for the first time could not make it. But, our Father was at work. The lady with the turned ankle, not a believer, was in tears as the others explained to her about trusting Jesus Christ and giving their own testimonies. What a night!
A wonderful week: 7 meetings with different texts at each, many hours of driving, and loads of blessings. On the way home from one of the meetings we were contemplating that God is not done with us here yet!
Thanks for your participation in what God is doing here. I will close with an example of how God uses you. At the beginning of the month Judy and I took a trip to celebrate our 50 years of marriage (a year late). We ran across a Texan recently widowed who wanted to help his church more effectively. Part of the discussion was about the Bible studies we do. When we chatted with him the next day, he told us about a video he had seen online posted by Mt. Calvary Baptist Church in Charleston, WV that helped him understand our ministry and gave him ideas for what he could do at his church not far from Austin, TX. AMEN!
Your sister and brother,
Judy and John Hatcher
Contact Info:
John & Judy Hatcher
2 T Impasse de la Picardie
31830 Plaisance du Touch
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
An Encouraging Retreat & Disciples Making Disciples
May 8, 2024
Dear Fellow Servants of Christ,
Today is a Nationwide Holiday in France celebrating the end of World War II in Europe. So, things are pretty quiet. We are very grateful for the blessings of God during the past month , among them your faithful support.
On the last weekend of April, the church that normally meets in Plaisance du Touch spent a blessed three-day weekend together in a country holiday rental. Holiday rentals are usually old farmhouses and buildings that have been modified to be rented to extended families and groups that want to be together for a few days.
Two years ago, at the end of the Covid pandemic the church decided to meet for a weekend of fellowship and mutual encouragement. The time spent together was such an encouragement that the suggestion was made to do this yearly. We eat together, study the Bible together and sing. The rest of the time is spent talking, walking and playing games together. Many of the members of our church and congregations in various places are the only believer in their family. The entire family of each member is invited. This gives those who are not believers the opportunity to see the fellowship among church members.
This past Saturday as Judy and I were driving to the town of Campagne sur Arize to the regularly scheduled adult and children’s Bible studies held in the home of Henri and Laure, Judy received a text from the hostess letting us know that her two brothers and a nephew would be there. This was delightful news to us. One brother lives about an hour away and the other one about two hours away. Laure has been very concerned about the spiritual needs of her brothers and has been praying for them. God brought them!
The first Sunday of May was a delight. Several members of the Plaisance church were sick and could not attend for other reasons. However, we had more in attendance than we expected. The special treat was Dennis, a man who we had never seen before. He is a longtime friend of Samuel, a fellow who trusted the Lord about 8 years ago after about a year of weekly Bible studies in our home. His friend, a very smart guy, went to jail. Samuel prayed for him and witnessed to him, and he trusted Christ. He is now out of jail and on fire for the Lord. He testifies that Samuel was the greatest human influence leading to his faith in Jesus Christ. Disciples making disciples! Thank you for your prayers.
Your sister and brother,
Judy and John Hatcher
Contact Info:
John & Judy Hatcher
2 T Impasse de la Picardie
31830 Plaisance du Touch
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
French Ladies Express Interest in Reading the Bible
March 18, 2024
Dear Fellow Servants of Christ,
Judy and I hope you are enjoying the Spring of God’s creation. We are delighted to have you as partners in the service of our Savior.
The past few weeks have been an encouragement to us. A good illustration are the events of our last Bible study in the city of L’Union. You may remember us mentioning in our last letter that the lady who hosts this meeting expressed her desire to be baptized. Typically, the Iranian couple who never misses was not there because they were hosting an extended family member who lives in Iran. The three other ladies at these studies are French ladies who were drawn to the Bible study by what they see in the hostess.
In these meetings, we are studying through the Gospel of John. We were approaching the end of our study of chapter 12 when the ladies began asking us many questions. The Good News of Jesus Christ is clearly touching the core of their beings. One of the last who originally presented herself as syncretist, appealing to eastern religious philosophies, is now expressing her delight in what she is reading in the Bible. Another lady was catechized as a child in the Catholic religion of her mother and predecessors. She stopped participating at the age of 17 because she saw no hope in the rituals. She told Judy that she bemoans the years that she wasted because she did not know there was anything else. We arrived home from that study at 12:30 a.m.! The following day I received a lengthy text from her stating that she had decided to read the Bible and wanting a recommendation of where to start and a good sequence for reading the books of the Old and New Testaments.
For more than a dozen years we have been having well attended youth meetings. Most of those who participate are in middle school and high school. These have been very effective in evangelizing and discipling these age groups. Last week Philip and Amanda hosted the first meeting of university-aged young adults. There were 11 young adults present and the meeting went very well.
Our other regular meetings in a half dozen different places are going quite well and we are greatly encouraged by what God is doing.
With much gratitude,
John and Judy Hatcher
Contact Info:
John & Judy Hatcher
2 T Impasse de la Picardie
31830 Plaisance du Touch
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
