The Good, the Bad, & the Ugly
Bobby and Charlene Wacaser have served the Lord as church planters in Curitiba, Parana, Brazil, since 1985.
November 3, 2019
Dear Friends,
Let me tell you about the good, the bad and the ugly. We are so blessed of the Lord in more ways than I can fully share, but one of them is that almost all of our evangelistic efforts in the public venues are very well received by civic leaders. This past month we were ministering in several neighborhoods of Rio de Janeiro. All of the schools received our team with open arms, except one. They did allow us to come in and to talk in front of the student body about avoiding illegal drugs, about suicide and depression, etc., but they warned us not to teach “religion” or to mention Jesus while using the microphone. That was the bad, but we were allowed to do our dramatic skits, which are done in mime, where Jesus was clearly portrayed as coming from the Father and giving his life as a sacrifice for man’s sin and resurrecting again. So, we still got to “preach” the gospel publicly and after the presentation ended, we were able to speak one-on-one with those who came to us privately to know more about what was presented in the dramas. That situation also helped to remind us that we are truly ministering in a world that is hostile to the Lord, but ultimately under His command. On the human level it is always a little disheartening to confront this type of resistance, but the Lord strengthened our faith by touching hearts even where our enemy sought to close the doors.
Two weeks ago, we launched a Jiu-Jitsu class at our church facilities on two days of the week. We have a very dedicated church member who is a black-belt instructor of Jiu-Jitsu and he has been asking me if we could provide these classes as a way to draw people from the neighborhood to the classes where the martial art is taught, but also to share Christ with the students. I thought it would be a great opportunity and we have 16 students already participating. We begin the classes with a time of devotional teaching and prayer, and we end with a reminder of the lesson taught. I joined the class myself, hoping to stay better fit and also to encourage others to participate.
Charlene is working with several of our volunteer ladies getting ready for our final couples’ event of the year. She always works hard and does a great job of preparing the environment for a meeting where the couples can enjoy themselves, relax and focus on listening to biblical marriage counseling and an evangelistic message. We are expecting a good crowd this month and we hope to leave the couples with a strong desire to be better mates and better fitted for serving the Lord as families.
Thank you for praying for us and for your faithful support. We know that God’s blessings will rest on you who seek to serve Him. Please know that He is using you beyond your own sphere of influence.
In Christ’s love,
Bobby and Charlene Wacaser
Bobby and Charlene Wacaser
Rua Laudelino Ferreira Lopes, 279
Sobrado 1, Novo Mundo
81050-310 Curitiba, PR. Brasil
Phone: 55-41-99899-2333
bobbymichael_1[at]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
Longtime Friends Trust Christ!
Bobby, Charlene, Jessie, and Brennen Wacaser have served the Lord as church planters in Curitiba, Parana, Brazil, since 1985.
March 8, 2018
Dear Friends,
In the time period that Charlene and I were absent from the church here the attendance had dropped considerably. Our co-pastor who had become the lead pastor had been very faithful, but several factors contributed to the decline, some of which had nothing to do with him. Even so, the Lord has greatly encouraged us since our return by an immediate increase of 85% in attendance. We have also had the extreme privilege of seeing two of our longtime friends whom we have been witnessing to for several years come to Christ as their Lord and Savior. They are both very excited about their new walk with the Lord and show outward evidence of His presence in their lives as well.
One of the ministries that we offer that helps us establish relationships with un-churched people is couples’ meetings. We plan and put on fun and informative meetings for couples four times a year where we provide biblical marriage counseling and a friendly group of couples willing to help them do life together. The solid Christian couples from our church serve as witnesses and role models for unsaved or struggling couples. Our first meeting this year went very well and we saw a 350% increase in attendance from our last meeting.
Just before we left Brazil a few years ago, not knowing if we would be returning to live, I felt led of the Lord to be very open and share with two families who were very close friends of ours that it was my hope and prayer that they would come to know Jesus as Lord and Savior so that, if we never saw each other again on earth, at least we would be together eternally in heaven. Since returning, I have had the pleasure of speaking with Paulo, one of those friends, and it is clearly evident that the Lord has been working in his heart. His job is being a representative for several printing presses and book publishing houses. In each of our conversations since we’ve returned he nearly bubbles over talking about books that he’s reading about atheists turning to Christ. What is especially thrilling to me is that, when he mentions Christianity, he includes himself. I don’t know where his wife stands, yet, but I am praying for her and Charlene and I plan on spending more time with them in hopes of confirming her faith also.
Thank you so much for your prayers and concern for us. The Lord is truly blessing us and our ministries and we are excited about what He has in store for us in the upcoming days and weeks.
In Christ’s love,
Bobby and Charlene Wacaser
Bobby and Charlene Wacaser
Rua Laudelino Ferreira Lopes, 279
Sobrado 1, Novo Mundo
81050-310 Curitiba, PR. Brasil
Phone: 55-41-99899-2333
bobbymichael_1[at]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
