Going Back in Time
Mike and Beverly Creiglow have served the Lord in Cruzeiro do Sul, Acre, Brazil together since 1971. In addition to pastoring First Baptist of Cruzeiro do Sul, Mike builds his own boats and frequently travels up and down rivers to share the Gospel with those who have never heard.
I really didn’t know what I was getting into when I came to Brazil in June of 1971. I tell everyone that I went back 50 years in time when I arrived in Cruzeiro do Sul, Acre. I grew up with running water, indoor bathroom, hot water from the faucet, buying almost anything needed, electricity 24 hours, etc. I came to a town with no running water, no hot water, and electricity only in the middle of town at night for a few hours. To buy most anything, it was a hassle, especially meat.
The first few years were pretty difficult, Mike traveled a lot. I knew very little Portuguese. We walked in a lot of mud those first several years! God knew I would need my first born, Adam, to occupy my time. Today much has changed. We have very nice supermarkets, 24-hour electricity (most of the time), and paved roads, even though they are full of holes! We have internet and cell phones.
When it came time for my kids to go to public school, for a while it was fine. After they started insisting that the students bring items for the saint’s holiday, that began our search for a way to home school them. Thankfully a church in Missouri bought the books for this to happen. All of my children homeschooled then went on to get their GED or equivalent and further education. Their social life was at church. Most of their friends were from church. That’s a very important detail.
Adam is an IT manager in the California court system. He has two grown daughters. Monica is manager of a law firm in Lexington and has a young daughter. Andrew started and owns a boat factory, but because of the poor economy, he is also a shop manager of a regional airline. He has two daughters and two sons. Crissy has her own English school and is married to one of our pastors. She has three sons and one daughter. Andrew and Crissy live across the street from us and I usually get visits from my grandkids once a day!
I wasn’t able to go with Mike on his river trips while our children were at home and at school. Now that they are out and on their own, I am able to go with Mike on a few trips. My arthritis limits my activities. Now on most of his longer river trips men go with him. My most important job now is supporting him and caring for his needs.
I cannot see Mike retiring. He doesn’t know how to stop! If he doesn’t retire, I guess neither do I.
Keep us in your prayers,
Beverly
Caixa Postal 24
Cruzeiro do Sul, Acre, Brazil 69980
mdcreig [at] hotmail.com
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My Happy Place
Bobby and Charlene Wacaser have served the Lord as church planters in Curitiba, Parana, Brazil, since 1985.
April 1, 2019
My life as a missionary wife in Brazil is truly my “Happy Place”. It is so evident that this is what God has called me to and He has blessed me more than I could have imagined. He gave me two beautiful children here and now we have our first grandson, named Jayce. Bobby ministered in Brazil from 1985 to 2015 when he had to return to the USA to take care of his ailing father after his mother passed away. We spent 3 years there until January of 2018 when we returned to Brazil to start all over again. It’s been a little over a year since we returned from the States. We had to sell everything when we left and having to start from scratch was quite a struggle. The Lord blessed tremendously, though, and we have seen our ministry flourish beyond our greatest hopes. The toughest part as a wife was to refurnish our house and make it feel like a home again. We were only able to bring a few suitcases on the plane with us and our house was in great need of many repairs.
3 generations Charlene has evangelized and taught.
These two men were boys of 8 and 9 years of age when Charlene was the their Bible school teacher. They have each become faithful leaders in their church work.
When we first came to Brazil, I struggled with the Portuguese language. I grew up in southern Georgia and had never even thought that I might need to learn another language. Since I came to Brazil as an adult, it has been impossible to completely lose my southern accent, but everyone says that I speak the language very well. It is probably just me that feels that my language skills aren’t the best. The Lord has used me, though, to share the gospel with thousands of women and kids through the course of our 33 years of ministry here. I am very grateful for this privilege. One of the most thrilling blessings to me is that I am in the process of discipling two girls who are from the third generation of people we evangelized during the course of our ministry. We had the privilege to lead a woman, her daughter and now, her granddaughter to the Lord and teach them the Word of God.
One of Charlene’s English classes with children from the community around their church.
Besides being Bobby’s life-partner, I also have a few activities that aid in our ministries. During the week I teach English as a second language to children from the community. This is a way for us to come into contact with families that wouldn’t ordinarily come to church. At present, I have 20 students from ages 8 to 12. I am also involved in our church’s couples’ outreach ministry.
A couples event that Charlene decorated for.
We put on 4 couples’ events each year to attract unchurched families where Bobby preaches the gospel and I help with planning the event, such as decoration and food preparation. On Sundays I teach the children ages 8 to 12. In fact, my assistant now is a woman who used to be one of my students and her two daughters are in our class.
There are a few prayer requests that I would like to share with you who would be interested in partnering with me in this ministry:
- My son, Brennen, and his family – his present job doesn’t pay enough and his son, Jayce, has struggles with his health. This is especially tough because we live so far away.
- My daughter, Jessie – She has a great job at her church and she wants the Lord to use her greatly for the growth of His kingdom.
- Bobby and I need wisdom to guide the church in the direction the Lord wants us to take it.
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
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The Love of Christ Changes a Whole Family!
Bobby, Charlene, Jessie, and Brennen Wacaser have served the Lord as church planters in Curitiba, Parana, Brazil, since 1985.
October 4, 2018
Dear Friends,
Our outreach team just arrived from a 3 week trip ministering in the interior towns of our state, Paraná. Most of these team members are seasoned missionaries with life experiences that have “toughened” them up and prepared them to deal with just about anything. But there were some interactions in a couple of towns that had even the most experienced missionaries overwhelmed with emotion. While receiving a free haircut, one young man began to share his life’s experiences. He had just recently been released from prison, which he fully admitted the guilt of the crime that sent him there. While in prison he had been beaten and tortured many times by other inmates. As he shared this with the worker, he didn’t shed a tear or even appear to be emotional. It was after the haircut that the missionary shared with him how Jesus had taken our punishment for sin upon himself and that the guilt and condemnation that we deserved was paid for because of God’s love for us when Jesus suffered and died on the cross. When the young man, who knew that he was deservedly in prison, realized how great God’s mercy and love for him is, he was overwhelmed with amazement and just broke down crying. After fully explaining to the young man what it means to surrender to Christ as Lord and Savior, the young man immediately did so. From that moment on he was totally different in his disposition and outward appearance.
In another town nearby the team was ministering in a public square. There was a teenage boy who hung around all day, but kept a distance and didn’t seem interested in talking with any of our workers personally. It was almost like the last second in a “do-or-die” situation in our public presentation of the gospel when the boy came over to one of our missionaries. He began to open up and share that he and his whole family were going through some very depressing experiences. All three adult family members in the home had lost their jobs and there was no more money to buy anything. On top of that, a close aunt had recently been stabbed to death before their eyes by her husband. The boy felt that there was no hope for him in the world. The worker started there with his confession of hopelessness and began to show him the great love of Christ. He explained the Scriptures to him and how to become a child of the King of all kings. The boy surrendered to Christ that moment. Afterward he ran home to tell his family and he brought them back to talk to the outreach team also. Through their sharing of the gospel, the whole family trusted in Jesus Christ and made their faith public. The family was so overjoyed with their newfound hope and the love they felt from Christ through the mission team that they couldn’t pull themselves away from them as they prepared to leave town. The team was also overwhelmed with how much love and gratitude they displayed and they couldn’t help breaking down in tears as they said goodbye. We are thankful that the local pastor has opportunity to begin discipling these newborn Christians and he is glad that his church is blessed with new life in it.
At our home church we held a couples’ seminar and there were several unchurched couples who attended. We attempt to put on four of these seminars per year and use them with a two-fold purpose: 1) to provide a venue for our members to invite their unchurched friends and family members and 2) to share the gospel of Jesus with the unsaved through our love and preached message. My wife, Charlene, is so instrumental in putting these events together. She does an amazing job with the details of the event like decorating and providing refreshments, but even more so through her captivating personality inviting friends she develops in her day-to-day living experiences. As I was counting how many visiting couples we had there that were not church members, I noticed that, of those that were present, fifty percent were Charlene’s invitees. I am blessed to have her by my side.
Please keep us in your prayers in the upcoming months. Like many of you, from now until the end of the year we have quite a few special events planned and they will require a lot of energy and resources to pull off with quality.
Thank you so much for your love and concern for us.
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
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Missionary Update: Sheridan & Anita Stanton in Peru [April 2014]
Sheridan and Anita Stanton have served the Lord in Peru since 1983. Their main ministry is church planting and they have helped establish churches all over the country. Sheridan also works to train pastors and Anita works with the ladies’ ministry and developing children’s material.
April 9, 2014
Dear friends,
Three dear brothers in Christ from Tri-Cities Baptist Church of Johnson City, TN came help us with our drywall project at the Calvary Baptist Mission here in Huánuco, Peru. Jim Miller, John Maxwell and Jose Mejia worked hard, got a lot done, and helped to train our folks in drywall construction.
Not only did they work here in Huánuco, but we also had time to help a Baptist church in the mountain town of Curahuasi, North East of Cusco, with their building. While in Cusco we had the opportunity to visit the work of Missionaries Jason and Rebecca Reinhardt and the twins, Natalie and Neomi.
A trip to Machu Picchu was possible while they visited in Cusco. These brothers where a tremendous blessing to the Lord’s work here in Peru and we hope they will have the opportunity to come back soon and participate in the blessings once again.
As always, Anita was busy taking care of everyone and cooking the meals. No one ever leaves hungry from the “Sheridan Inn” of Huánuco, Peru! She continues to be a blessing to the ladies here in her weekly Bible Study. Ministry is always easier with a wife that has a servant’s heart. We will be celebrating 40 years of marriage in June of this year. We hope to go somewhere special and celebrate this milestone in our lives.
We saw two saved this past month, construction on the Calvary Baptist property continues on schedule, my Monday Night Pastors Class is steady, and my counseling schedule is full. So many of you give sacrificially each month to make the Lord’s work possible here in Peru and we thank the Lord for you daily. Thank you and may God continue to richly bless you all. Until next month.
Being “in Christ” by God’s grace,
Apartado Postal 140
Huanuco, Peru
South America
(614) 500-8823 – Internet Number
sestantonperu[at]hotmail.com – Sheridan
arstantonperu[at]gmail.com – Anita
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Missionary Update: Jud & Raquel Hatcher in Brazil [May 2013]
May 11, 2013
To all women and heroines, happy Mother’s Day!
I’m so glad to share with you the many blessings God has poured out on us. Let me start by saying that I’m the happiest mother on the planet. I have four children: Sarah Isabel (8), Laura Elizabeth (6), Benjamin Judson (5) and, Melissa Nicole (17 months). I feel like I’m unwrapping a present every day, always finding a nice surprise. They make me laugh, they make me cry, they make me even scream some times; they make me do silly things, like dancing with them and playing with dinosaurs.
There is nothing like being a mother… some of my favorite moments are when they get home from school and I can hear them coming up the stairs, (you would think it was an army); they open the kitchen door and give me the best hug of all, like they have not seen me for days; or they hand me a special picture they have drawn (two hearts with our names in it, or two smiling people holding hands). Or maybe it’s when, as I’m leaving their bedroom after saying good night, they say something like: “Mom, I love you as the size of the sky!” And it just melts my heart. Another special time is when I lie in bed with them; this time is as sweet as honey, because they really open up and share their deepest thoughts; and sometimes they say very funny things, but I don’t dare laugh, because they mean it. For example, one time Benjamin asked me, “Mom is it true that Jesus is everywhere?” I responded, “Yes.” He asked, “Is He in my bedroom right now?” “Yes, Ben, He is here.” Then he said, “He must be a nice ghost.” I also recall telling the girls that they didn’t have to worry about being in their room by themselves because Jesus was always with them. One night Sarah said, “Mom, can you stay with me? I’m tired of being just me and Jesus.” And Laura, she loves talking about heaven. One night she asked me, “Mom, what is the fastest animal?” I guessed, saying that it was the leopard. Then she said, “then I will pick the leopard to go everywhere in heaven.”
Jud and Raquel Hatcher serve the Lord in Manaus, Brazil. They are part of the “SeedFactory” church planting initiative, which is a movement to plant churches in all 26 Brazilian capitals. Since 2006, 43 churches have been started in 5 states.
You know, being a mom is not always easy. There are moments I feel like entering in the wardrobe, hoping to appear in a faraway land; or sometimes I feel like screaming from the top of my lungs for a minute or two. Isn’t it amazing how those little angels can, in a blink of an eye, transform themselves into little uncontrollable animals? And they usually do that magic trick show when there are lots of people around. During those moments I think, “What am I doing wrong? Will she/he ever learn?” But, despite those frustrating situations we mothers experience from time to time, I know God is faithful and will keep His promises to us. My heart becomes peaceful when I trust God’s words. He said that we parents should teach our children in the right path, and even in their old age, they will not deviate from it. That is why I don’t get tired of telling my kids about God. I’m proud to say that they know all the main Bible stories, and they could tell you very well. My mom came to visit when Melissa was born. She liked to read them stories from the children’s Bible every night. But she was amazed by the fact that when she would start reading it, they would say: “Oh! We know that story…” and they would start telling her all about it.
Raising kids in a lost world is the most difficult task we parents have. And we have to be in constant prayer, asking God for wisdom, and asking Him to protect our kids from the evil around them. But at the same time, we have to teach them about who God is as they wake up, as they eat, as they play, as they go to bed. We have to tell them about how much God loves them and how much God cares for them, and how much God has blessed them by sending His only Son Jesus to die in their place so they can have eternal life with God in heaven. Sarah and Laura understood the message of salvation and they have accepted Jesus and have been baptized. Hallelujah! Now, please, join us in prayer for Benjamin, who is five years old, and needs salvation desperately, like anyone who doesn’t know Jesus. When a child gets to that place of understanding right from wrong, and chooses to do the wrong thing, he or she is responsible for that decision; meaning that he or she needs to accept the gift Jesus has to offer them: salvation. There is no other way but Jesus. No matter if you are five, fifteen, thirty, or sixty years old, Jesus is the only one who can forgive sin, and give you eternal life.
So, as I end this letter, I want to invite you to get to know Jesus. You will find that He is everything and the only thing you always needed. Just trust Him with your life, and He will do the rest. God bless you, and Happy Mother’s Day!
Raquel Hatcher
Jud & Raquel Hatcher
judsonhatcher@hotmail.com
Website | Twitter | Ativa
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Missionary Update: Paul & Wanda Hatcher in Brazil [May 2013]
May 11, 2013
Hi there, folks,
This is a rare opportunity for us ladies to write this month. I’d like to share with you about two great recent events and a little about family.
“Loving as Christ Loved Us” was the theme of our ladies retreat from Tabernacle Baptist Church last month. This was just for women ages 20 and above at our church camp in the Amazon tropical rain forest, twenty-two kilometers after crossing the beautiful Negro River from Manaus. We spent two sunny days with lots of fun and play, good food, wonderful spiritual enrichment and sleeping in hammocks at night. Our daughter, Leigh, and I spoke for the four sessions on “As We Better Know Our God we Trust Him More” and as we trust Him more “We Love Others as Jesus Has Loved Us”. Wish you ladies could have been with us!
Then on May 4, we had the very special opportunity of seeing our daughter-in-law, Raquel, receive her Doctorate in Clinical Psychology from Regent University in Virginia Beach and then vacation with her and Judson for a week. Raquel has been a licensed psychologist in Brazil for several years already. She is a very good counselor. She is also a very good mother of four beautiful children. Congratulations Raquel!
Paul and Wanda Hatcher have been serving the Lord together in Brazil for 36 years. Paul pastors Tabernacle Baptist Church in Manaus, Brazil. Their main ministry is church planting.
Paul and I both were raised in missions and rarely saw our grandparents. Our own children also grew up a very long distance from their grandparents. So, I wasn’t really sure I would know how to be a grandmother; but, I’m enjoying it very much. 🙂
Luke, an affectionate, pre-adolescent eleven-year old, has already won a few friends to the Lord; Sarah, an energetic leader, is eight years old; wide-eyed, bubbly Laura will soon be seven; six-year-old Larissa loves to read and be read to – she has already been through The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe; five-year old Benjamin is excited when he communicates and loves to make you laugh; smiley Melissa is seventeen months old and thinks she is as much of the party as her three older siblings; Noah will have his first birthday next month and already knows his way around on a computer or iphone. Luke, Sarah, Laura and Larissa have already trusted the Lord and been baptized. Great grandkids, yeh?
Come and see us or call me at home. You can call me on your regular long-distance plan at (229)529-8497. That’s a Georgia number but rings in our home in Brazil – will not cost you any more than any other long distance call. I call my mom in Kentucky every day and it only costs us US$25 a year. How about that for a missionary?
From my heart,
Wanda Hatcher
Paul and Wanda Hatcher
Avenida J. Carlos Antony, 172
65063-150 Manaus
Amazonas, Brasil SA
hatcher[at]argo.com.br
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Missionary Update: The Hensleys in Brazil [May 2013]
Hi to our friends and family,
This month the wives of the missionaries were asked if they wanted to write a letter because it was Mother’s Day. I agreed to do so and here is my letter.
As we look forward to the day that we celebrate our mothers, I want to start with a word about my mother. I have been on the mission field with AJ for 17 years, but if it were not for my mother, I would not have been such a good helpmate nor wife of a missionary. You see, I learned at the feet of my mother how to do this. She taught me by example. She to was the wife of a missionary there in Owsley County, Kentucky. I am now putting into practice all those things that Reba Katherine Baker taught me. Thank you, mom!!
We started our missionary journey in an orphanage where I could be a mother to many. Then we moved on to use that experience to try to help start another orphanage. Then I went on to be the wife of the associate pastor of two Baptist Churches. But now we are working for the Lord in a new mission work that we have started. AJ is the principle pastor and I am working alongside of him. Our new work started on January 2, 2013. As you know, we started in the home of one of the members and we have steadily grown. Our principle work is with children. We have found that if you train the children, the parents will see a difference and eventually come to see what is going on. This is one of the ways that you get the adults to come to Church. The mothers are the first to come and the fathers eventually come.
We are having services in the normal hours: Sunday morning, Sunday night, and Wednesday night. But our services are a little different. Our Sunday mornings are just Sunday School and for now, just for the kids. Also on Sunday mornings, we feed the children. This is just bread and butter and chocolate milk, but this may be the only food that some of them get for that day. We have found that you have to feed them physically before you can feed them spiritually. On Sunday night we have our big service with singing and preaching. Our Wednesday night service is dedicated to prayer. We are teaching the children how to pray and the importance of prayer (the adults too).
The Hensleys have spent 17 years serving in Brazil. They run a vocational school and orphanage in Caraguatatuba and have also established a church and mission points throughout the city.
As the pastor’s wife, I am singing in the praise worship team, leading the practice of this team, teaching Sunday School for the children, heading up the kitchen committee (which consists of 3 ladies) to help feed the children, leading the clean-up crew to make sure that the Church is always clean and arranged properly for each service, leading the Ladies’ Ministry, and being the counselor for those who need it. I love to host mission groups from the States also. This year we will host 7 groups and 1 apprentice. My job in this is to prepare where they will sleep, plan their meals, help in planning the projects that they will do, and make sure that they experience the mission field and Brasil. And in my spare time, I do anything that needs to be done as the secretary for the pastor.
Many people ask how I do all this and my answer is always, “It is not me, but God who is in me.” I am very happy in the Lord’s work here in Brasil. But as you know, I was not the first one to jump on the wagon when AJ first started to talk about coming to Brasil to be a missionary. I have stated many times that I was happy in my comfort zone there in the States. But now if AJ were to say that we were going back to the States to live, I would be crying all the way back. I love the work that God has given us to do here. As you can see, the work here is very demanding and so I ask for your prayers. They are the help that we need on the days that we think we can not take another step.
You have heard now the side of the wife of a missionary. If you would like to see both sides, come on down and see what God is doing here in Caraguatatuba. All this is because all of you keep us lifted up in prayer and because of the financial support that you give us. Thank you because without both of these things we would not be able to do the work that God has for us to do. When you come, we will feed you rice and beans and if you get tired of that, we will switch it around and feed you beans and rice. Our doors are always open for visitors who want to participate in mission work. I am sure that when you come you will go home tired out but with a feel of what goes on here on the mission field. If you want to experience this, it is yours for the asking. Just plan your vacation and come and see.
In His service,
Aj and Barbara
ajcaragua[at]gmail.com
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Missionary Update: The Wacasers in Brazil [May 2013]
As a missionary’s wife, I am having the privilege of spending Mothers’ Day in Brazil for the 25th time. For the first 5 years I celebrated this day by sending a Mothers’ Day card to my own mother in Georgia, USA, since I myself had no children. In 1992 the Lord tremendously blessed me by bringing our beautiful Brazilian daughter, Jessie, into our lives. I then was able to celebrate Mother’s Day by sending and receiving love and cards.
Five years later, the Lord blessed me again by sending us a beautiful Brazilian son, Brennen. All the joys and trials of motherhood, dealing with our children’s sicknesses, teaching them to know the Lord and love and follow Him, and watching their physical and spiritual growth are gracious gifts of God to me. My own mother who had loved me and strived to care for me passed away in 2001. My husband, Bobby, and I had had the joy of hearing her share that she had surrendered her life to Jesus Christ just a few years before and her transformed life truly indicated that her conversion was real. Jessie and Brennen both got to know their “Nanna” before she went to be with Christ.
When we came to Brazil I had no idea what the Lord had in store for me in the area of being a mother. Bobby and I had been married for 5 years, but had no children. I didn’t feel like anything was missing at first because I ministered to kids almost daily. But just as I began to feel a maternal longing for my own, the Lord brought Jessie and Brennen into our lives. Many of the children that we ministered to and discipled in the early years have now become mothers and fathers themselves and we now see their children coming to Christ and following him.
Bobby, Charlene, Jessie, and Brennen Wacaser have served the Lord as church planters in Curitiba, Parana, Brazil, since 1985.
As this Mothers’ Day comes and goes, I do miss my own mother, but I rejoice that the Lord has blessed me beyond my greatest dreams. He has made me a mother with my own children and has given me children who have their children. Recently while visiting our new neighbors, we met a dear lady named Hilda. From the very first visit she took us into her home as if she were my mother. We visit her regularly and each visit she hugs and kisses us just as if we were her own children coming home from a trip. We have been witnessing to her and praying for her to come to know Jesus Christ just like my own mother did before she passed away. We believe that the Lord brought us here for that purpose. Just as Jesus told his disciples that whoever leaves mother or father, brothers or sisters for his sake and for the Gospel, they would receive a hundred-fold in this life, I am actually experiencing this in my own life. I am so grateful and thankful to have the privilege to serve the Lord in this field where He has called me on this Mothers’ Day, and every day.
Charlene Wacaser
Bobby, Charlene and Brennen Wacaser
Rua Laudelino Ferreira Lopes, 279-1
Bairro Novo Mundo
81050-310 Curitiba, PR Brasil
(813)436-9980
robertmw[at]brturbo.com.br
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