English Immersion VBS + Upcoming Conferences
January 31, 2024
Dear friends,
Thank you for praying and holding the ropes as we minister to people in Brazil. Please, read how your participation is impacting the Kingdom.
English Immersion a Success
In January we experimented with an English immersion modular for teens: a type of Vacation Bible School for youth who desire to learn English through Biblical content—a lot of singing and activities, all done in English, with the purpose of teaching language and presenting the Gospel. Even an individual who has no experience with the language can learn a lot in a week. Our daughters Sarah and Laura helped me with this project. It was well received by the local community and several parents asked if there would be one for adults too. English immersion modules are intense, but by the end of the week, both the teens and their parents (just from listening to their kids) were singing in English.
Soccer Athletes & Families
Soccer practice with middle and high school students is in full throttle. Pray for us as we disciple students who recently became believers and for those who still need to surrender to Jesus. The Lord is opening several opportunities to engage with the parents of the student-athletes. In February we plan to have several families over to the house for dinner and engage them with home hospitality.
25th Wedding Anniversary
On January 8th, Raquel and I celebrated our 25th wedding anniversary. As is our family tradition, we celebrate our anniversary with our kids. We had a special time together when we went hiking in the woods and went to the beach, enjoyed time with each other, and made incredible memories.
Pastors & Leaders Conference in São Paulo
On March 9th, there will be a DayCamp conference for pastors, church leaders, and their families at a small campground near Marília, São Paulo. It will be a unique time of prayer, preaching, and playing together. The place has a pool and a synthetic soccer field. Our “Togetherness Network” (Rede Convivencia, in Portuguese) purpose is to foster fellowship among pastors and leaders to recruit, train, place, and network a new generation of pastors and leaders for local churches.
Church Conference in Paraná
On March 29th (Easter weekend), will have a Church Conference near Londrina, Paraná. Churches from São Paulo and Paraná will come together for a day of preaching, singing, and eating together. The purpose of this conference is to embolden churches to reach new people for Christ through Evangelism strategies and to inspire churches and their leaders to invest in training the next generation by providing ministry and service opportunities to challenge them to live out an audacious life in Christ, within their church and community.
Request
We humbly reach out to you, our faithful supporters, with a pressing fundraising need: purchase a car. Would you be willing to give for this urgent need?
Due to the increasing demand and rising expenditure on transportation, we urgently need to acquire this vehicle. The estimated cost for this much-needed resource is $10K.
As we step into the new month, we ask for your continued prayers and support. The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Let’s continue partnering in this Kingdom work.
Always grateful,
Judson Hatcher
Contact Info:
Jud & Raquel Hatcher
São Paulo, Brazil
judsonhatcher@gmail.com
(872) 400-6522
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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Settling Back in Brazil
February 1, 2023
Wow! It has been a joyfully exhausting time since we arrived in São Paulo. Long days and short nights, but plenty of energy and grace from the Lord.
Struggles of settling back in
It has been a crazy season for us as a family. We needed to remodel the house before we arrived, but contractors kept delaying and didn’t finish before we returned. We arrived at the house with over half of the work still needing completion. Fortunately (even after weeks of delays and endless hours on the phone), the remodeling is coming to completion, the dust is settling down, and we began unpacking our bags. Additionally, the car on loan to us ended up with multiple issues and left us stranded too many times – overheating, losing power due to the fuel injector, and other issues. Praise the Lord, we purchased a vehicle, but the loaned car is still in the shop.
Exciting times for the ministry
During all things crazy (of settling back into life in São Paulo), we managed to visit all the people who are part of the Imagine church plant in São Paulo. We plan to have our first evangelistic gathering in February— a one-day camp/picnic with plenty of food, games, competitions, and a Gospel message. This occasion will also serve as a team regroup strategy. Word is getting out among friends of friends, and it should be a great event. The post-event follow-up with families and those who make life-changing decisions is crucial in moments like this one. Please, pray with us as we prepare.
I traveled to the interior of São Paulo and Paraná this last weekend to visit the churches my grandfather (John Hatcher) started. In Garça, I had breakfast with pastors on Saturday morning, where I proposed they join the network I lead, “Rede Convivência” (Life Together Network). All who attended came on board the network. In the afternoon, we (Pastors Gilberto, Epitácio, and I) drove an hour to Pompéia, where a church needs to be replanted/vitalized. We dreamed together at the building location and looked for houses for rent. Pastor Epitácio (Odali Barros’ brother) is considering leading the endeavor at Pompéia. I drove an hour and a half to Lupércio for their church anniversary on Saturday evening. The building was packed, and we had a marvelous celebration! Early Sunday morning, I drove an additional 2 hours to Cornélio Procópio, Paraná, to visit churches and Pastors Valdir and Silvio. We celebrated with them during the morning worship gatherings and had lunch together. We are discussing the possibility of starting a church in Londrina (the second-largest city in Paraná state). Please, pray with us as we mobilize churches and pastors to develop new leaders for church planting and kingdom expansion.
Our kids started school this week. We are grateful to finally begin a normal routine with the family and work. Grateful for your prayers and support. We are blessed by you.
Always grateful,
Judson Hatcher
Contact Info:
Jud & Raquel Hatcher
São Paulo, Brazil
judsonhatcher@gmail.com
(872) 400-6522
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
São Paulo & Paraná Churches Gather in Marília
Jud and Raquel Hatcher serve the Lord in São Paulo, 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.
October 26, 2018
Dear friends,
The Lord is doing some amazing things around us and we are so grateful for all He is doing.
Family
We were growing uneasy with the education the kids were receiving, despite the local public school being one of the best in São Paulo. Through a series of rapid events we were able to enroll our children in an American Christian private school. The kids went through the assessments and necessary interviews to start and are loving their new school. We are now on the American academic calendar which facilitates when we travel to and from the States, as their academic school year will no longer be goofed. We are grateful to the BFM directors as they worked with and assisted us in the process of making this decision.
The school is located on the other side of town and with morning rush hour it took 1 hour and 40 minutes to arrive. The Lord again showed us His hand of grace and provided a good house. The first day of school was also our move-in to the house. We are now three minutes away by car.
The school has a great athletic program. Sarah and Laura are on the JV basketball team and Benjamin is in the boy’s soccer team. Melissa is learning how to play basketball. We are overjoyed with the academic and athletic attention our kids are receiving.
Raquel is working hard at making our new house a home. I admire her “can do” attitude as we work together in this home and school transition with the kids.
Ministry
I recently had the privilege to serve as the key-note speaker at the Baptist Faith (informal) Association of São Paulo and Paraná churches. These were churches started by John Hatcher and Odali Barros during their ministries in that region. Churches from all over drove into the city of Marília for this holiday event. The event was organized by Baptist Faith Church, led by Pastor Gilberto Stefano. Gilberto was mentored in pastoral ministry by Grandpa and he is a tremendous leader. There were 588 people in attendance. Marilía is a 5-hour drive from the capitol. I went and returned on the same day to fulfill my other commitments in São Paulo. It was a sweet, sweet day and it was amazing to see so many friends.
Our move still allows us to continue working with the three home gatherings in the other part of the city. It also allows us to expand. In this next phase we are looking to lease a meeting hall or school for church gatherings. I met yesterday with a pastor whose English speaking church does not use their facilities on Sunday evenings and sent a lease proposal for their consideration for us to use the space on Sunday nights and once a week. The location is situated near two subway stations of a recently inaugurated train line. If the Lord opens this door, this will be our new base and training center. Our team is coming into place too. We have a worship leader and a “knows everyone” leader that will compose our leadership team. Pray for us as we wait for the decision to lease the church’s facility.
Grateful always,
Jud Hatcher
Judson & Raquel Hatcher
(859) 544-9040
judsonhatcher@gmail.com
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Recovering from Surgery; Projeto Vida Sharing Gospel in Parana; Practical Needs
Bobby and Charlene Wacaser have served the Lord as church planters in Curitiba, Parana, Brazil, since 1985.
November 28, 2017
Dear Friends,
Yesterday I had much needed surgery done on my right knee and my doctor says I should have a speedy recovery. I wanted to get this behind me and hit the ground fully ready to begin our new phase of ministry upon our return to Brazil in early January, 2018. When I had to answer the questionnaire for insurance purposes they gave me three different options for the need of the surgery: 1) Auto-related accident, 2) Work-related accident, 3) Wear and tear. Option 3 was my answer, but it made me chuckle to think that some parts are just wearing out and there’s no one or nothing to blame, but fallen humanity. I thank God for the promise of heaven where our bodies will be made completely new!
Our ministry partners, Projeto Vida, are currently working in the northern region of the state of Parana, Brazil. That region continues to provide a wide-open door for sharing the gospel in public schools and parks and the people are very receptive to our teams while ministering to them. Many cities and towns in that region do not have a New Testament church in them and the people are hungry for God’s love. Drugs and alcoholism and demon worship are very prevalent in these communities and we are grateful for the privilege of taking God’s Word and the gospel to them. Upon my return to Brazil, I will be traveling with these teams to minister, but I will especially be in prayer seeking the Lord’s will about where to focus new church plants so that we will see an enduring and expanding witness in the region.
With our return coming so soon, my wife, Charlene, wanted to share with our readers some of her concerns from a missionary’s wife’s perspective.
Hello,
As we plan to return to Brazil in early January, 2018, there are several areas that I, as a wife, have to consider. One is that, when we left in 2015, we had to sell nearly all our household goods, furniture and appliances. We sold them at “yard sale” prices, but we’ll have to replace them at store prices. Setting up house again will be a challenge as we begin to look for a refrigerator, washer/dryer, bed, table, chairs and living room furniture. We won’t be able to take very much with us as luggage because the airlines have decreased the allowable free baggage from two 72 lbs suitcases to two 50 lbs suitcases. For me, as a woman, this is a difficult task, to decide what should and should not go. I realize I can’t take the kitchen sink, but I do want to take my favorite frying pans. Please pray for us and if you feel led of the Lord, contribute so that we may purchase what we need when we arrive in Brazil. Your sacrifice will be gratefully appreciated.
In Christ’s love,
Charlene and Bobby Wacaser
Bobby and Charlene Wacaser
Stateside Address:
3912 Casaba Loop
Valrico, FL 33596
Field Address:
Rua Laudelino Ferreira Lopes, 279-1
Sobrado 1, Bairro Novo Mundo
81050-310 Curitiba, PR Brasil
Phone: (813) 481-7007
Cell Phone: (813) 727-6405
Email: bobbymichael_1@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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Teaching Pastors in Paraná; Another New Building Project
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.
November 21, 2016
Dear Brethren,
Just after the vacation in the States I had a visit to make to some churches in southern Brazil. This had been set up for over a year. One of our guys went to seminary in the state of Paraná. While there he met and married one of the girls from down there. After graduation, he accepted the pastorate in the city of Ponta Grossa (population 400,000) near the capital city of Curitiba. The work is new and the church is small, but already growing at a nice pace. He began with 10 members and now has 48. The history of the work is unique. Another church in town started and actually organized the new church, but then it fell apart and the mother church “downgraded” it to a mission point again! That is where and when Edeilson and Priscilla came in. Anyway, I met with the five pastors and many members of their churches to encourage and teach them about missions and small groups. The building was full all four nights. Their seating capacity is 120 max, but many more showed up and stood inside and out. This is very encouraging as the southern states are well known for their hardness and rejection of the Gospel. All the pastors are eager to grow and reach out. All of them were very welcoming, even the associational missionary….
Since returning from Paraná I have plunged in to another big building project. The church has given the OK to put up a 6,700 square foot metal structure over our present facility. After this is up and under roof we will start modifying the present building to more than double our seating capacity. We have already put up the pillars along the outside and in a few more days the new steel trusses will be in place. Our major gains will be by increasing the total height by over two times and adding balconies all around three sides. We can now seat around 850 people and hope to get at least room for 1700. Yesterday proves, yet again, that we desperately need the added space.
Yesterday morning we had our last baptism service of the year followed by the Lord’s Supper. The building was completely full. The men had to fill the aisles with chairs and the walls along the sides and the vestibules were full of people standing. Our communion trays hold about 700 cups, but the men had to fill a bunch more cups and distribute them before everyone was ready to partake. I baptized 54 more new members. 15 of these were from the home church. All the others were from our 9 chapels here in town and 2 of our congregations up river. In my 50 plus years in Cruzeiro do Sul we had never had a cold front in the month of November. Well one came through on Friday and sent the temps into the mid 60’s. The water was COLD. Easy on the air conditioning though! The building was packed again at night. We have had 2 more saved and a number of other decisions, including more requests for baptism.
Our church has 4 basic courses that are taught 3 or 4 times every year: Discipleship, Membership, Personal Evangelism and One with God. Last week I taught the last round of the Membership course to about 25 new members, giving the 8 lessons over three nights.
This month I have also been making the rounds visiting some of our other works. The last visit was to Cruzeirinho. They are now in their new building although they still don’t have windows, doors or ceilings. Over 200 were present for that visit.
Thanks for all of your prayers and support. God bless you as much as He has us.
In Christ,
Mike Creiglow
Mike and Beverly Creiglow
Caixa Postal 24
Cruzeiro do Sul, Acre, Brazil 69980
mdcreig [at] hotmail.com
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Missionary Update: John & Alta Hatcher Stateside from Brazil [May 2016]
Missionaries John and Alta Hatcher have served the Lord in Brazil since 1955, planting over 70 churches that are still in existence.
May 16, 2016
Dear Brethren and Friends of Baptist Faith Missions:
In the sixty years Alta and I served in Brazil there were many wonderful experiences and individuals who became a permanent part of our lives. None was more vital than the two sisters, Maria and Maria Helena, who became a part of our family life. The youngest, Maria Helena, wrote the poem at the bottom. I translated the poem. I know you will enjoy knowing and thank God for what He did in their lives through the Gospel taken by the work of BFM.
The Hatcher Kids after one year in Brazil
LAST WEEK OF FIRST MISSIONARY TERM IN BRAZIL
In the year 1958, during the last week of our first term, I was invited to preach a revival at the Calvary Baptist Church. Maria was a member of the small Church. During the week her father was saved. Her mother had died. During the year we were home, her father passed away. We learned this soon after returning from furlough.
We got in touch and it was decided they would live with us as members of our family, as daughters. Maria Helena was thirteen and Maria was eighteen. They finished High School and Seminary and became school teachers. In time, Maria Helena married a preacher and became the mother of three children: two sons and a daughter. Maria never married but gave her life as a missionary working with mothers and children. She is eighty-eight and still serving the Lord. She is one of God’s greatest servants. Maria Helena lost her husband and oldest son in a car accident. She never married again but is faithful in serving the Lord.
With this short story of what the Gospel did in these lives, I know you will enjoy the poem better and thank God for what He did in our lives and in the lives of Maria and Maria Helena.
Thank you, Lord, for the years you gave us in Brazil, for the changes in lives as these two sisters and for the friends who have been so faithful to support us with their prayers and financial help. Give thanks to our Lord for all He has done in Brazil!
Sincerely, In His Name,
John A. and Alta Hatcher
FOR PASTOR JOHN AND ALTA
Parana (State), beautiful and fertile land,
Where the sun shines with splendor.
In winter we warm ourselves
And hide from the cold winds.
Pastor and Sister Alta, beautiful and precious stones,
You, with your lives, brought us
New life, new vision, new light.
Stones, strong and brilliant,
That helped many persons
Recuperate their lives.
Many times it seemed that nothing went right,
You came, with great care,
And diminished the pain.
I remember in Garca (Garsa)
You worked in the city streets,
Spreading the Word of the Lord.
Many lives were changed;
Hearts were transformed;
By the outreach of your dear hands.
I ask God, our Lord
To protect you eternally!
You will always be a link
To bless sad hearts.
Thank you, soldiers of the Lord!
You, with all this love for souls and lives,
Have saved broken hearts
From danger and pain.
I ask God to keep you!
And you can be sure
You will always be greatly loved.
“With much love.” Maria Helena
John A. and Alta Hatcher
15905 Mercott Court
Clermont FL 34714
229-529-8497
jhatcher1925[at]gmail.com
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