The Gospel Going forth in Brazil, Paraguay, & Colombia!
Bobby and Charlene Wacaser have served the Lord as church planters in Curitiba, Parana, Brazil, since 1985.
February 4, 2019
Starting the second week of January we held our first Missions Training Seminar and we were thrilled to have two middle-aged couples among our 20 volunteers! Two married couples who are just shy of retirement have been praying for the Lord’s direction in their life after they leave their secular jobs. After seeing how God used them to touch so many lives in Brazil and Paraguay in just a few short weeks, they feel strongly led to transition from their present jobs to full-time evangelism. We are praying with them and for them to clearly know God’s will about this so important decision. If they are truly led of the Lord to come be a part of our ministry outreach, they will certainly be a welcomed addition. I admire their way of thinking at this stage in their lives. So many middle-aged Christians start thinking about leisure and comfort and here these dear folks are seeking how they may more fully serve the Lord with their available time and resources. May God truly guide them in this process.
A man who trusted Christ in Paraguay
Another man who trusted Christ in Paraguay
Our team who took the gospel message to Paraguay came back rejoicing at how open most of the people were to the gospel. But it became evident that the adversary has his grip on people of all nations. One young man from our team was visiting in a neighborhood and began a conversation with man who became upset and hostile. Despite the man’s rudeness and hostility, our evangelist retained his pleasant attitude and treated the man with respect. He invited the man to come to our evangelistic presentation that would be held in the public square that evening, but the man told him to leave. In parting, the young evangelist felt led to ask the man to take his son, who was standing by his side, to the presentation. That night, lo and behold, the man showed up with his son to the evening meeting! He stayed throughout the entire service of gospel skits, testimonies and preaching and when an invitation was given at the end of the meeting to surrender his life to Christ, the man went immediately to the front of the crowd to accept Jesus as his Lord and Savior. This turn of events further strengthened our worker’s faith in the power of God to transform lives through the gospel.
While one group was in Paraguay spreading the gospel two of our workers got the opportunity to go on mission to Colombia. Israel and Giovane are both musicians and received an invitation to teach the people how to play wind instruments, which is their strength. Teaching the people to play the instruments was their platform for sharing the gospel with their students. They were assisting a missionary who is attempting to plant a new church there. As they taught how to play the instruments they also shared how God had changed their lives through trusting in Jesus Christ and how their lives could be transformed as well. They both were used of the Lord to win several Colombians to Christ during their three-week stay there. The local missionary is now working to disciple those who surrendered to the Lord.
Next week Charlene and I will resume teaching our English classes along with our volunteer tutors from our church teaching their respective subjects. It looks like we will have quite a few returning students as well as several new ones. We are excited about the privilege sharing the gospel with folks who wouldn’t ordinarily come to church for any other purpose. Please keep us in your prayers throughout this next semester.
Thank you for your concern and loving support.
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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Two Students Trust Christ in Minas Gerais
Bobby, Charlene, Jessie, and Brennen Wacaser have served the Lord as church planters in Curitiba, Parana, Brazil, since 1985.
November 29, 2018
Dear Friends,
We followed through with our plans to have a Thanksgiving service with our Brazilian brothers and sisters this month and it was wonderful! That was a first for all of them, but they want it to be annual now. Charlene and I had a great time preparing several of the traditional American Thanksgiving recipes and, by the lack of leftovers, they were appreciated by all. The Lord has greatly blessed us and our ministries this year. We had an increase of 220% in our attendance and we were privileged to have our baptismal pool used again.
The English classes and tutoring that we offer for free continue to bring people from our neighborhood into contact with us during the weekdays and several people come to our Sunday services as a result as well. We are expecting to see quite a few attend our Christmas presentation where we will present the gospel through music, drama and preaching.
Our Project Life evangelistic team was in two states this month: Rio de Janeiro and Minas Gerais. The workers had the opportunity to share the gospel with over 3000 students and their families in the schools and town squares. There were many professions of faith in Christ, so I can’t share them all. I do want to tell you about two students in Minas Gerais, though. As our drama teams were presenting the gospel through a skit, these students were able to identify themselves in the characters of the drama and the Holy Spirit opened their eyes to see their great need of Christ. They saw how much sin had ravished their families and their own lives and they wanted a new life in Christ. They had been living in hopelessness for too long and saw that Jesus bought them salvation and purpose through his blood. One of these was a young lady who had begun to slash her wrists regularly and was constantly depressed. She had been sexually abused by her stepfather and felt like she was worthless. Our evangelist showed her through the Scriptures the Heavenly Father’s love and care for her and she was thrilled to surrender her life to Him. She asked the Lord to forgive her for her hatred and bitterness. The other youth had begun using drugs and alcohol to numb his mind to the sense of despair and lack of purpose. Instead of taking away his depression, it only increased. Another one of our volunteers sat down with him for quite a while to present the gospel of Christ and to point out how meaningful one’s life is when it is surrendered to the Lord. That young man also repented and trusted in Jesus.
We are getting ready for our long-anticipated Christmas presentation in a couple of weeks where we hope to see several people come to know Christ personally. Our church members have been hard at work for a couple of months now practicing dramas and music. We ask that you pray with us that God will bless and save souls through this event. Charlene and I are grateful to you for your prayers, concern and generous support for our ministries here in southern Brazil.
Merry Christmas and may God bless you.
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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Sharing Christ in Rio Grande do Sul
Bobby, Charlene, Jessie, and Brennen Wacaser have served the Lord as church planters in Curitiba, Parana, Brazil, since 1985.
August 30, 2018
Dear Friends,
In Brazil, Father’s Day is celebrated on the second Sunday in August and not in June, like in the USA. So, this month we had a special service on Father’s Day at our church which went very well. To give the mothers a break, the men and boys of the church were to work together to prepare, either the largest, or the best tasting sandwich that they could come up with. We were surprised by some very delicious sandwich recipes and the 4 feet long sub that one family made. One of the other main goals of this event was to have our members invite friends and family members that do not know Christ or who are not a part of a local church. We did have several unchurched folks attend that Sunday and I preached a simple and direct gospel message. We trust and pray that the Lord used His preached word to accomplish in the hearts of those present just what He purposed to do. We now have about 5 new teens who want to begin discipleship classes since that service. Those classes will be starting this coming Sunday and we hope and pray that those young people are truly saved and that they will follow through with baptism and growth in the knowledge of Christ.
One of Bobby Wacaser’s English classes
Projeto Vida Van heading out to the southernmost state in Brazil, Rio Grande do Sul with 12 volunteers.
Our traveling evangelistic team, Projeto Vida, was ministering in the southernmost state of Brazil, Rio Grande do Sul. They worked specifically in two towns, Flores da Cunha and Igrejinha. It might surprise some to learn that, even though the state of Rio Grande do Sul is one of the most culturally civilized states in Brazil, it is the least evangelized. In fact, demonic worship and witchcraft is much more common there than Christianity. We sent our team to help two new church plants share the gospel in the public schools and parks. Our volunteers shared their testimonies, performed gospel skits and preached to over 2000 people this month and there were dozens of professions of faith in Christ as a result. The pastors of those new works are now following up with personal discipleship of those who made their decision public.
I took a group of 12 on a mountain camping trip recently and everyone really enjoyed it. Especially because of Charlene’s 2 gallons of delicious chicken noodle soup that I took to feed them. We are in the middle of our winter season here and the temperature on those days was around 45 degrees inside the tents. The next day we hiked to the top of the mountain and the Lord blessed with beautiful weather and scenery. I like to use these outings to invite people who wouldn’t normally spend 24 plus hours with a pastor or missionary, but because of the adventure involved, participate. It gives me and my co-laborers several opportunities to live outwardly the presence of Christ in us. We have seen the fruit of these efforts on many occasions and we are still seeing it. Not to mention that the mountain hikes help me to keep in better physical shape.
Charlene and I are extremely grateful to you who pray for us and for your generosity that allows us to minister here in southern Brazil. May the Lord bless you richly.
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
Anticipating Exciting Ministry Opportunities in Brazil
Bobby, Charlene, Jessie, and Brennen Wacaser have served the Lord as church planters in Curitiba, Parana, Brazil, since 1985.
January 3, 2018
Dear Friends,
We travel back to Brazil next week to “re-begin” our ministry there. To give a brief overview to you who don’t know us, Charlene and I served with Baptist Faith Missions as church-planting missionaries in Brazil since 1985. In March of 2015 my mother passed away here in Florida and we returned from Brazil to assist my family in caring for my aged and ailing father. Besides helping to care for my father, I also accepted the call to pastor a local Baptist congregation in Tampa, Florida. After my father also passed away a couple of years later, the Lord revealed to us that He wanted us back in Brazil to minister. Since August of 2017, we have been setting our affairs in order so that we might return to our field of service there. Pastor Darrell Messer and good people of Emmanuel Baptist Church of Bellbrook, Ohio have accepted us as members there and will be our sending church.
We are anticipating the very exciting ministry opportunities that await us in Brazil. Our evangelistic outreach efforts through Projeto Vida have been enhanced by the addition of a new 18 passenger van, which replaces one of the 35-year-old motor homes we were using. In fact, one week after I arrive, we will be hosting this year’s first missionary training seminar and we’ll be utilizing the van to transport missionary trainees to “on the field” ministry in the interior of the country. During this seminar, we teach the biblical principles of the great commission and then follow up with the practical application of personal evangelism and public preaching and gospel presentations.
It will be a welcome experience for me to go back to teaching and preaching God’s word in Portuguese again after nearly 3 years of preaching in English only. Charlene is also looking forward to offering English as a Second Language classes which open many doors of opportunity to get to know unchurched people and to share the gospel with them.
Along with the opportunities of ministry awaiting us will also come several challenges. One is the emotional battle of leaving our 1 month old first grandchild, Jayce Wacaser. He is so sweet and cuddly, so you can imagine our struggle. Also, we will have to replace our car and nearly all of our furniture and appliances in an expensive economy. We trust God for all these things, so we do not worry or fret, but we know we must work and pray that He’ll provide.
We are looking forward to giving our first update from Brazil next month as “re-commissioned missionaries”.
In Christ’s love,
Bobby and Charlene 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
Give: Click here to give.
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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
Read more
Preparing to Return to Brazil
Bobby, Charlene, Jessie, and Brennen Wacaser have served the Lord as church planters in Curitiba, Parana, Brazil, since 1985.
November 7, 2017
Dear Friends,
Charlene and I are preparing to return to Brazil on January 8, 2018. We have purchased our airline ticket and we’re trying to put together all the equipment and household items that we’ll need when we arrive. We have maintained regular contact with many of our friends there and they have helped us know which items are much less expensive in the USA and which ones can be bought in Brazil for about the same price. This information is very helpful as we start packing our bags because the airlines have reduced the amount of free bags that each passenger can take. Since we’ll have reduced baggage, we need to be very selective in what we purchase before we leave.
I have been corresponding with our Brazilian ministry partners and they are very excited about the news of our return. We are really looking forward to getting to be with them again and for the opportunities to meet and share the gospel with new acquaintances.
One of my most exciting expectations is the Missions Training Seminar that will begin less than one week after our arrival in Curitiba, Brazil. It will be quite motivating to have the chance to pour into a group of passionate godly young men and women who want their lives to count for Christ’s kingdom almost immediately upon our return. I am also excited about traveling with our Projeto Vida outreach teams quite often. Presently, two teams are in the extremely poor and dangerous slums of Rio de Janeiro sharing the gospel. The leader of the teams messaged me to ask for prayer and protection as they minister in those neighborhoods. He did make it quite clear, though, that all the team members feel the Lord’s arms of protection around them and they are emboldened to take the love of Jesus to these dear lost ones.
We are expecting the birth of our first grandson, Jayce Wacaser, any day now. We are looking forward to getting and giving as much “sugar” to him as we can before we leave. Please pray for his parents to be guided by the Lord to raise him to love and serve our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ. Also, pray that we will keep our eyes on the prize of serving the Lord with our whole hearts.
In Christ’s love,
Bobby & Charlene 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
Give: Click here to give.
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God’s Hand at Work in Hurricane Irma
Bobby, Charlene, Jessie, and Brennen Wacaser have served the Lord as church planters in Curitiba, Parana, Brazil, since 1985.
October 8, 2017
Dear Friends,
I’m almost certain that you either saw or read the news reports on Hurricane Irma as it passed through the Caribbean islands and then hit Florida. My family and I are living in the Tampa, Florida area and we were keenly aware of the meteorologists’ predictions about the size and intensity of that storm as it approached us. As a boy being raised in Florida in a Christian home, I had the experience several times of seeing how parents who trust in a sovereign Lord face the threat of nature’s forces with faith and confidence. Hurricane Irma’s arrival gave me the opportunity to exercise my own faith and trust in God’s power and goodness and to show to my own children and a Brazilian family who took refuge in our home during the storm that we truly do trust in Him.
Since the hurricane’s passing, I have also had numerous opportunities to minister to people whose homes were devastated by the winds. As I traveled about putting temporary tarp coverings on exposed homes, I ran into many people who are were more sensitive to their vulnerability and limitations and this afforded me the chance to share Christ’s love with them. I know that God was at work in a myriad of ways when He allowed that storm to come our way, but I am certain that at least two of those ways was to prepare the hearts of a family of five who came to my home and three homeless men who I ministered to in Naples, Florida where the damage was quite severe.
When we first went to Brazil 32 years ago we didn’t really know what to expect in terms of what we should take to be prepared to live and minister. Our 30 years there helped us be more discerning in our purchasing and packing and Charlene has been very busy using her keen sense of bargains as we get closer to our departure date.
Our evangelistic teams, Projeto Vida, are in two separate towns sharing the gospel in public schools as I write. There has been a great work of the Lord in leading many to repent of their sins and trust Christ as their Lord and Savior. I am looking forward to the days ahead when I can be with them in this unique gospel ministry.
If you or your church would be interested in meeting Charlene and me, or getting to know us better while we are still in the USA, please feel free to contact me at the address/phone number below for us to plan a visit.
In Christ’s love,
Bobby and Charlene 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
Give: Click here to give.
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Returning to Brazil!
Bobby, Charlene, Jessie, and Brennen Wacaser have served the Lord as church planters in Curitiba, Parana, Brazil, since 1985.
September 5, 2017
Dear Friends,
Charlene and I super excited to be returning as active missionaries to Brazil after 1½ years of “missionary emeritus” status. We maintained constant interaction with our ministry partners in Brazil throughout the period and continued to forward all funds to their designated purposes, but now we will be returning to live and minister in the field and we are thankful to God for calling us back.
We have been praying for direction on how to be the most effective we possibly can be when we return and we feel that God is giving us some clear strategies. One of the most important lessons that we have learned, though, is that God is more interested in our staying attuned to His leading on a day by day basis than He is in our big plans. Initially, we intend to assist the churches that we established before we left, if they need help. I will almost certainly be going out with our evangelistic teams, Projeto Vida, into unreached areas to share the gospel in the public schools and parks and pray for guidance from the Lord about where to focus on new church plants.
We have several challenges in going back which present us with opportunities to see God’s hand at work. The first is that, when we left, we needed to get rid of all our home furnishings and now we’ll need to replace them. Our house in Brazil is being rented out and is under a contract until the end of November. Also, our first grandchild is due to arrive around the same time. Of course it will be hard for us to move away so shortly after his arrival, but we know the Lord will give us the strength to focus on making His name known to the lost. Thirdly, we’ll need to purchase a vehicle almost immediately upon our arrival. Your prayers for us about these challenges will be greatly appreciated.
In the meantime, if you or your pastor would be interested in us visiting with you personally before we return to Brazil, please contact us at any of the numbers above.
In Christ’s love,
Bobby and Charlene 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
Give: Click here to give.
Read more
