Celebrating 8 Years of Caragua Baptist Church
March 16, 2022
Dear friends and family,
Time seems to be so short and seems that I am always running behind (this is maybe because of my maturity—age).
We have just finished two seminary classes in São Paulo taught by Pastor Raymond Edge of First Baptist Church of Bastrop, Texas. The classes were Old Testament Survey and an elective from the Old Testament, the book of Jonah. Our plans were to have these classes in person and to do zoom classes also; however, circumstances (COVID and finances) only allowed us to do the zoom classes.
Barbara and I are planning to be in Brazil for March and April. We will be visiting family in Caraguatatuba, São Paulo. While there, I will be preaching in a meeting at Caragua Baptist Church for the 8-year anniversary of the church. This will be the 26th and the 27th of March. It is AWESOME to participate in celebrating these 8 years of this church spreading God’s Word in Brazil.
While preaching and visiting in Caragua, I will also be visiting São Paulo and meeting with several pastors and two churches. São Paulo has just lowered its COVID 19 level, and this will allow me to travel more freely.
Please be praying for these pastors as their churches have lots of fear about COVID-19 and their financial ability to properly fight the pandemic. Not so different as from here, but there somewhat more severe.
The Bibles for the Guarani Indians have not arrived as of yet. I am hoping to be able to deliver them while there. How AWESOME will it be to be able to read God’s word in their own language. Pastor Valdival, the missionary working with these Indians, is now out of the hospital and doing well. We have been friends and have worked with him for 10 years. We were happy for him to get out of the hospital and hope to be able to see him when we are there.
Dr. Derek and I along with our wives will be going to a Pastors Conference in Recife representing Bluegrass Baptist Seminary and the work being done, talking to the pastors and those in attendance on July 18–22. Pray for this upcoming trip as we work to continue to teach God’s Word in Brazil. Thanks to all of you for the continuing prayers and contributions for the work God has called us to do here in Brazil. Without both of those we would have a greater problem doing our work. Thanks to Baptist Faith Missions and all the churches who support our missionaries. Keep up the good work.
In His service,
Aj and Barbara
CONTACT INFO
AJ & Barbara Hensley
30524 Mimi St
Sebring, FL 33870-0530
AJ: 859-539-2302 | Barbara: 859-539-1424
ajcaragua@gmail.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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Mission-Minded Churches & the Guarani Indians
December 22, 2021
Friends and family,
It is Barb and my wish is for all of you to have had a wonderful Christmas and to have an AWESOME 2022.
Continuing with our trip to Brazil in October, we were able to visit the missionaries to the Guarani Indians, Pastor Valdival and his wife Rose. On this visit we saw some needs in their ministry and for their personal lives. They have bought some property for them to get out from under the expenditure of rent so they could have more money to put into their ministry. Now this purchase is not a recent one, but they have had it for some years. As a matter of fact, some of you here in the States have been a part of the renovation of this property. When we showed our friends the house, some said they thought it should be torn down and started all over. But they started and little by little they renovated the house and are now living in it and are very thankful for their home. One of the reasons for the location of the home is to be closer to the tribe that they work with. As with many of the Pastors in Brazil, they can use some help. The home is needing some work on the front of the house because the lean to over their outdoor cooking area and laundry room is just about like it has no cover over it, even though it does have a covering. I got to examining it closer and it had been covered with clay roof tiles, but they were of various sizes, so when it rained, it rained inside as well as outside. When we got back to Caragua, I was able to talk to the Pastors of two of the Churches that we worked with, and they agreed to help with this project. The labor and workers to do the work were ready, now the money for the material was needed. In our estimate we would need around 2,000.00 and so Barbara and I gave some seed money and in the last month, these two Churches have raised the rest. I am elated to say that this month the work has been completed because these two Churches are mission-minded and saw a need and sacrificed to help a missionary. It is AWESOME when you can look back and see the Churches you have worked with living the truths you taught them.
Guarani Indians 
The two churches working on the missionary’s home 
Guarani Indians
Pastor Valdival’s ministry with the Indians is in need of Bibles in the native language of the Guarani. The cost for these Bibles will be around $1,500.00 for 40 because they have to be ordered and shipped. But when we went to visit them (the Indians), the wife of one of the leaders told of having three Bibles, but she now only has one because everyone who visits her asks for her Bible to keep. So, if we can get more printed, we can get more of God’s Word out to more people. Please be praying for this need and if God puts it on your mind to help, send donations to BFM designated for Bibles.
We want to take this time to express our deepest gratitude to each and every one who so faithfully supports Baptist Faith Missions and to Baptist Faith Missions for supporting us. Continue praying for our health and opportunities to serve the Lord in Brazil.
In His service,
Aj and Barbara
CONTACT INFO
AJ & Barbara Hensley
592 Emery Court
Lexington, KY 40505
AJ: 859-539-2302 | Barbara: 859-539-1424
ajcaragua@gmail.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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An Example of Love & Good Works
Missionaries John Mark and Judy Hatcher have been serving the Lord in Tournefeuille, France since 1999. They define their ministry as “disciple-making.”
March 9, 2020
Dear Fellow Disciples of Jesus,
This morning Judy and I received a very welcome call from Jean-Luc and his wife Rose. They are members of the church at Tournefeuille and were calling to see how we were doing and to let us know how much they missed us. We are truly blessed to serve with them and others like them in France.
Last week we had a great time of fellowship with the folks of New Life Baptist Church in Lexington. God has blessed them with an excellent building from which to minister and we enjoyed getting acquainted with new members in this body of Christ. The previous weekend we spent three days with Emmanuel Baptist Church of Bellbrook, OH discussing how to follow Jesus making disciples. Judy and I were very encouraged by the interaction with the followers of Jesus there.
Though the word “missionary” does not appear in most translations of the New Testament, it is clear that all of us who are disciples of Jesus are His light on earth and we are instructed “to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called”. At the meetings in Bellbrook we became acquainted with Mike and Marci. They along with others shared how God had opened doors to communicate about their faith in Christ. I asked permission to share with you what they told us, and here is a bit from Mike and Marci in her words.
How it started –
Mike and I felt the need a few months ago to “reach out” where we can and thought home was the best, and, to be frank, easiest way to widen our comfort zone. I had been giving treats from baking to the neighbors in our condo so it seemed natural to have “Muffins and Prayer in the Stairwell”. Notes on doors for time and date and here we are. *It’s important to note that our first effort was ignored. But…God’s timing, not ours!
And… more recent news –
Thought I’d update on the “Muffins in the stairwell” happening. Monday before last we had three show up for what actually became coffee and brownies and prayers. Since there were only the five of us, we invited them in and it went great.
We met again last night and had two more! (Again, no muffins but great cookies from Kroger-God has given me grace on the scales!)
Last night it was decided that we would try to meet every other Monday. Prayer has been wonderful and the one couple that is moving has promised to keep meeting with us.
We ask special prayers for our young single neighbor upstairs. She is quite shy but seems to enjoy our “God talk”. We are hoping for God to lead us into a conversation on salvation soon.
We have what is a single gentleman downstairs who is an alcoholic and is basically walker bound. I leave goodies and encouraging notes for him as he seldom comes out or answers the door. Praying for him and patiently “wooing” him and trusting our God.
There is one other family downstairs that are polite and enjoy the goodies but show no interest. I’m sure God has His own plan and we’ll remain available.
Our current plan is to put chalkboard adhesive paper on our front door with a bag of chalk. We will put daily Bible verses on it and leave room for prayer requests when we aren’t home. We are learning to be hospitable, (I still tidy more than usual but I’m a work in progress.) And we are learning to REST in Him, not just SUBMIT!
That’s it for now. Just wanted you to know God used you to make an impact in our and other’s lives. Praying for you faithfully. God bless you!
Mike and Marci Walker
Well, I hope their words encourage you “to love and good works” as they have encouraged me. And… let others in your church and fellowship know how God is opening doors around you. In fact, I would be delighted to hear from you. I will not put it in my newsletter without your permission!
With you following the call of Jesus,
John and Judy
John Mark & Judy Hatcher
JMHatcher[at]aol.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
Missionary Update: John Mark & Judy Hatcher in France [November 2015]
Missionaries John Mark and Judy Hatcher have been serving the Lord in Tournefeuille, France since 1999. They define their ministry as “disciple-making.”
November 2, 2015
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
Yesterday our church message was “Surprised by God” from Acts 9 which revolves around Paul’s conversion. Paul was surprised, the soldiers were surprised, believers were surprised, Ananias was surprised, the Jewish leaders were surprised, we are surprised. There are dozens of surprises mentioned in these 31 verses concerning what happened, to whom it happened, how it happened. In all of this we see the hand of God working out His eternal plan of redemption.
And since God’s ways are far above our ways and past finding out, we are often surprised by God. I will share with you a few of these surprises we have seen this month. A couple of nights ago I received a call from Joachim, the first person baptized in the church here in Tournefeuille. That was the culmination of many wonderful surprises. His son trusted Christ and was baptized just before they moved to Hamburg, Germany three years ago. God brought him here where he was saved and moved him on to serve elsewhere. It was great to hear how God is working in his family. They are active in a church and God is at work in them. They were great members here and we miss them terribly. He will be down here for work related medical check-ups next month and we are looking forward to spending more time in fellowship for an evening.
Douceline, the single lady who hosts the Bible studies in Mazere, was surprised by a wild boar the week before last. Late in the evening, as she was driving home from a meeting where we had been together, the wild boar rammed the driver side door of her car, setting off the airbag and making her car a total loss. Just after it happened on a country road, the Lord graciously brought a car of police officers by who gave her a ride home. The car itself had been a gracious surprise a couple of years ago. Dutch missionaries with whom she was acquainted were retiring and leaving the country. Aware of her commitment as a “missionary” in her community and her modest income they gave her this small car which was in excellent shape. The insurance will help her replace the car. Besides the Bible study that we hold in her home with a number of people she also leads two other Bible studies with ladies.
On October 8th we received and a text from Eva. She had just been admitted to the hospital in danger of miscarrying at 20 weeks of pregnancy. On December 5th last year she gave very early birth and their son lived less than a week. Often surprises are unpleasant! She is still confined to bed in the hospital but the pregnancy is progressing. Last week, her doctor told her that he was very impressed by her positive outlook despite the bleak circumstances. She was thrilled to be able to tell her doctor about her faith in Christ. Eva and her husband host a Bible study that we lead in their home in the neighboring department. Sometimes Christ, the light in us, is more visible when we find ourselves in dark surroundings.
Yesterday Rose, who along with her husband and children is relatively new but are faithful members, told about a recent visit to the only person in their extended family besides them who is a believer. This couple was saved through the ministry of an American missionary in another region of France. A few years ago his niece called in tears because her life was falling apart and their changed lives gave her hope. They went to her, witnessed to her and she trusted the Lord. A friend of her mother is a medium and told her that she would not get married and never have any children. She is now active in the church led by the American missionary who led Rose and Jean-Luc to Christ. She met and married a fine young man in this church and just gave birth to their first child! The niece’s family resents the spiritual changes in her, but the last chapter has not yet been written!
This evening Amanda, our wonderful daughter-in-law missionary, is having the first college girls Bible Study with girls from our church. She and Philip also lead a Bible study Thursday. We have a Bible study here on Wednesday and Saturday we have our Youth Outreach. The Bible lesson this week is “God has Spoken through His Son”.
There is more to write, but I would like for you to keep reading our letters. So, I will stop! Thanks for your faithful support. Please keep praying.
Surprised by God in France,
John and Judy
John and Judy Hatcher
4, rue d’Aspin
31170 Tournefeuille, France
JMHatcher[at]aol.com
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