December 30, 2003

Dear Brethren,

Tomorrow at midnight, 2003 will leave and the New Year 2004 will arrive. May the Lord, the eternal Father, Son, and Holy Spirit be with us during each one of the 366 days of the New Year. "God be with you till we meet again."

During this Mission Sheets month, December 2nd to December 30th, I preached three sermons: one at Glen's Creek Baptist Church, where David Fee is the pastor, and two at Stonewall Baptist Church, where Michael J. Campbell is the pastor. The Glen's Creek church held a special service and supper in our honor the night I preached, December 17th.

On the 23rd, Mrs. Ella J. Casey and Mrs. Pam Lakes of Clarksville Baptist Church visited us and presented us with Christmas gifts. On the 12th, we went with the Fees (from Glen's Creek Church) to the Southern Baptist Seminary at Louisville, KY, where we attended the graduation program for some 150 who graduated. One of the graduates is BFM missionary, Bobby Wacaser. It was the first time for Marie and me to attend a graduation program since my graduation in January of 1955.

On the 25th, we were blessed by Ana Burris and her brother, Don, who served us dinner in Ana's home.

We, Harold and Hattie (she prefers to be called Marie) have been blessed these days by receiving many Christmas cards and gifts and prayers from many of the Lord's people. We have also been blessed by giving offerings to the churches we have visited and to other missions.

On December 27th of 1954 at the Newby Baptist Church, Richmond, KY, Hattie and Harold were declared "man and wife" by Pastor Clarence Walker. We thank the Lord as we have now entered the 50th year of our marriage. May the Lord bless each one of you readers of the Mission Sheets and each church and person whose name is listed in the December Mission Sheets in the list of the Offerings Received. May the Lord continue to supply your every need and give you the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ that we all will need throughout the rest of our dayshere upon the earth.

Yours in the Service of the Savior,

Harold and Marie Bratcher

P.S. We receive regular reports from Ediberto Ribeiro da Silva, pastor of the 24th of March Baptist Church in Manaus. This is the church where I was pastor from March 1999 until June of 2003 and where Marie and I are still members and where each month we send our tithes and offerings. Pray for the church and pastor and former pastor for as in all our churches, there are problems.