Feburary 6, 2007

Dear Friends and Co-workers

We have had a great month with visits from three of our children: Paul, Kathy and David. Paul was invited to be speaker for our annual family camp. The director of the camp is Valdir, pastor of Tabernacule Baptist Church in Cornelio. There were over 80 who attended. One young lady, 27 years old, from Urai, was saved. The week before camp there was another young lady, Bete, saved here, also. Another lady and a young man made professions of faith.

After seven months of services we had our largest number on Sunday morning February 4. There were five adults and five children in attendance. After a great time singing and worshipping with thanksgiving, I had Bible study with the five adults and Alta had a great class with the five children.

In case you might ask yourself: "How does an old man and old woman who have started works for sixty years feel to have the big number of ten after seven months of labor?" Well, I will tell you how this old man felt. As I led the song and saw the big crowd, my heart filled and my eyes shed tears of joy unto the Lord. "Ten, a big crowd?", you are thinking. After having three services every week end for seven months with no more than three in attendance except for opening day and one weekend when visitors came from Marilia, I assure you it was a victoriously big crowd.

We go to Assai every Saturday about eleven o'clock. After cleaning the building and putting things in order, we eat lunch and rest some. Being unable to walk as in times past, we spend our afternoon at the building and evangelize those who pass by or who by chance stop to talk. The night is spent in a little hotel and Sunday morning we have breakfast of cold french bread, cold sliced cheese, and coffee or hot milk with chocolate. After morning service we eat a sandwich and or cold cereal and rest. We leave the hotel in time so as not to have to pay another day and go back to the building and wait for service at 4:30 p.m. We drive thirty miles back to Urai, pick up our crippled neighbor, and attend night service at Urai.

We wanted to come home for three months and see many of you at the Spring Missionary Conference and family but we cannot come: there is no one to take care of our "big" crowd of little sheep. Assai has 20,000 that are not safe within the fold.

Resting in His promises and rejoicing in His Grace,

John and Alta Hatcher

Alta and the keyboard glorify the Lord

Alta and John Hatcher with view of Assai in the background