March 5, 2002

Dear Friends

First of all we praise the Lord that He has heard your prayers and Alta is almost completely back to normal. Now that she is well she says she did not realize how sick she was. Praise the Lord for His goodness to us.

All of the work is going along normally. We would like to report that there have been thousands saved and baptized but that has not been our case. All of the mission churches are doing well and all have reported special opposition to those who come to their services. One girl, age twelve, comes to our church once in a while and all of her friends make so much fun at her for doing so she comes home from school crying. Wheeler, a boy of fourteen, was a missionary in the youth program of the Catholic church. He came to services about three times with his aunt and then he told his mother he had decided he was going to be a Baptist preacher. He stopped going to the Catholic church and when he comes by his friends they all laugh and make sport of him. That does not stop him though I am sure he feels the effect. He has a friend about his age who is now coming and Saturday evening he came to service with his mother and father. They are impressed with the change in their son. As a result of the Bible studies and fellowship at camp in January several have made decisions. They are more faithful and two or three are going to be baptized. (Our new baptistery is almost finished.)

Another blessing is the two young boys who are members of our church, ages 10 an 11. They sell ice cream in a little push cart when they are not in school. Every day they separate their tithe of the days sales. On Sunday morning they come with their fist full of coins to put in the offering box.

SEMINARY CLASSES BEGIN TONIGHT Four of our graduates are teaching this semester. Each has one subject. I will be teaching Introduction to Greek, the Gospels and a class in Theology. That is not so much but it is about all I can manage. My mind is good, I think, and then sometime I wonder... I always take a little nap after lunch. For the nap I sleep downstairs where it is cooler. I always take off my shirt and shoes and put my glasses on top the TV. Monday, I was going through my nap preparation ritual... I took of my shirt...slipped off my shoes and put my false teeth on the TV and laid down with my glasses on... Oh well, when you think of us, pray.

We will be going to Manaus for the Forty-first anniversary of the Baptist School for a special celebration. We return on the twenty-fifth. On March 29 we will be going to Duartina for the ordination of their new pastor. All of this, if the Lord so wills.

We love you all in Christ our Lord,

Alta and John Hatcher