May 11, 2004

Dear Friends,

Thanks to all of you who remembered my birthday on April 30. Seventy-nine and still able to breathe. Memory does fail sometimes. The other day I took my afternoon nap, as usual. I always take off my glasses and put them on the table before lying down. That day I took out my partial plate and put it on the table and laid down with my glasses on. Oh well! You cannot win them all.

Living the old age is ten times better than the pitiful programs they put on TV. The programs get worse and old age gets more exciting every day. And, the best is yet to come.

Seventy-nine years of God's blessings. Born to parents who loved the Lord and brought us up in His ways. I learned more about love and faithfulness to God from my father and mother in the years at home than all the time spent in schools, colleges and seminaries. The same was true in Alta's life. God's riches have certainly been ours.

He gave me the gift of a godly wife. He gave us the super treasure of five wonderful children who love and serve Him. Beside these He took one to Heaven to wait for our arrival. Then He gave us fifteen marvelous grandchildren and three lovely great-grandchildren. Then we have Helena and Marie who we reared and educated after their father died. As if this were not enough He gave us three adopted grandchildren by Kathy and Odali, plus the 128 grandchildren at the Alpha and Omega home.

If I had to choose one word to describe our family it would have to be - MISSIONS - telling others about Jesus, the Savior. We have not gone into all the world yet, but God is not finished. We praise Him for His blessings and privilege of using our family in Brazil, Bosnia, Asia, France and America. Multiplying as the stars of the Heavens is our inheritance through God's promise to Abraham.

As Psalm 107 declares: "The Lord has redeemed us out of the hopelessness of life; the slavery of sin; the afflictions of trials; and the storms of life."

And for all this we praise Him and want to tell others what He has done for us and what He can do for them.

Affectionately Yours,

John and Alta Hatcher