September 9, 2005

Dear Friends,

Alta and I have been enjoying our short visit here in the States, enjoying the fellowship and hospitality of our brethren and friends who have shown us much love.  Especially, we thank brother and sister Creiglow for the lovely car they have provided for us to use.  We thank Baptist Faith Missions in the person of Brother Dave Parks and his untiring help to provide and make our stay in the Mission House a pleasant experience.  Our short stay has made it impossible to visit many churches, but the ones visited have blessed us.

My sister, Jessie, and her husband, Joe, met us at the airport in Orlando and took care of us for a week.  Alta's only living sister, Marcella, visited us there.

In Florida we visited the Bethel Bible Baptist Church; in Nashville, Judson Baptist Church; in Lexington, Kentucky, New Life Baptist Church, Heritage Baptist Church, Master's Church, Bethel Baptist Church, and Thompson Road Baptist Church; in Evansville, IL, Emmanuel Baptist Church; in Springfield, IL, East Keys Baptist Church.  At East Keys Baptist Church we attended their Missionary Conference.  Our special thanks to Brother Tom Fallwell and his wife who took us to Springfield in their car.  This blessing saved us the frustration of driving on American highways where the roads are good but where drivers are very unforgiving.  Thanks to our dear friend, Faye Hicks, who along with their family and Brother Presley took us in as members of their family.

We thank the Lord for visits with friends of many years:  Ed Overbey and his wife, Jackie; Grant and Mary Ann Fox, Wallace and Geneva Singleton, family loved ones and friends at our Hatcher family reunion, Betty and Bob Creiglow, and Joseph H. and Francis Hodge in Rockledge, FL.

The Lord willing, we will be flying home on the eleventh of October.  Pray for us and for David, our grandson, and his wife, Dulce, who have gone to Asia to work in His vineyard.

In His love,

John and Alta Hatcher

John and Alta Hatcher and Harold and Marie Bratcher.  Four great missionaries.  Between them they have almost one hundred years of service.