May 2016 Update –
Hudson Taylor famously stated that, “There are three stages to a work of God. Impossible, difficult, and done.” We can attest to the truthfulness of this, but I also find it fascinating how God even gets us and others to the starting line. There are many starting and finish lines in the overall life of a runner. Each race has its own preparation and its own obstacle-ridden route, but the very idea that we would even step up to the starting line and do so again and again is where faith conceives our first inner fires not easy quenched.
For example, you may remember from our previous updates over the past year that God has opened a door to begin a work in Cluj, Romania. I will lead a team the second half of June to begin a work – another race if you will – that by God’s grace will reach many people with the gospel and culminate in a new church plant in the near future. But this began with a thought in the mind of a young student, Maria, who said, “Come over here and reach our young people!”
That thought spread to other leaders, and instead of hitting the wall of human doubt – the giants in the land – it encountered faith. After we scouted out Cluj, Romania last February, the good report reached more minds where faith and vision were kindled, and now a team of about fifteen is warming up at the starting line.
On your mark, get set …
Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, Matthew 28:19
So what was the “good report” from our scouting trip that rallied the team? When I asked a local pastor in Cluj if he had a student ministry he said, “yes”. When I asked where the students came from he said they grew up in church. To that I asked, “What is being done to reach the otherwise unchurched 50,000 students in Cluj?” The answer was, “I don’t know.” A whole generation is in the valley of decision – or not even aware that there is a decision – and the church “doesn’t know.” Not tolerable, so we go!
But this is not our only starting line. In the middle of preparing for Cluj, we have begun the transition process for our move to Poland in September. We moved out of our house and into a smaller temporary apartment – we actually don’t like the moving process – and we are increasing our partnership base that will allow the mission to go from impossible, to difficult and then to done.
We don’t often make specific requests in these updates, but the scope of our overall mission as well as the number of new open doors has increased such that we call upon God’s people to join us. It takes a team, and while some will say, “Here I am Lord, send me”, others will say, “Here I am Lord, I will send them!” We therefore ask that you consider investing in this work by becoming monthly partners or helping with our upcoming relocation costs as well as the Cluj trip.
We look forward to sending more reports of God’s faithfulness in redeeming the nations, and we would also love to hear from you. Thanks for standing with us, and God bless!
Mike and Myra
Pray
1. New financial partners for our move to Poland and the Cluj trip 2. Grace as we prepare for our move to Krakow 3. Future Moscow, Russia and Albania missions 4. More campus ministers for Europe 5. Peace for Ukraine
Contact
mike.watkins@everynation.org
***
