March 2018 Update

COUNTDOWN

When NASA or Elon Musk launches a rocket into space, there is always a countdown that is verbalized from “ten” to “one” to “Lift-off!” God’s kingdom  has a similar countdown coined by the missionary to China, Hudson Taylor: “Impossible, difficult, done!” These are the three stages in any work of God, and we are somewhere between “difficult” and “done” with some significant projects in Romania.

Myra and I recently returned from Timisoara, Romania where we began preparations for an October 2018 launch of a campus ministry and eventual church at West University where there are 35,000 students. We are working with local leaders, Remus and Andreea Groze, and at the same time, we are serving another team led by Yujiro Takagi that will start a similar work in Bucharest. Yujiro is Japanese, but he grew up in Bucharest and speaks Romanian. Our goal is to link our resources to reach other cities in Romania where we have opportunities as well as neighboring countries. Yes, this is a big plan,

but one day by God’s grace we will say “done!” Andreea also interviewed Myra on her weekly Christian radio show that discusses family issues, and I quickly realized who the better speaker in our family is! We just celebrated twenty-seven years of marriage, and we are best friends in love and life’s mission. I just returned from Ternopil, Ukraine where I led two days of teaching in the church Bible College. The students were amazing, and as we discussed missions strategies, I realized that some of these people would eventually be joining our regional leaders in new church planting initiatives.

Pastor Oleg has a remarkable team, and my greatest joy was seeing students from the rehabilitation center where I ministered a year ago who are already walking in victory and reintegrated so well that I could not remember where I had met them.

We will be in the U.S. for a few weeks in May for our daughter Rebecca’s, graduation from Wheaton College, but Myra also needs surgery for a health condition that some of you have been praying for.

This should not change our overall Europe schedule too much, and we are expecting a quick and full recovery. However, we will be raising finances for this unexpected need as well as additional ministry partnership for our work in Europe. Please consider a special gift as well as referring us to missions-minded people so we can have a fruitful trip.

Thanks to all for standing with us. Your friendship in good and even trying times are precious, and we appreciate the partnerships that extend us into God’s mission in Europe.

PRAY

1. New financial partners for our expanded ministry

2. Healing for Myra

3. Strength and grace for our travels

4. Team development for Romanian projects

5. Peace for Ukraine

Mike and Myra

Contact
mike.watkins@everynation.org

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