Happy [very late] New Year from the Watters!
We hope that you enjoyed this season with those you love. We got to be with family in the cities and in Duluth for Christmas and also spent time at a Cabin in Crosslake, MN. It is a special time to be together, and we are embracing it a little extra this year. It will be our last Christmas with snow for at least two years! The reality of leaving so soon is starting to sink in, and we recently had to say our first official “goodbyes” to a few family members that live in other states.
We recently had the chance to speak at New Hope Church’s Spanish service to share about our ministry. This is the church that Nique grew up attending, so it was such a blessing to us to be back and share where the Lord is leading us now!
Nique and I have been so blessed by many of you who have come around us and both supported and encouraged us as we start this new journey. This stage of preparation has been very humbling at times, and has continually pushed us into further dependence on our Father. Psalm 37:4-6 says,
“Delight yourself in the Lord,
and he will give you the desires of your heart.
Commit your way to the Lord;
trust in him, and he will act.
He will bring forth your righteousness as the light,
and your justice as the noonday.”
As we approach our end-of-February “launch date,” it has been easy to feel stressed about being behind schedule with financial support. The above verses are a good reminder that if we seek after Christ, he will be faithful to show himself to us. There is no greater purpose we could pursue, and no greater joy to be had than what we can find in Him. Nique and I take hope knowing that we don’t have to face trials alone. This is true now, and will continue to be true when we inevitably run into problems in Masatepe. If our goal was to accomplish our work in Nicaragua in our own strength, we would be fighting a losing battle. Luckily we serve a God who works through us despite our weaknesses, not because of our strengths.
The second week of February, we will be leaving for Elgin, Illinois for two weeks of training with One Collective. If we are fully funded after that training, we hope to leave for Nicaragua and join our team around the first week of March. We are currently about 70% funded, and estimate that we still need around 25 additional monthly financial partners. If you know anyone who would be interested in connecting with us, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us!
In Christ,
Brian and Nique
(written by Brian)