Watkiss & Tell

Enjoying the Family

It has been a week now since I got back from Mexico and it has been a week of recovery. I'm just now regaining my strength and voice to get back into the swing of living everyday life. I appreciated your calls, prayers, and encouraging notes this past week and look forward to this coming week.

Being away from home is always the greatest challenge in what I do full time as the director of Partnership International. Especially when you have back to back missions trips overseas like my last leg on the field. Ashley and Luke have been great troopers during my times away and I really appreciate their willingness to be a huge part of the PI team to make what we do possible to reach the masses around our world! The greatest thing in the world besides serving Jesus is spending time with and enjoying my family. We are preparing for an addition to the family in a few months (August), Ashley is in her 5th month of pregnancy and is doing really well, we will be finding out the gender on Monday, April 7th. Both Ashley and I think that the baby is a boy, but Luke thinks the baby is a girl, we'll see in a few weeks! Since I'm on the family kick...I turned 32 this week and Luke will be turning 3 years old on April 8th, we can't believe how fast he is growing up and how fast time seems to fly from year to year.

**Take some time today and enjoy your family!

Sometimes you Just Crash

After getting home from back to back weeks of missions trips on Saturday, my body decided to crash. I picked up Bronchitis during my two week stay in Mexico (which is an inflammation of the large bronchi (medium-size airways) in the lungs. It can lead to pneumonia. Acute bronchitis is usually caused by viruses or bacteria and may last several days or weeks.[1] Acute bronchitis is characterized by cough and sputum (phlegm) production and symptoms related to the obstruction of the airways by the inflamed airways and the phlegm, such as shortness of breath and wheezing. Diagnosis is by clinical examination and sometimes microbiological examination of the phlegm. Treatment may be with antibiotics (if a bacterial infection is suspected), bronchodilators (to relieve breathlessness) and other treatments.)

** Pray that I bounce back quickly and the rest of the family stays healthy! Thanks!

RMU Mexico Video

Week #1 Mexico Spring Break Video

Feeding the Children

The last two days of ministry here in Monterrey have been very powerful, live changing, and we've provided the Bread of Life to many children. Yesterday we ministered in the hospital to children between 0-17, many of the children we ministered to were facing life ending complications. We gave each child a Book of Hope, a bag of toys, and as well we prayed for God to heal their bodies. The team was impacted by what they saw and the way God ministered to the patients and their families. Last night we showed the God Man Movie in a local park in town. We had hundreds of people come out to watch the presentation and many came to know Jesus Christ!

Today we traveled to very poor area on the outside of Monterrey. We had the opportunity to partner with a local church in this neighborhood to feed around 100 children and to do a program for them with dramas, songs, and the handed out bags of toys and the Book of hope. We spent all morning investing into these kids lives by just hanging out with them at the church. We were scheduled to show the God man this afternoon but the weather here did not corporate...we had a very nasty wind/dust storm all day and most of the city was without power.

**Keep praying for our team!

On the Air

This morning I had a great opportunity to be live on a secular radio station here in Monterrey. Rodney Wardwell, Matt McMullen and I was interviewed concerning the purpose for which we brought a team from the states to do a missions trip this week in Monterrey. The half hour spot that we had on the air was a powerful way and opportunity to share the gospel with thousands of people across the city. A Christian business man paid for the radio spot we had this morning.

After the interview, a man walked up to me in the hallway and asked me in English if we would be interested in coming Friday night to a professional soccer game in town...he went on to tell us that he knew the president of the league and he was going to set up for the team to do a presentation during half time. He asked us if it would be possible to give every person in the stands a Book of Hope. I told him we would make it happen! Talk about divine moments and the favor of God...Awesome stuff is happening!

**Last week the BOH shipped over a million copies of the Book of Hope to Monterrey Mexico...He was setting things into motion! II Corinthians 6:1 "At just the right time, I heard you on the day of salvation, I helped you. Indeed, God is ready to help you right now. Today is the day of salvation."

A Mexico Update

I just arrived in Monterrey Mexico yesterday with our missions team from RMU Chi Alpha. We had a powerful week of God's favor and many miracles! The entire week was a display of God's authority given to us to be His hands and feet to many people here in Latin America. (more to come on this past weeks trip when I get back into the states) Last night I spoke at Instituto Teologico Alba, which is an Assemblies of God Bible College here in Monterrey...it was a special night with many students who soaked in the word God gave me to share.

Today we have another team flying into Monterrey to join me here for another week of missions throughout this great city. I'm truly seeing God setting great things into motion because of individuals who have stepped out in faith to pursue God's heartbeat for the lost! Keep us in your prayers and thank you for partnering with us to impact many lives!

**I will be uploading great pictures for you to see after I get back home.

Mexico Missions

We are starting a week of powerful ministry today in Nuevo Laredo Mexico. The team from Robert Morris University flew in last night to meet me here on the mission field. They are excited about this week and all that God has instore. Please join us in prayer this week as we touch hundreds of people with the message of Jesus Christ!

**I will do my best to give a few updates throughout this week! Thank you for joining us in prayer for a powerful week!

Spring Break Mexico Trips

This week I've been busy gearing up for two spring break Mexico missions trips. We have two different ministry weeks planed for two different teams coming from two different states. Give it up for the number of the day (2). It's always exciting to lead people into opportunities on the mission field where God's uses them to touch the hurting, hopeless, and hungry people of our world, but at the same time watching God mold an shape their lives! March 8-15 the team from RMU will be working in Nuevo Laredo, Bustamante, Sabinas, and Monterrey Mexico. We will be ministering in squatter camps, orphanages, schools and some construction work at a ministry center south of the border. March 15-22 the team from Oklahoma will be working in Monterrey the whole week. We will be ministering in hospitals, orphanages, schools, parks, and other drama outreach programs followed up by the showing of the Godman video. Pray for both teams to have great things take place for the kingdom work!

**Ashley and I appreciate your prayers and support during these weeks when I'm away from the family on the mission field!

A (Blog) Shout Out for Rodney

Rodney Wardwell is a great friend and an influential youth pastor in the United States. He has just launched his blog within the last few weeks and would highly recommend stopping by his site! Click HERE

Example from Rodney's blog--"If we want to be awesome leaders, then we need to learn how to serve. So let me encourage you to find someone that you can submit to and then pour your life into working to help that person. As Craig Groeschel says in his book, "Confessions of a Pastor." Show up at church this week and blow your pastor away by saying, "The answer is 'yes'. Now what is the question." Take a cup of coffee to your boss without being asked. Go the extra mile. Be willing to serve and as you do you will learn what it takes to become the leader that God is calling you to be."

A Peru Update (last week conferences)

"Peru was unbelievable...way beyond expectations as God has opened a huge door there for us."...Doug Reed President of Partnership International

The Peru Pastors' Conferences impacted more than a thousand pastors in attendance! On Wednesday Partnership International had the first conference in Lima. There were over 450 pastors in attendance! The the only snafu was that we had so many pastors attend that had not registered that the hotel had to scramble to get enough food to feed everyone. That took longer and consequently caused the event to last longer. After the conference was over the pastors (from the U.S.) got on a bus (public transportation) and took a 4 1/2 hour bus ride to the city of Inca, Peru. On Thursday they held the second pastors conference in Inca. They had over 600 pastors at this conference.

God used the entire US team to touch thousands of pastors which will influence thousands of local churches throughout the great country of Peru. Thank you for praying and supporting this missions project!

**More information and pictures will be posted on PI's website soon!