Watts Newsletter (Fall 2025)

Faithful. Protector. Provider. 

These are just a few of the attributes of God that we were taught in Sunday school, but that were reinforced in real time this summer. Every “trip” points us back to His character, but in a way unique to that time and place. 

There’s a Southern Gospel song by Jeff and Sheri Easter that continues to come to mind. The chorus says, “Over and over, again and again, God is faithful”. God is always faithful, but we see it so much more when we are pushed beyond our comforts—whether those comforts are what we are accustomed to or the circumstances where we feel the most “in control”. This summer, we were temporarily “relieved” of both of those types of comforts.

We were privileged to lead a team to a small village in Rwanda, Africa. There were 25 of us in total. Our team had the joy of experiencing life there without: electricity (except for one solar-powered plug), running water, clean water, real bathrooms, showers, beds, washing machines, indoor cooking, a grocery store, a table to eat on, chairs to sit in, and more. If you think that sounds tough, it was. But through it all, God was SO faithful! Even without the comforts we’re used to at home, God still provided everything we needed. In fact, because of our “lack”, we were able to witness some of the amazing ways God provided for us. 

We just have to share one such story with you!

As we mentioned, we were nowhere near a grocery store. We bought 25 kg (about 50 lbs) bags of rice, flour, and sugar from the capital city when we arrived. Both the rice and the flour were heavily used each day. For a team of hungry teenagers working hard, we wanted to be sure they had plenty to sustain them. Most days we made some type of bread (biscuits or yeast rolls) and some type of dessert (usually cake) to go with our lunch meal. So, you can imagine how fast those 50 lb bags went. 

Fast forward to our last week on the field. The kitchen ladies did an inventory of the remaining ingredients and held a planning meeting. We had plenty of meat left, but the flour and rice were very low. We knew we would have to be careful with how much we used, but we also couldn’t let the kids eat just meat. So, we did the only thing you can do when you’re in a village in Africa with no store: we prayed. We prayed for creative wisdom—but more so we prayed for the Lord’s provision. He is Jehovah Jireh, our Provider, after all. He had sustained us this far, and we trusted Him to get us through the finish line. 

And, oh boy, did He! That flour…it multiplied. We kept scooping and scraping the bottom of the bag. We would think, “This might be it”. But it wasn’t. That bag of flour didn’t run out until our last meal! I felt like the widow in the story in 2 Kings 4. Only God. Jehovah Jireh. 

Praise the Lord that He knows just what we need and He provides. As we closed our kitchen for the last time, us three ladies gathered together and praised the Lord for His provision. This was just one of a series of miracles that I can’t imagine any of us will ever forget. And, of course, we told our team all about it. We wanted them to know just how good God had cared for them this summer. We pray it’s something they won’t forget either. 

This is just one example of the many ways we were privileged to see the Lord at work in mighty and miraculous ways. “Over and over, again and again God is faithful.”

On the work site, the team was able to complete our goal of digging the foundation and building the walls up to half their height for a three-room classroom addition to the school. 

We also had several opportunities to connect with the children from the surrounding villages. We led their church service one Sunday, hosted a couple of evangelistic presentations, and played lots of games. We were also able to distribute Gospel tracts and coloring books in their heart language. Another highlight for the team was blowing up balloons and passing them out to the kids—it brought so much joy to everyone involved!

Here’s what our oldest girls had to share about their trips:

Sadie in Cambodia:

This summer, I had the opportunity to serve the Lord in Cambodia. I had a really great time! It was very hot and humid there, and when we were working, it was a struggle. Sometimes I didn't know if I had the strength to keep going—but the Lord would bring this verse into my mind:

2 Corinthians 12:9 -  “But He said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness.” I would pray that He would give me the strength to just make it through the day and He would provide. This was just one of the many ways that the Lord provided for us this summer. God has been so good to us! 

Clara in Romania:

I had a great time serving in Romania at the Youth for Christ camp this summer. We worked in the food service side of the camp, washing dishes and serving food, as well as doing several big projects outdoors. Some of those projects included digging trenches, laying pavers around their pool, and digging a road to make a long driveway that we also paved. But, my favorite project was cleaning out and organizing their storage barn. It was run down, and part of the roof was falling in. We cleaned out the rubble, emptied the barn, and then organized all the items being stored there. I also really enjoyed getting to go into the community and sharing the Gospel with the locals. It was a really cool experience!

It’s hard to believe that summer 2025 is already in the books. We praise the Lord for all the opportunities and experiences He gave our team—and the other teams—this summer. We pray that these trips will have a lasting impact not only on the kids who traveled from the U.S., but also on the people we encountered in our host countries and along the way.

The 2026 teams—both our week-long Spring Break teams and our Summer teams—are now live on the website and open for sign-ups! Would you join us in praying that the Lord would call out young people to step forward in faith and fill these teams?

Thank you for the part you play in this ministry! Your partnership through prayer and giving help make these stories and testimonies possible. 

With Love & Thanks,

Trey & Mary & family