Our Work in Saint Paul
Urban Missionaries, Beacon of Hope Church
After almost 3 decades of dedicated service in the Philippines and Uganda, the Watters have landed in East Saint Paul where they are ministering to refugees from Africa and Asia, primarily the persecuted Karen refugees from Myanmar. Their multiple ministries include Learn English Now classes aimed to teach refugees English and the love of Christ using the Gospel of Mark, their Hands and Feet of Jesus ministry that distributes donated items to the homeless, urban poor, and refugees, street evangelism, and hospitality evangelism in their home.
Mike and Rebecca's tireless labor in Christ's name takes place under the umbrella of Beacon of Hope Church where Mike serves as an elder and Rebecca in women's ministries. They are intentional about discipling of men and women in the church as well as training others to reach out beyond the walls of church and home to minister mercy to the nations in East Saint Paul and beyond.
Support Mike and Rebecca
Our Promise To You
LifeGate is committed to fostering strong, self-supporting churches by keeping financial support proportionate to the local economy, limiting support to a four or five-year span, and decreasing the level of support each year.
PRAISE & PRAYER
"For we do not preach ourselves. but Christ Jesus as Lord, and ourselves as your bond-servants for Jesus’ sake.
For God, who said, “Light shall shine out of darkness,”
Is the One who has shone in our hearts to give the
Light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ."
2 Corinthians 4:5-6
- Pray for God's blessing on our ongoing gospel ministries in the neighborhoods: the LEN classes, street evangelism, hospitality evangelism, one on one discipleship, and many others. Pray for wisdom and grace for Mike, Rebecca, and other workers; the salvation of souls; more venues for evangelistic Bible studies.
- Pray for more gospel workers— For God to raise up many who are devoted to Him, faithful, and passionate for souls.
- Pray for us, that Christ would become more precious every day, for our prayer life to grow stronger, and that the Word of Christ would dwell richly in us. Pray also for physical health, physical safety, and perseverance with joy amid trials and obstacles in the ministry.
CALL TO FAITH & MINISTRY
God brought Mike to faith in Christ during his time in the United States Marine Corps. Afterwards, he served on staff with The Navigators at their Glen Eyrie conference center in Colorado Springs. The Lord called him to the mission field in 1989 after he heard about the plight of the street children in Manila, Philippines.
Mike moved to Manila as a missionary with Action International Ministries in March 1991 and completed his language and culture study in Lipa City, Batangas. He then lived and worked with a Filipino church in Malibay, a slum in Pasay City.
In 1996, Mike relocated to Divisoria in Tondo, a slum in the heart of Manila. By the grace of God, he lived and ministered there for the next ten years, discipling men, and ministering to street children and the urban poor. During those years, Mike planted the Providence Reformed Baptist Church (now God’s Providence Baptist Church) with the second Filipino he led to Christ.
In 2002, Mike set up a foundation to establish a home for boys along with educational assistance and livelihood programs for the poor. The next year, the Lord led him to plant the Santa Cruz Baptist Church in Santo, Tomas, Batangas with the first Filipino he led to Christ!
Throughout his 17 years in the Philippines, Mike helped equip pastors and church workers through one-on-one discipleship, pastors’ conferences, and literature distribution.
God brought Rebecca to saving faith in 1990. She began counseling and discipling women in 1993. Four years later, the Lord led her to leave her 20-year career in human resources to serve full-time in her church in Quezon City. In 1998, the Lord called her and six other women from her church to set up Hagios House Ministries, a multi-faceted ministry that included the Bible Training Home (a residential discipleship and mercy ministry for young adult women), Immanuel Family School (a preschool ministering the gospel to a largely Roman Catholic community), and Sola Scriptura (a literature ministry promoting biblical, Christ-exalting books to equip church libraries).
In 2002, the Lord made a way for her to pursue an M.A. in Biblical Counseling at The Master’s College in California. She completed all her courses in 2005.
God brought Mike and Rebecca together in 2006. They married the following year and began deputation in the US. The Lord brought them to Kampala, Uganda in April 2010. For two years, they learned Luganda and Ugandan culture and discipled Ugandan men and women through their local Ugandan church. In May 2012, Mike became ACTION Uganda country director. Rebecca became the finance & admin coordinator. Their work broadened to include mentoring missionaries and Ugandan national staff, putting the gospel at the center of the various ministries, and solidifying the financial, legal, and admin base of the field.
In 2016, after preparing the field and turning over the leadership to his assistant director, Mike and Rebecca moved to Minnesota and transitioned to LifeGate Worldwide as urban missionaries. Working through Beacon of Hope Church on Saint Paul's East Side, they have focused on reaching African and Asian immigrants and refugees, discipling men and women in the church.
Mike and Rebecca are thrilled that the Lord continues to grant them the privilege of serving Him and His people! May the Lord use them to call many more of His people out of darkness into His marvelous light!