Category: Prayer Letters

Dear Friends in Christ,

For the administration of this service not only supplieth the want of the saints, but is abundant also by many thanksgivings unto God;  2 Corinthians 9:12

Iglesia Bíblica Bautista:  The Bible Baptist Church here in Camargo just celebrated its eighth anniversary!  Brother David Lydick came down again this year to preach our anniversary conference.  When he came last year, with the lock-downs and quarantines, he preached and I translated in front of a camera, and we broadcasted it to the church.  He felt so deprived, not being able to mingle with our folks, that we invited him again this year.  His messages were exactly what we needed to hear, with many people on their knees before the Lord!  We also had a great time of fellowship, which we all needed!
     The last day of the anniversary conference, I baptized six teens and adults!  Amen!
     Our Saturday Bible clubs continue with attendances between 60 and 80 children, and almost always more than 30 in each of the vans!  We really aren’t reaching the parents and families through this ministry as we had hoped.  So for a couple of months leading up to our Christmas program, we have been challenging the children to bring their parents, grandparents, and other family members, to earn some bigger prizes, hoping that we will be able to preach the gospel to their adult family members!  Of course we’ll have a dinner, with gifts for all the children that some churches are providing.  Please pray it will open doors, and that several adults will be saved as well!
     We’ve been having some good visits in our weekly door-knocking, and visits with some families of the Bible club children!  Some have made professions of faith in Christ, but haven’t come to a church service yet.
 
Family:  It was a blessing to go to my in-laws, James and Madelyn Carroll’s seventieth wedding anniversary!  What a great time to honor them, and let them know what a blessing they have been to so many, with their stellar testimony and unwavering faithfulness and commitment to each other, to the Lord, and His Word!
    When I got back to El Paso from their anniversary, I picked up Bro Lydick and brought him to Camargo for our church’s anniversary.
 
Teens:  The teens of our church are struggling with commitment, obedience to authority in their lives, and the church.  I believe it is due in part, to the quarantine, and virtual studies, which still continue here, having little interaction with their teachers and other classmates.
     Upon taking Bro. Lydick back up to El Paso to fly home, I joined up with our teens at a 2 day youth conference in Juarez, across the river from El Paso.  They were challenged to step up and be a better example and witness in their church, family, school and workplace!
         
Praise:  Great anniversaries of in-laws and church! Souls saved and 6 baptized! Bible clubs!
Prayer:  Christmas preparations, families saved; Teens to realize their potential and worth when surrendered to God!  Mexican pastor to turn the church over to
 
Bro. Ron Winter
Your Co-laborer in Camargo, Chihuahua, Mexico

Dear Friends in Christ, 
           Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace… Hebrews 4:16
Camargo: The Iglesia Bíblica Bautista has been so blessed through all of the quarantines and everything associated with this past year. Some in our church got sick, but all have recuperated with few residual problems. Here in Camargo we are not officially under any lockdowns right now! Praise the Lord we continually have visitors!
   We weren’t allowed any door to door evangelism, but just got back to it, with 15-20 of our folks coming out to knock doors. I got to witness to a lady with 3 small kids, in a huge house in an affluent neighborhood, who seemed very concerned for her soul. She assured me she would read the John and Romans book. I’m praying for another opportunity to speak to her and for her salvation!
   We had our first ever Men’s Meeting, with 16 men from here and ten from other towns.  I was able preach to these heads of households, with every man at the altar at the invitation!
   For Father’s Day I preached from 2 Thessalonians 3:6-11; of the need to teach and practice diligence for the next generation to observe, in light of the Lord’s soon return!
New Ministry: The Lord has been working me into a new ministry: “Manos a la Obra”, “Hands to the Work”.  I import church furniture etc., and help and encourage churches and pastors in Mexico. Pray for the Lord’s direction and provision in this new ministry!
   In May I went up to Texas, Missouri and Oklahoma to bring down an antique pump organ, some chairs, etc. for churches and a children’s home and Bible institute!
Next Pastor: It’s good for me to leave once in a while, so my assistant Jorge, and his wife Michel, learn how to lead the church, if he would be the next pastor. It also helps the church to grasp the idea that I’m not always going to be here!    
   Please pray for the Mexican pastor, the church and myself to know the Lord’s direction and timing to turn the church over!  My plan is to continue in this new ministry. .
Jovanni: I’ve been asking you to pray for a 15 year old boy from here whom they now say has a mix between Aplastic Anemia and Leukemia. He is receiving treatment in San José CA, because he was born in the U.S.  He just received a bone-marrow transplant from an older brother, so has a long, hard road ahead! Pray that through this, he and all of his family would be saved, as there’s not much fruit even from those who claim to be saved.
Praise: Church members are well; Good Mother’s day, Men’s meeting & Father’s day; Able to knock doors; Safety in travels; Visitors to services
Prayer: Souls to be saved and baptized; Lady with 3 kids to be saved; Next pastor; God’s will for my life; Jovanni’s healing / family’s salvation
In His Service,
Bro. Ron Winter
Camargo, Chihuahua, Mexico

Dear Friends in Christ,
…Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me. Isaiah 6:8

Iglesia Biblica Bautista: On Easter Sunday, we had a good attendance, and 5 adults followed the Lord in believer’s baptism! We are seeing people saved now and then, though many are less receptive, especially with the quarantines, masks and all!
Our attendances were coming back up, then this week everything was shut down again!
Our Bible Clubs had gotten back up to as many as 87, now 57-60 with the shut-down. Some people are afraid, so wouldn’t let their kids come. And as with any ministry, many come a few times, but don’t continue, but at least they’ve heard the gospel!
We just got he 2 vans imported, that the Bible Baptist Church in Carthage MO donated some time ago, but importation policies changed, so we hadn’t been able to import them.
With the help of 3 U.S. churches, we were able to import them! We gave one van to the church in Anáuhuac, and the other we kept. We still have a problem, with 80 kids coming now in two vans, and still a lot of kids that would come if we had a way to bring them in.

Mission Conference: We had to postpone our Mission Conference until April. Our guest preacher was Mexican missionary, Isaac Luna. He, his wife and 5 daughters are preparing with language and culture studies, to go to South Sudan, Africa! He was such a blessing, and really challenged us, mainly with some basic missionary and mission’s logic and Bible directives! We had good attendances, and our Faith Promise Commitment increased enough to be able to take on at least one more missionary, if the church follows through!
Bro. Luna is on a survey trip to South Sudan through May. They will probably be working with one of 7 unreached people groups. That region is part of the 10/40 Window, where approximately 5.16 billion people live in 8,947 distinct people groups! Approximately 61% of them live in unreached people groups, that is to say they are the least evangelized.
There are no biblical missionaries, nor any part of the Bible in their language!!

Jovanni: Fifteen year old Jovanni from our church here, has aplastic anemia. They were able to get him up to a children’s hospital in San José, CA, where his dad and two brothers live. We are praying one of his brothers will be a suitable match for a bone-marrow transplant, and that the U.S. will give his mom a humanitarian visa so she can be with him!

E mails: Both of my email accounts were hacked at least twice since December. So if you sent me something, but I haven’t responded, please send it to me again, because I probably didn’t get it! I do my best to answer all correspondence that comes in!

Family: My son Josh and his wife Kristin just gave me another grand girl! That’s 14 now!
I am so blessed that God didn’t leave me here alone! Hopefully I can meet her soon!

Praise: Good Bible clubs; Vans imported and full; Great mission conference; Grandbaby

Prayer: Souls saved and baptized; Bro. Luna, survey trip; Jovanny and his mom

In His service,
Bro. Ron Winter

Dear Friends in Christ,
 
Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.                   1 Corinthians 15:58
 
Iglesia Bíblica Bautista, Camargo:  We are still trying to encourage our people to get back in, and trying to reach new people as well!  We continue visiting, but it seems people are more reluctant than ever to allow us to talk them, with the quarantine, masks, etc.
    We had a couple’s banquet and invited two other churches, for a total of 16 couples.  Our teens served, and it was a good time to celebrate God’s plan of marriage!
    Saturday Bible Clubs still haven’t recovered, but we’re back up to 55 kids.  Thank you to the churches that sent prizes, school supplies, personal hygiene items, etc.  They are a huge blessing!  We are visiting and promoting for the kids clubs.  Hopefully we’ll have a good base to build on for VBS in August!  We pray many of these kids and their families will be saved!
    Our Missions Conference had to be reschedule from January to April.  We are praying for a good response, as our Faith Promise is barely fulfilling our present missionary commitments!
    The first of January I brought a load of tables and chairs etc.  A week later three teen boys and I went to San Luis Potosí, 14 hours away, to help a missionary our church supports, put a roof on their church building.  We made some visits and I preached on Sunday.  A couple of families that I met the last time I was there, committed to getting back in, and faithful!
    A day after getting home from S.L.P., I flew to Lancaster, California to attend the funeral of Marty Collins.  It was a blessing to see how the Hispanic church loved her and Bro. Jerry!
    Three churches helped get ready, import, license, etc., 2 church vans a church in MO had donated!  One is for our church, and the other for the church in Anáhuac!  What a blessing!
 
New Ministry:  The Lord has given me another ministry of helping Mexican churches get chairs, church pews, tables, doors, windows, pianos, etc.  American churches donate, or we purchase good used equipment and supplies.  I pick them up and bring them to Mexico.
          If you know of others in the U.S. who have similar ministries, I’d like to know of them!           Eduardo pastors the Precious Seed Baptist Church in Anáhuac, Chihuahua that we started almost 23 years ago.  He overhauls and tunes pianos, and wants to help churches get a piano.  I bring them down, he reconditions them, and I can take them to churches.
          I need to pick up some pews in Colorado for a church in Chihuahua City, but I don’t have a full load yet!  If you know of things churches might need, please e mail me.
There’s always a need for chairs, pews and tables, etc.!  Older washing machines, working or not, are also in demand.  We need a double industrial kitchen sink and stainless steel tables.
 
Jovanni:  One of our teens, 15 Year old Jovanni is still fighting for his life.  He has Aplastic Anemia, so his bone marrow doesn’t produce new blood cells.  He depends on blood and platelet transfusions, and praise the Lord, several people have donated!  They think his marrow is responding to the medicines he is receiving.  Please pray for him and his mom!
 
Praise: Couple’s banquet; Kid’s clubs and regular attendances recouping; Provision for vans
 
Prayer: Souls saved & baptized; Missions conference in April, Faith Promise commitments; New helps ministry, supplies; Jovanni’s health
 
In His Service,
Bro. Ron Winter
Camargo, Chihuahua

Dear Friends in Christ,  
 
I trust all of you had a blessed Christmas and that we will have a prosperous New Year, with our churches more dedicated to preaching the gospel to this lost and dying world, as we see that day approaching!  Thank you for the special Christmas gifts, and for all the faithful support and prayers as we work here in Mexico!
 
In the fear of the LORD is strong confidence: and his children shall have a place of refuge.                                                                    Proverbs 14:26
 
Iglesia Bíblica Bautista, Camargo:  Praise the Lord for His continued faithfulness to me, and that most of my supporters have been able to continue faithful!  The church here, with some difficulty, continued supporting our missionaries as well!
    We had good seventh anniversary services!  Bro. David Lydick preached and challenged our people to stay by the stuff and not waver in our resolve!  The day our conference began, they heightened the Covid restrictions!  So not allowed to meet together, we had to publish it on Facebook, which is not nearly as good!
Bro Lydck was sure disappointed not seeing our church as he did last year!!
With the quarantines and restrictions again since the end of October, only a few people have been able to come to the services.  We are just now allowed to meet, with all of the “safety guidelines.  There’s a lot of apathy, as only about a third of our folks coming to the main service on Sunday, but we are praying and visiting!
    We had to cancel our Christmas program, and Watch-night service, but did have a special Christmas celebration with the kid’s club, with 70 in attendance!
 
Sick Teen:  Please pray for 15 year old Jovanni, whose body isn’t making blood cells!  Pray the treatments will be effective, and that the Lord would lift him up, according to His will!  Also pray for his mom that she can hold up, as her husband is in the U.S. and her other 2 sons that came down to help her, will soon have to go back home to the U.S!  She will be alone, at the hospital in Chihuahua, more than 2 hours from here!  Because he was born in the U. S. he is a U.S. citizen, so the socialized health-care system here won’t pay for any of his treatments.  They have to pay all the expenses for private treatment, which is much better, but expensive.   In hospitals here the family has to take care of all the patient’s personal needs, and locate, buy and provide specialized medicines!
Jovanni played guitar in the services and was very active with the teens! 
 
Building:  Our building remodeling is going well, removing walls to make bigger classrooms for the kid’s clubs, and making offices and a bigger kitchen.  We feed the kids that come to the Bible clubs, because many come without breakfast.  They are very appreciative, and I believe listen better when they aren’t hungry!
 
Praise: Faithfulness of my supporters; Able to support our missionaries; Kid’s clubs doing well
Prayer: Souls to be saved and baptized; Churches to congregate again as they should; Jovanni healing; Building remodeling; Mexican Pastor for the Iglesia Bíblica Bautista
 
In His Service,
Bro. Ron Winter
Camargo, Chihuahua, Mexico