Hands to the Work – Ron Winter

Dear Friends in Christ,

“Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD.” Ps. 27:14

Camargo, Chihuahua: Since before returning from Sinaloa, we felt the Lord leading us to Camargo which is located about 6 ½ hours south of the El Paso/Juarez border. It is a city of 50 – 60,000 people, and although they have about every other religion, we don’t know of an Independent Baptist Church. Camargo is a farming community, raising mostly cattle and pecans, as well as many vegetables. It is very arid, with summer temperatures up to 115 degrees and down to freezing in the winter. We have been going down about every week looking for a house. In these rural cities they don’t advertised much, so we drove down nearly every street and put an ad on the radio. There just are not many houses for rent. God led us to a couple of realtors who have found a couple of possibilities, but haven’t been able to contact the owners yet. Pray we can find what the Lord wants for us, in His timing! We are “waiting on the Lord” but would sure like to get this move behind us. Please pray for housing, souls to be saved and for men that we can train. We’re looking forward to what the Lord will do through us in Camargo!

Ministry Opportunities: A pastor from Chihuahua who has family in Camargo introduced us to them. Some are already saved and seem glad that we want to start a church. We also witnessed to another man who is very interested and asked us to please look him up when we get moved. We are excited to have a few prospects to start with! In-between trips back and forth to Camargo, we have been getting vehicles ready, working on the house here, and studying to be ready to start another church, etc. I have had several opportunities to preach in some of the churches in this area. We also have a lot of opportunity to go door knocking and other activities with the church in Anáhuac. It is great to see the new pastor and church doing well!

FM-2 Visas: We have been working on our visas since the first of the year. All the documents have been in Mexico City since the first of May and we are still waiting. Please pray that we can get them soon, as we have other documents expiring soon that require our visas to renew them.

Health: Connie had blood tests done in June, and though slightly changed, they are still nothing to be concerned about. Praise the Lord! I had a molar cut out and am also getting natural treatment that should help the ringing in one ear.

Prayer: House, move & church in Camargo; Souls to be saved; FM-2 Visas; Connie’s health; My ear

Praise: Lord’s direction; Ministry opportunities; Souls saved; Connie’s health

In His Service,

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,” 1 Peter 1:3

Los Mochis, Sinaloa: We went to help the Fundamental Baptist Church in transition to Mexican leadership. It was a huge blessing to get back into regular scheduled door knocking, preaching, teaching, music, etc. The church responded well, allowing us to minister to them, as well as loving and encouraging us. It was hard to leave them. In the Bible institute I taught on worship and the attributes of God. Many of the students told me that their prayer lives have changed as a result of putting what they learned into practice! Amen! One of the visits we made was a special blessing. I went with Bro. Roberto and his wife to visit her brother Enrique who had just been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. He had never allowed anyone to witness to him before but because of the circumstances I was able to give him the gospel. When I asked him if he would like to trust the Lord, he immediately knelt on the floor. With tears streaming down his cheeks, he called on the Lord to be his Savior! Praise the Lord!!

Our Plans: We prayed about staying in or near Los Mochis to work out from there, but we believe the Lord would have us begin another work in the state of Chihuahua. Please pray for housing, for souls to be saved and men that we can train. We’re looking forward to what the Lord will do through us!

Connie – Hospital Bill: Connie had her quarterly blood test and all still appears to be normal. Amen! We have been paying almost $900 a month for the surgery Connie had before we had insurance. We were to have it paid off by this November, but the hospital gave us the opportunity of paying it off in April for a 25% discount. By adjusting our budget, we were able to take advantage of it! The money we were paying to the hospital every month can be used to get us back on budget.

FM–2 Visas: During the time Connie was in treatment in the U.S., we lost our work visas and had to start the whole process over. There have been several setbacks and new requirements. We need them by July to avoid problems with other legal documents. Please pray that we can get them soon.

Family: Our daughter Bethany and her husband Kyle Martin are expecting a baby in October! This will be our fifth grandbaby! Amen!

Prayer: Transition & leadership of church in Los Mochis; Enrique – cancer; Our direction & move; FM-2 Visas; Bethany and baby

Praise: Good response of church in Mochis; Enrique saved; Connie’s health; Hospital bill paid; News of grandbaby

In His Service,

Dear Friends in Christ,

“Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.” Psalms 16:11

Los Mochis, Sinaloa: Missionary Jerry Collins felt the Lord leading them on to another ministry, and left the Fundamental Baptist Church in the hands of a pastor and assistant pastor, men from that church. We have prayed for some time as to the Lord’s direction for our lives, and one of the options, at least short-term, was to assist in the transition from Bro. Jerry to the new leadership of the church in Los Mochis. No matter how much a missionary prepares the people for his leaving, it still takes them a while to adjust. So we are here for a couple of months to help and encourage them in the transition.  We arrived to a very warm welcome from the church. They continue to run right around one-hundred fifty on Sundays and nearly a hundred for the other services.  Twenty-five came out for door knocking on Saturday. Amen! I’m teaching their Bible institute classes, and there were twenty in attendance last Tuesday. Then on Wednesdays I am preaching about the crowns that Christians can earn, to encourage them to be faithful and keep serving.  Connie has helped with the music, worked in the nursery and is a big help to me with office work. It is great to see God’s leading and blessings!

Supporting Churches: Our supporters have been so faithful, for which we want to thank you. Please know that we pray for each church and pastor regularly. If you have any special prayer requests, we would be honored if you would allow us to pray with you about your needs as well! A couple of supporting churches have called during their Wednesday night service to let us know they are praying for us. What a blessing and encouragement!! We do covet your prayers for our safety and God’s direction in our lives.

Health Update: Connie continues to feel well, and is scheduled to have blood tests done the middle of March. Please continue to pray for her health.

Family: On January ninth, Caleb Benjamin Winter came into this world. He is our first grandson; the first child of our third son Joshua and his wife Kristin. That makes four grandchildren, and counting? God is GREAT!

Prayer: Our time in Los Mochis to be fruitful; The church here to be strengthened and encouraged; Connie’s health & upcoming blood tests; Safety, and God’s direction in our lives

Praise: Opportunities of service; Blessings of the church here; Connie’s health; Grandson Caleb; Faithful supporters – encouragement

In His Service,

Dear Friends in Christ,

“The LORD is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him.” Lamentations 3:25

Happy New Year!! We trust that all of you had a great Christmas. Praise God He sent His Son Jesus Christ, the greatest gift of all! Thank you for your faithful support and also all who sent special Christmas offerings and gifts! God always supplies our needs and we so appreciate your part!

Opportunities for Ministry: I’ve had several opportunities to preach, and we’ve had a part in other church services. We have knocked doors, made visits and handed out tracts. In Los Mochis, a young woman came to church after a tract and invitation were left on her door, and she got saved after I preached on Sunday morning! Amen! A man from Guanajuato knocked our door looking for work, so he not only got paid for washing our car, but he also heard the Gospel and got a John & Romans. We’ve also had opportunity to witness to friends and neighbors again.

God’s Direction: We have been looking at some areas where there is still much to be done in spreading the gospel and for New Testament Churches to be started. We have mostly been looking in the states of Chihuahua, where we started another work, and in the state of Sinaloa. We might also have a short-term opportunity to help a missionary in transition as he leaves, and a man from the church takes the reins. We’re looking forward to relocating and beginning again soon. Please pray with us as God directs our paths.

Anáhuac: Pastor Eduardo Orozco and the Precious Seed Baptist Church that we started are doing great, for which we are thankful. We attended their Christmas service, and there was a great spirit and several visitors. Praise the Lord!! They invited us back for their New Year’s Day service the next week. Gabriel and Teresa, whom we won to Christ several years ago, were celebrating their twenty-fifth anniversary and renewed their vows. What a blessing to see them and their children serving the Lord! Amen!

Health Update: Connie’s blood counts still appear to be in the normal ranges. Praise the Lord!!

Christmas: We were especially blessed to have our daughter, Bethany and Kyle, our son-in-law, come visit us for Christmas! She had him enjoying “real” Mexican food by the time they left.

Prayer: Opportunities to witness & compassion for the lost; God’s direction for us; Connie’s health

Praise: God’s provision for our salvation; His constant protection and provision; Pastor and Church in Anáhuac doing well; Connie’s continued good health; Having family with us for Christmas

In His Service,

“For thou art my rock and my fortress; therefore for thy name’s sake lead me, and guide me.” Psalm 31:3

Southbound: We’ve been asking the Lord to allow us to go back to Mexico, and here we are! Amen! This was the first time we ever took a full year’s furlough, and then with the time that Connie was in treatment for leukemia, leaving friends and family in the U.S. was especially hard. We were able to spend a few days with my family in Colorado, Connie’s family in Missouri and
Oklahoma, and with each of our four kids and their families before heading down to Mexico. We also reported back to a couple more supporting churches, preached in a mission conference in Missouri and presented the ministry in a church in New Mexico on the trip down. God was so good to bring us back to Mexico with no problems!

Mexico: We arrived in time to celebrate Connie’s birthday, which she enjoyed! We have come back temporarily to the area where we last lived to get back into the Mexican culture and language. A lot has changed in Mexico since we left. We will be traveling out from here to look at other cities, as well as seeking council from other pastors and missionaries, to know what areas might be the best to go to, and that have the greatest need for the gospel. We are praying and fasting to know where the Lord would have us start another church. Please pray for God’s direction and our safety.

Anáhuac: We were encouraged by the unity of the Precious Seed Baptist Church that we started. The members kept preaching, teaching, giving and working together for several months without a pastor. Shortly before we got here, the church called their new pastor, Eduardo Orozco. The Sunday before their new pastor got here, the church allowed me to preach to them. I challenged them concerning their pastor and family, to encourage and help them, follow his leadership and pray for him to have wisdom to lead the church to move forward. The Orozcos are originally from Hermosillo, Sonora, and have been working with Missionary Jerry Collins in Los Mochis, Sinaloa for the last three years. We were able to help the church fix a few things on the house they are renting for them, as well as encourage this young family and get to know Eduardo, his wife Miriam and two small girls a little bit. They are talented; he plays several instruments, and she plays piano. This is his first pastorate, and they are excited to get into the work! Please pray for God’s blessings on the Orozcos and the church as they work together to reach this area for Christ!!

Contact Info: We can be reached in Mexico by our internet telephone or email. We won’t have an address in Mexico until we get moved to our new place of service.

Prayer: Connie’s health; Direction and safety; Precious Seed Baptist Church, Pastor Eduardo Orozco and family

Praise: Connie’s continued good health; Opportunities to serve; Safe travels; Faithfulness of the church in Anáhuac – new pastor

In His Service,