Hands to the Work – Ron & Bonnie Winter

Dear Friends in Christ,

“My soul, wait thou only upon God; for my expectation is from him.” Psalm 62:5

Health Update: As of July 5, Connie’s blood counts were still in the normal ranges! She does still have leukemia, but it seems to be dormant for now; what an answer to prayer!! She will still need to continue with periodic blood tests. She has also had increasing pain in her right shoulder, which an orthopedic doctor says is “frozen shoulder.” She is beginning physical therapy that will teach her how to continue exercises at home.

Ministry: We have decided that the blood tests and exercises can be done wherever we are, so we’re making plans to go back to Mexico! Amen! We need to finish reporting to a few supporting churches, secure insurance that will provide medical coverage in Mexico as well as in the U.S., see the orthopedic doctor again, and wrap up everything in Omaha. In the last couple of months I preached at a preacher’s fellowship meeting and at a couple of other churches, with First Baptist Church of Del City, OK taking us on for support. Amen! Connie spoke at the Mother/Daughter banquet at Midlands Bible Baptist in Bellevue, NE. I have also worked on vehicles, equipment and buildings at Midlands Bible Baptist and West Omaha Baptist churches. We attended the 33rd anniversary at Midlands BBC, and 50th anniversary of Wyldewood Baptist Church in Oshkosh WI; the first independent Baptist church that Connie’s family attended. We asked that you pray for Bruce. He and his wife Lisa have come to church but still are not saved.

Anáhuac Mexico: The Precious Seed Baptist Church we started is now without a pastor. Some of the men in the church are sharing preaching responsibilities until the Lord sends the right pastor.

Prayer Update: Bro. Doug Taylor, assistant pastor of Midlands Bible Baptist Church, went home to be with the Lord May 12. He is greatly missed! Please pray for Kelly and children, ages 16, 13 and 11.

Family: The last couple of months have been busy. We celebrated our 31st wedding anniversary. Our daughter Bethany and Kyle Martin graduated from Heartland Baptist Bible College in May, and were married in June. It was a beautiful wedding! We are glad to have Kyle in the family!! On July 2, Ella Rose was born to our son Andrew and wife Shana and sisters Hannah & Julia.
(We have a 4th grandbaby coming in Jan.!) God has sure blessed our family!

Prayer: Connie’s continued good health, healing & shoulder; Preparations for returning to Mexico; Bruce & Lisa salvation; Pastor in Anáhuac; Taylor family

Praise: Connie’s blood counts normal; Returning to Mexico; God’s provision; Opportunities for service; Liberty Baptist Church in Siloam Springs, AR paid a month’s hospital bill; God’s blessings to our family

In His Service,

Dear Friends in Christ,

“That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;” Philippians 3:10

Sending church: First Baptist Church of Milford, OH brought us home for a long weekend, to show us their love and that they are praying for us. They really spoiled us – it was quite overwhelming and humbling for so many to let us know they are praying for us daily, and for their outpouring of love and generosity. Thank you First Baptist and Pastor and Mrs. Duttry for expressing your love and concern for us! What a blessing!!

Health Update: Connie saw the doctor April 5, and she said that the blood counts are all back in the normal ranges. In fact, Connie is doing so well that she doesn’t need to see her for three months.
Praise the Lord! The doctor still believes she has leukemia, but until it causes the blood counts to change or Connie feels worse, they will not continue with more treatment. We are still praying that the Lord will heal her. Meanwhile, we are taking some nutritional cleanses to help clean toxins from the body. Please pray with us to know God’s will; if the blood counts are still normal in three months, whether He would have us make plans to go back to Mexico then.
Connie has had opportunity to do some things that she seldom gets to do. She enjoyed a ladies retreat in St. Joseph, Mo, and we went to be with her mom and dad to celebrate his 83rd birthday!
During these three months, our daughter Bethany will graduate from Heartland Baptist Bible College and get married. We are also expecting another granddaughter from our son Andrew and his wife Shana. Thank you for praying for her pregnancy, she is doing better! Amen!

Ministry: We had the privilege of participating in the Mission Conference here at Midlands Bible Baptist Church in Bellevue, NE. Their new Faith Promise goal exceeded their giving from last year by about twenty percent!! We also preached at the conference at Calvary Baptist Church in Seward, NE, and upon having a good increase in their Faith Promise commitment, they voted to take us on for monthly support! Praise the Lord; He continues to bless us with new support! Amen!!
We have had the privilege to fill the pulpit in a couple of churches as well as preach a home-school chapel, take teens to a youth rally, work with visitation, sing in the Easter cantata, and do several maintenance projects here at Midlands. What a blessing to serve our great and mighty God!!

Prayer: Connie’s health – healing; God’s will as to when we go back to Mexico; Bethany – graduation May 12 & wedding June 18; Shana’s pregnancy (due in July); Continued prayer for Bro. Doug Taylor

Praise: Generosity and love of FBC, Milford; Connie’s blood counts normal; God’s provision and opportunity for service.

In His Service,

See enclosed letter from Midlands Bible Baptist Church (pdf)

Dear Friends in Christ,

“For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead: And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again.” II Corinthians 5:14,15

Ministry: Praise the Lord, we have been busy! Although we have not called for meetings, we have been in a couple of Mission Conferences, and still have more scheduled!

At one conference I had the privilege of teaching Sunday School and preaching in Spanish, and there was a teen saved in an English service. Amen!

I preached at two couples banquets, and filled the pulpit in some other churches.

Praise the Lord for His mercy, goodness, and grace, which would allow us not only to know Him but also to serve Him!

We continue to have many opportunities to hand out tracts and witness. Please pray in particular for Bruce, who allowed us to present the gospel to him, but because of his Church of Christ background he just wasn’t ready to accept Christ. He is very interested.

Health Update: Connie continues to feel well, but does get pretty tired. She had blood drawn the other day and the results are about the same as a month ago. Most of the counts are in the normal ranges, but there are still things that puzzle the doctor. Please pray for Gods healing and for Him to be glorified.

We also want to give an update concerning our financial status. Most of you know that when Connie had her spleen removed, it cost more than $45,000 and we didn’t have insurance. Many churches and individuals sent special love offerings to help. Thank you!! We have paid off the bulk of it and our monthly payments should have it completely paid off by the middle of 2012. Amen! The insurance we have now is paying 100% after the deductible was met. Praise the Lord, He is so good!!

Though we don’t know all of the reasons, we know that God has a purpose for allowing Connie to have leukemia, and for us being in Omaha temporarily. To God be the glory! We sure appreciate your prayers! We’re still praying that we can get back to Mexico soon.

Family: Bethany, our baby (almost 22), is engaged to Kyle Martin from Sarcoxie, Missouri. They will graduate from Heartland Baptist Bible College in May, and the wedding is set for June 18.

Please pray for our daughter-in-law, Shana, who is having problems with her third pregnancy.

Prayer:  Souls to be saved – Bruce; Connie – healing & God to be glorified; God’s will in our life & ministry; Bethany & Kyle; Shana & baby

Praise:  Ministry opportunities; Connie feeling well; God’s provision; Bethany engaged

In His Service,

Dear Friends in Christ,

“Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savour of his knowledge by us in every place.” II Corinthians 2:14.

Happy New Year! We trust you will have a wonderful new year and hope that all of you had a great Christmas, full of the blessings of God, spent with your families!!

Health Update: Connie finished her chemotherapy November 26, had another bone marrow biopsy December 28, and her follow-up doctor’s visit on January 4. The doctor said that the concentration of leukemia in the marrow had been around 80% before starting chemotherapy and that it had only come down to 70% after the chemo; not the results that we or the doctor had hoped for! The doctor wants to do monthly blood tests to monitor her white and red blood cells, hemoglobin and platelets.
Her blood counts first need to stabilize, and when the blood counts get out of the normal ranges again, or if she feels sick, they will consider a more aggressive chemotherapy.
Please pray for Connie to be healed in the Lord’s timing, and for His will to be done!

Ministry: We had anticipated better results with Connie’s health, so that we could make plans to go back to Mexico right away. Although we make plans, God’s ways are not always our ways! We just want to praise Him for His faithful presence, His love, His provision, and that He will still use us in spite of our circumstances! Blessed be the name of the Lord!!
While we are here, we continue to help Bro. Lydick and the Midlands Bible Baptist Church with whatever we can. We have also had the opportunity to preach in five different churches; presenting our work, filling the pulpit, and reporting back to supporting churches. Some other churches in the area want us to come, and we have a few more supporting churches to report to.
Please pray for us as we continue to witness and hand out tracts that the Lord would use us to reach more people with the gospel.
Although we don’t know when the Lord is coming for us, we pray that He will find us faithful!

Christmas: Between Connie’s last tests we were able to go to Oklahoma and Missouri to spend Christmas with our three boys, their wives, two granddaughters, our daughter and boyfriend, Connie’s sister and family; and with Connie’s parents. What a special Christmas!

Prayer: Connie’s further treatment and healing; God’s will for our lives and future; Opportunities to minister until we can return to Mexico; Souls to be saved; Continue praying for Bro. Doug Taylor

Praise: God’s goodness and faithfulness; Opportunities of service

In His Service,

Dear Friends in Christ,

“O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out! For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen.” Romans 11:33, 36

Health Update: Connie is three-fourths of the way through her chemotherapy here in Omaha, NE. Her last treatment is scheduled for Friday November 26, the day after Thanksgiving.
She has done well and only had a few side effects the first couple of weeks. Overall she feels well, except for some fatigue. The Lord is so good!
We feel blessed that things have gone well, when so many others are quite sick with their treatment.
It is a lesson to us to serve the Lord to the best of our ability today because we don’t know what tomorrow might bring.
December 28 she will have another bone-marrow biopsy done and then an appointment with the doctor on January 4, to get the results of the biopsy, which will determine our next move.
Please pray that the treatments are effective. The doctor talks of remission, but we pray for complete healing. We are still praying that God will amaze everyone and that He will be glorified!

Ministry Opportunities: We pray before going for each treatment that God would lead us to the people we need to talk to or give a gospel tract to. Only one time a man refused to take a tract. Every time we go to the hospital, we meet people from all over the United States who don’t have the same hope that we have as God’s children. Please pray that the Lord would use us as we share the gospel with them.
Our heart’s desire is to be back in Mexico, establishing more churches. Until the Lord allows our return, we know that HE has a purpose and plan for us here.
We are trying to lend a hand at the Midlands Bible Baptist Church wherever we can. Pastor Lydick and the church have been such a help and encouragement during this time!
Please pray for Bro. Doug Taylor, assistant pastor here, who has had some major health issues.

Family: We have had visits from several of our family from CO, OK, and MO since we have been here. What a blessing!

Prayer: Connie – cancer treatments to be effective; For the Lord to be glorified now and in our future; People to be saved through our witness; Bro. Doug Taylor

Praise: Connie feels well; Visits from family; Opportunities to witness

In His Service,