Hands to the Work – Ron Winter

Dear Friends in Christ,

“Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.” 1 John 4:10

We hope that all of you had a blessed Christmas time and that you will have a wonderful NEW YEAR!!  We want to thank the churches and individuals for the special Christmas love offerings; they met several needs!

Anáhuac: After much planning and preparation, the “Iglesia Bautista Semilla Preciosa” had a wonderful Christmas program with 122 present. (Our highest attendance) The teens presented a drama “The Message”; the real meaning of Christmas written by Miguel, one of our older teens. They also had a puppet show for the kids, and did a great job on both productions. The children’s classes also had a part in the program. It was encouraging to see the participation.
The ladies brought food and we had a great time of food and fellowship after the morning service. We also gave each of the kids a goody bag, and a small gift that had been provided for us.
Connie and the ladies of the church had a baby shower for Angélica and her baby Abigail. David and Angélica work with our youth group. They had one girl, 12 years old, and are so thankful that the Lord blessed them with another. We also had a special baby dedication service one Sunday.
With the weather getting colder, so have hearts – we only had 9 people saved since we last wrote.
The 17-21 of January we will be having our mission conference. Please pray for our folks to see their faith increase, to be faithful with their Faith Promise giving and be obedient with their tithe.

Pastor: We have been praying since we began the work here in Anáhuac that the Lord would provide the right man as pastor. We have been in contact with several preachers and Bible institutes, and a young couple, Otoniel and Gabriela and their 2 kids, will be completing their formal studies in June, and will complete their last year of service, working here in our church. If after the year they feel led to stay, and the church calls them, they would be the pastor. At such time, we would relocate to begin other works. Please pray for the Lord’s will.

Family: Our oldest son, Seth, is engaged and will be married in August. Amen!
Connie, Bethany and I went to a pastor’s retreat down in Zacatecas. It was good to meet new pastors and renew old acquaintances. The teaching and preaching were great and such a blessing.

Prayer Requests: Outreach of our church; Mission Conference; Otoniel and family – Pastor for church; Our next place of service.

Praise: Great Christmas program; people saved; Seth’s engagement.

In His Service,

Dear Friends in Christ,

“But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life.” Romans 6:22

Anáhuac: The Precious Seed Baptist Church has been having some wonderful services in which the Holy Spirit has been working mightily in the church. Although some seem cold to serving the Lord, others are getting their hearts right. It’s good to see spiritual growth!
Tránsito, seventy three, died the first of October. He and his wife have been coming to our services for about two years. He never would admit to being lost, so unless he repented on his deathbed, he is not in heaven. Hopefully, he did. When I preached the funeral, I said that I didn’t know where Tránsito was, but that wherever he was, he would want all of his family and friends to be saved and not go to hell. Only three people asked the Lord to save them but many more heard! Amen!!
In services, and through the outreaches of our church, we saw 21 people call upon the Lord as Savior in the last two months. More of our teens are coming out for the weekly visitation – soul winning, as they are seeing their responsibility of reaching the lost with the gospel.

Teens: Since our teens have been back in school, we have seen their excitement wane. The very schedule of the schools and so much homework is designed to keep them out of church. Then some reprobate teachers telling them that premarital relations and abortions are perfectly fine, Satan sure tries to undermine Biblical teaching.
They started raising funds for camps, and other activities for which they need money. It has been good to see their participation as a group. On September 15, the eve of Mexico’s Independence Day, they set up a booth to sell funnel cakes, corn dogs, pop, etc., and did pretty well.
Manuel, Iván, and Adrián, who have surrendered to full-time service, are struggling with family pressures and other temptations. Please pray for them.
Manuel, preached in our church one mid-week service, and did real well. AMEN!!

Pastor: We have been in touch with some men who are possibly interested in coming to candidate as pastor of our church. So far we don’t know anything, but we covet your prayers. We really feel like the church could support their own pastor, and continue on fine without us. We don’t know where in Mexico the Lord would have us go next, we know that He will show us in his timing.

Citizenship: Some time ago we asked you to pray about our decision of applying for Mexican citizenship. After much prayer, we felt the Lord would have us submit the application. We won’t know anything until next summer, but we sure appreciate your prayers.

Prayer: Family of Tránsito; Faithfulness of church; Manuel, Iván & Adrián; Citizenship application; Pastor

Praise: Souls saved; Good services; Privilege of serving Christ!

In His Service,

Dear Friends in Christ,

“Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work. … Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest.” John 4:34-35

Church: The “Precious Seed” Baptist Church in Anáhuac celebrated its eighth anniversary. We had a special dinner, with 91 in attendance, 5 people saved, and 8 baptized! We had a great time of food and fellowship, and a testimony time that lasted well over an hour! Many of the testimonies were of gratefulness to the Lord for bringing a church into town that preaches and practices the Bible, and for their family’s lives that have been changed. Praise the Lord!!
Please pray for Rigo and Ofelia, and their 4 kids, for Jesús, Susana and Rosa – adults who were saved at the anniversary celebration.
We have had 20 saved through our church efforts in the last couple of months. AMEN!

Teens: We took 11 teens to camp, with more than 200 teens in attendance. Most of our teens surrendered to do whatever the Lord would have them do, and to get involved winning souls.
Two young men surrendered to serve the Lord full-time. Please pray for them to keep their priorities straight, and to go to Bible institute as soon as possible. We also had three saved; one new girl, and two who thought they were already saved. AMEN! Since camp, the teens have won 12 other teens to the Lord! Pray for all the teens and that their excitement will continue!!
We have been praying for over a year for 17 year old Perla, who had been saved but had gotten into rock music and the world. She has been coming around little by little, and went to camp with the youth group. She surrendered to do the Lord’s will at camp. Upon returning home, she was baptized on our anniversary Sunday and brought her mother and an aunt to the services. AMEN!
Please pray for Alejandro who is 15, and says he is saved but won’t submit to the Lord for baptism.
Also, please pray for César, who used to be faithful and fell away from the Lord. He came to church for the first time in months, and needs to get right with the Lord.

Pastor: We are still asking God to give us the man that He wants in Anáhuac as pastor. While at camp, I had the opportunity to talk to some pastors who have Bible institute graduates working in their churches, and there are three good possibilities. I have been in contact with them, as well as with a couple who is completing their last year of institute this next spring and they are also praying for the Lord’s direction.

Praise: Great camp, safety to and from, and for decisions – salvations, and for the difference we’re seeing in our teens; Wonderful anniversary celebration;
People saved in services, as well as on visitation; People who have been baptized

Prayer: Teens to serve the Lord; Pastor for the church; Saved to grow in the Lord; Alejandro; Cesar

In His Service,

Dear Friends in Christ,

“Blessed is the man that trusteth in the LORD, and whose hope the LORD is.” Jeremiah 17:7

Anáhuac: The “Precious Seed” Baptist Church continues to reach the community, knocking doors, and bringing visitors. In the outreaches of the church, there have been 11 people saved, of whom some continue coming out to the services. Please pray for these, as well as some who attend faithfully, but who still need to submit to this first step of obedience and surrender to believer’s baptism.
The last Sunday of April, we celebrated the “Day of the Child”. We had a great attendance and two teens saved. Many new children came, some accompanied by their parents. The teens were in charge of games, activities, prizes and we also had refreshments. Everyone had a great time!
Our folks have been getting more involved with reading their Bibles and memorizing the weekly verses. Please pray for our teens as we take them to camp the last week of July, that they would surrender to the Lord’s will for their lives.

Pastor: We have been praying that the Lord would raise up the right man to pastor the church in Anáhuac. In July, I went to the graduation of a Bible institute in San Pedro de las Colonias, Coahuila, and presented the need for a pastor. After asking the college students and graduates, as well as pastors and their churches to pray about our need, two different couples told me that the Lord had spoken to their hearts. Please continue to pray for us to know who the Lord would want to pastor this church, permitting us to move to another location in Mexico and start another church

Family: My dad passed away unexpectedly the middle of May in Colorado, at 86 years of age. We appreciate all of the calls, and notes of encouragement. His grace is sufficient! I never could pin my dad down as to when he got saved. Although he left the Lutheran church 28 years ago, and attended the Baptist church where my brothers, sister and I went upon being saved, we weren’t sure of his salvation. At the funeral, the pastor told us that from conversations with my dad, he was confident he was saved, so we rest in the comfort that we will see him again one day!

Furlough: In May and June we reported to some of the churches that support us. The Lord has blessed us with great meetings in the churches, where we have seen some saved and several commit their lives to serve the Lord in a greater capacity.
The church in Anáhuac has continued faithful in our absence. Praise the Lord!

Praise: People saved; Visitors; Faithfulness of the church; Testimony of my dad’s salvation; Safety and results reporting to churches.

Prayer: Saved to be baptized; Youth camp – decisions; Right pastor for the church in  Anáhuac

In His Service,

Dear Friends in Christ,

“No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier.” 2 Timothy 2:4

Anáhuac: The Iglesia Bautista Semilla Preciosa had a great “Resurrection” day!!  This is the biggest vacation time here in Mexico but God blessed our services and even brought visitors.
We have had 25 more saved as a result of the outreaches of our church. Please pray that more will surrender to baptism. Gabriel Lugo came forward for baptism last Sunday.

Teens: Fifteen of our teens went to a camp here in the mountains, the week after Easter. There were 75 teens in attendance and the theme of the camp was “The New Age Movement”.
I honestly didn’t know much about it, until I began studying and preparing messages for camp. With what I had studied and from the other messages we heard, our eyes were sure opened! The “New Age Movement” is a tool that Satan is using to take God from our minds. It is a mixture of astrology, evolution, eastern religions, reincarnation, lack of moral rules or absolutes, and etc …. We could easily see what it is that our world and many churches are conforming themselves to. Of course Satan is getting things ready for the tribulation, which just reminds us that Christ is coming soon! !
Many of the teens memorized the 25 verses that applied to the theme. Our teens were challenged, encouraged, and most came back with more resolve to serve the Lord. On Sunday they gave testimonies of what they had learned and what the Lord had done in their lives at camp.
One young man, Ivan, surrendered his life to full time service. AMEN!
Horacio and our daughter Bethany, each came in second for the best boy and girl camper.
Of course, Satan has already shown himself and has tried to rob our teen’s enthusiasm. Continue to pray for our teens! They are making plans for another camp the end of July!

Pastor: While at camp, I had opportunity to talk to some people about a pastor for our church. We have also been in contact with a Bible institute, and there is a couple graduating that would perhaps be interested in coming and working here for a year, with the possibility of taking the church as pastor. Please pray with us that the Lord would send the right candidate.

Family: Our second son Andrew and his wife Shana gave us our first grandchild, Hannah Elizabeth, on March 21. What a precious blessing!! Upon graduating from Bible College in May, they will be doing their missionary internship at the Bible Baptist Church in Stillwater, OK.

Praise: Souls saved; Successful camp; Ivan – full-time service; Our granddaughter, Hannah!

Prayer: Saved to be baptized; Teens to reach others; Attacks of Satan put down; Ivan to pursue his calling; Pastor for the church

In His Service,