Hands to the Work – Ron Winter

Dear Friends in Christ, 
 
He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus. Revelation 22:20
 
Camargo:  The Iglesia Bíblica Bautista has been quite limited, as no more than 10 personas are allowed to congregate.  So not only can we not have regular services, but door-to-door visitation has been suspended.  Not even Jehovah’s Witnesses are proselyting!  We still have no idea when we’ll be able to resume regular services!  Offerings are down, but we’ve been able to keep up with our missionary support, bills, etc. on schedule!  Praise the Lord we are able to post the preaching on Facebook, and plan to continue after this is over!
We’ve seen some lost family members of the church watching and sharing the videos!
   Many small businesses have been closed, destroying the already fragile economy, as many people live from day-to-day!  Ironically, bigger businesses, where there is supposedly more risk of contamination, remain open, with restrictions!  It is very unfortunate, as there have not been any confirmed cases of the Corona Virus here in Camargo.  It seems the decision to limit congregating, closing “non-essential” businesses, etc. is determined by each city in Mexico.  I’m told that traveling on the federal highways they check your temperature at the toll booths.  Here they physically closed some restaurants that tried to stay open, then most closed voluntarily.  The city seems like a ghost town!
   So, when it all started, I invited the teen boys to come every day to have a part in their own church building, getting them out of their houses with too much down time.  I told their parents, they would be working with men, to learn how to be men!  Four boys came, two of which have no father figure in their home.  For about 4 weeks, they were learning welding, mechanics, tools, building trades; house wiring, carpentry, sheet-rock, painting, etc., and a lot of discipline and hard work.  They seem to have learned a lot!  Beside all that, they were in a Christian environment, with Christian music playing, with my assistant Bro. Jorge, myself, and sometimes another man.  Some of the ladies were taking turns providing noon meals for us.  Then the schools started doing classes online, so now they only come on Saturdays.  Praise the Lord for the help, and the progress made on the auditorium!
 
Assistant / Teen Pastor:  Bro. Jorge came down with an inner-ear infection that the doctor says started from allergies.  He has been on antibiotics for about 4 weeks, each time something stronger, but continues with pain, drainage, and can’t hear very well.  It’s a hard way to start off your married life!  Please pray for him to recover soon!
    Pray we can take the teens to camp the end of July, if it’s the Lord’s will!
           
Building:  Praise the Lord we are making steady progress on the building renovations, as funds are available!  When we have most of the auditorium done, we will need to shorten and install some church pews that were donated.  We are trying to get the auditorium pretty well done by the time we can meet together as a church!
 
PRAISE:  Able to publish preaching on Facebook; Still able to pay the bills; The church is all healthy; Work done on the auditorium, experience and help of the boys, meals;
 
PRAYER: THE CHURCH to MEET TOGETHER, DOOR KNOCKING and OUTREACH TO RESUME SOON; Bro. Jorge’s ear infection; Wisdom, safety and provision for building renovations; More people to hear the gospel on line and be saved; Rain for the ranchers!
 
In Christ’s Service,
Bro. Ron Winter
Camargo, Chihuahua, Mexico

Dear Friends in Christ,

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.                                       Galatians 5:22-23

Camargo: The Iglesia Bíblica Bautista has had some “growing pains” these last months.  There were a couple different conflicts between some women, but it seems we are getting that behind us!  The church and even their pastor has been discouraged.  I’ve been studying and preaching through Galatians and the “Fruits of the Spirit”.  I’ve been making worship more of a priority in my life, and am seeing that fruit, or evidence of the Holy Spirit that dwells in me!  I’m benefitted by my worship, as I have higher concept of God!  He’ll not be anything less if I don’t seek Him!  So the closer relationship I have with Him, the more the Holy Spirit will manifest Himself through me, and thus less manifestations of the flesh!
The church is doing quite a bit better now, with better attendances and a spirit of unity!
    From 4 to 14 from the church knock doors every week.  We are able to present the gospel frequently, but we’re not able to get those who make a profession of faith out to a service!
   We had a couple’s banquet that was a help and encouragement to all who attended!

Church Building:  We are getting the 10,000 square-foot building the Lord gave us   renovated, as we have money and help.  We finally got the ceramic tile laid in the entry, hallway and auditorium.  Now we are putting the walls at the back of the auditorium and baptistry changing rooms.  Then we’ll install the suspended ceiling in the auditorium.
It’s been a blessing that some of the teen boys come when they don’t have classes!  They are learning how to be godly MEN, and to work with their hands!  They are also investing themselves in THEIR church, that they will not only have a God-honoring place to worship, but will fight harder for it, as they invested themselves in it!

Stewardship Conference:  The end of February I preached at a church that Bro. Ramiro Soto is starting, in Cuauhtémoc, Chihuahua near where we started our first church.

Jorge & Michel:  My assistant got married, to Michel!  We took 18 folks from Camargo, 14 hours to the wedding in Tosalibampo, Sinaloa.  Her family, church and pastor were very encouraged and pleased for the love that our church showed in making the sacrifice to support them in their wedding!  I preached in that church the day after the wedding.  The pastor broke down weeping when he spoke of Michel. She is a sweet, godly girl, and was a real servant and leader of the ladies and girls in that church.  She will be sorely missed there, but will be a great help-meet for Jorge and a blessing to our church! 
   Michel is organizing the ladies for various projects, and will begin with ladies meetings after Mother’s Day!  Our ladies have been without consistent female leadership for about 4 years, so I’m excited to see what the Lord will do with them and their families! 
   We’re also making plans to do more with the men, to encourage them and the young men!
   Pray that it would be obvious to both Jorge and Michel and our church, what the Lord wants of them, if he would pastor this church, or if He has something else for them!

Praise:  Church encouraged, more unity; Jorge and Michel working with us
Prayer:  Souls to be saved and baptized; Wisdom for building renovations; Jorge and Michel/ God’s will for their lives / wisdom to pastor them and challenge them to be all they can be

In Christ’s Service,
Bro. Ron Winter

Dear Friends in Christ,                                                                                 

Happy New Year!!  I’m praying for every one of us to have a great 2020, with a perfect vision of what the Lord would have us do each of the 365 days of this new year!
    Thank you for all of your faithful support and prayers, and for the special Christmas love offerings that several of you sent!  It couldn’t have come at a better time!

… we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience;  And patience, experience; and experience, hope:  And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.                                     Romans 5:3, 4, 5

   It seems 2019 was a difficult year for many, the Iglesia Bíblica Bautista being no exception!
   My 2019 ended as follows.  I went to Cuauhtémoc, Chihuahua to help Missionaries Warren and Joanne Klenk move their household things up to El Paso, TX.
Seemingly, whatever could go wrong, went wrong that week going to El Paso and coming home to Camargo!  The van had engine problems getting to Cuauhtémoc on Monday, but I thought I could make the trip, and it was the only window of opportunity I had for a while.  Keeping the tarp on with and light rain was a continual challenge.  Going through Juarez I bumped the fender of a car with the trailer.  That cost time and money, but I was able to witness to the driver and give him a John and Romans!  At U.S. customs I was detained a good while, but was able to witness to people there!  Then the van barely started, and we got it unloaded without any problems. 
    The next morning at the Bearing Precious Seed property In El Paso, I discovered someone had stolen my travel-trailer!  I had several tools in it, as well as the keys to 2 vans parked there that I’m trying to import to Mexico.  Now the thieves also have the only keys to the vans!  I finally got a locksmith to make new keys, and move the vans to a more secure place.  The locksmith, originally from Cuba, thought he was saved, but on his own merits.  After 3 hours, while working on the keys, I at least got him to doubt his own ability to save himself!
    Dealing with these challenges on my phone in El Paso, I noticed a young woman with car problems, in front of where I parked, so I was able to help and witness to her! 
    When going to load 20 church pews for our church building in Camargo, the van wouldn’t start, and Bro. Stephen Dyck, pastor of Victory Baptist helped me and he and some men from the church helped load the pews.  Saturday I headed for home.  After clearing customs in Ojinaga, the van wouldn’t start, so I was able to witness to more people there!  Missionary Henry Giesbrecht got it a secure place and loaned me their church van, so I got home with the trailer and pews, and praise the Lord was home for Sunday services! 
    The next week, my mechanic and I went and brought the van home.  Bro Henry and I were able to witness to him and I witnessed on our way home, towing the van!
    Although none of these called on the Lord as Saviour at the time, but Praise the Lord several heard the gospel that wouldn’t have, had it not been for my “challenges”!
    On December 31 we had a great watch-night service, and as the new year came in were praying, asking the Lord to use us to reach more people with the Gospel than ever before!

In Christ’s Service,
Bro. Ron Winter
Camargo, Chihuahua, Mexico

Dear Friends in Christ,                                                     
September & October 2019

That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God;     Colossians 1:10

Camargo:  The Iglesia Bíblica Bautista is so blessed and so am I!  We have a good core group of people that although people come and go, they remain faithful!
    We have been fasting as a church, though not all of our folks participate, from Saturday afternoon until Sunday after the evening service.  We’re all more encouraged, and almost always have visitors in the services! 
    Our Vacation Bible School in August is just now producing fruit. We had several teens up to 17 years old who came to Vacation Bible School.  From 5 to 7 of those 11 to 13 year old young people are coming off and on to our Bible Clubs and youth meetings on Saturday and Sunday evening services!  The first service they came, they were bored in the adult service.  So, we started 2 new classes, one each for boys and girls from 11-13, and some are excited and anxious to learn!  This age group doesn’t feel like kids, but have a hard time fitting into the youth group, though our teens are great to accept and include everyone!  There have also been a few younger kids from the Bible Club coming on Sunday, and 3 that live near the church.  Most weeks we have 3 new older widows coming.
    More of our folks are coming out to knock doors, and some people are sincerely listening to a presentation of the gospel, some making a profession of faith.  On the second visit to an elderly couple, I led Julio and Elizabeth to the Lord.  Please pray they will get into church.                  
    We prayed for Bro. Mario who had been without work for almost 6 months because of his conviction to not miss services.  God blessed him with a great, stable job and benefits, with the biggest milk producer in this region!  God answered in a marvelous way!
    Please pray for Bro Joel, who, Nov. 25, will start tests for some serious health issues.
    Pray the Lord would show us the right Mexican man to pastor this church in His time!

Mission Conference:  I had the privilege of preaching in the Mission Conference at Constitución, Chihuahua, Mexico, with Pastor Rubén Robles.  We first visited that church in 1985, before surrendering to be missionaries, and numerous times after, working with Bearing Precious Seed.  It was sure good to renew old acquaintances with the pastor and some of the older members, and to see their faithfulness.

Sixth Anniversary:  The Iglesia Bíblica Bautista celebrated 6 years from the time we first gathered the Bible study groups together to begin the church.  Bro. David Lydick from Bellevue, Nebraska was our guest speaker, and I translated.  We got to know Bro. Lydick when Connie was undergoing cancer treatments at University Medical Center in Omaha.  We had three great days of preaching, with the altars full most every service!  Some commented that the messages spoke to the depths of their soul, and have asked when Bro. Lydick is coming back!
   To top the week off, a young indigenous couple, Efraín & Flora from Guerrero was saved!

Praise: Faithful church members; Visitors, Teens and children coming; Julio and Elizabeth, Efraín & Flora saved; Bro. Mario work; Great 6^th anniversary celebration! Souls saved!
Prayer: Lord to bless our fasting/praying; Bro. Joel/tests/health; Souls to be saved;  Pastor for the Bible Baptist Church

In Christ’s Service
Bro. Ron Winter

Dear Friends in Christ

Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain.          James 5:7

Camargo:  Attendances to services of the Iglesia Bíblica Bautista haven’t recovered from the summer slump.  Praise the Lord there is a good spirit in the services, we generally have visitors and there are most always people who respond to the altar call!
          Our people who go door knocking and visiting have backed off, in part due to school, but maybe because we continue visiting, but don’t see lasting fruit.  We keep knocking doors and visiting people until they obviously avoid us.
          Bro. Mario has been without work because he won’t work on Sunday or late on Thursday for the mid-week service for 5 months, though there is a lot of work he is qualified to do.  He has a good prospect with a big company, so please pray the Lord will bless his faithfulness and convictions.
          Please pray the Lord will show me who should be the Mexican pastor of this church, as well for the next step in my life.

VBS:  We had a high attendance of 107 at our Vacation Bible School, so didn’t reach our goal, but had a good week, with several of the older kids making a profession of faith!  We’ve not been able to keep any of the kids coming to services from the VBS.

Assistants:  One of my assistants, 22 year old Arturo, will be going to Navojoa, Sinaloa, 19 hours away to Bible institute.  The school he attended for one semester 3 hours away in Torreón, wasn’t going to have any other students, so they’ve suspended classes for now.  Please pray for him as he prepares to serve the Lord, and for Mayra his mom and for his siblings to be saved! 
          Jorge, 27 my other assistant is studying online, and plans to marry this next February.
Pray for these young men as they prepare and for the Lord’s will in their lives.

Teens:  We took 13 of our teens to camp in Creel, Chihuahua.  The theme of the camp was “Prayer” and was a blessing to all!
          We’ve never promoted it, but had several teens come out to the VBS, and still have 3 of them attending the teen meetings and even the kid’s Bible Club.  From here on, we are not going to put age limits on the kids meetings, as apparently some teens aren’t ready to be teens.  Hopefully it will better help them to assimilate into teen life.
Please pray for Jennifer and her family to be saved.  Her parents are separated, and her mom and 2 brothers have come to services, but quit.  Jennifer is attending the teen meetings again.

Move Pastor:  Arturo and I took the truck and trailer down to Durango, about 6 hours away to move Brandon, his wife and 2 year-old son to Parral, Chihuahua to take a church whose pastor left. 

Family:  My daughter Bethany and husband Kyle and 3 kids came down to see me the last week of August.  We really didn’t have an agenda, and just enjoyed the visit!  What a blessing!

Praise:  Good services; Kids saved at VBS, others saved; Dedicated assistants; Teens coming;
Bethany and family / visit
Prayer:  Bro. Mario – Work; Arturo and Jorge wedding plans / Bible institutes, God’s will; Pastor for IBB church; Outreach effectiveness; Brandon and family 1^st pastorate; Jenifer & family to be saved

In Christ’s Service,
Bro. Ron Winter
Camargo, Chihuahua