Thousands of senior adults, mostly from the northern states and Canada, spend the winter months in south Texas as winter Texans.
The Rio Grande Valley of Texas is the south most point of all the U.S. Some say there may be as many as half a million “snow birds” who go south to spend the winter in RV Resorts along the Mexican border from Brownsville to Del Rio. The Rev. Dr. Leroy Baker served as pastor for the Kenwood RV Resort in LaFeria, Texas this past winter season. LaFeria is located near Harlingen and about ten miles north of Progresso, Mexico.
In the peak of the season Kenwood Resort has 325 units and approximately 600 residents.
The Sunday morning worship service attendance averages about 150. The service is non-denominational with worshipers from various church faiths and backgrounds. Baker preaches on Sunday morning, visits the local hospitals as needed, provides prayer ministry to those with needs, and is available for whatever other ministry may be needed in the Resort.
Baker says, “It is indeed a joy to serve people from such a wide range of church affiliations. I feel so blessed to have the privilege to pastor these wonderful people who are close to heaven. They love the Word of God and receive it with open hearts and minds. The first Sunday communion service is a very special time of ministry, and although the people are from such varied backgrounds they receive with great joy and worship to God."
Dr. Baker accepted the invitation from the resort to return as pastor for the 2011-2012 winter season and looks forward to ministering there again.
[Editor's note: It is exciting to listen to Leroy Baker tell about his ministry to these "Winter Texan Snowbirds." What a fitting name to give these "Chronologically-Gifted" people who are able to spend their winters in a warmer climate.
Don't you just love his description of these people: "these wonderful people who are close to heaven."
There may be some of you who are retired ministers who may be interested in such a ministry as God has given to Leroy and Evelyn Baker. To have the opportunity to spend the winter months with your spouse in ministering to people like Leroy Baker describes maybe similar to the ministry our military chaplains have during their careers.
Leroy was able to lead a man to Jesus who had never attended church in his life. Leroy visited him in the hospital, established a trusting relationship with him over a period of several days, and shared the Gospel with him. The Holy Spirit had gone before him, prepared the heart of this dear man, and he received Jesus Christ as his personal Savior and Lord. You can imagine the joy that filled the heart of his wife when she learned of the commitment of her husband. She had prayed earnestly for him for many years to be saved.
There is nothing more fulfilling in all the world than leading another person to the Lord Jesus Christ. There is a spiritual food that comes when we are given the privilege of leading a soul to the Lord like nothing else (Read John 4:32).
I am grateful to Leroy Baker for sharing this story with us. I am sure more news will come in the future to brighten our day, and remind all of us to do the work of an evangelist.
Let us be intentional in our conversations with others to talk about Jesus.
I am wondering as I conclude this article . . . how many of my readers are able to spend the winter months in a warmer climate like Kenwood RV Resort? If you do, please let me know. And if you wish to communicate with Leroy Baker, I can furnish you with information whereby you can connect with him.]
Posted on
Tue, March 29, 2011
by Hugh Morgan