River of Faith: A Life Story of Serving the Persecuted Church

After reading by Brother Andrew, Larry and Jan, a newly married couple, received a call from God to help the persecuted church behind the Iron Curtain. This call was confirmed by miraculous events during a Bible smuggling trip Larry took in 1970-a time when the stronghold of communist regimes ruled in Eastern Europe. During the following twelve years of paying off college debt and growing a family, their vision of full-time involvement with the persecuted church seemed only a dream until the Lord's timing suddenly changed their lives. They plunged into God's river of faith to witness His faithfulness through miraculous guidance, provision, protection, and healing. Larry worked with Open Doors with Brother Andrew for three years until God's timing propelled the Winnes family to move to Germany in 1986 and work with the church behind the Iron Curtain, where they found themselves in the middle of revolutions starting in Prague and Romania. Larry moved his family to Prague in 1991 to pastor an English-speaking outreach of Prague Christian Fellowship. He taught in churches and Bible schools throughout Czech Republic, Ukraine, Siberia, Estonia, and Poland during the post-communist environment. In recent years, Larry has ministered in China and Mongolia. is a testimony of an ordinary man who had an extraordinary journey of faith after God planted a vision in his heart, confirmed it, and then tested his obedience to trust Him. This gripping story will encourage you either to get your feet wet or take the plunge into God's river of faith. Larry Winnes is president of Co-Laborers, a non-profit organization that has worked with persecuted churches around the world. Starting out smuggling Bibles in 1970 in Eastern Europe, he later worked as a field representative for Open Doors with Brother Andrew, supporting the work of encouraging Christians behind the Iron and Bamboo Curtains. Larry served the Lord for over thirty years in Eastern Europe, Europe, former communist countries such as Russia and Ukraine, China, Mongolia, and the USA. He now resides in Wisconsin with his wife, Janice.