Keet Winters
In 1967, Charles and Keet began their ministry in Bolivia at Berea High School, a Christian boarding school for junior and senior high students. Keet taught English classes, ministered to the local women, and raised their three children: Rachel, Ila, and Eric. Being adept in the language, Charles traveled often to teach in the surrounding mountain communities and hold services. He also did maintenance work for Berea, helped build church facilities and train leaders, and was pastoring three churches by 1979.
Sending their children away to school proved to be one of the hardest aspects of the their time in Bolivia. However, it also created a huge opportunity for the blessing of personal growth in the family. Keet remembers telling her daughter Rachel to bring a coat to church because it was cold. Rachel didn’t want to, because many of her Bolivian friends had no coats. “She didn’t want to be comfortable when Bolivians weren’t,” said Keet.
Charles and Keert spent 35 years in Bolivia, retiring in 2001. Charles went to be with the Lord on January 28, 2020.