We are now recovered from the American presence and noses are back to the grindstone. No impressive photos yet this week it has been just uninspiring grunt work. Things that do not show well on camera, painting welds, filing concrete gaps, moving rocks, laying a septic field, making metal grids to go into the concrete ect. All the must need things that are lots of work but not much to show. The plan is to begin putting up roof panels today. We shall see. Our best worker, Gabriel, has been out a week due to malaria. Hope he is better soon. We took care of his family this week.
Even with all this the other things continue, regular church services. One of our Mormon neighbors came and trusted Christ as Saviour. At the end of service during invitation you could see the Holy Spirit working on her during which she asked publicly some open questions about her religion, when I answered biblically, she was confronted with a crossroad, and she chose the right direction, amen.
The Bible Institute runs 3x a week. Our men continue to go to Colonia and are planning something for mothers day there. The Kia lost a belt after dropping the children off at school, a bearing froze up and the belts are already heat checked from the weather here, time for maintenance, still need to fix/replace the 3 bent wheels from the last trip up the mountain as well.

When your nose is on the grindstone all you see and know are the sparks, heat and pressure; but when you have the opportunity to step back, you can see the wonderful hand of God on his creation. Example:

Five of the children needed plants and flowers for a school project. I took them to the property last evening to pick them. While the men were finishing up work, the children began playing on the big retaining wall, climbing and jumping in unision, laughter and giggles. I was sitting looking in amazment at all the LORD has done thus far here in Honduras, making melody in my heart. Then when I though it could not get sweeter they went to the top and sat to see the sunset then started singing church songs….just as the sun sat they all jumped down and ran to give me a hug, saying "I Love You Papi" in front of all the workers. As an old friend who is now a pastor used to say it just gets gooder and gooder…Amen

Childrens Lighthouse Dorms

Quote of the day:
IF YOUR SALVATION IS NOT STONG ENOUGH TO CHANGE YOUR LIFE, THEN IT IS DEFINITELY NOT STRONG ENOUGH TO SAVE YOUR LIFE…You prayed to the wrong god. James Agrees

BARRY

True Value

The true value of this week was not from the sweat of the brow. Though we are thankful to God for every drop of sweat, every nail, every aching muscle that worked this week and pray the LORD rewards them all for the fruit of their labor. But truth be told any of it could have been done with local hired hands. Common, but that which was sacred that which gave God the Greatest Glory; What held the highest value, could not be bought, nor could it be acquired by the sweat of the brow. It was the testimony. Every member showed the LOVE of Christ in Word and in Deed. They opened their hearts to the pain and the joy of this work. The treasures of the heart that they both gave and received, the shining example of Christ left with our children and people, every hug, tear and I love you, the gospel that was shared through preaching, teaching, sharing and truly caring, hold value far above and will have eternal heavenly glory. All the Old Paths folks were wonderful, and each one left a lasting impression. Whether it was walking down a mountain in 102 degree heat alone handing out tracts, or the smile and amen that was still there at the end of the day after pharaoh’s whip cracked in your ears all day. But the young ladies are acute in my memory. Our girls needed to see their walk with Christ, their surrendered hearts, their convictions, to know there are 7000 that have not bowed… Our church and our children both commented they were like our daughter Sasha. They often hold her up as a truly Godly example, an now have seen there are more who walk in “The Way”. It gave them a yearning to also walk in the Light. Our Church and our family thank you Old Paths keep true to the old paths and Please keep us in your prayers.

Mark 10:16

The time with Old Paths is drawing to a close lots of sweating, lots of preaching, lots of hearts touched by the hand of God. Lots of adventures. Getting 2 flats in one trip then beating the wheels straight with rocks on the kia to hold air after rocks bent them climbing up the mountain. Pastor C took everyone out to Chinese last night and it packed the restraunt with 52 of us. Then I realized it was the same number we preparing to accept into the Children’s Lighthouse….a moment of terror…that turned to joy. Several children began to weep softly as the understanding that their new family was reading to leave…
Thank You Old Paths

Iguana Anyone?

Few more photos.....
Everyone has lots more to bring home to share...
We covet your prayers, someone is being heard about the weather and much more...Many little miracles along the way...
The Iguana was not happy about being trapped near the property and whipped Angelina with it's tail... But we all got in the last word when he became part of the stew.....Really.

A few more photos from Wend.... Building walls, Building shelves for Bibles in bodega, Singing under the lighted tent, Hauling rocks, Bodega attic storage floor. Fixed the tire swing for the entertainment of the adults who watched the teens that were foolish enough to listen to.... "Try it You'll Like it"..."I wont swing you any harder than what our children's Lighthouse kids like"..... :) The big strong teen boys who worked so hard this week....Have very high pitched loud voices on the tire swing

For the Work of the Ministry

What an Amazing Day. There were 10 tasks being done all at the same time. Once the group got a Holy Spirit Fire to Work as unto the LORD in His Power, things really got done. Like the Macedonians in

2 Cor 8:5

And this they did, not as we hoped, but first gave their own selves to the Lord, and unto us by the will of God.

Plumbing, Welding, Painting Cooking, Carpentry, block work…even the young boys put together the all terrain tricycles the group brought for the children. And at the end of the day there was a little time for a little fun. It could not have been a more profitable or enjoyable work day with this much sweating going on…Amen!

Getting a Vision

All in a Days Work

The Church group arrived from NY. Loaded up and walked with the children to the bus stop for the ride to Choluteca. 7am Saturday all began to work on the Children’s Lighthouse with a zeal….by 10:00am the 100 degree heat had begun to take its toll. The realization the everything in Honduras is hard work… The Ladies work all day…The men well… they began to wonder why the vultures began to circle above the site. Really they did…. Monday we take away the straw and increase the tally of bricks…the welding starts. Pastor C. went with the men from our ministry up to Colonia and helped baptize 7 and saw 6 trust the Lord. Sounds simple….remember Honduras. They took the 69Datsun and only had to push it up the mountain a few times...(it came back with a bad clutch.) Arrive to a mountain village(bringing all you need no stores, nothing to drink. Meet under the big tree to preach, Assemble the baptistery fill it with water and then make it back down. All in a days work for here. Amen people saved, people baptized and an orphanage going up….the field is white….means the labor is long and hard…Ask a farmer AAmen!

Surrendered Service

A description of last nights prayer service. Humid near 93 with a ¼ moon out. About 60 folks in service under the old leaky tent with 3 light bulbs run on a 200 of extension cord. The recent rains finally compacted the ground so Carlos could move his wheelchair. I had Carlos preach and the Holy Spirit use him in an excellent way. The bugs had come out in force and 2x during the message I went forward to help brush them all off Carlos as he was directly under a light to see his Bible and notes. The message of the good servant and the 10 talents challenged the folks and when it was invitation time and the “altar” (we do not have one) was opened, the entire church came forward. Every adult, every teen and most of the children. The only ones still sitting were a few small children. I was humbled to tears during prayer. As a Pastor/missionary what better reward could you have than to see all your flock want to serve Christ….
Our flock is poor and reminds me much of the Church of Macedonia who first gave of their own selves to the LORD… It has been 2+ years meeting in a hot, dusty, muddy, rainy, tent with holes. Yet no one complains. I have seen them sacrifice to serve others. I have seen them take up offerings to help others, I have seen them at a moments notice drop what they are doing to visit someone in need. Our offering plate was a broken basket bowl with wash cloth. Not only could everyone see what you put in it often fell to the ground. It burdened Fanny one of our ladies who lives on about $100 per month and feeds her 2 children. So she cut a tree branch and sewed some cloth, painted it and made a new offering basket. She proudly took up the offering with it last night, it was her gift to the LORD and to the church. It doesn’t look like much, but I would rather use it than a gold plated shiny offering plate…What better way to collect the widows mite.

Amen

Some wonderful news. Nancy trusted the LORD as Saviour last night. The Holy Spirit led me to have a private devotion with her. With tears running down her face she said I need Jesus to save me. She prayed without help and afterward, unprompted, she asked "Can I get baptized?" All I could think was the Holy Spirit was already at work. Amen

Also Ermita, our women’s teacher, led her husband to Christ after a Bible institute class in their home. It has been a burden of hers for a long time and answered prayer. Amen

Another joy is Hector, Suyapa’s husband, Neydi’s dad. Led his first person to Christ in Colonia with the men Saturday. He has also been attending the institute classes. For those that know the story, he is the reason Neydi lived with us for a while last year, and Suyapa was terrified…what a difference a year can make...with Christ... Amen

The Children’s Lighthouse dorms will be ready for a roof Friday. We are racing to be ready for a group coming in 3 days to help put in plumbing, floors and roof. Amen
The men will be baptizing in Colonia Saturday with the USA pastor present. Amen!

Unworthy serant to a Worthy Saviour
Barry Ritchie

Oh now I understand...

The back huge retaining wall is taking shape, most now see it and say "oh now I understand." The dump truck delivering rock broke about 4 feet of the end of the front wall. The dorms will be ready for a roof in a week. In the last few weeks, the 2 men cutting into the mountain and moving the same material to raise the floors have moved more than 150 cubic meters of material by hand. (that’s 15 big dump trucks full).

Jenny finally relented the pain overtook the fear so time to visit our dentist Ermita for a painful cavity. As always she took care of us. What tickled me is, as we entered her office unannounced, she had her desk full of bible references and studying to teach her ladies class. As she worked on Jenny she asked questions about the Bible and now has several of my books. Carlos holds one of the Bible Institute classes in her home as well. Amen!

An American church is visiting in a week to help with labor on pouring floors and the roof for dorms. Amen! Pray for the Lords provision. So much yet to do.

A rep from the Enee Electric Company visited and told us all the fees we must pay in order to hook up electric. Their fees alone are nearly $1000. That is just for the high power lines to the transformer, and that does not include parts needed. Add to their list, we still must purchase 2 poles, a 15kv transformer many misc. needed items and find someone to install it as well. Several more thousand dollars we don’t currently have. All we have is a great need and a little faith… and this has moved a mountain this far. Like the building electrical stuff has been donated and someone is coming to wire the buildings when needed…

I was glancing through some bios of great men of faith early this morning. Started by reading through some things about George Muller someone had emailed then clicked on, Spurgeon, CT Studd, John G Patton, Hudson Taylor, WTP Wolston, DL Moody, James Chalmers, Robert Moffet, Philip P Bliss and suddenly thought there it is…If I only had a longer beard like theirs…Sure that must be it….worked for Samson and John the Baptist too….But then kept clicking only to find other men of great enduring faith with no beard…so much for the easy way, time to pray and wait. Thankfully God is faithful even when we are not….Amen!
Unworthy Servant to a Worthy Saviour,
Barry