Honduras Missions

The Ritchie Family / Children's Lighthouse

Wednesday, February 24, 2010

Sometimes things just break under the load.

Still working on delivering the Christmas Shoe boxes. Brother Sabas made 4 benches for the church in Trapeche, loaded them on the old Datsun, then went with the men and he preached Saturday. He was the first person to preach when we first started going to Trapeche 2 years ago. There were many(200+?) sitting under the old tree as he preached, some crowed on the new benches, some on the roots of the tree, some on rocks or the ground, or chairs carried in, yet in this unconventional church service, 3 adults and a teen came forward to get right with the LORD. AMEN! So many things here teach what it might have been like in the days the Lord Jesus walked Israel. After services they handed out the Christmas Shoeboxes, Yes, we’re still doing Christmas presents, but it is a blessing anytime. Still have 2 more churches to deliver as soon as the KIA is back on the road and we can go up into the mountain. Broke the frame this time, I think when we blew the tire carrying bricks for the church. Soo, as a southern boy raised in Alaska would do. If you gonna spend the time to take it all apart and fix it might as well modify it too. If we broke it from overloading it and driving it on really bad roads don’t just fix it to baby it, make it so it can carry more. We had oversized tires for it in the container 2 years ago not being used and ministering saints donated steel and items to make it into a dump bed, all we lacked was a few bolts and the time to do it… when the frame breaks you make time… Jr has done much of the work just following a few instructions here and there. As we were welding a man in a horse cart came down the road and asked if we would weld his broken cart. He was poor as dirt, makes money finding scrap wood and selling it to cook with. Of course I couldn’t just put a weld on the cart knowing it was junk, we had to make it stronger too. As unto the LORD. He was worried how he would pay for it and very relieved when I told him we don’t work for men, but for the LORD. I also gave him a Bible and witnessed to him. Not sure if it all got through or if he was all there mentally, but he left praising God.
My Saturday was spent with Fernando. First thing in the morning he ran out to play, hopped on a tricycle and turned it over falling lip first on the end of the handle bars. Nearly cut his lip off. Rushed to the pay hospital and the special surgeon was called in to sew him back up. The Dr. used the smallest sutures available here so there would be less scarring…2 days later Fernando pulled some stiches out because it itched… hmm.
Church service tonight had most of the church at the altar crying out to the LORD. They are learning what the altar is for. Under the tent we never had anyone come forward pray, it was just to dirty to do so… with the new building it has opened another effectual door amen. The church has stopped construction for now, all funds depleted. Need the roof on the classrooms before rainy season, but now its time to wait on the LORD. We still owe $ on the the container of Christmas shoeboxes and our visas are due next month. Just trusting the LORD to provide as needed….Amen!
Lisa may be going to N. Carolina, Raleigh Durham area March 22nd for a week or so to see our 4th grandchild born and help out after the surgery. Thank you all for every rememberance.
Unworthy Servant to a Worthy Saviour,
Barry

Friday, February 19, 2010

In everything give thanks

Nothing like a good ol scorpion sting in your bed at 4am to wake you up and electrify you in the morning and put that tingle in your lips and lisping tongue for the day.... Weee. Yupe really hurts too. But hey I got a glimps of the bad boy before it escaped, it wasnt the deadly one they have here and it makes some of the knee pain go away for a while... in everything give thanks... Amen!

Sunday, February 14, 2010

Saint Valentines Day Christmas?


The container arrived with nothing stolen AMEN! But the big sign posted in it and police made the customs agents upset and it has cost in different ways. I went to the capital to talk to them and finally relented to their “fees” and got the container released. Omar rode with the truck driver to Choluteca to witness to him. We finished unloading it at 4am on Saturday and began distributing gifts by 1pm the same day. So far we have given out Christmas gifts in 5 churches still have more to go, plus outreaches, but its already been fruitful. Marc Antonio preached yesterday in San Geronimo to a large group in the street in front of homes and 2 adults trusted the LORD plus several children. La Cruz was a packed house today with near 160 people under preaching. Last week the whole church loaded up in a really big bus and went to visit Fundamental Baptist Church near Cedeno. The our men sang specials as well as our ladies group. Great time of fellowship. I was worried because I had offered to pay for the bus and had no funds. The bus owner, who sat through the service, afterwards said it was paid by the LORD he could not charge for doing the LORD’s work…amen! After 4 years in Honduras, I think I know a little how Peter felt when he walked on water… and looked away. Amen. We live by faith in so much here. I have seen so much and yet still often falter, worry or doubt at times. The big things are easy, it’s the little daily worries that chip away it seems. Like now, though the LORD has blessed in so much I wonder where the next will come from to fill our ever growing but leaky bucket of blessing and needs. So many ministering Saints have done so much I feel we might be come a burden more than a blessing to some.

Examples, Right now we just received a bill for the container…customs wants another $650 on top of what we already paid. If we don’t pay it we face court battles and would not be allowed future containers… Our Visas come due next month and it cost near our whole month support to renew them again. Still need more supplies for school. Need to put in 600feet of triplex electric wire at the property to finish what we promised we would change. On the way back from customs I hit a tire in the road and damaged the Kia trans. Not major but another thorn so to speak. The well died again thankfully it was just a faulty capacitor and relay this time but more $. Weekly food expenses. Weekly fuel expenses. Did not have the $10 for fuel available for Colonia and Geronimo preaching. Still need to pay for work done at the Lighthouse because we used those funds to pay the customs agents last week… None of these things are a big deal but it is a bothersome things to keep on your mind.

Kathryn asked if her birthday could be at church so we combined it with today’s activities. Everyone got presents. Lisa baked cupcakes for all and distributed them with presents after church. And of course the traditional piñata. Sitting in a packed church building, and hearing of those saved this week, always seems to make the issues of the day seem so less dim…Amen.
Unworthy servant to a Worthy Saviour,
Barry


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