Honduras Missions

The Ritchie Family / Children's Lighthouse

Tuesday, April 27, 2010

Preach in season...


Had a good morning preaching in a public school today. A new order by our new president is he requires public schools to make a time for churches to come in and teach and preach to the students and teachers… hmm. So we continue what we have been doing but now with the approval of the government. A pastor friend from the USA is here visiting, Seth Buckner. He had never preached in this kind of setting but did a great job to near 500 students and they asked him back for the other 500 students in the afternoon. at the invitation given by Carlos one by one they stood to come forward. Dozens of young people made professions. Amen! Not only does our support need to increase we need more labourers. Pray ye therefore…. Amen! We could keep a young Bible student preaching about every day in public schools….
Barry Jr got the well fixed. It was labor intensive but a simple fix. Thank you for praying.

Sunday, April 25, 2010

Headaches upon Headaches


Just a few prayer requests to our ministering Saints of the LORD Jesus. We have a situation with our visa renewal. Every religious visa and nonprofit organizations approved while the former (deposed) president was in power must now be reviewed and meet new requirements.(they are hunting for certain groups) Many are simple questions, example; Have you ever been part of a communist or socialist movement? Many are just proving we are a ministry, like names, signatures and id's of all church members in all the churches, past and current projects ect. The biggest hurdle is that our Honduran non profit corporation papers are the backing of our visas. And our income is near $700 short per month of their minimum requirement. Now they require opening another bank account so it can be checked… If they do not approve us, we have 90 days to leave the country and they confiscate all property left behind. Add to that our electric has been off for 5 of 7 days due to electric line problems. (over 100degrees every day) We are at the end of the line so every electric company problem affects us. In addition, we lost water on the property again. We need to pull up the pump and verify what it is. I hope we have not run dry.

Still have sick kids and Lisa broke out with like symptoms yesterday- rash and headaches.

Barry Jr got harangued into taking the men up the mountain on his birthday due to poor checking…on my part. He went willing and used the little momma Kia hauling 8 men up there much better than the ol datsun they normally use. But he got the day off afterwards only to be called into duty again today to check the well pump. No rest for the weary…
It is getting harder and harder to do any real ministry when all you seem to do is tread water to stay afloat.

Still managed birthdays for Barry Jr and Dumas. Lisa brought things back from the states to the glee of both of them. Didn’t do the piñata for Jr, rather he got a special dinner by mom, but Dumas got a soccer cake and soccer piñata. Lisa used her new soccer cake pan from hobby lobby. When it came time to hit the piñata, I told the kids they could not use the traditional stick else it would be baseball not soccer. Had a few Charlie brown moments as Dumas ran to kick it just as it was pulled away. Many head hits later the treats came out. They really worked at it this time. The sweetest moment was listing to the children pray for Dumas. The LORD always blesses in everything. Everything this side of hell is a blessing…that’s a hard thing to understand but oh so true.
Unworthy servant to a worthy Saviour,
Barry

Tuesday, April 20, 2010

Mama Kia isnt anymore...


Mama kia isn’t, since Jr got a License. Jr has been driving a lot. But not the way most teenagers do. If I am not asking him to go get something, someone else is. Pastor Ramon came to me and asked for help to baptize 8 folks in the river near the Children’s Lighthouse. Well I have a house full of sick kids not going to church so a quick call to Jr. Plans made and Barry Jr went to pick them up early Sunday…and found out it was the rest of the church members too. Near 30 people piled in the little kia I was shocked when they drove by. The few kids not in bed and I went down to the river for a short time to listen in and watch the service at a distance. What a blessing.
Pray for us we need to renew our Visas again this week, short on funds and must renew our non profit carnet as well. And we have a house full of sick kids again shingle/chicken pox affecting the house. The worst seems over.

Pray for Omar as well He collapsed up in Colonia Trapeche during services with the men. He was in the hospital for 2 days trying to stablize his blood pressure and sugar. Even now he is having a time with energy for walking.


Asking for some churches to help out on a food drive for the Children’s Lighthouse. The food donated, by and through, Directline ministry is gone. It was a huge help the children enjoyed. If just a few ministries would consider sending a pallet of shelf stable food to help the orphanage it would be a major blessing and ease a large burden. Please contact us for ways to ship and kinds of food to include.
Unworthy servant ot a Worthy Saviour
Barry

Monday, April 12, 2010

Weee







Just like our kids, I make a swing to sit in and they stand on the backrests to see how high it goes and walk up the slide.. hmm. There is room for 12 all at once.
Did manage to get some work done while Lisa has been away. Mostly thanks to help from Jr. The last bathroom is installed in the Lighthouse building (Lisa’s) But need to redo the tub. The tile lifted out first time water was put in it. Made a bed for Lisa so we can stop sleeping on the 2 twin beds side by side. (No 1950s tv jokes). Rebuilt the swing set and added cart swings and a slide. Didn’t take the kids long to test the welds(one broke).
Got an early morning visit from Pastor Enemesio. He needed help on the road going up to Los Tererros . He remembered the Kia now dumps and he wanted to haul material to the sections that muddy up and wash out during rains. Barry Jr finally got his drivers license Saturday and was more than willing to go. They loaded up corn to help pay some “volunteers” and spent the day moving material.
The church is praying and fasting this week. They are praying for the LORD’s will and hand in working a situation. The church’s Columbian neighbor stole a large chunk of the churches property prior to building. We discussed it back then, tried to talk to him but got nowhere, and finally felt the need to go to court about it. It happened more than a year ago and we are still awaiting a judges decision. I received a frantic call last week from Carlos about the neighbor tearing up trees at the church, so I went and talked to him. To everyone's surprise, the LORD allowed me to put out the fiery situation. At the end, all were amicable (for the first time), and everyone shook hands. I sensed in the conversation our neighbor wanted to find a way to end the court battle. Afterwards I talked to the church and they are planning to contact him about purchasing the section of property for fair market value. He has already built on it and would loose a lot if the judge side with us, which the lawyers believe will eventually happen. (We have all the correct and pre-hurricane Mitch surveys, and he does not.)

On a personal note our residency visas are due again. A large chunk of change we cannot afford right now. Plus they are requiring 30-50 people to testify that we are a legitimate non profit church mission because we must renew the corporation papers along with the visas. We have that many folks, but what a headache. I feel sorry for a new ind. missionary coming here not under an existing ministry, the laws keep changing making it more and more difficult. We were hoping to meet with the Immigration Lawyer when Lisa gets in tomorrow but it must wait till funds and all our things are in order…. They expire next week. In Honduras all is possible, just takes more effort, more time and more money and a lot of prayer to get it done. Thank you for each and every prayer,
unworthy Servant to a Worthy Saviour,
Barry

Sunday, April 4, 2010

No Plan "B"

Sunday morning church in Honduras; After last years early breakfast feast on Resurrection Sunday, the little church in Choluteca opted to do it again. Thankfully, pot luck this time, since Lisa is not here. I awoke very early this morning to make French toast for everyone in the church. Jenny rose to help as well. After jotting down my thought from the night and time of devotion, then a couple of hours on the grill and an hour getting kids ready to go time, now time for the 6am preaching and breakfast. Carlos preached an hour and half on the Resurrection of Christ. One of our faithful ladies whose been praying for her husband to come and be saved for 2 years, got her prayer answered today at the invitation time. He quickly rose and went forward followed by another lady. The men of the church went forward to pray with them. What a awe-inspiring thing to see on Easter morning; Souls coming to Christ under preaching the death, burial, resurrection and blood of Jesus by a "Timothy". Amen! Afterwards, like all Baptist in good standing, we ate and fellowshipped. I think that might be the uninspired 3rd ordnance of the church…

A promise from a previous post- I did put a tarp in the Kia and filled it with water and bubbles for the kids to cool off in yesterday, to the delight of all. (been 100+ deg for about 2 weeks but the rains have begun) The girls splashed about for a few hours while the boys jumped in the bounce house then swapped. We also tried sleeping in the Lighthouse building for the first time this week to work out issues known and unknown. Like much needed fans that only work with all the lights on, ops, toilets not working, leaks, no lights where you really need it, ect. But even without matresses, beds or furniture, the kids preferred it over the 20'x30' space we have been in for over a year. So its progress. Lots of details to finish before making it permanent but its close
Sorry no photos, battery dead in camera and nothing is opened here.


The LORD woke me very early today with these thoughts of the day….
No plan B. Where are the ministers of God now days who have no plan B? The bible colleges are filled with future missionaries and pastors that are looking at career choices they chose, instead of men called and chosen of God. Men with a burning in their bones. Paul had no plan B when he fell from his horse and said what wilt thou have me to do. When he went to Rome he knew it ment death, and yet he went. Peter had no plan B when the LORD asked “Will ye also go away?” Then Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life. And we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God.” When you read of early churches, martyrs, missionaries and circuit preachers of old, they had no plan B. Our LORD Jesus had no plan B leading up to resurrection morning. “Well if this doesn’t work out to my liking I’ll just send the Angels to do it.” No, rather He prayed “not my will but thine be done”. He went to the agony of the cross following the will of the Heavenly Father unto death. I see precious few men (or women) willing to die for the sake of the gospel anymore, willing to live and pay the price found in;


Matthew 19:29. And every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name's sake, shall receive an hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life.

All the plan B men in the Bible have left tragic testimonies. Saul with the witch of Endor, Judas’ betrayal, Samson, ect. Even Abraham tried a plan B. Pulpits and Lecterns are filled with teachers, teaching itching ears. It is prolific in every denomination, christian school and college, from small church of 3, to stadium sized churches, most are teaching of, and serving the god of I, not the God of IAM. It’s true, unto the followers of Christ there can be no plan B.

Faith- is the action demonstrating the convictions of the heart.

Jesus said “No man, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.”
Now time for a nap…if I only had the time.
Unworthy servant to a Worthy Saviour
Barry



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