Honduras Missions

The Ritchie Family / Children's Lighthouse

Sunday, November 21, 2010

Nothing but Thanksgiving



After the last few days how could one have anything but thanksgiving in their heart. Got a camera working and a few photos with it. It is plastic wire tire together, takes blurry photos and eats 4 batteries in less than 10 photos, but like most things here it’s “workenbroken”. So enjoy the pages. We (the whole family, all 25 for the first time at the insistence of Pastor Santos) went to Ven a Mi Baptist in the mountains yesterday for their anniversary. Lisa had been asked to teach the ladies and I was to preach to the men.(the emphasis was on Lisa though) But first we were to visit Pastor Santos’ family for lunch. They killed many of their chickens and sacrificed much to feed us just one meal, very humbling. As we left, the Kia made a lot of noise and the radiator fan came apart and began vibrating. Will destroy the waterpump If I do not fix it soon. We got to church and I used wire from spiral notebook bindings and coke bottles to makeshift it to cool. We had to let it run hours to have lights off the inverter for church. Many people showed up mostly Ladies because of Lisa. They had been praying for her since last year. Special music went on for 2 hours and near 8pm preaching started. I took the men outside and preached by flashlight and headlights from the Kia. Lisa taught inside and used Alba as her part time translator. The Holy Spirit pierced hearts. Amen!

Lisa has been busy baking lately; cakes for our kids, the school, Jr’s request for Loude, Church Anniversary and 2 upcoming weddings. And still feed us, make cheese and so on. Amen!

The cross cake Lisa made for Ven a Mi was for 300+ people and weighed 25lbs or more. She worked all night and finished it at 8am for us to leave at 1pm…only to return home at 11pm, tired to say the least. We ran out of 300 napkins, before we fed the men and boys…So the rest happily took a piece of cake in their hands. Made it home, made supper, only to get up a few hour later and take La Cruz Baptist to the river to do a baptismal service… It was simply beautiful. Baptizing in a river with water rushing through the rocks in the background. Carlos preached strong and Mark Antonio did the baptisms with songs before each one. I kept thinking that the days of Jesus, Peter and Paul were much the same. Preach under a big ol tree next to a river and baptize…. Then eat a shared lunch. Amen!
Plus today is Patricia’s Birthday…but Lisa did not have time to bake a cake…yet.
When I finally stand before the LORD I will still be amazed and have nothing but thanksgiving….
An unworthy Servant to a Worthy Saviour
Barry Ritchie

Sunday, November 14, 2010

Lots happening...

We have a lot of things on the burner so to speak. Two weddings in the coming weeks for folks wanting to get right with the LORD. AMEN! Also baptizing in the river near the Children’s Lighthouse, with the whole church, next Sunday. That means a lot of shuttling with the Kia. But Saturday night we will be in the mountains celebrating the church anniversary up there. By request Lisa is a speaker for the Ladies... Pastor Santos visited yesterday to tell me if I had to make a choice of me or Lisa going...they wanted Lisa. She is also making a cake to share with them…as well as the wedding cakes. Sayder’s BD is tomorrow and Patricia’s is next Sunday. And preparing for a container to ship in 3 weeks, trying to find things we need in time to ship.

The La Cruz church had a lack of seats again today because we were full. I was sitting in the back on an old five gallon bucket behind our 22 children. As more entered, our boys gave up their seats too and stood around me in the back. I was the one who started the church and taught the pastor, yet I was sitting in back with a baby on my knee and a dozen children around me as Carlos preached on humility and putting others first... Several of our folks looked back at us during the service and smiled. I believe they were getting more preaching though not from words. Live what you preach or it is as tinkling brass... Our kids remind me of this often. Every time I fail.

Lisa had the outdoor oven going this week making pizza. One tasted like a trip to DQ. Another well… If your light on meat and need a way to save money just let the dog catch a large green lizard, then let the boys kill it, then let the girls clean, gut and flambé it in the outdoor oven. Actually they did it by covering it in oil and it caught fire…Then sprinkled the meat on homemade cheese pizza…Really homemade. Lisa made the sauce from tomatoes, the pizza bread from scratch, even the mozzarella cheese from the raw milk we get. Set the kids down for a bible movie, earthen oven lizard pizza and juice. Welcome to Honduras.
I hit another pothole tonight taking folks home from church and just held my breath hoping nothing was wrong. It did not go flat but I will check it tomorrow for damage.
Sorry no photos struggling with cameras right now… Keep us in prayer we need every one.

Thursday, November 11, 2010

Time is short

To our ministering saints, The Christmas container is going to ship out Dec 3rd. That only leaves 3 weeks to get items to Paul Deem of Directline Ministries. www.directlineministry.com He is collecting sending Christmas shoeboxes, food and other miscellaneous items being donated. A couple of things needed is a good portable digital camera our has died. Another big need is tires for the 4x4 kia, I blew out one yesterday hitting a huge pothole driving after church (they are only available in the USA not here) so now I have problem. If you interested in helping acquire tires, send shoeboxes or help with food, camera ect let me know. We have had a couple of churches donate some food which is always a huge blessing, the need is great and we need more. If your inclined to help now it the time.

Waiting for the trump and keeping busy till it sounds,
Barry Ritchie
Honduras Missions
Children’s Lighthouse
Planting churches and caring for the fatherless
britcompel@msn.com

Wednesday, November 3, 2010

Daily Life in Honduras


Jenny and Iris are readying for their graduation and have numerous “projects” for the school. The director told the kids to sell candy and stuff in school to raise money for the projects; class photos, cement benches for graduating class, diploma paper ect. I asked a basic economic question… If the families are too poor to just give the funds needed for their children, then how would selling candy to the same group raise money? All I got was a look like a deer in headlights.(thats with the teachers) I said you need to sell to folks with funds and sell something they would buy… SO I told the girls to talk to mommi about a bake sale and I will make arrangements with a local store (our version of walmart) to sell out front. Lisa baked her heart out for 2 days making birthday cakes, cookies, spicy breads, brownies ect. The catch was we used all the products sold in the store, so the store promoted it as well on a loud speakers. (as American Made.. Ie made by an american) The moms of 3 of the girls we also helped made Honduran treats, Blanca showed up to help Lisa and the girls. The girls after proding began to give samples and sell. They did not make near as much as Lisa did doing this in the USA for our girls, but it was a large amount by the local school standard. I would not be surprised to see a bakery in the store in the near future. Some folks even asked for Lisa's phone number to ask her to bake things for them and the store thanked them for having the bakes sale there. We also got a local farmer to sell milk to us so Lisa was able to make cheese. As her first product ricotta to fulfill lastyears birthday promise to Jenny about a lasanga dinner, That was made entirely from scratch, home sauce, homemade cheese, homemade pasta... an it was goooood. This morning I got the girls up early (4:30 first light) to load sand at the river to drop off at the school for benches/tables. They thought I would just do it for them…uh nope. They even cleaned the truck afterwards before school…

The fix on the little kia only lasted 2 weeks and the motor locked up on Jr on the way to church Sunday. Not sure what to do about it. We need other transportation but just cant seem to keep anything running. Even the big kia is getting difficult to fix. How many times can you temp fix things before it catches up to you… That’s the condition of most older vehicles here, years of substandard repairs conglomerated into transportation that is frequently broke down. Our camera has bit the dust as well. Just one too many trips up the mountian bouncing around I suppose, or the dust or rain or extensive use. Pictures are important in relaying information from here. So we might be a little light on blog photos for a while.

We had our first tragedy in dogs. Lisa’s little dog got out and the big guard dog thought is was a toy and played with her breaking her leg. Lisa was upset so I called the childrens doctor to see if he would set it… sure, bring it in to the hospital and I’ll take care of it… We are not in the USA… but welcome to Honduras.

Emergency room visit for a 2-lb Chihuahua $26. Peace with Lisa priceless….


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