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