Faith returns....home

Here is the departing shot of the Faith team loaded and leaving for the airport.
The week has ended and I believe many hearts were touched on both sides. I know the churches liked the visit, the kids liked the time many things were done for the honor of the LORD.The kids will sleep on beds this weekend, the Dining hall is tiled. and memories for a lifetime were made.

Just want to say Thank You!

Greater is He

Winding down the visit from Faith. Tomorrow is the last day to finish up what they can and pack up to leave. A lot got done today. The beds are getting close. We will not finish every job but the bulk will be done. Rain gutters, tiled floor, beds closets made, Muffler on equipment stuff moved and cleaned 5 churched churches and 2 schools preached in and maybe a chicken coop for the new chickens. Not bad for a week. Went to Lenaca today to preach. Some stayed behind to sleep off sickness, some stayed to work and the rest went. Pastor Kline had said he would come back last year and the church remembered. Good message then after Pastor Santos asked for prayer on a personal level. We gathered round and talked then prayed to lift him up. Good time on the mountain. Had a VERY uncomfortable experience this morning. I was eating homemade bread with jam I scooped up the jam and took a bite only to find a wasp was on the jam. He stung me on the back of the throat right where the gag reflex is. I swelled to hardly breathing but took a lot of Benadryl and used a piece of paper to pull out the stinger. Made it through the day but was in a daze. Made it up the mountain but actually got lost on a road I know like my hand. Lisa tripped today and hurt her foot as well. Then to top that off while the power was out, men broke into the property and got into the storage garage. Not sure what if anything they got the boys and dogs scared them off. Been a really tough week of little battles, multiple tires flat, not having supplies, constant change of planes out of my control, prakes, powersteering, A/C and the 4wd on the kia, lights on the datsun just and endless drip drip of issues to change the attitudes. But alas they have not prevailed because greater is He that is in us then he that is in the world amen!!

Funerals and Faith

It is amazing how a day can change. Here in Honduras if a person dies, they try to bury them within 24 hours. The family and church normally take care of it all, much like in bible times. Moving, cleaning and prepping the body and casket, even digging the grave. Yesterday our eldest church member died Alisa the mother of Iradia. We had to scramble to change plans, postpone the trip to Santos church in the mountain, PU supplies for the Faith group visiting, and use the kia for the funeral up near Corpus in their home village an hour away. Carlos was asked to preach. What a difference preaching at a saved persons funeral with many saved present, though sad it is comforting. Honduras has taught me many things. Bible truths are so real here and so are the consequences of our actions.

Several of the Faith group are sick, and behind in work they chose to not go to the funeral and continue working. Nothing serious same as what the kids are passing around. But it is enough to take the fun out of things. Yesterday they were getting a lot of work done, beds are taking shape fixing gutters and laying the tile in the dinning room.

We will attempt to go to Santos church in the mountain today but the kia has issues, the brakes need repair, the power steering bracket broke, the 4wd wont engage, and the ac quit. And no time to stop and fix it till the group leaves.

Pastor Kline and Dan understand a little better why it is so hard to get things done here. Its not impossible just requires a lot more effort.
unworthy servant to a Worthy Saviour,
Barry

Getting a Vision of the uttermost

Morning service with Faith

Had a great morning service with over 130 souls present. The ladies planned a catracha snack and fellowship for all. Alex preached for the second time. He preached so well in San Geronimo yesterday, Carlos requested him again for Sunday morning and he did not let us down. It was a stirring message, just what our folks needed. He closed and sat down, I shocked him and said he was not done, he was not empty yet and to preach some more. In a bit of fear a trepidation he continued and the second helping was better than the first. Some Faith folks sang, La Cruz folks sang in all it was a good day. The group is now headed to Los Tererros to do the evening service on the mountain.
Yesterday one group went to La Colonia and another went to San Geronimo to preach. I think the Faith folks are going to return broken, beaten and sick and weak… and it will all give God glory. Broken hearted, beaten flesh, sick of the sin in this world(maybe just sick too) and weakened on resisting God’s will in their lives.
We tried to get work done too, but the three flats and two ruined tires kinda get in the way. The beds are coming right along Amen!
Unworthy Service to a worthy Saviour,
Barry

Random or not so random shots

Living in prayers

Faith Baptist from Missouri has arrived. A larger group than last year, 17 of them. With the other vehicles down, I had to tow a trailer to the capital and pack them all, plus the 4 we had into the Kia. Easily over 6500lbs in all on or towed by the whopping 83 horse power truck. 1st gear on some of the climb out of the city. As I left the airport on the first little grade I thought wow kinda hard to stop, but kept it to myself. Several police check point stops later, we headed down the 4000 foot decent. I had a vehicle in front of me I could not pass running just a little slower than the gears would hold in the kia requiring a more frequent use of the brake than normal…And the brakes gave up suddenly, a total brake failure going down the mountain with no guardrails and steep cliffs, thankfully near the bottom. (I say it often we live or die on the power of prayer, we use each and every one from our prayer warriors) A moment of panic, a few ground gears and fast thinking to get the speed under control. (Thank you LORD!) Then continue slowly 1+ hours to Choluteca. They began to work about an hour later but now need some repair to put them back at 100%. Everyone in the cab of the Kia knew what was happening but we did not tell those in the back till we got to the Hotel. Add to this we got to the Hotel and they looked panicked and said your not suppose to be here till tomorrow…uh-oh. And there is a doctors convention in town as we tried to find another place. So for the night the group is in 2 different hotels to reunite in the morning. Never a dull moment. One blessing of the day the visa lawyer called and met me at the airport to give me the new residency visas… good for another year, and we drained all funds to pay her and cover the fees of course. Never a dull moment…
Unworthy servant to a Worthy Saviour,

Barry

Prov 13:22

A Praise for our ministering Saints,


We have been offered the funds to send another container to Honduras. I would like to gear up for a food/clothing/drive for our Lighthouse children and supplies for churches. I will say more as it comes time.



I would also like to start savings accounts for our Lighthouse Children.After like maner of the princaple of inheritance found int the Bible, Its what a family should do in some way. The idea is to open a bank account for them to receive help and donations and a place to save money earned. It would be for them when they are ready to leave and enter into the world, money toward college or land, or home, or business startup or emergency or whatever the LORD leads. I am hoping ministering saints will aid us in augmenting them as well. I am not aimng at anything large maybe a few hundred, maybe a couple of thousand in the bank when each one comes of age to reap its blessing. We will use them to teach the children a good work, savings ethic, but restrict access till they are ready to leave and need that little extra blessing. If it sounds like a good idea, pray and ask the Holy Spirit if you should consider helping in some way?

Maybe at Christmas or birthdays, maybe one time or maybe monthly or even a small amount daily to give older children encouragement as they begin to help above measure in the daily tasks of the ministry and share our load. They do this already in a great way. It is beyond my ability to do this alone, especially as the number of children increase. Please keep us in prayer we need each and every one. Amen and thank you for the prayes they are being felt.

Unworthy servant to a Worthy Saviour

Barry Ritchie

Proverbs 13:22 A good man leaveth an inheritance to his children's children...

A Time of Questioning

Continue to keep us in prayer. It has been a rough few weeks spiritually. Seeing people near and dear to us, whom we have poured our heart out for, and sacrificed our lives and treasure into, trusted, walk away from the LORD as Demas did Paul. It’s like sand at the beach, you cant build a sand castle or dig a hole on the beach that lasts. The waves always wash the work away… Sin is like that in this present world.

On the way to the Lighthouse I saw a pickup in a ditch and stopped to help. The man swerved to miss an ox on a curve then went into a ditch and flipped. So it is a modern version of the ox in the ditch. We hooked up the winch and righted the truck to pull it out. And of course a bad wreck that someone walks away from with just scrapes and bruises, makes for a good witnessing opportunity. Toño handed out tracts to all the bystanders and we gave a bible to the driver. Pray the LORD takes it from there.

A weary and unworthy servant to a Worthy Saviour,
Barry

How can we?

Had a disheartening, though not rare, experience this week. I saw a 9yr old girl in the street begging for food; her grandmother(?) handler in the distance coaching her and reprimanding her by remote control. As she came to my car door, I tried to talk with her. Her skin was covered in sores, hair unkempt, dirty with poor clothing and a belly bloated with parasites. The event struck a nerve in the few kids I had with me, recalling where they had been not so long ago. I asked her a few questions that she tried hard to avoid. She about broke into tears each time she looked to the slightly better dressed elderly lady, I believe because of the extra time she was with me and not been given anything. This scenario actually happens frequently here. I was looking for a way to help in truth. I asked if she could read but no answer. I gave her a tract and a Bible anyway looking to open a door, only to be interrupted by the elderly lady, who whisked her off to seek funds at the door of the fast food restaurant. I saw several people ease their consciences as they left the restaurant giving a lempira or two (equivalent of 5-10 cents). Had the grandmother allowed, we might have been able to change her life. There are many biblical lessons in this and how many parents will be held accountable before the LORD. All of our kids are court ordered so we cant just pick up kids even if we want to.

I also saw a man with a baby in a stroller begging for milk money. He seemed sincere, but a little observation reveals much. A few folks exiting a bus gave him a small amount of money. He then walked 50 yards to the local bar, left the baby in the sun, in the street, and went inside to buy a drink.

Those that have followed our posts know the LORD has given some wisdom at times needed in these matters. My heart is to help someone in need, and when we were first here it was difficult to sort out who and how to help and give God glory. We have poured out our hearts and helped many, but the need is far beyond our means. And why we need continual wisdom and prayer, because it is easy to close your eyes, grow cold, or as those giving a token to clear their conscience. True Christian love is always sacrificial. If Christians are to help, it should be to make a difference for the Glory of God, not band aid our sentiments.
(The photo is a file photo of a different child I took a few years ago but the likeness is very similar and shares the look I saw on her face. I did not have a camera with me)
This became the topic of discussion in church service today. Just how are we to help? How are we to obey the precepts in the Bible and share the gospel and give God glory. It was a very good service that opened a few eyes I believe

unworthy servant to a worthy Saviour,
Barry