Honduras Missions

The Ritchie Family / Children's Lighthouse

Sunday, August 28, 2011

When it rains....

Rain, no power, winds… and I am not talking about the east coast. It’s like that almost daily here right now. We have had so many children regularly attending church services since we started a few month ago, that I decided to start a special class. Jr Church, boy it brought back memories. I prepared a skit for our kids to perform with puppets and they did great to a packed house of more than 60 kids besides ours. Maybe it's something we can grow and minister in other churches and schools, amen! The rains began afterwards during the regular church service. Had over 100 folks in attendance even in the rain, another amen. Preaching went long in both classes so church was 4 hours long. The tent was sagging under the rain, then a strong wind gust lifted the tent and it ballooned like a parachute. Our boys all ran to the ropes to hold it down. Our folks must be getting used to it because they looked up a moment then back to the preacher and he never paused. I’ve been in church where people slip off their shoes for comfort reasons… But here, as the tent fills with running water our folks take off their shoes to keep them from being ruined in the water under their seats, and walk home barefoot with shoes under one arm and Bible under the other. Our little upstart outreach is beginning to grow spiritually into a church. We are about to start another year of the Bible institute as funds allow. We could really use a good risograph digital duplicator. We have one and worked it a lot until it broke a few years ago and we have not been able to get it running.

The boys were able to cut the tree off the roof from last week without roof damage, amen. Still need to repair the fence it took out. Our mower is also broke down and the grass is 2 feet high

Please keep us in prayer for finances. Need funds to purchase Lisa’s return flight to Honduras, many extra medical, and living expenses. There are also many on going needs, as well as upcoming ministry needs here that we are facing, electric change, new start school expenses, fix Kia, most of the kids need shoes, and many church projects, ect. Never seems to be enough to do what is set before us. Not only do the kids wear out shoes fast, (several boys have toes showing) the quality of things is at issue. I bought one of the girls much needed shoes this week. First day using them, it rains, and the soles fall off on the walk to school… Somehow the LORD gets us through thanks to soft hearts of His ministering saints. Thank You for every remembrance.
An unworthy servant to a Worthy Saviour,
Barry Ritchie


Monday, August 22, 2011

Pick one Eat one...



The Boys have been urging me to let them pick beans. So I had the boys go through the bean field we planted and harvest the ripe ones. They prepared and hunted for corn sacks, divided up into teams, chided each other in friendly competition. They also had the idea to use their school back packs to be more efficient. After an hour of planning and preparing then went and worked a couple of hours to return with one sack only about ¼ full but bellies 100% full. Hmm… pick one eat one doesn’t work so well if harvesting is the goal. If it is to have fun and eat well that’s a different story. As I amusingly mused the events, it dawned on me they were harvesting with the same hearts as maybe Adam would have in the garden. No worries, no plan to store up for tomorrow, we get more as needed because the ground gives its abundance. Just enjoying, the for the sake of enjoying, the activity of gathering ones harvest. Maybe God does the same in a spirit filled church. As opposed to our post garden requirement of extracting as much as we can with much effort to store, ship, sell and consume froma ground not giving its full measure. Then a flashback to a time when I was their age in Alaska picking wild blueberries in a huge patch with the same mindset; pick one or two or three to eat and put one in the bucket… then bears come displeased we were eating their food… No bears here. Maybe it is a little glimps of Adam's garden and of heaven… as little children. Hmm cant wait till then…

Church yesterday was good and the rains held off till afterward. As always, a lot of children and young adults so I decided to start a kids class next week. As we were listening to the preaching, several large scorpions emerged walking under the chairs. No one jumped or blinked, just raised a heal and crushed them as they passed underfoot. And continued listening. How would your church react if they saw a half a dozen large scorpions under the children’s pews during preaching? Pastor Augusto told me that last week it took him 6 hours to get home after the service. He waited on the rains to stop then went up the mountain in the dark. The motorcycle broke down and he ended up pushing it up the mountain and arrived home at 11pm. Yesterday he arrived with a tire nearly flat so we took care of that issue before he returned up the mountain.

Still waiting on the rest of the Kia parts to arrive to finish repairs but it is running.

Lisa had a rough week. She has been sick and vomiting. So much so, those she was staying with in the states took her to the ER where she stayed 9 hours getting checked over. Blood work, 2 cat scans ect. They ended up sending her out with just pain meds and anti nausea medication. As of last night she was still sick. Not sure what to think of it all or what it cost yet, I know we have no funds to cover this unexpected expense nor do we have insurance.
Keep us in prayer we need each and every one…
an unworthy servant to a worthy Saviour,
Barry Ritchie

God delights to increase the faith of His children. We ought, instead of wanting no trials before victory, no exercise for patience, to be willing to take them from God’s hand as a means. I say – and say it deliberately – trials, obstacles, difficulties, and sometimes defeats, are the very food of faith.
— George Mueller







PS just a photo a pastor sent me... I am not the only one who fits just one more on the truck. The verse "and yet there is room" Luke 14:22 Maybe takes on a little more to those who have worked bus ministry.


Sunday, August 14, 2011

Another week closer to a day of rest with the LORD.




Had issues all week but none were insur- mountable.
Last Sunday's service was interesting. About ¾ through the rains and wind came in hard. Our boys manned the corner ropes of the tent, trying to hold it down and drain the water. I strapped the center pole to a chair and sat in it to hold it down. Sometimes weight has advantages but not often. After a few strong gusts and worried faces, we had the congregation stand incase they needed to run. Got though the message, but everyone and everything got wet, and the big fan is now broken. Electric power goes out at the end of service so we go into the night hot and sweaty. Our overworked power inverter that we use on the kia truck to run a few lights and fans in emergencies smokes then dies. Monday morning I begin to worry because all the market food we bought Saturday is now thawed. Get a generator up and running, go buy $5 per gal gas to make it run and hour or so to freeze down food. Monday night power comes back on. We loose power Wednesday for a few hours. Jr has pulled apart the disposable power inverter and looks for a rectifier bridge to make it work, it doesn’t work. Wish we had a real diesel back up gen set. Saw a real nice one at an auction.

Thursday morning deliver 35 sixty lb bags of food and supplies to churches. Late Thursday afternoon get a call for the visa lawyer saying our temp papers will expire Sunday and they must be restamped or we get another fine. Ok do it Friday. Thursday night rush out to p/u the girls from school before having to set up for church and the lower control arm of the Kia broke in the middle of the Lighthouse property road. Thankfully, it was not a moment later on the highway or the truck easily could have flipped over. Call a church member to p/u the kids, then set up for night church service. It was another service in a hard rain. I had planned to show a teaching video. Everything was set and every one was present and packed into our hot little space when flash- pow a lightning strike and sparks flew from the fan and dvd machine. Hmm run to get the other dvd machine and sing a few songs in the process. Watch the video sweltering and swatting mosquitoes. The next morning power goes out and Jr hops a bus in hopes we can get kia parts and the immigration papers done. He finds the parts and gets them bussed down for Saturday at noon. Immigration also is understanding…for a price. It was only 2x what we were expecting to pay but half of what he was going to charge. So we got a deal…(I think) and our temp papers are good for a short time more while we wait on the government to approve the more permanent ones. Jr hops another bus Sat and returns to install the parts in the rain. He finishes just as the power came back on. Now keep in mind we have 21 kids that also need to be fed, and cared for that cant just be turned off till we fix this or that. Carlos preached today at the Lighthouse service to a good crowd of folks with a great interactive message. Afterward he shared a great testimony. A brother of a church member whom we have tried to reach for several years trusted the Lord. He came to Carlos yesterday to explain that he is closing his 3rd generation family liquor manufacturing business that he owns, and has made his family wealthy, because he wants to serve the Lord. Amen! That’s a big fruit I would say. How many wont even give up a petty little sin after they make a profession.

Lisa is still stateside and has begun her cancer treatment in Illinois. She says it makes her sick after just the first treatment. She also flew to NH and had dental work done provided by a Christian dentist. Ministering saints have helped in moving and caring for her while stateside and the Cancer Dr is also provide free and reduced services that ministering saints are helping with. Even so, it has all been a strain in every way so keep us in prayer.


I have a simple out of the box request. I would like to take the kids fishing and teach them. But we have no fishing supplies. If a few would be willing to send a few fishing supply things on the Christmas shoebox container it would be a blessing.
unworthy servant to a Worthy Saviour,
Barry Ritchie

Friday, August 5, 2011

Borrowed shoes, Leaf pompoms and singing in the shower Honduras style

A few weeks ago,Toño had a request for his birthday that was too simple to say no to. He wanted to play soccer when the school went to play another school. Today was the game day. Lisa mailed shorts and shirts from the states and today was a good day to use them.($200 for just 2 boxes) Loaded all the kids up this morning and went to a field near another school. The teams were not trained or organized like you see in the USA. Nor did they have equipment. For that matter no one even had a ball and went looking for one to borrow. Several of the boys borrowed our girls shoes and many played without shoes. Our girls cheered from the sidelines waving pompoms made for leaves on the edge of the field. Ended in a loss 1-0. Everyone was hot sweaty, so we went out for ice cream and some cool down time in the river. Put the kia in 4wd and drove down the river criss crossing the shallows till we found just the spot. Jenny gets out and lays down in the shallow rippling water then begins to sing at the top of her lungs. Water flowing over her head as she belts out amazing grace for about 10 minutes. The boys found a deep section next to a high bank and began jumping off higher and higher till a brave one jumped off the top in a full run; It was about 15 feet high then not to be out done they talk each other into doing flips. It was all fun to watch. I jumped in once and hit the bottom hard and went back to watching...It was more my speed. I made a video but only had my phone so it turned out poorly. You could hear Jenny all the way down the river but the phone just heard the water over the rocks.



Thursday in the new Lighthouse outreach I preached a very strong message about salvation. It would be tough meat even in US churches but all took it well. Several more folks made professions of faith. Amen! A hint Verses use: 1 Cor 2:14, Eph 2:1-4, Jn 2:23-24, Tit 1:16, James 2:19, Heb 10:29

Lisa is in the states still for cancer testing and treatment. The Doctor gave bad news and wants to keep her a month for treatment. She is also getting work on her teeth thanks to ministering saints. Ministering Saints have made her visit and medical care possible, but it is still a major strain on finances. She should be back here around the end of the month.
A container should arrive in about 2 weeks with donated food as well. What do you do when you have your kids boil up 10 lbs of spaghetti only to find you have no sauce for it. Take some of the milk you were making cheese and butter with thrown in the loudest rooster with a few veggies and presto… don’t know what it is but it tastes good.

We have committed to the government in starting a school and need to begin preparing classes and equipment now for the next school year; not sure where to find the several thousand needed. We need to wall up the classes, get furnishings, equipment to play the curriculum. There are numerous other projects also in need of funds. Just one example; would like to build a chapel on the Lighthouse property. We already have issues with space and this would be a great boost in getting the church on solid footing. It would cost about $8000 for a complete building, made with sun dried bricks fired like in the days of Moses and Daniel.














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