Honduras Missions

The Ritchie Family / Children's Lighthouse

Saturday, September 24, 2011

Weary but not fainted...





Been long, tiring, and expensive days since Pastor Green left. It always take a bit to recover from the revved up pace, no recovery allowed this time. It took us a week to dry out our 30yr old bounce house. I had put a couple of boys inside it to seal up holes during the activity in the rain, but once the other children heard a day or so later it wasn’t scary, they all wanted to take a run through the maze.

No electric for several days so I took the children for a drive before church to see the flamingos migrate in from Florida, then a quick stop at the river to rinse off kids before church. Cross an area we crossed many times before, only this time it was washed out. Hit 4wd and it did not engage, right as I needed to rev the engine several kids jumped out so I did not want to risk hitting one. In that 10-15 second delay the kia took on water and poof motor quit. So we ended up stuck in the river, no one around and anything solid to hook a winch to, way too far away. Waved down a shrimp hauling truck to pull us out and he got stuck. Then found a farmer 2 hours later with a tractor to pull us both out in the pitch black night. The only light was from a spotlight on the kia a ministering saint gave us, but the kia batteries were under water so did not know how long it would last. The tractor chained up to the kia just as the storms waters quickly rose and began to sweep the kia down stream. Pay everyone for the help. Towed it to town and began the process of drying it out cylinders and all. It is still in a shop and they want $500 for all they did to it. At least the new motor did not get ruined. The “quick” dip meant we did not make it to church that evening. The only one home was Toño and he tried to play a gospel movie for a make shift service.
Borrowed a vehicle to meet the Visa lawyer and go to immigration Monday. Jr and I got final papers for this years visas filed, now just to wait for the state to issue the cards. But Lisa will have to go when she arrives Monday. And the Lawyer wants $1200 for her fees these last 8 months when Lisa goes. Not sure how that will happen. And the whole process must start over in just a few weeks. (Really want to get the 5 year visas next time)
We have been collecting supplies needed to wall up the classroom area so school classes can start in February. We started laying the blocks and mixed cement to fix the driveway as well. Time to finish messages for tomorrows services. Uh power just went out again. A tree on our property touch the high power line, Jr went to cut it down but now to wait for power again. Lisa will be home Monday and a container with some donated food should be here this week.

Had several of our preachers come by this week seeking advice for various situations in ministry. Again the Holy Spirit gave wisdom beyond my measure and made the complex and hard simple and easy. Amen!
Had several men from La Cruz Baptist church come by and as if they could “buy” our old van that hasn’t run in a year. They have a new member that wants to fix it and start a bus ministry…Wow amen. Of course I just gave it to them. Hondurans have a way of getting things working with little or no money out of necessity so I hope they can put it back on the road. In reality it doesn’t need a lot but it does need… They also finisshed the classrooms, and bathrooms and stuccoed the inside of the church so it all has a finished look. Pastor Agusto also has put a stucco finish on the outside of their church so the rain does not continue to wash it away. Amen!
Lots to pray for mainly in the health and finance end.
Thank You for every remembrance,
Barry Ritchie

Sunday, September 11, 2011

All Things to All Men...

Our time with Pastor Green is drawing to a close. Yesterday we visited two more of our ministries. One in St Teresa and one in San Geronimo. Both as outreaches for children’s day. In St Teresa Pastor Augusto arranged for us to preach in the public school, a first up there. There were several hundred folks and many adults present. We also brought our bounce house, generator and candy cannon and the girls did their puppet play. It was a full house and I think made many inroads for the church to follow up on. Rush down the mountain to the next meeting and set up again. We broke the hitch on the truck bouncing down the mountain. The air compressor also broke, so Jr made it work by just plugging the hose into the side of the piston. No gauge, no safety shut off, no pressure regulator…but we had air for the cannon and kind guess what pressure it is and unplug it. We arrive late in San Geranimo but thankfully Marc Antonio chose to start without us and preach to hold the 100+ crowd before we arrived. The girls did another puppet story. Brother Dudley also shared a story and the equipment was put out. Then Sunday Pastor Green preached at La Cruz for Carlos in the morning and The Lighthouse for the afternoon. I rushed around with the kids trying to get the old 600 pound bounce house up and running ect…before the rain. We had near 400 people show up. Pastor Green was going to preach and Jr translate but I ended up putting Jr, Tono, Sayder inside the bounce house to lay on the holes to keep the air from escaping. Pastor Augusto took the reins and preached a good message As the rains began and soaked everything. Many were inattentive hanging around the fringes of the tent, but there was a large core group inside hanging on every word. Hopefully it will bear fruit from a large crowd of visitors. The kids opted to bounce in the rain, which made everything slippery…and actual more fun but clean up is going to be miserable. So as you see the Bounce house photos remember three of our boys are laying inside the bounce laying on the floor plugging the large air leaks with their bodies and hands as kids above bounce and water fills around them…But it worked… Pastor Green just shook his head and smiled.
1 Cor 9:22-23 I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means save some.
And this I do for the gospel's sake, that I might be partaker thereof with you.

Please continue to keep Lisa in prayer while she is still stateside.

Unworthy servant to a Worthy Saviour,
Barry Ritchie
added a few photos of St Teresa outreach and Lisa in a building in Chicago..Her Mary Poppins moment. Plus a link to Brother Dudleys facebook page that he loaded his photos from his time here for those who would like to see more in its unedited form. Just click below
Bro Dudleys Photos

Thursday, September 8, 2011

We're Going "Green"

Pastor Green and brother Walden are here visiting. It is pastor Green's 2nd trip down. Last time I had a little manual labor to do and thought he was going to pass out in the heat. He never quit but we joked that God made him better equipped to preach than shovel… Soo armed with that info this time we did just that. :) He is here for 5 working days and we have him preaching to military bases, public schools, mission outreaches in mountains, in the city, in our churches and doing the children’s day preaching(in 4 locations). In all he is scheduled to preach 14 times in 5 days… fueled by beans and rice… So when he gets home to the normal schedule he can “rest”. Amen! Here are a few shots so far taken by brother Walden. They even tried to play with our kids but found that is even more exhausting trying to keep up with them…

Keep Lisa in prayer, She is done with treatment and wants to come home. Just waiting on the ability to purchase a ticket. She no longer has hair or eyebrows so its going to be a shock to see her at first. Several kids have written her notes and all want her to come home.








Prepping for mountain services for the next 2 days… Thank you for every remembrance.
Unworthy servant to a worthy Saviour,
Barry Ritchie


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