Micah Benjamin

Alba gave birth to baby Micah Benjamin friday. The Kia is broke down so we hired the water deliver truck to take Lisa and Alba to the pay hospital. Lisa has been sick for several days but when duty called she jumped and ran. Stayed up all night with her...and has bruises from Alba's grip too prove it... Jr's motorcycle is also broke down with a bad oil pump, a new one will be here in a week. He borrowed a neighbor's to do the running around they needed. 
Micah is an 8lb boy who seems healthy, but was born with microtia. It is a lack of outer ear defect that often affects inner ear, so he may not be able to hear, must do tests to find out how far he developed. But in truth not much can be done. For those who know Alba and her life, will understand it is a heavy emotional blow. But for now mom and baby are home with us and doing fine. I am going to make a long shot plea to a Dr in the USA who developed a 3 year series of operations to reform the ear through plastic surgery...need prayer there too.

The nuts and bolts... There has been a promise of $1000 more for Ana Cristina's heart operation totaling $3000 promised, a big amen!...but need 8000 more. We are still hoping the LORD opens a door for a more reliable higher capacity vehicle. $10,000 has been promised. Another amen.  ...The last couple of days kind of highlighted the point of needing one. A 4cyl diesel, 30 passenger, minibus would be nice, so we can all arrive and travel dry, but they are  expensive. Another kia seems to be more attainable. So many other needs just as important, but most seem to be about funding. Need to build 2 churches, cost? ..about $7000 each. Both congragations are as poor as they come and have met faithfully for 3+ years under trees, open air in homes or a tent only half could fit under. Both are working to aquire property (one had a facility but were kicked out of it when the owners sold it to a cult.) Whether it is a church building, buying food, or the many needs for the Children's Lighthouse or medical needs ect.  I have often sat and watched the sun set on the mountains of the property. It does not take much thought to see all the LORD has done over the years, but it is not because of our ability or cash on hand to do things, rarely is our ability up to par or the bank account not sending us low balance alerts. Though Lisa's ability has a way of often stretching a weeks worth of food into two weeks. One example while Lisa was sick, Julie was to cook, but said we were out of food in the kitchen. Lisa gets up and staggers in and says do this and that and presto Julie made a great meal from what appeared to her as nothing.  Even so all seems to get done and there is no debt. The only bills are weekly or monthly taking care of the needs on hand. Learning to wait for His supply, and He has not failed once to supply the need for His desires. There in is the key...making sure they are His desires...

Please keep us in prayer, for we are constantly in spiritual battles. Many times they are serious enough that any of which could destroy the ministry the Lord is working here. Satan knows our weaknesses and always attacks, we see his fingerprints on much, yet I fully believe, in no little part by your prayers, the LORD's hand is in all and has and will continue to deliver us out of every evil work until He comes...
Unworthy servant to a worthy Saviour,
Barry Ritchie