Honduras Missions

The Ritchie Family / Children's Lighthouse

Thursday, November 22, 2012






Beginning and the end of a day in Honduras. Stepped out of my bedroom in the morning to see several of the kids quietly reading their bibles… No greater Joy. The day before the last preachers meeting I needed to go to the mountain to talk to the man donating the water storage tank. The road was rough and hit several hard bumps that finally did in the frame on the Kia. The next morning while trying to align the wheels we found a crack. By the time I picked up a pastor for the meeting and got home it was broken in half. As Jr and I began to repair it we found major breaks in 5 locations on the frame. Good steel is hard to get here so we used old leaf springs to re-weld and strengthen the frame. We worked late into the night. Jr did a good job, better than any here would do, but still my confidence in welding a flexible frame is not too high. The mechanics and body men know what I mean. But that being said, we loaded it up the next day taking cement and rebar up the rough mountain road. And for today sand and gravel from the river. What good is a repair if it wont do what you need it to do? The church foundation in Lenaca is in and first layer of blocks done. Hopefully we will be in it by Christmas. And in Jan start on another in Colonia. Amen and several more to follow as the LORD provides and convicts hearts to help. While I was out Lisa put the boys to task and filled in a pothole on the highway in front of our property and showed a few more how to mow…though straight mower wheels would help. I was out picking up supplies and one of the children saw a rose bush for sale with a single red rose blooming. They knew I pick up a single red rose infrequently and give it to Lisa, and have done so for 30 years. They insisted I buy it for the $2 and give a living one to mommy for a change...ok Im game. Lisa liked it now to see if it grows. (2 points for husband thanks kids) I saw someone ask on one of those social networks “What would you do if your were independently wealthy and could do anything you wanted?" Some said travel ect, some even said give part to church… I thought for a moment. I would do the same as I am doing now just more of it…Building churches, taking care of orphans and widows…amen… As we finished dinner last night the kids walked out and looked up to a clear star lit sky and started to call for me to look. The moon was at just the right angle to the sun and us to reflect directly like a flashlight beam directly on us. It was focused over head and made a bright perfectly centered halo around the moon that slowly grew then faded into the horizon. I have seen much but that was a first. As christians we ought to give thanksgiving to our wonderful creator redeemer.. every day..It should be bubbling out of us if we have even the smallest idea of who he is and who we are....Happy Thanksgiving from Honduras...

Friday, November 16, 2012

Honduran Thanksgiving.

We opted to combine and share our Thanksgiving dinner with our pastors meeting and have them bring family. Lisa began by making the cheese she needed for the cheesecakes and manicotti. We could not get a turkey so she found deli turkey breast lunch meat and made yummy turkey rolls as well as some traditional Honduran foods. It went over very well. All the pastors took a few moments to preach and give thanks, We gave out some church materials as gifts Then I got up and asked which is better sacrifice or obedience? Of course they said obedience. So I said The Bible tells you to love your wives…And I would set and example for them to follow and pulled out a rose to give to Lisa and gave her a kiss. Then gave each of the pastors a rose to give to their wives. That too went over well. In all it was a good day. One pastor is beginning a new work where we went a couple of weeks ago. He has 9 adults willing to meet for bible study so he will stay there for the next 2 weeks teaching. He asked today if I would come and do an evangelism day in December in 2 locations… Amen. We have another pastor wanting to plant another church as well but needs a motorcycle. They are about $1400 now for a new Chinese one. Anyone willing to help a pastor get a motorcycle so he can plant a church? Amen! Pastor Augusto brought the men he has been working with in his church and the new outreach mission.

I was looking for prices for a large water storage tank so we can have gravity feed water supply whenever the electric is out. Well a Honduran man here found out and bought it for us. Amen! The free $3300 dollar tank was delivered just a couple of hours before the meeting. Now for the only negative on the day… I broke the kia, no it did not break down, it broke in half. The frame broke on both sides at the torque/control arms. The only thing holding the entire front end under the truck was a break line on one side and a 1/2’’ piece of metal on the other…It made it home barely. Now the doors do not even close correctly on the cab. Could have been deadly at high speed. Jr and I will spend the next few days stripping it and welding it back together. I think it is time for a new truck. This is the 3rd place we have broken the frame. Wasn’t even hauling a load just driving on a bad Honduran road… One too many potholes I suppose. We have a church who has raised $12,000 for a new one but we need 9000 more. Any Ideas? Need prayer, was to begin building a church Monday on the mountain… We still will but Jr’s motorcycle doesn’t haul enough gravel and sand up to do construction…Not that we would not try. J Another strange sight today.. Saw a “confused” guy hauling a “voodoo” circus. But it was a truck tow a trailer, tow another trailer, that was tow a class c motor home that has no motor…We also saw police taking bribes from and illegal a liquor reseller in a mountain village. They had to step over the drunk guys passed out in front on the road to get in. Took photos of them and they license plate of the bike… Hmm.
Unworthy servant to a worthy Saviour,
Barry Ritchie

Thursday, November 1, 2012

Collateral damage


When you choose to fight spiritual battles you must expect collateral damage. Worked all day Tuesday with mechanic getting the kia ready. Then left early in the morning Wednesday and did some preliminary outreach in a new area that has no gospel voice. It is a close nit community about 1.5 hrs from us on the road less traveled so to speak, called Ojos de Agua(Eyes of Water). We did some door knocking and finally found a welcoming response from a couple of folks who want to start a bible study. We also went to the 2 schools and found a welcome enough that they allowed us a short unannounced time to teach and hand out our tracts and J/R to the kids. Mark Antonio asked who is Jesus? In unison all the children said “son of Mary”. That pretty much explains where we are at. A couple of our pastors are going to go back Monday and start more teaching and soul winning and plan on staying with them in their homes for 3 days, if the families make a warm welcome maybe 3 days a week for a month. Try doing that on soul winning in the states… Jocelyn one of our teachers went with us, met an older lady who complained about her feet. While Luis talked to her about the Lord, Jocelyn rubbed her feet, then they prayed with her. I felt kind of guilty like I should have been getting a towel to dry them or something, but in a way I did…I am not worthy to wash feet as my Saviour did, I am happy just to be allowed to hand him the towel. On the way back one of our pastors described another very large area in Nicaragua/Honduran border that has no gospel voice and little access. It is actually where he was trained as a Sandinista against the USA as a young teen 30+ years ago. He has the many battle scares to prove it. Somewhat dangerous, hard to get to jungle area, and will require a strong 4x4, a boat and 2 weeks to get there and back. We are praying for a outreach next year if the LORD provides. We have a boat and a 4x4 just both need some work. Even more work as of today. The work that was done Tuesday didn’t work and the front end loosened up letting the wheels float around going down the highway. Fun, then as we neared the city a loud pop and the moments later the motor toasted and died. With only a couple of minutes left on my phone I found someone willing to tow us with a rope back to town. Need to pull the motor apart to see the damage. And Lisa called still no electric…and she needs diapers. So Jocelyn used the water company p/u truck to pick us up at the mechanics. Swing by for diapers and dinner and head home with the crew of 8 with me. As she pulled in to our driveway she stalled the motor on the hill, lost braking ability and coasted backwards knocking the car grill off on the fence and dropping the rear tires in the drainage ditch. Thankfully no one was hurt today, just expensive broken stuff but maybe some doors are open to the gospel, amen. Acceptable collateral damage I would say…trading temporary stuff that burns for permanent stuff that doesn’t…Hoping when the Lord comes back we are found running full speed on bald tires with the low full light and engine warning light on having spent all on the gospel, leaving nothing behind…Faith is spending what you have not what your hoping to get…

Unworthy servant to a Worthy Saviour,
Barry


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