Honduras Missions

The Ritchie Family / Children's Lighthouse

Friday, January 31, 2014

Empty glass...


Photo from Wend. The cross is in the peak of the roof so it is begining to look like a church building. The policemen at the police check point nearby said they would stop in once we were having services. Struggling to keep the ball rolling on construction, still need 250 blocks, so many other things in need. The family has sacrificed much in the last couple of months to build. (Willingly) But some things still need to go forward, like school. Our school year started monday. Well it was suppose to start this monday but we posponed it because we were not ready. There are government deadlines to meet, kids to feed, churches to attend too ect..Still not sure what to do with Enemsio's Motorcycle,  or many other things. Just waiting on the LORD to make a way. Hopefully in a few more weeks the extra drain will lighten, but more likely just move to the next load. A long month for finances. Had some encouraging calls though. A man very experienced with addictions offered to come and train our church members. Just let him know when and he will fly down to help. Big encouragment, and just before talking with him I connected with a ministering saint offering to help with seed money to start a foundation on the reabilitation center. Wow. It seems the LORD is opening doors. Dont know when but know they will. Will need a lot more help, but it has been a huge comfort to know it is the LORD's doing. I can testify of numerious occasions how I have had $10 in my pocket and a large, expensive, consuming burden in front of me to do for the LORD. Then find the LORD supplying the needs to finish the task weeks, months, or even years later; only to reach in my pocket and find $10 there when the task was done. Amen The LORD is good. Whenever the LORD calls me home, I know I will have drank a full glass of life and little will be left in the cup.

Monday, January 27, 2014

Reality...


A few random photos from the weekend. The church building by Monday will have the tie beam cemented in above the windows. Couple more weeks till roof. As I was driving i saw the spirit of entrepreneurism is alive in Honduras,.. by necessity. Not a bad thing. Watching boys go door to door selling the nicest fruit or vegetables they could find in the market, then bag them up and make a markup for the convenience and quality to your door. We still get our windows washed with gas fillup. Reminds me of the 1950s in the USA...had I been there. But also saw more drunks passed out in various locations too. Long bank lines out to the street to get in. The banks here handle most public transactions. Employees of government and large companies collect their pay directly from the bank, not the company. Also to pay a utility or tax ect you get a bill from utility ect then go to bank to pay and return with receipt to verify the link to account.. Eliminates fraud and theft but makes it a pain in the neck to do regular banking if you go on the wrong day. And lastly the kids painting a hopscotch on the cement to play later....
Went to the men's meeting in one of our churches Thursday night. Started at 6pm and went to 9:30. A time of business, lesson and question and answer time and good fellowship I also shared about my thoughts on a center for addictions and one of the men asked if he could help. Just so happens he is an older man saved out of the same kind of life and has done our bible institute. So far there has only been one hinderence... $$. But that has never stopped us on all the other things we dont have the money for either...The LORD has a funny way of making things happen by our thinking. Amen. The photo is progress on the church as of today the concrete above the windows going in. And one of the surviving orphaned Great dane puppies.... With a pink pacifier. I think the girls are tired of all night every couple of hour feedings....

Pastor Enemesio wrecked his motorcycle. He was on the main highway coming home in the dark. The voltage system is 6volt(ie not bright lights). A car coming toward him had new style bright lights and blinded him and he clipped a bicylist that had no lights. Cyclist and bike are fine, but Enemsio took a tumble required stitches on arms, elbows and knees and the motorcycle is going to cost half the value of a new one to get it road worthy again. Never mind the fact it already had a cracked motor from the last wreck years ago and oil is held in with silicone. I am glad that was all it was considering he is 66years old. He used to ride his bicycle 33km up 2200foot elevation to preach 2x a week. He needs another motorcycle to keep him preaching in the mountians. The new chineses ones still run $1200-1500 depending. Real names like Yamaha cost 3-4x that. Truth be told I could put to good use several chinese motorcycles in ministry, needs on every front. It would help greatly to spread the good news. The Motorcycle below costs about $1200. Our neighbor has a new one for sale.
One of our churches just baptized in the ocean this sunday and we are planning for more in the 2 churches near us in Feb. Maybe after we get the roof on the one church building. As I took church folks home after church I saw many more drunks. I was talking to one who wanted to wipe a dirty rag on my windshield for a few cents. I have dealt with him on several occasions and he is the one in the photo sleeping in the street. He would be a good canidate for an in house program for addiction. Sometimes it is not addiction as much as an escape from their reality... Change the reality. 


 Pastor Renee almost got wiped out on his bicycle going to the church. A motorcycle was speeding by and blew a front tire. The driver lost control and the passenger, driver and motorcycle tumbled right at Renee. He managed to duck and swerve, avoiding impact. He then did cpr to get the driver breathing and flag down a car to rush them to the hospital.
We have several Bible institute student that want to continue with more training and schooling. They are looking for work that allows them to help family, live on and still go to school. It is a hard balance. Need prayer on many fronts, Spiritual, Provisional, Health and Harvest. Our fields are white and we need labourers, we are training, some but the need is great. We are always constrained.
(added)- Monday we went to the mountain village of Las Uvas and did an outreach. Mark Antonio preached a short pointed message and 2 women and a man trusted the LORD. Amen. Long night getting back home but worth it. Amen.

Tuesday, January 21, 2014

When saw we thee?.... and.

Pondering an idea that is very, very needful here. A place to rehabilitate men with addictions and re introduce men to society from prison. Something like a full hands on committed RU program. We have a property in the city that is small, undeveloped but would work. What we need most is funding to construct, staffing and the correct wisdom to run such a place. The main goal is to win them to Christ, and make servants to the LORD out of them. Way too many questions at the moment just fact finding and studying for feasibility right now. Prayer, input, and even promises of help in funding should such a program begin,if it is started, it would be great in determining what we should or could do. Please private chat me any pertinent information you might be willing to share.

Since arriving here we have dealt with daily drunks on our doorstep, drowning in the river sleeping in the church, in the streets ect. The police do little with them, there are no real government social programs here and I have yet to talk to anyone who said it should not be done, even if it only helps a few. Some of our men who preach were once drunks in the street. Another side note. One of our men who was saved a few years ago was the only licensed liquor manufacture in our state/province (only one license allowed) It had been in his family for multiple generations and they had gotten wealthy by it.After salvation he came under conviction to close the family business and did so. It has been a terrible time of testing. He has had death threats and went into hiding for a time. He has been offered near 2 million dollars to sell the license to a brewery and has refused because he wants no part of allowing it to continue or gain from liquor. And it has cost him everything. He lost his home, car, company, deliver trucks, income, everything and even his wife's small shop the bank took to pay debts left from the decision. He and his family had to move up north to live with relatives. All because of a conviction of heart and what he saw in the streets here daily...
Not sure if or when or how... just sure there is a great need I see...

Saturday, January 18, 2014

Still going up


Photos from friday. Very windy and with near 3000lbs of church roof mounted on the roof of the kia, made for an interesting float all over the road ride. Had to buy cement just to balance the load. The wind folded the 2 clear laminates backward so now have to buy 2 more. But we are ready when the walls are ready in a week or two. The walls are more than halfway past the windows as of today. The pila water seems to stay green now... hmm wonder why? (one of the group here jumped in all sweaty... and neigborhood kids have been swimming in it after we go home... :)

The American group is likely stateside now and we are back to our normal helpers. With the group here, no one put out smoking pots to chase mosquitos away... No need they were swarming to the group of fresh frosty blood, likely to cool off. But now that they are gone,... I drive in Thursday morning and see them putting smoke out to chase them away... I had to laugh. While I was dropping off the group at the bus station, the authorities were dropping off another child... Meet Julio. He was with us for a brief time a couple of years ago, but family in another city wanted him, only to abandon him later. The authorities ended up with him again and asked him where he wanted to live... with papi, meaning me. Hmm kinda hard to say no.

Tuesday, January 14, 2014

PMBC Final days work..

PMBC last full work day. Lots of work done this week and the building is near half up. At the end of the day we had the men help bag up 200lbs of rice and beans along with a J/R and an invite to the church. The plan is to distribute them tomorrow and walk the barrio around the church. Amen!

On a side note. Last Sunday.
 We have an very frail elderly couple in their 80s(maybe 90s by now)
that we pick up for church each time we visit the mountain. When we visit the church with the kia it is the only time they are able to attend church.(another reason I wish Marc Antonio had a 3 wheel Motorcycle) We baptised them a few years ago. On the way home the truck was full, mothers and babies in the back sea...t and all the americans piled in the back with a bunch of extra riders needing rides to town, so there was only one single seat for the elderly couple and she had to sit on his lap. Oh the romance and jokes as we went down the road with them were hilarious. Missed a great photo op. A real rooster crowing (given as a tithe to the pastor) in the back seat and another 80+ year old one in the front seat. And it all started with my comment as we helped them load up...ïts not uncomfortable its romantic.. then they got frisky.... and the peanut gallery in the back seat only made it worse. Like "Watch out Sarah was 90" ect. Guess you had to be there. But sweet and beautiful to watch an 80+ year old couple blush and laugh and joke that way as we took them back to their little mud shack...

Monday, January 13, 2014

Light and Life

The Light and Life Baptist Church in San Geronimo had their first Sunday service on the construction site for the new building. 60+ people attended the earlier service and new location. Just so happened a local farm open their field for gleenings at the same hour. The lady living across from the site who has been allowing us to store materials and guarding them at her home, went forward for salvation as well as a town drunk(sober) and 2 others. Steve preached and Pastor Renee... did the invitation. Amen. After we passed by the Lighthouse for lunch with the kids and headed to the mountain and Fountian of Life Baptist church the group helped build last year. Steve gave the message again and Josh and David sang. We had left Josh with Sayder in the city in the morning. He preached the morning service at La Cruz Baptist church finishing their VBS and had 280 in attendance. We returned to a tired church in the evening after a long week of VBS. Keith preached while Josh and Dave and a few children sang lifting a tired group and church. Long day with 4 services in 3 locations...and people say Sunday is a day of rest...

Sunday, January 12, 2014

PMBC day 2

PMBC day 2- Lots more work done. We say in Honduras if one does not work they dont eat, quite biblical. I think one of the men equated it with volume too...If I work alot I can eat alot. Unfortunatly the heat takes the appetite away. All you crave is water. If one is digging a cistern for a black water septic and they sit down to rest in the bottom of it... what would one call that? (_ _ _ _ _ _) Over all a very good day, lots more dug, blocks going up in 3 places, Pipe being layed. alot more materials brought in. But it is taking its toll. Men are feeling the heat. They might go home buff and tanned though. Some are already dark... others are just crispy. One ran and jumped in the water tank, everyone thought he was just cooling off. But he sat in ants... and they were in his pants... Great spirit from everyone. Our young lighthouse boys helped all day. I like our boys around this caliber of men, makes a big impact.

PMBC day one

   The men from PMBC put in their first day of work and much was done. Laying a floor, digging holes and filling holes, laying block and laying pipe. But the best thing is the testimony they always leave. A large group of men with godly attributes always stands out. With so much effeminization of men in the world, it is nice to see men who are still men, the way God intended. Strong, hard working, joyful, singing praise to the LORD and still conscience enough to stop and fix a little girls problem. Meekness is a Godly man's trait, it is power under control. Like an escavator operator who controls a machine that can crush and load rock, yet skilled enough with it he can roll an egg without breaking it. The men from PMBC left this testimoney last year, and day one this year have already shown it again. At the end of the day some of the church gathered to have an impromtu first service. Some of the PMBC men sang covered in dirt, sweat and all. There were alot of kids from the neighborhood russling around. As they began to sing all action stopped for a short time as all eyes were in awe or bewildered of the harmonious sound coming out of such big burly dirty men. Nice to watch... and hear. Hauled 400 blogs with the kia and trailer. Did not go fast but it "go-ed".

Friday, January 3, 2014

2013 ended with a Bang

2013 has ended with a wedding and a bang. The ministry churches were full with a wedding in one all night preaching and videos in another ect.  The volcano across the bay from us erupted and billowed smoke into the new year. Managed to pick up a few Honduran fireworks for the kids.(some saved from last year) Learned a new slow setting on the camera that make them look much more impressive. The public nurses finally came by for inoculations(been waiting years). We cannot get them from private Doctors, and the social hospital would not give them because they were in our care. And the children authorities asking if they had been done each time they visit. Confusing to say the least. We ended 2013 finishing a foundation for a church and the floor and walls will start going up Tuesday in 2014 when a group arrives to help. The Kia is running again but has issues. Took the kids out to the river to cool off a bit. when we arrive home dinner was ready. Lisa has been cooking up a storm for the last week, she made pan breads that were tasty. All things considered when we look back it has been a good year. Salvations, baptisms, marriages, church buildings built, churches growing spiritually and numerically. One can complain about the rough road or rejoice in the destination... Honduras is all rough road. Kind of hard to complain when the little old lady next to you is carrying a heavier load on her head and has walking farther to get up the mountain, so you find more to carry and stay focused on the destination rejoicing...Amen!




View Larger Map