John The Baptist took us to Mayan Gold !

OK ok here is what happened. Carlos introduced us to Juan Bautista a Baptist preacher working in El Corpus (His name is John Baptist and he is a Baptist. AKA John the Baptist). He invited us up to the church to meet a man who was part of a huge outreach in El Salvador they claimed to have seen 2500 salvations during the multi week event. Sounded interesting enough so we picked up everyone- 9 total in the Isuzu p/u. Up an up we go passing a small crowd near a sharp turn. On a very steep section above El Corpus the truck bogged down and stalled. Everyone got off and down we went. It took 3 attempts to get up but finally, as the radiator redlined and boiled over, the little truck made it(I carry lots of water). We were early so John the Baptist asked if we wanted to visit the gold mine. Gold mine? Sure. He did not know the owner but took us there and asked the guard if we could take pictures. The guard called the office and the General Supervisor Gerardo was there from Salt Lake City Utah. He too was Baptist and spoke English. The company he works for (www.Mayangold.net) made millionaires out of the family that used to own the mine, with gold up, there doing well too. Gerardo gave us a personal tour through the mine that began with the Mayans then Spanish Conquistadors. It has a 500 year history and the original tunnels are in place. They found even more shafts after the mine tunnel collapsed on a holiday. The new owners mine chemically with cyanide and the Catholic Church has been harassing them and calling government agencies. We walked through the mine and the darkness was amazing. Sermon illustrations abound here. The deeper into the world you go the darker it gets. The light fades away and stays near the entrance calling those in darkness. You walk into a 500 year old gold mine and the darkness overtakes you faster than your eyes can adjust until you have NO light. You cannot find your way lest someone lead you to the light at the entrance. John 12:35-36 comes to mind. We went all the way back to the cave in section where you could see the sky and a honeycomb of old tunnels. I could have stayed all day and talked he was a wealth of information, but time to meet at church. We invited him to our house for some of Lisa’s cooking he said he might take us up on it. Church was good and we did meet with a man that worked in a large crusade event in El Salvador the church is willing to help with the event we are working toward in December.He also asked us to play a movie in yet another village in the mountians in March. On the way down the mountain, the crowd we saw now had a bus pulling a truck out of a ravine. I stopped and helped a little and took lots of pictures. I was the anchor holding several men as they helped each other up the cliff. The truck hit a rut on the edge of the road and went 500 feet down the very steep cliff. Amazingly the driver rode it all the way down and was only scraped up. The people in the back jumped out and grabbed branches. The truck is only good for parts. It took them 4 hours to pull it up with a school bus.
Baluarte Church, the one we have been going to in our free time had a day of mourning. A church family’s baby that has been in the capitol in the hospital died Friday Night. Pastor Canidido called and asked if I could be available to pick up the mom and dead baby and bring them back. We agreed but Carlos told them about the comfort and cost of driving the Isuzu so they found a better way. We have not met this family as yet but have helped provide blood as was needed. It has been a touchy subject, so I do not have a lot of details.
For a final note Sasha played music as the Ladies sang for Church tonight, then the men got up and I got harangued into singing as well. Oblivious I received the paper hymnal that has the upside down cover. So I am up there singing in Spanish with other men but the congregation sees the American holding the hymnal upside down….All got a good laugh.
Unworthy Servants to a Worthy Saviour
The Ritchies

Mayra Needs Prayer...and Help

Mayra 7 comes from a strong praying Christian home. They need to be. Mayra has a problem with the right lower part of her brain that affects her face, motor skills and causes massive headaches. It may be a growth or water on the brain. We knew of USA doctors visiting the capitol that specialized in this kind of care and had a small window of time. It was an opportunity we could not pass up and rushed her to the airport 3 hours away just for a brief encounter. The doctors requested an MRI before they left to see if they could help. Lisa and I took her to the only MRI place in the capitol, drained the last of our bank account, on the chance the doctors could and would help. The doctors took the scans back to the States for review. Pray something can and will be done. The money spent would have cost this family several months pay. For us it was less than one month’s support, but the opportunity to save a life... priceless.
1 JOHN 3:17-18
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Another Drawing By Sasha

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Church Planting In Los Terreros

Hola,
Monday was another interesting day. I went to the village of Los Terreros way up in the mountains toward Nicaragua to scout out for a church plant. Bro. Enemesio was born there and would like to see his people saved by the Glorious Truth of Christ. He said it is not too far, you can see Choluteca from there. I didn’t know it was on one of the highest mountains you can see from Choluteca. When the steep highway ends the even steeper trail starts. The 2wd Isuzu P/U I borrowed had full throttle in 1st gear and still lugged down to the point of stalling (scary because you don’t want to roll backwards), it will never make it with a load or in the wet season coming up. It was not as rough as the other places in the mountains we have traveled, but has higher and steeper trails. If you go over the cliff it will be 1000 feet before you stop. We arrived and found a people starved for the truth. We asked about returning and playing a movie, without exception all want us to return. Again we were told 300 or more people will show up. Arrangements were made to play the movie in front of a village elder’s home for Feb 18th. If it all works as planned this will be the first village to plant a church. Pray something could be done quickly because the influence of witchcraft is strong. A witch lives at the highest point in the village in the nicest home..hmm. Acts 19:19-20 comes to mind. They could easily influence or cause harm to a family if we meet in their home. I am not one to put the cart before the horse but a church building here is going to be a necessity, as well as prayers and lots of help. If anyone wants to spend a vacation building a church let me know. For approximately $6-7000 an adobe church could be built that will last 50+years. For the cost of an old used car or a new big screen entertainment system, a church building could be built, hundreds won to Christ, and another generation pulled from sin. The land is about $1000, the roof is about $1500, the foundation $1500, the walls are about $2000, the furnishings about $1500(doors, seats ect). As we descended the mountain the sun was setting making a striking heavenly array. We stopped one more time just to take it all in. I asked Bro Enemesio how many more of these will we see before Christ comes back, all were silent the rest of the way down the mountain……
In Other News
Looks like Juran will be getting a new prosthetic arm. Details still need to be worked out but all involved are on the same page. We will need to travel to El Salvador Feb 27 with Juran for casting and again 3 weeks later for fitting and psychical therapy. But the boy who lost his arm flying a kite may soon work with both hands. AMEN!

Please Pray for a vehicle that will do the work the LORD Jesus has lain before us. To teach the institute, build churches, help children, carry people and equipment, we need a HD multitask truck. One day it may get groceries, the next day haul 30-40 people to church, the next haul 3000lbs of roof tile up a mountain trail, also be fuel efficient to afford to drive it to another country to p/u an arm for a young boy….A tall order.
Sorry if I am sharing too much news…..its just when the Glorious Light Shines it must be placed on the hill. And I do not know how I could put all this on one news letter.
Unworthy Servant to a Worthy Saviour
Barry
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Marlon Needs Your Help

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More Glory For Christ Jesus!

What a wonderful night Saturday was. We were asked by Pastor Candido (Carlo’s Pastor) to play the same movie as we did a few weeks ago up in the mountains. But this time play it in a poor Barrio (neighborhood). We again drove around with the mobile pulpit inviting folks to watch a free movie. More than 140 people showed up. We played good music, sang hymns and had to put out a tarp for the kids to sit on so the adults had enough seating. Alba and her Brother Tonio even showed up, quite the walk for an 11 and 8 yr old through some very rough areas. Alba walked up beside me and gave me a tight hug that lasted 15 minutes into the movie. She did want to let go and neither did I. Their actions said much more then the words and rumors of late. Both of them had cleaned up and wore there best clothes. Tonio climbed on Lisa’s lap and settled in for an 80 minute film about Jesus called La Esperanza(The Hope). About ½ way through the film we began to feel a few raindrops. Several of the men began to pray and about 10 minutes later the stars were shining. The very evangelistic movie was followed up with preaching and we saw 4 adults gloriously saved. We offered to give a ride to the people that walked a great distance from the Barrio I preached in the night before. We should have asked how many before offering a ride. The borrowed Isuzu p/u had 20-30 adults on it and could hardly make through the rough roads back. The bumper scrapped the ground on every pothole and turn. After packing up for the night the men prayed again just to give thanks. The men have asked me to teach a leadership conference in Feb. The fields are white unto harvest and I am thankful the LORD Jesus allows this migrant worker to work His fields.
Barry Ritchie

Romans 15:1 We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak and not to please ourselves.

Here is another letter to a friend I thought all might enjoy. We are well, been very busy. Went to See Alba a few days ago and gave her the dresses you bought her and Julie. It helped to make an inroad to a difficult situation. It was the first time we have seen her smile in weeks. We talked in detail with Mauera the IHNFA(child services) lady today about Alba's family and a few others. I found out Mauera is IND. Baptist! Being a govenment official we never got into details about faith except we were baptist. She said she decided to work with us was because our papers said Ind Baptist and Lisa n Sasha always wore dresses and no makeup(Never know who is watching)...We also asked how she was IND BAP. Her pastor was trained by a Missionary 30 years ago and he believes/teaches only the Bible and follows no men...I want to find out more and meet him because he would be the first I have seen ot tied to somebody. And she said there are no others
Alba and Julie cleaned up and wore their dresses to church and looked beautiful. We also got the first hug since she left our home. Need lots of prayer for wisdom on how to help in a way that is pleasing to God. Our hearts and minds conflict many times in this area. We know she is not happy in the current situation but her "happiness" is not what concerns me most its her heart. Any imput you have would be welcome. Sponsors are called padrinos here.
On other fronts we have other children beginning to be sponsored for various things. By request of a pastor we met with Maria a member of his church today. She is a fairly young mom of 2 boys who is dieing of aids and no one will help her or care for her children. Her unfaithful husband already died of AIDS. She tires quickly and it is becoming difficult to work especially with more people knowing her condition. The 2 year only may also have aids but the 8 year old does not. I asked her what her long term plans were for the boys...she burst into tears. She will soon not be able to feed them and keep her home let alone think of "long term". Lisa gave her a hug and I told her not to worry of long terms that the LORD Jesus has a plan and between the Pastor, Church and us the boys will always have a home. We went home and emptied our cubboards and the pastor gave her the food. 100 Families like you wound not make a dent but we are doing whatever the LORD allows us to do. Our Interpreter Carlos (who goes to the same church as Maria) took us around today looking at schools, costs, doctrine, books ect. He drives a 30 year old taxi and is wheelchair bound, but manages to make about 250 dollars a month to feed his family. He feels independant because he does not have to beg in the street. After we looked at all the schools, I asked him to help me by telling us the one he would want his daughter could go to. It was not the biggest brightest most expensive, it was the one that was most Godly...that happens to be one of the cheapest but still beyond his reach. At the end of the day I asked him if he had faith. He said yes. I Handed him money that had been given to us this weekend, not alot but enough to pay for all he needed to enrole his daughter and pay the first month(much less than a 2 hour taxi ride in NY)......his wife also burst into tears and ran into the house....She had been praying all year for a way to send her daughter to a good school. When she came out Carlos began to cry....I said do not tell anyone other than the pastor and to only thank Jesus not us. We do not know where the rest will come from but have faith it will be there.
On another front we will have Doris living in our home in about 2 weeks, She is in need of critical care for renal rickets....another Girl Mayra 7 has also gotten her MRI done(needs brain surgery), we hope a doctor who took her scans to the USA will be able to help.....the Institute program will start just as soon as it arrives in the mail.....and there is time for rest between midnight and 5 am so we are all set....
Pray we can get a car soon all this is very difficult and dangerous in borrowed cars and taxisUnworthy Servant to a Worthy Saviour
Barry RitchieHonduras Missions-Childrens Lighthouse- Timotheos Bible InstitutePO Box 51 Choluteca Honduras504-925-3538

Grandpa'sSpot 

Pure Church

Just a brief praise. I was invited to a men’s meeting last night…or so I thought. I was told by Carlos it was going to be a few men getting together after work to talk about starting a church and maybe pray. As an afterthought I brought my Bible. I showed up in work clothes without the family to one of the poorest areas of town. This is were Carlos told me he was afraid to go late at night. There were 4 men there and Carlos my Interpreter was late. Unbenounced to me the men decided to preach…and I was the preacher. Plus it was no longer a men’s meeting it was a church service in a 12x12 mud home. Carlos arrived and told me what the men decided, I had a 2 minute warning to preach. Walking up to the house you could hear some of the most beautiful hymns from 25 people inside. The house was lit by a single kerosene lamp. This is where the “I” of this story ends The Lord gave the words, the passage and the receptive hearts and minds. The preacher was not ready but the Holy Spirit was. The message was simple the Chief Cornerstone, building, and personal ministry. At the end several of the men were weeping, two Christian adults wanted Jesus forgiveness for their wayward ways and become part of the ministry. Two older teen girls also surrendered and asked Jesus to save them. There was joy in the presence of the angels of God last night. The people did not go to church because of the beautiful building, there was none. They did not go to church to hear a well dressed speaker giving great oratory; it was simple preacher in jeans and a tee shirt with stammering limps through an interpreter. They did not go to church because of the programs for the kids; there was none. They did not go to church because of the comfortable seating; it was logs, rocks, a bench and bags of cement to sit on with bugs biting . They did not go to church because of a “praise team”; it was only their voices lifting up some of the most beautiful, joyful noise unto the LORD this side of heaven. They had no other reason to be in “church” other than to be in fellowship with other struggling people and to learn how to lift one another out of the miry sin of this world and draw nigh to God ….Seeing the events unfold last nigh makes one feel sorry for those that go to a church for reasons of comfort, convenience and self satisfaction, for they miss the treasures of heaven and the benefits of going. Lasts night was about as close as you could get to a church service in the days of the apostles. Thank you for allowing us to be here.
Unworthy Servant to a Wonderful Worthy Saviour
Barry RitchieHonduras