The Battles We Face...

The Battles we face here in Honduras are pale compared to the world stage, but of no less importance to the ones we minister to. Sunday was a good example of the complexity. After wonderful outreaches with the Wallers, our attendance was down. This seems to be a pattern here; big outreach followed by light church attendance, thankfully it all evens out eventually. For the first time the policeman Santos came Sunday with his daughter Mayra whom we helped last year. He trusted the LORD in the service, Amen. Yet, just before church a lady showed up yelling at our boys. Alba (whom hid trembling back in the house) told me it was her father’s girlfriend. The lady took off when I went out, only to return to our house after church and yell in the windows at the girls. I was next door visiting a man when I found out; Located where she lived, and confronted her.
In the last few weeks we have had numerous people (family members/friends of the children’s parents) come by and disturbed the house. Jeny’s mom picks up her clients just 3 blocks away. The Wallers witnessed these disturbances in part with Iris and Bessy, how it emotionally wounds the children and sets back progress we make. It just punctuates the need to house the children out of the city where we can let them out of the house without fear. (Jeny was abducted last year)We also need to school 10 or more Honduran children. The Corp papers make us legally allowed to do so, but the process to become a qualified school may take a year, plus more money which is already over stretched. We must have an approved school building (like a church building) and state certified teachers. Not keen on paying to put them in the public/catholic school system nor the private “Christian” school that is not like minded… but is the lesser of two evils.

We have had several sweet times this week. Jeny came to me scared this morning thinking someone was going to take her away. After talking, reassurance and prayer she left with a big hug and smiling.
Alba attempted to lead Iris and several others to the LORD. She did very well. She also is beginning to take the lead spiritually in her bedroom, like praying with Bessy after Bessy said some bad words. This is needful for when Sasha goes to college. Lots of rough edges yet, but blessings abound. We finally found Alba’s birth certificate. It was hard because her birthplace, date, name are different than she knows and her father is not listed. When we showed her it that night and she began to weep, all she knew and was told had been a lie. She then leaned over with tear filled eyes, hugged me and whispered in my ear “thank you for being my dad”…..I am glad she asked for nothing at that moment because I would have been overwhelmed and compelled to do it.

Unworthy But Willing
Barry Ritchie

Our current major needs list:
Church Building/property for La Cruz Baptist church (May also double as school)
In March the church may no longer have a place to meet…
Vehicle
Schooling for 12-20 Honduran children (10 permanently in our care.) Our school year is Feb-Nov
Place to raise/house children…ie an orphanage/farm outside the city influences.
Church building in Los Terreros