Where did you bank today?...

Where did you bank today?...

For where your treasure is,
there will your heart be also...

Needless to Say....

Another week has passed busily waiting on the LORD to return. Amen.

Church services this week were full, (Standing room only on Sunday) and fruitful. The discipleship classes have at least 15-20 adults expected for baptism next week in our riverside service. Suyapa’s elderly mom trusted the LORD last week and her father did this week…amen! Several people in the neighborhood are now coming to ask for prayer and council.
The property the mayor said “buy quick”… sold this week… someone else learned about it too. No one looks at these properties for 8 years till we show an interest, then poof gone. Still desperately need a place to meet for church, not sure of the LORD’s plan. Needless to say we need prayer

Our 1968 Datsun came back from the mechanic Friday. Only 3 months being repaired…and did not make it around the city 1 time before something went wrong. It’s going back Monday to be fixed. The donated funds for a vehicle have cleared so we are looking for a used vehicle that can carry us in our price range but have found nothing in the papers from the capitol and nothing here as yet. Needless to say we need prayer…

We took Iris and Bessy to the court psychologist this week. Did not go as well as we wanted, actually some things we heard were quite disturbing. We are not part of the other events in their family, but it sheds light on the battles we face. They have decided to not remove the older sister(15) from her environment. The judge’s words “She is already in ‘that’ business now and wants to stay, so why bang our heads and waste time end energy on her”. And he is considering letting Bessy and Iris go back because the psychologist was not convinced, and thinks Bessy’s statement she heard the mom say to a client, (You can do what you want with the bigger one but don’t touch the baby) was about the 15 year old not Iris. ???What??? This makes it ok? Then the psychologist began arguing with the child service lawyer… Doesn't selling your kids for $$ to go to the USA factor in here? The Bible says in the last days people will be without natural afffection...Even so LORD come quickly. Needless to say we need prayer that someone has wisdom.
Unworthy servant to a Worthy Saviour
Barry Ritchie

Roller Coaster Ride of Missions

The roller coaster ride of mission work. The thing about roller coasters is the rider controls nothing except sometimes the appearance of hanging on. As with working for the LORD, once committed your no longer in control. This week is a perfect example, Monday, we are getting the children off to school, at 6:30am we get a call from Ihnfa. The judge is investigating a complaint we are not schooling the children, and is sending court employees to the school to investigate. ??? The red flag goes up and it becomes obvious he is making decisions not knowing all the facts. Lisa and I go to the Judges chambers to see if we can visit him when he comes in at 8am. He allows us all the time we need and it is a very productive talk for both of us. His investigation (which he did not authorize… another issue) works to our benefit. Plus he learns things about the children that no one has shared with him to this point. He suggested we need to talk to the mayor about one of the situations. At the conclusion his comment was “There is no place better or safer for the children than with you.” Amen...on to a smooth stretch...maybe.

We left and went to meet with the mayor. He was also gracious and allowed us all the time we needed, but seemed to know we would come to see him. We discussed the medical donation paperwork, the dangerous situation of city employee's threats with gun, even garbage service(Which he fixed in 2 hours). After he said, "I also hear your looking for property to build a church on". Another red flag goes up (How does he know?) He then confides the first property we looked at a few months ago for $12,000 was the best option if we could afford it soon. Reason? He has approved and was including that street in a city beautification project next year and the price would double if we did not buy it soon. New fancy street, new fancy lights and brick arches over the street on the block just like around the old historic Catholic church. Perfect for a church project all free from the city…As if the need was not enough... Now I am in a quandary.

Some money for a vehicle has been donated for just that, a vehicle, which, like property, is desperately needed. We have not yet found a vehicle in this price yet. So a fleeting thought on the rollercoaster...Use the vehicle funds for property. But if we asked all donors and used it for other than the reason it was donated for, I feel we would betray a trust of all the hard work and sacrifice of those involved. I know all would say yes, but I could not ask again for funds for a vehicle....So we trust in the LORD. Now the other curve on the rollercoaster, the other side is our church folks. If we buy a vehicle during this exact time it will look improper unless a place to meet is secured… Again all would agree..all things are lawful but not convienent on this rollercoaster.

As for church services this week. In a word…Wonderful. Wend. night Suyapa’s mom trusted Christ Jesus as Saviour. Our Karen (6) even joined in and we are working with her. Sunday I had Aldofo preach…I was nervous about it, but he did great! He was saved when Dr Waller was here. His message was on faith baptism and the need for a strong church in our area…. perfect.

Just Beautiful… Thank You LORD!

Planing a River Baptism service in April for many are wanting.


After church Lisa put out clothes, gathered and left over from buying used clothes bundles for our children (we must buy in bulk now)…100lbs of clothes disappeared in 3minutes.

One other strange event: A pastor from a Florida church came and visited for 5 minutes then left for other business. He had promised to support us, but told me on the day I left to the field of Honduras he was not going to. The visit was nice and sweet but confusing to say the least, a long way to go unannounced and for a handshake and hug.

LORD, We want to do all you will allow….until we are spent….

In the rollercoaster ride of missions…only looking like I am hanging on.

Unworthy Servant to a Wonderful Saviour
Barry

Los Tererros

Pastor Enemesio had a big event planned for the mountain village of Los Tererros. He is really making inroads to an otherwise very closed community. He helped get water to the village, has gone door to door feeding the hungry and chose to have a big event this past Saturday and feed near 200 people. We rented a truck and brought up the bounce house, candy cannon and a gospel movie Generator ect. Our children had to show them how to play in the bounce...What is it? It didnt take 30 seconds after that. Enemesio has seen numerous salvations this far. With a church building it will sprout.

The truck could not make the return trip so we had to ask the only other person available with a truck to take us back down…He was also the man who told, even threatened, everyone not to sell property to us. I think the LORD has a sense of humor in my humility because there is always irony…never the less for a fee he would. Thankfully our children sang all the way down the mountain.

One man who accepted Christ when we were preaching in the prison is now out. He heard we were going to be in Los Tererros and walked 3 hours from another town to thank us for helping his family and play his accordion. I did not know what to say, except pray.
Enemesio has begun clearing and leveling the property and it looks almost ready for construction.

The Bibles are being distributed; School kids in our ministry are taking them to school and sharing them. So far more than 10,000 J/R have been passed out. Daisy an older teen newly saved, and in Sasha’s Girls class took a lot of criticism in the college for passing them out…but asked for more. Amen! The School where the children go also Asked Sasha to work there and help teach…She is going Monday to see what it is all about.

Below is a letter I sent to a good friend and pastor I think it shares our hearts….


Hello Bro,You mention you had been studying/teaching about the Kingdom of God. I would like to share my glimpse. Where for a moment God allowed me to focus clearly enough spiritually to see…


Mark 10:14 Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God.
15 Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein.
16 And he took them up in his arms, put his hands upon them, and blessed them.

To know the kingdom of God is to wake at 5am to pray with a quiver full of God’s children rescued from the vilest grip of sin in this world. As I sit on our couch, Alba leans over and lays her head on my chest; Tono sits on the floor with his arm over my knee and head on his arm; Julie mirrors her sister on the other side. Then Sayder crawls up the back to lay straddled on my neck like a shepherd with a wounded lamb. This morning is after each poured out the filth in their hearts the night before… they truly are God’s wounded lambs. Each one has trusted Jesus Christ as Saviour since coming here and now have an eternity of blessings. Each prayed and cried. Alba hugged tightly and lifted her other hand straining as if to touch our LORD…And he was not far. I began to pray holding their hands. All words prayed were heard…for such is the kingdom of God.

Last Sunday after our dangerous and disastrous day the children gathered around to pray. I was holding Julie and Iris in my arms. Isis prayed for Lisa and me, the rest of the children, then asked for her mom to be saved. As I prayed I began to weep and the children began touching my tears and putting them on their faces…which brought more tears. At the conclusion they all hugged us as a group….for such is the kingdom of God.

Another night Jeny needed to vomit more information and say she was having bad dreams. When done she crawled up on my chest and I held her as a baby. She began to pray, after I prayed for 2-3 minutes when I opened my eyes to see she had fallen asleep in my arms…for such is the kingdom of God.

Alba came to me also having bad memories and dreams. She also shared she tried to commit suicide 2 years ago. She was bothered not knowing if the man who caused her pain was her father. The Holy Spirit gave verses, words and comfort. I told her she was my gift from the LORD to fill a hole I have in my heart. I asked, “Would he save you from drowning in the river if he thought it would cost him his life?” With her head lowered she whispered no. I lifted her chin and said “I would” She began to weep profusely. “Does that make me your dad? She nodded yes. She made the statement she had suffered a lot. I said no, the world says you have suffered. The LORD is in control and knows everything. He allowed the things to happen for it was the only way to break your heart and draw you to him. Your whole family is extremely hard hearted and wicked. Something harder than your heart had to be used to break it, she agreed. I then gave an illustration of 2 women. One born in the USA and lived a wonderful life, never had a care, spent her whole life focused on her family, but never had time for God. At 80 years old she dies with all her family gathered around and opens her eyes in hell. The second born in Choluteca, never wanted since birth, abused beaten taken advantage of never given anything never loved. At 30 she is in the hospital dieing of aids when a man shares a crumpled dirty gospel tract with her. She trusts Jesus and dies only to open her eyes to see Jesus.I asked Alba, which lady had the better life….she answered the second one. She leaned forward hugged me weeping and said thank you for being my dad. I love you….for such is the kingdom of God… Where we cry Abba…..Romans 8 Amen!

Unworthy Servant to a Worthy Saviour
Barry

Bibles and Blessing !

I have been pondering what to say about this week on the blog. We have put much information out of a negative sort as late, by email and blog, always in need of prayer. And this week started no different. It will suffice to say it got much worse Sunday to the point of endangering the family, before it got better. If the LORD urges you to pray for this and you want details, please call me at 603-397-0606(USA internet line) and I will gladly share it with you to pray….we do need it.

But much has also happened to rejoice about.
1st-A Church.
Some men in the USA committed to come and help Enemesio build a church building on the mountain. If anyone is led to help and pray in some way, please do. The goal is to have a working structure before the Doctors arrive in July.


2nd-The scriptures arrived!
Bibles, J/R, Tracts ect. Much of the church showed up to help unload it. And we distributed 4-6000 J/R before the truck even left. The pictures speak volumes. Typical for Honduras; As the truck was leaving to deliver, we got a call..."We need $371 more dollars for fees or we cannot deliver it." (interpreted "We just learned your American"). We went to the bank and got what we were able, borrowed from Carlos, paid and got it here. AMEN!

3rd- Our Resident Visas arrived!
I shared with our congregation Wednesday about Enemesio, and got amens. Shared about the bibles, got amens, smiles and volunteers. Shared about our visas and that we were permanent Hondurans now. And they began to clap, cheer, smile and say amen over and over…it choked us up for I never saw it coming. Carlos joking said we could only return to the USA if we hired a coyote and swam the Rio Grand and everyone laughed. The church services of late have been sweet, humbling and many are beginning to grow. Pray this continues. It still amazes me God is willing to flow his perfect water of life through my decrepit dirty pipes…But God has chosen the simple to confound the wise. I would rather wash the dirty feet of our poor congregation with little to show, than live in the richest mansion in the USA…

We are still working on getting the President of Honduras to authorized the US military to bring in 6 or more trucks loads of medical supplies donated for the local hospital. This needs prayer for if you closely watch the news our current president here is a friend of Noriega (Former Dictator now new Pres of Nicaragua(Iran/Contra war) and Chavez of Venezuela). And is beginning to follow their advice and turn against the US. Need prayers on many fronts.

Pressing Needs
*Church Property in City.. We desperately need a place to meet.
*Vehicle
*Support. A few churches are discussing taking us on even though we have never visited them soley by the recommendation of members, friends, and other pastors. This we truly need for our travel is limited with 10 children we cannot leave Honduras with. Nor do I think it wise to leave Lisa here alone.
*Housing/orphanage…The children need a safe larger environment. After the past Sunday, even more evident.

Unworthy servants to a Worthy Saviour
The Ritchies

Compassion making a difference...

This is an email we sent out to those who pray for us and chose to post. It gives light to the last post and the Nov 9th, 2006 post. And of some have compassion making a difference...

Another problem this week, it began in school; a rumor that girls had been abused....and one girl told another and...then back to ours. You get the Idea. When they came home all were crying. I feared something like this would happen. (Discretion here is rare). It underscores our need for a school. We dealt with that issue, but the whole rest of the day was problem filled. Chasing container paperwork that was mailed to the wrong place, Scriptures at port tomorrow, more problems with our truck motor still not done(only 2 months), Carlos taxi broke down before picking up the kids, where to meet for church, Our tent tore taking it down in a place making it unusable, Locating someone to repair it, finances and much more.

The end of the day Lisa an I were talking with Julie(8) and Iris(8). Iris was in tears talking about how the words in school hurt, then began showing her scars from being beaten by her grandmother and mom(more new information), when Julie suddenly opened another volume to the mountain of abuse in her family. We had hints of some, but never confirmed. Karen(5) was raped, (the others finally revealed it) By the grandfather as well as the father and so was Julie. Karen for a year, Julie for 2-3 years. They had seen them rape numerous little girls and women in the barrio as well. Ad to that she shared Alba was also sold to men and teens as young as 13-14 for a beer or cigarette by her mother...even more so than her father. Now it’s known the reason her mother changed her mind and wanted her back home last year, after she came to stay with us for a short time, before Christmas… No beer/Cig money (Can I scream now) Alba came in and openly shared more info never before discussed with anyone. When asked did it happen 1-2 times?…no, 10-20 times?, no, 100s of times in the last 5 years.(not including all what her father did who is now locked up for 20 + years) Alba opened up even more and finally allowed some very difficult questions and lots and lots of weeping. She did a lot of healing last night. The reason she did not want to tell me is she had, in a small way, come to like it and was very confused and ashamed why. We had seen this in her but she never shared it till last night...After was a long discussion and loving teaching time, though it was on issues I would rather live my whole life and not ever mention. The LORD again gave wisdom beyond my ability and allowed illustrations that revealed and taught and soothed much. Cutting the filth from the good with the skill of a surgeon, way beyond the skill of a mechanic that uses a hammer like me. She went to bed after giving and receiving tight hugs, smiling and giggling. A far cry from when we began. Amen
The LORD can and does heal. Even a broken spirit 12 year old little girl who was diagnosed with AIDS and HepC, who no one wanted or was willing to care for.....but us, by Gods Grace.

I was not able to sleep because of these issues and prayed instead. Not sure to reopen this mess with the authorities, or if the authorities would even do anything. They did nothing previously (even though they knew about it). That is, until we stepped in. It took $$ last time to get them to act, and cost a small fortune. I paid for everything last time; testing and forensics, doctors, court cost ect. I even had to paid for the police and lawyer’s cell phones and to top that they wanted gas for the police truck to arrest the father. It was only because we sold our cargo trailer in the USA a week before this exploded we were able to do what we did.

We have no desire to inflict more pain on the children as this would do, nor spend more money on this. And the children ARE and feel safe. We woke the girls early this morning to pray with them…it was a very sweet time. The boys wandered in about 10 minutes later to also pray before breakfast.

Not sure how LONG a holy and righteous God will hold his wrath and return, but when one of his 12 year old children’s only vision of love and worth, is to be raped, abused, used and literally tortured repeatedly. Then begins to desire it because it is the only affection she has known; And her younger sisters following close behind... it can’t be long for many verses come to mind.

Very Unworthy to serve the LORD. Thank you for placing us at such a time as this.
Barry Ritchie