Fields of Fire

This in now our 3rd Thanksgiving in Honduras. The time of year here sugar cane crops are burned in the field prior to harvesting. Dozens of children were killed a few years ago in this process because they were playing in the fields when they were lit. It always makes me wonder who else is perishing in the flames…
We have much to give thanks for. Lisa prepared a meal for us Bro Sabas family, Carlos and Omar’s family. It was a good time of fellowship. Lisa also prepared food to give away in church to needy families (most), and did it by lot numbers in a bowl so everyone got a meal weather it was rice, beans or a basket with fixens and a few toys. The LORD always knows who to give what better than I do.

We also did more outreaches and preaching in Los Tererros and Colonia; Both with good results and many showing up. We returned to Colonia again yesterday to view property they would like to donate to build a church building on. It would also be a very needful location for a children’s feeding center. I have been praying about this village for a year and a half, now to see things moving so quickly is just amazing. God is good. It will not be long before a building is needed. We would like to purchase blocks, cement, wood and roof tiles. If anyone is lead to help in any way to be a blessing to this fledgling work, please let us know. In part or in whole as a church or SS project or someone has something sitting around to sell that could be put to the LORD’s use, or? An entire building like in Los Tererros in the photo is only about $7000; a rough break down is: $2000 for roof, $2000 for blocks, $2000 for Cement, $1000 for steel. Blocks are 60 cents, Roof Tiles are 25 cents. It could easily be used as a feeding center as well. Pray the right folks see this needs. Our little Kia truck many soon be hauling another 50 ton church building up a mountain, block by block of course…Amen!

One of the men I admire is George Muller. I have heard it said by folks he never asked for anything just prayed. I have though about this long and hard. This sounds noble yet lets many off the hook, because it is not true nor is it scriptural. Principle one- Faith cometh by…hearing. Muller traveled more than 17 years in 42 countries letting everyone he could know what the LORD was doing, obeying 1 Chr 16:8, Psalms 26:7…then there were answers to prayer. The Baker that delivered bread did so because he could not sleep for days thinking of what the children needed…How did he know? The check in the mail just in time.. It was the Holy Spirit pressing a mans heart about the things he had seen and heard. I too see these things happen in this way …..it is Bible principles in play; Bearing one another’s burdens, All things in common,

2 Cor 8:11-15 that now at this time your abundance may be a supply for their want, that their abundance also may be a supply for your want: that there may be equality. Paul is telling others about needs...

Yes the LORD sends ravens in the wilderness too. But more often He uses his ministering saints and allows them the privilege of storing treasures in heaven for eternity. You see we are all the LORD’s bought with a price, and good communication among us lets the Holy Spirit work freely. Or we can stick our fingers in our ears try to say to the LORD I never heard the need, its someone else’s job, I can’t because, or……but once we know the LORD holds us accountable for what he has given to our care. That is a large reason we are here…The LORD allowed Lisa and I to see glimps, to truly see the need of the perishing….and I could not turn away, and at all cost came to Honduras. Pray the LORD opens your eyes both to the needs here and in your church.

On other news the previous property owner kept all the tools used to maintain the property(no surprise). So we are looking for tools. The most urgent is a mower. If 2 week go by it will be rough, the closest mower is a 2.5 hour drive and cost near $300 for a push model. No Wallmart $99 ones. Plus we need a well pump, hoses, pruning tools ect…and of course a backhoe. Still looking and praying. It will be needed in Jan when we actually begin building the Children’s Lighthouse for abused children… daunting.
We shared with the Church about the blessing of the property, Wednesday and all voiced the desire to have a church service there (and pick fruit). It will be difficult, we may have to rent a bus to take everyone and/or shuttle with the truck but next Sundays services will be at the Children’s Lighthouse property. Amen! Enemesio may also try to bring folks from Los Tererros. Amen!

Unworthy servant to a Worthy Saviour

Barry

A field White Unto Harvest

Just trying to be busy when the LORD returns…Amen! A lot happened today. The container with Christmas Shoeboxes was loaded by Directline Ministries and shipped…AMEN!

Bro Sabas, Barry Jr, and 4 of our older children went to Lenaca to help build a Sunday School class for the children. Pastor Santos’ church has grown from 6 to over 100 in his small building in 2 years. So we used the leftover columns from the Whensawe fence and helped him build a roof to move the children’s class outside. Steel beams were made in our house and brought up the mountain. Barry Jr welded them in place on the concrete columns. Then Bro Sabas installed the rafters and stringers for the clay tiles. Alba and Jenny kept the several dozen children busy and not underfoot, while the men worked. While everyone was busy Pastor Santos wanted me to meet the 4 children soon to be orphaned. I say soon because the mother is so sick they already have the coffin for her. She is dieing of “cancer” which is an honorable codeword here for Aids, since no one dies of Aids just the “complications”. In Choluteca alone there are 30 children a month orphaned, abandoned or removed from danger by the government. Plus this area has the highest concentration of aids in the Americas. Lack of education, superstitions, machismo, remoteness, drunkenness, and lack of the Holy Spirit leaves the door wide open for sin; But the yearning for God all the more stronger for those that seek him.

It’s a lot easier to call out for help when your in the water drowning with sharks all around, than it is when your in the ballroom of the Titanic and your upset the ship lurched and spilled your drink….
Barry 2007 ...after a short visit to the USA

Once the work was done in Lenaca (Agua Callente), we went down the mountain to Colonia for the first “church” meeting. You can see Colonia from Pastor Santos’ Church but it takes more than an hour to get down there. After the meeting with World Vision, and village elders about donated property, (btw…All is a go for donated property to build a church on…anyone have $7000 laying around to build a church building? They will need one soon.) one family in the meeting lives 2 km outside the colony, but asked us to meet for a service in their home. With no public announcements other than "the preacher is here come over" said to the neighbors, 22 adults showed up. 22 people in the porch of a clabbered shack, only 5 chairs and rocks to sit on, no Bibles other than what we brought and gave out, all with dirt, dust, bugs, spiders, mosquitoes and darkness. What made it beautiful? The LORD was there… Bro Sabas preached a compelling message from the Holy Spirit and 15 trusted the LORD. The only light to preach by was the Holy Spirit and a dewalt flashlight…Amen! Talking with bro Sabas, a lot things look promising and the LORD is at work. He was asked to return in 2 weeks and continue preaching. If he meets in 10 homes with similar results the church would be 100-200 people in a short time and in need of a building. Our only hurdles are time, money and transportation. Sabas needs transportation to visit with and I am already finding it difficult to be everywhere. So much so now have cords showing on the tires of the new truck in just 8 months from trying…

Several folks are looking for a backhoe, pray the LORD provides the one we need and we have the wisdom to see it and resources to get it here. And closing on the property for the Children's Lighthouse today @2:00. Amen and Amen!

Unworthy servant to a Worthy Saviour
Barry Ritchie
Honduras Missions

The Garden of Eden now has thorns...

There were men here visiting and considering helping get the Children’s Lighthouse off the ground. After seeing the LORD’s work on a whirlwind tour that left all tired and sore they offered to help build the first building to house children on the new property. Now to draw up plans now that we have a budget that is not “0”. Amen!

As for the new property, always a roadblock in Honduras. The Spirit told me to have it surveyed before we purchased…Not done often here. We found he had sold part of it off and it was 1/3 smaller than he claimed. It broke the deal when he would not adjust price ect. So we went looking elsewhere. Looked at several properties in the last week. All much less per acre but all more acres than we can afford. One took the entire afternoon to go see. Up a rough back mountain road for 2 hours then we got near it and the owner said its just another 30 minutes walk and your truck cant make it along the cliff path...uh I dont think we are interested. Being from Alaska I like remote, but carrying in blocks, cement and food on your shoulders for 30 minutes from now till the rapture does not seem like an effective way to build or run an orphanage... Another One was was the most beautiful by far with a view over the Choluteca delta and a view to the ocean 50 mile away. Water year round, 160 acres for $120,000....but that is $40,000 more than we can do. Its not like the USA where you have all the info before you get there, You just know of someone selling and you must go find them to talk and find out what. Another one was huge, as we talked we found it was 518 acres...with cattle but the cheapest per acre by far. What a deal only $190,000...eyowza, but that’s only $367 per acre.
The men visiting committed to helping start the Children's Lighthouse with $25,000 to go toward a building project starting in Jan. We are meeting with the first property owner today, to have another survey done with "his wife's" property added into it. He called 3-5 times on the day we went looking at other property. Not comfortable in dealing with him but it is the property the children like & Lisa likes... And it is the area most in need of a church/ministry/outreach...that trumps all else. The additional property surveyed yesterday is 4.5 hectares more (he was 3.88 short). It is now 31.9 acres. I took the children and played with them for several hours there, that more than anything else made up my mind. To watch them run, play, laugh, gave joy to my heart. It may have changed the owners mind as well. The owner agreed to give it all for no additional moneys and agree to pay all the fees for land paper transfer (About $3000)...That was my dew on the pelt. I had told Carlos before hand that if he just gave it and we had no more expenses, We would buy it. I asked the children, Lisa, Carlos, Luz, Guytan, and a few others and all said we should buy the "Garden of Eden" (I thought jokingly back from Satan but never voiced it out loud)...Soo we should close this week. Some of the fruit trees have been grafted there and produce several kinds of fruit on the same tree...kinda neat. Lemons with grapefruit ect.

Guytan(The arc/builder/Forman) Sat down Saturday and we discussed how to spend the 25,000 that has been promised in a way pleasing to the LORD and most useful for his work. We discussed numerous options, but kept returning to the original plan as most the effective and useful for all the future ministry there. The original structure idea was a large 60'x100' 2 story U shape, with Living on top; ministry, schooling and feeding kitchen below, but was $105,000, way over budget when he crunched the numbers. So we will only build the bottom of the "U" part. After he checks numbers it will be 45-60’ x 24’. He thinks we can build in stages, and finish stage 1 enough to live in with the 25, but needs to draw it all out and verify pricing for the 2nd floor steel/concrete floor(The budget breaker). The Idea is to build it in such a way that it is finished, yet future add ons do not require modifications of the building just expansion. I have worked with him before and he is very accurate on his plans and budget and has it well thought out. Then as we grow each additional stage will be about $10,000 for every 4 additional children completing the legs of the "U" in about 7 stages as needed. It will be difficult, we will have to watch every penny to do it and acquire a little extra help along the way but doable. A backhoe is going to be a real necessity though. Plus we will need support for each child we take in. The idea is it will grow as we grow...Pastor Santos wants to talk to us about 3 more orphaned boys all under 10 in his ministry…the need is there…..

Other news fronts
We have a meeting about the possible donated church property in Colonia on Monday and Bro Sabas is planning the first "church" meeting Tuesday in a home we stopped at Thursday. World Vision helped built the village and still holds the final say on what can be built there so the meeting is with their rep...Even if it is no the family living just outside the area we visited wants us to start it there...So.. a great door and effectual is opened unto me, and there are many adversaries. If all goes well in 6 months we may need to build another $7000 church building like in Los Tererros...Amen!

Also delivered tiles(Just so happens donated by World Vision) to Los Terreros. Some supplies and food to Lenaca while the men were here. They said in all their travels in Africa, S America we have the prize for the worst road anywhere, They concluded they had finally gone to the uttermost parts of the earth. The little truck beat them to death, it is now overdue for tires
A backhoe is needful on many fronts when the LORD opens that door.

The child service Lawyer Sabastiana has begun coming to our church under the tent. So far to 2 services and asked to be picked up for next week, with the children in her house... All I know is the Lord works in mysterious ways.

Last news
A container of Christmas shoeboxes is shipping tomorrow from Ohio! We should see it before Christmas! Amen! Thank you for those who participated in this. You will see photos posted as they are given out in the LOVE OF CHRIST.

Still desperatly need property for La Cruz Baptist as well....Lots of Irons in the fire, and a real possibility of 5 churches planted and a orphanage built in 3 years... Only God.....

Thank You For your effectual prayers
Unworthy servant to a Worthy Saviour
Barry

The Children's Lighthouse

I am back in Honduras! 2 Weeks of exciting news. The return flight was scary. 5 attempts buzzing the runway to land in the fog and high wind, and full power aborts; Landing at 4500’altitude, on a short, barely adequate, inner city runway, surrounded by mountains that you cannot see. The pilot had to fly to another northern city to refuel 2x to do so. Exhausted with some scared, 90% of the passengers got off and chartered a bus for the 5 hour drive after the last refueling. The pilot informed everyone that if he could not land this time he would be returning to the Miami airport. I knew there were 20 arms waiting there to give hugs and showed those around me the pictures and stayed onboard. So did they, thankfully we landed and I got my hugs. Welcome to Honduras where barnstorming in a 757 in not unusual. As we passed through customs those few sitting around me gave a thumbs up saying “good call.”

The missions conference in New England was great. Central Baptist Church is growing well and is now reaching out to Honduras with the Great commission. They are also packing crates to ship to Honduras Amen! Enroute to Central Baptist, I stopped in NY and visited a supporting church. One member had a nice small school bus for sale, diesel with a/c even. After talking to another ministry in New England a few weeks back who wanted to start a bus ministry, the brain was working overtime. Those who know me know this rings in my ears. When talking to the pastor that day he sounded discouraged because they could not afford a bus. Hmm, because ministering saints providing my tickets and fuel I had a little money in my pocket. The plan was to use it to purchase a new projector to use in the mountains. One we would not have to wait till it was totally dark to see. But the Bible still has 1 John 3:17 and it is a verse that is ever present in the Saviour’s servants. I called and said “Brother, are you going to use it for God’s Glory?” “Yes” “Will it help your family and ministry?” “Yes” “Then it is yours. It will be delivered Sunday night.” The LORD replaced the money less than 24 hours later and we got a projector. Amen! Just pvc pipe for the LORD. Why were those questions asked? Because they were the same questions asked of me by a ministering saint on the following blessing….

The LORD has given us 30 acres about 14 kilometers out of town to build the Children’s Lighthouse. A home for abused, abandoned and orphaned children, an answer to prayer, a place for the children to grow in the nurture and admonition of the LORD. This is the property that Lisa and I were shown a year ago. When we first saw it we both thought…it is going to be way too expensive for us to even consider…and it was. At the time it was 2 million lempira.($110,000). We did not have $100 let alone that…So that idea was shelved and we just waited on the LORD. Now because of God and his ministering Saints we will close, on the property next week without a mortgage...own it free and clear. Amen! Yesterday the children went out to play and pray on the property. Just a time to explore walk and see the new promised land filled with all manner of fruit; Lemons, limes, oranges, grapefruit, bananas, coffee beans, mangos, corn, and more. It has 2 artesian wells and electric. This opens yet another door of ministry, but we cannot do it alone. It will take much more than we have to build and operate such a place. Never the less I know in whom we believe and He is able to send the ravens. God has more than 7000 sacrificing saints, even in today’s times, who listen to him, and have not bowed and loved this present world. Amen!

God's blessings will not lack God’s supply. If God says jump, I have no problem jumping out of the plane without a parachute and look for a chute on the way down…for if we obey Him and wait on Him, we mount up with wings as eagles…

While in the USA I had an opportunity to see our grand kids for the first time. One was born on the same day I flew to Honduras. A visit with Sasha in college was also squeezed in. I saw her play in the orchestra and took her out to eat and talk.

Please pray there is much to do and many needs ahead of us. Our church in the city still desperately needs a place to meet. We may need to build yet another church in Colonia as well…..

Unworthy Servant to a Worthy Saviour

Barry Ritchie

Honduras Missions