Las Flores Project Testimony

One day we were sitting in Pastor Juan’s mud hut kitchen eating sopa de gallina with him when I no longer saw a small mud house for him, but a beautiful house, with large rooms, an indoor kitchen, tile, the whole works. I told him then and there, “Juan, I think God wants to give you a new house. We should ask him for it.” Juan did not know what to say, so he said yes. We prayed right there that God would send a new home for him. There was never a doubt in my mind that he would have a home. If God told us to ask for it, it was because he was already sending it. A year and a half went by and there was no new house, but I drew the plans none the less. Every time Juan and I were together, we would talk about the house as if it already existed. Then one day, Duke University called out of the blue and said they had heard about Cocal Gracias and wanted to visit. The connection was so far from me, that I knew it was God working. Pastor Bruce said they wanted to work on a house. I knew immediately which one it was. The offering we needed to start with was the offering they had decided to bring without me saying anything. Needless to say, the house was built and it was a miracle. After seeing this giant blessing fulfilled, Juan and I were in Las Flores above Agua Caliente. We were talking about the community and their need for electricity and water, when we knew it was what God wanted to give them. We prayed and asked God to send them Electricity and water. I wrote about what we were thinking a week later in a Cocal email. We thought we needed $4000 and what we received was $11,500. The response was overwhelming. Pastor Juan told the community that they needed to save $1000 themselves, which they started doing. We went to the electric company and God opened the door. We met the father of the manager and he called his son. “Son, I have Brian Ruark and Juan Garza with me and they need an electrical plan for Las Flores. This is from God so don’t you dare charge them. If you even think of charging them, you’ll answer to me.” The next Thursday, we were making the plan. I was told later that the plan should have cost $1000, and we got it for free. Juan went to the Municipality of Puerto Cortes to ask Carlos Correa if the Municipality could help with the project. Carlos started asking about Las Flores. “Where is it?” “Well it is two hours above Agua Caliente.” “How big is the village?” “Actually it’s not a village. It’s just 18 families. The village is two kilometers below.” “How far do you need to bring the electricity?” “two Kilometers. Carlos was not impressed. “Pastor, you don’t know what you are asking. These projects don’t go. It is too expensive to install, too far, and not worth it.” He tried to dissuade. “Besides these people don’t vote, and they technically aren’t even part of our jurisdiction. They belong to Choloma.” “Look Carlos, all I need is a yes or no. God is in charge of this project and he is going to install electric posts in Las Flores. Even if the project costs $500,000 God is going to do it. What I want to know is if you are in or out. If you say the muni won’t help us, then I will never come back here again. “ Carlos thought about it and said, “Look, don’t get mad, let’s just talk to the mayor.” When they talked to the mayor, he never commented on the distance, nor on how few people it would serve, nor jurisdiction. He said, “Let’s make a study and see the costs.” The study came back at $54,000, a huge amount of money for such a remote project. “We’ll do the project,” said the mayor, “If the community comes up with $12,500. “ Mayor Alan surely thought a small group of corn farmers in the mountains would never save so much money. Las Flores isn’t even in his jurisdiction. What he didn’t know was that God had already sent the money. “When do you want me to bring it?” asked Juan and all the administrators laughed at him. The next week Juan returned and gave them a check for $9000 and said, “Here’s the first part. We will be waiting on Monday for you to start.” This time no one was laughing. They were floored! No one believed this project would go. But we did. God opened the doors. “Therefore I say to you, whatever you ask when you pray, believe that you will receive them and you will have them. Say to this mountain, be removed and cast into the sea…” I don’t know about you, but I love being a mountain mover. I love being a part of big miracles, seeing the impossible become the possible. We have a big God. Every year I think to myself, what more could he possibly do? This must be the maximum, and then he plants a new petition in our hearts. Do not doubt because our Father loves for us to ask for big things. He invites us to ask for big things, things so big that they reveal how good he is! I pray for bigger things Lord. Give us more mountains to move. Amen.

Gettin' Hitched

In the morning of the wedding day, Rina made breakfast for everyone with Yolanda.


Kile came to wire up all the lights.


The youth group came to help set up the tables and chairs, and uh.. eat baleadas (breakfast)...

My cousin Heather was coordinator, second photographer, cook and a million other things.


I made the bouquets and decorated our cakes. I always wanted to decorate a wedding cake.


Joel and Elda were gearing up for taking charge of the set-up situation. They got stuck in Mexico on the way here but made it in time to sign our contract.


While everyone else prepped the location, Rina prepped herself for me.... :P

Her sister Sara has a solon. She even did Heather's hair after she finished taking the photos!


Rina's dress was a gift from God and without ever knowing before it was sent, the dress fit her perfectly.


Wedding dress- Free, shoes from Payless- $23 , Being ready for your wedding day- Priceless


She is so Cute!!!


Thanks Adrian and Joel for being my best men in brown!


This is my new brother, Luis.


These are my favorite socks. I had to wear them...


Adrian Loved Honduras


He even jumped with joy at the thought of being here. Joel and I jumped cause Heather told us to.


Sonny and Aurelia have adopted me as a grandson, so I adopted them, or was it the other way around? Anyway, they came from Belize to see us!


Karen, my new sister really does love me! After playing like she didn't care, she ended up serving all the cakes at the wedding for us.


My mom looked great too!


Tim and Mom helped a ton at the wedding. They drove everybody everywhere! What good parents.


Joseph, my new cousin carried the rings.


He is also in love with Heather our photographer friend because she paints with him


His sister Margery is in love with Heather too. She actually has formed a fan club of all the 5 to 9 year olds in my neighborhood. They all want her to stay.


First sight and .... WOW!


Her Uncle Carlos was responsible for giving her to me.


She looks HOT!


I don't remember any of this that went on... I remember my smile hurting but not stopping

This is why we wanted to get married in the Hacienda. Its the most beautiful tree I have ever seen.


Sweet huh?


I got it on the right finger....


A lady in town made the Bridesmaids dresses for $15 a piece. Without seeing Elda before she got it perfect!


We did a lasso around us along with the rings.


I am shaking with excitement now...


She looked amazing!


Best moment. Best... yeah...


I don't remember this either...


But I remember her.


Ready?


Let's go!


Run for it!


The flower procession and us


The Padres.


Looks like a movie set doesn't it?


The official wedding cake decorated by us. the flower is called a pon pon.


The food sure looks good in the photo. I am told it was good too.


The youth group stole a moment with us! Thank you youth group.


Bridal party and us.


WOW!











Happy ever after...

There will be more when we can get them all on Heather's site. I will let you know!


The STORY:

There was only one week left before the big day. I had been back for a week from my visit to San Diego where I had bought everything we needed for the tables, napkins, plates, plastic ware, cups, and vases. Thankfully I received a first-class ticket from Delta, which allowed me three very heavy checked bags instead of the normal two. The vases held me up in Honduras as they searched my bags and found 50 rolled up in every item of clothing I had, every sock had a vase inside. I quickly explained to them my wedding in 20 days, they sized me up decided it was truth and let me through.

I arrived in Cortes with work awaiting me in the morning, and a list of things to do for the wedding. As we had tried to do before, Rina and I doubled our efforts to delegate responsibility and get things done by others, friends. The church was going to rent the tables and chairs we needed, Rina’s family was taking care of buying food, The hacienda was rented, and Kile was helping put up lights. We were running around passing out invitations, ordering flowers, making dresses, and surfing the internet every night to find shirts for Adrian and Joel, my groomsmen.

Two weeks out, in typical American fashion, I suggested to Rina we check on everything to make sure it is all ready and prepared. We started to call all our friends who were helping us, to find out in typical Honduran fashion, nothing had been done yet. They still had a week, why worry about it? We freaked. Rina and I ended up renting from the last person with tables and chairs for our date and then we came home to also find out the family was not buying the food. We bought the 200 lbs of meat, which they said would arrive the Tuesday before the wedding, and then the Wednesday before the wedding, then Thursday before the wedding, On Friday I was never so glad to see 200 lbs, of dead cow sitting in the back of Calin’s pickup. We forgot we needed ice, and we bought that the day of. We needed water and we bought that the day of. Rina was ready on time, but her family was two hours late. As Rina’s nerves and anxiety tightened into her stomach while she waited in the house for the wedding to start, I was outside taking photos with everyone who came to kill the time. The youth group from church helped us set up all the tables and arrange the plates, Kile got the lights up two hours before we started, and all the guests arrived looking better than I had ever seen them.

But now I am getting ahead of myself because at this point we were already technically married. In Honduras, couples marry in a civil service and then in the church. So Friday morning, while my parents drove back to San Pedro Sula for the sixth time to pick someone up at the airport, we went to the municipality building along with 40 other couples that wanted to marry that day. December 19, 2008 is the largest group wedding the municipality has ever performed. In the salon on the second floor, we pushed our way in and to the left. There was a table set up with four chairs on the far side. The officials ushered us over to them and we sat down. Joel sat next to me as my best man, and Elda next to Rina as the maid of honor. It was then that Joel got an earful of reprimand in Spanish from the Secretary of the city, because in Honduras the best man stands with the Bride and the Maid of Honor with the groom. They switched places and we signed the contract. We were the seventh couple to arrive at 7am. In the other half of the salon they had chairs set up in rows of two. They put us in the second row in the seventh position. Joel and Elda had to sit in the gallery in back and wait for us to be called. Out of the 40 people getting married, the girl that helps me at the internet café was next to us. The old couple that owns the corner store by Rina was behind us. My taxi driver, Rina’s old best friend, the brother of my neighbor. We all had to wait until all the couples arrived. An hour or so later, we were still waiting. Rina’s aunt and Uncle, grandmother arrived, but with so much people they would not let them inside. Her Uncle told them he was marrying his mother to see if they would let him in. During the ceremony, we saw them pressed against the glass doors looking in with the rest of those who didn’t make it.

Allan Ramos, the mayor who helped Joel and me on the Cocal Gracias Project married us…In the name of the law. In English you say “I do” in Spanish you say “I want”! He married the couples in order, saying their names, asking if they wanted the other, and taking a picture. It all happened so fast, that by the time I remembered Joel was there, we were already sitting down again. I just remember the smile plastered on my face and kissing Rina like three or four times when the moment came. Then we sat down and watched the other couples go through the same. We received a nifty inkjet printed marriage certificate and took our photo under the arch of plastic flowers that was tilted against the wall for support.

Rina looked amazing! She wore a dress my mom had bought her months ago and she never put on. We left the building and were going to ride to the house in the back of the pickup. Rina sat on the bench on top of an old tire we had in the bed, but sat to one side. The bench flew up on the other side, and Rina went down punching her arm through the already broken window. We all jumped in shock and I rushed to help her. Five minutes after marrying her, I was pulling glass out of her arm. We rushed over to the Baptist clinic to do first aid. She will always remember our wedding….

So Saturday, everyone was helping. Tables were set, I bought ice and arranged flowers, Joel directed, the lady’s to cook the meat fired up the grill, and Rina’s family made the beans and salad. Everything got pulled off well. It was 2pm, pastor was there, and Calin and the family were late, Rina was in the room anxious, and I was taking photos. When the time finally came, we all lined up and walked in. The music was the theme song of The Mission and now when I hear it I get teary eyed. I could not take my eyes off of Rina, She looked radiant, or the sun coming through her veil did. But I am in love. We married with everyone already at the tables looking on, under the largest tree I have seen in my life. I was impressed at how nice it looked and I planned it. We hung Chinese lanterns off the tree and wrapped it in Christmas lights. We had music and food, wine for the toast, and everything went off well. Rina baked the 12 cakes for the wedding two days before and Karen cut them all up for the guests. We ended the night early with some dancing and fun. Clean up was easy because our guests took the plates, the plastic ware, the wine bottles, the flower vases, anything that did not say rented was gone, including the left-over meat, soft drinks, cups, and wine. Everyone was happy. Since we were the only ones that didn’t get to eat at our own wedding, we stopped by the gas station for a fried chicken, and when we finally got dropped off at the apartment, we ate it sitting in bed.

The next morning, we all went to the river to swim, Joel and Elda, Heather my friend and Heather my cousin, Adrian my brother, my adopted grandparents from Belize, Sonny and Aurelia, and my parents with all of Rina’s family. There Rina and I got to try some of the meat that the family had taken from the wedding the night before and it was good!

We left that night to go to Antigua on our Honeymoon. I will write about that soon, but for now let me just say thank you to all of you who wrote cards and supported us. We could not have had such a good wedding without you. It would have been better to have you all there in person, but in spirit was good too. I have been touched by all the cards and love we have received. Thank you very much. So without further Adieu, I give you some of the photos. The others will be on Heather’s website when she gets home, for all to see.

Did I mention that for a month straight before the wedding it was raining? Everyone told us to get married inside and we said no, it won’t rain. God told us to get married on this day and he cannot send rain knowing he said that. The Friday before it rained a little, and Saturday was sunny beautiful, like summer. It rained Monday after we left.

Brian and Rina Ruark