John Ruddock’s vivid and animated words transport you from wiring the first lights in turn-of-the-century Ireland to 52 years trailblazing for a more powerful light through Central America.
It’s a physical adventure of outrageous characters, banana trains, Carib Indians, dictators, coups, volcanoes, malaria, dugout canoes, monkeys, macaws and machetes.
A spiritual validation for the reality of God, His living Word, the life-redeeming gift of His Son and proof that faith changes lives.
And a story of diligent love between a man and his Savior.
John Ruddock’s oral history heard here was recorded in the late ’80s at a missionary retirement home in Claremont, California, after 50 years on the mission field, mostly in Honduras and its unexplored Mosquito Coast jungle border with Nicaragua. His words were laid down on a budget Radio Shack cassette recorder so the sound quality is not audiophile approved. Even so, the tape crackle, coughs and tea cups clinking in the multi-purpose room create a spot on audio landscape when juxtaposed with John’s confident, booming Irish/Spanish accented voice. John was an animated, little Irishman, who used his arms for punctuation and his face for emotions. This is only a small portion of this oral history, which can be enjoyed in more detail in the book, Lighting the Mosquito Coast, illustrated with more early photographs. The accompanying video seen here (converted from 8mm shot on a Brownie camera) has been restored but still shows the hard life of the Tropics.
The book includes 24 pages of photographs.
A quote from the book: We pass more alligator hunting camps. At one point the river was so low we had to get out and push the boat pan. Two men from the US are there just now suffering hardships to find the “lost city.” Up that river I know there is not only one lost city but many lost souls. One man there of the Carib tribe told me that he is a Christian. He asked me if I was Moravian, a Baptist, a Methodist, or an Adventist. Upon my saying I was not, he said, “Then what are you?” “I am what the Bible says I am,” I replied.” Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved. Paperback: 210 pages Publisher: Christian Missions in Many Lands (March 1993) Language: English ISBN-10: 0888735588 ISBN-13: 978-0888735584