31st December 2007

THE LAST DAY OF THE YEAR!
Christmas found the General Election for Kenya going on, voting taking place on the 27th. This ended in serious accusations of Vote Rigging which continue to rock the Country with riots and violence, even though the President has been officially declared the overall victor and installed already for his 2nd Term of Office. Eldoret has been one of the main areas of disturbance and a number of fatal casualties have been recorded in the town, and tribally centred violence within the wider boundary.

So far we have been spared any troubles where we are, but many of our staff living outside have been chased from their homes and forced to find refuge in churches and other places. Cars and buses have been burnt in the town streets, and the sound of gunfire has been a common factor up to yesterday afternoon. The night passed fitfully, but as I have said so far our own locality has been quiet the Homes and School undisturbed. Today has been declared a holiday and so we have no staff on duty except those of us that live here. However we are now having to do what we can to locate staple items of food – shops are shut, bread, milk and flour in short supply, and all roads in and out of our town blocked.

We ask you to PRAY not just for US here but for the entire Country. We have been here before, and it is certainly not the first time that we have endured threat and unrest. He who is our Shield and Defender has always kept us safe and sound as we looked only to Him. And we live in an increasingly unstable and disruptive world where things must only wax worse and worse. Prime Minister Brown has said that 2008 will be financially unstable worldwide…… and still wars, rumours of wars, riots, terror, famine and ecological anxiety everywhere. And these are counted the beginning of Sorrows and have already been with us more than 50 years. Let us not look to the WORLD to be a more comfortable place for us and our children, but let us LOOK UP from where comes our only help and expectation of true happiness. More than ever we should see our world as Noah and Lot saw theirs, and we should be ready to disembark and enter into Christ.

CHRISTMAS was a Blessing and we all felt that spiritually it was the best we had experienced for many years. It was not materially more than enough, and we perhaps had less than usual to use. However it was enough, and everyone was happy and provided for. No presents but enough to eat, and plenty of enjoyment and family security. ALL the Homes were filled with laughter, and Jesus was given a truly joyous Birthday.

We now face the NEW YEAR. School is scheduled to open on the 7th. Uniforms, school equipment and College Fees for the twenty or so attending College and University all items needing prayer. Daryl is still with us. He did not win his Parliamentary seat, and his future with TFH still in question and needing to be finally sorted out. On the face of it, unless the Lord steps into his current thinking very powerfully, we feel he will not be with us at the end of the next six months.

We feel a little embattled, and encircled by the Enemy! But the encircling walls and defences that we stand behind are not ours, but made of impregnable material. We are not anxious, even if pressed. We will keep the Standard flying high, and will be busy encouraging each other. Our prayers are also FOR YOU, for we know that we are no alone in the struggle to bring in His Kingdom, and to Live the Life.

Lovingly


John and Esther