PEACE AND QUIET ?

The School Term has all but ended. Classrooms being cleaned and tidied for the last time before the New Year dawns, text books collected, checked out and stored away. and the marking of the terminal examinations almost complete. It has been a busy week - a busy few weeks in fact - as both the Primary and Secondary National Examinations have been going on. Now both Graduating Classes have completed and departed to await the NEXT chapter in their lives; some to High School, some to College and University.
Within Eldoret Show Ground there is still a large crowd of Displaced Persons surviving! About four thousand adults, and maybe fifteen hundred children under 18. There is a School there too. All under canvas via the kindness of the Red Cross and the UN. But the canvas has aged - some of the canvas is plastic. Gaping holes, and the constant erosion of the weather make most tents look like dilapidated, flapping black and white crows in their death throws. Sometimes more than one family will huddle at night in these cheerless, cold and uncomfortable shelters. only to wake to hunger, boredom and hopelessness. I was there last Monday, and left with tears of distress just to see the state of forlornness and destitution. There seems no kind of security there, and rape and incest and all kinds of abomination continue unabated......... Meanwhile the Government continues to make statements of what it is going to do - without doing it - and a multitude of Committees with high sounding names and agendas pour forth torrents of words, advice and good intentions without actually achieving a great deal - though all spending an enormous amount of money doing it. It is all very deplorable.
I went to pray for the Primary Candidates for the National Primary Exam - some 227 boys and girls - holed up with their families in this unnatended corner of hell. They were excited to have got through their Primary education, but what next? Will they find Secondary School a possibility? Will they still have to live in degradation and poverty? And they are just a tiny fraction of the need. Daryl took a few photos, but they are not quite as clear as usual - a new camera he was not used to, and the settings were a little out. Still.......it gives a small view.

SO WHAT NOW as holidays loom? Some of our College students are already returning home for the vacation - and the new Guest House is now also beginning to be valued and appreciated.
We have two engaged in Teacher Training, both just arrived home - one from Testimony House, and one from Jacaranda Cottage. They are now in their second of three years training. The cost for each is £1,000 per annum. We have twenty more in College and University still, and next year that number will increase - thus a sizable amount of our expenditure has to be applied solely to education. Sadly although there are funds available for bursaries for the poor, they are never offered to Children's Homes - presumably because it is thought they are all well funded from, other sources overseas. Even the Government seems to have the same idea. On the whole this may be fair assessment except for the few like ourselves who are not beholden to regular and endowed sponsorship. God is Merciful but not always abundant when it comes to supply and demand. This statement might be unpopular in some areas, but it is OUR experience that God is not extravagant by nature, but careful in His accounting. We are usually glad not to have more than enough since the more can be a temptation and enticement to becoming unthankful and unappreciative.
The School is emptying but others may be coming in to use some of the facilities.
On the 23rd of this month until the 6th December we are expecting about 60 children to come in for a two week Seminar seeking to empower young people with life skills they need to make the transition from childhood to adulthood without falling victim to to challenges such as HIV infection, drug abuse, and lack of self esteem. It is being run by friends from the Anglican Church here in Eldoret in co-operation with MOI University. Also on the 23rd November for three days the St. John Ambulence will be running a Seminar on First Aid. Actually this is an Annual Refresher Course attended by our Teachers, Houseparents etcetera. Then in the 2nd week in December there will be another group coming in for a week's residential course on Child Abuse and Protection. WOW! And in between of course ALL the children will be HOME - but not ALONE!! Well we really do enjoy the long holiday as it is a good time to get alongside our kids and to bond the more with them.
BUT, as I shared last week, Jacaranda will have lost their parents. As if this was not enough to contemplate, we have heard additionally this week, that the Assistant Houseparent, Calvin Otieno is also leaving! He is leaving before Christmas to emigrate to Australia where he is to get married. We had known he was engaged, but had not thought of him leaving quite so quickly. We shall greatly miss him as he is also very much used generally amongst the Youth in our Fellowship. SO this is really quite an unlooked for situation of some magnitude, since a family of 37 cannot go uncared for. We have one young man we think will be able to take Calvin's place, but he is not with a lot of experience, and will still need the support of Houseparents. Still no one in sight - keep praying for us and for the Jacaranda Family.

I am typing this on the front veranda of Green Cottage waiting for a party of 15 of Esther's cousins to visit from Nakuru - they will have lunch and see around and also visit with Esther's mother who as you may remember is ill with Altziemers and staying with us. To-morrow we have a visiting Speaker at our Fellowship and I shall be leading the Meeting. Then the new week beings, and I shall begin to pay the Bills on my desk. £3,000 of them! they have slowly been accumulating, and on Wednesday we heard that EXACTLY that amount was being sent to us via AENON. Bless the Lord for every contribution, every loving heart, and every listening ear.
Much Love to you all

John and Esther