SONS & DAUGHTERS

This photo is taken from an Article headed 'HOW TO CRASH A KIKUYU DOWRY'. Apparently some young teenager with nothing to do one day in Nairobi decided to go along with a friend to a meeting to decide how much 'DOWRY' should be made for a young lady whose hand was sought in Marriage! In 'Old English' tradition it was the maiden who brought the dowry to the boy's family. In Africa it is the other way around. When I first came to Kenya in 1968 I observed a young girl being wooed by her prospective husband with a gift of 100 metal teapots, and a rather moth-eaten goat!
Well I am not about to gate crash such a meeting. No! Today Esther and I will be officially visiting our own son Michael's prospective In-laws to both introduce ourselves AND settle the whole matter of HOW MUCH he will be expected to GIVE for his Sweetheart's hand in Marriage! Well, well. Michael is not actually the LAST of our children to get married, but he HAS taken his time about it, and we had almost given up expecting him to actually find a wife. AND so today we go to present his Plight to the young lady's parents and family. The process of reaching final Agreement can be long. First WE have to visit them to introduce ourselves, then THEY visit us some weeks later. THEN we visit to agree what should be given in the way of Dowry. THEN again to decide the date and details of the actual Wedding.

BUT Mike is living in England, and so HE cannot be with us, and JANE MWANGI, his intended (living and working in Nairobi) would like to hurry things along a little as it is hard to be separated by so many miles and see so little of each other. They have known each other since teenage, and time is running by........ SO my wily wife, also a Kikuyu as are the prospective In-laws has managed to cut some of the cackle and agreed with them for us to meet today with them ONCE AND FOR ALL, for Introductions AND to settle all other matters. They will then visit us in a few weeks time reciprocally. Esther and I will be accompanied by a party of some 18 others - members of the family and friends from around. TWO of the eldest will speak for Michael and for us as his parents. All we will do is sit and listen (at least Esther will - for i will hear very little (knowing VERY little Swahili or Kikuyu in which most of the proceedings will be conducted in!) I am wishing I had learned knitting!! We are expected to be at the 'family home' at 12.30p.m. Kenya time, and will no doubt be there for the rest of the day! How much Money will they think Mike should pay...how many COWS - or teapots - will they demand in addition? We will not know till the sun sets probably! The Family of Janet will no doubt be assembled in some numbers to welcome us, and see what we will bring! As in the large photo it can be quite a crowded affair, and all kinds of gifts / donations / inducements to win a YES from the girl's family get spread out for all to see. Something for the Parents, something for the Grandparents, something for the Aunts and Uncles - and a multitude of others, plus a few odds and ends demanded by tradition! Michael will not doubt spend most of today biting his finger (if not also his toe) nails in apprehension - finance is getting tighter day by day! And of course there is also the prospect of the Wedding itself.......... hopefully to be held in July here in Eldoret next year. All this may sound a little wearisome, but in fact it is usually (at least with the Kikuyu) a happy time of fellowship rather than a serious and 'business' type of gathering. At the conclusion it is hoped that both sides will know, like, and rejoice in each other as part of what now will be ONE FAMILY.

The last few days of November are passing quickly by, and then December will be upon us. We have a small Children's Camp continuing at present - mainly for poor children from outside of the Homes who come in for a fortnight's fun, christian teaching and counselling. They use the School Boarding Facility and the School Hall. Also the teachers and our staff have been busy this week with a Refresher Course for First Aid. Then on Monday we have visitors from the UK for three or four days, and on the 8th open a Seminar for Social Workers involved in Children's Services on TRAUMA COUNSELLING which will continue until the 12th. On the 13th we will host our support Staff Christmas Luncheon before most of them go on holiday for a few weeks. This is not just about eating a meal together, but it is a real 'fellowship' time.
On that day in 1968 which was also a Friday (for those who like to consider inauspicious days) I arrived in Kisumu, Kenya for the first time. Forty years of life............ Time for a change, New Vision, New Challenge? I must say that I do have a sense of expectancy concerning the future - though not apprehension or anxiety. AND THEN it will almost be Christmas which means it will almost be NEW YEAR - and everything will begin again - this time we trust without FIRE and BULLETS. In Jesus Name!

ON THE 27th NOVEMBER Esther and I were invited to THANKSGIVING by some American missionary friends. I used to think American Thanksgiving was in remembrance of winning the War of Independence from the 'Tyranny of British Rule'. I had never been invited to such a Celebration and thought it probably no place for a Britisher like me - and a loyal Monarchist to whit! So it was real surprise to find myself invited with Esther, and a greater one to find out how misguided I had been all these years, for far from being some kind of national pride, Thanksgiving is all about being Thankful to God for His Providence and Mercy. More like our English Harvest Thanksgiving usually held around Michaelmas each year. Our friends are also members of the Missionary Fellowship - a group of more than a dozen different Christian Mission organisations and societies that meet each Sunday in each other's homes to fellowship and pray together. This year they had felt led to invite ALL of us to THEIR family Thanksgiving. We had a truly wonderful time together; more than a hundred - Americans, German, Dutch, Danish, English, and Kenyan.

We also received a donation of £10,000 to purchase a new (2nd hand) mini bus for the Homes.
Our current one is about to conk out utterly, and is currently moving under duress! A wonderful provision. Funny how donations of such a nature (ones that cannot be diverted to other needs) always seem to arrive when we have nothing to eat - I think the Enemy has a very twisted sense of the Word of God. We had not actually been praying for a vehicle urgently. We have been praying for more consumable daily needs. 'Oh Lord give us bread!' and along comes a million shillings of glass and steel. THANKS Lord! No I really am not trying to be facetious or cynical. We really DO Thank Him. And we know He has everything else in hand - The Vehicle is a BONUS thrown in from a very loving Father.

God Bless and be with you all - must go and comb my hair and so on before zero hour arrives!


John and Esther