ENDINGS & BEGINNINGS

ESTHER AND I, standing outside our Academic Centre dining room LAST Saturday with all our houseparents and helpers both in the School and the Homes. Seventy one of them altogether plus a few visitors. We had just enjoyed our Christmas Luncheon together, and had a wonderful time of good fellowship, prayer and encouragement. A real 'Family'. As I mentioned a few weeks back it marked not merely an END of an important chapter in the story of Testimony Faith Homes, but also proclaimed the beginning of a NEW period in that story. A platform and foundation has been laid down, but there is still room for so much more to built upon it, should the Lord tarry.

THIS SATURDAY, our youngest son James MANUbhai Green Graduated with a Bsc. in Science & Technology. He obtained a 2nd Class Honours Upper Division. He enjoyed himself with 4000 other graduands plus all their friends and relatives. The day was hot, dusty and very CROWDED. Esther and Daryl plus Steven Stuma from Drakely Cottage, attended. Manu roasted in his gown, but otherwise seemed supremely happy to be ENDING this period of his life. After Christmas a NEW beginning in Nairobi will commence as he seeks employment in the wide world. Not going to be easy either with climbing unemployment.
Manu is 24, and looking forward to the next big step in his life. He is third from the left in this photo - minus his mortarboard! - not sure who the young lady is ...?
Next year we should see three of the Homes' boys also graduating from University as well. AND of course one or two more joining having completed their High School this year. Education just goes on and on year by year, and the cost of it escalates with the numbers involved. We also have one or two that do not go on to College, but instead need to seek some kind of trade training. This may sound a little sad, but on the whole those that learn a trade end up being as materially successful as anyone else - quite often!

The WEATHER is fine; clear sky, brilliant sunshine, and plenty of warmth. Not like last year, and so we hope that we shall be able to have many of our activities outside instead of couped up in the houses. Certainly all are expecting to SWIM on Boxing Day as we all join together in a neighbouring school which is letting us have the exclusive use of their pool for the best part of the day. THEN a week of hard work getting everyone ready for school once again.

The BLOG is almost a year old, with more than 2oo pages of events and comment on the life of Testimony Faith Homes, and the ongoing tale of a missionary in Kenya. Enough material for another book! We shall see. Still no definite news of the REPRINT of the old book so far, but will not forget to alert you all when something needs to be said. I would quite like to write at least one more book, but it is time to do it! I just seem to be more and more caught up in things. But I am not overburdened. I have also been thinking of a trip away from TFH to visit friends and churches. It is some time since I have done this with any intensity. In 2003 and 06 I was in the UK briefly and visited only a very few of our friends. I have not visited ALL our contacts since 1994. AND, of course I was invited to visit Australia recently! George Muller managed to spend his later years travelling the world with the message of God's Faithfulness and Providence. Well if it is not me, I may think of sending someone else, as it is really high time that we made face to face contact with many, and perhaps extended the knowledge of what the Lord has done here, and continues to do, to His Praise and Glory.

By NEXT Saturday Christmas Day will have passed. I will hope to fill you all in on how we spent our days here together, and perhaps also include a few telling photos. Until then we send you all our Love and Best Wishes in the Joy of God's Wonderful Gift - even JESUS our Life and Salvation. May He be the more revealed and experienced in all our homes and hearts this year, as we look forward to His Second Coming.

John and Esther