LITTLE BOYS GROW BIGGER EVERY DAY! Anthony and Christopher (right in the photo) came to be with us when they were four months old, in 1974. Their mother was a woman living on the streets of Eldoret, a drunkard. She had delivered 11 children before having Anthony and Christopher who are twins. She delivered them in a field and left them there! Later she was arrested and committed to Prison where she promptly became pregnant yet again. She had family who were anxious to see her reformed. They had given her land, and built her a house, but she refused to make use of either, preferring her promiscuous street life. Her brother took her eleven children and brought them up with his own ten! But there was no room or further help for the twins. Thus they came to us. Their uncle sometimes visited, and they have come to know the rest of their family. But no one ever offered them a home. On the right is a photo of Christopher taken with our son Steven in '81. He was six then.

At eighteen they were still with us and having completed Secondary School we put them to courses in colleges of higher learning. They both wanted to enter Bible School, and they did so, both graduating with Degrees, and both now, in 2009, pastors in their own right with families of their own. Anthony is pastoring a large Church in Eldoret Town, and Christopher is pastoring our own Community Church. In fact he is 33 years old, married with two children. He spent all his childhood and adolescence in Testimony House with me and Esther as his 'Mum and Dad', together with his brother Anthony, and 36 others - and seems to have profited well from the experience. We are proud of them both. They are 'family' to us, to Testimony House, and to Testimony Faith Homes as well. And yes they are still in touch and part of their birth mother's family.

WHY HAVE I shared this with you today?

On Wednesday of this week I was visited by a high powered delegation from the Kenya Children's Department, the National Council of Social Services, and local government officers. Those from Nairobi were touring the Country to acquaint themselves with what was going on relative to Children's Services, and in particular the urban problem of Street Children. They were not altogether very encouraging, but rather dictatorial, critical, and ignorant about the work that Charities are doing in the Country. I personally felt that they had not come to cement good relations but to subjugate. During their time with me - not long (about 20 minutes), they forcefully declared NEW measures that are to come shortly in regard to children and young persons committed to Children's Homes. There was no opportunity for discussion.

The next day, Thursday, I joined others from the Community in attending a District Advisory Council. The same Delegation were also in attendance, and proceeded to repeat their information of the previous day, just as forcefully and dispassionately as the day before. All in all the tone of the Meeting and the Direction Kenya is apparently taking relative to the Care and Protection of children and young persons was not encouraging. I left wondering........!

The MAIN points that point to difficulty were three.

1. The Delegates reported that the number of years a child can be committed to a Children's Home will be THREE years only. At present a child can be committed for a maximum of EIGHTEEN years with the possibility of an extension being granted.

THUS Testimony Faith Homes takes children from between 0 and 10 years and accepts to care for them until they have gone as far as they intelligently can in School and College, and then until they have found employment enabling them to leave us able to care for themselves.

Our idea is and always has been to admit into our homes children who have lost home and both parents, and who have no other relative able or willing to care for them. Our aim obviously to provide, as well as we may, what they have lost - home and family. Over the years in each of our four Homes, families have been built up, and with them lasting relationships of affection and trust, as well as security. Each Home has become 'home' to those living there, and a 'family'. This could never be achieved if after three years of having come to stay a child is then repatriated to where it came from!

WHY would the Government want to implement this measure? I was told by the Assistant National Director of Children's Services, that it was in order that no child became estranged from its roots. She said she had visited Homes were children had stayed 15 years or more, and seen that they were strangers to their own homes and families - she questioned my assertion that some children had no such homes or families of their own to go to. She also intimated that Children's Homes were alien places where children were taught alien customs and practices. The had to be reintegrated into society. She made it sound rather like Game Wardens reintegrating animals that had been in captivity back into the Wild!!

This attitude is in line with current Government opinion that Children's Homes will not be needed 2020 as it is their intention to foster children into existing families.

If this step is made to happen then it would prevent us from achieving our vision, and in our opinion seriously disrupt the well being of every child in care.

2. The Delegates second revelation was that all young persons reaching the age of 18 would necessarily have to leave or be removed from all Chidren's Homes.

To me it seems impossible to suddenly say to those who have attained the age of 18 and who have just commenced College or University, that they must LEAVE their home.

WHY is the government considering enforcing this action? Apparantly because world opinion feels it is unhealthy for 18 years olds and above to have association with those who are younger ..... presumably in case they might molest them or otherwise morally endanger them? Another sign of worldwide departure from common sense. We have forgotten and set aside all that our fathers taught us in favour of ignorant and ill informed nonsense. We progressively dismantle social and family discipline and progressively become more and more astray in our methods of holding family and thence society together. We are in fact sewing the seeds of destruction in respect of our own humanity.

IF we implement this new innovation into our Homes we will immediately introduce apprehensive insecurity in every teenager trying to secure a future.

NONE of our children have a welcoming home, family or relative to whom they can run if we were to turn them out. And certainly none would be able to entertain the cost of their further education. When I questioned the good sense and even practicality of this action I was told that it was for the C.C.Is to build alternative accommodation for their 18 year olds far from the young children! Such a comment was almost insulting; and at best without any compassion or sentiment - or even appreciation of what Charitable Organisations are achieving materially unhelped by the State.

3. The Delegation then accused us all of ignoring the growing plight and even threat of Street Children in our District. We were accused of shutting our doors to them in favour of others with lesser need. We were challenged to build for Street Children, and to put Street Children first when it came to choosing what child to admit. The more I listened to these exalted Officers of the Government, the more amazed and disheartened I became.

I asked how many Street Children were in Eldoret - I was told that there were 800, an enormous ( probably incorrect ) number.

I said that 800 WAS a lot if it was true - BUT there were more than 80,000 children in our District needing home and shelter. Children whole parents had died of AIDS and were then shunned and turned away from by their parent's families. Children whose families had been wiped out by ethnic violence. Children abandoned by their parents. Were they in LESS need than the children and young persons on our streets who were, for the most part, NOT homeless or orphaned? I pointed out that the 10-14 recognised Children's Homes in our District had a total possible population at any one time of perhaps 700. Many had in fact taken in Children from the STREET. Testimony Faith Homes have taken in 40 since 2001. A small number compared to the need but at least SOME help. It was not true to say we had done and were doing nothing.

BUT existing Homes could not open their doors to drug addicts, thieves, and promiscuous youths that would bring their practices and temptations in with them to infect a family that so far had clean escaped them.

The majority of Street Children are a culture and society of their own and need specialised aid and care towards their rehabilitation into acceptable society.

The entire Meeting concentrated on Street Children in the main, and it seemed as if the plight of other orphaned or destitute children was unimportant by comparison. MUCH of all that was said and shared stemmed from pressure in the United Nations which constantly applies pressure to all Nations to implement and expand upon their 'Wonderland' notions.

Many organisations visited by this delegation have been phoning showing concern as what the future holds for those of us running Children's Homes for orphans, and destitute children. Many feel discouraged and apprehensive, wondering if God is leading to move their ministry to areas in the world more in need and less demanding. To us the initial story told of Christopher and his twin brother prove the advantages in being able to see a life through to the time it can 'fly'.

What will WE do if these new regulations are actually enforced? Would we be able to continue on the same pattern we have followed for 40 years? What alternatives would we need to consider. This year is proving to be like the churning of the sea. Certainly a great stirring is taking place in every aspect of the ministry and the spiritual weather is not sunny. Thank God He dwells in the thick clouds, and the Thunder and the Lightening are in His hand. How can we be despondent knowing that He is with us.

OOOOO

The young man that works for us whose hand was severed is now at home and his hand healing 'miraculously' without a cast or bandage now to be seen. The flesh is closed up, and the scar of the rejoining already fading. Surely that is the hand of God. Praise Him for Ever. And the young man as refused to seek after his attacker or to even report him to the Police saying that he has forgiven him, and that God may yet save that one who hurt him so much. We have been amazed at the change in him. Thank you for your prayers.

Much Love yet again to you all.

John and Esther