HAVE YOU THOUGHT ABOUT PLANTING A TREE? Have you gone further, and actually planted one - or even more than one!? Our Planet's life depends upon the survival of the tree, indeed upon the survival of FORESTS of trees. Trees control our weather and our future. And we are collectively destroying them. It is not that we all go about with axes to chop down trees, but worse than that we do nothing and say nothing to stop others from doing it. WHY NOT plant some then? Why not compensate for the destruction?

KENYA has given away entire forests for gain, often very personal and individual GAIN. For decades trees have been the victim of politics until now the entire nation, once a summer paradise and agriculturally prosperous garden state, is now in danger of becoming a dried out rainless wasteland. AND ONCE AGAIN TREES are back in the news, and in particular ONE denuded Forest - the MAU Forest - has slowly been given away to land developers and ordinary landless folk needing a place to live, together with charcoal makers burning and selling thousands of acres of healthy, rain bringing trees. Recently the President and Prime-minister have taken measures to have the land restored and reclaimed to the end that it might be re-forested. TREES are needed to replant the enormous area in question. Not only HANDS are needed to implement this intention but sincere and determined hearts devoid of any political or material double dealing. BUT there is SO MUCH innuendo, political maneuvering, and even naked opposition to the whole idea, that so far not a lot has been done.

It is in situations like this that one realises how few - if any - world leaders there are amongst the nations. How few that are men and women after God's own heart, willing to put GOD and Godliness first in front of all things. Oh for a Righteous man or woman prepared to Govern and Rule in Righteousness - and yes in the Name and Spirit of Christ. There has been no other Man provided to give us the pattern and guidance needed. There is AND can be NO OTHER, whatever 'political correctness' might force upon us to confess and believe. I believe (without wanting to be called a Christian, a Muslim, a Hindu, Buddhist or any other) that GOD gave Christ for ALL mankind to learn and profit from. I believe when we observe Christ we do see GOD and all that He is and Desires. EVERYONE should be Thankful for Christ, and realise that He alone sets the right standards for us to live by.

KING ALFRED THE GREAT, King of England in the 9th Century was ONE man who set himself to Rule his Kingdom with vigour and integrity. His foundation was built upon the ancient Mosaic Laws and the Sermon on the Mount. He wrote - 'Now I, King Alfred, have collected these laws, and have given orders for copies to be made of many of those which our predecessors observed, and which I myself approved.....These I have collected. (and codified). I Alfred, King of the West Saxons, have then shewn these to my Councillors, and they have declared that it met with the approval of all ---so that they should be observed.' Here are a few extracts from these often referred to as

THE CODE OF ALFRED

1. Do not love other gods before Me.

2. Do not call out My Name in idleness. For you are not guiltless with Me, if you call out My Name in idleness.

3. Mind that you hallow the rest-day! You must work six days; but on the seventh you must rest! For in six days Christ made the Heavens and the Earth, the seas, and all the shapen things in them, but He rested o the seventh day. Therefore the Lord Hallowed it.

4. Honour your father and mother whom the Lord gave you - so that you may live longer on Earth.

5. Do not slay.

6. Do not commit adultery.

7. Do not steal

8. Do not witness falsely.

9. Do not unrighteously desire your neighbours goods

10. Do not make gold or silver gods for yourself.

It is on THESE laws ( and there are more than 38 more!) that England was founded. They were to be forcibly reiterated 400 years later in 1215 in what is known as MAGNA CARTA, signed half heartedly by King John, forming the very basis of the Kingdom's unwritten Constitution. Before his death Alfred, and later his son King Edward, entered into an Agreement with Guthrum, King of the Danes as they shared the new nationhood of England together. This Agreement or Legislation was strongly Biblical and Christian. It covered the worship of the one true Triune God, tithes, sanctuary, clerical transgressions, incest, suicide, Sunday Trade, Capital Punishment, Sorcery and Prostitution.

Alfred died in 901 A.D. Precisely a thousand years later in 1901, Lord Roseberry said of him, at Winchester during the celebration of the "Alfred Milennary', THAT with his name England now associates her metropolis, her fleet, her literature, her laws, her first foreign relations, and her first efforts in education. Alfred is, in one sentence, the embodiment of her (England's) civilization. ONE HUNDRED AND NINE YEARS LATER IS THIS STILL RECOGNISED? Is England still founded upon the 10 Commandments of God and Christ's Sermon on the Mount? Does it still abide by the tenets of MAGNA CARTA? Or is it sliding into that Abyss of Unbelief and Hedonism with the rest of the world? Where would Queen Elizabeth 11 now position herself in the light of her great ancestor? What Christian Stature or Tradition controls the Government of an already dissolving United Kingdom of Great Britain.
DURING the past week the DAILY NATION encouraged the concept of Polygamy, and even suggested that Adultery is now a way of life to be accepted. The President of Uganda has restrained Parliament from enacting legislation against the approval of homosexual behaviour - in order not to be out of step with Western Governments that seem to be working in an opposite direction! Our current world leaders stand by and permit corruption and destruction on every side to threaten their societies and peoples. They cannot even properly agree to PLANT A TREE for the general good! AND SO we look to our current leaders world wide, and must, perhaps say 'Oh, for an Alfred!' to come upon the scene, upon the throne of the world.

But do we rather wait for CHRIST? And perhaps we shall not wait for long!

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BUT WE ARE BLESSED in Kenya not be have been ice bound, snow bound, or housebound. The sun has shone, if a little coolly over the last week or so. Rain has eased off. Our new VOXY van is back with the side door that was smashed now beautifully repaired at half the cost of a new one. We thank God for leading us to good craftsmen here in back of the woods Eldoret. Our elderly Peugeot is also back on the road after a brief spell in the Auto Hospital for general servicing and replacements. God is Good.

Our children, all together, and ourselves have been glad to see Calvin and Kristy amongst us for a week or so. Calvin was Assistant Housefather at Jacaranda Cottage for some time, before leaving last year to get married to Kristy in Australia. Kristy is also well known to most of the children, as she has been visiting since 2007 with the children and staff of Tyndale Christian School in Southern Australia; Tyndale will be visiting again this year in June.

TOMORROW, Saturday, Martin Shikuku, his wife and six children, two grandchildren, and two orphaned children from his greater 'Family' are visiting us. Martin was with us way back in the 1970s and now married, has a Children's Home of his own about 50 kilometres away from us. He wanted his family to see where he grew up, and to meet their grandparents ( Esther and me). It is a great privilege and wonder to see them all, and to have such a relationship with them. They will be staying to lunch with us here in Green Cottage, but will first go on a tour - mainly to see Testimony House, which to Martin at least is still 'home'. He is one of the 'sunbeams' that are part of Testimony Faith Homes with so many others. Some get hidden behind the clouds of life from time to time, but it is a very great JOY when suddenly there they are brightening our day. Recently we have had visits from JUSTIN KIPRONO, working for Jesus in South Africa, JAMES MBATI, working hard in chemical research in Nairobi, and also the daughter of GEORGE MUTURI how has been with us for the last few days - she actually left this morning back to Nairobi where she is working. She travelled with Helen (Tweeti-pie) who is also returning to Nairobi to commence her first position as a Nursery Teacher.

MANU is still with the Referral Hospital, and has been on holiday in Mombasa for the last week or so - should return tonight or tomorrow. We are expecting him to soon find his own digs and make a further step into an independent life. DARYL is now working for Dinyo Lessos Creameries in Eldoret. Have not seen him since Boxing Day! But of course Carol and the children are still very much daily with us as they come to school. Such is the ebb and flow of life.

God be with you all, with our much Love in Jesus

John and Esther