ROAD TO RECOVERY

TODAY IS THE ANNUAL SCHOOL SPORTS DAY! All the children plus their parents - probably in excess of 1000 people converge on the School playing field early morning through to about 3p.m. Great excitement, gaiety, and general enjoyment all round. Esther spent some time there with them - even though she is retired from School - but I confess I did not go.

Our School playing fields are rather rough and unready, and the lack of rain this year has not helped to keep them grassed over. BIG private houses are also beginning to go up on our boundaries, crowding us in. It can be a dusty day, BUT parents and children alike seem to just revel in it all, and throw themselves into total enjoyment.

BUT I feel well on the Road to Recovery, after my Op. This is my second week since the Operation, and yesterday I started work again. Tomorrow I shall be bringing the Message in the Morning Fellowship. Generally I feel well. No aches or pains, but still feel a little weak here and there. Only beginning to get my appetite back yesterday. Doctors all seem happy with my progress and we are now hoping the best in every way as the days go by. Our staff, both from the Homes and the School, came this week to present us with cost of the Hospitalisation - almost 2000 sterling. They had not hinted as to what they were doing and for them to raise this amount was a very real sacrifice and tribute to their love and care of us. I was just in tears!

DARYL has continued to be a tower of strength to us during this period. His life has been in a bit of a tangle over the last year especially, and he has not been working with us for some time. But when he heard I was admitted to hospital he just left his job to make sure my Office was safe, and to afford Esther every care. We are very grateful to him. But although he is saying that the Lord is once again Lord of His Life, and is more than willing to return to TFH fully committed to what God wants, Esther and I feel he needs more time to actually PROVE what is in his heart. Words can be too easily on a person's lips. Very difficult because I need him still very much at this time. Needs a lot of prayer, and we need the Lord Himself to affirm to us what is the right action to take regarding him. I must say I feel in need of HELP administratively.

We shall be praying about this ongoingly. If we had a trustworthy person to leave behind in charge overall then Esther and I might at last be able to travel overseas and visit family and friends. It has been a long time since we have been able to do that, and increasingly so as my water works became a limiting factor. NOW that might change, and I at least freed from the need of being close to a toilet!

Our son MANU is hoping to finally leave us and set up on his own in town this month. He thinks he has found suitable lodgings close to his place of work. We shall miss him around the house, but he definitely needs to pursue an independent life. Sure we shall see him often!!

SO our little house is emptier and emptier - although fortunately we are having more and more visitors from time to time, it is very nice to have the space to have them.

The HOMES are all prospering, full of children, and laughter and security. We Thank God, for His care - through you - of all our needs. This Week I have had to try to explain to Government how we make ends meet here. We have to give an Annual Report but they always ask the same questions. The main one is 'How can you Plan and Budget when you can only rely on 12% of what you need in any month coming in'. So far I don't think we have persuaded them that we are not keeping the truth from them when we say we just PRAY and trust God to Hear and to Answer our prayers. Perhaps that will sound a bit glib? Of course the truth is that we have our 'days' - but our testimony remains the same. He Takes Care of Us. He does it together and through you also. Each day we stand amazed.

LAST NIGHT Testimony House had a party for seven of our OLDER children who having now found employment after their Training and are just about to leave us and set up on their own; beginning a new chapter of their life. TWO are leaving to be Primary Teachers, ONE to work as a Senior Medical Officer in a local hospital, ONE to work with an Evangelistic Mission as an Evangelist and Sound Engineer, ONE to Chemical Engineering, ONE to Electrical Wiring & Fitting, and ONE to CATERING. Quite a variety. All the children and staff from all four homes attended and it was a really good Family send off. Esther and I were also there. The Ebb and Flow of Life in the Homes continues. Soon SEVEN Little Children will come to take their place.

THE WEEK AHEAD LOOKS BUSY - perhaps too busy. Hope I make it. Easter has arrived too quickly and there is much to put in place. Last year we made innovations in the way we Celebrate and we would like to continue. Wednesday there will be a BIG Meeting of the Children's Forum here in my Office, and STILL the daily routine of business.

Our Love to you all - fervently in Jesus

JOHN AND ESTHER

A BIT OF A BUMPY RIDE!!

WELL DEAR FRIENDS, since the last time I shared with you all, I have been from the sublime to the ridiculous! You will remember that Esther and I were due to travel to Nakuru National Park for a week-end at Lion Hill Lodge. That was on March 5th. We truly did enjoy ourselves very much indeed, and we can honestly recommend this Safari Lodge to one and all. Wonderful views, excellent accommodation, and friendly and attentive staff. Esther and I were really blessed with our three day stay, and of course it was the more enjoyable because we were able to share our time with family members. There was only ONE surprise. When we arrived at the Park Gate we had to pay for admission which put an added Ksh.7,600/- onto the total cost. This Admission Fee to the Park is mainly what the Park has to assist it keep things going and safe. it was a surprise since generally, when you are working through a Travel Agent or Tour Organiser, you get the impression that the LODGE fees are all you have to look for when visiting one sited within a National Park.

Lion Hill is just 10 kilometres within the Park Gates, but once there you could be in another world. 25 acres of quiet beauty overlooking the truly spectacular Lake Nakuru recently losing water fast, but now filling up again with flamingos as the rains return. It was just splendid, and a real rest. The FOOD was excellent and if any complaint could be made it might only be that there was too much of it. Esther and I were certainly unused to so much . We managed a trip around the lake and managed to have our own encounter with two famous WHITE Rhinos.

HOWEVER, I was not well. Even before we arrived I was battling with a slightly upset stomach. Also my prostate was playing up. On the way home I became quite uncomfortable. That was on monday 8th. On the 10th I became unable to pass urine, and was whisked off to Hospital for a prostate operation. First time in almost 70 years for me to yield to hospitalisation - and I was very apprehensive. Not the least of my problems was that I have always been a shy person of very private disposition, and I did not know how I would adjust to complete strangers invading that privacy. Silly old man!

The op took place at 8a.m. and was due to take an hour. However when they got down to business they surgeon discovered that instated of an over enlarged prostate my bladder was piled up with stones; many of them quite large. How to remove them? The equipment needed was not in the Hospital and had to be seen for from more than a hundred miles away. I remained unconscious and lying on the bare board operating table for five hours altogether. All was successful, and all stones removed. They also scraped a little from the Prostate but otherwise left it alone. Some post operative discomfort and a little immobility. Otherwise I felt fine! But the catheter they had attached me to leaked and so I was not too happy with being unable to control urine flow without accidents. I am a HEAVY body, and was not always in a position to help myself, thus needing many other smaller 'bodies' to give assistance - all very pretty young nurses, whose humour, kindness and patience hugely contributed to my recovering. I also learnt from them not to be humiliated - I thank God for each one of them, AND the Surgeon, ALL of whom love Jesus.

My poor, dear Esther, spent the night after the operation with me, and was with me much of the rest of the time together with Daryl, who took a great deal of anxiety about the daily administration of the Homes away from me by his industrious running about on my behalf.

AND NOW I AM HOME AGAIN. And I have enjoyed NOT being in a short hard hospital bed circa 1930. God was with me all the way. I have still felt a little off food, and week, but am better day by day. Thank you for your prayers of you that knew! I shall not write more now, but felt I needed to show the FLAG.

Our great love to you all

John and Esther