HUFFING AND PUFFING

HERE ARE SOME BOYS from Jacaranda Cottage. Eight of them, and amongst them TWO new children. Two boys aged 10 and 11 whose world was torn apart late last year when both parents died of AIDS within just a few months of each other. Oh, they still have many relatives that might have offered them a home, but none of them would! WHY NOT? Because they all were afraid to do so! SOME thought they too might catch the Virus if they had the children anywhere near them (no matter that they have been carefully informed as to how the Virus is transferred one to another, as well as the fact that neither children even have the Virus themselves!) And Some just do not want anyone to know that any member of their family has had AIDS and thus perhaps even an immoral life; they do not want to be stigmatized. You may wonder, after so many years, how people can insist on being SO ignorant and even unwilling to learn. The Children's Magistrate begged us to take them in - and even though every bed WAS taken, we 'pushed our elastic walls out' and brought them to stay. Both in School already, and to some extent settled and secure. How we wish we could take more, and more, and more. But at present it seems the Lord is confining us to present numbers - we now have 150 altogether in the four Homes.

You will see from the photo how dry the ground is, parched in fact and beginning to crack. NO rain. But this IS the right time of year for droubt! But there seems annual increases in the damage done, and already our people in the northern regions are dying because of the current lack of rain. EVEN here in Eldoret there are signs of trouble - the River that supplies our dams and water for the Town is almost dry, and we can expect the rain to hold off at least another month if not two or even three as it did last year. Much need of prayer as we see how this will affect daily life even here where few have every suffered from lack of water. Only God can keep us and that we know full well. We often look at our well ordered compounds and life, and wonder what changes might be coming to challenge us. Will WE be depending enough on Him to move Him to honour His Promise and bring us through ANYTHING - even a prolonged drought? Of course we trust we shall not be found wanting. We KNOW He will not! Many others who DO NOT have God in their lives may have no recourse or relief. We pray for them with all our heart, and if there is poverty in our town slums - and there IS - it will only become the more unbearable if drought hits us hard. It is not far from us in fact. Less than 200 kilometres away! The Enemy is 'huffing and puffing' all the while around us here in Kenya; he would love to see the Nation brought to its knees, and the 'light of the Gospel' to be dowsed. Pray for Kenya, and for His Church in Kenya - the Church of the First Born!

Last Sunday I spoke to our Fellowship on Psalm 121 - THE LORD IS OUR KEEPER.
On Monday Esther and I sold our car, an elderly Peugeot 504. The Lord had with-held His hand and funds had ckome to an end. The car was still useable, but we had been unable to renew necessary parts after the accident last year, and the engine was in a bad way as was also the gearbox. It was hard to part with it, but it was in fact a life bringing sacrifice for us all and we were able to Thank God for it, even though it was in fact a little sad. It had givien a great deal of joy and happiness not just to us, but to the children as well. And now the shiny and less dignified VOXY stands in its place. Well we thank God for that too, though methinks it will not last as long as the Peugeot - so much weaker and softer.......BUT it will still make a lot of kids happy as they get out and about in it. It is already well used! A great shopper and even occassional 'ambulence'.

ALSO THIS WEEK. I had a visit from Eli Rop, the Director and Founder of SAYARE Radio and Tv - our local Christian Station, now with branches and coverage statewide and even into Uganda. Many years sago when they were launching the Station TFH stood with them, and in a very small way encouraged them. I was able to provide programm material and we had in fact TWO weekly slots which were broadcast for many years. ELI had been remembering those days, and the Lord spoke to him and asked him to contact those initial compatriots and to give them Thanks. His 'Thanks' to us is to be the gift of a FREE 30 minute Television Documentary about Testimony Faith Homes defining its work and testimony. It will be aired twice on the Network here, and we shall also be given a copy. Wonderful! On Monday this coming week a Team will come to discuss how to present the Work here, and to map out the way the doc will unfold and be presented - then soon after they will come and finish the job!

ALSO on Monday the Kenya Revenue Authority will be descending on us to go over and investigate our finances and to see if we owe any Taxes. You may remember that I mentioned last year how they had gopne to Joshua and Miriam at NEEMA Children's Home and had told them after two or three days of 'turnover' that they needed to pay about eleven million shillings on back taxes not paid on incoming donations to the work there. SINCE then two more Missions have been visited with demands of between 12 and 16 million Kenya Shillings. On Monday they will commence with US, and may still be with us on Wednesday. We are not expecting it to be very easy, but are trusting God to be with us, and to give us peace in the midst of what might be a tense situation. NO ONE has paid so far even a shilling out to the KRA.
Again we see the 'HUFF and PUFF' of the Enemy in all this. But I think he is wasting his breath trying to blow any 'house' of God's making down. One almost feels sorry for him!
We are neverthless sensible that we are under attack in more ways than one, and would ask you to pray and stand with us. The Enemy threathens to starve us, to put our house in danger, and to try our faith.............He has permission to do so ..........and GOD has trusted us to STAND and come through it all - AND WE WILL.

Our continuing love and Thanksgiving to you All

JOHN AND ESTHER