AN EXPANDING UNIVERSE?

WE ARE EXPANDING! This week the Lord granted the safe birth of our FIRST calf, a bull calf, and the son of Cow number Two - (we have named her ALICE). She was I am SURE very delighted to feel lighter, and to see her load of

many months delivered of her. She was immediately busy cleaning him up. How amazing to see the 'Mother Instinct' so instantly

demonstrated for her first calf! An immediate bond between them; immediate care and concern from mother to child. Rosie, our FIRST cow, will be NEXT , and then the latest, the THIRD of our cows, DAISY. She arrived on Thursday of this week, and she is only three months into her pregnancy. SO quite an increase in this last week on the Dairy side of things.

THIS IS DAISY on the left now. She is supposed to be a Jersey cow, but we have our doubts!

She has not been well cared for, and came HUNGRY three months pregnant. She is settling in a bit now, but on arrival she just made for the Hay and shoved the other two cows to one side - she was SO hungry!! More satisfied now, she has made friends! So now we have THREE cows; ONE bull calf, and a goat (picture next week), So fortunate that we have found a good man to take care of them all.

WITH THE CHICKEN PROJECT

we have suffered an initial loss, and a complete 'wipe out'

of the first 100 day old layers - they were in their 7th week. Very

sad, but on Monday they were replaced with another 100, and at least this time we have clear idea of whatto do and when to do it. Our hopes are high that this time we will be successful. The older Layers that we also initially began with have now begun to lay - all 28 of the them! GREAT JOY and interest especially from the children. SO we see things going on with the EGG side of the program so that NOW we can resume having EGGS as part of the weekly diet.

When we began we also had 100 day old chicks that would become Broilers. These, in their 8th week are now ready to be eaten!

We have learnt a lot in the first two months, and now, on Monday, we hope to be joined by a Poultry Man who will oversee There day will probably be today. A further 100 day olds will replace them, and this w the continuing and repetitive program. This will certainly ensure that we shall have something to eat at Christmas time.

ON THE LAND crops continue to thrive and grow and each week more is able to been harvested and eaten. Already we can say that almost a 50% reduction in cost to us has been achieved in the provision of vegetable needs for everyone living here. We Praise and thank the Lord We have purchased the 'Drip Feed' piping and are in process of having it laid down. We had taken a little longer than planned to do this, but the Lord has helped us by providing a few extra days of gentle rain for our gardens. He watches over us. Once the 'drip feed' is in place we hope to double the space currently in use for crops. If all goes well we may be able to even SELL some of what we grow to our neighbours. THEN, in January, we may initiated our first FISH pond. Looking ahead we seem to have healthy strategic plan for the next year!!

TESTIMONY SCHOOL

is gearing up and getting the Top Classes in Primary and Secondary ready to commence this

year's National Examination. Form IV Secondary students will begin their Practical examinations and the rest as from 23rd October (equivalent of UK's GCE O'Level) this coming week. Primary Class 8 students will begin their examinations equivalent of our old 11+ ) in early November.

Discussing the School's future recently with the School Principal, Anthony Ndungu, and the three Heads working with him, it was felt the time had come to consider a serious expansion. Last year the Secondary School especially had done well, and it was expected to continue and do even better this year. This would almost certainly mean that more parents would want their children to attend the School. So far there has been only ONE stream of four classes in this part of the School, and financially it has been hard to maintain it. ANOTHER stream would make the school pay for itself, and might even assist the Homes more. CAN we build another FOUR classrooms? Do we have space?

YES, the answer is YES. It would mean a little re-planning of what we already have, but we feel it is more than possible. It would establish the School financially. It is still owned and Managed by Testimony Faith Homes, but it stands financially alone, with its own Bank Account. It runs from the Fees of parents that use the School from the locality. From the Fee structure the School provides FREE tuition to all the children in the Homes from Nursery to Form IV. It also gives 20 free places to academically bright children from the poorest families in Eldoret. It is registered as a Non-Profit Making Private Christian School. Please do make time to pray for the current plans under consideration - we do not want to go ahead of God, any more than to trail behind Him in catching His Vision.

AND LAST BUT NOT AT LEAST - What about the Children's Homes. Well, we do not want to expand exactly, We have room now for 150 children comfortably spread within FOUR fa

mily Homes. But we have had a change in mind for some years now. We still feel this change will come about, and this would be a good time to think of implementing it. JACARANDA Cottage has long been expensive and inconvenient to run as a children's home. It is also having ongoing and progressive problems structurally. We would like to pull it down and build a NEW home exactly opposite to the present site and between Drakeley and Tyndale Cottages. The Plans are drawn up for a house of the same design as the other two, but just a little larger, to take upto 45 children. Whilst being built, the old house would remain, then on completion of building the Jacaranda family would move into the NEW house.

THEN we would demolish the old house (apart from the breeze block end which has a slab roof. We would convert this area into a Central Laundry AND a Central Maintenance Store and Workshop for the four Homes.) We would clean up and level the rest of the site and turn it into a new Play area. We believe this would considerably reduce our running costs and contribute to our current aim of economising generally in the whole work.

This is the direction we are praying in for the future. DARYL is the one who will be praying these matters all through, and carrying the weight of being in the 'driving seat' with God by his side as the ministry of TFH moves forward. We believe that we have a Witness in this Town and area of Kenya. We believe the LORD will keep it bright and burning till He Comes. Bright in a dark place pressed by need to SEE that there is HOPE in trusting JESUS. Please remember us in your prayers, and let us together SEE the Answers come to prove the Reality of the Living God.

Our love to you all in His Great Name, and may He keep you confident and ready for anything, fearless, and without anxiety ever day.

John and Esther