His father refused to look at him after the accident, and left the family soon afterwards. Jacob's mother is lame and unable to find work, so she and Jacob moved in with his father's widowed grandmother, who ekes out a very minimal living from the sale of vegetables she grows in her tiny plot.
He has not gone to school, and has grown up very much alone and shunned because of his disfigurement. To-day at nine years old he holds himself uncertainly, and has an almost frightened visage. But he seems intelligent and bright. With both parents still living this is not a child we would normally take in, but in fact he IS an orphan child, and more than that - an 'outcast' from his family and community. It is hard to really understand WHY this should be so, but it is clear that he is unwanted, and perhaps an 'embarrassment'.
There is a little scripture in Isaiah 16v4 which says -
'..let my outcasts dwell with you!
Be a shelter to them'.
In 2 Samuel 9 we read that King David took Mephibosheth, the crippled teenage son of Jonathon into his own house. It is written there that Mephibosheth referred to himself in front of David, as 'A Dead Dog'!! That is probably how he had been made to see himself - helpless and good for nothing. But the KING took him in and sat him down at His own table. Yes I LIKE this. It is truly a 'Jesus' thing to do.
We hope that the Lord will now help us to bring hope and life to this little boy, Jacob. We hope to help him to 'stand tall' and with confidence, no longer conscious of his scars, and able to laugh and smile with the best. He is the first child to join the Homes in 2012.
MY SISTER PAT is expecting to leave for Scotland again on the 10th February - just a few days left. It was a little stiff initially, but as the days have past we have come together wonderfully as family, and we can say that truly it has been a great Blessing to me, and to all of us to find her, and be part of her family as well. We had hoped that she would extend her stay for another month at least, but she feels that she should return to Scotland and make sure her home there is safe and sound. Nevertheless we hope to see her back again soon many times.
TYNDALE SCHOOL IS HERE AGAIN and we have an Advance Party to the one expected in July now with us until 12th February. BEN POTTER, Mike and Danni's son is here with two young men and two young ladies - SAM and JOEL + LUCY and MADDI. The boys sleep in Testimony House, and the girls sleep with US in Green Cottage. They eat also with us, and also with each of the four Homes as they visit and have fellowship after their WORK! Yes they do work, and they work hard! Their main task is to paint the exterior walls of Jacaranda Cottage, and 'maybe' to also help lay a cement path to link Jacaranda with Drakeley Cottage. It is demanding and tiring work for all five, but they have not flagged at all, and have remained in good spirits enough to play and spend their spare time with the children.
This is the first time we have seen two groups from Tyndale coming out in the same year. We owe them all a lot in providing us with real assistance in improving and caring for the material needs of the Homes, as well as bring so much real happiness and joy to the children. We are tied so much together that it really feels as if we are ONE.
Well this has been a busy week for all of us. I also attended a Quarterly Meeting of the Area Advisory Council for Children for this huge County. We were advised that the problem of Street Children was increasing with more than 3,000 on the streets of Eldoret today! We also heard of an illegal and unregistered home for children discovered and inspected by the Children's Department on the outskirts of our Town. They had gone there in response to concern shown by members of the locality who said that the children were being ill treated and exploited. It seems that the 22 children living there in very confined circumstances (14 to a room measuring 6 x 6 feet) were not from Eldoret but other provinces. The concern is that these children may have been brought to Eldoret for export via the Child Trafficking Business rife in Kenya. These children might have been sold for body parts, sex or just plain servitude to the Middle East and even other parts of Africa. Incredible and very worrying. The Council recommended immediate closure of the 'home' and investigation of the owners.
Those who follow my personal health will be glad that having proclaimed the recovery of my foot from the pain and inconvenience of a 'bunyan', I can now continue and proclaim that my rising Blood Pressure has returned to even better than normal. Surely the Lord our God is Good. Truly He is our HEALTH and HEALING when we call upon me. NOW for the Blood Sugar which continues to be a trouble. I need to exercise say my medical advisers AND adjust my food intake. I agree to both comments, but I am NOT a very 'spry' 71, having never in all my life been of a physically energetic disposition. Also this place does not promote walking since the terrain is uneven and fraught with traffic. BUY a Treadmill ? Yes we have been looking at some, but they do not look very enticing either in design or price. MUST I really walk for an hour every day till I sweat? Maybe not, though I will do my best to walk and be on my feet more. As for food and diet, I hope to see a Nutritionist with Esther next week - but in it all I am looking FIRST and foremost to the LORD Who is my LIFE.
AND THE WORK ON DRAKELEY COTTAGE has continued apace, and by NEXT Saturday I hope to include a photo of the finished exterior work attempted so far ( though TODAY we have seen signs of further 'bulging' of the foundation in-fill in a different area!) We shall see.
And so from underneath a clear blue sky giving free course to the burning rays of our Sun I must again break off and attend to other matters. Bless you all for praying for us. Accept of our united love and prayer also for each one of YOU
John and Esther
TYNDALE SCHOOL IS HERE AGAIN and we have an Advance Party to the one expected in July now with us until 12th February. BEN POTTER, Mike and Danni's son is here with two young men and two young ladies - SAM and JOEL + LUCY and MADDI. The boys sleep in Testimony House, and the girls sleep with US in Green Cottage. They eat also with us, and also with each of the four Homes as they visit and have fellowship after their WORK! Yes they do work, and they work hard! Their main task is to paint the exterior walls of Jacaranda Cottage, and 'maybe' to also help lay a cement path to link Jacaranda with Drakeley Cottage. It is demanding and tiring work for all five, but they have not flagged at all, and have remained in good spirits enough to play and spend their spare time with the children. This is the first time we have seen two groups from Tyndale coming out in the same year. We owe them all a lot in providing us with real assistance in improving and caring for the material needs of the Homes, as well as bring so much real happiness and joy to the children. We are tied so much together that it really feels as if we are ONE.
Well this has been a busy week for all of us. I also attended a Quarterly Meeting of the Area Advisory Council for Children for this huge County. We were advised that the problem of Street Children was increasing with more than 3,000 on the streets of Eldoret today! We also heard of an illegal and unregistered home for children discovered and inspected by the Children's Department on the outskirts of our Town. They had gone there in response to concern shown by members of the locality who said that the children were being ill treated and exploited. It seems that the 22 children living there in very confined circumstances (14 to a room measuring 6 x 6 feet) were not from Eldoret but other provinces. The concern is that these children may have been brought to Eldoret for export via the Child Trafficking Business rife in Kenya. These children might have been sold for body parts, sex or just plain servitude to the Middle East and even other parts of Africa. Incredible and very worrying. The Council recommended immediate closure of the 'home' and investigation of the owners.
Those who follow my personal health will be glad that having proclaimed the recovery of my foot from the pain and inconvenience of a 'bunyan', I can now continue and proclaim that my rising Blood Pressure has returned to even better than normal. Surely the Lord our God is Good. Truly He is our HEALTH and HEALING when we call upon me. NOW for the Blood Sugar which continues to be a trouble. I need to exercise say my medical advisers AND adjust my food intake. I agree to both comments, but I am NOT a very 'spry' 71, having never in all my life been of a physically energetic disposition. Also this place does not promote walking since the terrain is uneven and fraught with traffic. BUY a Treadmill ? Yes we have been looking at some, but they do not look very enticing either in design or price. MUST I really walk for an hour every day till I sweat? Maybe not, though I will do my best to walk and be on my feet more. As for food and diet, I hope to see a Nutritionist with Esther next week - but in it all I am looking FIRST and foremost to the LORD Who is my LIFE.
AND THE WORK ON DRAKELEY COTTAGE has continued apace, and by NEXT Saturday I hope to include a photo of the finished exterior work attempted so far ( though TODAY we have seen signs of further 'bulging' of the foundation in-fill in a different area!) We shall see.
And so from underneath a clear blue sky giving free course to the burning rays of our Sun I must again break off and attend to other matters. Bless you all for praying for us. Accept of our united love and prayer also for each one of YOU
John and Esther
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