SCHOOL SPORTS DAY!!    And this time it is a Girls that ends up overall Champion - or at Least she is Captain of the House that WON!   It seems only yesterday that the last Sports Day took place.      You can see how scorched the grass - where it still exists - is.    The HEAT has been more each day, and even at night the temperature has been in the 80fs  BUT the sky is BLUE, and today the event was unspoilt by heat, dust or anything else nature threw at us.   Crowds of people attended.    We have about 500 family heads on the school book, but it looked as if both parents, and even relatives were in attendance today.      EVERYONE thoroughly enjoyed it, and many parents and teachers joined and took part much to the delight of the children generally - AND OF COURSE all our Home children were there, if not all competing in the Events, then at least to enjoy the excitement, and that special sense of a Day Out.    It all started at 10a.m and finished at 5.30p.m.    Quite a Day!   The shouting, cheering, plus   general pandemonium was considerable.      NOW all is quiet again, and the air a little cooler..........And it is Sunday tomorrow.

The week has been quiet.    Esther has been away some 20 kilometres distant from Eldoret attending a rather lengthy Board Meeting (4 full days) of another Charity known as OPEN ARMS INTERNATIONAL.    We have been friends of the co-founders - David and Rachel Gallagher since 2001 when they first came to spy out the land.      They have a 52 acre plot not far from Eldoret Airport and already have 6 Children's Family Homes there.      So far they have 60 children, but of course more and more will come.     A wonderful Vision.     SO Esther is on their Board.     She went to and fro every day from 8 to 6p,m,      All ended in a promotional Dinner in an Eldoret Hotel on Thursday evening which I also attended.      Always interesting and to some degree exciting to be on some one elses Project at the very beginning, and to be able to pray along with it and see God's Hand make it grow.         We have been privileged to see NEEMA HOMES grow too as we have walked along with Joshua and Miriam......Their Visas to UK have now been granted and we think they may fly out at the end April.     God's Timing is always right.

On Thursday Funds arrived to relieve our own latest desert experience.     Hearts were lightened and Spirits soared.    Now Thank we All our God!      Bless you who were involved in His Relief Program for us.  HALLELUJAH.

On Friday the Children's Department brought a grandmother to see us.      She apparently is looking after eleven children, and an additional three others.       It appears she is too old and poor to cope with this, and so 'will YOU (us) please take them in'.    This was not so much a request as a command.      The lady was quite well dressed, but probably in her middle/late sixties.         Daryl, as Director, was dealing with this whilst I sat in as a by-stander.     He began to explain to the grandmother that once the children were committed to us they would not be able to visit her, since the REASON they were coming to us was that she was unable to care for them, and did not have proper accommodation for them.       She immediately became upset and said but of course they would come every school holiday!       A gasp went up from the Children's Officer - as if a cat had indeed leaped out of the bag!        It became clear that the lady did not KNOW the kids were coming to a Children's Home - she thought they had won places in a Boarding School - she was not wanting to be separated from from, and WAS able to offer care and accommodation.
It looked very much as if an 'arrangement' had been made........
Daryl handed all the papers back to the Officer and said that before we could take any further action we would need to be given clear evidence that the children needed care in an Orphanage.   All very embarrassing - most of all for the grandmother who very nearly lost control of her kids.   A good experience for Dal.....!!

Also on Saturday one of our Old Boys now 46 (Abraham Kipchumba)put an article in the Daily Nation showing off his new and moderately well equipped Automotive Workshop which he has opened in Nairobi.      He tells the story of how he was orphaned when he was 8 and being quite destitute was brought to Testimony Faith Homes in Eldoret where he was brought up and educated - (in Testimony House with me and Esther!)    He ascribes his success to what he learnt during that time, and to taking life seriously.      Nice to see something like that.       ON the same day another of our OLD boys appeared - Elijah Oura.      He has a Degree in Civil Engineering, but for many years has been going from one job to another until NOW he has finally opened a small Building Contracting Business. He and another of our old boys are joining together in this venture.      He came to say 'Thank You' to us and to TFH.        Our hearts rejoiced!!

Not much else to share this week .    Water is getting shorter by the day.      Sometimes off all day!  Not easy to run a school of 800 without toilets working - to say nothing of the four Homes -  and Green Cottage.      We must endure until the Rains - may be late as well this year ........SOOOOO! Thirstily I must end for this week.      Some will probably sigh with relief!        I have sent out THIS WEEK an extracted Income & Expenditure Account for the Running of the Children's Homes taken from 2011 Audited Account just completed.     I hope you will have received.      We have been having almost continuous troubles with our Servers AND also with E-mail - separately, so we are not sure who is receiving what.     But God knows, and it is safe to assume that those HE wants to know anything WILL know it - and those don't WON'T!!

God Bless and Bless, and Bless you again.

John and Esther