MOTHER AND DAUGHTER?    Yes!  Very much so though, in fact, Baby Hellen is not one of our very own children, but the youngest of our adopted ones.
One would never know, since the ties that bind, and have bound almost from birth, are deeply founded in a Mother's loving heart.
Helen came to us in June 1990.  She was then eight  months old, having been born two months premature and immediately deserted by her birth mother at the hospital.   At the time of her birth she was thought to be dead, and was on her way to a disposal unit in a tiny kidney dish when the nurse noticed movement.
She immediately changed direction and headed for the Intensive Care Unit.    Surely that day, God looked down and saw her in her blood, and said LIVE!    (Ezekiel 16v4-6.)    BUT she had to fight to live, and even as she grew we could see that her 'beginnings' had affected her.   She was very insecure and introspective.    She was not very talkative, and easily dispirited.    ESTHER took her under her wing, and over the years the two drew closely together, in so much that Hellen obviously saw in Esther the Mother she had lost.     We decided to adopt her, and to give her a name (we had no note of her real name which had been denied to her.)      She is now 23 and will graduate this month with a Diploma in Early Child Development.  I personally am very fond of her indeed.  She adores little children, and being short and cuddly herself,  is quickly trusted and loved by all she meets.      She has studied in Nairobi for two years, and this month has been with us for a week's holiday prior to Graduating.       We celebrated her 23rd Birthday at the same time.  
She will return to College briefly on Sunday (tomorrow).      She already has employment in Nairobi as a Nursery Teacher, and will no doubt continue.     But here will always be home, and no doubt we shall see a lot of her whenever she is free.    In the small photo opposite Hellen (right) is with her long time friend Betty who is part of the current Testimony House Family, and is studying Accounts in College.   Betty and her four brothers have lived together in Testimony since their Dad passed on in 1998.   All of them grew up to follow Accounts, and all of them continue to do so.     There father was already widowed when he passed away, and unprecidently Willed his five children into our care, being fearful that on his death they would be disposessed of their rights and left to die!!!    It turned our very much an act of wisdom.

LAST WEEK, Daryl was told by the Deputy Director of the Kenya National Council of Children's Services that by 2030 all Children's Homes will have been closed down due to a lack of need.   (Of course we have heard this before - the last time it was going to be 2020). It seems the Government is still persuing a dream of seeing ALL orphans fostered out or adopted by that date.   It is not all Kenya's fault that such a policy is in vogue - the United Nations, and even 1st World Countries have been advising and even forcibly dictating such a course.       However, we ourselves, together with others have seen no positive evidence that such a dream will or can happen - not by 2030 at least.    The ecomony of the Country is still declining, and the numbers of children on the streets, and without shelter also increases.
Current figures put only 525,000 children out of more than 2.8 million who are in fact being so far fostered by Government funded schemes.     The CASH inducement has been some Ksh.1,500/- per month to any one family taking in ONE orphan or destitute child!!      The given 'Responability' of this family is stated as including -

• That children from 0 - 5 are taken for immunization and growth monitoring
• That children from 6 - 17 regularly attend basic education.
• That all children in their care obtain Birth Certificates.
• That all Family Carers should attend 'Awareness Sessions'.

NOWHERE is it suggested that these children should be affectionately loved or seen as legitimate members of the Carer's blood family.

These 'rumblings' of change which have been increasingly heard over the last five years remain rumblings, but none the less we must expect the 'quake' to engulf us in the end.      The 'STIGMA' of  a Nation being referred to as part of the 3rd World is increasingly becoming unnacceptible, and there is a progressive move to hurry the process of being promoted to 1st World Status!!       In the Business News of the Daily Nation this week there as an Article headlined  'AFRICA MAY ATTAIN FIRST  WORLD STATUS BY  2048'   -  'THE CONTINENT MAY skip SOME DEVELOPMENT STAGES TO BECOME AN ECONOMIC ENGINE IN A DECADE, SAYS STUDY!.     One Mr. Charles Robertson, author of a book entitled 'The Fastest Billion - The Story Behind Africa's Economic Revolution' is reported as saying (in this article) -

Charles Robertson

'The Continent has the unique advantage of 'leapfrogging' through 

various stages of economic development,

which the more developed western states had to go through

in growing their economies.

THIS is in  continent where only a few years ago everyone thought it was

too poor for people to have mobile phones!

Whatever has happened in the technicological world

is enough proof that Africa will skip several stages

and become an economic engine;

competing with countries like Germany, and the U.S.A. by 2048

Of course their ought to be growth - but FORCED growth can be dangerous.    We used to 'force' Rhubarb in our English gardens by putting the plants under glass to increase sunlight and warmth.   And the plants DID grow - and grow FAST - but for some reason the Rhubarb never tasted as good as that grown at its own speed, grappling with normal weather.        I think there may well be a 'law' at work in this.   Thus likewise it may not be good to take short cuts to induce GROWTH.       More haste can mean LESS speed, and the old Proverb 'Hurry SLOWLY' may in the end have the greatest wisdom of all.     I don't say this because I do not believe in the Third World being able to draw level with the First, but I am not convinced that to force the pace of getting there will, in the end, produce the same equality.        

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John & Moray

THIS WEEK we have been visited by DAVID ISGROVE   of  Riverside Church in Birmingham.   He came with a team of young people from UK and Kenya, and we were able to have very good and enjoyable fellowship with them for about an HOUR!       Then, for TWO days we enjoyed the visit of Rev. MORAY THOMAS, Vicar of St. Lukes. Grayshott.       St. Lukes has been in touch with us for MANY years, supporting us with prayer and material help as the Spirit has led them.    Moray had been visiting friends in Southern Sudan, and thought to also spend a little time with us on the way home.    We are very glad and happy that he did as it made it possible for him to at least prove we are here, and to take back a more real and personal view of TFH to the saints that make up the congregation of St Lukes.      We hope he will be able to visit again for longer.    

Nothing more to talk about really, this week.    The children seem VERY happy to be out of school, and the weather has been reasonably good to them with only a few heavy showers to interrupt good periods of sunshine and warmth.      One of the senior boys in Jacaranda Cottage finally Graduated yesterday from his University with a Lower 2nd Batchelor's Degree in Commerce.    Now we have to help him find a job.   His Houseparent, Joseph Rop was there to see him Graduate.      This was Peter Wangila, and both he and Bethuel Kiplagat from Testimony House are now leaving the Homes to set up independant lives - still part of their families here, but no longer resident.  
LAST Saturday I had woken up with a dull kind of intermittant ACHE in my right breast area.   It got worse and I had to see the Doc on Monday and Tuesday - did I have a lump anywhere ?   Had I lifted anything too heavy for me..?   But nothing to be seen, felt or found!    Heart good and strong.   Lungs healthy.    Just a MUSCLE that had reacted to something.......all very vague.     Very painful on Wednesday, but it slowly has eased and almost completely gone away now!      The Enemy is full of endless tricks to stop us in our tracks, and to somehow divert our attention.      Thank God we do not walk alone.    Thank God we have One who in times of sudden fright will squeeze our hand, and reassure us and tell us not to fear.    Hallelujah!

Our Love again to you all.      Have a peace filled WEEK with Joy and revelation.

John and Esther  & Daryl and Carol
                     Green