Little Girl Who Brought Water to
Thirsty Village
They will travel to Texas, USA soon for a Gala, which it is hoped will raise the cost of a Bore Hole with Lucy's name on it!! WHY am I telling you about it. What has it to do with us?
IT is a bit of a long story. On Wednesday this week Daryl and I attended a Seminar conducted by the NGO Bureau which supervises Kenya's Non Governmental Organisations. The Seminar presented a soon to be implemented new 'raft' of Rules and Regulations relative to the way NGOs in Kenya are to be Managed and Financed. It was not encouraging, since in the first place it continues to whittle away at the private Independence of charitable activity in the Country. It will increase the cost of Administration as an overheard by demanding more staff to cope with it as well. AGAIN, some years ago now, the Government tried to implement a new Bill - still undealt with in Parliament - to the effect that all incoming donations from overseas for Charitable Organisations would be henceforth (if the Bill were passed in Parliament) have to be sent to a central Fund in Nairobi to be administered by the government. Fifteen per cent of what would come monthly for any individual NGO would be sent to the NGO, and the balance kept by Government for other purposes. Any SHORT FALL felt by the NGO would be their responsibility to FILL from self sustainable sources from within Kenya. This would be quite impossible to actually set up. WHY is the Government so intent to remove foreign aid towards its 'poor'? Why do they want to continually discourage charity even from WITHIN the Country. It is a mystery. It is not comfortable.
The photo of Lucy is presented so admirably in the National Press - but indeed the real help is not from Lucy or even the local womenfolk in her area - it is from TEXAS USA!!! Who are we to believe here? And why are we getting two different viewpoints. After all why not tell the women of Ogwedhi to build and service their own Bore Hole from the implementation of there own Self - Sustaining Project? As far as the SEMINAR that we attended was concerned the Government is seeking to discourage foreign aid in place of helping ourselves. Not particularly a BAD idea, but what if there is NO local help,,,,,what then? During this last nine months we in Testimony Faith Homes have received only Sterling pounds Three thousand, odd from within Kenya, out of expenditure of more than Sterling pounds EIGHTY FIVE thousand. Even to mount, inside Kenya, any self sustaining project which would provide this kind of money from an already economically decaying community must be seen as impossible. We were left feeling the more depressed.
Then on Friday of this week we had our third Board Meeting of the Year. We have not been doing too well financially, and finance had to be discussed. The majority of our Board Members are Christian but secularly minded. Few have really sympathetically understood or appreciated how the Ministry began or why. After all our Constitution stated that financially we are not to appeal for funds or even make our needs known to man. WHY
WELL, it was left to me, the Old Man fading into the background, to tell them - yet again!
WHEN God brought the first two children in front of me, and urged me by His Spirit to care for them I was totally without funds. And I had no regular promise of any personal support.
BUT I felt sure this was what God wanted me to do, so I took them both in. On the next day I received funds and clothing enough to cloth, and care for these boys for the next month. I was in the midst of reading in Mathews Gospel at the time, and that first day, when the children came in, I found myself at Chapter 6 verse 6 -
When you pray,
enter into your room,
and when you have shut the door pray to your Father in Heaven secretly.
And your Father who hears and sees secretly
shall reward / answer you openly / publicly
I felt beyond all doubt that God was speaking to me, and showing me how He would provide if I would obey. It also came to me at that time that the REAL priority in the whole matter was not so much the help of two boys but the ability to point out the TRUTH about God - He IS there for anyone, and CAN and will HEAR their prayer, any words they speak to Him, and finally WILL answer them and thus PROVE Himself. Remember I only had taken TWO boys. I had not initially considered starting a Children Home or Ministry. I had come into Kenya as rather plain, dull accountant, to be involved in evangelism. THIS is how TFH began, as a surprise. In fact I was hi-jacked and found myself hearing God in my life. THUS we have remained for more than 30 years on the advise of Matthew 6v6 and only asked God for what we have needed, and NOT asked Man.
At the Board Meeting I commented that I was not saying it was sin to ASK a man. BUT I felt myself that God was MORE honoured when we depended on HIM. After all JESUS told us to ASK, and to KNOCK - but after all it only confirmed that our application should always be to GOD.
Also I felt what had been entrusted me to do was NOT so much to help needy kids but to DEMONSTRATE the moment by moment existence of GOD in way that could be seen and appreciated - the fact that hundred of children have been and are being helped was by the by.
Also I felt what had been entrusted me to do was NOT so much to help needy kids but to DEMONSTRATE the moment by moment existence of GOD in way that could be seen and appreciated - the fact that hundred of children have been and are being helped was by the by.
Many members felt that this could be relaxed just a little. For example we do not have to declare our needs but we OUGHT to share what God is doing and has done as a Testimony and Witness. It was felt that we could do more in this direction, and that we should encourage those who already knew us to spread our story around.
BUT some really felt that we should open the door and say that from now on we SHOULD make our needs known, and ASK. Finally when the vote was take on this it was found not to be the majority view even though it was not specially because of God's Honour. The Constitution will not be changed and the way we live will not change..........But I am sure this question will come up again.
The discussion was lengthy, and felt by Esther and myself to be yet another effort to de-rail us from our first intent. Maybe change WILL come one day, but perhaps not yet. The world and even the CHURCH has become less and less spiritual in its views and concepts, and more and more willing to give in to secular methods of achieving success and what it wants. I feel more and more looked upon as an eccentric Christian, hanging on to outdated concepts based on fantasy and myth! And indeed there are times when I have felt very shaken - but HE always 'squeezes' my hand to assure me.
I still remain here as part of the scene, and still as General Secretary. But there is a new wind blowing. We wonder How God will deal with it.
TAKE CARE of your Faith! Let no one deceive you or disturb you, or try to dislodge you from the ROCK which is the Word of God.
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The WEATHER remains warm and dry at present. Some rain still expected but perhaps not as much as we will still need before the end of the year. All our children are well, and even those who are away in Boarding institutions of Higher Learning are doing very well.
We (Esther and I) still have our dear daughter in law, Janet, and her little son Liam staying with us. It has been good to have them to ourselves for a little, though in fact I have not been able to see SUCH a lot of them since I am busy every day out of the house. Little Liam - a very solid and determined one year old - has also got used to his virtually unknown grandad. Very proud of him and his Mum who is very dedicated, patient, and loving Mum
Also this week our little Granddaughter ABIGAIL returned with Helen from Nairobi, where Helena had gone to help a dear friend of hers as she delivered her baby. So Green Cottage has currently population of four and two infants.
God Bless you all, and keep you safe through the coming week.
John and Esther & Daryl and Carol
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