I was just there today, after visiting our COW who lives just opposite them. We spent a nice time chatting together, and it was a real JOY to see Catherine up and looking well - she has been quite ill for a very long time with a bug that has looked like Typhoid, but which may have been a type of stomach ulcer!! Medical diagnosis here is very much guesswork on the whole. It was good to be with them.
Another reason for visiting the Jaca Compound was of course to take yet another photo of the NEW Cottage being built. Walls are well up, and the next stage will be the setting of the Ring Beam. This week I took my photo from the front steps of the Old Cottage. You can see what is left of the little flower island that was in the middle of the driveway, dead centre. The entire area in front where the driveway was will be re designed to give more free space.
However of late he has been forgetful in keeping up his medicare, and became quite unpredictable and often over excitable, so that he could not be relied upon to carry out instructions. Beatrice also has been suffering from high blood pressure - maybe due to anxiety over Joe's health. There has been no change in our good relationship, however, and we hope to continue seeing them from time to time. We shall be advertising their post, and in the meantime we expect Isaac Ndungu our relief houseparent to step in and hold the fort. Please remember to pray for them. They have been with us SIX years, and have been real blessing to the Jacaranda Family; they will be very much missed by the children. Well one can never tell when a change must come. But this is the best time of year, and perhaps it is best that it has come before they were faced with the move to the New Cottage in March/April. It will be a new home with new parents now. We must pray that the 'family' will be able to make the adjustments necessary to such a BIG change. THE HOMES (TFH) were also challenged this week - a letter having been written to a Children's Help Office in Nairobi accusing us of abuse of children's rights in relation to one of our girls who had not been allowed, by us, to be admitted to a particular School she wanted to attend. We were almost immediately ordered to attend our County Headquarters (Kenya Children's Services) to account for it. Daryl and I went together. We were asked to explain ourselves. We said that it was not our practise to send the children into our care to school of their individual choice, since we had our own School which was well known and respected. We were told that we were quite within our rights as surrogate parents to decide what our policy was in relation to choosing where to educate the children in our care. It was a relief to know that we were not breaking some new law. BUT the child refused to attend our school, in front of the Children's Officer, and so she will be now transferred to another institution on Monday. A sad matter. Could we not have made an exception for her? No, not on this occasion, because we had other good reasons for not wanting one of our children to attend that particular school.
THIS has been one of those 'up and down' weeks - but we have had good moments as well. One of those Moments was in having a surprise visit from someone we had not seen for many years - Janny van der Klis
She is visiting Eldoret with her Sister. We had really good fellowship with them both, and it was especially enjoyable since we could all share in the Gospel and in the wonderfully amazing life we each have in Christ. Janny lives in Northern island not far from Ginny and Desmond Hales also long and very good friends of ours. It was a truly BRIGHT surprise in an otherwise demanding week. I was for a good part of that week pinned to my office desk. And it was not the desk I usually use, in Green Cottage, but in the main Office next door to Daryl. We both seemed to get caught up in many unexpected tasks that took our time right away. But we have come through it all fairly well.
INADVERTENTLY I took some snaps of the inside of Green Cottage. I will include them here just to let you actually BE here with me this afternoon! The first is taken from my home desk in our sitting room, looking towards Testimony House through the big picture window (sorry you can't see through the sunlight. The second is taken from the same place but turned slightly to the right, looking 
over Esther's desk towards the door leading out to the bedrooms and kitchen. The wall hanging is of a group of Bukusu girls praying. It was for sale as a carpet but we could not bare the thought of standing on it. It has been a good inspiration to pray. We have four bedrooms in this house. One is in use as Esthers Sewing and Quilt making room. There there are two guest rooms one of which is currently being used to sleep Jesse our 16 year old grandson, and the third,hosting Helen and baby Abigail. Then finally our own. We additionally have two toilets/showers, and a kitchen. Our dining room is open plan to the right behind our desks. It is a cosy house, and has been more and more used as a Guest House to friends and family visiting. It was a Gift to us for our retirement, and a Gift also to TFH as it will revert to them eventually when we no longer need it, to do with as they see fit. We were a little afraid to move into it, thinking 'reiirement' might mean a living death - but NO! We have been busier than ever since retiring, and indeed been free to spend time and hospitality on many we might previously been unable to invite or entertain. God has been more than good to us. Thank You, Father, in Jesus Name! And if you are planning to come this way any time, be sure of a welcome.YESTERDAY I attended the School Parade for the first time for some years. It was strange to stand once again in front of the whole school - some 700 kids and staff. I will be there, God Willing, every last Friday of the month for as long as He allows. This week I shared the words LOOK AND LIVE based on a little incident recorded in the Bible in Numbers 21v1-4. I don't want to preach it to you. But you might be interested to read the Scripture. Basically how grumbling brings even great affliction, and that in suffering we are made to seek an escape, even crying out to God. In this case God answered the cry by removing the cause of the people's anguish and nailing it to a pole whilst saying to the people LOOK! AND LIVE! Jesus Christ once said 'As Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so I must be lifted up.....
Jesus took my sin, ALL of it - all my selfishness - and NAILED it to the cross with Himself. His Father says to all that believe themselves to be dying from sin - LOOK! LOOK at Jesus! He has taken YOUR sin and nailed it, dead to the cross. Your sin cannot have its way with you, cannot kill you any more! Just LOOK to JESUS and LIVE. Didn't take me five minutes, and you could have heard a pin drop. I hope it made a few minds THINK. Preaching tomorrow as well, but I have not yet discovered what I am to say
GOD be with you all, and Bless you, and THRILL you with the GOOD NEWS of Jesus Christ.
John, Esther and Daryl Green
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