THE OVERSHADOWING THREAT

PART OF THE UNDERLYING 'TERROR' of Al Shabab is the image it conjures up!   They look like 'UN-MEN' as C.S. Lewis might describe them - the dead come back to life in order to bring the living to their deathly estate.     Armed to the teeth, their heads en-wrapped around about like those just come from the tomb.    There is a very UNREAL, other worldliness about them;  a kind of DREAD and inhuman fear, perhaps generated by their determination to KILL.     There is nothing about them one can appeal to for mercy or compassion.

SO FAR they have not made themselves seen or felt in too many areas.     BUT they are full of THREAT, and boast great things in the hope of making the faint harted FAINT indeed!

RECENTLY Al Jazeera published this Headline relating to Al Shabab -

AL SHABAB THREATENS MORE 

ATTACKS IN KENYA AFTER GARISSA!

Somali armed group that attacked University killing 148 on Thursday

warns Kenyan cities will "run red with blood"

(4th April 2015)  

Al Shabab  state that the attack was in Revenge against military retaliation by the Kenya Army into Somalia.

BUT this attack fell upon those who were totally unable to defend themselves.     There were only FOUR assailants and they did away with 142 university students, three Kenya Policemen, and three Kenya Soldiers that formed the Security Detail for the university.    All FOUR of the attackers were finally hunted down and killed.

Al Jajeera reported that this was the deadliest terrorist attach on Kenya soil since 1998 when the U.S. Embassy was bombed in Nairobi killing more than 200 people.      Then, in 2013 sixty seven people were killed as Al-Shabab besieged a shopping mall - again in Nairobi.

FROM THIS MAP one can see Somalia to the right.   It has a long border adjoining Kenya, and a great deal of the violent incursions have come from incoming Al Shabab filtrating across the southern end of the Border with Kenya just under the Equator line.    Notice Garissa on the Kenya side.   There has also been a lot of trouble from the a similar source just inland from Lamu on Kenya coast, again not far from the Somali border.  Mombasa has also had miscellaneous attacks on hotels, police stations, and even individuals known to oppose Al Shabab.
And NAIROBI?    Well, yes they have managed to carry out one successful attack in 2013.     So far the cities of NAKURU, KITALE, ELDORET, KAKAMEGA, and KISUMU  to the west of Nairobi, have not seen or felt anything.   the current THREAT is made to them.      Is it just 'bravado'?
Al Shabab would certainly like to give a good reason for ex-patriots and tourists to shrink from coming to Kenya.    Tourism is the MAIN source of income.        If people were to be persuaded to 'keep away', it would hurt Kenya as a whole VERY much indeed.     AND those who do not live here, and are not aware of how our daily lives are, become very easily over anxious and jittery about the possibility of getting caught up in some awful new situation.
AT THE PRESENT TIME we need to realise the current areas of unrest, and the comparatively few serious attacks noted since 2013.      The Government has stated that the Nation if officially at 'war' with the Shabab, and that Security has been 'beefed up' a lot.       But I would not say there is yet a 'National Emergency.
From OUR POINT OF VIEW here in Eldoret, we do realise that Testimony Faith Homes as a Christian ministry could be under threat as well - but not from our local Muslim fraternity who have always been found to be peaceful, law abiding, and kind.    They have lived cheek by jowl with their neighbours without any disturbance for at the least the last 44 years since I came here.      We have, as most you know, 140 odd children (orphans here in our four Homes) here, plus a School that proclaims Christ and has a daily population of more than 700 from all over the town and from all kinds of background and religion.      We open our 2nd Term of the year on May 5th.       We do not feel any kind of apprehension.   Indeed life is going on town wide as normally as at any other time previously.       Of course WE feel ever SAFE because we BELIEVE and trust that the ONE and ONLY GOD watches over us, and because He loves us, will ever take care of us.    It does help to calm one, and to enjoy a peace that others might not always have at their disposal.   

If you feel in your heart that GOD would like you to visit Kenya what should you do?    Exercise, perhaps, a little common sense, but otherwise OBEY your calling and come.     SURELY God will walk with you.

I HAVE, OVER SOME TIME NOW, been noticing a lot of Huff and Puff about anti-Semitism in a number of European States - especially recently in my own land of England and the U.K. generally.  My  adopted father hated Jews.     He was the son of a Methodist preacher.     HardIy a day would go by with him, without we would all be treated to a mini lecture about Jews.     I hated it from the first time.   I hated it because it was so unreasonable, and for some reason because my spirit rebelled against it.      I have understood why as I have grown in years, and in the knowledge of God Himself.

I believe TODAY that Israel and the Jewish People may not be for ever right, but non the less they are there as a SIGN to and for the rest of the world.     We should keep a good eye on what is happening in Israel and with Jerusalem.     I DO BELIEVE THESE ARE THE LAST DAYS of the last generation.

And I believe we may be seeing the Jewish People worldwide being nudged BACK to Israel from all the corners of the world.      It is a SIGN, and we should be aware of it.      I read a very good article on this on the Internet today.      It is entitled EVIDENCE UNSEEN - The Regathering of Israel.     If can find it I recommend you READ it.

I read this week that 'Nearly half of Britons hold anti-Semitic views.'    Again that ' 50% of British Jews felt that the current climate was like that of the 1930s.'     A growing number were considering leaving the UK and heading for Israel instead.       A similar outlook was growing in France, Germany and other European Countries.      This is, at the least, very interesting.     It should be noted, and we should keep a watch.

It should also be noted that there are widely differing views, in the Church,  about Israel and even about Jerusalem.   I guess we should also note that how we interpret and understand the Word of God is differing as well.     Surely these ARE the LAST DAYS.     Take care of yourselves as you in them!

TODAY IS A GLORIOUS 'SUMMER' day even though we have commenced our Winter Season.

Wonderful pure azure sky with not a cloud in sight,  and such a golden and pure light upon everything, the grass, flowers and trees, and even the buildings.     Absolutely glorious.     One of those HEAVENLY days when everything is positive and one can believe for anything.      It has been a good week generally, though I cannot say that our situation - that sent us to prayer - has yet changed.    However I think all of us were so Blessed during that Day, that we have all found our spirits lifted up so much that our faith has found itself again, and we are rejoicing.

TODAY is also very quite,      About two thirds of our Homes Staff - more than 35 - are away attending a funeral in Kitale a town about 80 kilometres north of us.     One of our senior office staff, Joel Edaria, lost his father last week, and he is to be buried to day in the afternoon.     We filled one of the School buses with members of his family, and Daryl and Esther and other Staff also drove up in one of the School mini-buses.

SO I am almost in sole possession save for the children.    A good many of THEM are swimming and enjoying the day splashing about.     One to the dentist!    One to University tomorrow as well.   Pray with us for the others waiting to rejoin the College courses.

God Bless you all, once again, and keep on praying with and for us.     Prayer is our strength.

Lovingly in Jesus our Lord and Saviour

John Esther and Daryl Green

 

LET OUR CRY COME UP TO YOU, O LORD!

ON THURSDAY Testimony Faith Homes came together to PRAY, and to 'Storm the Gates of Heaven' in the midst of severe NEED, and attack from the Enemy.     More than 150 of us altogether - and even some teachers from the School although they were all supposed to be away on holiday.    A crowded, and Spirit filled atmosphere in which we all felt the Presence of God.      We began by presenting ourselves in front of our Lord, asking him to convict us of un-dealt with sin, and to beg for Cleansing and Forgiveness.      So many found themselves in need and almost the entire morning time was devoted to this exercise, and Jesus, by His Holy Spirit, ministered to many of us.      A number of our elder young people were also blessed, and it was so encouraging to see so many from the four Homes willing to be with us, since the entire day was voluntary and no one was 'pressed' to attend.     But Esther, myself, and Daryl plus ALL those working in the Orphanage side of TFH (the School was on holiday) did in fact attend, together with many friends from the locality.
Truly the LORD spoke to us all, and we can say that at the conclusion we felt assured that God had heard and would indeed answer us.
We want to thank ALL those of our friends, and TFH Family members, that being unable to attend DID in fact remember us, and joined us in prayer.     We surely FELT your support and concern.
At the end of our time together Esther shared the memory of another time when we were waiting upon God.
We only had ONE Home then and 40 kids.  Only one other staff member apart from ourselves.   This was in May 1974  -  I quote from the Dairy here just in order to point out we have been in need often, even from the onset of the ministry, and God always proved His ability to take care of us.

'No money to hand today.  We are in fact over-drawn at the Bank.  Salaries unpaid and a whole pile of Bills needing payment.   Drove down with Esther to the Post-office in the afternoon to see what might have arrived for us.    I left Esther in the car whilst I went to check the Box - Nothing there - the Box was dust-free empty!       I went a little dejectedly back to the car.   I had just settled in the driving seat, making to drive off; both of us feeling quite low.      Suddenly there was a tapping at Esther's window - a European lady was standing there.     Esther wound down her window...
"Excuse me" said the lady "but are you by any chance Mr. and Mrs. Green from Testimony Faith Homes?"
We had no idea who she might be and could not remember ever seeing her before.
"Well I just thought it might be you, and I was intending to drive up to your
place, and now I shall be saved from the bother.    I have been given this for you.."   and she shoved an envelope through the window and was gone!       Esther opened the envelope and found Five hundred Kenya Shillings inside!   (In those days it was equivalent to about forty pounds sterling)   Both of just stared at it - tears welling up in our eyes - we had been at such a LOSS, and now here we were with enough to cover ALL our pressing bills and expenses."

We never saw the lady again - she could could have been an angel!      You might wonder how we could have been in such a state of mind and heart over Forty Pounds - almost nothing compared to the daily need now, almost fifty years later, of course, but at the time it felt as GREAT a load of care - if not greater.      Thanks for YOUR encouragement today - at the time related above we had no one at hand to whisper a word to us.

YES, and here we are still because God has always been there for us, and will be there of course.   How weak is our flesh, AND our faith.    We have been glad of an infusion of that faith, and Assurance that all will be well yet again, and the Testimony of this place and of God the more embellished.

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ON WEDNESDAY 15th April,  we celebrated our son James (Manu's) 31st Birthday.    He works for the Moi Referral & Teaching Hospital on the administrative side of things.      It so happened he had a few days leave so he was able to not only come to supper but also spend a few days with us.     Here are a few photos.      The first shows Mum Esther doing her best to light the candles on the Birthday cake - we only had four!  - Manu sitting in the armchair nearby.     The venue is Green Cottage of course, quite unchanged since it was built in 1998.     It has been tradition for us to celebrate birthdays with cake and fellowship.  Even in the Children's Homes this is the case.

The second photo shows Manu himself blowing the candles out!     The day caught him back with an Afro style hair-do.     After a while it will go and give way to a more standard short hair cut.    It goes in cycles.  

He came one with us to the U.K. in 1994; he was ten years old then.     Of all the boys in our family he has perhaps loved home most.     A real 'home-bird' ever dropping in to see us and share a word or two.  We have appreciated him.

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TECHNICALLY Kenya is at WAR!      Most of you will know that the terrorist group known as Al Shabaab based in Somalia have been mounting attacks against Kenya, blowing up shopping malls in Nairobi, and lately attacking a university killing more than a hundred and fifty.   It is being said that maybe another 200 are missing after the attack, and may have been taken prisoner.      Of course the people are beginning to be jumpy in the Mombasa and Nairobi areas.

YESTERDAY, Friday I received this Message on my cell phone.

'We are informed that there is a security alert in Eldoret - a bad one!   Foreign Nationals have been evacuated from the MTRH and Indiana University House and elsewhere.   We advise any foreign national especially to stay away from shopping malls and the TOWN'

THIS KIND OF THING is not good news for an edgy populace.      Muslims have lived together with other people of all nationalities for years in peace and good will, but now non Muslims are no longer sure of their safety in their own Country.      This state of affairs is very distressing, especially for those Muslims who are not motivated by violence and politician fanaticism.        There is also that element found in many places where the situation is fanned and made worse by 'messages' as I have quoted.        People are nervous.

NOTHING has been seen to confirm that there is any danger in our area.     All remains peaceful.   BUT keep in prayer for us all in this region of Kenya.      So far, since 2007, we have had only peace and calm here, but many are believing that Al Shabaab will soon reach out to this area in an effort to emphasise that there is no place within Kenya they cannot and will not reach.     PEACE has all but gone from this world.

TOMORROW is the Lord's Day, and we shall once again find ourselves all together worshipping His Name and listening to His Word.    Remember us, and we shall be remembering all of you - that the Hand of the Lord will be able to sustain us and keep us faithful in the week to come.

God Bless and be with you in Kindness, and gentleness, no matter what man may do to you.

With our Love in Him

John, Esther and Daryl Green

TIME GONE BY!

DAVID BROOK, another dear friend from Huddersfield in England, taken here with myself and Esther plus granddaughter Abigail, all in front of our fireplace in Green Cottage yesterday.     David had only been with us a couple of days, as part of a whistle-stop visit to Kenya to update himself on old times.    David had taught in Alliance Girls School for a big chunk of his life from 1969, and We had got to know him during that time, and have remained friends ever since.  David was also able to roam around and take a look at the new Jacaranda that is still being built.      The exterior has not changed a lot since our last photos, but now the Window Grills are going in, and work on the interior flooring, plastering and ceilings are progressing.      Not very revealing or impressive to see.    The first of our photo's below catch a few of our boys helping to landscape the surrounding ground.       Not sure they are helping a great deal, but some of the older ones at least may do better.       THEN we see views of various rooms inside where work is continuing.   The Sitting room/diner, a fairly large open plan room preparing for the installation of its ceiling.    A dormitory in the midst of having the flooring put down - we expect floors to be of Terrazzo throughout, and another where plastering is complete.

Now that the house itself is up and visible, everything seems to have slowed down. But of course the work is going on well and according to the Time-table so far.   However, as I may have mentioned before the Terrazzo flooring may slow things a little, so that we think the actual MOVE INTO THE house might not take place finally until the first or second week of May.       The real blessing is that the RAINS held off as long as they did, and thus saved the timber for the roof, rafters and ceilings from getting wet.     The rest of the work  Isalso assured of being in the dry, though perhaps a little in the gloom as the days will be cloudier and thus darker.    All in all everything seems to have gone very smoothly indeed.     BUT with the April School Holiday now in progress AND the rains Jacaranda Compound as a whole may be rather muddier than usual and the children more difficult to contain and entertain for the next four weeks.

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Daryl Green

ON FRIDAY 27TH MARCH, TFH had its first Quarterly Board Meeting of the current year.     On my recommendation, they APPOINTED a new General Secretary to take care of all the clerical work adhering to the administration of TFH.   He is currently our Estates Manager, Moses Githambothi.    He is not far from Daryl in age, and the Board Members felt they could work well together.   He will be on trial for a period of some six months.       To effect this I finally stood down from being 'Acting' Secretary, and Daryl's official watchdog.    I had felt that Daryl had been too long being ; nannied' and needed the chance to truly take over as Director, and to begin to be seen as such without being overshadowed by me.

The Board felt this was good and right.      I shall, with Esther, continue to sit on the Board, and of course we will remain resident in Green Cottage, learning, hopefully, how to grow old gracefully!!      Outside of the 'offical' situation we hope to keep up to date with events, through our normal relationship as family together, for although Daryl lives with his family in a home of his own about a kilometre outside of this compound, we see him every day!

When Esther and I married, and came together into this ministry, we had prayed and sought the Lord on how it would be - I mean how would it work out in practise.   Would we live in with the children...would we live away from them .....and so on.        We felt the Lord wanted us to BE a family, and that we should live with them (those He brought to us) as if we truly were their parents, and see them through till they could find work and Independence - however long it might take - as we would for our very own.    For 28 years that is what we did, having a pretty constant family over the years of some 40 children, boys and girls together with ourselves, ONE self contained family with our own kids.     This was the pattern for every new Home that came to be over the years, THREE more in all.    More than 300 children have come, grown, up and gone in this way, many of them well over eighteen years and into their twenties.   Only after they had finished their education and training, and found employment did any of them leave.

THE GOVERNMENT has been saying for a couple of years that this should be discontinued as far as those over 18 are concerned in residential children's homes.     They are trying to insist that over 18's be moved on to another site, hostel or rented accommodation.       This has not worked out too well where already tried, and more than TWO independent Kenyan sociological Reports have found this practise to be damaging to the young person.    The sudden repetition of being wrenched from a secure situation in the midst of their higher education, often also from a sense of community and family, causing further trauma and sense of loss.    This encourages drug and alcoholic addiction and loss of focus in life.

TFH has so far held out against complying with this.

However, Daryl feels that we should be careful not to find ourselves opposing too strongly Government directives.

THIS WEEK, he has shared with all OUR 18s and over, that by the end of the year they should have found alternatives places to stay, even if TFH assists with their continued Educational Costs and even housekeeping.     It came as rather a shock to some!    Currently TFH has more than 30 that this news applies to, and ALL of them still in High School or College.        It is a CHANGE that takes TFH into a new ideal.

It strikes at the root of our initial desire - to build a family, one that would replace the ideal home, and family that had been somehow lost by those needing it.     It may have been a little too ambitious a dream, but we felt it was led of God's Spirit of Love and Care.     This change will take us just a little further away and nearer to an institutional concept.         Well we shall pray and wait on events.     

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IN THE BEGINNING the LORD also spoke to Esther and me, confirming that He would be our Provider, and that as such we need not apply to Man for our provision but to Him only - based on Matthew 6v6.   This we managed to continue.         In the last two years we have seen considerable reduction in our needed income.     We have eaten, we have been able to clothe and educate ALL the children.     But standards have dropped and there have been frequent times when we were unable to meet our commitments so that NOW there is a considerable Debt over and above our Daily Bread.    Nothing has changed in our Faith, or in the way we run.      We could site many financial and worldly reasons why this may have happened, and is also happening to others.      But none of them can finally find credence since we KNOW that God is Faithful and DOES and WILL ALWAYS keep His word.       BUT we have found it harder to keep at bey the feelings of those who wonder if God is saying that we should 'move' and find a new way at seeing things financially.       This has happened before!     This is not the first time we have been challenged.    We are still here - finally, 'flour and the oil' never actually ran out!         Nevertheless it is a matter of considerable moment - and thus I came across the Hymn below by John H Sammis who also wrote 'Trust & Obey'.

John H. Sammis

Why should I charge my soul with care?

The wealth of every mine

Belongs to Christ, God's Son and Heir,

And He's a Friend of mine .

Yes, He's a friend of mine,

and He, with me, doth all things share

Since all is Christs, and Christ is mine,

Why should I have a care?

For Jesus is a friend of mine.

Esther and I came across this in the Redemption Hymnal No.481 one morning in our staff prayer meeting - just recently.    We did not know the tune, so we just read it out loud together.   SUCH a Blessing!  Such an UP lift.!!       We do not ask, dear friends, for funds, but please PRAY with us, and with that prayer strengthen are uplifted arms.      We KNOW in whom we have believed, and we have no doubt about it. Nevertheless we know the Enemy also, and we know his determination it to deflect our faith, to weaken it if he can.   We are challenged by this challenge.     The Testimony of TFH is challenged.      Daryl is challenged.

TODAY the sun is shining.    A beautiful day.     We commend it to YOU, and pray that ALL your days will be made 'beautiful' by Jesus walking in and with you.   Keep ALERT!    Be ever ready in heart and mind for His Coming Again.

Lovingly in Him, and in the Battle

John Esther and Daryl Green

THE LORD OUR PASSOVER HAS REDEEMED US

HERE WE ARE IN THE MIDST OF EASTER, once again.   As usual we began to Remember and Enter In, on Thursday, the evening before the Crucifixion.    This painting is one my favourites.    WE could not emulate the Upper Room, but we could put as many round our family tables to celebrate Passover, as Jesus and the Disciples did that evening.   I often wonder if any of them really had seen through it all, and were prepared for what Jesus wanted to reveal so graphically to them all.     He had told them how much He had wanted to celebrate THIS particular Passover with them - but had they yet grasped WHY?     And then in the midst of the Meal He had taken Bread, and Blessing it, handed it round to the others, saying to them ' This is My body, broken for you, take and eat in affectionate remembrance of me..     And then perhaps a little later he had taken the Cup, and also Blessing it, had passed it on to the disciples saying - 'This is Cup is the new testament or covenant (ratified) in My blood which is shed, poured out for you.   Do this as often as you want, in affectionate remembrance of me.'
DID they realise THEN that it was JESUS who was to be their true Passover Lamb.     After three years of  being with Him, the disciples were still quite a mixed bunch.   They were not especially bright, spiritually either!    Judas was still one of them.   Some were still concerned about their own standing and importance...and even Peter's mind, and believing in Whom Jesus was, had little or no idea of HOW  Jesus would come to govern Israel;   still inward looking as a Jew.

WELL it was very much the same around our five tables this past Thursday.     Young and Old we were, and are still, looking through a glass darkly - about ourselves, our loved ones, and the world at large.   YET we DID feel and realise His Presence amongst us.      We also shared the Bread and the Cup, and Sang a hymn, and continued in fellowship with each other in prayer.     Many were distinctly moved within themselves.
THE NEXT DAY we again met - this time all together - in the School Hall for a Family Remembrance of His suffering and death for our sakes.       And then - for those who entering in - a sense of loss, and even more the  realisation of what it cost to save 'my' life - each one of our lives, came across all

In the midst of all this one of our 14 year old boys from Tyndale Cottage was found to have run away with a small sack full of school text books - for the second time.    Very sad when something happens like this.  He has been with us six years....!           AND the RAINS began.      It rained almost all of last night, heavily, and today it is continuing.   We Praise God for this relief.    And also a little news of a small relief for our more material needs now on the way to us.     How wonderfully Faithful our Father in Heaven IS, though He knows how to teach patience, and to help to also learn how to let patience have its perfect way in us.   
AND NOW we look in SUNDAY and anticipate once again the MIRACLE of His Resurrection.    UP from the Grave He AROSE,    Yes indeed He DID, to live WITH us and walk with us through this life, making us ready for the NEXT.       Oh HALLELUJAH!   This is the REAL JOY of Easter - His Victory for us over Sin and DEATH.

ESTHER AND I, plus Hellen and Abigail (now 1 year old) are all fine.     Even Manu is well, and has been spending the week-end with us.    And DARYL is also fine.    Our Board met on 27th March and he was felt to have proved himself  able to be finally established as my successor without any further supervision by me.      I think this was a proper move, and leaves him quite free to put his own stamp on the work as he walks on with God.

Green Cottage is ours for the duration of our lives so we shall remain within reach of everyone without having to intrude on office management or administration.       I shall be glad of  more time to study and even perhaps to do more writing.     Esther is still continuing with her School Supervision of the Teaching Staff - though a little less demanding than last year.      This is our 43rd Easter together since we married in August 1971.      We are content and glad in the Lord.   I especially have felt ready to let go of the day to day responsibility of running TFH, and it is an enormous relief to know some one else is there at the helm with Jesus.
Hope you will pray for him the more.     Our prayers reach out to you all, trusting that in Jesus you will all be Blessed and filled with His Peace.

Lovingly in Him

John, Esther and Daryl Green