Saturday 31 December 2016

THE SANDS OF TIME ARE RUNNING OUT

THE HOURS AND MINUTES ARE TICKING AWAY the last of 2016 as we await to 'Jump' into 2017.     And as we do so our thoughts continually hark back over the year, and to all the Wonderful ways in which we, here in TFH,  have been loved and cared for by all of you - all the ;Family' that we have been joined to in Jesus.    Bless you ALL and make THIS NEW YEAR especially memorable and a 'bench mark' for all that is to come.    WE are on tip-to watching and praying for His 2nd Advent!    Be Expectant!!

Please forgive me for not blogging last week!
Christmas just overwhelmed me, and time and opportunity to sit down at the computer just vanished!
We had a marvellous Christmas, and were Blessed.     NOW, this evening, as we will wait up to midnight together, each home, including Green Cottage, will be removing the decorations, so that we can enter 2017 quite free of the trappings of the year behind us.    There will be lemonade and soda, and the crackle of crisps as we fellowship together.  Then at the stroke of midnight everyone will converge on Testimony House with shouts of JOY, and all the sirens and hooters in the entire town will begin to scream and wail with both Farewell and Welcome for the Old and Passing Year, and the Coming and expectant NEW.     May God go with us all, with courage, faith, and JOY, as we realise He is with us, and with us to SAVE us from all fear and anxiety, known and unknown.    GLORY be to GOD on High!

HERE is a cutting from the British Newspaper printed in April 1917, ONE HUNDRED YEARS ago,announcing the United States decision to enter the Great (or 1st) World War that had begun in 1914, becoming a partner with the United Kingdom of Great Britain.  The World was in a state of serious unrest, conflict and insecurity which continued through the whole of 1917.    This War, though called the GREAT War, and thought to be the War to end all wars,  was in fact to see an even WORSE and greater war open up 23 years later.    Even then the world continued to see MORE wars, and there is talk and whispers even in our day that a 3rd World World could be just around the corner.     All over the planet men and women feel insecure and ill at ease.   Tonight, around the world there will riotous,exhilarated hilarity and merrymaking as this New Year is welcomed in.    Millions will be awash with strong spirits of alchol seeking to FORCE themselves into a state of delusions happiness, wilfully shoving aside the spectre of what may be coming upon them.    Let us beware of making ourselves happy, whilst at the same time leaving ourselves off guard and unguarded; unprepared and unprotected for what is yet to come upon the earth.     (Thought you may be interested to see what 1917 British Soldier was waring then.   Very cumbersome and even somewhat stressful to the wearer.     The current soldier probably is more mobile and free - maybe even more encouraging to look at - either way soldiers die; are dying every day.    Let us not glory in war and killing.     What has it ever brought to our children and grandchildren?    Only the fear and threat of more war, more death and loss of life, more grief and sorrow.        We NEED the Prince of PEACE to come.     He who IS the only MAKER OF TRUE PEACE.     We need HIM to come soon.

TODAY we are once more WARNED that there is a water shortage in Eldoret, and that as from next week they will only be supplying water on Tuesdays and Fridays - just for a few hours !!
POWER & LIGHTING have also warned that due to lack of water in the rivers +++ they will also expect to cut of supplies / or ration / electricity since there is not enough water power to turn the turbines in the dams and so on....! Rather bleak news.     On the other hand last night we had two hours down pour at night!   But the Weather Department are sticking to their prediction that there will NO RAIN before April!!!      But God is not on their staff, so we may still believe He will act independently and SEND the rain - at least enough to see us through.    Pray with us - for TFH  and also for all the people of Eldoret.

ON TUESDAY NEXT WEEK  School and Colleges AND Universities will open.    We have been able to get TWO of our three university students off already, and for the rest we remain in prayer, knowing that He knows about each one of them.     TWO of our senior boys will be leaving the Homes also next week, having both found lodging and employment.     A good start.    We are greatly heartened because of them.          BUT the Government has decided this week that they have been marking Secondary Examinations in error and put a new system in place for the Examination just taken.    The initial Result has been that only 147 students have managed to attain A and some did not even attain a B.       WE did not have one A but a few Bs.        The Entrance requirement for University has been dropped to C+.      This has been a HUGE shock for everyone, and it is difficult to see exactly how the Ministry of Education are going to now proceed.     Poor students for they are the ones who are constantly having to grapple with new Government Policies that come to dislocate and generally disorientate the whole process of learning without any warning.     We ourselves may have to consider closing our own Secondary Department and just concentrate on Primary School for the time being - but no snap decisions; we shall patiently wait and see how the year will proceed educationally.    We shall need wisdom.

I shall be sending out Thank You notes for Christmas Gifts received Aenon, and others, together with the last Update of the Year.        Have a Wonderful awakening to a New Year.    We shall be praying by your sides all the way.    God Bless keep and undertake for you all.

Lovingly in the Name of Jesus

John, Esther, and Daryl Green

No comments: