LAST SUNDAY WAS OUR BAPTISM SUNDAY. Our usual practice is to have our normal morning Service, and thereafter we all go the School Swimming Pool, quite near, for Baptism. On this occasion we Baptised two from Australia and five from among ourselvers...................................................
The WEATHER was very cold, as it had been for more than a week, and the Pool water was FREEZING! Michael Potter from Australia was preaching and later also assisted, together with one of our old boys ( a Pastor of a Church in Eldoret), Christopher Kipkosgei. I was not so well on that Sunday, and was unable to attend. Esther was there and, of course, all our staff, and children from the Homes, and from Tyndale Team, as well as some other members of our Fellowship. The sun shone. God was glorified, as His Praises and Thanks-givings were poured out. A wonderful occasion.On Monday Tyndale Team tidied up and finished their works both for us and Neema Homes, and began to pack, ready for their departure back to Australia as from Wednesday morning. Their time with us passed so quickly we could hardly believe the day for them to leave had actually come!
On TUESDAY evening, the Team invited all the houseparents including me and Esther to have a Farewell Supper with them at an outside venue. We were presented with momentos of their visit, and many of the students on the team and also staff shared how they felt about their time with us. Some of us also shared, and all in all it was a great time. But after all we expect to see at least some of them back next year! We have missed them all already though!
All of these extra happenings come in the midst of daily life, and other matters that crop up between the ordinary routine of daily life. This last week we have had to see a NEW accounts clerk take his place on our staff. His name is Daniel Natto. He and I, for the next five months or so, share an office. He is well qualified, and good company. LESS happily we have had to see another member of our staff laid off due to serious pilfering of animal foodstuffs, and even animal products generated from the Poultry Project, and even the Dairy. Very, very sad, since on the surface the offender appeared hard working, and honest.
Their son Jesse was also with us from Nairobi, and so we also remembered his 19th Birthday which happened in his absence in May. It was a nice time, and generated a good photo as well. We do not always have chance to be all together either with our UK or even Kenyan family members. But its always GREAT when it happens, We managed cakes for both J and B, and enjoyed blowing the candles out and sharing the eating. Even the majority of those who have lived with us remember the little 'family' things we used to do and shared together. When they visit these always get mentioned and remembered, and indeed they have carried these memories and moments into their own family life. We did many things together in our parenting days. Played board games together, went for walk together, sat on the porch and talked together.
TV was a loser compared to the the comfortable commaradie of just living as a family, and knowing each other. NOT so easy these days here. School homework and other tasks have gobbled up a lot of spare time AND television has also increased its temptations so that its firm control tends to be an increasing challenge that parents find difficult to stand up to. BUT we are also aware that if we seem to be losing "family' it is for US to find it again, and to devise ways to hang on to it.
STEVEN phoned us late evening to say Happy Birthday to Becky, and WE phoned Elisabeth to wish her and Prem a Happy Anniversary and to also say Happy Birthday to our grandson John Finney. So in the end although 'at a distance' we were all hooked up by phone to each other - except for Michael and Janet.
THEN we managed, just before everyone went their way, to also get a Family Photo, just as a reminder that we CAN all manage to get together Once in a While.
...............Back again by 4..45p.m.. The Guest of honour spoke for forty five minutes during the afternoon Prize Giving. He was more of a lecturer,and rather repetitive. It was a good day generally and well attended as expected by parents - even though it rained heavily in the afternoon. But in the afternoon it was dry and even sunny. The Guest of Honour was on time, and arrived with his wife, AND - surprise, surprise - also with Mark Ouma who was with us in the early 70s. He chose education as his future, first becoming teacher, and later Headmaster, and an Education Officer. He is now retired, but still teaching. It was so very nice to see him. He currently teaches in one of the Private School owned by the Guest of Honour, Engineer Charles Ochome, who is also the National General Secretary of Kenya's Private School Association.
The actual Prize Giving was continuing when I left, and may yet go until about 5,30p.m. A long day. And NOW I have to fit in some photos if I can. .........................I had hoped to also include a few photos but the photos were run away with by the photographer - so will have to include them next week.
I have almost finished an Update, and hope to send it out early in the week ahead. God Bless and be with you.
John, Esther and Daryl Green
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