THIS LAST WEEK, and commencing on Tuesday the 8th August, Kenya went to the Polls to vote in a President, and a whole lot of others, including County Governors, Senators, Congressmen, and so on. The Voting went off quietly, but thereafter, as counting went on over the next four days, rumours of foul play, incidents of unrest, and a growing apprehension began to grip the people. The media poured out a pot-pour of conjecture, opinion, rumour, and general gap filling and often meaningless, words. Confusion increased.
We began to receive calls asking if all was well with us in Eldoret - International news media had begun to report and even show visible evidence that Kenya was once more falling into violence and political confusion. We were shocked! At that time, (the day after the Voting) we had seen and heard nothing ourselves, Eldoret was as peaceful as could be, and life went on.
The PRESS just delightedly seized on anything that could increase their days circulation by proclaiming whatever might encourage MORE
public outrage. In doing this they also managed to depict a very wrong image of Kenya and the Kenyan. They took an opportunity to degrade Africa and the African in fact, though, of course, they would defend themselves as merely documenting the 'truth'. But, as Pilate asked ' WHAT IS TRUTH?' Very hard to find it on Earth.The two photographs to the left were displayed in the American and British Papers. They do not reveal the Kenyan as he truly is, nor did they reveal the national spirit or condition of the Kenyan people generally across the State. We should all be very much aware that what we are told and induced to believe by so call visual truth, is very much presented to us from the viewpoint and personal perspective of a VERY small minority among us as a world society; and it is not always the TRUTH. Woe unto us, gullible as we all are!
WHEN I WAS A KID I learned what is today known as 'The Lord's Prayer', though in fact Jesus only taught us the necessary content for our prayers. It was a 'Receipe' if you like, and still is. It was not meant as a 'short-cut' to God; an escape from putting into our own words our thoughts and feelings about our life and situation in detail to a God is walking with us day by day. JESUS recommended that WHEN / IF we pray we should begin with 'OUR FATHER who is in Heaven, Hallowed be your Name...' God must always COME FIRST, and with the understanding that He is over all - in Heaven - and that He wants us to be as close to Him as a child to its father, - and that we should venerate His Name - his fatherhood. All that is first to be in mind when we begin to pray, to talk with HIM.
THEN '...Your Kingdom come, Your Will be done, on earth, as it is in heaven..........' I will go no further that this. We are to seek for God's Kingdom, His Rule and Authority, and Way of Life, to come to us here on Earth, just as it IS in Heaven. Certainly it is a long way from happening as of now. AS I BEGAN BY SAYING, we find it SO difficult just to order the way we speak to each other, and to control our tongue - mainly because, regretfully, our mind and imagination is so often set on fire of Hell due to our selfish, jealous, and petty mindedness - and dare I say it again, our LOVE for each other, including our so called enemies. Even those of us all who call ourselves 'Christian'! James 3v1-18
THE 2017 KENYAN ELECTION IS OVER. Our President, Mr. Uhuru Kenyatta was returned to Office with a sizeable majority at the conclusion of four days of discomfort brought on from the determination of the Organisers not to bow to public impatience and rumour mongering, and to WAIT till all the Votes were finally in, counted and confirmed according the the laws laid down, BEFORE making any final Announcement as to the TRUE result. LAST NIGHT at a fitting ceremony the Appointed Commissioneers and the Returning Officer delivered the final result, It was done with appropriately serious and proper presentation, seemingly restoring faith in the growth and maturity of Kenya politically, and giving hope for the future. Still a long way to go, if one looks at the political imperfections of the rest of the world. ALL generally proceeding without God in mind.
AND OF COURSE, as has been mentioned repeatedly over the last 48 hours, there are always Winners AND Losers in any race or competition.
The Hon. Mr. Kenyatta was obviously glad to be re-elected as our President. In the photo he is seen holding his Certificate of Registration, with a new mandate for a further five years to lead and steer the Country. He garnered more than 8 million votes;more than a million more than his closest contender for office Hon. Raila Odinga. Mr. Oginga is 72 and it is unlikely he will stand again in five years time. This was his fifth attempt, and in failing to win, he will be a very disappointed man, as the photo I have of him here shows.
There has been a lively and often very bitter rivalry between the two. Accusations against each other from both sides have shown little or no Christian Grace, though both would claim to be Christian, and in losing perhaps the bitterness may continue. Mr. Odinga garnered almost 7 million votes. His followers, for himself and Party, are many. Not such a close and unpleasant result as Theresa May's in the UK recently, but nevertheless one has to see that the Country has been divided. AND there is a huge number, going into millions of young people under 18, milling about unemployed and many also uneducated, who although without a vote could be used dangerously if they were encouraged to stand against the new government. BUT Kenyans themselves, as I have also many time said before, are not seeking political upheaval, civil strife, or war. They are really a peace loving people who look for peaceful ways forward. YET there may be retaliations against the Election Result. You may hear more of so called unrest. ELDORET remains peaceful. Daryl and I were in town shopping yesterday, and today life goes on..........at least for the time being..
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YESTERDAY I was visiting Testimony House, and was shown one of the bedrooms where the floor had caved in. The floor had been replaced a year or so ago, but it seems the timber used had not been treated against ANTS - and the entire house is built over a mega colony of them! About a third of the bedroom floor has been eaten completely away. We how have to go in and attack the ants in that area, and then relay the floor with treated timber OR perhaps put in a concrete floor. We shall see. It is an old house as we have shared before, and it is a miracle it has lasted as long as it has without actually falling apart. We think, in the main, it is the ANTS that hold it all together actually, AND the fact that the original timbers are all IRON WOOD which is SO hard that even the jaws of ants are unable to chew it..
The weather has been colder since August began, and a lot more rain too. The skies are mainly full of heavy cloud and everywhere looks grey and chilly. Even the birds have flown off to some warmer place so the compound is that much quieter. The kids mainly indoors as well. Well I guess it IS winter here and the August holiday is usually the dullest one. But we are all well, and in good spirits.
WE thank you all for your care of us and for watching our on behalf of us. We thank you for praying for Kenya through this Election week, and for bringing us though to peace. As always please receive of our Love in Jesus
John, Esther and Daryl Green
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