NO WATER IN THE RIVER!
NO WATER IN ELDORET EITHER! The Water Department cut off the supply yesterday, and have said that they will be unable to turn the supply back on until the RAINS - already a month late and believed to have 'FAILED' - return. Some are predicting this may not happen till October.
This situation has been building up for a number of years, and cannot be said to be in any way un-expected! One reason is given as the 'Population Explosion' to well over a million in less than a decade. But the REAL reason has been the destruction of the Forests in our catchment area - and in particular the Kaptagat Forest.
Almost ALL the Forest has vanished in the last twenty years - most of it cut down and never replanted. Saw- millers, Industry AND even others who have ROBBED the Forest on a small scale - such as the man on the right, pedalling away as fast he, precariously, can with his illicit load of stolen timber. He will sell it as firewood.
When we first arrived in Eldoret Kaptagat Forest was still fairly well preserved, but soon it became evident that inroads were being made to meet the demand for PAPER in the area. In the 1980's President Moi led a campaign to PLANT more trees which was well supported for while, and then it seemed to be forgotten, and abandoned. Esther and I had not found ourselves in the Forest area for some years now, but on May 8th a dear friends took us to see a piece of land he had purchased over-looking Kerio Valley, and we had to pass through the Kaptagat area. We were stunned to discover the Forest had vanished, except for a few scrubby bushes. People were building home-steads, and even shanty shops, where trees had stood - it was a truly devastating scenario - and with little immediate hope of change. The effect of this seems now to be climaxing in the withdrawal of the RAINS. And the same is happening in many other places in Kenya, as for example in the Mara Game Park. The Mara River is also drying out and turning the Park to dust. This will ultimately mean that the Wild Life in the Park will also finally die off, or move away. Some species could become extinct. None of this bodes well for the future. Our once beautiful and abundant land is stricken and dying.
The light clouds race quickly from this scene of
destruction. the once enticing canopy of green-ery cut down, and the protected ground beneath, laid bare to sun and wind, now turned to dust and desolation.
No birds singing here. No whispering of God's breath among the countless rustlings of the breeze blown leaves upon the branches ........NO, but unless Man steps in to lift a restraining hand, ready to replant and nurture NEW trees in place of every ONE cut down, then the very memory of them will be forgotten, and even the homes greedily and thoughtlessly built in their place upon the usurped land, will themselves fall into ruin and lifelessness; for there will, be NO LIFE GIVING RAIN to replenish what has gone - and the DESERT will have come.
THIS MORNING, I got up to find 200 Boarders from our School all queued up on the lawn in front of Green Cottage, each with a large plastic bucket, waiting to fill it with water from a single tap placed there, and return to their dorms to wash and so on! Two hundred of them - and the MIRACLE was that there was WATER gushing from the tap - although officially all water had been TURNED OFF. Even the Water Tank in our Cottage was filled up! As the last child filled her bucket, the Tap dried up, and no further drop of water has been seen to flow from it ever since. There IS no water to be seen anywhere. What shall we do? We wait upon the LORD. He watches over us, and our situation. We are content.
Our Love in Jesus to you all, and our heartfelt thanks for your prayers, and also for support just received via AENON.
God Bless and Keep you safe and confident, no matter what may confront you'
John, Esther, and Daryl Green
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| Kaptagat Forest - that WAS! |
Almost ALL the Forest has vanished in the last twenty years - most of it cut down and never replanted. Saw- millers, Industry AND even others who have ROBBED the Forest on a small scale - such as the man on the right, pedalling away as fast he, precariously, can with his illicit load of stolen timber. He will sell it as firewood.When we first arrived in Eldoret Kaptagat Forest was still fairly well preserved, but soon it became evident that inroads were being made to meet the demand for PAPER in the area. In the 1980's President Moi led a campaign to PLANT more trees which was well supported for while, and then it seemed to be forgotten, and abandoned. Esther and I had not found ourselves in the Forest area for some years now, but on May 8th a dear friends took us to see a piece of land he had purchased over-looking Kerio Valley, and we had to pass through the Kaptagat area. We were stunned to discover the Forest had vanished, except for a few scrubby bushes. People were building home-steads, and even shanty shops, where trees had stood - it was a truly devastating scenario - and with little immediate hope of change. The effect of this seems now to be climaxing in the withdrawal of the RAINS. And the same is happening in many other places in Kenya, as for example in the Mara Game Park. The Mara River is also drying out and turning the Park to dust. This will ultimately mean that the Wild Life in the Park will also finally die off, or move away. Some species could become extinct. None of this bodes well for the future. Our once beautiful and abundant land is stricken and dying.
BIG ANXIETY growing daily, as the REAL aspect of DROUGHT begins to manifest itself. A lot of self reproach for letting such a situation be ignored for so long - a great increase in prayers.......! The whole Nation needs RAIN, and I am sure the Traditional 'Rain Makers' will already be crying out to their own gods....... Reminds one of the Prophet Elijah, in the midst of another drought, on Mt. Carmel calling the prophets of Baal, and of the Lord, to assembly. In the story, as it is told in 2. Kings 18 (the whole chapter) It was Elijah's calm, extravagant Faith in God that won the day. The noisy, frenzied prophets of Baal, for all their shouting at the heavens, failed to provide the slightest evidence that God had heard them. The Fire of God replied to Elijah's Faith, and the Drought was broken, and RAIN, in abundance came. So let it be O Lord, our God, and so let Man stand in AWE and give Thanks to You alone.
HERE ARE A FEW MORE VIEWS of our ravaged Forest.....How savagely hewn down, their stumps forlornly left, brutally bereft of their glory. All this done at speed, without regard for what is left behind; a smoke filled emptiness, raped of its once quiet and innocent patience in serving the purpose given it by God. No longer will the Rain hear it's voice calling it to water the surrounding Earth. No longer a safe oasis of kindness to the birds and other creatures that rested and nested safely within its branches.
destruction. the once enticing canopy of green-ery cut down, and the protected ground beneath, laid bare to sun and wind, now turned to dust and desolation.
No birds singing here. No whispering of God's breath among the countless rustlings of the breeze blown leaves upon the branches ........NO, but unless Man steps in to lift a restraining hand, ready to replant and nurture NEW trees in place of every ONE cut down, then the very memory of them will be forgotten, and even the homes greedily and thoughtlessly built in their place upon the usurped land, will themselves fall into ruin and lifelessness; for there will, be NO LIFE GIVING RAIN to replenish what has gone - and the DESERT will have come.
THIS MORNING, I got up to find 200 Boarders from our School all queued up on the lawn in front of Green Cottage, each with a large plastic bucket, waiting to fill it with water from a single tap placed there, and return to their dorms to wash and so on! Two hundred of them - and the MIRACLE was that there was WATER gushing from the tap - although officially all water had been TURNED OFF. Even the Water Tank in our Cottage was filled up! As the last child filled her bucket, the Tap dried up, and no further drop of water has been seen to flow from it ever since. There IS no water to be seen anywhere. What shall we do? We wait upon the LORD. He watches over us, and our situation. We are content.
Our Love in Jesus to you all, and our heartfelt thanks for your prayers, and also for support just received via AENON.
God Bless and Keep you safe and confident, no matter what may confront you'
John, Esther, and Daryl Green
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