LIVE IN THE LIGHT without a shadow of darkness

I PROMISED TO TRY AND CATCH THE PASTOR and HIS WIFE on camera, and so here they both are.     They are a Gift from the LORD to the whole work, and Esther and I are very glad and thankful to have them both so joyfully with us.     Jacinta and Mike KYALO.


INITIALLY I was a little startled to read this quote from Islam.    But of course it is true.
King DAVID, a man after God's own heart, is a case in point.     He loved and wanted God's approval more than his sinning, and thus was always brought to repentance when he slipped up.     A little bit of 'Light'?  Perhaps but not in any way ALL of it.    After all we should not get to the place of taking 'forgiveness' for granted.  We are told to turn away from sin altogether.


Thus the comment on the right hand.   Yet the hymn writer, Robert Robinson, 1735-1790 writes in the third verse of his hymn "Come Thou Fount of Every blessing',

'Prone (inclined) to wander Lord, I feel it,

Prone  to leave the God I love...  

God's Word teaches us that SIN lives in the Flesh.

It consistently refuses to give up tempting us to give in to it.

I believe Robertson expressed what he believed was the real experience of every man - only those who found a love for God would come to find the Answer, even as this same hymn goes on to say.

The Apostle Paul was in the same condition finally crying out in his frustration 'O wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me from the body of this death (his flesh).  Romans 7v24.    Then to demonstrate that LIGHT had come to him and concluding in verse 25 - 'I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord.'    JESUS sets the sinner free!

TOMORROW, I shall be sharing again at our Fellowship.     I hope to do my best in His Name to  speak on the need for Light Bringers in our darkening world.

I believe there are millions of souls all at sea in our present day and world; millions who would please the promptings of God within them, but are constantly confronted with myriad confusing thoughts and temptations that keep them running in the opposite direction.      Inwardly I believe their soul is crying out to be Rescued.

GOD understands this, and was the first to cry out in agony at our predicament, and the absence of any to go to open  their eyes.    And His Right Hand, The Word of God, said.   Father I will  go; SEND ME!     And so God, or Father, sent Him, and He came, the LIGHT of the WORLD, and said to those who followed him ' YOU are the Light of the world,  Don't hide that LIGHT (Knowledge)

GO into all the world and let it SHINE out of you.

AND, so the Hymn writer Charles Gabriel in 1890 wrote his Hymn ' SEND THE LIGHT '    - there are souls to rescue, there are souls to save.

Have you ever read these words in Proverbs 24v11-12

Deliver those who are drawn away to death,

and those who are tottering to the slaughter;

hold them back from their doom.

If you profess ignorance, and say we did not know this (this demand on us)

Does not He who weighs and ponders the heart, perceive and consider it?

And He Who guards your life, does He not know know it?

And shall He not render to you, and every man. according to his work?

These verses are usually meant to encourage us from ignoring the hurt or exploitation of the poor around us.    We often prefer not to see their condition.    BUT those who stand with and in God should be ever ready to step in and to DELIVER those worse off, and bearing a heavier load.   Yes, indeed it IS the Will of God that we should do so, and that even without any kind of partiality or judgement.

NOTICE THE PARABLE of the Good Samaritan found in the Gospel of Luke 10v30-37 - read it all slowly and thoughtfully.     The man, beaten up, robbed, and left to die, needed help.

Three men noticed him - they saw him - they even took in his condition, but did not stop but crossed the street, away from him, to avoid actually coming into contact with him.    ONLY THE SAMARITAN, a man himself despised by society, stopped, got down from his donkey and ministered to the man's need..    And then carried him to a place of safety and help, paying for it out of his own pocket, and later followed up to find out how he had recovered.

ALL THOSE who pretend they do not see what may be very plainly set in front of them, and who even take steps to AVOID seeing, bring judgement upon themselves, finally.   God knows what is in our heart - a callous selfishness that is unwilling to help the helpless - God sees AND takes note of it

PSALM 82 v4 underlines our need to get involved

'DELIVER the poor and needy

RESCUE them out of the hand of the wicked.

WE have news, we have the means to bind up hearts, and to set free those captive to their habits.  We who HAVE CHRIST IN US have LIGHT to dispel ignorance and to open  the door of life's prisons and even mental dungeons into true happiness dependent on nothing but the Goodness of God.  I MUST go and open up the GOOD NEWS.   I MUST - YOU must.

In 1. Peter 4v.2 it is written by the Apostle

'SO since Christ suffered in the flesh for US, for you and for me, arm yourselves with the same thought (mind) and purpose, (patiently to suffer rather than fail to please God)  For he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased with intentional sin, and stopped pleasing himself, and the world, and pleases GOD  -  so that he  can no longer spend the rest of his natural life living by his human appetites, and desires, but he lives for what God Wills / wants.

Give up pretending you do not KNOW this is what God Wants.

REMEMBER   - NOT EVERYONE who says Lord, Lord, will enter the Kingdom of Heaven

But only those who actually DO what God, our Father in Heaven, wants.  - Matthew 7v21

JESUS said

The fields (of the world) are white unto harvest (ready for bringing in)

BUT

the labourers are few

(This is not purely to the clergy, missionaries and Sunday School Teachers
it is for each and every Blood Bought Disciple of Christ.
WE are SENT to ILLUMINATE THE DARKNESS of men and women's minds
wherever we are, all the time,

IF WE DO NOT DO THIS
WE ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR THOSE WHO PERISH FOR LACK OF LIGHT.
We will at once be disowned by God, and made to account for it.

Have we turned our back on the perishing

Have we hidden our Light, the precious Gospel Light?

Dear Brothers and Sisters take the shade off your Light

Talk about your Saviour, be not ashamed of the Cross that bore your Salvation
Let the LIGHT, the Good News that is in you, BE SEEN

GOD BLESS you all, and keep you all sharp enough to cut through Satan's nets.        We were rescued today through the love of many showered upon us all by a word from AENON.     Our usual update and acknowledgment will soon be in the post

Love to each and every one

John, Esther and Daryl Green

A TIME TO WEEP - AND A TIME TO REJOICE!

OPPOSITE photo from last years Family Day of VINCENT Aluusa, our Chief of Maintenance for the Homes.    Vincent is perhaps the oldest member of our current Staff.   He was first of all a member of our Mechanics Course that began in '76, and he has even been a relief Houseparent at times,    He does not earn a lot of money, but he has always been a loyal and hard working man, and is in so many ways a part of the Family.   Two days ago his mud house was broken into, and everything of value looted.  The thief or thieves hacked a hole through his bedroom mud wall whilst he was out.    His little house stands on its own ground and surrounded by a hedge - but MUD is not a very substantial building material at the best of times.     Poor Vinny has been robbed many times, though not recently, until  now.    He has been left very distraught and upset by this further blow.      I do commend him to those who know and remember him.   We will try to assist him, but it will not be much.  Please do pray for him, that the Lord will hear our prayers and supply not just his need, but also the possibility of building, perhaps, a BRICK house.

Here we are a couple of weeks ago, in front of Green Cottage, with all of our patio and paths ripped up and looking the worse.
THEN Tyndale School Students and Staff arrived and applied themselves to hard work and perseverance trying to restore it all - and even give  everything a 'facelift'.      The weather held, and although there were rain showers, they were mainly at night.   BUT for the first few days it all looked worse rather than better, and especially the lifting of the old paving stones was found to be very hard and heavy work.    Nevertheless no one dropped out, but set their teeth to
 finish !!

TODAY ALL IS FINISHED.  These photos were taken today,  and everything is neat and tidy again,    Come Monday it will be full of staff and kids travelling between Homes and School; quite a thoroughfare.    Thank you OZ!

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SUNDAY 20th July -  To-day the School celebrated its 38th year with the usual annual Parents and Prize Giving Day.    Our Guest of honour was the Chairman of the Kenya Private School Association of which we are also members.    It was a perfect day weather wise, and began at 9 a.m. in showing the Guest around the School, and class exhibitions.   She was accompanied by The School Principal, Anthony Ndungu and his wife, plus Daryl, Esther and myself.   The Heads of Nursery, Primary and Secondary also went round  with us.  At 10.30 we all repaired to the School Hall for a Concert put on by the Children, and the Annual Prize Giving.    It was an excellent occasion - perhaps one of the best, and remarkable in that the day had been seriously reduced from a Morning and Afternoon function to just a Morning occasion - 9a.m. to 1p.m.     No reduction in activities, just better use of time and arrangement.    Very successful.

THIS WEEK I am happy to publish the most recent photo of our New Jacaranda Cottage Family,  taken on the 13th July.   Mum, Dorris Chumba at front left, and Dad David Chumba front right.  The Family has long been full, and so not so many young new faces, but rather more older faces of those quickly growing up in the family.    All still enjoying the family home - even though it currently has 44 in the family.   

AND also a photo of TYNDALE COTTAGE FAMILY

Mum and Dad are to be seen 5th and 6th from the left. with a family of 34 currently.  Again the Family is now without any vacancy and so we see the family looking older as whole, all growing, and soon we shall see some of the eldest leaving to start their own lives in the world around us.

LIFE goes on - and WE go on with God to Guide and Keep us all on track, and confident........

ANOTHER week has rushed by full of activity and amid the usual tide of school, play and sober necessities of daily life.     God is SO gracious to us all.      Thank you for sharing your prayer-time with us, and helping to manifest our Father's Love to us.

Sincerely in Him

John, Esther and Daryl Green

KEEP ON GOING ON !!

THIS IS THE TESTIMONY HOUSE FAMILY

MUM EUNICE at extreme left of middle row displaying 'I HAVE DECIDED' on her tea-shirt!   The photo was taken just this morning on their veranda.    A real joy to see the House at last HOME again to a family.     They were all, of course living in Drakeley Cottage, across the road,  but had moved back to Testimony House when Dad Francis Lahol became ill late in the year.    He had himself grown up in the House.     After the Lord took him to be with Himself, Eunice, his wife, felt that she could not just stop being Mum to her family - her very own, and the extended one.   They had grown up with her and Francis since 2011, many of them just infants.      Yes,  she HAS decided, not just to continue following her Lord and Master, but to BE a Mum.     I think this photo reveals the gladness and contentment of her family, once again secure in  their, Mum's ongoing love for them.   Thanks Eunice, and Thank you Lord Jesus for walking so lovingly and tenderly with her.   

Of course one or two are wondering if we are departing from our original contention that children need a Mum AND a Dad.    No we are not doing any such thing.    And the children now with Eunice are children who have lived with her AND her husband, their 'Dad' in the Lord.   They enjoyed him, and learnt much from him; much that they will ever remember, and which already is steering their lives onward.     Later, when most of this present group have grown up and are about to fly away, Eunice and we ourselves may have to re-assess the matter.    But for now - all is safe, and well.

ON THE RIGHT, OVERLEAF, is a NEW family of just four children recently admitted, with the consent of the Children's Office....    Hesketh and Alice Muli are Dad and Mum now of this Family.  THIS WILL BE THE NEW DRAKELEY FAMILY. 'Aunty' Grace Mwangi, will be staying with them as a Relief House parent to all four HOMES when needed. We feel this is RIGHT for us now, and a step of FAITH toward God Who put this Work into Being. We hope, within the next three weeks,to sit down with Government and put forward our plan to continue as a Reception Centre, and also as a Long Term Home for those children and young persons who are not Repatri-ated, fostered, or Adopted.  We would not like to give up on the children that STILL are in need of loving care - millions STILL we are told by Government.     God sees behind current world policy on Orphans, generally.    I believe that together with the poor, widows and orphans will always be there needing love and care.                        SO, now we have FOR Family Homes once more, and we hope and trust that the future will still provide for children in need here in Kenya who are more and more having to do without a real home and family.

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PROGRESS ON THE PATIO of Green Cottage.    Up until noon today!  The main patio has been now covered with 'bricks' but the paths from the cottage to the Office and from the Patio to Testimony House driveway still have to be tackled.    Also a drain from the Office down past the patios to the lawn beyond is still being laid.
We hope by Monday all will be completed apart from the cleaning up process, removal of earth, rocks, and surplus building material.  Some of our own Grounds Staff will assist in this last stage; the Australian Team leaving on Wednesday morning.     They have all worked wonderfully well, with all their hearts; a very real testimony and example to themselves, and also to all of us, children and adults alike.  And we DO Thank the LORD, and give Him all the Honour and Glory.     What a Blessing.    The photo above shoes the main patio as seen from our veranda door, facing the Office.  The drain not yet in place to the left.       

Alice Kiboi with 5 of our 6
puppies just 3 weeks

THE NEXT  photo, to the left, shows the patio just in front of the last photo, and in front of the veranda, again looking ahead to the Office.  Still a bit to do, but there is no doubt it will look good when finally finished.     The path  to Testimony, across the lawn, will leave the Patio bottom left of the photo.    Next week I hope to be able to provide shots of the completed job.

(ALICE helps Esther in the house, and she just loves DOGS, and so, of course, they love her too - possibly encouraged by the fact that SHE cooks their food every day!)

THIS  IS A VIEW from Nyerere Road. In the fore ground notice the cement parapets of the roadside drain.   They also depict the original entrance into Jacaranda's compound.  You can just make out Jacaranda's roof  to the right.
A hedge will now be planted to hide  the tin.
Behind the tin was an inverted V shaped entrance.   This space has now been used to provide for a Half Basket Ball court.  I showed this in construction, last week

The NEXT photo shows the Ring just having been put up, and you can see the old Gate Post on the left.    All space now occupied by the Court was previously taken up by the V shaped drive way.
To the left, out of the picture is the Dairy.

The third photo, overleaf, is taken from behind the Ring, toward the Road, behind the tin fence.  Hopefully, for those who have been here, or have seen previous photos before the change, you will be able to appreciate what has happened
If you can imagine it, the old entrance with the Basket Ring stand being the position of the old Gatepost - centre of the inverted V  (the actual gate posts are where you are looking at the Ring).   Then funnelling right and left, the wings of the V to each far corner.      Well it has caused a lot of excitement and joy for all the kids to see it going up, and it will be certainly USED every day.    This was all Daryl's idea, and we certainly  commend his vision, as well all the
labour and finance that Tyndale Team put into bringing it all to pass - Thank you ALL.  Dream Makers !!    For you Vision, Your Energy, and your Sacrifice.

FINALLY FOR THIS WEEK, A NEW PHOTO of ME with all those who labour here with us, and who we depend upon, and who work hard as cleaners, cooks, gardeners, plumbers, handymen, accountants, and secretaries without great financial gain.   Many have been with us, and with me, for decades.   Some have only been here a short time.    I take my hat off to them, and honour them.  My joy to be invited to share this photo of them all together to day.

   

Our Love and Prayers to all, as ever, and be sure we DO pray for you, and lift up our hearts with gladness and thanksgiving for each and every one of you.

John, Esther and Daryl Green

  

  

TOIL THAT IS NOT IN VAIN, AND FAITHFUL LABOUR.

I TOOK THIS PHOTO TODAY, - FRIDAY, 5TH JULY,  from our veranda.   Some of the Team from Australia started work about 10a.m this morning, and amazingly they have almost completed there first stage of relaying the patios and path on up to the General Office.   Those paving stones are thick and heavy, and have laid down for more than twenty years, loath to move.    It is 4p.m. now.

AND these young ladies have also been labouring with the boys, not in the least to be out-done in strength and determination!    I take my hat off to them all, for I had thought they might all have found the job too heavy and time consuming.      Just had to get this on my Blog before tomorrow.....Come Saturday I hope to maybe include a few more photos - there is more going on at the Jacaranda Compound which I have not seen yet.........

...............And yes, now it is Saturday morning, and I have crossed the road to take a look at what the Tyndale Team had been doing there.       Daryl had previously decided to close the original Entrance near Jacaranda Cottage.    By doing so he managed to repossess a fair number of square meters that could be used as a Basket-ball Court.      And THAT is what the Team have been doing, laying  down such a court between the Dairy and Jacaranda Cottage,  verging on Nyerere Road.  See 1st photo to the Right  This was taken from the Veranda of Tyndale Cottage looking toward the Road.

The 2nd photo is a view from the same veranda looking toward the Dairy - you can just make out the old Gate Posts, middle right and left of the pathway.
The 3rd photo is just a shot to shew the extent of the area under construction - most of it the old entrance on road front.

The Team yesterday put in all the perimeter fence posts up, and levelled the surface which had been very uneven.    Very good work for young high school students - and staff!    And THIS of course will be a very welcome addition to recreational options we currently have.    Our old Court on the Testimony House compound back on the Green Cottage side of the road had to be scrubbed out to make way for the School Pool, back in 2012. ( That Court had also been put down by another earlier Tyndale Team years before).

Today the Team is 'Resting' and 'relaxing' with the children, playing games, fellow-shipping, and just generally getting to know everyone.    These are times that usually bring a great deal of joy and happiness, and many friendship made - often for life.
TOMORROW,  Sunday,  the Team will be taking the Sunday Service, and then on Monday they will re-commence WORK.  It will be a busy last week again for them,, usually ending in a Party to which all the House Parents are invited.   Esther and I are also invited as are Joshua and Miriam Mbithi from Neema Homes, where the Team is also heavily involved in like labours of love.     And then they will be gone!     It always passes like a flash of light, but lasting evidence always clearly seen and enjoyed.

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I had mentioned a few weeks back that we had now employed a new School Chaplain, and pastor for our Fellowship.   He has settled in very well, and we feel the Lord send him, and his wife to Bless us.  Mike is kept very busy both in the School and in the Homes, and he seems almost unable to get exhausted!    But we are indeed Thankful to have him, and his dear wife with us.  His wife has also trained in Bible College, and although we are not actually employing her she has already thrown herself into the work here.      I will put a photo Pastor Michael Kyalo here - maybe will catch his wife, Jacintha, another time.

AND FINALLY a photo of our Staff, 16 of whom were brought up in the Homes ( plus FOUR not in the photo (Stephen Waithika - Groundsman, Purity, Nursery Teacher; Joseph, Groundsman; and Edward, Maintenance)  - all in RED letters.

Back Row - left to right

Solomon, Accountant;  David, Baker;  Betty, Accountant;  Mutanyi, Maintenance;  Joel, Gen.Secretary;  Peter, Chef; Dennis, Stores;  Faith, Nursery Teacher; Bethuel, School Librarian

Second Row - left to right

Micah, House Parent;   Catherine, House Parent;  Grace, House parent; Alice, House Parent;  David, House parent;

Dorris, House Parent; and Pastor Mike Kyalo

Third Row - left to right

John, Baker;   Stanley, Baker;   Hesketh, House Parent

It is a great happiness to see one and another of our children that grew up with us, returning to work with us and for the Homes and School.      Another evidence of 'Family' in the midst of us all.  

Well that is all for this week.   The Government is quiet, the Nation is quiet, and the Weather is COLD, though not wet this week.    Still rain is predicted even for tomorrow soooooo!     Well we hope it will be dry enough for all the works still in hand to continue to their conclusion.     We are all well, and in good spirits WAITING, expectantly for the LORD.   May HE be close to each of  you and quick to encourage, establish, and empower you in His Holy Spirit, till He COMES

Lovingly in His Name

John, Esther, and Daryl Green.