BY THE GRACE OF GOD - we live.

ABOVE is a photo taken at Nairobi on the 11th February during the State Funeral 

of President Arap Moi, who passed away at the age of 96 on Tuesday 4th February.

I watched it all on television.    Hundreds of thousands packed the Stadium, and Statesmen and Presidents from all over also attended.    It cost the taxpayer Ksh.300,000,000/-  to arrange and put on.  Too much?  Probably!  Worth the Cost - a matter of argument.  BUT it was good for Kenya to note his passing, and to be able to revalue their opinion of him.

During his time as President he was blamed and accused of many things, including a number of truly awful atrocities and social corruptions.     However, on the other hand he maintained peace and security in the Country at large, without tribalism, and saw the Ecomony stabilise and improve.  He also permenantly, and publically mainained his Witness to Jesus Christ, as his own Saviour.    NO, he certainly was not perfect - but he WAS respected, and even honoured.      The Country has not seen such leadership, or enjoyed the same security, since he peacefully handed over as President some years back.      His presense will be missed, and not only by those of his own tribe.     

I personally never met him, or spoke to him, or received a letter from him, but I must confess that my final assessment was rather BETTER than worse.    I admired him as a serious man politically, and spiritually.     But he was not always personally as strong as he might have been, and on many occassions was not in full charge of all that happened during his term of office.    HE did what he could, and Kenya was in fact blessed, and improved by his Government.   

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ON SUNDAY, THE 8TH,  I had woken up after a very disturbed night.    I have for some time now been enduring from what my doctor thinks is Peripheral Neuropathy.   It causes ones feet ( in my case) to tingle, and be inflicted with flashes of pain; like being stabbed with pins, or burnings.  Not pleasant,   However, it had been less of a problem previous to Sunday.    Then, when I awoke on Sunday morning, and put my right foot to the floor, my HEEL felt so tender I could not stand on it.
I managed to get dressed, shave, and finally put my shoes on.   I could walk, but very tenderly indeed.    And so I went to church to witness THE DEDICATION of little Nathan Kiptoo Wathika.

Pastor Mike was officiating.      By the time I arrived in the School Hall I was ready to sit down again.    I could not bear to stand for the Worship......    THEN I found Mike calling me to the front. He wanted me to stand with him and assist with the Dedication.      Ahh!    I nearly did not make it.  BUT I did.     It went well and I have a photo of it.     However, Mike had taken the infant from his mother to pray for him, but somehow ended up with the child lying across his arms.    When I went to lay hands on him, I could not get both hands to where his head was and ended up with one hand on his little head while he lay peacefully in Mike's arms.   Mike could not get a hand on him at all.    Well, but the Holy Spirit was with us, and all went well amid great rejoicing.      My photo did not show Nathan very clearly, but I will include another of him as well.  He was born last July.

I hobbled home, and my heel worsened.     Monday I refrained from walking altogether, and rested.     I could  still manage to get around, but very painful.    This continued though Tuesday.  I talked to the Lord about it.     Immediately the pain subsided.   That night I slept right through with any discomfort.     Thank You, Lord, with all my heart  -   and so today I was able to do our weekly shopping with Daryl.     A cursory search in Internet provided a possible hint that this sudden heel pain could have been an incursion of something known as Plantar Asciliitis.      Amazing!    I hope it will stay well away.     SO, right now, I feel well and normal, and am happy with my Valentine of 49 years - still as beautiful as ever in my eyes!

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TOMORROW, Saturday, is our Spiritual Emphasis Day, when ALL our staff come together from 9a.m. to midday to seek the Lord and to also hear His Word.    It is a Termly Fixture and all staff in the Homes and School are required to attend without fail.     It is always blessed and uplifting, and it is also a continuing incentive to improve our unity and togetherness in the whole work.   It is purely for us adults working together, and not for the children - but they will all be well occupied and safe.

For this reason I started writing the Blog this afternoon (Friday), in order not to find myself out of time.

This Afternoon the Wind is BLOWING gustily around us.    Not a hurricane, but  certainly gale force.

The sun is shining in a blue sky, but clouds are building up on the horizon.     Not hot, but not cold.

This evening School will close for Half Term.    It will open again Tuesday next week, in the morning.   Quite short.    But these days holidays tend to get shorter in favour  of more and MORE lesson time, and we seem to sinking into an 'All work and no play, makes Jack a dull boy' phase of education.    It isn't doing so well, we think, but with the Lord we might win........

Having been almost stationary for most of the week I have been able to read a little, and also spend more time than usual on the Internet.    Did me good; I am almost still so caught up in local matters within the Homes and School that I rarely have time for real irresponsible pleasure.    In the Bible I have decided to read through, once again, the Book of Micah.    SO good, and so very rewarding to read again.    Then, on the side, I came across a book by Heather T. Forbes, and B Bryan Post, first published in 2006 by Beyond Consequences Institute, Orlando, Florida -  'BEYOND CONSEQUENCES, LOGIC, AND CONTROL' (A Love Based Approach to Helping Attachment Challenged Children with Severe Behaviour.      I have found it immediately interesting, challenging, and still very much up to date with current problems with children who have come through varied problems in their background and family. It will be helpful to US here, I think.

THEN in browsing around in the Internet I accidently found my self connected to the Oxford Union and a whole world of oral comment and debate on a host of subjects by a galaxy of well known and not so well known celebrities, politicians, philosophers, theologians, and even adventurers.   I was delighted!      It was a Window, suddenly opened to my rather stagnant mental mind.   And I was also refreshed and emotionally moved to weep and laugh by good oratory and use of words.     

It could have been a rather dull few days for an old duffer like me, laid aside and useless, but instead it has been like an INJECTION and a re-awakening, to something missed, and almost forgotten. It did me good,      BUT I am still busy reading, and will no doubt continue to be, whereas my free  time with my computer may disappear quickly as my feet, renewed, take me constantly away from it.

Esther and I send you all our love and prayers.       We hope you are constantly able to push your way up and through the layers of atmospheric pollution,  political theatre,  ecological challenge, and the fear and dread of invisible viruses and germs.    Go on thrusting,  up and through them all.    There is unfailing SUNLIGHT above it all; clear skied, clean air, incisive clarity to see and plan by. God will be there, above all. Call out to Him, take hold of His hand, and let Him pull you up to where HE is, above the smog and infections of the Earth we live in.

God be with you always

John Esther and Daryl Green