WEEDING OUR GARDENS ?

 

THESE ARE NOT OUR BOYS,  but they could be, and right now we DO have some teenagers who are going this way - the Marijuana or BHANGI way, as it is called here in East Africa.      The Kenya National Institute of Drug Abuse has put High School kids as using Bhangi, more than any other Substance;  more than 36% of them.    And it does not arise only among High School students, but even in much younger age groups.    The incidence in our School at the current time is NOT so high, but it IS increasing, and we are determined to wage war against it, and to do our best to eradicate it from our premises.       Every day some 600 boys and girls aged from 5 to 18 are coming in and out of our School, together with 130 more from our Homes.     And Bhangi is being found increasingly!   We do of course take action when we do find this drug.     But we want to altogether  prevent it from ever finding a welcome into the life or experience of even one child.      This will not be easy in a climate which does not take Marijuana seriously.     

Indeed the Government here is considering 'legalising' it altogether - mainly due to two reasons;   first it is considered 'medically' a blessing, an up and coming drug in the treatment of mental and psychological disorders.   And second, it not considered as big a threat to society as Alcohol, Tobacco, Heroine, and other main line drugs.    Thus it is finding little opposition from the Authorities, whilst at the same time becoming a major cause of our young people being tempted away from school, work, and good behaviour, to a  anti-social attitude, careless of reckless, violent, and damaging manners and language.     The Marijuana plant is commonly grown in many gardens and farms!    It can be dried and smoked like a cigarette, or made into a kind of 'tea', drunk, or even chewed like a wad of tobacco.     Marijuana is generally a 'happy' or ' UPPER' that gives an inner ' HIGH' feeling of super wellbeing, confidence, and self esteem - an over dose of which produces a kind of reckless euphoria and even 'aggressiveness'.   There is also a 'delusional' quality mixed in with this, and as it all wears off, then, as with alcohol, self esteem gives place to self pity, despondency, and depression.   Suicide is also being attributed to the after effects of Bhangi.

Most Addicts are attracted to Marijuana in order to FIT IN, with their peers, To FEEL GOOD,  to Feel BETTER,  to DO better,  or just to EXPERIMENT.

WHAT ARE the EFFECTS of using Marijuana?

I have not come across any case of any one using this drug to have DIED as a direct Result.

However, when taken with other drugs the blood pressure, usually  70 - 80 beats per minute, can double. This increases the risk of heart attack.

Short Term effects include the following :-

Altered senses - such as seeing colours as being brighter than usual.

Altered sense of Time.

Changes in Mood.

Slow reactions

Problems with balance and co-ordination.

Memory Problems

Hallucinations and Delusions.

Pshychosis.

Most of these symptoms will be noticed after taking this drug.

We have had to deal with with  situations where a User, has become quite uncontrollable, and has had to be forcibly restrained, and also occasions where the User has collapsed,  and been unable to communicate sensibly; unable to know even who or where he was.

We have also noticed, as the National Institute on Drug Addiction has also noted, that the use of this drug immediately has an effect on School Grades and performance generally,  AND additionally also appears to reduce Life satisfaction which induces finding more difficulties with relationships with friends and family, compared to those who DO NOT use such substances.

We have seen also that together with the above, there is a kind of hopelessness that comes, taking away any sense of purpose or reason for living, resulting in almost total disregard to help themselves.

Some have advised me that 'Taken in small quantities, under guidance, Marijuana, is not dangerous, and may even be helpful.'     Be this as it may WE see only the kind of use that comes from a kind of dull and mindless freedom to get away from boredom, and even humanity itself.      As with Alcohol and other drugs, there can be little doubt that Marijuana is also used  to  block inner misery caused by family, and even individual, personally perceived, shortcomings or failures.     This is also an indication that the User of drugs, of any kind, has not perceived his or her personal strengths to deal head on with the problem, and looks for ANY prop to help them get through.

TO US, Bhangi cannot be put up with.    We must make sure it is presented for what it is - a powerful and potential DANGER, and (to our children), one of Satan's tools to misdirect, derail, and ultimately destroy their every hope of a normal, happy, and satisfying life, with all their faculties unharmed.

We are preparing to CAMPAIGN against it - INITIALLY, here where we are in Testimony Faith Homes and School, and perhaps even into our surrounding district.       We have begun by producing our own POSTER program, making our own posters, and to go with them there will be Tracts explaining the Dangers in taking drugs of any kind - especially Marijuana.      We hope also to have Seminars, and Week-end Crusades in support.      We will let you know how we go.

We don't want ONE boy or girl to end up LOST because of this green WEED!

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AND I AM BOUNCING BACK AGAIN!     It has taken a little while this time round, but I can currently say that I feel truly back to normal, and going full steam ahead once more.

In JULY I had written that I was over what had seemed like the flu, and was feeling quite well from that - only that on checking my heart I was told my heart muscle was too thick, and that I needed treatment.   The 'treatment' amounted to yet another Pill, and I must say I have felt much lighter and brighter since finishing the Course,     But most of all Jesus watches over me, and over all the Alarms and Excursions of the  doctors, Bless them all!  

I have been a bit quiet since then, and during the latter part of August found myself once more facing

problems.    This time with my water works.     Well I have suffered from stones in the kidney, on and off since 1980, and then in 2010 had an operation on my prostate - but all has been well till the first week in August.   On being examined by my doctor he said he thought I might have Cancer.   I was not glad to hear it.     He gave me some more tablets and told me to come back in a month.    Things got WORSE, and this time I went a Consultant, an older man, and a specialist.     He also gave me an exhaustive examination, finally exploding into  "Cancer?  Nonsense!"   Just another stone, he thought, 

and the next day I was as right as rain - having painlessly passed the stone, and all well, with no damage.    However the whole episode had really pulled me down, and I had really felt down, and apprehensive.     I believed the LORD Jesus is with me, and that HE IS my source of Health, come what may, BUT .......    He was walking with me  all the time, of course, and had me in hand.    "in sickness And in health" He has promised never to leave us.     I am Thankful for this Reminder, and GLAD  to  come up from the deep to see the light of day again, and to KNOW that my feet stand securely on the Rock from which we cannot slip or slide..       Thank you for your prayers and kind thoughts

DARYL was taking me around the doctors and clinics, and all that time he himself was not feeling himself.      I had mentioned in July how busy, physically, he had been, and how tired he seemed.     He had also been troubled with his stomach, but continued to rush around seeing to everything from A-Z non stop - this last week seeing to leaks in the roofing, with himself on top of the Iron Sheeting sorting it out.

BUT  he was feeling bad inside, and finally downed tools to get solid Advice.

Tests have proved that his stomach has been invaded by an  infection picked up from unwashed or improperly cooked, vegetables!    He has been put on a 14 day course of drugs.    He is still up and about, and has just now popped in looking still a bit 'off'' and saying he was told to expect some unease for a few days.     Please spare him a prayer during the two  weeks ahead of him.

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GENERALLY life continues here as usual.      This last week has been WET and cold;  wetter and colder than normal for September.    We should be dry, and a little warmer, waiting for SHORT rain in mid November - but these days we seem to have neither LONG nor SHORT rains - just a week or few days here and there, mostly out of season.      Eldoret is getting more like Manchester as far as the Weather is concerned.

But the School and the Homes all continue well and happily and still free of Covid 19 and all its mutations!!      WE really have experienced little of it.      SOME doctors are actually SAYING that there is no such thing -  it IS just another influenza, and has taken less lives in Kenya than other killers such as Heart Attack, Cancer, Pneumonia, ++.       Well the Government continues to put out daily figures and here are TO-DAY'S -

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Tested today         9,065     Positive Cases         1,001

Total Tested   1,397,923     Positive Cases     238,852

                                           Recoveries           224,900

                                           DEATHS                  4,757

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And with this we leave you for this week.    God Bless you all very much, and keep you safe and law abiding.    Remember He Who is Coming, WILL COME SEEN.       

Lovingly from us all

John, Esther and Daryl Green,

and All with us in Testimony Faith Home and School