(testimonyfaithhhomes@yahoo.com

 TESTIMONY FAITH HOMES

P.O.Box 2134, 30100 Eldoret, U.G.County, Kenya

(testimonyfaithhomes@yahoo.com

On the 25th August, we Celebrated our 55th Birthday.

More than a THIRD of the 350 who have left us to start their own lives,

returned to us, many with their wife /  husband, and even children and grandchildren

August 1969 - August 2024

This photo includes ALL that attended  including Staff

None of our Current Family were in the photo.

WE had a truly wonderful 'family' time together.      The NEXT one is scheduled for August 2029 and will be our 60th Anniversary.      The Homes now expect to remain open until 2032 when the Government is still planning to close all Children's Residential Homs DOWN.    Until then we shall continue with the 130 children currently resident with us, until they complete their education and naturally leave as they become 18.     However our doors will stay open for children in need, and who are destitute for SHORT TERM stays until Government can find Foster Parents, Adoptions, or a path to Repatriation to blood family.    We shall still run as Family Homes, and we feel it is better to have the opportunity to reach out even shortly, than not at all to children whose home and family may have collapsed.

On the 18th of this month one of our sons who was with us in Testimony House in the 1980s-90s, and is now a Chef of note, visited us, and brought with him to meet us his Fiancee.    We were a Party of about 20 in Green Cottage.    Boniface shopped before arriving, bring ingredients for our LUNCHEON, which he went about cooking in our kitchen assisted by Manu.     A  Beautiful family moment, and we hope there will be many more like it.  Below a few photos -    We encourage the children who grow up with us, and who are themselves homeless and parentless,      to keep in touch and so many DO so, even to the point to wanting to bring their Boy or Girl friends back home to know their 'Parents' here, and to go to plan their eventual Marriage also.    This really makes the Family to grow and expand, and we see this in our Anniversary Reunions as OUR children come home with their husbands and wives, AND many children. 

  

Boniface and fiancee at home with us.

The photo the left shows Boniface and his fiancee, seated in front with Esther and me.   Far left is Daryl, the Manu, and some of our old boys, our Pastor Mike, in the red tie, and few other close family members.     Some have asked us why we still hang around in our 80s!   Well it is just too good to be able to get peaks into lives that have come and gone from us, and that have done so with Jesus.   So wonderful to still find ourselves 'family' with them.

ALSO on the 17th August, my dear wife Esther, reached her 80th Birthday, and we celebrated with a small Party of friends and family.       Esther has made a strong recovery  from her Breast Cancer in 2022.   She is now in good health and strength, all of which we Praise and Thank God for.     But during her Chemotherapy she began to suffer some memory loss, which her doctors thought would be temporary,  However, it has persisted, and she gets a bit depressed about it at times.  Nevertheless,  it's not SO bad, and between the two of us memories are recalled, put back together ,and life continues with laughter and satisfaction.      I Thank God daily for her presence with me, here in our little rent free house, still right in the midst of Testimony Faith Homes, with our old home, Testimony    House,  (still a family home for some 30 children looked after by Newton Nyangala and his wife),   just fifty meters away, opposite.     God provides still and we know He cares for us.

Daryl took this photo.  Pastor Mike Kyalo, is on the far left, then Solomon Gikonyo, one of our many sons, now an Accounts Clerk in our Office. Then David Chumba, House- parent for Jacaranda Cottage, James (Manu) Green ( our adopted son) , then there is  ME, then Newton Nyangala, House  Parent in Testimony House.    THEN in the second row center, is our granddaughter Abigail, and next to her ESTHER, then Eunice Lahol, a Relief Aunty  working in all the four Homes, and next to her is Florence Nyangala, Newton''s wife, and House Parent with him in Testimony House.    Next to her is Ruth, our home help, and then Virginia, who is engaged to Daryl Green, and finally Hesketh Muli, who is House Parent in Drakeley Cottage.

We are enjoying sunny mornings, and occasional showers in the afternoons.    Not too hot, but pleasant if you have time to sit on the lawn or veranda.     Eldoret, generally, is a pleasant climate and place to be.     We who live her all agree that this is so.     You are all welcome to visit........?

I must close now.     I am sorry to be so erratic.  I do try to send out a more regular UPDATE of our affairs, but I can only send it to you if I have your e-mail address.    The Update is mainly news about Testimony Faith Homes, and makes no Appeal for funds, or other.'

God Bless you all.

John and Esther, and all of us here in TFH