AS LIFE GOES BY

IT WILL SOON BE OUR 43RD Wedding Anni-versary.     Hardly seems possible, but I was reading this from my 1974 Diary and found myself celebrating our THIRD anniversary; a big party and get together with the children - we had 40 then - with us in Testimony House.   We all had a soda and a bun!     God is indeed Faithful, and has kept us together, well and still standing for Him forty years further on.
Wonderful.    AND this year Esther will celebrate her 70th Birthday, and by this time next week we will have welcomed our daughter Elisabeth, and her family who will join us in that Celebration.   Steven and his family to arrive a few days after that, and many, many others.......all in time for the 17th August, Esther's Birthday.    Quite an auspicious week and month.     But so far the 'winter' weather is building up,  clouds, rain, and cold days and nights.       But there ARE some moments of warmth and sunshine....and our children still SWIM in the big open air pool - makes ME shiver just to look at them.   THEY are thrilled and just jump in and splash around as if it were central-heated!!!
SCHOOL is winding down and will CLOSE on Wednesday next week.    Termly exams are all over and marked, with Reports being written.   A busy, tense but excitable week.     AND THEN three weeks School Holiday, and freedom from the 'Bell' and lessons.     Hooray!    Well - for them rather than us!
Our youngest member of the family, Abygail, is growing fast and well, with four lovely teeth.   She seems to be coping fairly well, but she still has a Bad Day here and there.    Otherwise a constant delight and source of laughter - a real personality indeed.
One of our teenage boys living in Jacaranda Cottage has suddenly shown serious anti-social traits. He has been with us since he was 5 years old and although he has been a 'slow' learner at school he has always demonstrated a quiet, and pleasant disposition.     On leaving Secondary School he commenced a Course in Welding some forty kilometres away at a Boarding Polytechnic.      He complained of abuse there, and refused to return, so we had decided to try another method, thinking that he might still do well, but as a day scholar at another school.  He is 17.   He he has so far not attended his classes, and has been found wandering around aimlessly, and seemingly a quite different person.     Of course many have tried to get alongside him and tried to council him including myself, but so far it is looking unsafe to keep him at home..       Our Children's Officer has advised us to get rid of him  -   Yes .....but this is not as easy as it looks.      Apart from ONE, there is no full time residential care home for those who may be psychiatrically disturbed,     And even though there ARE Psychiatric units at District Hospitals they only take temporary cases, and thereafter return them home.      This boy has no home but us!   So please, we would value your prayers.       We have had worse to deal with before, and the Lord has helped us, and one by one has helped them to have a life and a future.      Reuben has a sister with him in the same house, Daisy.    She is fifteen and has just concluded her Primary Education - very clever and happily settled.      She inherited HIV from her mother.    She is under medication but well and strong so far.  In 3rd World Countries such as ours, fascilities for special needs are rare if not quite non exisitant,    Humans of any age found below par are either ignored and left ALONE, Locked-up in a room like mad dogs, or done away with - just as Street Children in South America are shot by the Police to keep the streets clear of their nuisance value.      Of course there IS danger and risk in helping those whose minds run on abnormal tracks, a different 'gauge' to the standard.    Even George Muller said that if he came across a child who, after repeated council and advice, contnued to demonstrate an anti social trait he removed that one from the Home.     He did not say what he did with them though.
But he did it for the good of the rest........      ANOTHER recently qualified Sociologist sent us an SMS to advise us (she knows the 'Homes' very well)  'Reuben should be got rid of NOW, before he hurts our children'.      Did she forget, I wonder, that Reuben is one of our children too?    What will he do, where will he go, how HURT will he become?      What happened to Pity and Compassion?   What happened to Faith in God............?       What has happened to US, to humanity.....?  

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IN 2009 A NEW ORGANISATION was Registered in Kenya. 

The Association of Charitable Children's Institutions of Kenya (ACCIK)

It is a National Organisation with up to 47 County Representatives nation-wide.      ACCIK has various programmes to do with Children's needs.     Membership is limited to Legally Registered Charitable 

Children's Homes within Kenya.     It is a completely independent body, but works closely with Government as well.

On THURSDAY this week an Introductory Meeting was held here in TFH, in our Board room.   A number of CCI managers attended together with a Team from ACCIK chaired by Rev. Steven  Ndungu (above left) who is himself the National Chairman of ACCIK.    

At the end of the day it was agreed by those present, including ourselves, to form a CHAPTER for our County, and Daryl P. Green was elected County Representative and Leader of the new Chapter.  I personally feel the ACCIK has a good vision and that it will be very beneficial to ALL CCIs to have an available source of fellowship and information to draw on.     Initially our chapter will meet bi-monthly and here in Testimony Faith Homes.       It is hoped that membership will increase as more CCI managers get to hear and understand more about it.

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TOMORROW I am to be the speaker at our Fellowship's MEN"S SUNDAY.    It will be the last Sunday of the Term and so all our Boarders will still be with us, making for a well filled Meeting.  Then for three weeks we shall just be our usual 200 or so in the Fellowship Meetings, Children and Staff as well as a few locals.      I shall be sharing about Micah, a minor prophet of some stature.   A truly brave and courageous MAN who would not live with evil unrebuked.     He lived in a world society very much like our own, He grew up in a rural area, but was unafraid to tackle Urban problems and decay,


God Bless you all.     Hope you will all be kept safe and well during this coming week.    Remember HE who is our very Health and Strength, our Saviour, has made His home within US.    Who and What can hurt us if GOD be with us?


John and Esther & Daryl and Carol  

TO GOD BE THE GLORY - AMEN

THE 33rd ANNIVERSARY OF THE COMMENCEMENT OF TESTIMONY SCHOOL took place on this last Saturday, 27th July 2014.
Our Guest of Honour was an old friend of ours The Hon. Justice John L OSIEMO.    He is one of those whose children were among those who actually founded the school way back in the '80s.    He himself was also Guest of Honour in 1984, thirty years ago, before any of the current School buildings had been built.     It was especially a great pleasure to have him,and his wife,with us for a 2nd occasion, and to note that the Lord had walked with him and his family in the interim, advancing and prospering him and his family.      Initially John Osiemo had trained as Teacher, but later on he turned to the Law.   At the time of his first visit to us in 1984 he held the post of Senior Resident Magistrate for the District.     He soon was promoted to the Bench and became a High Court Judge.   He is now retired, but remains respected and well known.    He lives not far from us, and his children, once students with us, are now grown up and making their own way in different professions, and in faith toward God.     The Judge is photographed here prior to presenting School Prizes.    Below and to the left he and his wife are seen signing our Visitors Book in the Director's Office.      I am including the text of his address here below.

'STUDENTS, teachers and parents, it gives me great pleasure to be in this School addressing this gathering.   Thirty years ago I was a parent in this School, and I left a very proud parent because my children, who were among the pioneers of this School, who all performed exceptionally well, and are now successful in various disciplines.
To those students who will receive Prizes today, I would say Thank-you, for you have made your parents proud.   In order to succeed in life, you must have the following  -   Ambition, Determination, and above all Persistence.   Nothing can take the place of persistence.   Talent alone will not - the world is full of educated failures.   Persistence and determination must be ever with us.    We all strive to succeed in life.  But a successful person must have the following qualities  -   Being Virtuous he is free from anxiety, Being Wise he is free from perplexity, and Being Brave he is free from FEAR.
Every human being's ultimate aim in life is to be happy, but what is the way to happiness?   It is to keep you heart free from Hate, your mind from Worry; to live simply, expect little and give much.
We all pray and ask God for a happy life, but God sometimes does not give us what we ask Him.   We ask God for strength, and God gives us difficulties to make us strong.   We ask God for wisdom, and
God gives us problems.    God sometimes allows us to experience the low points of life in order to teach us lessons we could not learn in any other way.   We must ask God to grant us patience to accept the things we cannot change, courage to change the things we can, and wisdom to know the difference.  We must resolve to be tender to the young, compassionate with the aged, sympathetic with the struggling, and tolerant with the weak and wrong.     Sometimes, in life, you will have been all these. 
As human beings we make mistakes.    In your journey of life you have made mistakes and you will make more.    Mistakes are part of the dues one pays for a full life.  No man ever became great except through making many great mistakes.    No man consciously chooses evil because it IS evil; he only mistakes it for the happiness that he seeks.   Rest assured that generally speaking others are acting in the same manner that you would under exactly the same circumstances - hence be kind and understanding when dealing with their failures.
We must be content with what we have.   But what is the secret of contentment? The secret of contentment is knowing how to enjoy what you have, and to be able to lose all desire for things beyond your reach.  
With God on our side we should not have too many problems.
God made you for a reason, and your life has profound meaning.   We discover that meaning and purpose only when we make God the referee of our lives.   Knowing your purpose gives meaning to your life.   Without God life has no purpose, and without purpose life has no meaning.
LASTLY you must make sure that you do not waste time, for time is infinitely more precious than money, and there is nothing common between them.   You cannot tell how much time is left in the Bank of Life.   Time is life!   The secret of being happy lies in the power of extracting happiness from common things.   Take time to marvel at the wonders of life.
Before I conclude I would like to tell you a story given to me by a lady called Margaret Fisher, which I always enjoy reciting.   It goes thus.

'ONE NIGHT I dreamed I was walking along the beach with the Lord,

and across the sky flashed scenes from my life.

For each scene I noticed two sets of foot-prints in the sand.

One belonged to me, and the other to the Lord.

When the last scene of my life flashed before us,

I looked back at the footprints in the sand.

And I noticed that many times, along the path of my life,

 there was only one set of footprints.

I also noticed that this happened at the lowest and saddest times of my life.

I questioned the Lord about it:

Lord you said that once I decided to follow you, You would walk with me all the way!

But I have noticed that during the most troublesome times of my life

there was only one set of footprints.

I don't understand why, in times when I needed you most, you left my side.

The Lord replied

My precious child, I would never leave you during times of trial

and suffering.   Where you  see only one set of foot prints

it was when I carried you'

In your life you must have a 'draem', and once you have a 'dream' - with ambition, hard work and determination - you must persist until that dream becomes a reality.   THEN you will be a successful man or woman     .May God Bless you all.'

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The Day was blessed with good weather - a day of sunshine sandwiched between two days of heavy ran and and coldness.      Parents turned out en-mass to support their children, and show interest, and generally I would say it was among the best Parent's Days the School has experienced.      It was also the 45th Anniversary of the Founding of Testimony Faith Homes.

I am sorry this has arrived LATE.     Our Server went down on Friday evening, and only returned this morning (Tuesday).         I will hope to be back once, as usual, on Saturday.     With our love to you all in Jesus

John and Esther & Daryl and Carol.

THE UNREALISM of this picture seems to scream out with intensive REALITY!     More and more people in our world view each day with apprehension, wondering how much worse things can get; how increasingly less SAFE, more dangerous.
Paedophiles waiting to pounce upon our children in every school, entertainment centre, park, and even from within our families;  sadists armed to the teeth appearing in supermarkets, schools and other public places suddenly open fire and kill dozens of innocent lives;  terrorists with bombs and fanatical ideas blow themselves - and countless others -  into infinity whilst others just plant the bomb and run away;  Men and women suddenly decide en mass that they do not know whether they are male or female, and cannot abide to BE one or the long ther enough to remain the gender they were created to be.      Marriage is in question, Right and Wrong are in question. Truly this World is quickly changing and descending into chaos. We may refuse to believe it, and even turn our ears and eyes away from accepting it, but slowly we will be overwhelmed.     JESUS SAID that in the closing days of world civilisation there would be Wars, and rumours of wars - and we know this to be increasingly true right up to date.    He said there would be famines, disease, earthquakes and civil disturbance everywhere, and even so, increasingly, it is today, even in our little nation of Kenya.    He said that those who followed Him, taking up their cross, would also be hated and hunted down - (He was speaking to JEWS, of course, but the prediction will come to include the Christian also in the end, for the Christian has been 'grafted in' to Israel.    Anti-Semitism is on the increase NOW in America and Europe, and in some places the Christian is NOW also being persecuted.
He predicted a world without love for Him, and thus a world without real love for its humanity, inhuman, gripped by the love of wealth, pleasure and POWER.       I myself did not grow up in THIS world as a child, and I would not - knowing what I know now - be at peace growing up in the world I now live in.
Luke 21 verses 25 & 34-36 in the Amplified Bible find JESUS emphasising all that I have so far said.
He says -

".....upon the earth there will be distress, trouble and anguish of nations, 

in bewilderment and perplexity, without resources, left wanting, in doubt,

not knowing which way to turn........

V.34 - But take heed to yourselves and be on your guard

lest your hearts be overburdened and depressed and weighed down with the giddiness

and heartache and nausea of self indulgence, drunkenness, and worldly worries,and cares

pertaining to the business of this life, and lest that day come upon you suddenly like a trap or a noose.

FOR IT WILL COME upon all who live upon the face of the entire earth!

KEEP AWAKE then and watch at all times; be discreet. attentive. and ready, praying

that you may have the full strength and ability and be accounted worthy to escape all 

these things, taken together, that will take place,

and to be able to stand in the presence of the Son of Man."

I am fully persuaded, as I look back on seventy years of living , that these Times, these Days, are now with us.     We should be foolish to close our eyes to it.    BUT, when all is said and done, for the True Child of God alive today, there is no cause for us to FEAR or DREAD.   We ,of all people, should be confident of our salvation and rescue from all that may come upon the Earth.     And I also believe this confidence can be toward the security of all our family members who are set apart by those of their relatives who KNOW the LORD as their King and Saviour (Acts 16v31)
TODAY, in our world, one is not safe at home.    Travel has become fraught with uncertainty from terror attacks on the ground - in the street, on a bus, train, or tube - and more recently when we are in the air - consider carefully those TWO Malaysian Airliners.    The one vanished without trace, and the other blown out of the sky without warning,    Both filled to capacity with unsuspecting passengers. Strange that both were of the same Airline!?  THIS is our world.    And YES, it IS getting worse, more frightening, more uncertain.      In West Africa we now have the EBOLA Virus killing thousands - UNCONTAINABLE we are told, and those who become affected with this virus are dead in three days with no hope of cure.   Why even the Commonwealth Games in Scotland are in some anxiety in case that virus might in some way be transported into its midst!!!        At every hand a challenge to our peace of mind and life.   No wonder so many turn to DRUGS, and Alcohol and fantasy to get them through the week.     Can we trust our LEADERS?    Can we trust our PRIESTS?   Can we trust our TEACHERS, or even ourselves?    Can we rely upon them to have the directions to lead us by?

JESUS SAID - "I am the WAY!    I am the TRUTH!   I am the LIFE.      If a man / woman believe in Me, even though he die, yet shall he LIVE.      Have Jesus with you,  "GIVE yourselves to HIM.  Take yourselves out of your own keeping, and entrust yourselves into HIS keeping, and you WILL be SAVED."   Yes saved out of, and from the evils of this world.      Think about it.    

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OUR FRIENDS FROM AUSTRALIA left us this morning, and are now on their way home.  They also came with some trepidation because of the various areas within Kenya that have been suffering from terrorist attacks on our society.      The Mombasa Region has been disturbed and also parts of Nairobi.      This caused them to avoid certain areas totally, whereas on previous visits they have been able to travel freely.    Even today further violence in the coastal region of Lamu, near Mombasa, has been seen, and five more policemen have been murdered.....and so it goes on.

BUT TESTIMONY remained undisturbed enjoying the sun, the rain AND the warmth of happy days of work and play.    Their 14 day stay, as always, endeared every member of the Team to us all, and we are more than grateful to see much accomplished by their labour of love.   We wish them a good journey of some 17 hours as they travel by air from here to Nairobi, then on to Mauritius, then to Perth, and finally to Adelaide.    

One of the tasks Tyndale undertook for us was to built a rack of seating for the Pool area.

A very simple structure but well done. and now have a Stand for spectators for the Homes an School Swimming Events as they occur.

Also the Team tackled a little paint

work on he front of Testimony

House just before finishing up on 

Thursday this week.   

Friday they packed and spent 

time with the children, and then,

in the evening they threw a party

for our houseparents,  Daryl and Carol were also present with Esther and myself.    We also had Joshua and Miriam Mbithi from Neema Children's Home with us all together with the entire Team from Australia.    Had a great time of appreciation and Farewell

We are all well, very glad and happy to be alive.     The RAIN did not last, by the way - just a heavy shower and it was gone, giving way to sunny days, and 73f. temperatures.   Nice in the day but a little too warm for me at night.     Three more weeks and we hope to see Steven and Elisabeth arrive to stay a few weeks with us together with their families.    Looking forward very much.    Next Saturday it will be School's 33rd Anniversary since it began in 1981, and also the Homes 45th Anniversary since IT began in 1969.    We have an old friend and retired High Court Judge to be with us on that occasion.
This is an Annual Event shared by us and the School, but basically for the benefit of School external parents with a change to tour the School and later share the Annual Prize Giving, and a short Entertainment or Concert performed by the students themselves.   Then School will close for the August Holiday - about three weeks.
Much Love in Jesus to you all, and be sure our prayers are always having you in mind with a grateful heart, for all the encouragement and strength you yourselves give to us all here.

John and Esther & Daryl and Carol.

TYNDALE - An Eye-opener!

THIS WEEK IS DEVOTED TO THE VISIT OF TYNDALE CHRISTIAN SCHOOL .......I have been putting up photos for the last few weeks, but now that they have reached the Half-way point in their Visit, I just wanted to give an overview of what they are doing, and how they are assisting us.       Each student, AND their teachers, come prepared to work at whatever might be needed to be done at the time - cleaning, painting, carpentry work, road works - whatever we might put in their way.    They usually find this needing all their energy and sometimes endurance.    They also come with a CASH donation to the needs of the Homes.    To achieve all this, AND fly themselves to and fro they take on jobs in out of school time to provide their individual expected expenditure inclusive of travel, board and lodging and everything else along the way.   No mean feat or accomplishment.     Over their twelve or so visits to us they have contributed a lot financially, and in labour, and often material improvements.  In regard to the latter for example they have at one time or another, put down a Basketball Court, equipped and converted a room in the School as a First Aid Clinic to serve the children in the School and the Homes, provided Baking Equipment for our Bakery, and built both a new Milking Station for our cows, and set up a Poultry Centre ....... to name but a few endeavours to improve our lives here.     Indeed Tyndale School have done more than adopt us, they have become one family with us.

THIS year is achieving no less in such encouragement and real help.      One member of their staff alone has through her own endeavour been able to provide a Gift of 137 mattresses to replace our own worn out ones (last year she purchased about 17 new wooden bunk beds + mattresses.)    She roped in a lot of friends to make this possible back in Australia before she came of course - but what a tremendous God-send it has been for us.       Things like bedding tend to wear away almost unnoticed at times.       And for the most of this past week each one has been engaged once more in painting, cleaning, and repair and reclamation, generally, in every one of the FOUR HOMES,    BUT, in addition some have been busy building a stand of seating for spectators attending the Pool.   Others have been at NEEMA helping to erect a Milking Station for them.     A face lift, and something new!
AND before they leave this time they want us to sit down with them and work a strategic plan for the next four or five years!!     Surely their enthusiasm must come from God alone.


TO THE LEFT is part of the NEW Dairy that Tyndale erected last year (2013).   It is situated opposite Tyndale Cottage, our of the photo, on the left of the driveway.
When it was built we had three milkers and two calves.
But in September one of the milkers died and our milkman was found to be both dishonest and careless. We thought it wise to close the Dairy until we could find a reliable and more qualified man to be care for the cows.
SO we sold off the remaining animals.     It has laid dormant until now.     BUT once more, and with the help of the Tyndale Team, we are again opening it up.  Just yesterday we received TWO good milkers and they seem to have settled quickly in.     We have a new Dairyman, and we have this time provided a nice house for him so that he can ever be close by.

Both our new cows are in calf - one expecting in September and the other in November,   They had just arrived yesterday when this photo was taken. Please do pray with us that the LORD will take good care of them through our newly appointed and recommended Dairyman,     They are expected to provide some 27 litres each daily, and this will let ALL our children have plenty of milk.
They DO NOW, but we have to pay some 90 shillings a litre which is a heavy daily cost.  We also have a good stand of Napier Grass planted and doing well which will help with feeding.

The Dairyman's house was originally on the Testimony House side, on the other side of the main road behind it.    It was first of all provided by Miss Dorothy Wild from Edmonton, Canada, years ago in  1978.     There was a second house exactly the same which she also provided and we called the site where they were 'Wild End'.    That 2nd house is now moved to the School and is used as a Workshop for the Maintenance Team.    They have served us well, and will continue to do so God Willing.      Daryl has worked on the Dairyman's House recently, and had it repainted and provided with indoor toilet/shower, with running waster, and electricity.  The two rooms will be used as one bedroom / sitting and dining, and kitchen.    Small but accommodating.
The BAKERY and the POULTRY are both doing well, and we are planning to expand both projects before the end of the year.     AND the vegetable gardens continue to yield a good supply of fresh greens every day.

THE RAINS HAVE come at last! Very Late, but in some respects still welcome.    The temperature has also dropped - but our Visitors still in good spirits and indomitably continuing to work most of every day.      A party of them have been touching up the paintwork on the exterior of Drakely Cottage    It looks VERY nice now.    This house is at the top end of the Jacaranda Compound.
AND, OF COURSE they also spend a good amount of time with the children, playing and interacting in many different ways - perhaps next Saturday I will include more photos to round off their Trip for this year,      Esther and I have not been very involved in all that is going on.    Daryl has on the other hand been responsible for making sure everything goes as smoothly as possible, and has been up and down to town and in and out, here and there throughout the week.     He is a very pragmatic and active person, so it suits him well to be up and doing rather than desk bound.       I am the more desk bound as I continue to shoulder the duties of general secretary, and Esther is up and abounding in keep a check on teaching standards and classroom discipline in her official current duty within the School as Standards Officer.
TONIGHT eleven staff and other adults that are part of the Tyndale School Team will be having a buffet supper with us in Green Cottage.     We look forward to good fellowship,    

God Bless you all.     We do hope you do not tire of hearing our small happenings.     YOU are, in our own minds and hearts, truly so bound up in all that happens that we could not think of not trying to share as much as we can with you.       Every Blessing for this coming week.

John and Esther & Daryl and Carol.

COME LET US REASON TOGETHER?

SABA SABA DAY WILL BE ON MONDAY, 6th July.     One Regional newspaper writes as on the 2nd of this month -

'The Political mood in Kenya is tense as the coalition for Reforms & Democracy (CORD) opposition party marches forward with plans for a massive political rally on Monday 7th July.'

MR. RAILA ODINGA is the Leader of CORD, and he has been playing a low key game of Cat and Mouse for some time now, since the last Election.    He is intent on making a come back in the political rat race, and some of his speeches had indeed been viewed as 'inflammatory and aimed at inciting his followers..    Recently on June 5th he said ' a Wind that will sweep all bad things into the ocean has started and will gain momentum if national dialogue is not held before July 7th.'    This might be taken as threatening - especially since the Government is tending to ignore him altogether.  This kind of thing threatens national stability - it threatens the peace and safety of the ordinary man WHO is not wanting to play any games, but to just get on with life whilst making ends meet.

TODAY, the papers say that more then 15000 police will be guarding events at the expected Monday Rallies!

Does the Government expect trouble?     It seems so.      Certainly many ordinary citizens feel the same, and many are running away from what they consider may be 'hot spots'.      ELDORET is not on the 'hot spot'  list, and yet many are leaving the town in case of disturbances on Monday.   Certainly there IS tension in the air.      Yesterday we found supermarkets jammed packed with shoppers stocking up in case shops close on Monday!!       BUT I did find one missionary also doing his own ordinary week-end shopping who was quite calm and laid back about it all.     'JESUS is with US', he said, 'I will never leave - so why should I worry?'    I happily and sincerely agreed with him.   Too many people are too ready to become destabilised by hyper gossip and stories about what might happen to morrow.     Better trust in God and get on with LIFE.     We in Testimony have not and, will not be stocking up on food, or having sleepless nights.     Esther and I have lived in this town for 42 years and generally it has been a peaceful town, though this is not to say we have had no gunfire and minor disturbances from time to time, and of course the 2007 trouble - that  DID seriously upset our lives.
I do not feel any sense of real fear in our area.      We had a Rally here just a week again, and there was no uproar, or other excitement.    All was quiet and peaceful.      Tomorrow, is the LORDS day, and our Australian friends from Adelaide will be taking the ministry.    We look forward to a Wonderful Day, full of encouragement and faith building testimony.     In the Name of Jesus we are all going FORWARD.













TO DAY we welcomed the 12th Team of Tyndale Christian School come to work and play with our children. There are 39 participants this year, and they had just arrived from a visit to the Masai Mara Game Park.     The above photo was taken this morning outside the Director's Office, and after an Introductory Talk on how TFH began and what it is all about.    I was the main contributor, but also Daryl contributed as well.      We always start these Visits with such a time together - to set the scene so to speak.     Great excitement amongst all the children, and we expect, as always, that God will use this time all together for multiple blessings.        The SUN is shining, but there are clouds around - and we ARE hoping for at least SOME rain soon.


This second photo is of us all squeezed into the Director's Office for our chat this morning.  It is quite a big room, but also acts as as Board Room and is used for inter-departmental briefs, prayer meetings and seminars.    It is Daryl's office of course now - we just borrowed it!
THIS AFTERNOON they have all gone to Neema Children's Home to visit with Joshua and Miriam Mbithi.    They are just about three kilometres away from us.     Tomorrow - Church and play and sharing, and on Monday they will begin to labour - mainly in redecorating initially at least!

BABY ABYGAIL is in full VOICE once more as I write!     Nights are good - she is sleeping well, but she is, as I previously shared, 'TEETHING' and not enjoying it too much.     We also note she is developing a strong will of her own, and with it a rather ferocious temper.     She is 16 week old on Monday.     We hope to find ways to calm her temper as days go by - not an easy task.     Ah me!   At times our house is rather difficult to be at peace in.
Nevertheless we see great sweetness in this baby, and as we pray day by day we know the Lord is going to let her blossom into the beauty he has planned for her.     No more pictures this time.    I will let her grow a little more.

Dear friends my computer was hacked into this last week, and my whole address list has been penetrated and used against me, and even, I fear, against many of your own interests.    We have now hopefully blocked the hacker by putting new passwords and so on.     I do apologise for the many who may have been disturbed by this matter.      

God Bless and Protect you all through this coming week.

John and Esther & Daryl and Carol.

THIS PAINTING CAUGHT MY EYE THIS WEEK.    A typical scene that might be found anywhere in Kenya.   The colour, the busy bustle and sense of commercial life - It really does reflect the way life is here,   and apart from the unpredictable 'terrorist' factor, it is a carefree and friendly spirit that one is confronted by.       Of course, behind the colour of this scene, is an underlying poverty and grime.   There is also a sense of dilapidation at times - even here in this painting the artist has managed to convey, from the condition of the vehicles seen, a kind 'work till you drop'  or 'use till it falls apart' attitude.   Yet somehow the 'colour' of the buildings and individual dress, the noise and smells, and endless toil keeping alive, manages to keep everything moving, moving, moving!      I LIKE the painting; it is somehow Happy, and in a sense Innocent - a little like a picture of a childhood 'Toytown". No sense of DIRT, no sign of crime or violence to disturb the joyful and lively scene.      In so many ways it also depicts the Kenyan character and social attitude.      Kenya by nature is a country of joyful, kind, peace-loving, and enduring people, but in recent years it has been slowly disturbed to become more 'anxious' more 'apprehensive and fearful' as the price of commodities rise, crime and immorality increase, and the dread of terrorism have brought clouds to hide the 'sun' of daily life.   Society has changed.     Basically nothing fundamental has altered, but society is being slowly depressed.   The 'colour' is leaking away.     There is a 'CHILL' in the air.





MPEKETONI is a very small town on Kenya mainland coast in Lamu County.     In 1990 it was estimated that only 20,000 lived there - mainly Kikuyu.      On the night of the 16th June the town was attacked and, as the Star, reported, 56  of the residents died.   This figure has been added to since and it is now said that 65 died as a result of this attack.     During this current year we have seen a Mall in Nairobi City attacked, and many shootings in the Easleigh Estate in Nairobi as well.   Other such incidents have occurred in the same areas again and again. For the most part this has been attributed to the Somali terrorist group calling themselves Al Shabaab.    Although these disturbances have been confined to only one district of Nairobi and the coast, the way it has been discussed by the Media has caused everyone everywhere to be a little jumpy - you know - if a tyre bursts everyone runs for cover kind of thing.   Not good for calm and peaceful living.    Not restful.
THIS WEEK in Eldoret there has been a scare!     The Government had prescribed a Public Rally to be held by CORD a political party headed by Mr. Raila Odinga.   CORD decided to go ahead and hold it anyway in one of Eldoret's Stadiums.   Word went round that there might be 'clashes' with the police and party supporters.     WE were warned to close the School for the day 'just in case'!    In the actual event NOTHING happened.      No disturbances, no arrests, no trouble of any kind.   Those of us that actually have lived in Kenya for a long time are quite used to such sudden scares - but since the 2007 trouble even Eldoret is quite easily made uneasy.       But in truth we have lived peacefully and quietly during the past 6 years or so, and Nairobi and the Coast might as well be on another planet.......
IN THE REAL SENSE, however, our world is not a safe place ANYWHERE.  Civil strife, unrest, and disquiet is on the increase - perhaps in an effort (from God's point of view) to encourage us all to look ONLY to HIM for our help.    He ALONE is our only Helper, our ONLY Defence and Shield from ALL trouble.     Keep HIM in sight.

TYNDALE CHRISTIAN SCHOOL arrived in Eldoret today.   They are not staying with us but in a Christian Hostel in Town.    In fact they will not immediately arrive HERE but go for a trip to the MARA Game Park until Wednesday.    THEN we shall receive them, both in Testimony and also at NEEMA Children's Homes just a few kilometres away.      They will be a Team of 39 staff and students.    As usual some of the time will be spent in working at various jobs and projects we have laid up for them, and part of the time in getting to know our children and interacting with them. They will be here for about a fortnight.     We know it will be a good time, and their families and friends can be sure they will be safe and well cared for all the time spent with us.    No sign of any kind of unrest in this area, as I have said earlier, and indeed nine tenths of Kenya is still a pleasant and safe place to be - and the one tenth that isn't is a L O N G way from Eldoret.

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DARYL has appointed an Estate Manager, to supervise the ongoing progress of our various Projects such as the Poultry and Dairy plus the Vegetable Plots.       During the latter part of last year we had slight setbacks with the Dairy first of all, and then the Poultry.     The staff we had looking after each concern proved unreliable.     We lost one of our cows through the diary-mans negligence and another through illness.    We decided to shut the Dairy until we could find a more qualified dairy-man.   We sold the remaining stock, and the dairy has been un-utilised till now.      THIS week we have ordered one Cow, and maybe another will follow soon after.       Likewise with the Poultry - though we did not shut it down - we had to reduce stock, again through careless attention of the staff involved.   We now plan to re-stock having replaced the poultry man with more reliable personnel.    The gardens continue to produce most of our vegetables.         Our new Estate Manager is now confirmed as Mr. Moses Githombothi - will try to bring a photo or two next week.

Opposite another photo (at about 3 weeks) of Abigail, Helen's baby.  You may remember she was coping with chronic Colic, and WE were trying to cope with her shortfall in coping.     Eventually - about ten days ago - she seemed to come through the worst and we sighed with relief.Two days later she began to teethe - at 14 weeks.     And yesterday she went for her 2nd major Vaccination!   AND TODAY she is not feel so well, and making here feelings to be well SHARED by everyone in the house.  Still she IS a smiler, and she has a lot to make up for all her discomfort's inconvenience; we are very glad for her, and to see her grow so quickly and well.     The Lord has truly been answering prayer for her and undertaking for her.

AND TODAY IS LIAM'S Green's FIRST BIRTHDAY!
This is our son Michael, and Janet's son.    He is grown well and fast due to 'Mummy's' good attention. and he seems to be the darling of all.     But perhaps WE have not bee told all his bad points.    I am sure he must have spent a few hours developing his lungs, and in giving way to the selfish desires we are all born with.    Not quite an angel I dare say, but no doubt we might all be persuaded to think so.     Think the best of all Men!!??
This must be Baby Corner today!   Or I must be getting too old - but then grandparents ALL seem to be the same way and go over the moon for their grandchildren.    We are not sorry, and do not repent.    It is a special bonus upon our lives, and very special delight.     We thank God and our children for letting enjoy their hard labour.

IT RAINED LIGHTLY most of last night here!  but the dawn brought back the sun, and warmth.
The Swimming pool is full of kids - I can see them even from this distance splashing away and having fun.    Others are playing soccer, and some - about six are all here with me in our sitting room as I type the Blog WATCHING soccer on TV.       The World Cup has been well supported here, and Daryl even managed to arrange for a BIG SCREEN in the School Hall to enable a sizable crowd to watch the majority of matches without missing classes!     BUT it was a disappointment to almost everyone whose Teams seemed to fail.     Ah me!     BUT I was not much affected myself.

Our loving Thanks, once again, to you all, and especially to those who have in recent weeks been in prayer for us, and also supported us.      All Praise, Honour, and Glory to HIM who has enabled you to care about us, and for US to be cared for.    He may be invisible and intangible, but there is NO DOUBT that God IS, and that He is HERE and THERE with us all.     May He Bless and Keep you all safe in Jesus - Lovingly

John and Esther & Daryl and Carol

PURSUED BY FEAR, A RUNNAWAY........

Hullo EVERYONE!     Here we are back together, and this week I have another story for you.    A story with roots in the past, but still very present with us.
The photo to the left is of a ten year old boy taken in 1983.  His name is SAMUEL MACHO, and he was then 10 years old.    He was brought from Kitale to Testimony House in 1981 when he was 8. THIS, in part, is his story - TFH figures very little in it, and we have only come to know all the details ourselves in recent months.
Sam's father and mother seem to have come from Busia, originally not far from Uganda, and in the west of Kenya.   It may have been that his father either died or deserted, and his mother and the children (he thinks he may have had an elder brother) moved to Kitale , a little to the north of Eldoret.    They lived there on a Farm known as Zeria.    His mother married again, and sisters were born.    Sam's new Step-father was very abusive toward him, and continually knocked him about.
One day he was blamed for some mistake, and the step-father took him and beat him thoroughly, then tied him up to a tree with his arms outstretched.    He then sprayed him with paraffin and set fire to him - Sam would have been 7 or 8 at the time.        Sam suffered severe burns to one of his hands and one of his legs, but with with the help of his mother who heard his cries he managed to survive the ordeal, and ran away to the Town.     Sam knows his mother helped him, but does not know why she did not look for him after these events. Some months later he was taken to the Police and then the Children's Office, and thus to Testimony Faith Homes, and to Testimony House, to Esther and myself.      He was put to school and seemed reasonably settled, but he tells us NOW that at times he would wake in the night in a kind of dream thinking his step farther was about to get hold of him and beat him yet more.   He ran off more than four times from Testimony House under this kind of delusion, and eventually having also stolen, the Children's Officers in Eldoret felt he was unable to be properly safe with us and he was committed to Approved School in November 1984   From there he also ran away, and eventually ended up on the streets of Mombasa, a thousand or so kilometres to the south east of us.   For TWENTY years Sam scavenged from the dustbins of Mombasa for a living.     Grown tall and shaggy he continued to wander the streets, unshaven, unwashed, and somewhat mentally dis-orientated.        THEN one evening, unaware of exactly where he was, he heard people singing a hymn. It was one he dimly remembered having sung when with us more than two decades previously in Eldoret.     He walked towards the sound and entered a building which he later learned was a Seventh Day Adventist Church, and sat down at the back in what was a hall full of people, finding comfort in the hymn.     He continued to sit there till the Service was done.     The pastor found him still sitting there when all had left, and sat down beside him and slowly heard his story.    There Jesus found him, and he with many tears gave up his life to HIM.
The next day he was back, and the pastor suggested he might like to join the Church meetings - but perhaps before that he might think of getting a bath and shave .......he was apparently a frightful sight and smelt very unpleasantly.     The pastor gave him some second hand clothes and said he hoped to see him soon.     On the Saturday Sam was in Church, hair trimmed, beard gone, and looking like a new person, as he truly had become.  
TODAY Sam is the loved and respected 'Care-taker' of that same Church, and at 42 has been to revisit us here twice, full of Thanksgiving for the Life he has lived because it brought him to know Christ.   He says that although his time here was brief he never forgot the years spent here, and he believes that it was here God first planted the seed of his Salvation.       It has been a delight to have him with us - he is now trying to rediscover his family, especially his mother who may now bee in her sixties if she is still alive.
GOD is so gracious, so merciful and compassionate.     For 30 years Sam was lost to us, and we had no word from him whilst God continued to work His purpose out in his life.  

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  Ecclesiastes 10v1
DEAD FLIES - OINTMENT - STENCH
'Dead flies make the ointment of the apothecary to
send forth a sinking savour;
So does a little folly (spoil) him that is in reputation for wisdom and honour

Some week back I mentioned that a serious difference of opinion between two of our missionaries in our Fellowship was causing concern.      Of course none of us are ever 100% right......maybe not even 2% at times, but we find it easy to be persuaded that we ARE altogether right.  That is why, I think, we should do our best NOT to lean to our own understanding about anyone, including ourselves.   I am of course especially thinking of those in the Christian Fraternity and Family.

JESUS told us not to judge each other - and this affects both parties in their view of the other in any disagreement or human lifestyle.     

EACH ONE OF US is like a very special, fragrant, and pure 'ointment' that God is endeavouring to perfect for use to the common good of all society around us.

Our own opinion, and viewpoint concerning a brother or a sister, might so easily end up spoiling someones life, as surely as that FLY in the Pharmacist's Ointment.     Recently I was needing to address the incoming final Academic Classes in our High School, and I chose this Verse in Ecclesiastes.  We had seen one or too very promising students, during the year, suddenly undermined by the sudden intrusion of other human interests that 'dropped in' upon their lives.  The had ended the year in disarray, the entire class severally divided and full of strife and disunity.      This is what I said..........

'At this  time, whilst you are in School, your Teachers are endeavouring to mould you - each one of you - into a perfect mix of the best academic successes.   Each Teacher, in his or her Subject, will try to progressively stir into your life all the necessary ingredients to make you truly the sweetest, most flavoursome, and desirable Form, 1V students ever! This is the Desire and Purpose of every Teacher as they work with you, and for you,  day by day in the Classroom; seasoning your lives with as much information, instruction, guidance and human experience as, in their skill and art, they can give.   Their hearts are full of expectant hope and faith that YOU will all do your best to run the Course, and FINISH  well!   Both individually and together.

BUT it will not be plain sailing for them  - or YOU!     Hard work and determination on both sides will be needed - and there will be opposition to overcome on the way to success.     Opposition from all sides - even from yourselves!.    A lot of annoying, and sometimes damaging, side tracks to concentration.   Here and there along the way a 'FLY' might come your way to distract you, and perhaps even DROP INTO your 'ointment' and spoil everything.

There are, of course, a variety of such ' FLIES' that might drop in. Alcoholic flies, Druggie Flies, and even 'Romantic Flies'  And of course YOU yourself could even BE that 'fly'.  You might yourself be the one to affect the flavour of life around you by your own attitude and opinion..............!

Hopefully, perhaps, such an unwelcome factor coming to threaten the smoothness and purity of the academic constituency of your life might be able to be quickly death with.   But perhaps a FEW 'flies' might go undetected until the 'stinking stench' of their influence in your life and performance force them to be noticed.    Noticed, regretfully, too late to prevent the corruption that will finally end in you, and your chance in life,  fit for nothing.

I hope this will not happen to ANY one of you, either now or in the future.   I hope that a little folly, a little playfulness, laziness, or even rebelliousness, will not cause any of YOU to end up with a damaged reputation for Wisdom and Honour.

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IT WAS NOT until the 18th Century that this Scripture was incorporated into English usage.   It then began to be used in saying ' He is / she is/ there is - 'a fly in the ointment - in your / my ointment - MEANING that someone or something is spoiling all the effort made - just ONE person can be such a 'FLY'.       ACHAN in the Bible (Joshua 7) was such a person; a real fly in everyone's ointment.  By His own inclination to steal, and to determinedly hide that theft, he brought his entire family, clan, tribe, and nation to DEFEAT.    His story is a very telling example of how ONE person's selfish and careless life can affect countless others.   It cost Achan, and his entire family, their lives.

None of us are created to PLEASE ourselves by exploiting or 'using' others.   Each of us are to live FOR the good of the other; for advancement and benefit of the other.    I am to put YOUR interest and common good in front of my own.    THUS we hope each of you now embarking on this important School Year will work together to make sure none of YOU become anyone's FLY in the OINTMENT.

Yet we know that even now some of you may be 'buzzing' around to get attention; trying to get others to join you in fun and games rather than study and learning.

Remember, each one of you is like a precious ointment being carefully prepared for future use and Good.

In the wider view, all of you as a CLASS are that ointment - chase flies away.    Humanly most of us will seek to ward us irritating flies when they intrude on our lives.    We must be just as vigilant against human, and other 'flies' that can affect our lives.   We may not perceive them at first, but after a while

the 'death' they bring will become noticeable - often too late to remedy.  Our lives spoilt.

Let your EYE - your MIND - be single - shut the carrots of temptation, that may lure you away from the Prize, right out of your life and thought.    Strive to overcome, to achieve, and to WIN!   RUN with those who also run to win.    Let your fellowship, your study, your interest be with them.   Remember TWO cannot be together unless they be AGREED - make sure you do not run with those who are not themselves running - you will soon slow to their pace, and you will LOSE.   You will decompose with the rottenness of your friends own infections.     That carefully prepared OINTMENT spoilt and infected .......will have to be thrown away.

FINALLY - know that if there are NO DEAD FLIES in your ointment you then there is GREAT HOPE in you and your reputation for Wisdom and Honour will mature within you till your you fame and testimony will be seen and known to all. 

This Year will be a special test for you.      Watch and Pray each day.  Keep God in view.   BEWARE the enemy of your soul..

HERE, TODAY IN ELDORET, KENYA, the sun is not shining, and the sky is shrouded with heavy grey cloudiness.     It is raining!!     But it is not SO cold, and we all enjoying good health and peace of heart and mind, do go about our daily life Praising God Almighty in Jesus Name.     YES....people ARE dying in Kenya.    There is still unrest in certain areas of the Land.      We do have the Terrorist Element here and there, and the Government is not seeming very prepared to deal with it.    BUT Eldoret is calm and so far undisturbed.      There is no serious insecurity within Kenya as a whole.   Please be careful of what you READ - the media is always sensational and alarmist, and therefore often over states what is happening.       

God Bless and be with you all this coming week.

John and Esther / Daryl and Carol.