YESTERDAY, TODAY, FOREVER?

35 YEARS AGO, in October 1975 I was driven by an Eldoret Social Worker to the Municipal Rubbish Dump.

"The Social Services Officer and I left the car at the roadside, and walked on up the hill. It was about 11a.m. On either side of the road fields of tall maize rustled in the wind that swept over the steep incline we were climbing. The road had been tarmacked once,. Now, long neglected and broken up, it led us to the Municipal Rubbish Dump. The smell of it, and the acrid blue smoke of endlessly burning rubbish blew down upon us as we walked. 'Come with me', the social worker had said when we met earlier, ' and I will show you a sight.'

At last we reached the sloping summit, and there, stretched out before us under the blue vault of a sun drenched heaven, and margined by the maize plantations, was the DUMP.! Acres of it! Smoking, burning, rotting! No TIP this, but truly a DUMP. Everything just dumped on the ground, dumped to burn and to rot away. Dumped and pounced upon, searched, and rummaged - for FOOD or anything sellable.

There was a place like this outside Jerusalem - The Valley of Hinnom (Gehenna) they called it. HELL! Next to Jerusalem. And here we were again - The vivid sapphire and emerfald of sky and field - THEN the charred, littered, defiled earth, enmisted in slowly curling smoke; huge carrion hawks circling always watchfully above...

'Well here we are!' commented my companion. 'and there THEY are!'

Yes there they WERE! People! People who lived from this rottenness! Like wraiths they moved in and out of the haze, tattered, raggfed, thin and gaunt. Adults and children scattered all over that putrifaction; children jumping and scuttling in and out of the rubbish like great rodents. Some naked, some in rags; hair matted, bodies caked in grime. The youngest seemed about 5 and eldest perhaps 18 and of course older adults also with them." (from the Book 'A CRY FROM THE STREET)

TODAY that Dump has been moved, but not entirely changed - only that NOW the children are to be found on the STREETS as well, and in geater numbers, and with even worse results.

That DAY, thirty years ago, we took FIVE of the young children into our care. A week or so later we began to rent what was to be the second Children's Home for TFH. We named it JACARANDA COTTAGE, because of the many Jacaranda Trees that grew within the compound.

Into that house we transfered the five boys we had taken from Eldoret Dump, together with a few others from Testimony House to help them orientate. Francis and Elaine Wainaina went as well, as newly wed Mum and Dad. AND one of the girls that went with them from Testimony House was Miriam Peter, later to become the wife of Joshua MBITHI, (NOW a mother of three PLUSS many more as they both care for HIV orphans not far away at NEEMA CHILDREN'S HOME which they were to commence much later in life). And Jacaranda Cottage continued on. We were finally able to purchase the property outright, and it now belongs to Testimony Faith Homes, with a current family of thirty seven children. 62 others having come and gone with those first five. In 1975 hardly anyone noticed or cared about such hidden poverty. In 1975 there were probably only 60,000 souls in Eldoret. NOW there are opwards of 600,000 (unofficially!) and thus poverty has become much more visible in 2010, with greater hunger greater destitution, greater everything. But NOW we are not alone in reaching out to the needy.

JESUS said that the POOR will ALWAYS be with us. World Governments say UTOPIA is always just round the corner - a world were poverty and suffering will be swept away - here in Kenya we are also being told our own poor will soon be swept away by the practical implementations of the New Constitution..............I know who I believe!

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SCHOOL and HOMES have all managed to quickly adjust to new and better understood disciplinary methods and attitudes. Where necessary meetings were arranged between children, students, houseparents and teachers, together with ourselves, and we are glad to say there was a very good spirit resulting in all parties accepting past mistakes with apology and so far since all this first blew up we are now experiencing peace and appreciation of law and order on all sides. Truly a case of the Devil getting the worst end of his own strategies. Thank you God for watching over us, and for being WITH us, even when confronted with the unexpected.

ALL our College and University students from within the four Homes are now back to study, the Lord wonderfully supplying ALL their need.

ALSO, this week, I instituted a Monday to Friday morning Prayer Fellowship for all the Homes Staff and our Administrative Office. Others also have begun to attend, and it has been a very encouraging week. There is no doubt that committing the day to God, together, and being able to pray for each other on a daily basis is a Blessing. This move is in addition to our weekly Prayer Meeting. We also re-opened our weekly Staff Bible Study - we are studying the Letter of JUDE. NEXT week we hope to re structure and improve our evangelical outreach to our cleaning and grounds staff. TODAY there is a big Christian Rally in the School Hall with about 500 attending from the Homes, Testimony School and other Christian Unions from around the Town. An all day affair. Wonderful to see SO MANY YOUNG people seeking to KNOW and SERVE God.

It has been a GOOD week. A visibly VICTORIOUS week! Thank you JESUS!

Love to you all - your are together WITH US in all that happens here.

John and Esther