IN JOURNIES OFTEN

IT WAS MY 71ST BIRTHDAY on 11th May. Here I am showing off my best Gift of the year - nay of a lifetime. Marvellous. My dear sister Patricia! Had a lovely Card from her and also other members of the family. I additionally received more than 50 Greetings on Face Book from friends, past students, boys and girls and so on. Very surprising, but also very comforting to be remembered by so many! THANK you ALL for helping to make my Day a truly Happy and Joyful one.

The week has been quite busy otherwise for us as we have been visiting various Fellowships and churches through the week. Last Sunday we visited a Pentecostal Assembly - Westhoughton Pentecostal - near to Bolton in Lancashire. I first visited there in 1968 when I was still on the way to Kenya. It was then a rambling wooden structure which seemed to have been there for ever. From that very first Meeting the brothers and sisters there have kept in touch, and it was so wonderful to be there in their new Church and to be able to Thank them for all their encouragement and faithfulness and for all the faith years of prayer and love. Especially one dear brother who love and care, together with that of his dear wife May, upheld us year by year. God is so gracious.

And yesterday we had all our UK family together to remember and celebrate the love and fellowship of a dear family here in Rochdale which has touched each one of us, and overflowed to Testimony Faith Homes as well. It began in 1968 when I first spoke the Word of God in Rochdale - but we did not actually meet until 1972 when we stayed first with them. It was very special for us all to realise how God has entwined us together.

BUT at home in ELDORET things have remained hard and difficult for the Testimony Family.

Daryl has been beset with problems and challenges both from children and staff. AND the dearth we left them experiencing has continued and so they are in fact in a greater 'desert experience' than ever before. YET they live. Continue to pray with us that the Lord will supply.

We continue to stay with Elisabeth and Prem here in Rochdale until the 18th. Will be visiting an Anglican Church tomorrow, Monday for a lunch time meeting. They are near Blackpool an hour away. The weather continues grey and cloudy, wet and cold - 8c! We still have a little more than month left of our time away. Still many friends to see, and hopefully a few Meetings more to present the Ministry to. We are missing our home in Eldoret; missing being part of the family and team there. And we also hate being away at a time when there are trials and difficulties to share and overcome. Please continue to pray for our health, and that the Lord will use us as we travel around, so that we see His purpose in bringing us away at such a time. Our Faith and Hope remains strong and firm. We know He is Faithful, and that He will work His Purpose out in all that is happening to us all.

Well once again this is only a short note - as I had warned before, and I must apologise for being also LATE this week. But it is good to feel we are in touch. We hope still to see one and another as the Lord allows. But whether or not we do, we still send you our love and greetings in Jesus Name as always.

Lovingly

John and Esther