THE PRESIDENT HAS A WIFE!

A VERY HAPPY COUPLE!    And VISIBLY together - our incoming President Uhuru Kenyatta and his wife Margaret.     They have been married for 23 years, and on the 3rd April Mr. Kenyatta asked if his wife could HOLD the Bible whilst he LAID HIS HAND upon it, during his Inauguration and Swearing-in on Tuesday of this coming week.
IMMEDIATELY there has been an out-cry from the public objecting to this.   Their point is 'How can a Head of State Swear on the Bible when someone else is holding it - why is he afraid of touching it?'
HOWEVER,  the TRUTH of the matter is NOT that  the President will not TOUCH the Bible as he takes the Oath - He WILL lay his hand upon it; it is only that his WIFE will be holding it for him as he does so.
No Big Deal to my way of thinking.     Interesting how people of a certain way of thinking will always find a way to TWIST words to mean what they want them to mean.       OUTWARDLY, at least, the President Elect wants to demonstrate the close relationship he and his wife have toward each other.   BUT some are saying the President Elect is unwilling or afraid to TOUCH the Word of God (the Bible) for his own private reasons, and that is a bad omen.      This has never been intimated in the press, who have throughout clearly reported the true case - that the President will place his hand ON THE BIBLE as he takes the Presidential Oath - it is only that instead of HOLDING it himself, his wife will hold it.     Sad how something meant to be a demonstration of marital solidarity and support can be used for evil surmising.         Of course there are many that believe the worst about the 'man' who is to lead us.        But here he is by God's Grace.    Let us believe the best and trust in God, for the State, ourselves, and for the man's family.


LAST SATURDAY, as I had shared, we all went to the Wedding of Joshua and Miriam Mbithis daughter Esther to Dan.     The Service was held in town at the AIC Fellowship Church.   It was not full but almost so (it holds about 3,000 people) It went very well, and then afterwards the Reception was held in the grounds of a College known as Alphax College. A truly joyous and auspicious occasion. One of our Old Boys, Rev. Moses Ongong'a officiated, and a number of Testimony Family Members also attended even from out of town. There were also a little group of 'angels' who had 'flown in' from the island of Guernsey in the Channel Islands. Both the Mbithis and the Greens have known them for some years now, and from time to time they have visited.........Always in time to be a Blessing to us all. To us they are 'angelic' even though they look human enough! I have included a photo of the happy couple AFTER their Marriage, AND a photo of Esther and me with our some 'angels from Guernsey' - Daryl tacked on at the far right. They are all back in Guernsey now, and we hope for another flying visit sometime in the future as the Lord might dictate. John Henry, third from the left, is the eldest of them all, and truly adventurous for an 'angel' insisting on getting a ride back to the Mbithis on a piki-piki - His outward appearance being 80 or so, he demonstrates very well Life springing Eternal. We do all appreciate their willingness to come to do the work of God amongst us; they cheer and encourage us every time, lifting up our hearts, and also minister God's provision before they even know our need. 

THIS WEEK has been a busy and active one for me - and also for Daryl who is himself involved with me in activities that take us both away from the Homes.    BOTH of us are invited Members of what is known as the Eldoret Court Users Committee - The CUC.     This is a quarterly Meeting of the Judiciary and Magistrature, Lawyers and Advocates,  together with senior Police Officers, Probation and Children's Officers.      Basically this is an empowered Country level watchdog and regulator on criminal and social justice as it may be administered in the locality of the Uasin Gishu Country.      The Committee last met on the 21st March, and during its deliberations the matter of Street Children was once again brought up.  Numbers were noted to be rising on the streets of the Town of Eldoret.    Exact numbers could not be given but well over a thousand it was thought - many as young as three years.       Police were demanding some collective action - but what?     A TASK FORCE was set up, and I was appointed Chairman.     Our first Meeting too place on TUESDAY of this week.     We sat (nine of us) in one of the High Court Rooms.
The outcome was a unanimous plan to BEGIN to clear the streets with almost immediate effect - we would start with seeking out FIRST all those seven years and under.       The Police estimated about 30 could be picked up.      It was decided to contact all the Children's Homes in the area in order to ask for TEMPORARY places for those picked up - to stay for two to three weeks whilst vetting and research into their histories were carried out, AND THEN either repatriated to their families or found alternative help.
On Wednesday Morning we met with the Eldoret Children's Forum and set the matter before them and obtained their assistance in contacting the Managers of Children's Homes in the area.

Anthony

On Thursday we had an audience with the Police Chiefs in Eldoret and organised for them to make an unexpected SWOOP to pick up children 7 and under that very day.      They would be held over night in a special facility, then taken to Court the next Day.     They picked up FIFTY TWO CHILDREN. (52).
On Friday at 9a.m. I was at the Court.       Only 27 vacancies had been offered by Children's Homes. TESTIMONY FAITH HOMES had offered to take THREE boys (Anthony 7, Joseph 6, and  Newton 7.)  I was in the Court for almost two and a half hours as all fifty two cases were heard, and the children temporarily assigned to the Juvenile Remand Home and to seventeen different Charitable Children's Homes.  

Joseph 6

It is known that most of the children living on the streets are NOT orphans - they do have parents and even homes.     It had been hoped that when they did not appear overnight that parents would immediately show up at the Police Station to enquire - but none did so.        Nevertheless it is hoped such parents WILL be found and that they will be persuaded to take hold of their responsibilities as they stand before the Police and Magistrates.      We shall see.      As an operation it went well and according to plan - but it will not stop here.       There are HUNDREDS more still on the streets, and we must go after them, and help them to realise the street cannot be home sweet home for them.        The Task Force will meet again on Monday 15th April, and it hoped to commence PART TWO of the 'Clearance Plan'.        It will not all be solved at once, but little by little we hope to accomplish the Task almost to completion by the end of the year.      

Newton 7

THE THREE LITTLE BOYS WE HAVE TAKEN INTO TO TESTIMONY,   undoubtedly have home and family somewhere.     We will of course have to find out during the coming week or so as many of the real facts of their background as we can.      Mary Atieno our Social Worker will be quite busy trying to win their trust and discovering their history.     All three boys are VERY happy today, and seem to think they have arrived in 'heaven'.........Their future - like all the others that have been picked up - is uncertain right now.   We will need great wisdom, justice and mercy as we research their lives to discover what has forced them to the Streets, and what will be the best action to take in their BEST interest.     Please join us in prayer for this.
It is also a lot of EXTRA work and running about for Daryl as well as me.

l to r - Janet, Dominic, and Naomi

TODAY IS THE SCHOOL SPORTS DAY!         The weather is not very nice in that there is little sun and the sky a bit grey overhead.    It has been raining a LOT this week.     Our School Field is in the process of being levelled and replanted with grass, SO this year we have had to borrow the Eldoret Sports Club field which is about  three kilometres away from us.      Everyone has gone there, leaving me here typing.    It will be a great time I know - it always is.      Maybe some photos next week.       The three boys above will be there enjoying themselves AND three others that came in November last year - a boy of 7 Dominic, and his two sisters Janet 9 and Naomi 13.   They were supposed to stay with until the end of December but they have just now been committed to us permanently - their parents both died of AIDS and the family refuses to have anything to do with them - because of the stigma attached to them.    None of the have HIV even.  Lovely children who are able to remember loving parents and a happy home!

SOMEONE WROTE ON MY FACE BOOK PAGE and suggested that The Christian Church needed evangelising - that it had, itself, gone to sleep and become unaware of the world it existed in.
I wrote back and said that JESUS had tried doing that - and had ended up Crucified!!       Jesus had come and found the Jewish Church cold and unaware.    He tried to wake them up to SEE and to HEAR, but they were blinded and deafened by their own righteousness - and they rejected, objected and put their hands to their eyes and ears whilst shouting AWAY WITH THIS MAN - we will have Barabbas.........

EZEKIEL, in his day, also found the People of God deaf to God's Words.  Ezekiel 3v12-13 finds him being led of the Spirit of God - He says 'I went in the bitterness of discouragement, in the heat of my spirit, and the hand of God was strong upon me.'
Ezekiel was not in the MOOD to go.    Not anxious to be the one to GO!     Certainly SATAN our Enemy and God's, does not want any one of us to GET UP and GO with the Word of God - ESPECIALLY to those of a failing heart and spirit!    He does not want those one time 'firebrands' and disciples of Christ, to be RE-AWAKENED.      They are back in his hand - shall he let them be RESCUED?
In chapter 3v15  Ezekiel found himself led to a special community of the People of God - his own people - and he stayed and lived with them, and became 'overwhelmed' with astonishment at their lives - and he was silenced.   He could not witness to them.        These people - the People of God - were living without regard for God.  He was amazed..       Some 'christian' church groups are like that - they have become as the world without realising it.......Ezekiel was SO surprised to realise the condition of his fellow Christians, that he laid down for seven days unable to act.     He knew them all well - he was one of them, and until that moment had been as blind as they were.   BUT God's hand was upon him to WITNESS.   God's Holy spirit had opened his understanding.   He knew he had to do this.   Whether they would hear or not - he HAD to speak what God had told him to speak.      As he lay mulling this over, the LORD spoke to him again and said -

Son of man I have made you a watchman to the House of Israel (The People of God)

THEREFORE, hear the Word at My mouth, and give them warning for me.

WELL dear ones, we are ALL, each one of us, WATCHMEN and women.      We must not avoid the issue, but GET UP and witness to the truth - even amongst our own brethren - amongst our own congregation.       We must each one be quick to Exhort, and to Encourage one another.........And let us not FEAR to do it, for HE HIMSELF is alive by our side to give us the STRENGTH and COURAGE to do so.

Our Love to you all and our thanks for sharing what you have with us.     Pray for us that even more might be  burdened to support the ministry of God's Word and the Reclamation of children lost and away from home.

God Bless and be with you

John and Esther & Daryl and Carol Green