TIME TO REMINISCE

Catherine & Sarah

THUNDER, RUMBLING AND GRUMBLING ALL AROUND the Homes as I type once more.  We had just a FEW days sunshine, though not very warm, and then the RAIN returned, always announced with   deep and heavy percussion from above.     So I am trapped inside Green Cottage again, with time to remember one and other of our large family.      No one swimming today!     The compound was full of our teaching staff in the morning hours though, as they came together to prepare for the Opening of the 3rd and last School Term of the year on Monday.    It was good to see them, and their happy excited voices indicated their joy as they viewed their return to work.
AND NOW the laughter has gone, and the brief sunbeams withdrawn as the stage is set for yet another rain-storm - and I remember days gone by.
YOU have seen the picture (right above) before, I am sure.  It is one of my favourites, though not very clear,  Two of our daughters - Catherine Senge on the left aged about 3 and her great friend Sarah Njeri on the right aged about 4.   They used to stick together like glue when they were little, and they have remained good friends down the years - and both have kept Jesus and TFH deep in their hearts.      Good to look back and see the beginnings of such an enduring friendship and family relationship, especially when each has her own individual origin and history.    They are not, of course, sisters by blood.  Catherine knows a little of her family roots, but Sarah knows nothing at all, and neither do we.   Catherine was only a few weeks old when she was brought to us, in 1980, and Sarah was approximately 3 when she came to us in 1981.    Both grew up with me and Esther in Testimony House, and thus especially part of our family there.     Both pursued their school life together, Catherine attending Kenya Highlands Bible College, Kericho where she obtained an advanced Diploma with Honours in Christian Education.     Sarah attended the Kenya School of Monetary Studies in Nairobi and qualified in Banking.      Catherine is now Mother in Charge of Tyndale House with us here in TFH.     She has two children now - Steven and Esther.

 Sarah Njeri

Sarah is Manager of a Bank in Malindi, and she has twins - a boy, Andrew,  and a girl, Amanda  - all three often trek back home for vacations and of course then there is great joy in the camp.       We are glad for our 'girls'.    They have both had trials of one kind of another, but they have both hung on to their faith - or is it that Jesus has hung on to THEM and made their faith to grow as they have lived and endured.     Both are now happy women with a testimony.   We love them both dearly  -    just some of the very many that make up our Family.

Catherine Senge with Micah, her husband

I have had to put the lights on - it is 3.30p.m. our time.    The thunder still muttering within almost purple clouds piled up all around us, blocking the light. The birds have all become silent - maybe they think the night has come early.

I REMEMBER when I began to take in kids, in Maseno, W,Bunyore, Western Kenya, that it thundered almost every day.   Maseno is about 2000 ft above the town of Kisumu close to Lake Victoria.   It is built upon and between great outcropping boulders, and when it thunders there it is like deafening drumbeats, that jump from boulder to boulder.      It became so resonate and huge a SOUND that I could not concentrate.

======================================

THE WEEK HAS BEEN BUSY.       With the sudden absence of Daryl a number of things have changed.

 -  OOPS the first heavy patters of RAIN are heard on upon our iron roof!     IT HAS BEGUN quietly enough - no sudden flash of lightening or titanic ROAR of Heavenly Wrath!     It gathers pace now, amid the silent, semi darkness of the world outside.   Everyone has run for shelter, all doors and windows shut.......!!!

YES I am busier than I was.    Must once more see to things in town myself, and also must spend time with those new member or our staff to help them grasp the scope of their duties and so on.    AND with a new Term beginning there has been need for me to be very careful in how we lay out the little that we have in order to assure as many students as possible to return to College, and at the same time leave us with enough in hand for daily needs.    Days have gone by swiftly, but gladly, and thus far Father has continued to put into our hand what has been needed.     All is well.

Our dear Chaplain, Wykliffe Ondanga, has now wonderfully recovered from his Hernia Operation and is back on his feet, and will be ministering on Sunday for the first time in well over a month.    We had good fellowship yesterday, thanking God for His Faithfulness and Healing.

Please do continue to pray for us through the coming week.    The Government Inspection Team will visit us on Thursday 5th to decide whether or not we pass muster as a suitable Charitable Children's Home.   The Application for RE-REGISTRATION was sent a month ago.   It comprised 140 bound pages of required statistics, copies of necessary documentation plus, plus, at a cost of some 300 pounds sterling!!!    This has to be done every THREE years.....!

God be with you all

John and Esther