TESTIMONY SCHOOL CELEBRATING!

TESTIMONY PRIMARY SCHOOL CHOIR, under the able direction of Mr. Vidonyi, their conductor, singing a little novelty number entitled 'My Table Two'.    Below the is the Top Class of Nursery School - they will all be in Primary Class One next year.   Below them is a group of other primary kids performing a traditional dance routine. They were all performing on the stage of our School Hall today, part of the afternoon School Concert for Parents during the 32nd Annual Parents & Prize Giving Day today.
This usually takes place on the last Saturday of July, annually.     The Guest of Honour usually arrives at 10.30a.m. and commences a tour of the School with the Management, followed by parents who arrives about 11.      All the School is decorated and there are Class Exhibitions to view.    The 'Walk-around' takes about 1 and a half hours.    THEN there is a Luncheon for the Guest of Honour and party whilst the parents also are given lunch in the School dining rooms..   Thereafter the Concert in the School Hall- packed out again today with the usual four to five hundred parents.     Children (apart from those taking part) do not attend school on this Day having viewed the Concert Dress Rehearsal the day before (Friday).     Its a very busy and demanding day for all School Staff and others of the Administration.   Esther and I together with Daryl MUST attend, and quite a number of others connected to the School and Homes such as Joshua and Miriam Mbithi, County Education and Children's Officers.
THIS YEAR our Guest of Honour was an age mate of mine, who has also been an admired member of our Eldoret Community for many years - in fact he was MAYOR of Eldoret for more than 15 years.  In the photo to the left he may be seen standing next to the French Ambassador in Eldoret a few weeks ago.   A man of personal integrity, and Christian principal, he is still an active and respected member of our local society.
His name is Joseph. K. Lesiew, a man I have really appreciated and valued.   Not a University or College man, but a self informed man who used every experience of life, carefully observed, to build a life abounding in common sense, sound doctrine and regard for his fellow man.      The last time he attended a function here was in 1987 at the 18th Anniversary of the Founding of Testimony Faith Homes.   He was then in the midst of his Mayoral marathon!    I will include an extract here from his 'Speech' given today, in his 75th year.

'Chinua Achebe, one of Africa's most celebrated and renowned writers, said

"When old people speak it is not because of the sweetness of words in our mouths;

it is because we see something which you who are younger do not see"

From what the Lord has allowed ME to see,

I would like to speak to you about a value that I think this generation needs;

a value that can help us begin to restore our society, and even our Country as a whole,

so that it can grow into the healthy, and moral direction that all of us are called to.

This Value in INTEGRITY.

For Integrity to be realised we must begin with character,

because character is essentially a composite of our habits.

Only through integrating certain principles into your basic character can you truly achieve excellence.

One of the most important of these principles is INTEGRITY.

When you are a person of integrity your actions speak for themselves.

Your thoughts are guided by an internal moral compass.

People recognise this difference in you, and more often than not people will be drawn to you

because positive behaviour is very attractive

Unfortunately, in our society today, such an indispensable value has been made to seem

dispensable!

Many of our youth are making wrong decisions.

Many are ending up as drug users, consumers of alcohol, both of which can end up

controlling their lives.

I have seen beautiful young minds wasted and destroyed because of these dangerous addictions,

and it deeply saddens my heart.

We have a responsibility to our children to help them see the preciousness of Life,

and to not take it for granted.

We parents have a need to show our children how fleeting life is; how easy it is to wast it.

Young people need to seize the opportunities granted to them by our Precious Lord,

and to find out what their purpose is in the world,

because each and every one IS created to fulfil a particular purpose.

Each and every one matters.

We matter to God, to our family, our community, and our Country.

Each one of our children is unique.   We should not allow their potential to do good to be drowned out

through following wrong influences. 

LET US STAND FIRM IN OUR INTEGRITY for ourselves and for THEM.

Everything went well.    The day was sunny - only NOW  at 8.30p.m is the Thunder making itself heard again.    Everything went to time and plan.    A very successful day.

And now I must turn to my Message for tomorrow.     It seems I must continue with the Ten Commandments this Sunday - The 3rd  - You shall NOT take the Name of the Lord your God in Vain. For the Lord will not hold him guiltless that takes His Name in vain.      

Our chaplain is in hospital right now having just endured an operation for an Umbilical Hernia.   He has come through it well, and we hope he can be back at home tomorrow.    Remember to pray for Wykliffe Ondanga., and his dear and loving wife Miriam.

And now please forgive me for closing.    There is still a NEED for you to pray for Testimony Faith Homes.

It is not a financial need - even though every day we MUST pray for our daily bread - but something deeper spiritually, and which must soon be resolved and settled.     The Enemy is having a go!    BUT please do not be anxious for us - we are at peace within ourselves.      

God Bless and BE with you all.    Lovingly in His Grace and Mercy

John land Esther & Daryl and Carol.

ONE OF THOSE FROM 'DOWN UNDER' decided whilst with us to go under the Waters of Baptism.    Here he is about to be dipped into our baptistery in Testimony House grounds.   Hesketh Muli standing to his left and Mike Potter to the right.   .     The baptistery itself is just across from the School Hall where we always hold our Sunday Services, and so at the conclusion the Service we all moved out and across to the Baptistery.     It was sunny, fortunately, but the water was still rather cool.    It was a Blessing, and a wonderful opportunity to Witness to the Love and Goodness of God.      Timothy, a student from Tyndale School, is being immersed in this photo;   we believe it will ever be a Day to remember, and to serve as a strengthener to establish his Faith.



WE HAVE BEEN BLESSED in having ALL the Team with us.  Students, Staff, and others have each one been so outgoing towards us all, that it was tough to say farewell finally on Thursday morning.     As I shared last week, many have been engaged in making a new and bigger COW HOUSE, and MILKING Station for our cows.  We built the first one in July 2011 using a woodshed, and a little spare ground space near the new Allotment in Testimony House Garden.      EARLIER that same month Tyndale School Team for 2011 had built the Poultry House in Jacaranda as their main project for that year.    It was the year we all felt the Lord urging us to become more self supportive food wise, and we had laid down two plots (one in Testimony and one in Jacaranda) for veg.
Soon after Tyndale left we decided to commence a small dairy as already described.      THEN in mid 2012 Testimony School decided to expand their teaching space and to also build a Pool.;       By then we had FOUR cows and two calves (a heifer and a bull).        Just before Tyndale returned this year we had moved the cows to Jacaranda into a temporary enclosure without any shelter or milking station.     SO a good number of the Team took up the challenge to provide this lack with the result shown in the photo included here.        Regretfully we lost one of the four cows through a sickness.    The rest are flourishing and greatly delighting in their new facilities.        If I can manage to do so I will try to include a few photos just to remind you all of the scope of this agri-development over the last two years.    To preface this let me also give a Time Schedule of this development as it came to be
2011 -  July -  Cultivation of TWO plots of ground for growing vegetables for the Homes.
                       Building of Poultry Houses for 200 broilers and 200 layers
                       Both with the aid of Tyndale School students and staff.

                       Erection of small cowshed and milking bay for ONE cow in Testimony Compound
            Oct -   Purchase of two more cows,   -    Also one calf born.
                       Crops in the Allotments now being harvested.    Layers beginning to lay eggs!!!

2012 - Apr -   Started a Bakery with intention to supply School and Homes.
                       2nd calf (bull) born.     4th Cow purchased.

2013 - July -    Everything still running well.
                        NEW Cow Shed and milking station built by Tyndale School Team.

We had thought to save money in commencing these projects, and by also diminishing manpower here and there.      Definitely money has been saved in provision of our own milk, eggs, chicken meat, bread and vegetables, though regretfully the steadily rising cost of other basic commodities and foodstuffs has more than compensated, so that expenditure is still higher than when we began.   ALSO the cost of the FEEDS for both cows and poultry have increased.     BUT of course it would have been EVEN HIGHER if these innovations had not been made.      We rejoice in the leading of God's Holy Spirit in inspiring us, and in the welcome help and support of Tyndale and also our own children and staff.
However the management is proving quite demanding.    We have had to take back  manpower initially laid off in other quarters, to cope with everything.    TWO in the Bakery, and TWO in the Gardens, PLUS a Cow man and a Poultry man.    Income and Expenditure on all projects together still able to balance out even with a small margin of profit.     Still very worth while in every way.

Here we have a view of some of the cows and offspring!

Also a glimpse of the Jacaranda Allotment with maize growing well and the Poultry House in the top left corner

To the left the new Green-house which  finally yielded a bumper harvest of tomatoes.

To the right  the first batch of Broilers happy and contented though not free range.  We eat a lot and sell some.

To the left are some of our Layers (about 160 eggs per day) now slowing down and ready to be replaced.   We eat most of the eggs and sell the rest.   Very good they are too.    Again these are not free range but they are mainly contented.     As long as they have enough air, food, and food for curiosity they seem more than satisfied.     Sad they never see an egg hatch though!    

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And lastly the Bakeries bread!    They bake about 100 a day to satisfy daily needs for the four Homes AND daily School Break Refreshment for the School.      We hope to soon be able to extend the Bakery and sell to the locality as well.     Super bread.    We bake on CHARCOAL in big charcoal ovens.   But the cost of this fuel is becoming more costly day by day;  we hope to find a suitable ELECTRIC over of suitable size soon.

To manage and supervise all of this takes quite a lot of time and energy.    

We are now looking for someone to come and MANAGE it full time.     This will need someone able to supervise staff, standards, and purchases of Feeds and Baking Supplies.     Please pray we find someone of good Christian Integrity.

LAST WEEK,  I promised some photos of the Swimming Pool dedication.   Here are a few.  It went very well indeed, but we have still had some teething problems with the Engines that drive the pumps.   Seems to be sorted now, and the pool is being used by the School and even others ( THEY have to pay if they are from 'outside' - i.e. the general public.)

About 200 parents attended, seated under the tent, and about a third of the students from Primary and Secondary all seated at the side.

Below, in the second photo you can see a good view of the new Academic Bloc, and some of the 

students taking part in the events standing to the left

outside the dressing rooms.

Mike Potter and I were sitting at the Shallow End - you can see the back of our heads.

We felt it was a good beginning, and it will certainly be a well used facility, and we hope an encouragement to sport in general.    So far the largest Pool in our area, and we hope to see many Schools  come and use it for Competition.    Who knows, one day a World Champion Swimmer might begin from here.   Certainly our lady Coach hopes so, herself a onetime Olympic Team Member.

WELL this must be all for this week.      All is well with us.    We are with God.    We hold His hand, and look to HIM.       God Bless you all.    Rejoice in all you see being accomplished here - you are each one a part of it ALL.

John and Esther & Daryl and Carol

HELP FROM DOWN UNDER!

TWENTY FIVE YEARS AGO,  Dani (top centre) and her husband Mike (just below her) came to Kenya to teach in a private School in Nairobi (Cavina School).   They were young, not long married, and a friend of ours put them in touch with us.  They arrived for a brief break in 1988, and have been coming ever since, adding a family member as God brought them along.    They have all become a very precious and special part of our personal family, AND also a part of Testimony Family as a whole.    A DYNAMIC mixture of fun, drive and energy, not to forget artistic talent.
They left Kenya and returned to Adelaide, South Australia in 2000, and Mike became of Head of Tyndale Christian School where he has been ever since.   BUT Kenya was not out of mind, and in 2002 Mike brought a party of students and staff to get acquainted with Kenya and with US.    They have been coming ever since in '04,  '06,  '08,   '09,  '10,  '11,  '12, and now this July with a new party of 38!   Amazing interest, and support from every visit, and always a great demonstration of hard work, good will, and friendship.     A Blessing for all of US, from the smallest to the eldest (guess that's me).      And the dedication and commitment all underscored by the huge effort made to actually get here.     Each student has to earn their own air-fare and cost of their keep by having out of school jobs for at least a year before they can afford to come.   They EARN their own finance AND manage to have something to GIVE and leave behind for us.    This began mainly with Testimony in mind, but over the years Tyndale School, its staff and students have also expanded their interest, love and practical help to NEW LIFE HOMES in Nairobi and also NEEMA Children's Homes   run by Miriam and Joshua  Mbithi here nearby in Eldoret.
THIS time round their main project for US has been the building of a new Milking Shed for our four cows.
In 2011 we had started a small Dairy, on Testimony House compound, but due to the creation of the Swimming Pool, it had to be moved to the Jacaranda Cottage Compound, just opposite Tyndale Cottage.
It was quite an undertaking to build this structure and the team really THREW themselves into it.    Some were also doing some interior re-decoration in one or two of the Homes, and other needy jobs.
They were also able to attend the Official Opening of the new School Swimming Pool.     Mike gave a short keynote address, and the function was attended by a good number of parents, we all enjoying various items and demonstrations put on by students from Primary to High School  in the pool.     This happened about 11am on the 11th July.  
TOMORROW we shall be having a Baptismal Sunday Service, and four or five are to be baptised in water, two among them being members of the Tyndale Team.   Wonderful.

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THE WEATHER, has not been too sunny, but not too bad, and the rain has mainly been at night.    Not SO cold either.   Thank you Lord.      The Homes are now FULL with a population of 140.    A few may be leaving still, by the end of the year having completed College, and expecting to find employment.    The latter is a growing problem as no new job opportunities are being created and more and more are joining the prospective employment force - mainly to end up unemployed.

At the end of June/ beginning of July we were going through one of those 'Storms on the Lake' situations.  We had Jesus securely with us of course.......but there were moments when we had that 'sinking' feeling quite strong upon us.      What JOY then when suddenly all was made to be calm again by the supply of most of our long awaited needs - Thank you to all who have so wonderfully responded to the prompting of Father's Holy Spirit just in time to not only LIFT us UP, but to once more remind us of where our help comes from.

In 2011 we had felt to do without individual COOKS in each of the four Homes.     Initially we decided to just have ONE central Kitchen and then distribute the food to the Homes.     This was part of an initiative on our part to reduce running costs by diminishing staff.    THEN later we decided to let the House Mothers in each house be the COOK in their own homes, and thus restore to each home that homely family joy of aroma and and fellowship in the kitchen.      It has worked, but on the other hand we found that for some it was too heavy a duty to cook AND clean for an average of 36 kids.     SO from next month we will return to our original position and each Home will have its own cook for five days of the week, and then at week-ends Mum and some of the senior children will help cook.

I have been having problems with my computer over the last month, and last week I was prevented from putting up a Blog as I usually do..       ALSO I have been trying to commence a Prayer Sheet that I can send out by E-mail and ordinary post bi-monthly.      My first attempt was a disaster, but it seems that the second one was successful so I hope to be able to make it a regular posting.      I must also apologise for being rather behind in acknowledging gifts received via AENON Trust.     Hope I shall be up to date by the end of the coming week.    HOWEVER a number of e-mail letters are being returned and so I would kindly as you to make sure we do have your LATEST mail address.

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NEXT WEEK I will endeavour to put up some photos of the new cow shed and the Opening of the Pool.

Tyndale Team will be leaving us on Thursday after a two week stay.     And I will include a photo of them all here, taken on the steps of the School Hall.   We have enjoyed their fellowship, and have appreciated their hard work AND their outgoing friendliness to all the children.    Parting IS such sweet sorrow - but they will be back next year, though most of them will never have been before.       

I am sitting at my desk looking once more out across the lawn towards Testimony House.   The afternoon has proved a little dank and cold -everywhere seeming to have a rather 'grey' look.    The BIG Mahogany Tree is shedding its leaves, and one or two flutter down onto the grass, already littered with dozens of such leaves, golden and crinkled - somehow the scene and the atmosphere has made me remember a few lines from the poem by John Keats - 'La Belle Dame Sans Merci'

'The sedge has withered from the lake,

and no birds sing.'

Well, of course, we have no lake and no sedge, but the 'feel'  somehow conjures up the scene, and the BIRDS are strangely silent as well.

God Bless you all, and keep you close to HIM through the coming week

John and Esther & Daryl and Carol