TO GOD BE THE GLORY - AMEN

THE 33rd ANNIVERSARY OF THE COMMENCEMENT OF TESTIMONY SCHOOL took place on this last Saturday, 27th July 2014.
Our Guest of Honour was an old friend of ours The Hon. Justice John L OSIEMO.    He is one of those whose children were among those who actually founded the school way back in the '80s.    He himself was also Guest of Honour in 1984, thirty years ago, before any of the current School buildings had been built.     It was especially a great pleasure to have him,and his wife,with us for a 2nd occasion, and to note that the Lord had walked with him and his family in the interim, advancing and prospering him and his family.      Initially John Osiemo had trained as Teacher, but later on he turned to the Law.   At the time of his first visit to us in 1984 he held the post of Senior Resident Magistrate for the District.     He soon was promoted to the Bench and became a High Court Judge.   He is now retired, but remains respected and well known.    He lives not far from us, and his children, once students with us, are now grown up and making their own way in different professions, and in faith toward God.     The Judge is photographed here prior to presenting School Prizes.    Below and to the left he and his wife are seen signing our Visitors Book in the Director's Office.      I am including the text of his address here below.

'STUDENTS, teachers and parents, it gives me great pleasure to be in this School addressing this gathering.   Thirty years ago I was a parent in this School, and I left a very proud parent because my children, who were among the pioneers of this School, who all performed exceptionally well, and are now successful in various disciplines.
To those students who will receive Prizes today, I would say Thank-you, for you have made your parents proud.   In order to succeed in life, you must have the following  -   Ambition, Determination, and above all Persistence.   Nothing can take the place of persistence.   Talent alone will not - the world is full of educated failures.   Persistence and determination must be ever with us.    We all strive to succeed in life.  But a successful person must have the following qualities  -   Being Virtuous he is free from anxiety, Being Wise he is free from perplexity, and Being Brave he is free from FEAR.
Every human being's ultimate aim in life is to be happy, but what is the way to happiness?   It is to keep you heart free from Hate, your mind from Worry; to live simply, expect little and give much.
We all pray and ask God for a happy life, but God sometimes does not give us what we ask Him.   We ask God for strength, and God gives us difficulties to make us strong.   We ask God for wisdom, and
God gives us problems.    God sometimes allows us to experience the low points of life in order to teach us lessons we could not learn in any other way.   We must ask God to grant us patience to accept the things we cannot change, courage to change the things we can, and wisdom to know the difference.  We must resolve to be tender to the young, compassionate with the aged, sympathetic with the struggling, and tolerant with the weak and wrong.     Sometimes, in life, you will have been all these. 
As human beings we make mistakes.    In your journey of life you have made mistakes and you will make more.    Mistakes are part of the dues one pays for a full life.  No man ever became great except through making many great mistakes.    No man consciously chooses evil because it IS evil; he only mistakes it for the happiness that he seeks.   Rest assured that generally speaking others are acting in the same manner that you would under exactly the same circumstances - hence be kind and understanding when dealing with their failures.
We must be content with what we have.   But what is the secret of contentment? The secret of contentment is knowing how to enjoy what you have, and to be able to lose all desire for things beyond your reach.  
With God on our side we should not have too many problems.
God made you for a reason, and your life has profound meaning.   We discover that meaning and purpose only when we make God the referee of our lives.   Knowing your purpose gives meaning to your life.   Without God life has no purpose, and without purpose life has no meaning.
LASTLY you must make sure that you do not waste time, for time is infinitely more precious than money, and there is nothing common between them.   You cannot tell how much time is left in the Bank of Life.   Time is life!   The secret of being happy lies in the power of extracting happiness from common things.   Take time to marvel at the wonders of life.
Before I conclude I would like to tell you a story given to me by a lady called Margaret Fisher, which I always enjoy reciting.   It goes thus.

'ONE NIGHT I dreamed I was walking along the beach with the Lord,

and across the sky flashed scenes from my life.

For each scene I noticed two sets of foot-prints in the sand.

One belonged to me, and the other to the Lord.

When the last scene of my life flashed before us,

I looked back at the footprints in the sand.

And I noticed that many times, along the path of my life,

 there was only one set of footprints.

I also noticed that this happened at the lowest and saddest times of my life.

I questioned the Lord about it:

Lord you said that once I decided to follow you, You would walk with me all the way!

But I have noticed that during the most troublesome times of my life

there was only one set of footprints.

I don't understand why, in times when I needed you most, you left my side.

The Lord replied

My precious child, I would never leave you during times of trial

and suffering.   Where you  see only one set of foot prints

it was when I carried you'

In your life you must have a 'draem', and once you have a 'dream' - with ambition, hard work and determination - you must persist until that dream becomes a reality.   THEN you will be a successful man or woman     .May God Bless you all.'

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The Day was blessed with good weather - a day of sunshine sandwiched between two days of heavy ran and and coldness.      Parents turned out en-mass to support their children, and show interest, and generally I would say it was among the best Parent's Days the School has experienced.      It was also the 45th Anniversary of the Founding of Testimony Faith Homes.

I am sorry this has arrived LATE.     Our Server went down on Friday evening, and only returned this morning (Tuesday).         I will hope to be back once, as usual, on Saturday.     With our love to you all in Jesus

John and Esther & Daryl and Carol.

THE UNREALISM of this picture seems to scream out with intensive REALITY!     More and more people in our world view each day with apprehension, wondering how much worse things can get; how increasingly less SAFE, more dangerous.
Paedophiles waiting to pounce upon our children in every school, entertainment centre, park, and even from within our families;  sadists armed to the teeth appearing in supermarkets, schools and other public places suddenly open fire and kill dozens of innocent lives;  terrorists with bombs and fanatical ideas blow themselves - and countless others -  into infinity whilst others just plant the bomb and run away;  Men and women suddenly decide en mass that they do not know whether they are male or female, and cannot abide to BE one or the long ther enough to remain the gender they were created to be.      Marriage is in question, Right and Wrong are in question. Truly this World is quickly changing and descending into chaos. We may refuse to believe it, and even turn our ears and eyes away from accepting it, but slowly we will be overwhelmed.     JESUS SAID that in the closing days of world civilisation there would be Wars, and rumours of wars - and we know this to be increasingly true right up to date.    He said there would be famines, disease, earthquakes and civil disturbance everywhere, and even so, increasingly, it is today, even in our little nation of Kenya.    He said that those who followed Him, taking up their cross, would also be hated and hunted down - (He was speaking to JEWS, of course, but the prediction will come to include the Christian also in the end, for the Christian has been 'grafted in' to Israel.    Anti-Semitism is on the increase NOW in America and Europe, and in some places the Christian is NOW also being persecuted.
He predicted a world without love for Him, and thus a world without real love for its humanity, inhuman, gripped by the love of wealth, pleasure and POWER.       I myself did not grow up in THIS world as a child, and I would not - knowing what I know now - be at peace growing up in the world I now live in.
Luke 21 verses 25 & 34-36 in the Amplified Bible find JESUS emphasising all that I have so far said.
He says -

".....upon the earth there will be distress, trouble and anguish of nations, 

in bewilderment and perplexity, without resources, left wanting, in doubt,

not knowing which way to turn........

V.34 - But take heed to yourselves and be on your guard

lest your hearts be overburdened and depressed and weighed down with the giddiness

and heartache and nausea of self indulgence, drunkenness, and worldly worries,and cares

pertaining to the business of this life, and lest that day come upon you suddenly like a trap or a noose.

FOR IT WILL COME upon all who live upon the face of the entire earth!

KEEP AWAKE then and watch at all times; be discreet. attentive. and ready, praying

that you may have the full strength and ability and be accounted worthy to escape all 

these things, taken together, that will take place,

and to be able to stand in the presence of the Son of Man."

I am fully persuaded, as I look back on seventy years of living , that these Times, these Days, are now with us.     We should be foolish to close our eyes to it.    BUT, when all is said and done, for the True Child of God alive today, there is no cause for us to FEAR or DREAD.   We ,of all people, should be confident of our salvation and rescue from all that may come upon the Earth.     And I also believe this confidence can be toward the security of all our family members who are set apart by those of their relatives who KNOW the LORD as their King and Saviour (Acts 16v31)
TODAY, in our world, one is not safe at home.    Travel has become fraught with uncertainty from terror attacks on the ground - in the street, on a bus, train, or tube - and more recently when we are in the air - consider carefully those TWO Malaysian Airliners.    The one vanished without trace, and the other blown out of the sky without warning,    Both filled to capacity with unsuspecting passengers. Strange that both were of the same Airline!?  THIS is our world.    And YES, it IS getting worse, more frightening, more uncertain.      In West Africa we now have the EBOLA Virus killing thousands - UNCONTAINABLE we are told, and those who become affected with this virus are dead in three days with no hope of cure.   Why even the Commonwealth Games in Scotland are in some anxiety in case that virus might in some way be transported into its midst!!!        At every hand a challenge to our peace of mind and life.   No wonder so many turn to DRUGS, and Alcohol and fantasy to get them through the week.     Can we trust our LEADERS?    Can we trust our PRIESTS?   Can we trust our TEACHERS, or even ourselves?    Can we rely upon them to have the directions to lead us by?

JESUS SAID - "I am the WAY!    I am the TRUTH!   I am the LIFE.      If a man / woman believe in Me, even though he die, yet shall he LIVE.      Have Jesus with you,  "GIVE yourselves to HIM.  Take yourselves out of your own keeping, and entrust yourselves into HIS keeping, and you WILL be SAVED."   Yes saved out of, and from the evils of this world.      Think about it.    

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OUR FRIENDS FROM AUSTRALIA left us this morning, and are now on their way home.  They also came with some trepidation because of the various areas within Kenya that have been suffering from terrorist attacks on our society.      The Mombasa Region has been disturbed and also parts of Nairobi.      This caused them to avoid certain areas totally, whereas on previous visits they have been able to travel freely.    Even today further violence in the coastal region of Lamu, near Mombasa, has been seen, and five more policemen have been murdered.....and so it goes on.

BUT TESTIMONY remained undisturbed enjoying the sun, the rain AND the warmth of happy days of work and play.    Their 14 day stay, as always, endeared every member of the Team to us all, and we are more than grateful to see much accomplished by their labour of love.   We wish them a good journey of some 17 hours as they travel by air from here to Nairobi, then on to Mauritius, then to Perth, and finally to Adelaide.    

One of the tasks Tyndale undertook for us was to built a rack of seating for the Pool area.

A very simple structure but well done. and now have a Stand for spectators for the Homes an School Swimming Events as they occur.

Also the Team tackled a little paint

work on he front of Testimony

House just before finishing up on 

Thursday this week.   

Friday they packed and spent 

time with the children, and then,

in the evening they threw a party

for our houseparents,  Daryl and Carol were also present with Esther and myself.    We also had Joshua and Miriam Mbithi from Neema Children's Home with us all together with the entire Team from Australia.    Had a great time of appreciation and Farewell

We are all well, very glad and happy to be alive.     The RAIN did not last, by the way - just a heavy shower and it was gone, giving way to sunny days, and 73f. temperatures.   Nice in the day but a little too warm for me at night.     Three more weeks and we hope to see Steven and Elisabeth arrive to stay a few weeks with us together with their families.    Looking forward very much.    Next Saturday it will be School's 33rd Anniversary since it began in 1981, and also the Homes 45th Anniversary since IT began in 1969.    We have an old friend and retired High Court Judge to be with us on that occasion.
This is an Annual Event shared by us and the School, but basically for the benefit of School external parents with a change to tour the School and later share the Annual Prize Giving, and a short Entertainment or Concert performed by the students themselves.   Then School will close for the August Holiday - about three weeks.
Much Love in Jesus to you all, and be sure our prayers are always having you in mind with a grateful heart, for all the encouragement and strength you yourselves give to us all here.

John and Esther & Daryl and Carol.

TYNDALE - An Eye-opener!

THIS WEEK IS DEVOTED TO THE VISIT OF TYNDALE CHRISTIAN SCHOOL .......I have been putting up photos for the last few weeks, but now that they have reached the Half-way point in their Visit, I just wanted to give an overview of what they are doing, and how they are assisting us.       Each student, AND their teachers, come prepared to work at whatever might be needed to be done at the time - cleaning, painting, carpentry work, road works - whatever we might put in their way.    They usually find this needing all their energy and sometimes endurance.    They also come with a CASH donation to the needs of the Homes.    To achieve all this, AND fly themselves to and fro they take on jobs in out of school time to provide their individual expected expenditure inclusive of travel, board and lodging and everything else along the way.   No mean feat or accomplishment.     Over their twelve or so visits to us they have contributed a lot financially, and in labour, and often material improvements.  In regard to the latter for example they have at one time or another, put down a Basketball Court, equipped and converted a room in the School as a First Aid Clinic to serve the children in the School and the Homes, provided Baking Equipment for our Bakery, and built both a new Milking Station for our cows, and set up a Poultry Centre ....... to name but a few endeavours to improve our lives here.     Indeed Tyndale School have done more than adopt us, they have become one family with us.

THIS year is achieving no less in such encouragement and real help.      One member of their staff alone has through her own endeavour been able to provide a Gift of 137 mattresses to replace our own worn out ones (last year she purchased about 17 new wooden bunk beds + mattresses.)    She roped in a lot of friends to make this possible back in Australia before she came of course - but what a tremendous God-send it has been for us.       Things like bedding tend to wear away almost unnoticed at times.       And for the most of this past week each one has been engaged once more in painting, cleaning, and repair and reclamation, generally, in every one of the FOUR HOMES,    BUT, in addition some have been busy building a stand of seating for spectators attending the Pool.   Others have been at NEEMA helping to erect a Milking Station for them.     A face lift, and something new!
AND before they leave this time they want us to sit down with them and work a strategic plan for the next four or five years!!     Surely their enthusiasm must come from God alone.


TO THE LEFT is part of the NEW Dairy that Tyndale erected last year (2013).   It is situated opposite Tyndale Cottage, our of the photo, on the left of the driveway.
When it was built we had three milkers and two calves.
But in September one of the milkers died and our milkman was found to be both dishonest and careless. We thought it wise to close the Dairy until we could find a reliable and more qualified man to be care for the cows.
SO we sold off the remaining animals.     It has laid dormant until now.     BUT once more, and with the help of the Tyndale Team, we are again opening it up.  Just yesterday we received TWO good milkers and they seem to have settled quickly in.     We have a new Dairyman, and we have this time provided a nice house for him so that he can ever be close by.

Both our new cows are in calf - one expecting in September and the other in November,   They had just arrived yesterday when this photo was taken. Please do pray with us that the LORD will take good care of them through our newly appointed and recommended Dairyman,     They are expected to provide some 27 litres each daily, and this will let ALL our children have plenty of milk.
They DO NOW, but we have to pay some 90 shillings a litre which is a heavy daily cost.  We also have a good stand of Napier Grass planted and doing well which will help with feeding.

The Dairyman's house was originally on the Testimony House side, on the other side of the main road behind it.    It was first of all provided by Miss Dorothy Wild from Edmonton, Canada, years ago in  1978.     There was a second house exactly the same which she also provided and we called the site where they were 'Wild End'.    That 2nd house is now moved to the School and is used as a Workshop for the Maintenance Team.    They have served us well, and will continue to do so God Willing.      Daryl has worked on the Dairyman's House recently, and had it repainted and provided with indoor toilet/shower, with running waster, and electricity.  The two rooms will be used as one bedroom / sitting and dining, and kitchen.    Small but accommodating.
The BAKERY and the POULTRY are both doing well, and we are planning to expand both projects before the end of the year.     AND the vegetable gardens continue to yield a good supply of fresh greens every day.

THE RAINS HAVE come at last! Very Late, but in some respects still welcome.    The temperature has also dropped - but our Visitors still in good spirits and indomitably continuing to work most of every day.      A party of them have been touching up the paintwork on the exterior of Drakely Cottage    It looks VERY nice now.    This house is at the top end of the Jacaranda Compound.
AND, OF COURSE they also spend a good amount of time with the children, playing and interacting in many different ways - perhaps next Saturday I will include more photos to round off their Trip for this year,      Esther and I have not been very involved in all that is going on.    Daryl has on the other hand been responsible for making sure everything goes as smoothly as possible, and has been up and down to town and in and out, here and there throughout the week.     He is a very pragmatic and active person, so it suits him well to be up and doing rather than desk bound.       I am the more desk bound as I continue to shoulder the duties of general secretary, and Esther is up and abounding in keep a check on teaching standards and classroom discipline in her official current duty within the School as Standards Officer.
TONIGHT eleven staff and other adults that are part of the Tyndale School Team will be having a buffet supper with us in Green Cottage.     We look forward to good fellowship,    

God Bless you all.     We do hope you do not tire of hearing our small happenings.     YOU are, in our own minds and hearts, truly so bound up in all that happens that we could not think of not trying to share as much as we can with you.       Every Blessing for this coming week.

John and Esther & Daryl and Carol.

COME LET US REASON TOGETHER?

SABA SABA DAY WILL BE ON MONDAY, 6th July.     One Regional newspaper writes as on the 2nd of this month -

'The Political mood in Kenya is tense as the coalition for Reforms & Democracy (CORD) opposition party marches forward with plans for a massive political rally on Monday 7th July.'

MR. RAILA ODINGA is the Leader of CORD, and he has been playing a low key game of Cat and Mouse for some time now, since the last Election.    He is intent on making a come back in the political rat race, and some of his speeches had indeed been viewed as 'inflammatory and aimed at inciting his followers..    Recently on June 5th he said ' a Wind that will sweep all bad things into the ocean has started and will gain momentum if national dialogue is not held before July 7th.'    This might be taken as threatening - especially since the Government is tending to ignore him altogether.  This kind of thing threatens national stability - it threatens the peace and safety of the ordinary man WHO is not wanting to play any games, but to just get on with life whilst making ends meet.

TODAY, the papers say that more then 15000 police will be guarding events at the expected Monday Rallies!

Does the Government expect trouble?     It seems so.      Certainly many ordinary citizens feel the same, and many are running away from what they consider may be 'hot spots'.      ELDORET is not on the 'hot spot'  list, and yet many are leaving the town in case of disturbances on Monday.   Certainly there IS tension in the air.      Yesterday we found supermarkets jammed packed with shoppers stocking up in case shops close on Monday!!       BUT I did find one missionary also doing his own ordinary week-end shopping who was quite calm and laid back about it all.     'JESUS is with US', he said, 'I will never leave - so why should I worry?'    I happily and sincerely agreed with him.   Too many people are too ready to become destabilised by hyper gossip and stories about what might happen to morrow.     Better trust in God and get on with LIFE.     We in Testimony have not and, will not be stocking up on food, or having sleepless nights.     Esther and I have lived in this town for 42 years and generally it has been a peaceful town, though this is not to say we have had no gunfire and minor disturbances from time to time, and of course the 2007 trouble - that  DID seriously upset our lives.
I do not feel any sense of real fear in our area.      We had a Rally here just a week again, and there was no uproar, or other excitement.    All was quiet and peaceful.      Tomorrow, is the LORDS day, and our Australian friends from Adelaide will be taking the ministry.    We look forward to a Wonderful Day, full of encouragement and faith building testimony.     In the Name of Jesus we are all going FORWARD.













TO DAY we welcomed the 12th Team of Tyndale Christian School come to work and play with our children. There are 39 participants this year, and they had just arrived from a visit to the Masai Mara Game Park.     The above photo was taken this morning outside the Director's Office, and after an Introductory Talk on how TFH began and what it is all about.    I was the main contributor, but also Daryl contributed as well.      We always start these Visits with such a time together - to set the scene so to speak.     Great excitement amongst all the children, and we expect, as always, that God will use this time all together for multiple blessings.        The SUN is shining, but there are clouds around - and we ARE hoping for at least SOME rain soon.


This second photo is of us all squeezed into the Director's Office for our chat this morning.  It is quite a big room, but also acts as as Board Room and is used for inter-departmental briefs, prayer meetings and seminars.    It is Daryl's office of course now - we just borrowed it!
THIS AFTERNOON they have all gone to Neema Children's Home to visit with Joshua and Miriam Mbithi.    They are just about three kilometres away from us.     Tomorrow - Church and play and sharing, and on Monday they will begin to labour - mainly in redecorating initially at least!

BABY ABYGAIL is in full VOICE once more as I write!     Nights are good - she is sleeping well, but she is, as I previously shared, 'TEETHING' and not enjoying it too much.     We also note she is developing a strong will of her own, and with it a rather ferocious temper.     She is 16 week old on Monday.     We hope to find ways to calm her temper as days go by - not an easy task.     Ah me!   At times our house is rather difficult to be at peace in.
Nevertheless we see great sweetness in this baby, and as we pray day by day we know the Lord is going to let her blossom into the beauty he has planned for her.     No more pictures this time.    I will let her grow a little more.

Dear friends my computer was hacked into this last week, and my whole address list has been penetrated and used against me, and even, I fear, against many of your own interests.    We have now hopefully blocked the hacker by putting new passwords and so on.     I do apologise for the many who may have been disturbed by this matter.      

God Bless and Protect you all through this coming week.

John and Esther & Daryl and Carol.