CHANGE!

A VIEW OF GREEN COTTAGE SITTING ROOM, taken from my desk..... usually not so tidy and not so empty either.    TODAY at 9a.m. we have the lights on as it is RAINING, and rather dark.......but OH, what joy to see, feel, hear and SMELL the rain, at last!
But some of the older plants and trees often find this season a dangerous one.   After the long DRY season, the sudden abundance of rain puts a strain on old and brittle branches that are suddenly over stressed with the weight of the water. Quite a few of our elderly trees have lost branches in this way, land Tuesday morning we woke to find almost half of on the Giant Euphorbia bushes that line one side of the School Drive way had also succumbed, and collapsed.  It was quite a surprised though as theses bushes had been there at least eighty years and seemed almost eternal.   BUT........it WAS not as young and virulent as it once had been, and WHAM.. it yielded to old age at last.

THIS bush is just opposite to the School Hall, on the Office side of the drive.
The Bush is about three and a half times my height, say approx SIX metres, spreading
 out from a central root system.It looks similar to a cactus with ribbed, spiked limbs. 
It flowers usually just before rain, and stores quite a lot of water making each branch
 quite heavy. We reckon about half a ton fell that morning.

TO THE LEFT is a photo of how it appears in flower.

I took a few more photos just to show a little of the hole left in the root, and the bulk of what had actually broken away.      The rest of the Bush remains standing. say two thirds of the original.      It stands within the paved area, in front of the Office, and often Daryl had parked the Toyota Voxy there in its shade.    Fortunately he had moved it elsewhere on the day the Bush collapsed, or is would certainly have caused a dent or to the vehicle.

It has all brought home to me yet again how impermanent everything is.  Nothing is impervious to change;  nothing is changeless.   Everything is on the move, and one cannot go back to yesterday.      We seek the Eternal, but I wonder just how eternal eternity is.    Even there I feel there will be a progression - a continual change.........     Certainly the Here and Now is constantly changing.    Going back in ones memory few things remain as we remember them, and in actual fact trees die, buildings crumble, and even the coastline of our Island erodes with the weather.      People change  Customs, fashions, the constant mix of race and culture all contribute to a changing society, and perhaps even species.      Soon Man may be more bionic than human; he may have arranged for his own Birth, Genetic Code, Maintenance and replacement - all without a soul,I would suspect  -   a very horrifying prospect.        Can change be slowed down?    Maybe, but not I think a great deal.   No more than Face-cream removes wrinkles for a little while.    Age creeps on, and finally the flesh is done, and the tree falls.  What was no longer IS.      Even the Heavens will be rolled up and taken away.        

ABOVE is a close up of the root of our Bush, with the ruin lying all around it.   Daryl is standing there in the white shirty and one of our Groundsmen, also one of our boys who has been with us many years, now married with his own family. A very faithful family member - Joseph Kihara.      I think, at first sight, they were wondering how to clear the site - each segment of every limb was covered in sharp needle like spines making handling very difficult........  But it WAS all cleared in  matter of hours, and already - apart from the hole in the root complex - it all looks as if nothing happened.   So easy and quick to accept and get used to a change in appearance.

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

EASTER

is over, and we rejoice that the Lord helped us to be Blessed all together, and also to be inspired and strengthened onward for the balance of the year.    

FIRST, once again, a BIG Thank You to all those who sent help to us via AENON, and which arrived on the day of need on the 23rd April.     It is still more than we can rationalise about - just HOW  help always finds us ready and needing it!! Blessed Be His NAME, and blessed be all of YOU also.   Nothing could carry on without His Goodness, and that same Goodness moving in you on our behalf.

James 'MANU' attended the Eye Clinic again on Thursday.     He only had to have one injection on this visit.   The Doctor felt that the badly infected right eye is now stable, but thinks it will not improve further.    Manu will return on the 30th May to see a specialist to give a final opinion as to its future. His other eye is so far OK.

However Manu is still seriously afflicted by very uncomfortable soreness of both eyes, and this even with new glasses to help reduce too much sunlight.    He is very patient in all of this.    

He is still unemployed having spent much time and effort attending interviews and doing his best to find an employer - even with the good degree he has.    He does managed to get a little help from taking orders for baking cakes and also for laying on full meals and and so on - he is very good at it, and proficient.    Who knows he may eventually find this to be the REAL future.       He is now living alone about thirty minutes away from us, and is more relaxed, as we also are.    BUT he has also had two more seizures since living alone, both in the night, and although he suffered no ill effects, it has made him rather anxious.    He has seen a good neurologist and had all the scans and tests available, and NOTHING can be found to account for them.     We think it was just the fact that he had to start out on his own again in new circumstances without knowing how long it will take to actually find a regular job, with regular income.      God is watching.     Our thanks, sincerely, for all those who pray for and care about Manu.

The Government has more or less been carrying out what amounts to a  national Census this week, and our School Hall has been busy as one of the Centres for Registration.     Each person resident in Kenya has to fill in as very lengthy form with all his/her details.      There are people on hand to assist others in this, and generally it is a rather more complicated and time consuming  activity than usual.      A lot of public annoyance with it, though basically this is little more than the normal irritation at having to share private information about oneself and situation with outside organisations     When I was growing up we used to hear the phrase 'BIG BROTHER IS WATCHING YOU'  but these days it far more truly an ongoing and progressive fact than ever before.      More and more creepy, and more and more relevant to the Mark of the Beast!!  But those who BELIEVE and TRUST in the Lord have a Friend who far more vigilantly watches over us, to keep, protect, deliver, and safeguard us, against all that ANY enemy might imagine to accomplish    Thank God for that Assurance, and Confidence in the Name of Jesus Christ.

SOON it will be MAY DAY - much more happy a term than LABOUR DAY, which mainly brings to mind industrial discontent, strike action, and hordes of impoverished, undernourished and ill considered human beings who share the planet with those who often demonstrate that they wish such members of the family did not exist.       I think Socialism has to be appreciated - but it is not an end in itself.        We all need to be able to appreciate accept and understand each other no matter what our condition socially may be.      Theses great gulf that open up between us socially and every other way are not the way to true peace.      We ARE in need of loving our brother/sister whoever and whatever they are.

I GREW UP with the May pole on the village green, and generally a village Fete, and everyone coming together for a day Happy Thanksgiving for the onset of Spring!      I think - I hope - such gatherings still do happen in a few places.    BUT the Day HAS changed....and there we are AGAIN....CHANGE.

Yes and greater CHANGE is coming soon.      |Le us be ready for it.

Love to you all, as always

|John,Esther, and Daryl Green

.....

..

TWO NIGHTS IN THE TOMB

THE SUN BURNS DOWN UPON US OUT OF A BRILLIANT SKY, and there is no sign of rain right now!.     All around us the greenery is drying up, shrivelling, and turning to dust, and our grass already vanished from all sight.   Yesterday we were told we are on the threshold of a prolonged drought that might continue till October.    WELL, we look to Jesus.    We know it may be true, and already to the North of us the Desert conditions continue and in Turkana people also continue to die.    BUT even so, in the midst of such encroaching threat to life and and well being, we find ourselves in the Remembrance of the Cross, and the Victory Christ obtained for us and all mankind as he gave up His life for ours.       YESTERDAY we held our Good Friday Service.     It was an especially blessed one - not long in duration, but filled with the Presence of  Jesus.   All the children and staff of the Homes plus some local friends attended, and there was such a sense of JOY and Victory, even as we were again reminded in Word and Song, of the suffering and pain it took to purchase  our Salvation.    AND YES... JOY TO THE WORLD !    To and for everyone who will BELIEVE and ACCEPT God's Love for them.     HE will walk with us, and hold on to us, and bring us through whatever life may bring to us on Earth.     He IS our Saviour.

Love covers ALL sin

 In Matthew 27 in the Bible it is written

'His Blood (the blood/life) of Jesus be upon us and on our children'

WHO said this?

The Jews in Jerusalem at the Judgement Seat of Pilate the Governor.

They were saying ' Crucify him, Crucify him - and we will be held accountable for it;

you can BLAME us for it.'       AND a good many people HAVE blamed them ever since.

BUT JESUS FORGAVE them, even as he hung suffering on the Cross!   He cried out to God

'Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing'

THE MAJORI.TY

of those people in the crowd in front of Pilate, and even ALL those who watched Jesus crucified,

did not KNOW why they wanted Jesus dead.  They just followed the CROWD.

Jesus forgave them all.

NONE OF THEM WERE DIRECTLY RESPONSIBLE FOR JESUS BEING CRUCIFIED.

Jesus Himself came from Heaven to Die;

to Die instead of each one of us, taking OUR punishment for OUR sin

upon Himself.

He was not murdered or assassinated.

He voluntarily laid down his life in place of ours.

He could have called ten thousand angels to set him free.

NO, He came knowing that if He did not take our place no one else ever would or could.

ON Friday we Remembered how he died.   We remember how they laid him in the tomb, and how his friends all felt the loss of him among them.    They were lost without him; lonely, afraid, and sad.

TODAY, SATURDAY, all is quiet, and we remember the awful despair that had taken hold of all the disciples, as they waited for the passing of the Passover and the Sabbath.    They would have entered

into the  services in the Temple no doubt, and spent time in prayer.   But Jesus lay dead in the tomb; the stone blocking the way to even seeing his body.  That day for them passed slowly and mournfully.     They must have felt life had ceased, even for them.     For us life goes on pretty much as usual, although this year we are more than cheered within our own family to have David from Huddersfield with us, and also Steven our son from England.   And of course Helen and Abby are still with us, and Manu will be dropping in, so we shall not be allowed to feel as alone as the disciples may have felt.

Tomorrow, SUNDAY is usually celebrated as Resurrection Day here, and in many other places.  Monday has become of holiday (even less than a HOLY Day) and many take advantage of it purely as a holiday - a family day - or just another day.         HERE it is a normal Sunday, and we shall have our  usual Service, but with the difference at Easter, that it is another reminder of how desolate the followers of Jesus all were as they continued to miss him.       Our Service will be low key - no Worship, no Breaking of Bread.........    A  kind of dull day...?     Life with Jesus ALIVE  by our side is never dull.

I could not finish in time yesterday, so Sunday has come, and the Message below preached - though this is only a note rather than the full text.

Proverbs 10v12

Adam and Eve were the first to sin.  They disregarded and disobeyed God.

And instead of listening to him they believed the serpent through whom the Devil spoke.

They HID from God ashamed and afraid, but God covered up their sin

Genesis 3v21

THE BIBLE says 'The soul that sins shall die'  Ezekiel 18v4.    But God says that He has no pleasure in the soul that dies.   He asks 'Why will ye die?  Turn yourselves and live - Ezekiel 18v31-32.

THUS in Genesis 3v21 we find God finding SKINS to cover the nakedness, the obvious sin, of Adam and Eve.   He did not want then to DIE!      

BUT God's Word tells us that -

 '....without the shedding of blood there is neither  remission or release from sin and its guilt, nor the remission of the due and merited punishment for sin'  Hebrews 9v22

And SO God had to kill an innocent animal, shedding its blood (taking its life) in order to clothe (blot out / hide) the sin in Adam and Eve - temporarily.

THIS is the Beginning of Easter   -     A life for a life / a lamb for Man  -    It is ALL about LIFE

In Genesis 4 we find Abel, Adam and Eve's son bringing a lamb from his flock to sacrifice in his place, in order that he might be forgiven his sin and escape punishment.    He saw and understood his need to have a life that was clean and sin free.   He knew that he himself had sinned.  He offered  the sinless, innocent life of a new and prime lamb from his flock, instead of himself.   The lamb was his substitute.      And God accepted Abel.

Abel's own brother was of another mind - HE ended up cursed.

Thus the idea of offering a sacrifice to God for our sins grew into regular practice.    Annually the people took their sacrifices to the High Priest for presentation to God, hoping to secure forgiveness and remission for their sin for the year ahead.

AND AARON  the first High Priest,  had to wear a gold plaque fastened to his turban which declared to all those who saw it and read it -

HOLINESS TO THE LORD\

As a reminder and Warning to all the people of what they were all

individually expected to be in front of God.

BUT MORE THAN THIS

It was to remind the people of their need of  ONE to stand between them and God,

 Exodus 28v36-39

All this was  understood by Moses in his day.

And in Leviticus 16v21-22 we hear about a goat.    There were two in fact but I only want to mention one.    THIS goat had been brought to the Temple for a special purpose.   After all the sacrifices had been offered and the necessary prayers offered up, this Goat was brought ALIVE to Aaron the Priest in front of all the people.

He laid his hands upon the Goat's head.

THEN he committed all the sins of the people, 'en mass', upon the head of the goat, and sent it off into the Wilderness, thus taking all the sins AWAY.        Here once more is a picture of sins being actually TAKEN AWAY from us by another party of a pure and innocent nature.    This Goat was called the Scapegoat'  - one bearing the guilt and sins of, and instead of, another.

ALL THIS TIME between Adam and even today THOUSANDS  of innocent animals have been made to shed their blood as a temporary atonement for the sin of Man.      Was it SO impossible to find another way?   GOD looked, and found not one.  Isaiah 63v5   AND He was surprised, and He said 'Therefore my own arm brought salvation to  me; it upheld me.'    The WORD of God, He who was to be born into the World as JESUS (for He shall save His people from their sin).   Answered God's call and said ' LO, I come to do thy will oh God'   whom John the Baptist was to point out in John 1v29 saying 'LOOK!  There is the Lamb of God Who takes away the sin of the world.'

IT IS THIS JESUS of whom the Prophet Isaiah spoke in his book chapter 53v1 onwards.   -  A man without sin or deceit.  A man who bore our sins and transgression, taking them  upon Himself, being punished for them instead of ourselves......

THIS MAN SHED His blood for us. Blood more precious than that of any animal -  ONCE only was enough. -   He ransomed us with is own Blood; with His own Life, whilst His Father in Heaven watched.   And it was all because God Loved us so much.         Psalm 49v15 / 19v25. I know this to be the TRUTH.

TOMORROW - MONDAY will be the Day for us all to Rejoice.

REJOICE with US

with our Love always in HIM

John. Esther and Daryl, Green

A WEDDING - without BELLS!

YET ANOTHER WEDDING, in the Family's long history, this time between one of our Daughters - BETTY WANJIRU NJUGUNAH,  and Dan Kogei who was at one time working with us as an accounts Clerk; a very reliable and excellent Christian young man.     Betty is also into Accounts and works in our own Finance Office here in Testimony Faith Homes.    Maybe they will one day set up their own Finance Company!
The Wedding took place in one of our Town's Churches,  The Africa Inland Church (Fellowship Church) at 10a.m. yesterday!     It was the ONLY day available at this time - so many getting married it seems in this month of April.   They were duly Married
together by one of our Old Boys from the Homes, The Reverend Moses Ongonga, who is also an A.I.C.  minister in the Fellowship Church   All our Staff and Children - past and present - seemed to be in attendance, except for Daryl Green who was involved in some event in the Nairobi Area and unable to make it.    But Carol, his wife, was with us, and this was so good, since Betty grew up with Daryl and Carol in Testimony House for many years from 1998 to 2008.    After that Alice and Hesketh became Mum and Dad till she started out in life, on finishing College.     And so of course Alice and Hesketh, who were in fact on leave, made sure they were with us for the Day.     And Esther and I could not miss since basically it was to us that Betty's Father, who was terminally ill at the time, turned, and pleaded for us to take her, and her brothers into our care, on his death.     His wife, their mother, had already died.  It was a very sad and poignant matter.      He himself died shortly afterwards, and so initially, just before Daryl and Carol took over Testimony House from us as house parents,  they all came to us.........They have all been 'special' ever since to us both.

WELL it WAS a brilliant day, and it was a real JOY to be there, with everyone.   So many of the extended Family were also there to witness their sister's long awaited wedding to Dan.      AFTER the Service there was a BIG reception in the Church grounds with Lunch and Entertainment for all.    Esther and I finally left at about 4p.m.   We were feeling tired, having both got up at 6a.m. to get the Bride and Bridesmaids all ready.   Feeling our age a little - probably the heat as well, it was up in the eighties most of the day.
Betty's brothers all came into our care together in 1998.  Solomon also is an Accounts Clerk in our Office, Then Moses is working in Banking.   Benson also into Banking,  and Boniface still seeking steady employment.   They have all grown up peacefully, and in Jesus,  as if they had known us all their lives.  We feel the same about them, but it is hard not to feel the same about ALL who we have personally had to do with.

Our daughter Helen, still unmarried, arrived on Wednesday to be with us for some weeks during the Easter Break, together with her daughter, our grand daughter Abigail now aged five.   Helen was one of the Brides maids and Abby was flower Girl.    Great to have them with us again, and good to see them both well and loving the Lord Jesus.    He is so loving and kind.   Helen is on the left in the photo and Beverly Jebres, another old girl from Testimony House is on the right.

We are blessed to still be alive to see so many blessings grown up.

IT HAS BEGUN TO RAIN!    It started on Monday with just a brief evening shower, and has so continued.   Nothing too heavy, but at least the 'earnest of our expectation.    But the days are so far still full of sunshine, AND heat!  |I never do very well in hot weather; makes me feel quite drained of energy, but on the other hand I am feeling very well indeed.     And looking forward to Easter.   AND we are fortunate not to have a lot of glitzy advertising about the 'Holiday Season' - not even an Easter Egg in sight!     Regretfully neither is there much sign that Jesus DIED for the World to be seen or heard.    Very eerie feeling really - sort of an uneasy sense of waiting - for something to happen!

ON the 17th we are expecting David Brook, another dear friend from Huddersfield to be with us and to remain until the 22nd.    David taught here in Alliance Girls School many, many years ago, and it is good to be able to keep our friendship going on.     ALSO we are expecting our son Steven to visit over Easter, shortly - and then, before we know it, April will almost be done.   This years seems to be going like turning the pages of a book.......we shall arrive at August all to soon....     And in between we shall be Greeting yet another Team of Students and Friends from Tyndale Christian School in South Australia - they expect to be with us early July.
EASTER will commence for us on Thursday 18th April with a commemorative Supper.   Each Home will Remember the Lord's Passover Supper separately.    Then usually some hymns and prayer.
GOOD FRIDAY Service on the 19th which usually follows a program of SEVEN Readings, and then, after each one, a short comment from different Christians who feel led from among us.
THEN finally a short Word of Conclusion.
SUNDAY we do not celebrate the Resurrection - it is a Sunday apart, Jesus not yet risen.   I hope to minister the Word that day on  Proverbs 10v12 - 'Love covers a multitude of sin.'
MONDAY MORNING is Resurrection Day for us all, Everyone together again for Praise and Worship, Breaking of Bread, Testimonies and a Word of Exhortation.   

We shall not be so many this year  - about 120 kids, and maybe 12 staff (some are away this year for their annual leave) and a few friends and neighbours from around us + any guest visiting.

We do pray that the Lord, who loves us, and longs for our fellowship, will be very close and real to you all during the week to come.    The whole of the year ahead pivots on these few days when so much was done for us.    Indeed the whole of our life pivots on it.      Our love to you all, each and ever one, and our deep appreciation for all you do for us in prayer, and in often support.   Truly we are made aware of how much GOD loves us when we see the same love in you and your care for us.
It is all to and for His Glory.

John, Esther, and Daryl Green

DROUBT ! or is it DOUBT ....?

THIS PHOTO WAS TAKEN IN THE MONTH OF MARCH, a year or so ago, and you can see that quite a lot of greenery was still noticeable in the garden and, in the foreground, fresh beds for plantlings had been prepared.     This plot is on the Jacaranda side of the road, between the Poultry Project and Drakeley Cottage which you can see at the right, in the background.     We did quite well with this plot from 2011 onwards, growing Kale, Cabbage, Spinach, Lettuce, Onions, Peppers and even some potatoes.    We also dug a shallow well which helped in a dry time to keep crops watered.
CURRENTLY we are experiencing a rather prolonged dry period.     Normally we might expect to have had rain already, but we are told not to look for it this year till around the end of April.  Everything is parched and like dust. 

 I took a stroll across the road this week, and came up with a few photos of what it looks like to day - the same view taken above.      The DRYNESS is quite obvious, but also, regretfully, it is to be seen that the plot has not been well cared for or in anyway even prepared to receive rain when it finally arrives.       We miss an experienced gardener who can help us to keep things going knowledgeably.    The children are on hand to help with the labour.
We have two plots reserved for use as a market garden.   Both sides are looking a bit neglected, but when properly tended ensure that we can always have fresh vegetables.     Something to pray about as we sort out how to find the help we need.  The second photo is taken looking down on Jean Potts and the New Jacaranda with Drakeley Cottage on the left.

The weather is nevertheless quite pleasant with temperatures up in the 70f to 80fs - and this week the same at night which IS a bit sticky!    Even so with Brilliant skies and real warmth, regulated by breezes, it truly IS also very pleasant - UNLESS you are a farmer seeing your  seeds waiting for rain, and the land languishing in a hardening heat.      A number of areas in the our northern Regions are so badly hit with lack of rain and ground water that once again  -  it is experienced most years - see many dying with their cattle.       Perhaps because no one seems to say too much about it just now with even greater crisis to the south of us, where RAIN is the problem and flooding and disease bringing even greater death.     Perhaps, since these places are more often in the news (at least for a time), you will already be sparing them a prayer, but don't forget the people of Kenya, especially in regions such as Turkana and Samburu - not too far from us!    They too also suffer.
ELDORET Town and the surrounding County, has warned that Water Rationing will likely begin next week - not a comfortable warning for a town of more than 1.3 million people, many in almost slum-like areas.   The threat of Cholera and other such diseases always in the shadows.      SO far God has protected US, and yes, we have water in our taps and very little, if any sickness among our children in the Homes or School, or even among our staff.

TO THE RIGHT IS   Green Cottage, and the old and spreading Indian Mahogany Tree which is at least eighty years old now, and maybe even older.   You will notice again the dryness - the lawn looks as if it has vanished, and certainly one can only see the dry ground where grass used to be.
But we do have an Ornamental Banana growing in the midst of it all - it does not bare fruit.
 

FINALLY I just came across this 'update' on the Bayeux Tapestry  -  Europe still on the attack it seems, and Mrs May riding to confront them without a United kingdom in support.    I suppose there is no REAL reason why Europe should not live at peace with us, and we with them, but history gives little hope of it    And now it looks as if either with or without them the United Kingdom will itself once more be disunited, fighting one another.      Poor Mrs May, poor England, poor the whole world.
Even so COME lord Jesus,  at least in Heaven we WILL all agree and be together in one Kingdom - at least those of us who have renounced the World, and its godless array of selfish attractions to set us all against each other in our lusts and appetites for whatever is on offer.    And most of THAT is not very endearing.      WHY DO the heathen (unbelievers) and the kings, presidents, and prime ministers AND all those under them, RAGE and imagine a VAIN thing.    Psalm 2 describes a WORLD unchanging through history - it is well worth reading, and meditating upon - is VERY relevant, and very true.


Our Dear Lord and Saviour, Jesus the Christ, rise up in the hearts of ALL the people, that they may Praise HIM, and lift up their Swords against all the untruth and deceit of the Enemy, even Satan.

|Lovingly in His Name

John, Esther and Daryl Green