ONCE AGAIN A PHOTO OF OUR HOMES' WORKERS taken this July.   A happy group, and all very faithful and hard working.    They were all hired at very minimum wages, and have never at all made complaint  or sort for a rise.    TODAY they received a 50% increase without warning, and were we believe very glad for it.      This is a further step of Faith on our side since at the current time we cannot be seen to afford it   -   BUT this is not the first time we have taken such a step that might be considered rather risky, or daring, but done at the prompting of the Holy Spirit, who has never failed to underwrite His Leading.      It has been almost six years since we raised salaries, and we had fallen behind the government recommended scales which we have tried to keep abreast of.   We should now be a little in front, though still below what we would like to offer.    But still I know we shall not see unhappiness, their contentment not relying purely on money.    We are grateful to God for them all.     We have also done the same, at this time for our  house-parents.

The School has also decided to raise their Teachers' salary by 50%.  They also dare to do so, in faith that their income from School Fees from our local external students will continue to cover this extra expense.      We cannot compete with Government Salaries in this area, which are more than we can afford, but although we do pay them less, we are hopeful this current increase will be helpful in giving them an incentive to remain with us.     Today we lost our High School headmistress of 12 years and four other teachers to another private institution offering better remuneration.    With the Economy as it is, we are not surprised, and hardly indignant - but we do have a good many who we hope will continue on with us, as they trust in Jesus, and obey the Holy Spirit's calling in their lives.
The Government is changing the syllabus in Primary and Secondary School, and this will enable those in High School to choose more variably what they want to study.   We are encouraged by this move, and feel it will be very helpful indeed.     As we look for a NEW Head of Secondary for the New Year ahead, please pray with us that the Lord might send one to us with a real Calling in Christian Education at High School level, a man or woman of dedication and and Vision and able to work with us in co-operation and Faith for the progressive success of the School, both academically and technically.

Just a very short input this week!

With our \love in Jesus

|John, Esther and Daryl Green

H0LLOWNESS - LIVING CHARADE

A RARE FAMILY GROUP

clockwise from Daryl on the left

Miriam Mbithi, Esther, Me, and Joshua Mbithi

BUT we were not alone, for we had been taken out for luncheon by two dear friends who had been unable to be with us as planned.     Martin and Margaret Speed were our absent hosts, themselves having had to leave us earlier than expected in order to travel to Uganda.       It left the five of us together - probably for the first time, and we enjoyed ourselves immensely.      NOT that we were truly disappointed not to be with our friends, and to have the joy of fellowship TOGETHER with them.     Our hearts could not help but constantly include them in our thoughts, and conversation as we ate and fellowshipped.      BUT it also blessed us to find ourselves together as close members of a family, away - just for a moment - from the hurly burley of our larger and  constant commitment to our labours in our respective fields of service for children.      It was a 'refreshment' and moment of 'togetherness' rarely enjoyed.         We hope there will yet be an opportunity for us to find Martin and Margaret included in the picture, and in the enjoyment of such fellowship.    Thank you both, always.

This was once worn by Christian Kings - just an empty circlet of bejewelled crosses; nothing in the middle to fill up the space.    A HOLLOW crown.     It so happened that as I came across this image  I Had begun to watch Shakespeare's play 'Richard 11' produced for British TV in 2012 as part of a series under the Title The Hollow Crown'.      And I had once more remembered the words put into Richard's mouth by Shakespeare at a time when Richard had arrived back from Ireland to find himself being rebelled against. 

'...For within the hollow crown

That rounds the mortal temples of a king

Keeps Death His court, and there the antic sits,

Scoffing his state and grinning at his pomp,

Allowing him a breath, a little scene,

To monarchize, be feared, and kill with looks,

Infusing him with self and vain conceit,

As if this flesh  which walls about our life,

Were brass impregnable; and humoured thus

Comes at the last and with a little pin

Bores through his castle wall, and farewell king!

Cover your heads, and mock not flesh and blood,

With solemn reverence;  throw away respect,

Tradition, form, and ceremonious duty,

For you have but mistook me all this while,

.I live with bread like you, feel want,

Taste grief, need friends;  subjected thus,

How can you say to me I am a King? '

HERE IT IS AS IF King Richard is saying that there is no real point in wearing a crown and being seen as a KING  -  The WEARER of a Crown, called King, is not truly more powerful, protected from need, or kept from DEATH than any other.

We could say the same about the holder of ANY official office in life, enjoying a special Title or Name declaring his Office and putting him or her on a higher plain than others without such dignity.       Of course Position can give us 'airs and graces' and we can 'use' it to demonstrate our transient 'powers' any way we like - BUT King Richard speaks of such Place and Position infusing the holder with 'self and vain conceit'.       Swollen toad like to  pompous, swollen pride, it only needs  the smallest pin prick to leave us empty and deflated - totally unable to naturally back up with substance the symbol of the Position we ascribe to - a hollow crown indeed.

All my awakened life I have felt somehow sad and disappointed that for all the POMP and Ceremony of our United Kingdom, the actual CROWN is indeed HOLLOW.   It is empty of any REAL power or authority.    It is, in itself, quite ineffectual, for it gives no power or authority to GOVERN to the one who WEARS it.      NO, that power has devolved almost 99.9% upon the Parliament.         For twelve hundred years of our history the united Kingdom has been ruled by the Monarch, and people did as they were told.     THEN the people were given the power to tell the Monarch what to do, and the Monarch HAS to obey.    At least this is the general principal - and the Parliament speaks for the People, and Rules in the Name of the Queen. BUT the CROWN is HOLLOW - it is now subservient to the will of the people -   MY question to day is WHO wears the CROWN -  the Queen,  Parliament, or the People.    AND then  Who wields the Substance, the Power and Authority of it in actually GOVERNING the State?           It is NOT in reality the Queen who is clearly merely a Cypher.       
It is suggested that Abraham Lincoln may have said words to the effect that Government of the People should be BY the people and For the People.     This is held up as THE democracy to aim for.     BUT is it working?   Has it ever really worked?   And will it ever work?
Looking at it from the Bible point of view it seems unlikely that Mankind, left to himself, can every successfully govern himself, and therefore cannot be able either to govern others.         God's ideal is for Man to by Guided and Ruled by Himself alone.    The people (and they never do change) rebelled and cried out for a KING of their own choice.    God let them have one,  and HE made a mess of it all.     Then God gave them a King  -  DAVID.           The first king of a united England was Alfred the Great, a man of moral and spiritual qualities often spoken of as equal to those of King David.    Alfred,was a very remarkable man.
Many kings and queens were to come after him - they were all human, and none were perfect - some were truly bad rulers.      BUT they all wore the CROWN and ruled directly from under it.  Then at least the People knew what to expect from their King, and he WIELDED the power and authority, directly of himself - His Crown was Not a Hollow one.    In this sense niether was King Richards.

JESUS will come back to RULE.     He will not be ruled by a Parliament or by the people.   HE will Rule with a Rod of Iron according to His Word.       No hint of democracy.     Have you ever thought of this.       NOW we have a world full of howling screaming people raging in opposition and criticism of their governments.     All OVER the world it is erupting.     The people want control and they want to be heard  -  because they question their Rulers - their honesty, their unselfishness, and their ability to know what they are doing.     SOME people say this is Democracy - everyone has the right to give their opinion, demonstrate and even overthrow law and order.       It is increasing.
AND it is bringing confusion and fear upon the whole planet.        Look at LUKE 21v25-28
In these verses Jesus predicted that in the Last Days (these days) there would be signs in the sun, moon and stars - and never in recorded history has their been much being seen to occur in these three areas.     In the midst of this, 'DISTRESS Of NATIONS  with perplexity (bewilderment and anxiety);
the sea and waves roaring (some are saying this alludes to the increase in severe disturbances of the sea by increased wind, inducing high waves and tsunamis  -   BUT I have always felt these words refer to the progressive increase of civil disobedience and mass public demonstrations worldwide.)
THEN the Powers of the heavens will be shaken - and JESUS will come in a cloud with Power and Glory....!          All this is happening, and is a sure sign that Jesus WILL come, is on the way in fact, to save what and who can yet be saved from the final END.

DO I WEARY YOU?      I am no learned or gifted seer.    I can find no reason for you to give time or place to my words - but I commend them to you as being heavily upon my heart -  I believe God is speaking these things because this IS the time to wake up to them, and to take precaution in our lives and for the lives of our loved ones.    I close humbly  pleading that you read on in Luke giving special attention to our Lord's exhortation in verses34-36.

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

RIGHT NOW we are having exceptional RAINS - it is very out of season, and puts our crops in danger of being destroyed and a national famine augmented.     BUT we are all in good health and spirits.    Next week the School will break up for the 'summer' holiday, and we shall hope  to enjoy the children home again to occupy our days.    We look forward to it.    We do Thank God for His continual providence and for all the dear ones who, hearing his voice. have sent help and aid to us during these last few months.    We have been in need, but through so many, God has answered our cry to Him.     May He continue to Bless you all, and may he also wake up in us all  the knowledge of His soon coming.

In His everlasting Love and mercy

John, Esther and Daryl Green

'

LED BY THE HEART OF GOD

THIS IS WESTHOUGHTON PENTECOSTAL CHURCH,  situated on the Bolton Road, Westhoughton, Near to Bolton in Lancashire, England.   It has a congregation of approximately 200.
I first visited this Church in 1968, when on my initial way to Kenya;  a young man of 28.  AT that time it was not where it is now, and was not such a fine building;  as I remember it was rather like a big timber construction, comprising one large room and a few others adjoining it.   It  reminded me then of an old farm barn...........BUT I was received so warmly and lovingly as if I was part of their family of believers;  a home from home.

Left to Right - Margaret and Martin Speed, and Me and Esther

AND, since then,  for most of that time,  Martin and Margaret Speed have pastored the Church.    And in recent years we have been able to see then here in Kenya on brief visits for Jesus, that also took them to Uganda.    THIS year they have been able to be with us longer, and it has been so good to get to know them better and we hope it was also a blessing for then to get to know us too.  Martin is soon to retire from the Pastorate there in Westhoughton - at least he is thinking about it.
They have now left us for Uganda where Martin will also be ministering.

They brought us a Gift this time, very unexpectedly, and it was an answer to prayer.
We have not had so much cash to play with; enough, that is, to pay ALL the College and University Fees that were being waited for.    We had done well, but we still had been unable to enable three of our students to return to their College/Universities - when the Gift was put in my hands I KNEW immediately what it was for - and indeed all three have now been fully financed for this last semester of the year - and a little more to help two others.      How Wonderful God is.   Of course we have shared this with them both - and THEN discovered that these funds came through the effort of one of their sons who had taken part in a sponsored climb up Mount Kilimanjaro,  giving his part of the product to the Church to be sent to us!!!     Well some time must have elapsed between Benjamin Speed planning himself to climb a mountain, and then deciding to give his hard effort away to help us - but it arrived in time to save and encourage the faith of many  -  AND to become part of the provision of their Education, and Hope for the Future.      God IS Good - He is FULL of Goodness.

Christmas Cactus ( Schlumbergere) Origin Brazil

Esther has grown a number of these plants, all different.  Some as above and others varying shades of red, to mauve - and even some white to peachy..   Very beautiful when in flower.  But the one above has different leaves to the rest, and in searching the Web today I was unable to find one of a matching kind.     Truly colourful and when fully blossomed are a BLAZE of light and joy.
So much beauty in the world.   So much ugliness.


To conclude for today, here is a hymn I have not often heard sung, but which expresses a desire that might change the world if more of us could feel the desire it embodies and strive toward it.

I want, dear Lord, a heart that's true, and clean;

A sunlit heart, with not a cloud between.

A heart like Thine; a heart divine; 

A heart as white as snow;

On me, dear Lord, a heart like this bestow

I want, dear Lord, a love that feel for all,

a deep strong love that answers every call.

A love like Thine, a love divine,

A love for high and low,

On me, dear Lord, a love this this bestow.

I want, dear Lord, a soul on fire for Thee;

A soul baptized with heavenly energy.

A willing mind, a ready  hand

To do whate'er I know

To spread Thy light wherever I may go.

Watching SKY newscasts every few days it feels as if love for each other and our human kind, is fast being eroded, and animosity, doubt, fear, and hatred mixed only with lust more and more blinding out the true Care and Charity of GOD for everyone of us.       So easy to take sides, and be the judge, but we need to do what God is busy doing, and spend time forgiving, and for reaching out in our hearts to each other, and for all those who live on this once beautiful and unspoilt sphere amidst the stars of heaven.         We are encouraged to disparage everyone - to uncover every sin and defect, and discredit ever praiseworthy, creditable and charitable facet of each others life and personality.  Thus is our world increasingly the victim of violence, civil and national unrest, and disunity.    We find a lack of peace and hope of tranquil existence  daily thrust upon us all - young and old.   What will soon be left to live for, to hope in, or to rely upon.      Where will our son, daughters, and our grand children stand, still able to admire the beauty of the Earth and Heaven,  or believe in Humanity of Man made in the Likeness of God?   THIS is the TIME to gather in the harvest.   THIS is the time, to FORCE those lost and away in unbelieve, INTO the Kingdom - BEFORE the Day Comes and we have to answer for keeping silent, and refusing to reach out with our lives in the Name of Christ, to snach, even the loved ones in our own families, as we seek those beyond, yet still within our reach.

Esther, Daryl and I do greet you all in the Name of the King for whom we wait expectantly.   We have all been down with with colds, but now recovered from the, and facing the close of the School Term; the last of the year, and the advent of the Long Holiday.        We shall keep in touch as we may, and will be always in prayer for you all, as we know you will be also continuing to pray for us.   You letter are always welcome and we shall be always glad to reply.    God Bless and keep you SAFE in in your right minds, till He Comes.

        John,  Esther,  and Daryl