Thursday 12 November 2020


 

HELLO EVERYONE !   On the left is the badge of The United Kingdom of Great Britain, representing the Nations of England Scotland, and Ireland.    Wales is also included under the flag of England of which it is a principality.      SOME ARE SAYING it may soon have to change it's name!     How very sad that will be.
The FLAG of this Nation has not only stood for political unity but for the Christian Faith.   The National Flag, adopted in1707, displays the crosses of St. George of England, St. Andrew of Scotland, and St. Patrick of Ireland, and in doing so has stood for all that Christianity stands for; the proclamation of Salvation of all mankind in and through Christ the Saviour, and the advancement of the Kingdom of Heaven on Earth. Wales does not appear on the emblazened shield, for  it is counted as being part of England itself.  It is Not a Flag that should be laid up and lost to sight.  The world needs to know how sinful it is, and how in need of forgiveness it is, and how GOD in His Mercy has given a Saviour, to SAVE all those who  will believe in Him, before He comes as KING over all the Earth, to Rule with all Authority, according to God's Pure Holy Way, instead of ours.      BUT, AND IF THIS POWERFUL FLAG should falter and fail, then it must be that the KING of all the Earth is soon to appear with His own Banner, more glorious then any other, to take control, and enforce God's Will.    We should take care we are ready to receive HIM.         

I was born in England, so you should understand my sentimental affection for its flag.   I was brought up to admire and value those men and women in our history who demonstrated courage, honour, and morality; our National hero's such as King Alfred the Great,  Sir Francis Drake, Isaac Newton,  Florence Nightingale, Admiral Lord Nelson, to name but a few; people and characters stood out and revealed special qualities one could look up to, and aspire after.     And, as Shakespeare wrote so often, in love and pride of England's scenic beauty, and human courage and  bravery -  'THIS ENGLAND, this royal throne of kings, this scepter'd isle, This earth of majesty, this seat of Mars; this other Eden, demi-paradise, this fortress built by       
nature for herself against infection, and the hand of war.  This happy  breed of men, this little  world, set in a silver sea  .........This blessed plot, this earth, this realm, this England!......this ENVY of less happier lands.'  Was England like this in 1359, the year it was written about in the play?   Was it even true in 1597,  two hundred years later, when Shakespeare wrote the play, and put the words in John of Gaunts mouth as he died...?    I think it was !
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BUT NOW,   420 years further on, tis  becoming less of all that...........THAT ENGLAND, that was wont to conquer others, has made a shameful  conquest of itself'     
And this is not entirely due to the Virus, Covid 19!  What was and IS England, is being repudiated by strangers who know nothing of our history, or how we, through hundreds of passing years, struggled in peace and in war to LEARN, by the Grace of GOD, how to attain what now is near to be pulled down.      But does it matter?   Is the glory of the earth more than the Coming back again of its true King?      If HE should return tomorrow then yesterday will be forgotten anyway, and totally obliterated by the glorious brilliance of His Coming.     Sometimes we are deceived into hanging on to what is past or passing, and in doing so are made to MISS OUR WAY, and even to cease in going forward at all, as we travel on this 'pilgrim Way', for we ARE all pilgrims on this journey of life, as we continue onwards on our way to worse or greater things.    I often find this in myself, and get up  and shake myself, and open my eyes to SEE where I am, and to consider once again WHERE, and with WHOME I am going.      Will it be Biden?     Will it be Johnson?   Will it be GOD?     I must wake and put God first, for I am supposed to be heading Home, back to my true and meant roots, and God must be ahead of me, my Guide and the one Who will welcome me on  my arrival.      Yes we need to take great care that no-one and nothing, cheats us or prevents us, from getting there, and achieving our Crown of Life.



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HERE IN KENYA
We persevere with Government Rules, Covid 19, unseasonable weather, three quarters of our School still closed until January 2021.   I have also been made lame with my left leg.   Mr. Doc says it is trapped nerve in the vicinity of my left hip.   Previously, last, year he said it was a kidney stone!   Well he gave me some drugs, and after almost a week my leg is a little better.   I am believing it will soon be healed.     I have the same     occurrence with the same leg three times in the last few years.   I guess it just might be a nerve.

COVID 19 continues to be almost the only news.    According our Health Department numbers continue to rise, and the Nation still fairly shut down, Hotels, cafes, sand bars, shut down but Churches can hold services with no more than 100 per meeting.     School will remain shut till January, except for the 4 Classes that have already returned to School.
AS ON 10/11.20  we have 63,44 Confirmed Cases // 42,658 Recoveries // 855 Deaths
Hot Spots Today  -   Nairobi 371 //  Mombasa 82 // Kiambu 52 // Busia 35 // Uasin Gishu 34 

The weather has continued to give forth rain.   This is not usual for this time of year when wheat and maize needs to D R Y on the stalk in order to have a good harvest.    Not this year, and it looks like it will be quite a hard year next year altogether.     WE have not planted cereal crops but we have planted other vegetables in our plots, and they have yielded, and continue to yield bountifully.    But no doubt we shall have to pay heavily for MAIZE which we use to make a staple basic food - Ugali  

We our selves are still living in 'Green Cottage' opposite Testimony House were we began fifty years ago It is a bit like a shop, with so much coming and going.   All the milk and bread comes to us from the Dairy, to be shared out to the four family homes,  and then the children are always dropping in to see Grandpa and Grandma.   Old boys and girls also suddenly appear, and this week we had a surprise visit from MELVIS Oduor, who came to us in 2000, aged ten years, together with his elder brother and two sisters.
He completed his education with us and found a job in Uganda, since when we have never seen or heard of him - but he was at home with us today - and we were very glad and happy to see him grown up, and
trusting in God.      It is really great when our children droop back in after leaving here, and many do so. We feel did manage in a small way to build a home and family where there was none.

Christmas is soon to be, and and out of school our children from the Homes are preparing for our usual Christmas Concert, which is open to the public on the 23rd December, and our Carol Service during the evening of Christmas Eve on the 24th; we have that in front of Testimony House.    School will have closed of course, and we shall all come together for our Christmas Morning Service on the 25th.   This year we shall be repeating our Nativity Play for the Concert night; it was well received last year, and we are thinking of making it an annual event.

The year seems to gone quickly for us.   Always so much to think and pray about, AND to actually be involved in still.   Esther and I are still involved in management and have places on the Board of Management as well as the Bi-weekly Finance Committee.     But it is still to the LORD we look for Guidance, and for all our needs.     Without His Holy Spirit in our midst, our human efforts would come to nothing.

May all our Friends and Readers recieve our Love and Greeting in Jesus Name, and know that our prayers ascend to God each day, in love for Family of Friends, and for all those in the world beside, that you may be blessed and protected from all harm.

John, Esther and Daryl Green, and all at Testimony Faith Homes
























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