JESUS CHRISTIANS NEWSLETTER #102, JULY 2008
AVP Workshops
Giddy and Karl have been busy facilitating workshops and helping
Internally Displaced People this month. Together they have been a
powerful example of the peace testimony in action, as they are from
the tribes (Kikuyu and Luo) that were most opposed to each other
during the post election violence in Kenya.
Peace T-shirts
T-shirt printing has slowed down as some of our volunteers have
returned to their homes. However, we continue to print and sell
hundreds of T-shirts, particularly to the 'boda boda' (bicycle taxi)
drivers who advertise the peace message by wearing them wherever they
go.
Book Sales
We received another 40-foot shipping container of Easy English books,
including "A Tale of Two Cities" by Charles Dickens. This novel, set
during the French Revolution, has been re-written by Dave into Easy
English using only a 1700 word vocabulary. Even before the container
had arrived, we were starting plans for yet another container load,
because sales have been so successful. Boni and Andrew have expanded
their distribution beyond Nairobi, to take in schools in other
provinces now.
Scooter Accident
The scooter mud guard came loose and jammed with the front wheel,
tossing Giddy over the bike this week. Fortunately, his injuries
were minor.
International Volunteers
As political tensions have eased, international volunteers are
signing up to help us through the northern summer. A group of
volunteers visited us this month after hearing about our project
through someone who had stayed with us previously. We managed to
squeeze in a trip to the forest for them, and we showed them the
famous bat cave (mentioned in the novel "Destroyers") where Robin,
Joe and Fran camped on a previous survival outreach.
Casey was put in charge of organising a delegation of international
volunteers who will be participating in a month long workcamp at
Kaimosi Friends Hospital. Some of our own volunteers have joined
that camp.
Rabbit Breeding
Now that the previous litter of ten kittens have grown, we put our
female rabbits together with the buck again. One doe refused to mate,
and we discovered why two days later when she gave birth to seven
kittens (though only five have survived).
Construction Completed
Although construction at Takatifu Gardens has pretty much reached
completion, we did install a new gate at the front entrance. Robin
and Chris designed it to use weights and pulleys so that it closes
automatically. The gate has given a much more secure feel to the
compound.
Heresy Trial
Quakers in Australia are just tying up the loose ends in their
decision to take membership away from Dave on the grounds that...
well, it still is not clear what the grounds are, but whatever they
are, his "faith and practice" have officially been declared
"incompatible" with that of Friends in Australia. Beyond that, it's
hard to get a clear statement on what it is that is bothering them.
Dave has written an article in which he attempts to address his own
feelings of bitterness toward the way he has been treated, and the
need to overcome that in order to get on with his life.
You can read it here:
[
welikejesus.com]
David Lowe
David Lowe, the Quaker private investigator who has spearheaded the
campaign to dig up dirt on our Dave, appeared on the ABC's "Four
Corners" show on June 23, attempting to provide evidence against a
Pentecostal fellowship which he once belonged to. David's animosity
toward us may be related to the fact that his wife is still in that
organisation, and he sees similarities in what it believes and what
we believe.
Our comments on the show (including much of the transcript for it)
appear here:
[
welikejesus.com]