Pray for me, Kenya charity man tells wife

Feb 4 2008 by Ben Guy, The Journal

THE wife of a missionary who is struggling to escape troubled Kenya has described the stress of knowing her husband is in such a dangerous place.

Terry Newton is currently in Nairobi waiting for a flight tomorrow that will bring him home, to Hexham, Northumberland.

Mr Newton is the head of an orphanage in Kisumu, the country’s third largest city, and was due to fly back later this month but has managed to get on an earlier flight because of the conflict.

But his wife, Thelma, said that even getting to the capital had been a struggle because of the road blocks and fires that were burning.

She said: “He is in a war situation. Last Tuesday it seemed to have quietened down, but while he was out shopping a politician was shot and the violence started again. He said that the riots just flared up – it must have been so scary. He was in the supermarket right in the middle of it all – he sent me a text saying please pray that we get out of here.”

Mr Newton did manage to make it back to the orphanage with the help of some local men, and Mrs Newton added that her and her husband’s faith had been vital during the ordeal. She said: “Having our faith does make a big difference. We have also had lots of people all over the country, and abroad, praying for him.”

Mr Newton, is director of Uhuru Ministries, a charity that helps under-privileged children and orphans in Kenya. The couple have four grown-up daughters and three grandchildren.