April 2010
Dear Brethren, Friends and Family
Ni sa bula. (Greetings!)
As we mentioned in our last report we were headed for a three week
trip to Papua New Guinea, Australia and Vanuatu. We did and we came back!
PNG here we come:
The trip did not go as planned but everything did work out for good.
We left Nadi airport here in Fiji on March 29th at 9:00am. The Air Niugini plane
that we were on smelled like a garbage can, the seats we were assigned were
row 9. They were just in front of the emergency exits and the seats did not
recline. The padding in the seats had obviously been there since the plane was
build and by the time we touched down in Port Moresby our backsides were so
numb we could hardly walk. The reason we took Air Niugini is they have the most
direct route and the cheapest fare. However we did not fly straight to Port
Moresby PNG but got to layover in Honiara, Solomon Islands for 35 minutes on
the way. When we unloaded to the transit lounge we had to have our carry-on
bags checked again through their scanners. I’m sorry - like we stopped
somewhere in mid air and picked up something we shouldn’t have, like a
bottle full of water! NOT!
We had a 4 hours layover in Port Moresby before we got on another plane
to Lae. During the layover we had to sit around (on the baggage trolley and
bags) in the check-in terminal (not air conditioned) until we could check in
2 hours before our flight. The check-in computer system was down and we were
witness to five different domestic flights trying to get loaded and out on time.
It was a fiasco! Passengers for five flights checking their bags at five check-in
lines, getting their boarding pass and then ALL OF THEM having to pass through
ONE security officer who made sure their boarding passes matched their ID. Once
we finally checked-in (we were the last flight out and they checked us in first
out of pity) we were allowed to go into the departure lounge where I caught
a couple of zees before our flight to Lae was called. We were just starting
to get feeling back in the extremities.
We landed in Lae at 7:45pm in the dark. They do not have a baggage
carousel in Lae so when the baggage came it was passed through a hole in the
wall and everyone crowds around to get their bag. I finally got our two and
put them on a cart and started to push it outside to see if Jab had come to
pick us up. A guy came up on my left and asked if I wanted someone to push my
cart for me - I kept pushing and said no. He asked again and put his hands on
the cart - I turned to say no - and I was looking at Goman Mesa. Goman was supposed
to be in Vanuatu with his family. What a surprise! And Jab was laughing his
head off in the background. Goman was back in PNG for a month doing contract
work. We loaded everything into the truck and headed for town. Arrived at Agape
House and was met by Velma Forman. Velma is the clinic nurse there in Lae and
the hostess for Agape House. Put our bags in the rooms and had dinner. Then
off to bed with the whirling overhead fans and the sounds of heavy rain.
The workshop was being held on Tami Island. Tami is the home of Jab
and the Mesa clan. Jab was the first Christian from there and for many years
had hardtimes from the Lutheran church there. Today Jab’s father is a
Christian as well as most of his family and on Tami a vibrant congregation which
just finished a building they now use as a meeting hall.
We spent two days going to stores in Lae and getting items we would
need. Tami Island does not have any electricity (however most of the people
have cell phones and can get reception, Jab called Tobey at Harding and Goman
called his family in Vanuatu while we were there) or running water (except when
it is raining) and definitely no stores to go buy junk food from. I spoke in
chapel at Melanesian Bible College and the Wednesday night service. Most everyone
going to Tami Island for the workshop were booked on a charter boat which we
loaded onto Thursday morning. It is just over a three hour trip there and Kathy
and sat on the upper deck under a roof. By the time we arrived we both had wind
burn. I will let Kathy talk about her impression of the workshop.
When we arrived at Tami Island we had to all be ferried to shore in
rowboats. We watched the first arrivals get a surf dunking welcome from the
local people. They were helped out of the boats but then dunked or poured water
on them “in welcome”. We knew to make sure all valuables were safeguarded
when we landed.
The Tami Island people had build temporary housing for the women and
out of pity to us and Velma we were given accommodation in a two room stilted
building which had previously been used by the Lae Game fishing club. It was
about a 5 minute walk from the rest of the village right on the beach. There
was a tank on the roof which we had to hand pump water into but we did have
running water howbeit cool (no hot water). We had 4” foam mattresses on
the floor. Most of the screen wire was in place on the windows. The toilet was
a long drop, with the back wall missing, up next to a coral outcrop.
Sunday we worshipped out under the canopy of some magnificent kapok
and other trees. There were over 350 of us sitting out and around the tree roots.
The new building was way too small to accommodate the crowd. It was a mountain
top experience even though I was the preacher. Three ladies responded to the
gospel during the workshop.
Going back to Lae it was in reverse without the water wetting welcome.
Rowboats out to the ship, etc. However this time Kathy and I rode down in the
air conditioned deck-room with 100 other people. It was okay except it was packed
like a sardine can (and after a few days on the island not everyone had practiced
good hygiene), there was water on the floor and my backpack got wet. No wind
burn this time. We were peeling from the first time.
We got back to Lae in time for evening services on Sunday. Monday &
Tuesday we went around town getting some stuff, PNG coffee, diving goggles for
Josua, etc. We flew out of Lae Tuesday evening and stayed in Port Moresby for
our early morning (6:30) flight to Brisbane, Australia on Weds April 7th.
We left PNG (on a nicer smelling plane then the one we arrived on)
and after a three hour flight we landed in Brisbane at 9:25 am. No problems
with immigration though quarantine wanted a closer look at the PNG coffee and
some bottles of ant poison I had picked up in PNG for use on our Fiji ants.
We had already been in contact with Ross and Elaine Leggatt who we would be
staying with. We first met them in the 1980’s while working in PNG. She
doesn’t drive anymore and Ross had a meeting so we needed to find our
way out to their place in Wellington Point. She said a taxi would cost so much
and we knew they had trains, I voted train. (We would rue that chose!) (Little
did we know that Ross had agreed to pick us up and Elaine sent an email the
night before telling us this. The hotel where we were staying did not have good
enough email facilities for me to check my email before leaving PNG.) We stopped
in the airport to change some money, get a bite to eat and a good cup of coffee,
not like the airline junk! We drug (dragged for those who use the new English)
our bags over to the train station (however you read it they were heavy) and
for A$42 (US$34) boarded the train for all points away from the airport. It
took us about an hour and only one train change and we disembarked at Wellington
Point station.
Okay we are here! NO?TAXI CABS! Nobody manning the station either!
The station is on a dead end street. I thought we might as well find a busy
road and see if we can find a taxicab there. So we drug (dragged in new English)
our bags about a quarter of a mile (all uphill) and did indeed find a busier
street. However still no taxicabs. We were standing under a shade tree and there
was a van just up the road with a jack under the front axle. While we were watching
a car drove up behind the van and a man got out with a tyre to put on the van.
I watched because I figured he had it under control but then saw he was having
problems getting the tyre back on the axle because the jack was at it’s
maximum lift, he started letting the air out of the tyre so it would fit. I
went over to ask him where Spur Drive was thinking we could walk to the Leggatt’s
house. He said it was only a 15 minute walk on up the road. I then suggested
to him we support the van with a piece of wood, let the jack down, put a brick
- which was laying in the yard behind us - under the jack, then re-jack the
van which should give him enough clearance to put the tyre on without letting
any air out of the perfectly good tyre. This we did and then he offered to take
us to the Leggatt’s house, which turned out to be 10 min. driving time.
We were met by a very worried Elaine as she was expecting us sooner.
Thursday morning I was invited to play golf with Ross and his weekly foursome.
The course was a water trap. I only had my moccasins and because the grass was
wet I ended up with blisters on my heels and toes. It was also the first time
I had worn real shoes in over a year. It was fun though and good company! Hit
the ball - Limp, limp!
Kathy and I did some more shopping for things we needed that we could
not get in Fiji. We bought enough new books and were given some used books to
fill another small bag and cruised Target, Big W and oohed and aahed at the
stores in the mall and the grocery selection in the stores. Real donuts and
cinnamon swirls!
Now why the train trip was not so good.
When we left PNG the departure lounge that morning was ice cold. The plane was
cold. The train ride was ice cold even though the outside air was a pleasant
75 degrees. The grocery stores we went into were ice cold - so we caught a couple
of great colds. At one time I was walking around with a reusable grocery bag
on my head for warmth. All the time we were in Australia we were hacking and
coughing. We tried to keep it at a minimum when we went to the airport incase
they thought we had swine flu. Oink oink!
On Sunday we attended services at Holland Park. Before service a young
man came up saying, “Tobey Huff?????”, I said yep. A brother in
Christ, his name is Gerry. He owned and operated a tradestore in Lae when we
were there in 1995-1998. He moved back to Australia 10 years ago. We talked
about Lae and how it never changes - the pot holes still would swallow up an
elephant. They were really bad! Good to see brethren we had known for so many
years ago. Monday I did some last minute shopping for a wireless modem that
someone needed in Vanuatu. I was able to talk with some people about the proposed
school in Fiji and was encouraged to keep pursuing that dream.
Tuesday morning Ross dropped us off at the Brisbane airport on his
way to work as we had a 10:30 am flight to Port Vila, Vanuatu, or so I thought.
We had awhile to wait for check-in so we pushed trolleys with our bags (now
three) up to the Air Vanuatu check-in. However I looked up at the departure
board and could not find the Pacific Blue flight we were booked on. I then looked
at the tickets and saw that we had been booked on the Monday flight of Pacific
Blue to Port Vila not the Tuesday Air Vanuatu flight.
We went to the Pacific Blue desk and sure enough I (notice the I here,
my fault) had missed the flight, yesterday. “We are sorry sir but
that was a non refundable ticket. Yes, we have a flight tomorrow but it will
cost you a new fare. We can not transfer the ticket but you can call our help
number and they MIGHT be able to transfer it if you explain the situation (or
give a lame excuse).” I called the number, the help people are in
Manila and were less then helpful and I could not understand what they were
saying. So we went over to a ticket desk and booked tickets on the Air Vanuatu
flight so at least we could get to Vanuatu that day. We lost $571 on the original
tickets with Pacific Blue and had to pay $941 for the last minute tickets. So
much for those cheap tickets off the internet! First time in 35 years I have
missed a flight - the price of getting mature (older) I guess. Thank the Lord
we had cash in the account, Australia doesn’t put up with begging in the
airport! I have written Pacific Blue asking for a partial refund or at least
tickets for a future flight, we’ll see, not holding my breath!
After an hour and half flight we arrived in Port Vila, Vanuatu at 1430.
It was like coming back home. I called Steve Felix’s home and was told
they had all gone to the village so we hired a taxi and had it drop us off at
Steve’s house to wait for them to come back home. When Steve and the family
arrived back later in the evening we found out that his grandmother had died
that morning and they had just come back from the burial at the village. She
was a Christian. Steve and Rose Hannah put a mattress down on the floor in the
girls room, gave us an oscillating fan and we crashed for the night. Steve said
he waited for me at the airport on Monday, At least one of us had the right
day. In the travels I just got cornfused!
The next day we cleaned out a room in a separate building on the property
and we moved our bags out there where we spent the rest of the week. It had
it’s own toilet and shower (no hot water). This is the room where Morris
and Rebecca (Steve’s parents) stayed after Morris had part of his left
leg amputated earlier this year. (They were out in the village until after we
left.) The first night some of Morris’ friends came visiting, cockroaches!
I kidded Morris about it and said they came asking for him, “Morris, Morris”.
He will have to get some new ones as I gave no quarter when they landed on my
leg in the middle of the night.
I had been asked to come and teach a series of lessons on “The
church as a Family” to the Eton group over a number of nights. With the
death of Steve’s grandmother the Tuesday night I was supposed to start
would have been a no-go anyway. The custom at the death of someone in Eton is
that the family gathers for 5 nights where they share a common meal. I was privileged
to be asked to speak at this gathering Wednesday thru Friday night. Many of
those in attendance were not Christian and it gave me an opportunity to share
with them. I knew many of them and most of them knew us from our previous living
in Vanuatu and working out in Eton. The last night they have a final meal and
then people are given parcels of food to take back home with them. The family
of the dead one give woven mats to the families who attended the remembrance
wake. During the day Steve graciously loaned me the use of his truck and Kathy
and I went out to Eton village (30 miles from Port Vila) and visited with family
there most every day. Morris and Rebecca, as mentioned, were staying out there
during the remembrance wake, it was Rebecca’s mother who died. When we
went back out to speak we would drive by and pick up Morris and his wheelchair.
He is still working at getting the knack of the chair. It is hard because they
are not made to travel on gravel and dirt. He needs something with wider wheels.
I am looking at getting him a golf cart (they can be bought in Vanuatu) that
can be modified for use in the village, getting from his house across the road
to the building and around. (If you are intertesed in helping, please let me
know.)
Steve showed us some land that he owns outside Eton village which has beach front access. He said CIBS (The Christian Institute of Biblical Studies) could build there is needed. Steve is one of the directors for the school. Right now it is expensive to build and live in Vanuatu and the student base for proficient English speakers is very limited so Fiji is still the obvious choice because of the cheaper cost of living and large possible student base.
The Sunday night before we left it rained a “Noah rain”.
I kept expecting an ark to come by and pick us up. At least we were not in our
house in Fiji, it would have flooded.
The last day were there we brought Morris and Rebecca back into town
and moved our stuff out of their room. Steve and Morris have a cattle farm and
Steve gave us 20 kgs of “great” beef to take back home with us.
I had already gotten the proper quarantine papers to allow us to bring it back
so we had no problems getting it back to Fiji. We were unfortunately overweight
but it was worth the cost. There was one hiccup with immigration in Vanuatu
as we did not have a proper visa to get back into Fiji. All we had was a “Notice
to facilitate travel” from the Fiji immigration department which said
the work permit was being processed and we could re-enter Fiji on a one-way
ticket. My name was the only name on it and immigration Vanuatu was trying to
say Kathy had to have a roundtrip ticket or she could not board the flight to
Fiji. I JUST?HAPPENED to have a copy of the original work permit which showed
Kathy was on my work permit “to accompany her husband, Tobey”. They
wisely allowed us both to board the flight!
We left Port Vila at 1600 and arrived back home in Fiji at 1830 (One
hour time change, 1 1/2 hour flight). The keys to the gate and house were with
people who had been looking after our dogs. We took a taxi from the airport
home, spent 45 minutes trying to find who had the keys, finally getting the
keys, Kathy took the bags into the house while I went with Malika down to the
Marina store where we put the two cartons of Vanuatu beef in her freezer. They
had been frozen when we left Port Vila and the cartons were wet with condensation
but the meat was still solidly frozen.
Sent the cab back to the airport, droppng Malika off at her house on
the way. Opened up the house, aired it out, fed the dogs (they were glad to
see us), we both took A?LONG?WARM?SHOWER, plugged in all the electrical plugs
we had unplugged in case of lightning, turned on the TV to see about the volcano
in Iceland (which we had only heard of on the way home, we had no TV in Vanuatu
- hmmmmm, maybe the Brits should give them back all that money they lost last
year when the Iceland banks collapsed), I sent off a short note to you readers
of the Newsletter, plugged in the extra refrigerator to see if the freezer part
still works, unpacked the bags (most went into the dirty clothes pile), hopped
into OUR OWN BED, GOODNIGHT!
The freezer worked so I went down the next day and got the Vanuatu
meat out of the Marina freezer in case someone took it by mistake. I brought
it back to our freezer, it sure does look good. I also went into town and picked
up the mail that Josh and Ann had been holding for us. I had a huge handful
of Bible Correspondence course lessons to grade so I came home and got stuck
with that, took the rest of that day and part of the next. The grass had grown
while we were gone and it was about 2 feet tall. I couldn’t even see the
coconuts which I knew were hidden in the grass. I picked up over 50 coconuts
and then mowed part of the side yard. The next day I had to use the grass cutter
as well as the mower to get the grass cut, but I did. It took about 6 hours
when it usually only takes an hour and a half, maybe we should have left goats
in the yard!
Early Monday morning, 3:00 am we experienced a mini cyclone with gale force winds (40 mph) and over 4 inches of rain in just over an hour, Kathy got up and shut the louver windows and I got up and put sand bags on the back door and towels at a side door to keep water from coming in. Another 30 minutes of rain we would have had a house with “a river flows through it” again! The winds destroyed a tarp that I had stretched over the car as an awning. Welcome home!
On our arrival back in Fiji we were given a 14 day visitor’s visa. Since our work permit had been approved while we were away that meant I had to take our passports into immigration, pay an additional processing fee of F$185 (US$96) each and they will put the new 3 year work permit in the passports. Sounds so easy - here is what really happened. I called Suva and was told I could get the work permit stamped into our passports at the Nadi Airport instead of having to go all the way to Suva. SHOULD only take an hour! Well, Sunday, I had to have Josua sign the form as he is one of a group of men who our sponsors here.
Kathy and I went to immigration Monday morning with the proper paperwork, talked with the girl, paid the additional F$370, was told they would send the passports to Suva to be stamped, I explained that Suva (headquarters) said it could be done there, she called Suva, told us to come back in an hour, we went to Nadi and bought some groceries, came back after an hour, told it would be 15 more minutes, waited 45 minutes, was told it would be 10 more minutes, waited 25 minutes, since they closed at 2 pm I asked if it would be better if I returned tomorrow, she said - yes, thank you, we came home, I called Suva and explained the delay and asked why, the manager I talked to said go back tomorrow and use his name and tell them to get it done, tomorrow (Tuesday) I arrived at immigration at 9:00 am, obviously someone had talked with them since yesterday, they took the paperwork, stamped the work permits in our passports and gave them back to me in 20 minutes.
Yes, PNG is still the same in so many ways, but seeing Christian women
that I had worked with over the years when we lived there was such a joy. Many
were already in Lae when we got there. Many came by PMV’s (public motor
vehicles) from the highlands and valley areas, some came by air from Pt Moresby,
as there is still no road across the Owen Stanley mountain range and some even
came around by boat. Many walked 2-3 days to get there. There ended up being
over 180 women go on the boat with a few men, 20 or so. During the workshop,
the men prepared and cooked all the food for the ladies. What a job!
The singing was beautiful. Amazingly, all the words in “pidgin”
came back after 12 years! With all of us on the boat we had doubled the population
of the island. The women are hungry for the Word and fellowship with their sisters.
Speaking on Friday morning was a challenge. Even though I remembered the words
of songs, I’m afraid I mixed “Bislama” and English with my
“Pidgin”. They were gracious and helped me find the correct words
I had forgotten. The prayers to the Father so humble in asking for help and
strength to remain strong in the Lord. The work can be very hard and the women
face many difficult situations both in the church and their personal lives.
They are amazing, to be able to carry on with the work they have been entrusted
with to spread and still they want more knowledge. There was one from each congregation
that reported on the work in their area to let us know and be able to pray for
that work. They had a night where groups sang songs in “ples tok”
from their home villages or areas. The Lord hears everyone’s language.
There were many hugs and tears as ladies came up to me telling how
Tobey or I had helped them over the years with classes they had attended and
were still using them. How we thought of the women and that they should be taught
to read, write and that they were an important part of the “team”
to help teach. Some were thankful that we had encouraged them in their life,
with their husbands, especially if their husbands were not Christians. They
knew we were Christians on the same road to heaven as they were and wanted to
help as we could.
The ladies will be meeting in the highlands next year at Kundiawa. We lived there for a year (‘76-’77) while working out in the Chimbu areas. With all the graduates from the Bible school in Lae over the years there are many more congregations there to help with the workshop. They are expecting 800-1000 ladies since it will be more accessible. My heart will be with them. I was blessed to be a part of this year’s. Please continue to lift these courageous women of the Lord in prayer.
Sunday I resumed my class at Sabeto on "The Road to Maturity". We are still hacking a bit trying to shake the colds and getting back into a routine (if there is such) here.
Thank all of you for your prayers and support that allow us to work
in the lives of people here in Fiji and the South Pacific.
Your seed sowing workers in the Kingdom.