August 26, 2014
Dearest Friends and family
TEACHING
The past two weeks I was asked by the brethren at Epau to come up there on Sunday
morning and help them understand what the Bible says about Daniel chapter 2
and the Kingdom of God. These were lessons I had already taught at Eton.
Last night (Monday 24th) the Seventh Day Adventist church kicked off their three week crusade with the video presentation in Port Vila that was down linked to Eton and several other places throughout Vanuatu. This is their new video which talks about the "Last (Fifth) Empire" which they have pulled out of Daniel chapter 2. I put an ad in the local newspaper for three days saying the teaching was flawed and offered free Bible studies. I got one response from a (White skin) Jehovah's Witness who thought we had a similar belief in the future reign of Jesus. He seemed to think I believed that Jesus was coming back and there would be a 1000 year reign here on earth. I sent him a copy of a course I have taught and told him I would be glad to discuss it with him. I am still waiting for a response.
I guess if someone were to ask me the most frustrating
thing I face as I try to share what Biblical knowledge the Lord has blessed
me with it would be the lack of hungering and thirsting after righteousness
in the world today, especially with Christians!
SCHOOL PROPERTY
I still try to get up to the school property as much as the weather allows and
do as much as I can - cutting, cleaning, preparing, etc. I can usually get 4-5
hours of work Mon, Weds and Thur. We are still cutting down lemon trees that
have not been pruned in 20+ years. There are days the thorns win (looks like
we have been in a cat fight with tigers, even when I wear jeans and long sleeves)
(SEE MEDICAL BELOW) This is a long and trying work. We have been blessed with
cooler temperatures but most days the humidity is still over 80%.
I was able to get the submersible pump into the well this past week and I take the small generator there when I need to pump water to refill the water containers I have to water the beans and cucumbers I have planted there. Now if I can just get the bush chickens from scratching there and digging out the plants. I am pricing storage tanks right now so we can get a fiberglass tank for water storage.
I am also trying to develop two more plots for planting crops. The ground seems to be rich and fewer stones than we have here at the house.
GARDEN
We are currently eating tomatoes, green beans, peas, carrots, broccoli and potatoes
out of our home garden and we are also sharing our over supply with brethren).
This is the first time since we started planting two years ago that we have
been able to eat the fruits of our labor. Twice before we had to go back to
the States for the VA and surgery. Recently my son said the VA has been trying
to contact me for appointments but I have told them I will see them next summer
and not before - Lord willing!
I also decided to clear off more of our property behind the house (so I don't have to mow it all the time) for garden space.
One of the limitations we have here growing things is we live within 1/4 mile of the ocean and during this season we have high blustery winds which carry salt water on the wind and that kills the leaves on what we have are growing. Cucumbers we planted before the winds did very well but the ones right after that all died with dead leaves. My tomato plants most exposed to the easterly wind have wilty leaves and I have to remember to wash the leaves off when I water. I planted a giant pumpkin variety and it came up good, large leaves, large male flowers, running but then the leaves started dying and before long the whole plant was dead. This was before I figured out the salty air. The beans I have planted on the school property are sheltered with a lot of brush and they are really growing well.
STONES
Kathy had gall stones when we were in Fiji and I have a brother in law who had
kidney stones but let me show you my stones. THESE HERE ARE REAL STONES!
One stone = 36 kilograms (80
pounds) Stones from the new garden site
Some of the stones were like large teeth (molars). I want to thank Dr John Durling
for helping me identify the teeth stones and I literally pried them out of the
ground.
Our chickens turned 12 weeks old last Friday. We have already given out 4 of them to brethren but have not eaten one ourselves yet. I just haven't gotten around to killing and cleaning one yet. The four chickens we shared were over 5 kgs (about 12#) and everyone was amazed how fat and tender they were. We also traded one to a neighbor for a 14 kg (30#) watermelon that he had grown in his garden. (Eat your heart out Ken Beck!)
14kg watermelon (15 inches long)
MEDICAL
I had to go see Dr King last week after I jammed a large lemon tree spike into
my scalp. I was coming through a grove of lemon trees that we had pruned (obviously
not high enough) but I didn't stay ducked long enough and I came up into the
spike. I had to have JuJu pull the thorn out initially because it went through
my hat and do rag and I could not see to pull it out (but I could sure feel
it!). As it was, some of the end broke off under the skin so when I got home
later I asked Kathy to try and dig it out but she couldn't so the next morning
I went in to see Dr King (he is the one who saved my leg when I had the infection).
He knew it was not trivial or I would have dug it out personally (if I could
have seen it). After wiping it down he started digging and cutting. (Kathy said
the blood was really flowing!) He and I finally decided he had done all he could
without open head surgery so he stopped the bleeding, put antiseptic and a bandage
on it.
A "selfie" of my head or should I say a "stupidy".
A week after I still have a bit of a headache and a bump there so I think part
of the thorn is still in there but I am hoping it will not become infected and
I can live with it without further probing or digging or worse surgery. I don't
think that is the way to use a hard head!
I also had a branch I was trimming snap back and slap me up the side of the head. I now have a nice left black eye. Kathy offered to use mascara and make them the same but I declined the "cheeky" offer.
NOTES FROM KATHY
This month the ladies here in Eton met together for two Sunday afternoons. We
met at Maree's and the next time at Jaclyn's. Both ladies have great faith but
sometimes a hard life as one takes care of all the grandchildren and the other
takes care of her father-in-law as well as their own immediate families.
Last month at the ladies' class in Pt Vila (I drive in
and take Rebecca with me) I was asked if they could sew some half slips from
the pillow cases that were given to us. I told them that would be fine with
me as I'm home most Saturdays. They thought that I could bring in the machines
so as to use there power in town. I explained that it would be much easier for
them to come out, we have the tables, and one of the machines needs a transformer
to work. All the cases, thread, lace etc was all out here. So they came and
made it a day. They liked that so much they asked if they could come again the
next Saturday! Uri had a hot pot carrier given to her by her sister-in-law before
she left PNG. I looked at it and figured we could make some for each of the
ladies since it was all straight lines. They all brought some food and Rebecca
and I cooked rice and a soup. It was a great time to laugh and talk, getting
to know each other better.
I usually teach the children's class on Sundays but we have been up to Epau
the last two so I asked Janet to teach. When we got back Sunday afternoon, Pina
had taught it (David and Goliath). I had left a small book of the story with
great pictures and a coloring picture with a puzzle on the back. Pina is Janet
and Sul's daughter. She probably knows the stories of the Bible as well as any
of the teachers in the States.
The rest of the time I wash and hang up clothes, sweep out the house, cook, wash windows, and clean the bath room and in the down time, weed around my flowers and rake the leaves that are falling like snow from the mango tree out front. Saturday's I clean the toilet at the church's building and sweep out my class room as the leaves blow into it though the week. The Lord has been gracious and we are thankful that we are have been allowed to be in the lives of the Christians here.
May our great God continue to bless you all as you follow Him.
Onward and upward!
Thank you so much for all of you who are praying for us, supporting us and have contributed to our needs. God bless you! Thank you for your prayers!
Thank you Lord for healing and providing what we need!
Grace & Peace
Tobey & Kathy
Huff
Ph (and text): 678 596-4821 (Vanuatu is +17 hours)
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Contributions for the Huffs and
the Bible school can be sent to:
Huffs/Bible School
c/ Mt Hope church of Christ
2830 Mt Hope Rd
Webb City MO 64870
or
Jason Huff
2730 E 24th St
Joplin MO 64804