August 31, 2016
Dearest Friends and family
Not all things go as we plan but the Lord is still in control.
TRAVELS
We did indeed arrive back home in Vanuatu, Friday night August
5th. Like always I had extra baggage due to medical supplies, solar invertors,
car parts and marshmallow cereal. But instead of having to pay overweight we
upgraded to business class, with points and some cash, which gave us enough
additional baggage allowance - so no overweight charges and a comfortable flight
back to Fiji. It helps to know the people in Tulsa and LA with all our travels.
They remember us for some reason! God is good!
The trip back gets longer every time especially when you have wait in LA , sit in Fiji for 8 hours and then they have a delay on the plane we were supposed to take. This was the same flight that delayed earlier, while we were sitting in Fiji, to Samoa due to mechanical faults. We found out the mechanical fault was the air conditioning not working and it definitely was not working on our flight over to Vanuatu.
Goman met us at the airport with the truck - still not with full brakes as he did not have the parts to fix it. We limped back home after hitting the grocery stores for minimum supplies.
THE FUN OF BEING GONE
I left the refrigerator running since we had solar powder and I thought (the mistake) it would keep enough power. They had rain while we were gone and had to run the generator. However house power did not always get turned over to the generator so the freezer thawed out and the stuff in the bottom (like mustard, catsup, pickles, etc you don't want to have replace every time) was no good. They tried to clean it as well as possible but when we opened it - it stunk! When the meat thawed the blood all ran into, around and down inside the frig. Kathy had to do a big clean out the next day and we had to go get a ton of bicarbonate soda to try and remove the odor.
Of course the truck lost the brakes the day were left. I took off the back wheels and found one of the brake wheel cylinders doing a very poor job of holding brake fluid. I brought back repair kits for the wheels but guess what - they were not the right ones. So Monday after getting back I cleaned out the brake parts and put them back on and so far they are holding fluid until I get the new brake cylinders that Jason is sending me.
Two days after getting back the laptop computer that I carried back with me and has all my information had to hard drive crash. I had two spare models of the same computer (Apple MacPro 17"). One also was O/S and after much ......... I was able to get one of them working. However then I had to find the latest backup which was April 2016 so everything I have worked on and downloaded while in the States was lost. I knew better but got complacent about backing up!
My flatbed scanner gave up the ghost as well. Electronics do not like the high humidity we have here. My ipad would not charge so I have a battery coming from Jason as well.
The motorbike had an electrical fault I had to sort out, the small generator had to have the fuel line replaced because of high humidity killing the hoses, I have the lawn mower out of service because someone tried to mow rocks while I was gone. On top of all that we are trying to take back the house from the bugs and rats in the roof. It is amazing how much rust accumulates in just three months on all metal.
Goman had saved me three chickens from the lot that was raised while we were gone. The largest one dressed out a 10kg each and the two smaller ones 8 kg each. We are talking turkey size and they were good. We kept only the leg/thighs of one and gave the rest to Rebecca and her family and church fellowship meal the combined service.
I bought 47 layer chickens in April before we came back and this past week they have started laying eggs. I plan to sell to the brethren but we will keep some ourselves for the eggs. We are getting broiler chicks every 8 weeks not for raising. I am trying to source quail eggs from Australia that I can raise for the school. We can hatch tem ourselves like we did when we lived in PNG.
I cleaned out the gardens which have lain fallow for over a year and planted corn, beans (they came up in 6 days), cabbage, carrots, capsicums and tomatoes. The rains have arrived with cooler temperatures (70-80). The cyclone knocked most of our papaya trees down but it also spread the seeds around and we now have more trees than ever and right now have over 200 papayas ripening.
EVERTHING NOT GOOD IN PARADISE
Since the Cyclone of March 2105 we have been having problems which have been going on since we started working in Vanuatu in 1991 but has gotten worse. It has to do with a group of missionaries who come here for a couple of weeks a year, teach and baptize and then leave, usually without telling anyone who they baptized. They have the legalistic teachings which consists of the five acts of worship required every Sunday, use of only KJ, NKJ or ASV in their teaching, MDR, mixed bathing, etc. When they come here they just go and take over congregations without asking and demand everyone attend their English classes. They cannot do it here at Eton because some of us will not allow it but they go other places where the brethren are not as strong.
In 1995 we had a confrontation with one of these men and one of his elders with our then sponsor in Lebanon TN. At the meeting the end result was the elders said they would instruct their missionary not to go work where were we are working.
However they started coming right after the cyclone (after we go back on leave) promising great help but to date have not provided any funds just promises, but some of the people have followed them thinking they will get in on the funding. All the brethren have to do is get on their side and denounce me as a false teacher. In between their visits, which have become more frequent, we try and re teach and think we have gotten through to them but as soon as they show up for Bible studies they hop back on their band wagon and start to cause division. Kind of like ships without rudders!) One of the oldest local Christian here, who is 84 years old and the first baptized, has always shown a greedy streak when it comes to others getting something and he not. He has recently gotten more testy in that he felt he did not get enough funding from cyclone funds. He even started rumors that I used cyclone funds to buy Kathy's small car (which came from VA compensation funds but he doesn't care what the truth is). He has hopped completely onto the legalistic side and denouncing particularly four of us for not being insistent that there are 5 acts of worship that have to be done every Sunday. He is totally against the congregational decision that Sunday August 21st we had a fellowship meal and during the meal broke break together and discussed the apostle's teaching. The main reason for doing this is that there has been a trend in the Vanuatu church (especially here in the island of Efate where we live) to get into a denomination mind-set rut and there is no joy in getting together for services or for fellowship meals every Sunday like we used to. The main movers thought this was worth a try. This older local Christian has also accused me (because the visiting missionary does) of buying people with cyclone relief and brain washing them to follow my non-Biblical teaching. As far as he is concerned I am the main reason for this division ever since I came. He does not like the fact that we live out in the village because we see his ungodly unChristian life style here in the village. In the past (and still today) when missionaries visit, even with elders, they can be shown what the local people want then to see and it is easier to be "holy" for a short point in time than with a lifestyle.
Neither the missionaries or this local man have ever come to me to talk about this but they have told all the Christians they can what is wrong with me and that I am a false teacher. This older man has not been attending the Eton congregation even though he lives only 200 meters up the road, as long as I am in attendance. But this past Sunday Kathy and were in Epau (15 miles up the road) teaching there and this man showed up and decided to preach at Eton. He lambasted the brethren for listening to me, accused many of them of being brain washed by me and telling them that I and three other men were splitting the church and should be deported. He said the visiting missionary is the only one teaching the "traditional" truth. The word when we got back that afternoon was it was a very sad day for the family of God who had gone to be encouraged. There were three other men of the Eton congregation who helped set this man up and who also have not discussed any problems with any of us. The majority of the congregation is happy for us to be here and we will continue what we can.
I went and ask this older Christian about Matt 18:15 and its relevance to this situation. He has always claimed he knows the Word more than others. In fact, as a Presbyterian he attended one of their Bible Schools when he was young. I told him he is just like his visiting missionary teacher in that he has never talked with me and in fact when I have tried to talk with the missionary personally he has never done so and on two occasions avoided me completely by leaving the country. This local man had all sorts of reasons (excuses) why he did not come to me but I pointed out that what he was doing was not Biblical and that I thought he needed to repent to the congregation for what he had said and done. He told me that was not going to happen as he had done nothing wrong. Furthermore if we had the fellowship meal Sunday with communion without preaching he would not be there ever again. And furthermore he did not want to see my face again. And furthermore, furthermore I could have the pieces of roofing back I had replaced on his roof after cyclone Pam. I said I would honor his wishes and he would not see my face again but that I would be praying for him that he would not lose his soul. He did let slip that the missionary is due back in October with some of his elders for a visit. If that is true then there will be a showdown with many of the brethren here who are aware of the disturbing action of these workers. It will not be just me against them! Please pray for peace and growth in the "ekklesia" here in Vanuatu.
These missionaries are the some of the ones who started isolating the various congregations several years ago from combined fellowship because of their erroneous teaching on autonomy. We are the ones encouraging combined services again (since all the congregations on our island have physical family ties with each other) and trying to foster fellowship among the whole "ekklesia". And yet they come from an overseas congregation and tell these congregations what they can and cannot do as if it is a Biblical mandate.
I did teach the first Sunday back to
the combined worship of the island which was here at Eton. My topic was we are
the "ekklesia" of Christ. The use of the name church has and continues
to be abused when in reality "ekklesia" are the called out, that is
we as Christians. Never applied to a building!
As for the Bible School: there was new legislation passed last year that says ALL schools in Vanuatu had to be registered with an accreditation board even though all along (since 1995) my understanding with the education ministry was that as a private church funded school we would not be under that. It has been shown it is all about revenue for the government and we have submitted the required paperwork and tried to reason with the board that we are not like any other school but they cannot think outside the box. They have come and seen the facilities. The main man indicated that everything looks good but because we do not fit into any of the categories they have in regard to what to charge us they have to go back and do some cyfering (Hillbilly Jethro term). It will depend what they think they can milk out of us. It will take a bit of time but in the meantime I will continue teaching in the congregations and such. Epau has expressed a desire for me to come up and teach a course a couple of nights a week. I am thinking of teaching the book of Galatians for the very reason Paul said, "I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you by the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel-- which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ."
Thank you for your prayers - God hears!
I asked for prayers last newsletter as I had re-submitted to the VA reconsideration of my monthly compensation due to health problems from exposure to agent orange. They turned down the hearing loss claim, which their representative said was "automatic"but since the incontinence is not getting better they increased from 40% to 60% my monthly compensation. They seem bent on not recognizing any of the other "agent orange" effects as "service connected" (they probably think I got it playing high school football). Either that or their seeing eye dog cannot read my braille records. I am still waiting for my lost medical records for 1966-1971.
Kathy's sister, Beth had scans and they are clear so she starts cemo Spet 8th. Pray for healing!
We are still looking for additional monthly support for the running of the Bible School. If you can help please do and especially remember us in your prayers - thank you!
God is good!!!!!!!!!
Onward and upward!
We especially want to thank all of you so much for praying for
us, supporting us and have contributed to our needs so we can do what we are
doing. God bless you! Thank you for your prayers and fellowship!
Thank you Lord for healing and providing what we need!
Grace & Peace
Tobey & Kathy Huff
Ph: +678 596-4821 (Vanuatu) We do texting.
Thank you for your prayers - God hears!
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Contributions for the Huffs, the
Bible school, the Scholarship fund and/or cyclone/drought relief 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
(417) 396-9122
j13huff@yahoo.com