January/February 1989

Dear Brethren;

Greetings and peace in the name of our savior Jesus Christ.

n th sxth f Dcmbr m fthr wnt nt th hsptl fr tsts t dtrmn wh hs rght nkl ws swung p. B th tm h If t n th sxtnth h hd tw prtns nd dgnss f prstrt cncr.
WHOA - WHOA - WHOA, I had better slow down. When I get in a hurry I always seem to drop my vowels. I'll start again.

LAST MINUTE HURRYING AND SCURRYING
It seems that since we have returned our feet have not touched the ground. We hit running and have been doing so ever since. Just to bring you up to date since our last newsletter.

On the sixth of December my father went into the hospital for tests. By the time he left on the sixteenth he had two operations and a diagnosis of prostrate cancer. It was a very trying time for the whole family and especially for dad. This was the first time in dad's life that he had major surgery. The doctors have him on upteen medications which is another first for him. When we left he had seen the oncology doctor and the diagnosis was very good. He is coming around really well.

Just after Christmas I was able to sell the scrap metal 1 had been saving up from working at Dad's house. That money allowed me to buy some software for our computer system. Forest Reed, of Joplin who owns a ComputerLand also graciously donated some software for our system. He also allowed a discount which allowed us to afford a DeskJet printer.

The New Year saw Peter German (Terasa's boyfriend from New Zealand) and myself taking Terasa down to Harding. Peter rode with Terasa in her car and I drove Kathy's folks car down. When we arrived in Searcy the people we were to stay with weren't home and we ended up at a motel since it was getting late. The following morning we got Terasa settled into her dorm room and Peter and I headed back to Joplin. That following Saturday we loaded Peter on a plane in Tulsa and he winged his way back to New Zealand.

Just after New Year's Day I finalized a deal with a sister-in-law for eight anesthetic machines. She and her partners had been trying to give them to a good cause for some months. They finally tired of another group not coming and getting them so I procured them for the African Christian Hospitals out of Searcy Arkansas. The machines are still in good shape and will be put to good use in Brotherhood medical mission work throughout the world. Isn't it amazing how the Lord provides?

The first two weeks of the new year were a period of running here and there and getting final boxes packed and mailed off, trunks packed and clothes sorted and stored, etc. We stated in the last newsletter that we were still waiting on word from congregations as to their provision to helping us meet the needs that we still had. We are still waiting on some of them. We had evaluated the need to the funds committed and decided that the door was still open for us to return to the Oceania work.

BACK HOME AT LAST
'Taint no place like home. It surely is good to be back home. The trips back and forth get longer every time. We left Tulsa having to pay overweight charges. We were allowed six trunks/ suitcases and we had seven. We were bringing back a Varitype machine, a Laser 128 computer system and a DeskJet printer in addition to all the other necessary items like toothpaste and clothes. Someday (Lord willing) Kathy and I will be able to travel like normal (watch what you're thinking) people with only a little over-the-weekend bag. Everything got off the plane with us and we literally flew through customs. I declared everything but they didn't even want to see the stuff. (Who says the Lord doesn't work on customs agents.) We loaded it into a rent car (remember we sold our car) and headed back to Tauranga. It surely was good to be home. We arrived in the middle of the afternoon. We spent the night with Charles and Cara Speers and the next morning, bright (not so, it was drizzly) and early (yip, real early about 4:00 am) I went down to the storage shed where we had our stuff stored and began moving things into the house we have rented.

We have been back almost three weeks and are still moving the odd items from storage into the house, but basically we are in! The storage shed is in an industrial area and we are going to keep it and set up the printshop in it. I have already registered with the government to operate on a commercial basis. Our plans are to do enough commercial work to pay the monthly rent ($210) and allow us to produce Bible related material to the outreach work on a cost basis.

WORLD BIBLE SCHOOL UPDATE
The World Bible School program continues to grow in Fiji. Over 3700 people have now requested the courses throughout Fiji. Of that number over 1900 have sent back the first lessons and are continuing to take the course. The workers in Fiji are kept busy following up the numerous leads and answering the questions raised by the courses. One of our supporting congregations has expressed a desire to advertise in another island nation and localize their efforts in one locale this year. Lord willing this will begin soon. We are also going to have to adapt the present material to the South Pacific mind. Even though the present material is good we need to revamp some of it. Most of the students on the World Bible School course speak/understand English as a second language.

FAMILY HAPPENINGS
Terasa: She has called and is really enjoying her move to Harding. She has Christian friendships and fellowship. She says she can't get over the number of people who come up to her and say they know her through her folks. Many of them have seen our presentation at their home congregation and know of our work. She had hoped to get grants to make up for the difference of tuition but up to the present is still applying and praying. She had a part-time job in charge of the costumes for the drama department. She is hoping to go on a campaign to England this summer and then back to work to earn enough money to come over and see us here in New Zealand for Christmas.

Jason: He is enrolled in Form 6 (soph-Junior). He started back to school last Thursday (Feb. 2). He has been looking for a part-job but they are hard to find. I will probably use him in the printshop.

Kathy: She started her job back with the Bible College. The house we live in is about a mile from the building. I drop her off in the mornings and she walks home in the afternoon. She is very busy and happy to get back into the work. We have just about gotten over jetlag.

Tobey: I have many goals in mind for this year, all of which are centered in the outreach program into the islands. I would like to make a trip within the next twelve months to Papua New Guinea and visit with the missionaries and brethren in regards to how we can help their ministries and how they can assist ours. We would like, to see another Papua New Guinea national family in training here in New Zealand as well. One goal is to begin training a local young man in the printing work this year. If we can develop the commercial side of the printing work where it will support him and supplement the outreach that would even be better. This goal may have to take a while longer due to a letter we recently received.

One of the congregations who support us have notified us that they will not be doing so after March. One of the main reasons for our returning to the States last year was to get firm commitments from supporters for our labors over the next few years. We came back to New Zealand thinking that was the case but now receive word that we will be losing an additional $200 per month. This means that I will have to get serious about doing commercial printing, enough to make up for this loss of support. We are praying that we will retain sufficient support that we will not have to do total commercial printing to live but enough to provide funds to get out into the islands and hold the Leadership Training School that are so vital for the survival and growth of the churches throughout the South Pacific.

We still have our little "around town car" and Jason and I have our bicycles. We traded Terasa's bike for a lawn mower. Cars are still expensive here but Lord willing we will be able to get a car later this year which we can use for city to city driving. When we get settled and on our feet we'll see if the finances allow it. We live close enough to the church that we can walk most times.

The weather here is 'summer'. Daytime temperatures in the 70-80's and nighttime temps in the 60's. They have been having an unusual wet summer and the crops are rotting in the fields. Wet weather means growing grass. We had a push-reel lawn mower but our yard is bigger here. Thus the trading of Terasa's bike for a power mower.

Over the past few months the New Zealand dollar has been taking a pounding on the world markets and we are finally seeing the value drop against the American dollar. This means that when we change our money we get more NZ$ for every US$. A definite answer to prayer.

PRAYER REQUESTS
Terasa: That we will secure sufficient money for her tuition needs; that she will secure funds for her campaign to England this summer. Her address: Terasa Huff, P.O.Box 496, Station A, Searcy AR 72143 (Tel-501-279-2868)
Kathy, Jason & Tobey: As we settle back into the work and Jason back into school.

Support: That sufficient support continue and even increase that the work might continue to bring glory to God throughout the South Pacific; That we be able to. purchase a car; that funds become available for a metal plate maker and a small photocopier ($2,000).

We do so appreciate the prayers being offered on our behalf and the Lord will continue to answer. We also appreciate the support we receive from many of you. Being this far away again brings back the "communication lag". It takes about 10 days for Airmail to be delivered either way. We would appreciate your letters.

Your servants in the Master's service.

the Huffs