FEBRUARY 1978
 
DEAR BRETHREN:
 
GREETINGS IN THE NAME OF THE LORD! HERE WE AREAGAIN BRINGING YOU THE LATEST SCOOP FROM THE LORDS VINEYARD IN PAPUA NEW GUINEA. THERE IS SO MUCH TO SAY AND YET SO LITTLE SPACE TO TELL YOU. THE WORK HERE FOR THE LORD IS REALLY GOING GREAT. FROM THE TIME WE LEFT HERE LAST MAY AND RETURNED IN JAN THERE HAVE BEEN OVER TWELVE NEW WORKERS COME TO HELP IN THE WORK.
 
IN JAN WE VISITED THE NORTHSIDE CHURCH OF CHRIST IN JEFFERSONVILLE IND. WHO AGREED TO DIRECT OUR EFFORTS IN PAPUA NEW GUINEA. WE THEN FINALIZED OUR DEPARTURE PLANS TO RETURN HERE TO NEW GUINEA. ON JAN 11TH WE DEPARTED TULA OKLA. TEMP. 25 AND SNOWING. WE ARRIVED MANILA PHILIPPINES JAN 13TH, 75 AND SUNNY. UPON ARRIVAL WE FOUND OUR BAGGAGE STILL TO BE IN SAN FRANCISCO. WE RETURNED TO THE AIRPORT THE FOLLOWING MORNING (A 3 HR DRIVE FROM CLARK AS WHERE WE WERE STAYING) TO RETRIEVE ALL OUR BAGS SAVE 1 (WHICH WAS LOST/STOLEN). DURING OUR SIX DAY STAY IN THE PHILIPPINES WE BOUGHT SOME RATTAN FURNITURE TO SHIP BACK TO NEW GUINEA (I COULD USE THE REST OF THIS NEWSLETTER TO TELL YOU HOW AFTER BUYING THE FURNITURE I HIRED A TRUCK TO TAKE IT TO THE AIRPORT IN MANILA ONLY TO FIND OUT IT WAS GOING TO, COST $2400 TO SHIP IT EVEN THOUGH ONE FELLOW GAVE ME A PRICE OF $400. THEN HOW I RODE BUSES AND TAXIS AROUND MANILA TRYING TO FIND A SHIPPING BROKER WHO WOULD HANDLE THE SHIPMENT BY SHIP, BECAUSE I WAS SUPPOSE TO BE LEAVING BY PLANE WITHIN 36 HRS. THEN HOW 3 HOURS BEFORE FLIGHT TIME I FINALLY FINALIZED THE SHIPMENT. BUT I WON'T TAKE THE TIME TO TELL YOU.)
 
DURING OUR STAY IN THE PHILIPPINES THE AMERICAN MILITARY BRETHREN WERE HOSTING THE ANNUAL PHILIPPINE-AMERICAN LECTURESHIP AND WE WERE ABLE TO VISIT WITH THE MISSIONARIES AND GOT TO MEET OVER A HUNDRED OF OUR PHILIPINE PREACHERS.
 
WE LEFT MANILA JAN 19TH AND ARRIVED IN PORT MORESBY, PAPUA NEW GUINEA 0600 JAN 19, 75 AND MUGGY. WE WERE MET BY THE JOHN MURPHREES, THE REX MORGANS AND RICK NILAND. THE MURPHRESS AND THE MORGANS ARE THE NEW TEAM IN PORT MORESBY. THE NEXT DAY WE FLEW INTO GOROKA WHERE WE WERE MET BY THE DUPONTS, THE HARRISONS AND THE WALLACES. IT WAS GOOD TO BE BACK HOME. THIS WAS FRIDAY SO WE SPENT SATURDAY FIXING UP OUR LANDCRUISER TO GO OUT TO THE VILLAGE ON SUNDAY.
 
ON SUNDAY WE LEFT GOROKA AT 8:30 AM ONLY TO BE STOPPED IN DALO PASS FOR AN HOUR WHILE THEY DID SOME ROAD REPAIRS. (GONE FOR EIGHT MONTHS AND THE ROAD IS STILL THE SAME - TERRIBLE!
 
DURING OUR DELAY WE WATCHED A TRUCK DRIVER DISEMBARK FROM HIS TRUCK AND USE ONE OF THE MANY MUD PUDDLES AS A BATH TUB. WE FINALLY ARRIVED IN BIMA PIAU (THE VILLAGE FIVE MILES OFF THE MAINROAD). THE CHRISTIANS THERE HAD NOT BEEN EXPECTING US AND WE ARRIVED WHILE THIRTY WERE GATHERED FOR WORSHIP. AFTER WORSHIP AND FELLOWSHIP WE HAULED OUT BECAUSE THE AFTERNOON RAINS WERE COMING IN AND THAT ROAD WAS NOT ONE TO BE CAUGHT ON IN THE FAIN.
 
BY THE TIME WE GOT BACK ON THE MAIN ROAD THE RAINS WERE REALLY COMING DOWN AND WE WERE UNABLE TO STOP AT DUMUN TO VISIT THEM. WE WENT ON INTO KUNDIAWA TO SPEND A FEW DAYS LOOKING FOR A PLACE TO LIVE.
 
THERE IS NO AVAILABLE HOUSING IN KUNDIAWA SO WE INITIATED MORE PAPERWORK ON THE PURCHASE OF THAT METAL HOUSE AND NOW CAN ONLY WAIT.
 
WE RETURNED TO GOROKA AND SORTED THROUGH THE HOUSEHOLD EFFECTS WHICH WE HAD IN STORAGE. THE RATS HAD A FIELD DAY EATING BOOKS, THROUGH TWO SETS OF TUPPERWARE AND JUST MESSING UP EVERYTHING.
 
WE FINALLY MOVED INTO A 2 BD APARTMENT. WE ARE GOING TO STAY HERE UNTIL WE KNOW SOMETHING DEFINITE ABOUT KUNDIAWA WE WILL CONTINUE TO COMMUTE TO THE CONGREGATIONS ON THE WEEKENDS. WE VISITED DUMUN CONGREGATION THE FOLLOWING SUNDAY: 37 PRESENT. THIS WAS THE CONGREATION WE WERE HAVING TROUBLE WITH BEFORE WE LEFT AND IN FACT HAD WITHDRAWN FELLOWSHIP FROM 8 BRETHREN THERE. PRAISE THE LORD 6 OF THESE HAVE REPENTED AND ASKED FOR PRAYERS.
 
FEBRUARY 1ST SAW OUR CHILDREN ENTER SCHOOL HERE IN GOROKA. SCHOOL FEES WERE FOR TERASA $800 AND JASON $365. WHEEEE!
 
ALSO DURING FEBRUARY THE CURTIS HARRISON FAMILY HAD TO RETURN TO THE STATES FOR SURGERY ON CURTIS' NECK.
 
WE HAVE SPENT FEBRUARY TRYING TO GET SETTLED IN AGAIN. WE ARE INVOLVED WITH THE WORK HERE IN GOROKA DURING THE WEEK SINCE THE HARRISONS DEPARTURE. WE ARE AWAITING TWO SINGLE GUYS TO HELP IN THE WORK HERE FROM THE STATES. DURING FEBRUARY SEVERAL BOXES WHICH WE HAD MAILED FROM THE USA LAST YEAR ARRIVED - CHRISTMAS AGAIN!
 
THE CONGREGATION HERE IN GOROKA IS AVERAGING OVER 175 ON WED NlGfHTS AND AROUND 100 ON SUNDAY MORNINGS. THERE ARE ALSO CLASSES BEING CONDUCTED AT THE TECHNICAL SCHOOL, LOCAL HIGH SCHOOL, 2 PRIMARY SCHOOLS AS WELL AS LITERACY CLASSES FOR SOME OF THE WOMEN AND SPECIAL BIBLICAL CLASSES FOR THOSE WHO AREINTERESTED. AS YOU SEE THINGS ARE BUSY HERE. WE HOPE NEXT MONTH TO TELL YOU A BIT MORE ABOUT THE WORK HERE IN GOROKA.
OUR PHONE IS 72-1947 GOROKA, PAPUA NEW GUINEA . OUR MAILING ADDRESS IS BOX 878 GOROKA, PAPUA NEW GUINEA. JUST REMEMBER WHEN YOU CALL WE ARE 15 HRS AHEAD OF YOU. IT'S BEST TO CALL FROM THERE EARLY MORNING OR LATE EVENING.
 
FOR YOU WHO KEEP UP ON THE VALUE OF THE US DOLLAR IT HAS GOTTEN WORSE. WHEN WE LEFT LAST MAY WE WERE GETTING 80¢ PNG FOR EVERY US$. NOW WE GET 71.4 ¢ PNG FOR EACH US$. EVERY $IOO US WE GET $71.40 PNG. REALLY SUPER!!!!
 

FOR THE LADIES FROM KATHY

IT'S GREAT TO BACK INTO THE SWING OF THE WORK. SINCE WE ARE LIVING IN GOROKA, TOBEV AND I HAVE BEEN WORKING HERE THRU THE WEEK WITH THE CONGREGATION HERE ON WEDS NlGHTS. I'VE BEGUN A CLASS USING THE FELT SET TO GO THRU THE BIBLE. THE CLASS IS FOR 05 YR OLDS AND WE HAVE FROM 40-55. AT PRESENT THEY ALL SIT ON THE CONCRETE FLOOR. TOBEY AND JOHN WALLACE HAVE JUST BOUGHT SOME LUMBER AND HAVE PROMISED SARA AND ME SOME TYPE OF BENCHES FOR OUR CLASSES. SARA HAS 6 YRS AND UP WITH 50-60 IN HER CLASS. IN APRIL WE WILL BE STARTING A WOMAN'S CLASS, MORE ABOUT THAT LATER.
 
BY THE WAY, WE ARE WORKING WITH JOHN AND SARA WALLACE( THEY HAVE BEEN HERE 5 YRS) AND BOB AND CINNY DUPONTT(NEW STUDENTS FROM LUBBOCK). THE CURTIS HARRISON FAMILY HAD TO LEAVE lN FEBRUARY. SINCE HE'S BEEN BACK HE'S HAD SURGERY FOR REMOVAL OF A TUMOR ON HIS SPINAL CORD . THE DOCTORS WERE UNABLE TO REMOVE IT BUT ARE GOING TO TRY TO TREAT IT SINCE IT IS NOT MALIGNANT. THE LATEST WE HAVE IS THAT HE MIGHT NEVER WALK AGAIN. PLEASE REMEMBER THIS FAMILY IN YOUR PRAYERS.
 
THE OTHER NIGHT WE CAME INTO THE APARTMENT AND GUESS WHAT? IT WAS RAINING INSIDE. THAT AFTERNOON THE WATER COMPANY IN TOWN HAD CUT OFF THE WATER, TERASA AND JASON WENT UPSTAIRS PUT SOME WATER OUT OF A JUG INTO THE PLUGGED SINK TO WASH THEIR HANDS. THEY LEFT THE PLUG IN AND THE TAP ON AND WE WENT TO THE WALLACES FOR SUPPER. WE CAME HOME AT I0:OOPM. THE WATER WAS BACK ON, OVERFLOWING THE PLUGGED SINK, OUT THE BATHROOM, DOWN THE HALL,DOWN THE STAIRS, THRU THE CEILING, INTO THE CABINETS OF FOOD, DISHES AND INTO THE LIVING ROOM ... EVERYWHERE!! NEEDLESS TO SAY WE WERE BUSY MOPPING UNTIL THE CEILINGS STOPPED DRIPPING. AT FIRST WE THOUGHT EVERYTHINGWAS RUINED CHEERIOS, ETC WHICH WE HAD SENT) BUT WE WERE ABLE TO SALVAGE MOST OF THE FOODSTUFFS. MUST CLOSE AND GET THINGS DONE. PLEASE CONTINUE TO PRAY FOR US AND THE BRETHREN HERE.
 
YOURS IN THE MASTER'S SERVICE