March 1987

Dear Brethren;

Greetings in the name of Jesus Christ!

We wish to take this time to thank all of you who sent sympathy cards in regards to the passing of my mother. It helps to know the number of people who pray with us and for us.

THE WORK LOAD AWAITED
Being gone for those few weeks in February didn't help me catch up on work that I was preparing for printing. The churches here in New Zealand as well as Fiji has been letterboxing (putting the cards in everyone's mailbox) and trying to get people signed up for Bible Correspondence Courses. The congregation here in Tauranga is planning to letterbox over 10,000 homes in the new future for the Bible Correspondence Courses. The Fiji BCC work has increased to over 860 students and over 30 students from the Auckland area. I have also printed several tracts used by the brethren in this letterboxing campaign and numerous flyers.

PRINTDATE: January-February 1987 over 122,914 pieces of literature have been printed for distribution.

PAPUA NEW GUINEA TROUBLES
We recently found out that the church in Port Moresby is under going a difficult time. The church there buses people from a long way off to church and sometimes the people have to wait up to a hour after services to get a ride back home. After a recent service one older lady decided she would walk home and not wait for the church bus. Well she never made it home. Somewhere on the road back to her house she collapsed and died (heart attack) and her body was found the next day along side the road. The family of the lady has demanded compensation from the church who they say were responsible for her death. Without compensation their threats of violence will be carried out even to the extent that the bus driver could be killed. This has frightened the people attending services and numbers have fallen dramatically. The brethren there need ourprayers and I pray that you will with me put them on your daily prayer list.

During the last of February we had the privilege of having Faren and Debbie Crone over for dinner one night. We knew Faren when he was a wee little chap in Okinawa. His parents were stationed there the same time Kathy and I were. We visited with them when they were in the Philippines as well. (We haven't seen Larry & Janet since but got to see pictures which Faren had.) Debbie is a Kiwi by birth and her sister is married to the Administrator (Mike Austin) of the Bible College here. The Crones were on the way to Mt Hagen, PNG were they will be working with a now team that Joe Cannon is trying to get established there. The old team disbanded and except for Rick & Ruth Niland (who have taken up secular work due to drop in their missionary supprot) there were no full time missionaries in Mt Hagen. The Nilands have moved to Lae and the Ken Pages have moved up to Mt Hagen to spearhead the effort there.

Since we left in 1985 more families have moved into Goroka as wen as Lae. The work from all reports continues to be a growing concern and more effort is being applied to the stabilizing of existing members and congregations.

TRAVEL FUNDS NEEDED
I am hoping and praying that I will be able to carry out a planned survey trip of some of the nations in Oceania by the middle of the year. I plan on trying to got to Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu, Fiji, Tonga and the Cook Islands. The purpose of such a trip is two-fold: (1) To see brethren and find out what needs they have in regard to printed material and their need for congregational stabilization schools (of 3-4 weeks duration) and; (2) To spy out the land in regards to possible Bible Correspondence Course receptivity where the church does not currently exist. It is felt that where the church does not exist the BCC program would be a very economical way of judging the receptivity of the people. In order for me to carry out this trip money will be needed. With the fluctuation of the value of the US$ an exact figure is not possible but it would be in the range of $1300-1500.

With the support we now receive it is impossible for me to pay for this trip out of my pocket. Over the past several months we have lost a number of supporters and as each withdraws their support our available funds have reached the critical stage where we have no more notches left in the ole belt to snug up.

IF YOU AS A CONGREGATION OR INDIVIDUAL CAN HELP OUR NEEDS ON A MONTHLY BASIS OR A ONE TIME EFFORT PLEASE WRITE US TODAY AND LET US KNOW.

For you who help on a monthly basis thank you so much for your support which has allowed us to progress this far in the kingdom of Jesus Christ with the printing ministry.

THE KIDS
With the beginning of a new school year in February the kids have gotten involved in many schools activities. Terasa recently competed in the Senior girls division of her school in TRACK. She ran the 100 m and 200 m. She had not been in training and thus didn't do the high jump. She won and was included on the school's squad which represented the school in an area wide meet. She finished 2nd in the 200 m and was then included in the regional finals this last Saturday (21st) down in Hamilton, about 70 miles to the southwest of Tauranga. She qualified for the finals and finished in 6th place for the region. (Not bad for no practice.) I am hoping to encourage her into training for the 400 m distance as she has speed but needs to work on endurance. She is as tall as her mother now but bless her heart her legs just aren't long enough or quick enough for the short sprints.

Jason recently went on a three day survival camp with his school class. He survived but I'm not sure about their teacher. Jason is now about 3/4 inch taller than his sister and still growing.

Terasa is in Form 6 (10-11th grade) and Jason is in Form 4 (8-9th grade). Terasa recently wrote a paper for English which is to be included in the permanent records of the school library.

THIS'N'THAT
This month is seeing the return of fall weather here in New Zealand and winter is not far behind. We have shaken the dust off the heaters and blankets and are getting ready. The house we are renting is still for sale and the landlord expresses a desire to raise the rent. We have expressed our desire to move and have been looking for accommodation. Rental property is very hard to find here and what is rented is for short term lease. We have finally located a house which we can rent while the family is on vacation overseas and another house after that, which though smaller than we require will be available in June or July.

It is very unsettling not knowing where we will be living from month to month but we are daily reminded that like we Abraham "when called to a place ... obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going. By faith he made his home..like as a sojourner ... looking forward to the city with foundations ... " (Heb.11:9f) Everyday heaven looks more enticingly wonderful. With our own mansion up there we won't have to move EVER.

We are still awaiting word in regard to our application for permanent visas for New Zealand. Just the other day in the paper they said the Immigration office was so far behind in visa applications that they were just now considering applications from last Oct. (when we applied). So many someday, somewhere, somebody might do something.

With this mailing we will be mailing our newsletter from the congregation there in Joplin. This will cut our expense of mailing the newsletter down to half of what we have been paying.

Please continue your prayers for our labors. Please pray that the Lord grant us wisdom for the many decisions regards the challenges that He placed before us daily.

As mentioned in the last newsletter: Have you called or written Reuel Lemmons in regards to matching funds with him to purchase printing equipment????? :5801 Wynona, Austin Texas 78756 Tel: (501) 459-7500.

Please continue your prayers. Your servants for the cross of Jesus,

the Huffs