March/April 1988

Dear Brethren;

Greetings in the name of the Lord!

ACTION MAGAZINE EDITORIAL
I would like to share with you an editorial by Reuel Lemmons from the January 1988 issue of "Action":

"We received a letter this week from a man who had baptized 8 other people before he himself was baptized. He said he couldn't find a preacher to baptize him.

It is news like the above that keeps us going. We get several letters every day that say roughly the same thing: that a jillion people are working their heads off to see that somebody else hears the gospel and has a chance to obey it. That will encourage anyone.

In America we think that we have a great God but with a yawn mentality. He must not be really concerned about the lost millions out there, because He seems to let us be content with church going and sermon listening. And He lets us shoe-horn Him in between softball and forty two. We are such a shallow people! And so unconcerned about the lost. The average church does practically nothing to save them. But the World Bible School is out there where there aren't any churches. Its an uncluttered world out there in so far as religious traditions are concerned especially of the Christian variety. You preach this new doctrine and they are more anxious than the Athenians to hear it. You have Mars Hill over again in the country of your choice.

Instead of coming into a "worship service" to let the local preacher shove a little God into the cracks and crevices of our lives. WBS teachers want to be out there where the action is. The world is blessed because they are willing to teach."

I was very impressed with these thoughts as this ties in with what I have been teaching in my Romans class with the second year students in the South Pacific Bible College. Paul says the world is lost because of sin. Also in 2 Thessalonians 1:8 Paul says that Jesus will judge those in the last day who "know not Jesus I us and those who have not obeyed the gospel of Jesus." People are lost in this world not because they have not been baptized but because they are in sin. The ONLY hope that they have is that we share the Gospel with them and they obey this Goodnews.

The World Bible School makes the sharing of this message possible through the use of Bible Correspondence Courses. The use of the printed page helps us to enter a foreign nation and assess the receptivity of a nation without the huge expense of establishing a missionary family in an unproven field. If the people are receptive then it might be practical at a later date to support full time workers in that field. Yet on the other hand we can ill afford to support an sustain missionary personnel in areas where the nationals do not desire to hear the truth.

This has been the dream that Kathy and I have shared with our move to New Zealand. We desire to extend the World Bible School into all the island nations in the South Pacific and then follow up with local training schools to help grown those people who respond to this Gospel call of Jesus. In this way we can work in fellowship with Christians all over the world as they act as teachers of these students. You work from there we follow up from over here.

STILL WAITING ON VISAS
As reported last letter we are still waiting from Immigration on word of our permanent resident visas to stay here in New Zealand. They are very rare but obtainable. This is one reason that this newsletter is a bit late. I was hoping to splash headlines that our visas had arrived. We anticipate this good news within the next few weeks.

It is hard to believe that we have been here almost 2 years now. We left the States in May 1986 after much hassle getting visas. At that time we ask all our supporters to commit themselves to at least May 1988 as per finance. Several congregations have ceased support along the way but most of you have been very faithful and we appreciate that. We received word that one of our major contributors will honor their agreement and even extend to September as which time they will cease their support. This of course means that even if we get our permanent resident visas for New Zealand we will have to come back to the States and firm existing support as well as secure additional support and a sponsor if we are to continue in the outreach program here. (If this is the Lord's will!) We would like to solicit your prayers especially for our -vim and financial support. Please do not interpret this to mean that we will definitely be leaving New Zealand in May and returning to the States for good. This will be determined as to whether permanent resident visas are issued or not.

BUSY, BUSY, BUSY
Teaching in the South Pacific Bible College as well as running the Printshop has made for a very busy time recently. The teaching has been an exciting experience for me. (The students find my tests are no pushovers.) I have to watch myself or I find myself preaching from the book of Romans. Our involvement with the outreach of the World Bible School will see Peter Craig and Jason and myself going to Fiji the week after Easter. Jason is going because ¹ is 14 years old he only pays $125 for the trip. He turns 15 in May and would have to pay full fare. Peter is going to meet Loyd Bixler who is coming from Denver Colo. Jason and I are going to lay foundation work for a Training School we are planning to hold for World Bible Students in Fiji in July. I have to see the government to secure special visa permits which will allow us to preach and teach during our time there. Regular visas forbid preaching and teaching and those caught can receive prison time.

NEED-NEED-NEED:

We have run out of our supply of Bibles (complete OT & NT) to use with our correspondence course work. We prefer the New International or Simple English versions as we are dealing with people who use English as a second language. The International Bible Society provides a small blue covered NIV which is ideal. They use to cost $600 for 200 copies. I don't know now though. Please won't someone provide the funds or the Bibles for this need.

OUR LACK OF FUNDS SAY WE HAVE TO CUT BACK
I am sorry to have to write this next bit but our current funds do not allow us the luxury to maintain the size of newsletter mailing list we currently sustain. Each newsletter is costing us approximately 25¢ per copy: I print it here, mail it in bulk Air Mail to my mother in law who then mails it out on a bulk mailing stamp. We are currently spending US$300 per month. We just cannot continue to do so.

We are sorry but we will have to trim the newsletter and those of you who don't return the coupon will find your names dropped. We want to continue to provide the news of our labors but only if you desire to receive it.

The next few months are going to a very trying time for our family. We thank you so much for your support and we covet very much your continued prayers.

Your servants in the Master's service,

the Huffs