January 2009 EXTRA

Dear Friends, Brethren and Family

We are back in Fiji. We arrived back 4 pm 27 January. Within the hour we were having torrential rains. We stayed at a motel near the airport. Joshua brought us our car and I drive him back to the bus stop for the bus home to Lautoka 25 kms away.

28 January - We are at the house after breakfast at the Marina. There was no more flooding after we left and the mud in the house is pretty much dirt now. We were pleasantly surprised that mould and mildew had not taken over the house. The smell was pretty much normal for our high humidity. We had left the overhead fans on full and that kept the air stirred up after the power came back on last week and dried things up. 
The washer machine (which came with the house) needed a little help this morning as the water had rusted the lever that allows the drum to rotate on wash and spin the water out. I looked under it twisted a few things, prayed for it and started it back up. If you listen closely you can hear it in the background working. It is making a lot more noise but at least it is working. Viva la noise!

All the dishes in the kitchen will have to be washed as the cabinets are coated with a film of mould and mildew as well as everything which has any leather component and most of our hang-up clothes. The office/laundry floor will have to be sealed and painted to keep moisture from coming up through the cracks. The outside grounds are littered with debris and fallen coconuts. The container doors are open, trying to get air in there to dry out the floor.

The next few days we will be trying to get everything back into some kind of order. Talking with Joshua last night the Christians are doing ok after the flooding. They still have not found the body of our sister but the family had a celebration of her life last weekend. The children will going to stay with relatives as Eriki, the father has a full time job (which are few and far between right now).

Please remember the people of Fiji and us in your prayers as the next few weeks and months will be a time of rebuilding. At the current time there is a Tropical Depression East of the Fiji group building into cyclone strength. It could hit us sideways or go southwest, pray for southwest away from us.

More later!

Vinaka!

Tobey & Kathy