January 25, 2013
Dear Friends, Brethren and Family
Saturday December 15
Kathy and I went to town shopping. Saw Steve and told him we were without cement
so he said he would take out 6 bags of his since he had used some of mine at
the church building.
Monday December 17
I went to town to have my blood checked for the VA. (22,225 vt = US$250) Rain,
rain, rain!!!!!!!!
Tuesday December 18
Ju-ju and I buried the water line to the upper tank (as Tal had cut it last
week with the weed whacker). Then Ju-ju and I mixed and poured concrete for
the septic tank cover (on top of the tank this time).
Wednesday December 19
Tal and I finished mixing and pouring concrete for the front verandah. I then
spent some time shifting some of the sand pile from the front of the house to
the back of the house. Very humid!
Thursday December 20
I grouted the tile in the bath and the kitchen. We found that ants had been
using the gaps between the tiles like alleyways. Also found a rat in one of
the containers of grey water in the back yard. I guess he thought he needed
a drink but didn't figure that the sides of the container were 18 inches and
plastic. He was dead!
I had to go find the laminator and the color printing in the container. I had graded the last lesson for one of our Bible correspondence students in Fiji and had to print out a certificate of completion for her. It took me about 4 hours to find the laminator (found it the next to last place I looked as I was still looking for the spare ink cartridges for the Cannon printer which I found the last place I looked) , the printer and then to find the extra ink cartridges and then to get the printer to work (the head had dried out but a little windex works wonders). I finally got it done and printed just in time for dinner and so I can get it in the mail tomorrow.
Friday December 21
We went to town. Stopped at the health centre and picked up the results from
my blood tests. All in the normal range except the PSA which we already knew
would be elevated as I already have prostate cancer. However the result was
6.16 which is lower that the last VA reading of 7.5. I checked email (I tried
to send the results to the VA but their website was down for "unscheduled
maintenance"). I also found that the December blog has not been sent last
Friday so sent it as well. We mailed mail, got water and fuel, shopped for groceries
and found out the container MIGHT be here December 27th. While driving home
the bike quit running about 5 kms from home. I called Steven and fortunately
he was on his way back to the village so he came and towed us the rest of the
way home. So as of 1430 we are vehicle-less again. (Originally the container
and truck were to have been here Dec 1st and if so we would not still be putting
the hurt on the motorcycle!)
I took part of the engine apart to see what the problem might be - it was not the valves as I had thought. Tried calling the motorcycle shop in town at 4:30pm to see if they had another engine (in case of the worse case) but was told (by the voice on the answer phone) they were closed and their hours were 9-5:30 daily and half days on Saturday. Funny that - it was only 4:43 pm but it seems that a lot of businesses had closed half a day Friday for Christmas on Tuesday????????
Saturday December 22
I built a tarp shade lean-to over the bike so I could work on it out of the
sun. Put the engine back together, put new oil, and put the gas tank back on
- it starts but still noisy. Took the valve cover off again. Checked the oil
and found bearing metal pieces in it. Bad news - the engine is history, the
crankshaft bearing is gone and they do not sell parts here to fix that.. I guess
I have been pushing it too hard expecting it to go and come from town twice
weekly with as much as 800-1000 extra pounds on it. It would be nice to get
a larger engine but the motorcycle shop said they hadn't imported one for me
yet. I tried calling the motorcycle shop many times, one time the owner answered
and ask me to call him back in 10 minutes, which I did to the "we are not
able to come to………..leave a message:. which I did but when
he called back an hour later, when I picked up the phone it went to "no
service".
I disconnected everything on the engine and loosened the bolts so there will be a minimum of activity when I can change out the engine (hopefully Monday - Merry Christmas to me!)
I could do nothing else so I pulled out the lawn mower and mowed the church's grass.
As the sun was going down (late afternoon) I went ahead and did an abs workout. It entails shoving sand into a wheel barrow and then dumping it into my new pile in the back yard. So far I have been able to move about 3/4 of the sand from the pile in the front yard to the back yard, a little at a time!
Sunday December 23
I had a message on my phone saying the motorcycle shop owner thought I had another
engine there and would look and call me Monday.
Monday December 24
I received a text just before 8:00 AM saying the motorcycle shop had a 150cc
motor for the motorbike. I grabbed the computer and some water and went out
to wait for a van to town. I finally got the Port Vila just after 10:20 and
had them drop me off in town. I gave the key to the locks on the container to
the people who are clearing it for us so customs will not just cut the locks
off. I then walked downtown to Island Property office where I check email on
their network. Then I went to an ATM for funds. The traffic was backed up all
through town with everyone shopping and a tourist ship in. So I walked up a
hill and caught a bus to the motorcycle shop. It was closed but the owner has
a wine shop next door and he had the motor there. I paid for it and took it
outside, called the van driver and he said "wait small" (he would
be there shortly). 45 minutes later he had not showed up so I called Steven
and he was coming my way so he picked me up in his car (his truck was in the
shop getting the clutch changed). He ended up bringing me back to the house
just after 1:00.
I ate some lunch and got to work on the bike. At 17:15 (5:15 pm) the bike was back together and running. I took it for a test drive and then came back and put away my tools and cleaned up. Great to have transport again!
One of my emails was from Jason saying the Post Office will longer allow him to send my VA meds to me through the mail. That's jolly nice of them!
December 25-30
Monday December 31
We went to town.
Tuesday January 1
Worked in the garden. Burned off stuff - picked up rocks.
Wednesday January 2
We went to town. Came back and hooked up Morris' house for 12v lights. Planted capsicums and tomatoes in egg cartons and yogurt containers.
Thursday January 3
Fixed the seal on the toilet. As long as we were using buckets to flush no problem
but when we started using the regular cistern I found that the seal between
the toilet and the cistern was pinched so I had to take it all apart and re-seal
it. Works fine now! I then worked in the garden. Planted 100 sq ft of beans
and corn, also cucumbers, pumpkin. Also finished putting up the fence on the
left side of the property and put some pickets posts in the fence in the back.
Friday January 4
I went to town. Checked with customs, nothing had been done. Went to Vila agents
- they are waiting on customs.. Checked email….Went down to the dock -
the container is here. went back to customs and talked with THE MAN. He is going
to release everything duty free except the truck and will work out a lower figure
then what we paid for it… get a letter written and then Vila agents can
start processing the import. Might see it by next week some time. Prayers being
answered!
Worked in the garden some cleaning up the rubbish. Went over and talked with
Abu about using Tal to cut grass tomorrow and Ju Ju and Tobey to haul rubbish
to the back of the property. Worked on John Ten's chainsaw - lost cause it either
has a hole in the piston head or a broken piston ring letting back pressure
back into the carburetor.
Saturday January 5
Worked in the garden for about 6 hours. So far have hauled off about 25 wheel
barrow loads of crap off the garden. Sul and his family came and helped. I fixed
two weed whackers and had to rebuild the pressure relief valve on the sprayer
as Tal pumped it too much. Tal cut the grass in our yard.
Monday January 7
Worked in the garden.
Tuesday January 8
We went to town. Picked up fence wire and fence posts. Checked email and found
out the Max Harper had died.
Wednesday January 9
I went over and mounted Morris' solar panel on a pole that could be rotated
around to follow the sun.
Thursday January 10
I got Juju and ????? to help me put up the fence on the side of the church property.
When I started up the grass cutter to cut some tall grass where the fence was
going to be I took a knock on my skins where I had had the large sore. I am
now treating it again. Usually I have long pants on when I am cutting grass
but it was such a small bit I didn't and now I am paying the price.
Friday January 11
I went back to town to talk with the clearing agents about the container. It
seems that someone in the taxation office got this idea that we were a company
and should have a tax number. They are going to go a explain it to the guy and
get it sorted out, hopefully.
I went over an reinstalled the control panel for Morris' solar system. It had
been out in the shed and ants had gotten sand and stuff in it.
Saturday January 12
Geoff (the well digger) and his wife came out from Vila. He was wondering if
I could help fix his drilling truck so he can get back to drilling. It seems
it took it to an ex-pat who is an alcoholic and the guy has a hard time staying
focused on the job.
I realigned the fence in front of the house (in a straight line). Part of it is still loose as we are still waiting for the container to be delivered. We got 2.5 mm of rain. I thought we would get more so I pumped the upper water storage full. Now the roof catchment tank has less than 20 gallons in it.
I went over and rewired Morris' solar system around the control panel. Obviously the ants had done no good to it and it was not allowing any voltage to the lights from the battery even when they were charged up. We will just have to keep a watch and make sure the solar panel doesn't overcharge the batteries.
Sunday January 13
I preached on Spiritual Gifts and how the body of Christ works together not
"autonomous".
Monday January 14
Cleared rocks out of the garden in the morning. Returned a TV monitor I had
fixed.
The sore on my leg is infected like before and I am having to keep it elevated.
Finally was able to Text Jason.
Tuesday January 15
Bekka called saying the truck was fixed so I didn't need to come work on the
truck but they appreciated that I was willing to come help. I went into town
to get clarification from customs what was duty & VAT free. About an hour.
Took the new letter back to Vila Agents they now will make application. I dropped
off letters asking IFIRA to reduce their charges. Checked email. Explained to
the ladies at IP the weather pattern and that it WAS NOT a cyclone yet between
Tonga and Fiji.
Got fuel, went to get water at Steven's and had a chin-wag with Morris. Drove back home 8:00am-2pm. Nap. Someone dropped off a TV and another a generator for me to look at tomorrow.
Wednesday January16
I worked in the garden. We are having a dry spell (supposed to be rainy season)
and cannot plant anything else until we get some rain. As it is I am watering
the beans, corn, pumpkin and cucumber plants. The wind is really drying everything
up as well. The bottom water tank is almost empty and the upper one is about
? full (300 gallons).
Thursday January 17
Our 44th wedding anniversary. I called about the container but nothing yet.
Friday January 18
Kathy and went to town. 8-4 we battled with customs, wharf people and clearing
agents for the container. We went by to see if the wharf people had responded
to our letter - no the managing director had been at a conference BUT SHOULD
BE BACK THIS AFTERNOON. So we went to talk with the clearing agents and they
said they had paid the customs and tax on the truck (149,000 vatu= $1655 USD)
and the paperwork was with the wharf customs people. So we went down and checked
email. While my email was downloading I went to check real mail and we had a
box from Jason with my VA meds and some books. When the customs officer brought
the box out he said, "I need to see a real invoice for the items in this
box." My first response was "how can I have a real invoice when I
did not buy this stuff for myself nor did it come from a company, and secondly
I don't even know what is in the box since you haven't opened it yet,"
He replied with, "we know people put a false declaration down and thus
we need a real invoice to show the real value of the goods so we can calculate
tax." OH - now I get it , I thought, it is all about tax. About this time
his supervisor, who has been listening to the dialogue stepped up and told the
other man to go answer the phone or something. The older man looked at the declaration
on the box did calculation on his calculator and found that the value was within
the allowable value and gave me the form to sign and gave me the box at which
time I left. I then went back to where we check email and joined Kathy. While
dealing with email we got a call from the clearing agent (but Kathy had her
phone in her purse and did not hear it - I had left my phone at home next to
the bed which is the only place we get reception) but then they were at lunch
when I called back. We decided to go have pizza for lunch. We went grocery shopping
but when I called the clearing agents they said the customs people at the wharf
were saying we were going to have to pay about $600 tax on the container even
though it was duty free. So I went back by and talked with the customs people
downtown and they said they had declared the container duty and tax free. So
we went back to the clearing agents and told them this and then they said quarantine
was requiring the container to be fumigated as we had the truck and used clothes
in it. This is another $525 and we cannot move the container for 24 hours. That
puts it into Saturday here and they don't work on Saturday shifting containers
from the wharf. The clearing agents also said since we had not paid the wharf
charges (I had written the letter earlier this week but had not been read yet)
we would be liable for wharf charges on the container after today. So we sent
back down to the wharf took a copy of the wharf invoice back to the wharf agents
and talked with the executive secretary about the situation we found ourselves
in and she said she would try and make sure we did not have to pay wharf charges
and would see if she could get the wharf charges reduced. She would have an
answer by Monday! We will see. I left more money with the clearing agents to
cover additional bills and hopefully it will be enough to get the container
released Monday and they will shift it out here to the house.
We finished up grocery shopping, filled up the fuel containers and headed back home arriving just after 3:30pm. What a day!
Saturday January 19
I worked on Kathy's sewing machine today. During the three hours I was working
on it I had visitors: Tal wanted to know if he could borrow my chainsaw, "no
it is with Steve in Port Vila"; Sul came by to have me hook up a 12 v light
system across the road for tonight, he is having a fund raiser for school fees
for his girls, last year and this next year; Eric brought by another TV that
is not working, I fixed two for him and he figures I need the work. After I
fixed the sewing machine I found that my 26 inch monitor was doing funny things.
So I took it apart and cleaned it and when I restarted it , it was doing the
same thing. It is inverting the pictures - positives are negatives, my blue
background is gold. I tried tweaking the software and throwing away preferences
but no luck. I changed out the computer with a MacMini and the colors were fine
so it is something in the software on this MacMini. So I am in the process of
reinstalling software.
We got a tad of rain last night but it was clear and hot today.
Sunday January 20
Things did not go too well today. With Steve in Santo on a Magistrate trip,
Morris and Rebecca are in Port Vila. Things got started real late out here.
Sul and his family came and opened up the building but the bell was not rung
until 9:30am. Kathy and I went over and with Sul's family and a few of the kids
from around the building we were the only one there until after 10:15. When
we were singing people started arriving. Finally had a number there but only
three men including me. The guy who was supposed to preach was not there nor
was the guy who was supposed to direct services. We started "formal"
worship and after several songs Sul went ahead and started the communion service
just as a couple of the men arrived as well as the guy who was supposed to preach.
We had communion and then a few more people arrived. We sang another song and
the preacher was looking very uncomfortable as he forgot he was to preach (even
though we have a roster of the month and he has known for three weeks). The
song leader turned to me and begged me to preach and I told him NO and that
there were no scriptures that said we HAD to have preaching. I suggested we
sing some more and have closing prayer. The guy who was supposed to preach got
up to do the giving talk but started reading Paul's directive on communion.
He realized his mistake and then read 1 Cor 16:1,2 as a law we are to give every
Sunday (I have talked and talked to them that the context is not talking to
us and that this is NOT a scripture on giving per se - habits are hard to break!)
After that we sang another song, had closing prayer and everyone got READY to leave. I got up and expressed my disappointment with the brethren and said they need to make a decision to take their service to God serious. Today's experience was not to happen again! It looks like I am to teach my spiritual gift lessons for the next month. No fellowship lunch after services today, everyone was too busy!
Monday January 21
I worked in the garden for a couple of hours this morning to get the ground
ready to transplant tomato plants whenever we get some rain. This ground is
so fertile it is amazing. We have found almost everything anyone would need
to survive: pumpkins, passion fruit, shoes, frypans, glass bottles, plastic
bottles and plastic bags, clothing, paper and cardboard, spoons, forks, knives,
plates, cups, rusted truck parts, float rings, a refrigerator compressor and
much much more. We have scraped and gotten down to the soil to find that there
is a base of limestone road. We have hauled over 75 wheelbarrow loads of trash
to the back of the property and have not cleared it all yet. Talking of rocks
we are not talking about Ozark mountain rocks we are talking limestone slabs,
some as big as 2 foot across. This morning I was clearing rocks and then finding
deep enough ground between the rocks to plant the tomato plants. It is a challenge
but worth it for fresh tomatoes. I will transplant after a good rain.
I called the clearing agents in Port Vila before lunch and NOTHING!
The customs chap who was to sort out why we should not pay tax on the container
was not in is office, he was in a meeting. There was no response from my letter
to the wharf people either.
To make my day better my canon color printer would not work (said the used ink
reservoir was full and need to be changed by a SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE). I took
it apart and cleaned out the pad (reservoir) but it will still not work. I think
it has to be reset somehow. I also could not get the yellow ink head to work.
So I am soaked the heads in window glass cleaner and hope that will clean them
out.
I had to reinstall my main programs on my computer as I had to rebuild
it. However QuarkXpress has to be reactivated over the internet or phone. This
happened before when we were in Fiji and I had to send them an email and they
sent the code. What a hassle.
Our bottom water tank is officially dry and the upper tank is 2/3 full. The
forecast is for rain later this week, we are praying.
Just before going to bed a rat ran across in front of Kathy's chair. We chased
it back into the kitchen somewhere. I set traps and it hit one of the small
traps about 30 minutes after we went to bed. It squealed but did not get caught.
Traps have been reset. What is perplexing is how it got in. There are no holes
through the walls into the house from outside and but doorways have screen doors
which shut all the time.
Tuesday January 22
I went to town at 8:15. Keep this time in mind as it is important to the narrative.
I first went to the clearing agents for the container to find out what the hang
up was. They said it was with customs at the wharf with the computer saying
we owed $650 tax on the container. I then went to customs in town to talk to
the man had said no duty nor tax on the container (but had failed to have the
secretary mention "container" in the paperwork. I then go to the wharf
and talk with them. (I had to pay $1 for a temporary pass to get in to see customs,
first time in all the time we have lived here.) They said they had tried to
explain it to the clearing agents but they were not returning phone calls. I
went back into town and talked with the clearing agents who said that customs
at the wharf was not returning their phone calls. I went back to customs in
town and was told my man was in a meeting with customs at the wharf. I got copies
of the exemption letter and went back to the wharf to talk with the customs
people there. I got there at 11:00 and waited until 12:30 for my man to get
out of his meeting. I talked with him he talked with the customs people there
and they said they needed both exemption letters in order for them to clarify
the tax on the container. Since it was now lunch time Port Vila (11:30-1:00)
I went back to town checked snail mail (you know where it is a letter in the
PO box) and then went to check emails. I also goggled how to reset my Canon
color printer. After 1:00 I went by a Chinese shop and bought some more 12v
solar light supplies and then to the clearing agents and got copies of both
exemption letters and took them back to customs at the wharf. (I found out they
already had both copies but had not bothered to look!) After looking at them
the customs man explained what I had already confirmed, there was no mention
of the container per se. So he said he would work on it, that was 2:00. At 3:15
he signaled that he had worked it out and gave me the paperwork showing that
the container was cleared by customs. Both times at the wharf that day I was
able to get a nap in. I then took the paperwork over the the wharf and transport
people who then arranged for the container to be delivered to our house on Saturday.
Saturday is their day for out of town delivers! I had called Kathy after lunch
to tell here my lack of progress but was cut off before I could finish. When
I tried to re call I was told I did not have enough funds to make a call so
I had to wait until I could find a place to buy more minutes.
I headed to the plumbing place and picked up 100 meters of black poly pipe and connectors to join the water line from the village to the church building and to our house (since we have not had any rain nor have the people come to drill a well).
I then went and refueled and filled the gasoline containers. I stopped by and picked up a 60 lb bag of flour for Tal. Then I went to Steve's house to fill the water containers. Just as I pulled in Rebecca came out and said Kathy had just called. It seems her phone had been disabled by the providers for no balance so she had to go across the road and use Lucy's phone. She thought I was either in jail or broken down. Once she found that I had not been to get water yet she thought I might be in jail. I called her and reassured her I was cool and that I would be leaving after talking with Morris for a minute. I left Port Vila under cloudy skies and arrived back home just before 5:00. 8:15 - 5:00 what a day. I was able to save $650 not paying tax on the container but they will probably get most of that when we have to register the truck. Were two naps worth $650????????????? At least the waiting room at the wharf customs was air conditioned and the couch was comfortable!
Once home while I was out watering the corn (with gray water from the rinse water from the washing machine) Kathy saw some pigs on the other side of the fence. She told the neighbor whose children ran them off into the bush behind our property. They were trying to get into our garden. I have given fair warning and notified the police and now I am just trying to find a .22 rifle so if the pigs come into our garden again I will shoot them (all the neighbours concur as the pigs have been in their unfenced gardens).
Wednesday January 23
We went to bed with high humidity and high temperatures. My side of the bed
was like a waterbed that had sprung a leak. Around midnight a line of thunderstorms
rolled through with wind dumping rain. An answer to the prayer for water. When
I got up a 6:30 it was still raining and overcast. We had gotten over an inch
of rain. We only need about ? inch of rain to fill the bottom water tank so
everything is overflowing at the moment. My tomatoes I have grown to transplant
think they are hydroponic. I drained the water out of the container and hope
they are okay! From the forecast maps I was able to download yesterday there
are two cyclones in our area: one NE by Samoa and one West by Australia. They
are to converge moving closer to us bringing rain and wind over the next few
days (which is about right with the container coming Saturday and we will not
be able to unload the truck in the rain).
Thursday January 24
I went out to work in the garden about 8:00 trying to get a new patch without
rocks to plant more things. Kathy came out to join me about 9;00. After recent
rain the grass has been growing and so I decided to go mow it around the clothes
line as Kathy had said the stalks were sticking her when she hung (the way I
was taught not the new English "hanged") out clothes. The wind was
blowing away from where she was working as well. She decided to take a break
and broke out a lawn chair and sat it in the shade by the church building. I
mowed the small patch of grass and decided to change tghe oil in the mower as
it had been a while. As I was draining the oil in the mower Kathy started yelling
something and since I was by the generator I could not hear very well but I
did see the container truck pulling into our driveway. THE CONTAINER HAS ARRIVED
AT THE HOUSE.
The rest of the story
I had to pull down a line of fencing for the truck to back in and unload the
container. We had the whole neighborhood watching.
After they left I put the fence back up and most of the people left
and went home before I opened the doors. I had to let the fumes of the quarantine
fumigation get out before I could start taking out stuff.
The first thing I noticed was a strong odor of moisture. (Let's see there
was a hurricane in New York and a cyclone in Fiji when the container was traveling!
Go Figure!) I unloaded the front section of medical supplies and took out the
partition to get to the truck. We had to get all the stuff off the sides as
well. All the stuff on the floor was soaked. I tried to start the truck but
the battery posts were corroded so I had to clean them and change out the battery
with another I was using for our water pump on the house.
Not a continence problem just sweat
More and more stuff that had been on the floor was soaked. There were
empty coffee jars
under the truck full of water, the spare tires were full of water behind the
truck.
Once I got the truck started I could not get it to move. I had finally figured that the container had about 10 inches of water in it at some time after we loaded it. I thought maybe the rear brakes had locked on as the emergency brake was on the whole time. Steve was going to come and tow me out of the container so I could check the brakes. I had checked under the truck and THOUGHT the laminate flooring would clear and everything else as well. I finally decided to see if I could rock it back and forth to free the brakes. I rocked and rocked and finally we got some forward movement and then we were out the door. It seems that the laminate floors had moved (maybe floated) and some other stuff had shifted so when I finally got forward motion I pulled everything under the truck with me to the front of the container. The truck is outside and we also found that any boxes that were on the floor were soaked and the whole floor inside the truck is soaking wet. It will take a while for the floors to dry and the smell to leave.
Before coming in tonight I unloaded the truck except for the back under the camper shell. I will unload that tomorrow morning and we will probably take the truck into town when we go shopping tomorrow. We will have less to shop for because we had quite a bit of groceries in the truck. We are going to have to see how much of the laminate flooring is damaged and will also be checking to see it our insurance will cover the losses.
Your seed-sowing brother and sister.
Tobey & Kathy
--
Contributions for the Huffs, the Bible school and house can be sent to:
Huffs/Bible School
c/ Mt Hope church of Christ
2830 Mt Hope Rd
Webb City MO 64870
or
Tobey & Kathy Huff
c/ 2730 E. 24th St
Joplin. MO 64804
Mailing Address:
PO Box 3229
Port Vila
Vanuatu
Ph: Mobile: (678) 596-8421
Web Site: http://www.oceania-outreach.com/Index.html